Chapter 4-
Captain Archer entered the bridge with Commander Tucker close beside him. Archer had a hand on Tucker's shoulder for moral support. Both men curiously looked at the viewscreen where everyone else's attentions were focused. An alien ship, one they had never seen before, filled the screen.
"The researchers?" The captain asked in an unnecessary hushed voice.
"No." T'Pol answered. "This species name is unknown. However, the Vulcans are aware of their existence through a brief encounter with one of their ships a long time ago. It was an audio communication only. They are an intelligent, private people. There is no knowledge of the location of their home world. Since they are isolationists, this could be tantamount with the Vulcans first contact with humans."
"How did they know about Trip?" Archer asked.
"They sent his DNA readings as a means of identification." T'Pol responded.
"Go ahead, Hoshi." The captain instructed.
In a flicker an alien male appeared on the screen. Trip's eyes grew wide as he saw the familiar shiny, greenish-blue skin and amber eyes. He was an elder by human standards.
"Greetings." The male spoke softly. "I am seeking the one who was held captive along with my daughter."
"There he is, Father." A timid voice out of view said.
Archer motioned and the screen widened to reveal the young, alien girl Tucker new well.
"They let you go, too." Trip sounded relieved. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I am adjusting." She smile at him. "You?"
Trip shrugged his shoulders. "It's tough."
"I wish to thank you for protecting my daughter." The alien male said. "She tells me if your captors had not terminated her had you refused them, she could not have endured. She surely would have died."
"I--I don't understand." Trip mumbled, confused.
"Our people mate for life." The father explained. "My daughter's mate was killed, shortly after their bonding, in an accident. She is so young to live so long without a mate or offspring."
"Father, let me." The girl gently took hold of the man's arm. "We sought after you because I have to inform you of a great matter that concerns you. I am with child. Your child."
Trip swayed and the captain grabbed hold of him. The bridge crew stared at each other and the commander in disbelief. Doctor Phlox slipped onto the bridge and moved to T'Pol.
"I'm so sorry." Trip muttered.
"No," The girl said. "I am pleased and honored."
"Honored?" Trip asked.
"My people would be honored to have this child amongst them, as a reminder of the stranger who cared for the well being of one of our own." The father explained.
"I'm not gettin' this." Trip waved his hands. "I jeopardized your daughter's reputation, sir."
"Easy, Trip." Archer warned.
"On the contrary." The father corrected. "There were others, captives like yourselves, that she would have been paired with. They were not so reserved and righteous, I hear. My grandson will be of noble birth."
Trip stared at the aliens on the screen with so much yearning to comprehend, that he almost forgot to breathe. He swallowed hard and fought back those damn tears and the lump in his throat.
"Son?" Trip managed.
"Yes." The girl grinned. "A male child. I need your permission to have this baby."
"I--I'll never see you again. And I'll never see the baby." Trip concluded.
"No." She agreed. "And that is why if you do not wish me to deliver this child, I will terminate it."
"What?!" Tucker raised his voice, losing some control.
"It would not be fair for you to grieve after the sacrifices you have already made." The father said.
"What do you want?" Trip asked the girl.
"It is not a matter of what I want." She told him.
"Just like that?" Trip started to tremble, but was not sure if it was from anger or weakness. "If I said I couldn't handle not knowin' my child; what they looked like, how they lived, or what became of them, you'd wipe them out of existence?"
"If that is your wish," she said with obvious disappointment.
"I don't know what I wish!" Trip yelled, moving down closer to the screen. "I don't know what the hell's going on in my head right now. And you want me to make a decision about another being's life?"
"Trip, calm down." Archer pressed.
"No!" Trip spun around on his heels. "I won't calm down! Hell, allow me the courtesy to be pissed off!"
The captain tried to reach out to his friend, but Tucker abruptly bolted for the lift door. There was a brief pause as Archer turned to the screen with a weak, lopsided smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.
"I apologize for any offense." Archer said.
"There is no need." The alien father put an arm around his young daughter. "He has been given overwhelming news. We did not expect an immediate answer."
"Even in his present state of mind," The captain offered. "I'm sure the answer will be forthcoming within the day."
"We will remain until summoned," he acknowledged.
Archer hesitated, but did not want this moment's opportunity to pass. He decided what he needed to ask was reasonable.
"Excuse me," he began. "I was wondering what your name and people are called."
The alien father smiled, not patronizingly at all, and said. "Now I must apologize for possibly offending you, Captain. But, we prefer to remain anonymous."
"No offense taken. I understand."
The screen cut to the starry background of space, surrounding the alien craft. Archer sighed and turned to T'Pol.
"You have the bridge, Sub-commander." He moved past her and the doctor, stopping before leaving the bridge. "See you both at dinner."
"Yes, sir." T'Pol replied, as Phlox just nodded.
----------
The captain, doctor and commander sat around the table in the dining room. Tucker played with his food, while the other two tried to make small talk. The door opened and T'Pol entered and sat in her place.
"I apologize for being late, Captain," she said.
"It's all right."
"We're having lasagna tonight." Phlox informed her. "It's one of the commander's favorites."
Tucker kept his eyes on his plate and did not verify that last fact. The lasagna was barely recognizable now, having been flattened and spread out in a forklined mess.
"Yours is vegetarian." Archer assured her.
"We were only 40 kilometers from our destination when the aliens hailed us." T'Pol said.
"Oh," The captain responded, somewhat uneasy.
"What destination?" Tucker muttered, still concentrating on the culinary masterpiece on his plate.
"Where you and the pod were captur..." T'Pol started to say.
"Rescued." Phlox interrupted.
"Why?" The tone in Tucker's voice was curt.
"I felt that we needed to investigate further." Archer stretched the truth.
"You're lookin' for a fight with those kidnappers." Trip looked up now, eyeballing Archer. "Because you feel sorry for me."
"What?" The captain asked.
"I couldn't fight my own battle, so you want to do it for me." Trip said with conviction. "Isn't that what you've always done where I'm concerned?"
"Never." Archer answered, the hurt in his voice apparent.
"The captain feels the researchers must answer for their actions." T'Pol interceded. "It will be difficult, however, seeking them out. Can you tell us anything useful, Commander?"
"I don't think Trip's ready to talk about it." Archer quickly responded.
"I can speak for myself." Tucker was emerging more from his shell.
"I know." Jon said. "I just..."
"What'd ya wanna know, T'Pol?" Trip turned to her, with a glare in his eyes. "You wanna know how they broke me? How I gave in and put on a show for those perverts?"
"I don't believe this is proper dinner conversation." Phlox finally spoke up.
Trip was on a roll and had no intention of stopping now. "See, they were studyin' interspecies mating and they paired me with that alien babe you saw."
Archer slammed his fork down on the table. "Settle down, Trip."
"After her, I wouldn't do it anymore." Trip's eyes were fixed on the sub-commander. "I was spent. So, you know what they did? They took what they wanted for their alien sperm bank. They were a little rough, but I'm here. All in one piece. More or less."
"Mr. Tucker is in need of some sleep." Phlox stared at Trip. "He's been through a lot."
"You're damned right!" Tucker fired at the doctor. "And I know what she's thinkin'. That I'm a weak, emotional human. Right, T'Pol?"
"That's enought! She doesn't deserve this!" Archer was fuming now.
"And I don't deserve her kind judging me!" Trip screamed at the captain.
There was a very long pause with T'Pol's eyes fixed on Tucker and him glaring right back at her.
"Mr. Tucker," T'Pol's controlled voice pierced the silence. "I don't believe your limited knowledge of me allows you to know my thoughts. If so, you would know that I was thinking a lesser man would've been so dysfunctional they would've been sent back to Earth and committed to an asylum."
Her words were effective in quelling the commander's present outburst. Tucker rose, slowly, leaning on the table for support.
"Maybe I should be," he muttered sounding defeated. "Like the doc said, I'm tired."
"You've hardly had anything to eat." Archer forced himself to say without letting his voice quiver with emotion.
"It's all right." Phlox said. "But he'll have to eat when he wakes up."
Trip exited without being dismissed. The captain turned to T'Pol.
"Thank you."
"I meant what I said, Captain." T'Pol assured him.
"I know you did. But let's face it. For whatever reason, what you think matters to him."
T'Pol's eyebrows raised. "I was not aware the commander cared what I thought, for any other reason except to distort it to use against me, out of context, in the future."
Archer sighed, "That too."
-----------
Engineering was business as usual. No one appeared to need their chief engineer at the moment. Trip Tucker wandered around, checking consoles, almost undetected.
"Commander," Crewman Kelly blurted out in surprise. "What are you doing here? I mean, good to see you, sir."
"Why are the environmental controls off on E deck?" Tucker harshly asked.
"It's only down by 5 degrees, sir." Kelly stammered, then unthinkingly added, "It's not critical, sir. Is it?"
"If you have to ask that, then you shouldn't be here!" Tucker reprimanded.
"Sir?"
"Get out of here!" Tucker yelled. "All of you!"
Crewman Kelly dropped her padd and backed away. The other crew members stared at them, but quickly disbursed when the commmander picked up the dropped padd and threw it in their direction.
----------
"Bridge to Captain Archer." Reed's voice over the com interrupted dessert.
Archer rose and moved to the panel. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Crewman Kelly has reported Mr. Tucker in engineering."
"What's he doing in there?" The captain asked.
"Unknown. She was chased out along with all of the others on duty. He's not responding to the com and it's a blustery evening on E deck, sir."
"On our way."
----------
When Archer, T'Pol, Phlox and Kelly entered engineering they found Tucker sitting on the floor, legs sprawled out, with his back against a badly dented console. He held a metal bar in his hands and his eyes were fixed on the ceiling.
"Thank you, Crewman." Archer whispered. "We'll take it from here."
Kelly exited and Archer turned to Phlox.
"He responds to you, Captain," The doctor told him.
The captain turned and moved slowly toward the commander. He halted a few feet to the side of Trip and bent over.
"Trip."
Tucker rolled his head in Archer's direction and his eyes were hazy and his lids heavy.
"Hey, Cap'n."
"You're suppose to be asleep." Archer said.
"Can't," Trip told him. "Every time I close my eyes, it's all there. I can feel them, hear them. I hate this. That it happened, that I feel like this."
Archer knelt down as Trip shivered and closed his eyes.
"You okay?" Archer asked, concerned.
"Am I?" Tucker opened his eyes and looked over at the captain. "Okay?"
"Sure you are. Just a little out of sorts."
"My grandma used to alway say things happen for a reason." Trip said, licking his dry lips. "Even bad things happen for reasons that aren't so bad. And even though we may not know what those not-so-bad reasons are at the time; they're out there. Waitin' to show up."
Archer smiled, thoughtfully. "And what do you say?"
"You know me." Trip shrugged his shoulders. "Tough-as-nails-Tucker. That's what you call me. I go with the flow, cuz I figure things'll work out. But every time I go over this in my head...it just seems so meaningless."
Archer ran his hands through his hair, trying to loosen up his tense body.
"I don't think that child she's carrying is meaningless."
"Oooh," Trip bit his lower lip. "I can always count on you to be that voice. But I don't know.
I'm in a pretty dark place, Cap'n. It's kinda pukey."
"You need to rest, Trip." Jon moved closer. "You're exhausted. Doc can give you something to help you get to sleep."
Reluctantly Trip nodded. "Okay."
"No more taking it out on the ship." Archer scolded.
"Sorry."
"Tell that to those freezing their butts off on E deck." Archer said.
Jon helped Trip up, taking the metal pipe from his hand and steered him to T'Pol and Phlox.
"Sorry for mouthin' off at dinner." Trip told T'Pol. "See, it wasn't you I was angry with."
"I see more than you will ever know, Mr. Tucker." T'Pol informed him.
"Bridge to Captain Archer." Reed's voice over the com again. "We're being hailed by the aliens again. It's coded as urgent, sir."
----------
TO BE CONTINUED
Captain Archer entered the bridge with Commander Tucker close beside him. Archer had a hand on Tucker's shoulder for moral support. Both men curiously looked at the viewscreen where everyone else's attentions were focused. An alien ship, one they had never seen before, filled the screen.
"The researchers?" The captain asked in an unnecessary hushed voice.
"No." T'Pol answered. "This species name is unknown. However, the Vulcans are aware of their existence through a brief encounter with one of their ships a long time ago. It was an audio communication only. They are an intelligent, private people. There is no knowledge of the location of their home world. Since they are isolationists, this could be tantamount with the Vulcans first contact with humans."
"How did they know about Trip?" Archer asked.
"They sent his DNA readings as a means of identification." T'Pol responded.
"Go ahead, Hoshi." The captain instructed.
In a flicker an alien male appeared on the screen. Trip's eyes grew wide as he saw the familiar shiny, greenish-blue skin and amber eyes. He was an elder by human standards.
"Greetings." The male spoke softly. "I am seeking the one who was held captive along with my daughter."
"There he is, Father." A timid voice out of view said.
Archer motioned and the screen widened to reveal the young, alien girl Tucker new well.
"They let you go, too." Trip sounded relieved. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I am adjusting." She smile at him. "You?"
Trip shrugged his shoulders. "It's tough."
"I wish to thank you for protecting my daughter." The alien male said. "She tells me if your captors had not terminated her had you refused them, she could not have endured. She surely would have died."
"I--I don't understand." Trip mumbled, confused.
"Our people mate for life." The father explained. "My daughter's mate was killed, shortly after their bonding, in an accident. She is so young to live so long without a mate or offspring."
"Father, let me." The girl gently took hold of the man's arm. "We sought after you because I have to inform you of a great matter that concerns you. I am with child. Your child."
Trip swayed and the captain grabbed hold of him. The bridge crew stared at each other and the commander in disbelief. Doctor Phlox slipped onto the bridge and moved to T'Pol.
"I'm so sorry." Trip muttered.
"No," The girl said. "I am pleased and honored."
"Honored?" Trip asked.
"My people would be honored to have this child amongst them, as a reminder of the stranger who cared for the well being of one of our own." The father explained.
"I'm not gettin' this." Trip waved his hands. "I jeopardized your daughter's reputation, sir."
"Easy, Trip." Archer warned.
"On the contrary." The father corrected. "There were others, captives like yourselves, that she would have been paired with. They were not so reserved and righteous, I hear. My grandson will be of noble birth."
Trip stared at the aliens on the screen with so much yearning to comprehend, that he almost forgot to breathe. He swallowed hard and fought back those damn tears and the lump in his throat.
"Son?" Trip managed.
"Yes." The girl grinned. "A male child. I need your permission to have this baby."
"I--I'll never see you again. And I'll never see the baby." Trip concluded.
"No." She agreed. "And that is why if you do not wish me to deliver this child, I will terminate it."
"What?!" Tucker raised his voice, losing some control.
"It would not be fair for you to grieve after the sacrifices you have already made." The father said.
"What do you want?" Trip asked the girl.
"It is not a matter of what I want." She told him.
"Just like that?" Trip started to tremble, but was not sure if it was from anger or weakness. "If I said I couldn't handle not knowin' my child; what they looked like, how they lived, or what became of them, you'd wipe them out of existence?"
"If that is your wish," she said with obvious disappointment.
"I don't know what I wish!" Trip yelled, moving down closer to the screen. "I don't know what the hell's going on in my head right now. And you want me to make a decision about another being's life?"
"Trip, calm down." Archer pressed.
"No!" Trip spun around on his heels. "I won't calm down! Hell, allow me the courtesy to be pissed off!"
The captain tried to reach out to his friend, but Tucker abruptly bolted for the lift door. There was a brief pause as Archer turned to the screen with a weak, lopsided smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.
"I apologize for any offense." Archer said.
"There is no need." The alien father put an arm around his young daughter. "He has been given overwhelming news. We did not expect an immediate answer."
"Even in his present state of mind," The captain offered. "I'm sure the answer will be forthcoming within the day."
"We will remain until summoned," he acknowledged.
Archer hesitated, but did not want this moment's opportunity to pass. He decided what he needed to ask was reasonable.
"Excuse me," he began. "I was wondering what your name and people are called."
The alien father smiled, not patronizingly at all, and said. "Now I must apologize for possibly offending you, Captain. But, we prefer to remain anonymous."
"No offense taken. I understand."
The screen cut to the starry background of space, surrounding the alien craft. Archer sighed and turned to T'Pol.
"You have the bridge, Sub-commander." He moved past her and the doctor, stopping before leaving the bridge. "See you both at dinner."
"Yes, sir." T'Pol replied, as Phlox just nodded.
----------
The captain, doctor and commander sat around the table in the dining room. Tucker played with his food, while the other two tried to make small talk. The door opened and T'Pol entered and sat in her place.
"I apologize for being late, Captain," she said.
"It's all right."
"We're having lasagna tonight." Phlox informed her. "It's one of the commander's favorites."
Tucker kept his eyes on his plate and did not verify that last fact. The lasagna was barely recognizable now, having been flattened and spread out in a forklined mess.
"Yours is vegetarian." Archer assured her.
"We were only 40 kilometers from our destination when the aliens hailed us." T'Pol said.
"Oh," The captain responded, somewhat uneasy.
"What destination?" Tucker muttered, still concentrating on the culinary masterpiece on his plate.
"Where you and the pod were captur..." T'Pol started to say.
"Rescued." Phlox interrupted.
"Why?" The tone in Tucker's voice was curt.
"I felt that we needed to investigate further." Archer stretched the truth.
"You're lookin' for a fight with those kidnappers." Trip looked up now, eyeballing Archer. "Because you feel sorry for me."
"What?" The captain asked.
"I couldn't fight my own battle, so you want to do it for me." Trip said with conviction. "Isn't that what you've always done where I'm concerned?"
"Never." Archer answered, the hurt in his voice apparent.
"The captain feels the researchers must answer for their actions." T'Pol interceded. "It will be difficult, however, seeking them out. Can you tell us anything useful, Commander?"
"I don't think Trip's ready to talk about it." Archer quickly responded.
"I can speak for myself." Tucker was emerging more from his shell.
"I know." Jon said. "I just..."
"What'd ya wanna know, T'Pol?" Trip turned to her, with a glare in his eyes. "You wanna know how they broke me? How I gave in and put on a show for those perverts?"
"I don't believe this is proper dinner conversation." Phlox finally spoke up.
Trip was on a roll and had no intention of stopping now. "See, they were studyin' interspecies mating and they paired me with that alien babe you saw."
Archer slammed his fork down on the table. "Settle down, Trip."
"After her, I wouldn't do it anymore." Trip's eyes were fixed on the sub-commander. "I was spent. So, you know what they did? They took what they wanted for their alien sperm bank. They were a little rough, but I'm here. All in one piece. More or less."
"Mr. Tucker is in need of some sleep." Phlox stared at Trip. "He's been through a lot."
"You're damned right!" Tucker fired at the doctor. "And I know what she's thinkin'. That I'm a weak, emotional human. Right, T'Pol?"
"That's enought! She doesn't deserve this!" Archer was fuming now.
"And I don't deserve her kind judging me!" Trip screamed at the captain.
There was a very long pause with T'Pol's eyes fixed on Tucker and him glaring right back at her.
"Mr. Tucker," T'Pol's controlled voice pierced the silence. "I don't believe your limited knowledge of me allows you to know my thoughts. If so, you would know that I was thinking a lesser man would've been so dysfunctional they would've been sent back to Earth and committed to an asylum."
Her words were effective in quelling the commander's present outburst. Tucker rose, slowly, leaning on the table for support.
"Maybe I should be," he muttered sounding defeated. "Like the doc said, I'm tired."
"You've hardly had anything to eat." Archer forced himself to say without letting his voice quiver with emotion.
"It's all right." Phlox said. "But he'll have to eat when he wakes up."
Trip exited without being dismissed. The captain turned to T'Pol.
"Thank you."
"I meant what I said, Captain." T'Pol assured him.
"I know you did. But let's face it. For whatever reason, what you think matters to him."
T'Pol's eyebrows raised. "I was not aware the commander cared what I thought, for any other reason except to distort it to use against me, out of context, in the future."
Archer sighed, "That too."
-----------
Engineering was business as usual. No one appeared to need their chief engineer at the moment. Trip Tucker wandered around, checking consoles, almost undetected.
"Commander," Crewman Kelly blurted out in surprise. "What are you doing here? I mean, good to see you, sir."
"Why are the environmental controls off on E deck?" Tucker harshly asked.
"It's only down by 5 degrees, sir." Kelly stammered, then unthinkingly added, "It's not critical, sir. Is it?"
"If you have to ask that, then you shouldn't be here!" Tucker reprimanded.
"Sir?"
"Get out of here!" Tucker yelled. "All of you!"
Crewman Kelly dropped her padd and backed away. The other crew members stared at them, but quickly disbursed when the commmander picked up the dropped padd and threw it in their direction.
----------
"Bridge to Captain Archer." Reed's voice over the com interrupted dessert.
Archer rose and moved to the panel. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Crewman Kelly has reported Mr. Tucker in engineering."
"What's he doing in there?" The captain asked.
"Unknown. She was chased out along with all of the others on duty. He's not responding to the com and it's a blustery evening on E deck, sir."
"On our way."
----------
When Archer, T'Pol, Phlox and Kelly entered engineering they found Tucker sitting on the floor, legs sprawled out, with his back against a badly dented console. He held a metal bar in his hands and his eyes were fixed on the ceiling.
"Thank you, Crewman." Archer whispered. "We'll take it from here."
Kelly exited and Archer turned to Phlox.
"He responds to you, Captain," The doctor told him.
The captain turned and moved slowly toward the commander. He halted a few feet to the side of Trip and bent over.
"Trip."
Tucker rolled his head in Archer's direction and his eyes were hazy and his lids heavy.
"Hey, Cap'n."
"You're suppose to be asleep." Archer said.
"Can't," Trip told him. "Every time I close my eyes, it's all there. I can feel them, hear them. I hate this. That it happened, that I feel like this."
Archer knelt down as Trip shivered and closed his eyes.
"You okay?" Archer asked, concerned.
"Am I?" Tucker opened his eyes and looked over at the captain. "Okay?"
"Sure you are. Just a little out of sorts."
"My grandma used to alway say things happen for a reason." Trip said, licking his dry lips. "Even bad things happen for reasons that aren't so bad. And even though we may not know what those not-so-bad reasons are at the time; they're out there. Waitin' to show up."
Archer smiled, thoughtfully. "And what do you say?"
"You know me." Trip shrugged his shoulders. "Tough-as-nails-Tucker. That's what you call me. I go with the flow, cuz I figure things'll work out. But every time I go over this in my head...it just seems so meaningless."
Archer ran his hands through his hair, trying to loosen up his tense body.
"I don't think that child she's carrying is meaningless."
"Oooh," Trip bit his lower lip. "I can always count on you to be that voice. But I don't know.
I'm in a pretty dark place, Cap'n. It's kinda pukey."
"You need to rest, Trip." Jon moved closer. "You're exhausted. Doc can give you something to help you get to sleep."
Reluctantly Trip nodded. "Okay."
"No more taking it out on the ship." Archer scolded.
"Sorry."
"Tell that to those freezing their butts off on E deck." Archer said.
Jon helped Trip up, taking the metal pipe from his hand and steered him to T'Pol and Phlox.
"Sorry for mouthin' off at dinner." Trip told T'Pol. "See, it wasn't you I was angry with."
"I see more than you will ever know, Mr. Tucker." T'Pol informed him.
"Bridge to Captain Archer." Reed's voice over the com again. "We're being hailed by the aliens again. It's coded as urgent, sir."
----------
TO BE CONTINUED