*Here it is the long awaited finally. I wish it was longer, but you
can only squeeze so many words in to a single thought before it becomes
bogged down. So this will just have to do. Enjoy please, I must say the
ending even took me by surprise ( and please don't refrain from reviewing.
See you guys in the next story. *
Archer and T'pol raced in to the Mess hall, well as much as a Vulcan can race. What he saw was defiantly not what he had expected.
Trip and Malcolm seemed to be defending themselves, from across the room, against a large blue-green ball of flesh.
"What's the status?"
"It seems our guest had a few surprises we weren't ready for, it opened so hardened membranes and is now 'protecting' Ms.Claimes." Trip explained.
"Well that's …inconvenient."
The four of them stared at the two at the other side of the mess hall.
No one seemed forthcoming with the ideas.
Maggie pushed against the membrane form the inside.
"George, let me go. I want out. These people are nice, I like them, we will be fine." She could hardly hear her own voice; she just hoped George had better ears.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly she felt the membrane loosen its grip.
"That's it, let us out. We will be fine." She soothingly patted the inside of the membrane to get her point across; it continued to loosen as she continued to talk soothingly.
"It's opening." T'pol commented as the membrane started to peel apart.
What it reviled was not what they expected.
From the inside they heard Maggie speaking in a low voice as she gently rubbed the skin of the creature in a soothing manner.
"I think we may have our dynamics wrong here Captain." Trip said as he started to lower his weapon.
"I think your right." Malcolm concurred as he to put his weapon at ease.
"Are you ok Ms.Claimes?" Archer asked as she came in to view.
Maggie merely nodded her positive response as she continued to placate the creature.
She was actually a little astonished that they had actually taken so much time and manpower for her, a new comer not even from their time. She turned her head and looked George in the eyes. He seemed a little skittish, but for the most part he seemed also willing to trust her.
"Captain, I'm going to stand up now, please don't shot me." She hoped by keeping it light hearted the atmosphere in the room would loose some of its tension. She heard Trip stifle a laugh and figured it worked ok.
Slowly she stood and turned her whole body to face George were he crouched on the ground. He was looking less and less nervous the longer she looked at him. She reached her arm out to him to invite him to stand.
He started at it for a moment and then did that thing that looked frighteningly like a smile. With supreme smoothness he took and moved forward a step to stand beside her.
It was Maggie's turn to cock her head this time.
"George?"
"Who's George?" Archer asked.
"I named him George." She answered dismissively over her shoulder.
Archer looked at Trip and Malcolm, they merely shrugged.
"You named him?" Archer asked it in a neutral voice so as not to escalate the situation.
"Well I couldn't very well keep calling him 'the creature."
"He talks to you?" Malcolm asked incredulously
"Of course not, but just because he cant doesn't mean I cant talk to him. Sometimes all it takes is a little communication." She reached out and touched George on the cheek. He leaned in to her hand ever so slightly.
"It seems we really weren't needed her Cap." Trip commented.
"It would appear the situation is in hand." T'pol concurred.
"I think he was just scarred, because of the whole pulled out of his world and suddenly here among strangers bit. I know I was. He latched on to the familiar, me, because I'm just as out of place."
"That would seem a logical assessment. Your sent and biometric signature would not yet have conformed to that of the rest present on the ship."
"So he kidnapped you out of comradery?" the captain actually sounded like he had been worried.
"He didn't kidnap me, I think he was trying to protect me."
"From what?"
Maggie turned to face them. "From you."
"We did point our weapons at her in the hallway sir." Trip supplied.
"And from the creatures point of view it may have seemed as though she was our prisoner. Her unique smell and signature would have confirmed that assumption for it." T'pol finished.
"See, he wasn't really being the aggressor I don't think." She looked hopefully at Archer, not quite sure what she was waiting for him to do.
Archer sighed deeply. "At least your alright. Lets see if we can't persuade you and 'George' here to come to sickbay. From there we'll decide how we need to deal with this new passenger. Meanwhile, T'pol I need you and Trip to find a way to close that door down on that planet before it opens on a black hole."
"Aye sir."
"Great sickbay, I was beginning to miss that place." Maggie murmured under her breath. Then she startled herself by realizing she wasn't going to argue with the captain, as his stair would indicate he was prepared for her to do, about the closing of the door. It meant possibly the end of any hope of ever getting home. But the more she thought of that the more she wondered what she was really leaving behind that was so important.
Here she could see her engine at work, help maintain it and improve it. Here she didn't have to worry about a discontinuation of funding or being put in an institution. They seemed so willing to accept her here, so willing to easily befriend her if Hoshi was any gage.
At home she really didn't have any friends. She had collogues, but if it was between her and their work she knew the science would win. She really had no family left except her uncle either, and they were good acquaintances at best.
No, this wouldn't be a bad place to be stuck.
T'pol turned and left the room, followed by Trip. Malcolm and Archer waited patiently for her to start coxing George forward. She smiled good- naturedly and then turned to face George and the problem of his first trip to sickbay.
When she turned though, she was confronted with a site she didn't expect to see.
George was standing there completely relaxed, his membranes once again covered at his side. He seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary, like he had not, just seconds ago, been cowering in the corner.
That was nothing compared to what he did next, something that coursed Archer to reach forward and draw her behind his and Malcolm's ready weapons. George proceeded to change shape.
It was not the most pleasant thing to witness either. There was cracking of bones and peeling of skin, it was something Maggie could have gone her whole life without seeing and been completely content.
When it was done they were looking at the back of a fully clothed man. That in itself was strange enough, but when he turned around it was all she could do not to set the new passing out record.
She grabbed the back of Captain Archer's uniform.
"Mark." She said it so softly it was barely audible.
"Hi Mag. surprised to see me." He smiled in that boyish way of his and waved at her.
"Who are you?" Archer asked.
"So sorry to intrude on you good captain, and cause such trouble on your ship as well, I really am." He still hadn't answered the question Maggie noticed.
So she answered for him. "This is Mark, the colleague who sent me on this free trip through time."
"She is correct, except I do prefer it spelled with a 'Q'." he seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction. "You know hundreds of years from now that would be both amusing and extremely enlightening on the situation." He sighed.
"So your name is mark. How did you just do that?" Archer still had his weapon pointed squarely at his chest.
"Lets just say captain that I am beyond your realm of existence. There are others like me, one in particular I hope never finds you amusing, though intuition tells me he will, that and the fact I know it will happen." He smiled, no one else did. Again he sighed. "Bottom line is that I like Maggie, she was unhappy, and really on the way to seriously disrupting the space time flow with her little engine break though. You could say she was meant to be her, so I was meant to do this, so it's just the way it should be. But that's getting in to time paradoxes."
"You brought me here on purpose?" Maggie said from behind Archer.
"Honestly Maggie, you'll be happier here. At home you were alone, and no one really believed your ideas would work. Her you have credibility and the opportunity to make friends who understand you. That's much better isn't it?" he was smiling almost fatherly at her, which was disconcerting because she had always thought them close to the same age.
"You sent me here?" she just couldn't get past it.
"Yes." He answered indulgingly.
"I was so scared." She said it almost to herself.
"Of course you were, that's only natural, but it passed, and so will the awkwardness. You're headed for great things Maggie, but here among the stars, not hundreds of feet below ground."
"How do you know this?" Archer asked.
"Lets just say that I do and leave it at that captain. I will repair the damage to you ship and close the little door for you, I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I really think it was necessary."
He smiled again at Maggie.
"You will be happy here, I promise." She absently nodded; still not sure she was processing the information correctly. "Captain if you would be so good as to look after her. And I wish you all an eventful journey." He smiled one last time and in a blinding flash of light was gone.
"T'pol to Archer."
Archer absently reached back and pressed the button. "Go ahead."
"Captain the door has appeared to close itself."
"Understood."
"Sir?" Trips voice came over the COM.
"Yes."
"Reports are coming in that the damage in the transporter room and the surrounding area seems to have fixed itself."
"Understood." Archer closed the link before Trip could continue.
"I have no idea how I'm going to enter this in to the log."
"I don't envy you sir." Malcolm said, as he too seemed to be walking in a fog of no understanding.
"I think I would like to go to sickbay now." Maggie said childishly tugging on Archers suit.
"I think I'll go with you."
"Me too." Malcolm piped in.
As they left the room and Malcolm turned out the lights Maggie addressed one last question to them both.
"Every day wont be like this will it?"
"I sure hope not." Archer answered, Malcolm backing him up with hearty nods.
THE END
Did you like it? I think it may be the start of a series.
Archer and T'pol raced in to the Mess hall, well as much as a Vulcan can race. What he saw was defiantly not what he had expected.
Trip and Malcolm seemed to be defending themselves, from across the room, against a large blue-green ball of flesh.
"What's the status?"
"It seems our guest had a few surprises we weren't ready for, it opened so hardened membranes and is now 'protecting' Ms.Claimes." Trip explained.
"Well that's …inconvenient."
The four of them stared at the two at the other side of the mess hall.
No one seemed forthcoming with the ideas.
Maggie pushed against the membrane form the inside.
"George, let me go. I want out. These people are nice, I like them, we will be fine." She could hardly hear her own voice; she just hoped George had better ears.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly she felt the membrane loosen its grip.
"That's it, let us out. We will be fine." She soothingly patted the inside of the membrane to get her point across; it continued to loosen as she continued to talk soothingly.
"It's opening." T'pol commented as the membrane started to peel apart.
What it reviled was not what they expected.
From the inside they heard Maggie speaking in a low voice as she gently rubbed the skin of the creature in a soothing manner.
"I think we may have our dynamics wrong here Captain." Trip said as he started to lower his weapon.
"I think your right." Malcolm concurred as he to put his weapon at ease.
"Are you ok Ms.Claimes?" Archer asked as she came in to view.
Maggie merely nodded her positive response as she continued to placate the creature.
She was actually a little astonished that they had actually taken so much time and manpower for her, a new comer not even from their time. She turned her head and looked George in the eyes. He seemed a little skittish, but for the most part he seemed also willing to trust her.
"Captain, I'm going to stand up now, please don't shot me." She hoped by keeping it light hearted the atmosphere in the room would loose some of its tension. She heard Trip stifle a laugh and figured it worked ok.
Slowly she stood and turned her whole body to face George were he crouched on the ground. He was looking less and less nervous the longer she looked at him. She reached her arm out to him to invite him to stand.
He started at it for a moment and then did that thing that looked frighteningly like a smile. With supreme smoothness he took and moved forward a step to stand beside her.
It was Maggie's turn to cock her head this time.
"George?"
"Who's George?" Archer asked.
"I named him George." She answered dismissively over her shoulder.
Archer looked at Trip and Malcolm, they merely shrugged.
"You named him?" Archer asked it in a neutral voice so as not to escalate the situation.
"Well I couldn't very well keep calling him 'the creature."
"He talks to you?" Malcolm asked incredulously
"Of course not, but just because he cant doesn't mean I cant talk to him. Sometimes all it takes is a little communication." She reached out and touched George on the cheek. He leaned in to her hand ever so slightly.
"It seems we really weren't needed her Cap." Trip commented.
"It would appear the situation is in hand." T'pol concurred.
"I think he was just scarred, because of the whole pulled out of his world and suddenly here among strangers bit. I know I was. He latched on to the familiar, me, because I'm just as out of place."
"That would seem a logical assessment. Your sent and biometric signature would not yet have conformed to that of the rest present on the ship."
"So he kidnapped you out of comradery?" the captain actually sounded like he had been worried.
"He didn't kidnap me, I think he was trying to protect me."
"From what?"
Maggie turned to face them. "From you."
"We did point our weapons at her in the hallway sir." Trip supplied.
"And from the creatures point of view it may have seemed as though she was our prisoner. Her unique smell and signature would have confirmed that assumption for it." T'pol finished.
"See, he wasn't really being the aggressor I don't think." She looked hopefully at Archer, not quite sure what she was waiting for him to do.
Archer sighed deeply. "At least your alright. Lets see if we can't persuade you and 'George' here to come to sickbay. From there we'll decide how we need to deal with this new passenger. Meanwhile, T'pol I need you and Trip to find a way to close that door down on that planet before it opens on a black hole."
"Aye sir."
"Great sickbay, I was beginning to miss that place." Maggie murmured under her breath. Then she startled herself by realizing she wasn't going to argue with the captain, as his stair would indicate he was prepared for her to do, about the closing of the door. It meant possibly the end of any hope of ever getting home. But the more she thought of that the more she wondered what she was really leaving behind that was so important.
Here she could see her engine at work, help maintain it and improve it. Here she didn't have to worry about a discontinuation of funding or being put in an institution. They seemed so willing to accept her here, so willing to easily befriend her if Hoshi was any gage.
At home she really didn't have any friends. She had collogues, but if it was between her and their work she knew the science would win. She really had no family left except her uncle either, and they were good acquaintances at best.
No, this wouldn't be a bad place to be stuck.
T'pol turned and left the room, followed by Trip. Malcolm and Archer waited patiently for her to start coxing George forward. She smiled good- naturedly and then turned to face George and the problem of his first trip to sickbay.
When she turned though, she was confronted with a site she didn't expect to see.
George was standing there completely relaxed, his membranes once again covered at his side. He seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary, like he had not, just seconds ago, been cowering in the corner.
That was nothing compared to what he did next, something that coursed Archer to reach forward and draw her behind his and Malcolm's ready weapons. George proceeded to change shape.
It was not the most pleasant thing to witness either. There was cracking of bones and peeling of skin, it was something Maggie could have gone her whole life without seeing and been completely content.
When it was done they were looking at the back of a fully clothed man. That in itself was strange enough, but when he turned around it was all she could do not to set the new passing out record.
She grabbed the back of Captain Archer's uniform.
"Mark." She said it so softly it was barely audible.
"Hi Mag. surprised to see me." He smiled in that boyish way of his and waved at her.
"Who are you?" Archer asked.
"So sorry to intrude on you good captain, and cause such trouble on your ship as well, I really am." He still hadn't answered the question Maggie noticed.
So she answered for him. "This is Mark, the colleague who sent me on this free trip through time."
"She is correct, except I do prefer it spelled with a 'Q'." he seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction. "You know hundreds of years from now that would be both amusing and extremely enlightening on the situation." He sighed.
"So your name is mark. How did you just do that?" Archer still had his weapon pointed squarely at his chest.
"Lets just say captain that I am beyond your realm of existence. There are others like me, one in particular I hope never finds you amusing, though intuition tells me he will, that and the fact I know it will happen." He smiled, no one else did. Again he sighed. "Bottom line is that I like Maggie, she was unhappy, and really on the way to seriously disrupting the space time flow with her little engine break though. You could say she was meant to be her, so I was meant to do this, so it's just the way it should be. But that's getting in to time paradoxes."
"You brought me here on purpose?" Maggie said from behind Archer.
"Honestly Maggie, you'll be happier here. At home you were alone, and no one really believed your ideas would work. Her you have credibility and the opportunity to make friends who understand you. That's much better isn't it?" he was smiling almost fatherly at her, which was disconcerting because she had always thought them close to the same age.
"You sent me here?" she just couldn't get past it.
"Yes." He answered indulgingly.
"I was so scared." She said it almost to herself.
"Of course you were, that's only natural, but it passed, and so will the awkwardness. You're headed for great things Maggie, but here among the stars, not hundreds of feet below ground."
"How do you know this?" Archer asked.
"Lets just say that I do and leave it at that captain. I will repair the damage to you ship and close the little door for you, I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I really think it was necessary."
He smiled again at Maggie.
"You will be happy here, I promise." She absently nodded; still not sure she was processing the information correctly. "Captain if you would be so good as to look after her. And I wish you all an eventful journey." He smiled one last time and in a blinding flash of light was gone.
"T'pol to Archer."
Archer absently reached back and pressed the button. "Go ahead."
"Captain the door has appeared to close itself."
"Understood."
"Sir?" Trips voice came over the COM.
"Yes."
"Reports are coming in that the damage in the transporter room and the surrounding area seems to have fixed itself."
"Understood." Archer closed the link before Trip could continue.
"I have no idea how I'm going to enter this in to the log."
"I don't envy you sir." Malcolm said, as he too seemed to be walking in a fog of no understanding.
"I think I would like to go to sickbay now." Maggie said childishly tugging on Archers suit.
"I think I'll go with you."
"Me too." Malcolm piped in.
As they left the room and Malcolm turned out the lights Maggie addressed one last question to them both.
"Every day wont be like this will it?"
"I sure hope not." Archer answered, Malcolm backing him up with hearty nods.
THE END
Did you like it? I think it may be the start of a series.
