E2: Implications Part 3
Part 3:
Author's Note: Okay, here's where I'm veering strongly from canon. I tried to figure out why Archer wouldn't have tried to figure out how to destroy the spheres - and I couldn't think of a reason. So, in my E2 universe, the crew of the Enterprise decides that rather than fly around the Expanse for a hundred years - they are going to make themselves useful and go after the spheres and the sphere builders. We're in full on AU territory now.
Six months after the murder of Lesilia, the Enterprise found itself orbiting a sphere, far away from Ikkaria and the conflict. T'Pol and Malcolm had taken a shuttlepod into the interior to study the objects and determine if Enterprise could learn more about them and how they were causing the anomalies.
Studying the sphere had become one of T'Pol's projects since the corridor. She split her time between her regular duties as first officer studying the spheres and taking care of her son - though the new ship's daycare was helpful in that respect. She also occasionally studied the corridor and how it had thrown them back in time, but that felt like going backward and not forward.
Since Lesilia's death Malcolm had come to enjoy T'Pol's company more than ever. All the other people on the ship treated him with pity or couldn't look him in the eye or didn't know what to say. T'Pol treated him as she always had.
Malcolm couldn't help thinking that this was one of many positives about Vulcan culture.
Yet, Vulcans hadn't yet mastered the British art of small talk. T'Pol hadn't said more than a word or two in the hour since they had docked.
As they walked around the empty, cavernous interior of the sphere, Malcolm decided to break the silence.
"How's Lorian?"
T'Pol looked up.
"I haven't seen him in a few days," said Malcolm, "not since Trip brought him to the mess hall on Sunday. He looked well then."
T'Pol blinked.
"He is well," she said, "Trip claims he is quiet for a human baby. I think he is rather emotive for a Vulcan baby."
Malcolm grinned.
"Well, besides the ears, he's starting to look a hell of a lot like his Dad," said Malcolm.
"That is to be expected. It's a function of evolution," said T'Pol, who had, if anything, grown more attached to her son as he had come to resemble Trip.
Malcolm shook his head, and he wondered what Vulcans and Humans of this era would think about a hybrid child. Even in their era, inter species cross breeding was controversial. Now, the ship had a Denobulan/Human and a Vulcan/Human growing up on it. And given the Captain's ongoing attachment to Essilia, it was probably only a matter of time before a Human/Ikkaren child was born. Enterprise truly was going to be a brave new world, thought Malcolm. One he wouldn't be a part of, not now.
On a whim, Malcolm decided to move the conversation in a different direction.
"What do you think of Essilia?"
Lesilia's sister had, of late, dominated the captain's time. Even though there was nothing romantic between T'Pol and Archer, Malcolm wondered if she didn't feel as though her influence had somehow been usurped by the alien woman.
"She has been a most helpful guide," said T'Pol.
Malcolm nodded.
"Do you think she's good for the captain?" asked Malcolm.
T'Pol raised that Vulcan eyebrow at him.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning. . .do you think she makes him happy? Do you think she's a good addition to the crew?"
T'Pol reached down and adjusted her scanner. She carefully took the readings for a full five minutes. Then, she took a deep breath.
"She is not a logical person. Ikkarens appear illogical in many ways, more so than humans. Think for a moment what happened to her sister. Such illogical violence does not speak well of the race. And Essilia herself appears to make decisions on instinct and pleasure rather than on reason and just cause," said T'Pol slowly, "Thankfully, however, the captain appears to appreciate logic as much as he ever has."
Oh, I see, thought Malcolm. Essilia is the perfect person for the captain, as far as T'Pol was concerned. Essilia was welcome to the captain's romantic affections, but she had better not start giving him logical advice. That was T'Pol's turf, and she would no doubt defend it.
T'Pol walked to the opposite end of the empty, echoing chamber. Ossarian pirates had not yet started using the spheres to store their stolen goods, and so room after room in the sphere was empty, lit only by the bizarre energy that powered the sphere's internal core.
Malcolm followed her.
"Every sphere we have encountered produces the same readings," said T'Pol, "It's fascinating."
"Well, if we ever need to stash anything," said Malcolm, "We could always do it here."
T'Pol nodded. She too remembered the pirate raid on Enterprise. It was clever of the Ossarians to use the spheres.
"So far, we still have plenty of storage aboard the ship," said T'Pol, "but in the future we may just make use of these spheres."
Ironic, thought Malcolm, the sphere builders were ultimately responsible for so much of the horrors to come - yet there was nothing anyone of them could do about it.
Suddenly, T'Pol froze. She closed her eyes.
After what seemed to be a terribly long time, she opened them again.
"Enterprise has been hard hit with an anomaly," she said, "Critical systems are down, including communications. We need to return at once."
Malcolm paused.
"How do you know?"
T'Pol looked at him.
"I just do. Now let's go."
*******
Shuttlepod Two flew out of the sphere and straight toward Enterprise. T'Pol shook her head. Neither warp nacelle appeared to be operational and the interior lights appeared to be on auxiliary power. Thankfully, life support was operational. The anomalies had posed so little problem since the corridor, they had all become complacent. She of all people should have remained vigilant.
Are you still all right?
Yes. The warp engine is off line, but it looks like we've got impulse engines.
Where is Lorian?
Jay Mckenize took him. Not much for the MACOs to do right now.
Good. Malcolm and I will dock shortly.
T'Pol glanced over at Malcolm, who was staring intently at her.
"How did you know the ship was in trouble, again?" he asked "The comm system was and is still down."
T'Pol took some readings from the sensors as Malcolm piloted them toward the launch bay. If she had been on a ship of Vulcans, this wouldn't be an issue. But she wasn't on a ship of Vulcans, she was on a ship of humans, and it didn't feel right keeping critical information from Malcolm. It was his concern, how she knew about the ship.
She sucked in her breath and went against her instincts. She told Malcolm the truth.
"Vulcans have telepathic abilities. We. . .bond with our our mates. So, Trip was able to let me know that the ship had been damaged and that we needed to return."
Malcolm grinned and clapped his hand down on the controls. He laughed.
"I knew it! Something like that had to be going on. . I mean, the way you two work together - well. . .there had to be ...something."
T'Pol gave Malcolm a stern look.
"Vulcans don't discuss this with non Vulcans. In fact, I was unsure such a bond was possible with a human. As it turns out, one is."
"Well," said Malcolm, "Thank you for confiding in me. It would have driven me crazy. . .if you hadn't."
T'Pol took a deep breath and punched more data into her scanner.
"You are welcome. But I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone else. It's not something I should be talking about."
Malcolm shook his head. Trip didn't strike his as the type of guy who could keep a secret, but maybe that had changed. Vulcans, unlike Ikkarens, Andorians and half a dozen other species he could think of, were totally different from humans. Keeping something like that a secret didn't make sense to Malcolm. On the other hand, it explained why Vulcans appeared to not express affection for their mates. He was certain that she had plenty plenty of love and affection for Trip, but why show it when you could send it telepathically? Trip certainly had been going where no human man had gone before, that was for sure.
Malcolm and T'Pol arrived in the launch bay to find the ship in chaos. Cargo was stuck to the wall, deck plating was twisted and warped, and sparks seemingly flew from everywhere.
T'Pol and Malcolm made their way to the bridge, and found the captain at T'Pol's science station. He saw her return.
"Glad you're back," he said, "This anomaly came from nowhere - no warning. Was there any sign of activity on the sphere?"
T'Pol shook her head.
"Nothing, sir," said Malcolm, "Whatever internal changes in the spheres internal mechanism during a graviton radiation emission weren't detectable by our sensors."
Bloody useless sensors, added Malcolm in his head.
*****
After six hours of assisting in repairs on the bridge and elsewhere, T'Pol entered sickbay and found Phlox milling around his animals.
"Good Morning, Commander. What can I do for you?"
T'Pol looked around sickbay and made sure no one was there.
"I want to work on the inoculation for the Trellium-D. It appears that our pre-corridor calculations no longer work. Not-lining the hull will put the ship in danger," said T'Pol.
Phlox examined T'Pol's eyes and hands for any sign she had been using the toxic substance and found none.
"It might take awhile," said Phlox, "but I could continue to research a possible inoculation. However, you must promise me you won't try to synthesize your own. I don't want you anywhere near that poison."
T'Pol closed her eyes and images of the crew of the Seleya flitted through her mind. So did her early experiments with emotion - kissing Trip's clone, seducing the real Trip a few weeks later...then she thought of how she had fallen apart when the captain had gone on his suicide mission..how she had cried. . .no, no she could not ever expose herself to that substance again. With Trip's help, she had control over the new emotions - a place to focus them - but she new that any more damage to her neural pathways might kill her. She doubted a human, or a Denobulan for that matter, could understand.
But at this earlier juncture in the history of the Expanse, they hadn't yet mastered their avoidance techniques. Lining the hull needed to be an option, especially if the anomalies were going to start becoming more frequent.
****
Jon and Essilia lay in bed, both staring at the ceiling, and Porthos was curled up at the foot of the bed, fast asleep. Jon had long since told her everything about the Xindi mission. In fact, she had heard about it multiple times. Seven million humans dead, for no particularly good reason. It boggled her mind, and she did like the idea of helping Jon stop such an atrocity. She may not have been able to help her sister, but she could help Trip's sister as well as millions of others. Lesilia would have liked that.
"We heard when their planet was destroyed not long ago. There are apparently thousands of refugee ships spreading out throughout this part of space. A watery moon three systems away has become home to a whole group of Aquatics. I believe they are building a city - an underwater city. There are apparently air pockets for visiting terrestrials like us"
Essilia was quiet for a moment and sat up.
"Why don't you contact the Xindi and render aid?" said Essilia, "Make a good, human impression. Then, when these sphere builders try and convince the Xindi to destroy Earth - well, then they'll have reason not to trust these - builders."
Jon thought that one through for a moment.
"We can't take the chance that the sphere builders will just accelerate their plan. If they build the weapon now, it would alter the timeline irrevocably."
Essilia looked down at John.
"The Xindi of this time period are hardly in a position to build a super weapon. Their focus is on survival . ..but you have a point. I suppose it's best to avoid anything that could tip off the sphere builders."
Essilia didn't know much about quantum mechanics, and according to John and his pointy eared first officer, the humans had limited knowledge of what the sphere builders knew and didn't know about the future. But it seemed that they had a sense of possible outcomes but had a difficult time discerning what events led to those outcomes, unless something like a massive Human/Xindi alliance made it crystal clear. Any attempt to contact the Xindi might have unintended negative consequences.
But, Essilia thought, there had to be a way to counteract the sphere builders without waiting over a century. She just hadn't thought of it yet.
****
Essilia stood in the Command Center, examining the scans of the sphere that the crew had made before and after the Enterprise had been thrown back in time. They were nearly identical. The spheres were close to a thousand years old, and therefor there was little difference between the before and after.
T'Pol arrived, wearing the purple uniform. Essila shook her head. The Vulcan liked to rotate her colors.
"I'm glad you could come," said Essilia, "I'm no scientist. But I had a thought. Perhaps Jon - and by extension the rest of you - are focusing on the wrong goal."
T'Pol said nothing but walked up to the command screen and saw the scans of the spheres. If she found the Ikkaren women's statement presumptuous, she didn't show it.
"Jon is fixated on Earth - and stopping the Xindi. That's all he talks about, his only goal. But what if we stop the spheres? No sphere builders wanting to 'terra form' our galaxy - no need to deceive the Xindi into attacking Earth."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow.
"You believe our goal should be to destroy the spheres," said T'Pol, "rather than stop the future attack."
Essilia smiled.
"Precisely," said Essilia, "I just have no idea how we would do it. If we destroy one - that will hardly achieve our goals. But if we could somehow figure out a way to neutralize them or destroy all of them at once with a chain reaction....but I'm a real dunce when it comes to complex physics. I barely understand how my own warp drive works - I'm really just a pilot."
T'Pol looked up at the scans and remembered, a year earlier in the dream-like time before the corridor, trying to figure out a way to destroy the spheres. Then, came Azati Prime and the reptilian attack nearly destroying the ship. And, the Trellium-D nearly destroying her.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt to study the idea," said T'Pol.
"I haven't said anything to Jon yet," said Essilia, "I don't want to get his hopes up if it turns out its not feasible. He has so much on his mind . . .I guess nobody ever expects to be the leader of a group of temporal exiles."
T'Pol picked up a PADD and brought up some data. She compared it to the scans, and wondered if the waves of graviton radiation emitted by the spheres could somehow be harnessed against them and their makers. T'Pol liked the idea, there was poetic logic to it.
Essilia brushed her dark hair from her face and studied the Vulcan. Humans were easy to understand. They were passionate, much like the Ikkarens. But the notion of emotional suppression went against everything that was Ikkaren. On the other hand, thought Essilia, if Ikkarens had mastered their emotions, her sister would still be alive.
"There's one other thing," said Essilia, "My late sister worked with a professor - a physicist on Ikkaria who spent his life studying these spheres and their connection to the spacial anomalies that have been tearing up this region of space. If anyone can help you figure a way to use those spheres to save Earth - he will."
T'Pol raised her eyebrow.
"That would mean returning to your world," said T'Pol.
"It would be dangerous," said Essilia, "but it's something. And we would have to go soon. The man was elderly when I met him five years ago. I'm not even sure he's alive."
T'Pol nodded.
"I agree that until we have a sense of the plausibility of destroying the spheres," said T'Pol, "We should not approach the Captain. But I will continue to study the matter."
***
That night, T'Pol returned to her quarters after picking up Lorian from the daycare of deck two. She placed him in a carrier and assessed his well-being. She would never smile at the boy, but she enjoyed making him smile - something she would not have done had the child's father been a Vulcan. But Lorian, pointed ears or not, was half human. She covered her face with her hands, then slowly revealed her face to the child.
Lorian squealed with delight.
"Peek-a-boo," said T'Pol in a monotone voice, covering her face again.
When she slowly revealed in again, more squeals of delight. Then, Lorian reached up and grabbed a piece of her hair, holding it tight. Then, he pulled.
The boy was strong, thought T'Pol, extracting herself from his grip.
But soon it was time to put the child to bed and she did so. She looked at the time, knowing Trip was still delayed in engineering.
All the better to examine these scans, thought T'Pol.
In the hours since she had met with Essilia, the had found the idea of the spheres a distraction. And she hated distractions. But the idea that they - not their descendants - could be the ones to complete this mission appealed to her. The idea of settling somewhere, not roaming the expanse searching for information on the Xindi, appealed to her as well. She looked at Lorian, asleep in his crib.
It's too much responsibility, she thought. He deserves to choose his own destiny.
She fixed herself some tea and sat down for a long night of study.
When Trip returned, he found her nearly asleep at her desk. After checking on Lorian, he approached her. He sensed that she was working on something important. But she suddenly began to suppress what it was - so he knew it was very important.
What are you up to?
I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Give me time.
"Do you have a way home? Back to own time?" said Trip aloud.
T'Pol shook her head and felt how crestfallen he was. She took his hand, which he now understood to be one of the ultimate acts of Vulcan intimacy. No wonder she hadn't shaken his hand all those years ago when they met.
"I believe we've been focusing on the wrong goal," said T'Pol, "Essilia and I were talking about the spheres this afternoon. She thinks that if we destroy them, their makers will have no reason to turn the Xindi against Earth."
Trip pulled up a chair, without letting go of her hand. He sensed how promising she thought the idea was and how careful she wanted to be as she approached it.
"We have the information Degra gave us," said T'Pol, "And Essilia knows of an Ikkaren researcher who might have even more information. But we would need to disable or destroy all 78 spheres, not just one. A daunting task."
Trip examined the scans.
"They're all interconnected," he said, "It's not an impossible idea."
Trip understood the implications. They were never getting home to their own time or place, but they might be able to complete their mission. But as much as he understood quantum mechanics as it applied to warp theory, he didn't understand M-Theory enough to understand what the consequences would be for their timeline. For all the craziness of their situation, his life had turned out pretty damn good. Better, he thought, that if they had never been sent to the Expanse.
What if we stop the Xindi attack and Enterprise is never sent into the Expanse?
Trip glanced over at Lorian's crib and wondered if it was worth it, to wipe his son out of existence in order to save every planet in the galaxy from the sphere builders.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Trip looked into his wife's brown-green eyes. Thanks to the bond, she didn't need to tell him how painful the idea was. But she was right. Seven million first. Then Billions on Earth. Billions on Vulcan. Billions on Andoria. . .and so on. They could not be concerned with their own small circle of loved ones, when the stakes were so high.
Trip let go of her hand, and he gently pulled her into a hug. She gently put her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. Over the past year, she had gradually become accustomed to this strange form of human intimacy. She even enjoyed it a little, though it still felt strange and childlike. Vulcans held their children, but never each other in this way.
****
Hoshi ran into Malcolm in the mess hall. It was late, and he was sucking down coffee. She wondered what could be keeping him up so late. It had been months since they had gone to tactical alert. But he looked tired. Hoshi had thought he looked tired ever since Essilia's sister had been murdered. Nobody knew for sure if she and Malcolm had been involved, but Hoshi definitely belonged to the "yes" team on that particular question. Malcolm struck her as the type to fall in love with a married woman. She sat down at his table. He looked like he had lost weight, and Malcolm had never been very heavy.
"What's up, Malcolm?" said Hoshi.
Malcolm put down his coffee.
"Just studying Ikkaren tactical methodology," said Malcolm, "Essilia has been very, very helpful in preparing me for a possible run-in with these Grey Guards. She doesn't know they believe we've taken sides in their civil war or not - but if they do, we'll know it the moment we happen upon them."
Hoshi had helped herself to some green tea, which she sipped.
"It must be nice for Essilia to have you around," said Hoshi.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning she lost her twin sister. I don't know anything about Ikkarens, but losing a twin is one of the worst things that could happen to a human. She must be ripped to shreds. And it must be nice to have someone who also misses her sister around," said Hoshi.
Hoshi theorized that Essilia, for all her attachment to the captain, wouldn't have been so eager to leave her life, culture and people - if her sister hadn't been killed. Since the murder, Essilia had adopted more human dress and manner, studying the history of Earth. Hoshi suspected her new life on Enterprise was a convenient way of forgetting about her past - and the fact that one of her own people, a trusted childhood friend, had murdered Lesilia.
Malcolm paused.
"I like Essilia," said Malcolm, "And I . . .liked her sister a lot. So we have that in common," said Malcolm, "Plus the captain seems a lot happier since Essilia decided to stay with us."
Hoshi nodded. It was all true, and she knew not to expect Malcolm to admit anything had been going on with the dead woman. There was no excuse for a husband to murder his wife, but if she had been unfaithful, there were still people - even among a human crew - who would have blamed her, even if only deep in their own minds. And Malcolm was an English gentleman. He wouldn't kiss and tell anyway.
"How's Joss?" said Malcolm.
"He's fine," replied Hoshi, "But he's had to take up hydroponic gardening as a hobby. There just hasn't been enough for the MACOs to do lately."
Malcolm smiled.
"My father loved collecting insects. I think its very common for military men to take up pastoral hobbies," said Malcolm.
"Well," said Hoshi, "He says he'll have perfect carrots in about four months, which is good because I've taken up cooking again."
Malcolm smiled.
"But you are still working on ...you're work," continued Hoshi, "What you need is a hobby."
Malcolm grinned. "A hobby?"
"We're no longer on a military mission, we're no longer on a short term exploration mission. This is our home. These are our lives. You need a hobby."
Malcolm was silent.
"Maybe the captain can teach you water polo," said Hoshi.
"I'm afraid of the water," said Malcolm.
Hoshi smiled.
"Maybe its time to overcome that fear. We've got the fantastic new swimming pool/artificial beach in Cargo Bay 3. Maybe its time to expand your horizons. You, like me, used to be afraid of the transporter, but now we've both gotten used to it."
Hoshi yawned.
"Don't stay up too late," she said.
*****
Several days later, after the ship had made a supply run at a nearby colony, T'Pol asked to see Malcolm in the command center but did not tell him why. When he arrived, she stood at one of the monitors and appeared to be examining the data they had taken from the spheres.
"You wished to see me, Commander," he said.
T'Pol nodded and gestured that he should come stand next to him. He did.
"I'm working on a project that I haven't told the captain about," said T'Pol, "and I need your expertise."
Malcolm looked at the scans.
"Do you believe we could extend the energy variables on the phase cannons?"
Malcolm squinted a bit. He couldn't think of a reason to extend the energy variables.
"It's possible," he said.
"It would take a phase burst on a different spectrum to cause a chain reaction on the sphere reactors. In theory, if we hit a centrally located sphere right as the energy waves were in the process of creating the anomalies - we could explode not only the sphere we hit - but all the other ones."
Malcolm gasped. He understood the implications. No spheres. No sphere builders. No Xindi attack.
"The problem is," said T'Pol, "is it is likely we will get only once chance. The Sphere Builders would recognize what we were trying to do and alter their plans. They could try and attack Earth at an earlier time - or come after us. I don't believe they can see what we are doing now - but if we attack a sphere, they will recognize the meaning of our actions."
Malcolm took a deep breath.
"If we're not careful, we could make things worse rather than better. . . What does the captain think?"
"He does not yet know what we are working on," replied T'Pol, "Essilia feels it is best, and I agree, to have a viable plan before informing the captain."
"This was her idea?" asked Malcolm.
"Initially," said T'Pol, "But she did not understand the science, so she came to me. Trip knows, too, because I have a difficult time keeping secrets from him, for reasons of which you are aware. Trip also believes we should have a concrete plan to present to the captain. He has enough on his mind."
Malcolm thought for a moment, and he agreed. Why bother the captain with something that was only in the initial stages?
"However," said T'Pol, "There are two problems. One, I am unsure where on the light spectrum to adjust the phase cannons for maximum effect. Two, I am not sure how long it would take for an explosion to detonate once we hit the core with our phase cannons. I would prefer not to make this a suicide mission for Enterprise, if possible."
"I may be able to help you with the first problem," said Malcolm, "But you're on your own for the second."
"We'll also need to bring Phlox in on this," said T'Pol, "He knows the most about the sphere builders."
As far as T'Pol understood it, the sphere builders could not physically manifest in their dimension. They could project images of themselves and communicate with the Xindi and other species, but that was about it. Moving game pieces on a board, thought T'Pol. She wondered if the spheres were removed, if their builders would still be able to communicate with the Xindi or if they would try again in the future. There was much to consider.
"I believe," said T'Pol, "We must make a trip to Ikkaria. The man Essilia spoke of may be able to answer our questions."
****
After a few weeks of work, and consultations with Trip, Phlox and Malcolm, T'Pol decided she should be the one to broach the idea of destroying the spheres to the captain, but Essilia had other ideas. They huddled outside Jon's ready room and argued.
"It was my idea," she said, "We'll tell him together."
"That would be illogical," said T'Pol, "Give your personal relationship. I prefer he make an unbiased decision."
Essilia shook one of her long fingers at T'Pol.
"That's so stupid! We're on the same side! You want him to be biased in my favor so he'll go alone with the plan."
T'Pol held her hands behind her back and pushed down the burst of emotion she felt welling up inside her.
"I depend on the captain's judgement. I prefer him to examine our data without prejudice."
Essilia laughed. Vulcans just did not make sense to her.
Just then, Jon peaked out the door of his ready room. He wasn't sure, but something in the two women's body language peaked his interest. They were fighting about something.
"We need to see you," said Essilia.
T'Pol sucked her breath in, but followed the Ikkarian woman into the ready room. This wasn't how she had planned this.
"I've been talking to T'Pol," said Essilia, "We think we shouldn't be worrying about the Xindi attack. We should be focused on the spheres. No spheres. No attack. We think."
Jon looked to T'Pol for confirmation.
"We've discussed the idea," said T'Pol, "and I've researched it. I believe it could be a viable option. But there are some issues."
Ikkaria stepped forward and took Jon's arm. Clearly, she wasn't only planning on using logic to persuade the captain, which was totally unnecessary.
"You believe this is possible," said Jon, ignoring Essilia and looking T'Pol straight in the eye.
"I can provide you with the data I've assembled," said T'Pol, "But Essilia knows of a physicist on Ikkaria who might be able to assist us. She is willing to help us find him. With his help, we may well succeed in preventing the first Xindi weapon from ever being built."
Jon took a deep breath. Where the hell was Daniels when he need him?
"If we can do that without making things worse," said Jon carefully, "We should. But we need to proceed carefully. There are temporal implications we might not understand."
Essilia raised her hand a little bit.
"T'Pol's been working on those, too," she said.
Jon searched T'Pol's placid face.
"I've been studying the matter," she said.
"She wants to know if we'll all disappear when we blow the spheres because your ship will no longer be sent to the Expanse back in your time. I mean, you'll exist, maybe but you won't be you. And none of the children will exist, of course."
Jon looked over at T'Pol. Of course, he said, T'Pol never, ever would have married a human had she not been thrown back in time. Phlox would not have married Amanda with his three wives back on Denobula. . .if T'Pol's plan worked, they would complete their mission, but they would also wipe the seven children that had been born on the Enterprise out of existence.
"The needs of the many outweigh the need of the few," said T'Pol calmly.
Jon shook his head.
"I agree," he said, "on principle. Saving the galaxy means making that sacrifice. But it's going to take time and there may be another way. When Daniels pulled me into the future, we were somehow protected from the alternations in the timeline created by my absence. It was like we were in a temporal bubble, unaffected by the changes outside. If we're going to do this, I'd like to try and create such a bubble to put around the ship.
Essilia grinned and clapped her hands.
"Brilliant!" she said and reached up and kissed Jon on the lips.
T'Pol felt a wee bit sick to her stomach, but she showed no outward signs of disgust. She also thought of the Vulcan Science Directorate's insistence that time travel was impossible. As she such, she was no expert in potential timeline shifts and temporal bubbles. Neither was anyone else on the ship. They would need this Ikkaren physicist more than ever. From what little Essilia could tell her, the man was aware of how the Spheres existed outside of normal time/space.
"Going to Ikkaria to find this Dr. Spaine, it may not be completely safe," said T'Pol.
Essilia nodded.
"It's not going to be. I'm sure Enterprise will have been marked as a potentially dangerous ship - but the good news is that no Ikkaren ship I know could out gun her. And I can brief Malcolm on all the tactical information on the Grey Guards he could want."
Jon and T'Pol said nothing.
"We're just trying to meet with one old scientist," said Essilia, "We'll probably be able to get a message to him beforehand."
"I'll leave you two to plan our visit to Ikkaria," said T'Pol.
With that, she took her position on the bridge. Jon's words had given her hope that the price of destroying the spheres needn't be as high as she first thought.
******
Eventually, Essilia proposed a very practical solution to the dilemma of how to get to Ikkaria. Trip would help her modify the markings and warp signature of her own ship, which was still in the launch bay of Enterprise. She, T'Pol and Malcolm would take the transport to Ikkaria and find Dr. Spaine. Essilia had already been in communication with the doctor, who was eager to help but needed some scrapings from the ship's engines to make his final calculations.
Meanwhile, Trip and Archer and Phlox would stay aboard Enterprise and work on some of the more basic system modifications. When the group returned from Ikkaria with the proper specifications, then Trip and Malcolm could finish the job and they would head after the spheres. It all seemed like a good plan.
"I think I should go with you," said Jon to T'Pol.
"That is not logical. You are needed here," she said, "and Essilia is a capable pilot. We will simply consult Dr. Spraine and return."
Jon knew that Enterprise would only draw attention to itself. It was best they stayed in orbit around one of the new independent out colonies while a small party brought the sample to his lab. But that didn't make in any easier.
"I'll take good care of Trip while you are gone," said Jon.
"Thank you. I will look after Essilia," she said in response.
*****
Before the final departure, T'Pol returned to her and Trip's quarters one more time. He was there, with Lorian. She knew he would rather she not go or that he accompany her - but he needed to work on the engine modifications that were part of the plan. She sensed very human worry in him.
"We'll be fine," she said aloud.
"I know," he said.
With his son in one arm, Trip leaned down and kissed his wife goodbye on the lips. She shut her eyes and accepted the kiss - then kissed back. Luckily, Trip had gotten used to her tentative Vulcan responses to his human overtures. He had even come to be fond of them.
"I'll miss you," said T'Pol.
Her words were the truth. Being separated from one's family was not easy for a Vulcan, and it would leave a hole in T'Pol heart until she returned.
******
Essilia packed happily in front of Jon, chattering about their plans. She was excited to see her homeworld again, despite the bittersweet homecoming. The Grey Guards were firmly in charge, and Essilia knew better than to try and contact any of her extended family. She had no idea what Thoren would do if he knew she had returned, and she didn't want to know.
"We'll all be fine, Jon," she said.
"I know," he replied, "But you should still be careful. Listen to T'Pol. I know that you and she don't always see eye to eye, but she's got a lot of mission experience and knows how to get in and out of places."
Essilia nodded. She should have been jealous of T'Pol, but she had recently come to sort of like the Vulcan. And she begrudgingly understood why Jon trusted her so much.