CHAPTER 11;
NOT JUST THE IMAGINATION…
T'Pol made her way slowly back to the bridge, thinking over the situation at hand. The Commander had seen something that had terrified him to the point of silence, and cowering in the corner, like a human child. Whatever that something was, she was determined to find out. She needed to find out, to tell the Captain, and get this whole situation sorted out.
Two of Enterprise's officers were already missing, and there was no guarantee that another one would not disappear as well. She just needed to find out what was happening to them. They couldn't be dead… it was not logical. Who, or what, could be killing them, if they were dead… which she doubted.
Something inside of her shuddered slightly, and she felt the small pull of a psychic force of some kind. Vulcans had to meditate extensively for years to accomplish psychic powers, and now hers were acting up. There was something here… close.
She turned slowly, and caught a glimpse of something disappearing around the corner she had just rounded.
T'Pol walked back in that direction, and stopped as she saw what must be causing the disappearances.
Charlie sat on the floor of the sickbay, and petted the dog sitting next to him. He stroked its soft fur gently, as though he were afraid of harming the small animal, and looked around warily.
Charlie remembered a time when he was little when he had watched a horror movie with one of his cousins. He had put on a brave face until his cousin left, and then had gone running up to his bedroom, covered his head with his bedcovers, and stayed there for quite a while, shivering. He couldn't remember what the movie was about now, but he knew it had almost scared him to death.
Death.
Charlie shuddered. That was what he was afraid of now. He had never really been able to deal with the deaths of people close to him… his friends. Some would say that a job in space exploration was a bad idea, considering aliens always had a tendency to blow things up, and shoot people.
He sighed heavily, and looked over at the Doctor, who was standing far away, at the other side of the room.
This wasn't right… his friends couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible… someone would have found… their bodies, by now.
No… his friends were not dead… no way.
He took in a deep breath, and stopped his body from shaking, running a hand through his ruffled hair.
Taking in another deep breath of resolve, he pushed his way off of the floor.
Trip walked out of the door, without looking back.
Doctor Phlox turned as soon as he heard the doors open. Commander Tucker was leaving sickbay, Porthos, the dog, close behind him, tail wagging. If he had had the chance, Phlox would have stopped him, run a few tests. But Commander Tucker seemed to be somewhat cured.
The look on the human's face was one of bravery, courage, and perhaps determination. Apparently, he had found himself again, and with him, he had found the courage to get off of the floor, and leave the sickbay. Either that or he was possessed.
Doctor Phlox wouldn't rule that out just yet.
Captain Archer sat in his chair on the bridge, waiting… waiting for anything.
He didn't have to wait long.
He turned at the sound of the turbolift opening, and felt his jaw drop at who stood there in the opening.
Trip walked out of the turbolift, and straight over to Archer.
"Trip?"
Trip nodded, and scooped up the dog off of the floor, handing him over to the Captain. Jon accepted the young animal, a little stunned, but otherwise overjoyed that his Commander was back to normal… more or less. There was a look in Trip's eye, on of determination. Jon knew the look well. Whenever there was problem Trip knew he could solve, he would get that look in his eye, and would not stop trying until the problem was solved.
"Did you see T'Pol on your way up here, by any chance?" Jon asked, clearing his throat, sitting up straight in his chair.
Hoshi and Mayweather watched the interaction with interest. Mayweather was smiling, if only slightly, and Hoshi looked quite shocked.
Trip shook his head confidently. "No. Not a sign. Why?"
"Because I called her up here over twenty minutes ago, and we all know Vulcans aren't famous for their tardiness. Especially when given a direct order."
Trip's brow furrowed, and he glanced over at Hoshi, then down at Mayweather. "That's odd. Do you think something could have happened to her?"
Jonathan Archer cocked his head, glancing at the viewscreen, which showed nothing but stars, twinkling in the constant black of space.
"I'm not going to rule it out, but I want to be sure she's actually missing before I do anything. Hoshi, see if you can reach her through the comm."
Hoshi nodded, and pressed a button on her console. "Bridge to Sub- Commander T'Pol."
There was no response.
"Bridge to T'Pol, please respond."
Again, there was silence.
"Okay… I think it's a safe bet that something strange is going on here. Far too many of my officers have disappeared for this to be a coincidence. That, on top of what Trip saw, is enough to convince me that something is going on aboard my ship. And I'm going to find out what, and fast."
Trip nodded.
"I'm here to help, Cap'n."
NOT JUST THE IMAGINATION…
T'Pol made her way slowly back to the bridge, thinking over the situation at hand. The Commander had seen something that had terrified him to the point of silence, and cowering in the corner, like a human child. Whatever that something was, she was determined to find out. She needed to find out, to tell the Captain, and get this whole situation sorted out.
Two of Enterprise's officers were already missing, and there was no guarantee that another one would not disappear as well. She just needed to find out what was happening to them. They couldn't be dead… it was not logical. Who, or what, could be killing them, if they were dead… which she doubted.
Something inside of her shuddered slightly, and she felt the small pull of a psychic force of some kind. Vulcans had to meditate extensively for years to accomplish psychic powers, and now hers were acting up. There was something here… close.
She turned slowly, and caught a glimpse of something disappearing around the corner she had just rounded.
T'Pol walked back in that direction, and stopped as she saw what must be causing the disappearances.
Charlie sat on the floor of the sickbay, and petted the dog sitting next to him. He stroked its soft fur gently, as though he were afraid of harming the small animal, and looked around warily.
Charlie remembered a time when he was little when he had watched a horror movie with one of his cousins. He had put on a brave face until his cousin left, and then had gone running up to his bedroom, covered his head with his bedcovers, and stayed there for quite a while, shivering. He couldn't remember what the movie was about now, but he knew it had almost scared him to death.
Death.
Charlie shuddered. That was what he was afraid of now. He had never really been able to deal with the deaths of people close to him… his friends. Some would say that a job in space exploration was a bad idea, considering aliens always had a tendency to blow things up, and shoot people.
He sighed heavily, and looked over at the Doctor, who was standing far away, at the other side of the room.
This wasn't right… his friends couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible… someone would have found… their bodies, by now.
No… his friends were not dead… no way.
He took in a deep breath, and stopped his body from shaking, running a hand through his ruffled hair.
Taking in another deep breath of resolve, he pushed his way off of the floor.
Trip walked out of the door, without looking back.
Doctor Phlox turned as soon as he heard the doors open. Commander Tucker was leaving sickbay, Porthos, the dog, close behind him, tail wagging. If he had had the chance, Phlox would have stopped him, run a few tests. But Commander Tucker seemed to be somewhat cured.
The look on the human's face was one of bravery, courage, and perhaps determination. Apparently, he had found himself again, and with him, he had found the courage to get off of the floor, and leave the sickbay. Either that or he was possessed.
Doctor Phlox wouldn't rule that out just yet.
Captain Archer sat in his chair on the bridge, waiting… waiting for anything.
He didn't have to wait long.
He turned at the sound of the turbolift opening, and felt his jaw drop at who stood there in the opening.
Trip walked out of the turbolift, and straight over to Archer.
"Trip?"
Trip nodded, and scooped up the dog off of the floor, handing him over to the Captain. Jon accepted the young animal, a little stunned, but otherwise overjoyed that his Commander was back to normal… more or less. There was a look in Trip's eye, on of determination. Jon knew the look well. Whenever there was problem Trip knew he could solve, he would get that look in his eye, and would not stop trying until the problem was solved.
"Did you see T'Pol on your way up here, by any chance?" Jon asked, clearing his throat, sitting up straight in his chair.
Hoshi and Mayweather watched the interaction with interest. Mayweather was smiling, if only slightly, and Hoshi looked quite shocked.
Trip shook his head confidently. "No. Not a sign. Why?"
"Because I called her up here over twenty minutes ago, and we all know Vulcans aren't famous for their tardiness. Especially when given a direct order."
Trip's brow furrowed, and he glanced over at Hoshi, then down at Mayweather. "That's odd. Do you think something could have happened to her?"
Jonathan Archer cocked his head, glancing at the viewscreen, which showed nothing but stars, twinkling in the constant black of space.
"I'm not going to rule it out, but I want to be sure she's actually missing before I do anything. Hoshi, see if you can reach her through the comm."
Hoshi nodded, and pressed a button on her console. "Bridge to Sub- Commander T'Pol."
There was no response.
"Bridge to T'Pol, please respond."
Again, there was silence.
"Okay… I think it's a safe bet that something strange is going on here. Far too many of my officers have disappeared for this to be a coincidence. That, on top of what Trip saw, is enough to convince me that something is going on aboard my ship. And I'm going to find out what, and fast."
Trip nodded.
"I'm here to help, Cap'n."