Vulcan and Human Keepsake

Chapter Ten

Captain John Archer walked through the corridors getting reunited once again with his vessel The Keepsake. There was no one around at the moment with everyone either in their quarters, or at the different stations. After coming from sickbay and his chat with Dr. Phlox, he made it to his quarters to change. Porthous greeted him with a smooch to his face after Archer had lifted him up. The poor beagle was unable to jump up into his arms like years ago.

"Are you hungry?" He asked with putting down his beagle to open up a bag of his food filling the silver bowl halfway. While Porthous went to work on filling up his stomach before heading on over to his gray bed in the corner of his cabin.

Taking the time to change. There was message for him from the bridge. "What is it Lt. Peterson?" He asked with looking over at his sleeping beagle after eating his meal.

"Sir, Commander Charles Tucker and Science Officer T'Pol have arrived on board. They will be coming to the bridge to meet with you for a briefing." He says with the both of them arriving off the turbolift.

"I will be joining them shortly Lt." He turned off the terminal to walk out of his cabin taking the closest turbolift to the bridge of the freighter Keepsake.

Moments later...

They have walked into the situation room just off the engineering station on the bridge. "I must admit Captain, I am rather impressed with the designs of the Keepsake, especially with the upgrades on the warp drive." Trip announced with placing one of the designs onto the conference table.

"I haven't seen them Trip, but I understand with the upgrades we can travel at warp Six before entering the wormhole to reach the sector of the Guardian of Forever."

"Since Commander Tucker will be staying busy in engineering, T'pol is going to be working with me on the bridge as my chief Science officer looking for anything out of the ordinary once we head into the wormhole. My crew has never been in one prior since we have been supplying the colonists with equipment and food supplies."

"Sir, I know this is none of my business. But why did you give up taking another StarFleet vessel after the Enterprise and Columbia?" Commander Tucker asked with concern for his friend, while T'Pol had remained silent throughout the exchange.

Shaking his heads before placing a hand through his grey hair and sideburns. " I was tired of always being under a great deal of stress, it was going to kill me for sure. Even Doctor Phlox and other Starfleet doctors had seen this happening."

"Captain, I would assume with the doctors, they would be correct for when it comes to the stress levels with having to be running a starship like the Enterprise. I have been under those type of stress conditions during the many years of my life as a Vulcan."

"Oh, come on T'Pol, you're not all that old having to be my wife and bondmate for the past five plus years?" Trip said with a smirk on his face to truly drive her crazy with that expression.

"I don't wish to discuss this subject in the front of the Captain currently. We have a job that needs to be done with finding the two Zoolanders and Xandi before the race dies." T'Pol replied with a shift in her seat feeling rather unsettling with this entire matter and the possible chance she can lose her husband with another timeline change with the Guardian.

"It's why I have the both of you here now. I just don't know what more we can do other than the fact of entering the Guardian looking for the Zoolanders and the Xandi. However Trip and T'Pol, I know it's extremely important for the both of you to come out of this safe and whole in one piece. More so with T'Pol and her Vulcan emotions." Captain Archer responded with extreme emotions coming from his gut.

Both Trip and T'Pol didn't say a word for a few moments until Trip smiled slightly. "At least Captain, I have lived a full life as myself and my twin Sim." This brought up an expression of sadness on T'Pol's face remembering those final words by Sim in her quarters about feelings before dying with saving Trip's life in sickbay.

"Agreed. We will be heading out of Earth's orbit in five hours, I suggest the both of you try to get attuned to working on the Keepsake. I shall be heading back to my quarters to rest for an hour before I fully take over on the bridge." Archer replied with both the engineer and science officer moving up from their seats to leave the conference room.

In orbit around the planet with the Guardian of Forever down below. There was one other time distortion had happen two hours ago to surprise everyone on board the Loreal. Captain Axle Prime ordered to keep an eye out in the sector. There hasn't been any vessels to show up leaving the crew on their toes in case of any surprises.

Captain Prime had beamed down with check in with the landing party having left four security officers on the outskirts of the Guardian in case the Zoolanders or the Xandi decided to come out of the Guardian while changing the timeline.

Vulcan science officer T' Lare was asked to work with the security officers using his Tricorder to gather any further information the Guardian gives off. The captain slowly walked over to his science officer bending down picking up a small rock using his tricorder.

"Anything T'Lare?" Axle asked with a tone of annoyance in his step.

"It seems that everything is working in a certain perimeters Captain, otherwise the Guardian hasn't said one word since the last time you had asked your questions." The Vulcan Science officer T' Lare stated with his comments.

"Good! Let's just hope it stays that way T' Lare. You and myself will be heading back up to the ship, while the security officers will stay here for now." Captain Axle Prime responded with pulling out his communicator to have the transporter room beam the two of them up.