Let me know what you think so far, there may be some delay in future installments due to personal hardships, but I'll do the best I can. Thanks for the revue! So, without further ado, parts 11 & 12. ~ Talani
Part 11
Commander Jimenez sat quietly in the back of the shuttle as they headed back to the alien ship. The cheerful mood she had back on Enterprise before departing, dissolved as they neared their objective. Trip was puzzled by her behavior, she seemed interested, even exited about this new discovery but when the opportunity came to actually explore, she became withdrawn. He wasn't sure if it was his place to ask, but whatever was bothering her, there had to be more to it than she was telling.
The Captain had reduced the away team down to four, teaming them into pairs for safety measures. As the shuttle drew closer, their sensors detected a noticeable change in the radiation emanating from the ship.
T'Pol scanned the results before saying,"Captain, there seems to be some sort of dampening field at work now."
"Can you pinpoint the exact location of whatever's feeding energy to it?"
After several attempts at varying the scans, she shook her head as she replied, "Sorry sir. There is no detectable energy source on board that ship."
His puzzled response was coached in a monotone, "If there's no detectable energy source on that ship, then where exactly does that field get its power from?"
"Unknown at this time."
"Hmm."
Jimenez's gaze was directed out the view port when she spoke up, her voice came thick and slurred, as if she were in a trance, "Tandgoly once said the Saylvakians could fly the void of space as well as the skies."
Archer's head swiveled in her direction, sounding peeved, "Come again Commander. Who are the 'Saylvakians'?"
Her eyes had a distant look in them as she angled her slightly in his direction.
"An ancient people we once found signs of on Laronis III, Tandgoly was my mentor during my studies there. He never did explain why he thought they could fly."
The Captain tried to coax more from her, using a gently urging tone, "Is there something about the ship out there that reminded you of that?"
"Atriums, aviaries, whatever they were, they always had a large open space adjacent to their living areas."
Archer noticed T'Pol was also listening intently to this new information. He pivoted in his seat as he continued, "How many other worlds have you discovered signs of these people on?"
Grace blinked, swallowed, then turned her gaze full on him, "I'm not allowed to say sir."
"Why not?" Frustrated, he pounded the arm rest in emphasis.
"It was a direct order Captain, I've already said to much as it is." The contrite answer did little to appease Archer's ire, who was now certain Starfleet had some idea of what they would find.
"I don't appreciate deceit Commander, and I don't like being lied to. If you know something about that ship, then I'd suggest you start talking, now!"
Her lips compressed tightly, forming a thin line, her dark eyes narrowed. She spoke clearly, leaving little doubt of her resolve, "I would like to tell you sir, really I would, but I was given explicit orders not to disclose any details of my mission."
He glared at her and was opening his mouth when the pod shuddered. The had arrived at the vessel, Archer gave her a scathing look as he instructed the team, "Trip, I want you to go with Jimenez here, T'Pol, you're with me."
A faint glow could be discerned as the away team entered the corridor originally accessed, the source of the illumination was tiny slits in the ceiling. As they worked their way to the site of Grace's previous mishap, she started muttering to herself.
"Quiet that Commander." Archer snapped.
He was totally unprepared for the sight that awaited him though as the atrium came into view. The Apache woman's reaction however, was profound.
"Bik'ehgo'ihi'dan! They are near!"
Jonathan Archer wasn't the type that normally gave in to primal fears, but the sight before him pushed him very close. Clamping down on his reaction, he grabbed Jimenez, and shook her as he hoarsely said, "What is that Commander?"
Her awed response did little to ease his growing panic.
"It is the roadway I suppose, the bright and beckoning path occasionally used by the Saylvakians."
The space that had been vacant previously, was now filled with a swirling, multi-colored mist, roughly spherical, it emitted an almost inaudible hiss.
Commander Tucker gasped as he whispered, "Capt'n, don't look now, but I think sumthin's happening."
As they watched a dark form was taking shape in the poly-chromatic maelstrom, the outline became more defined while the vortex died away, leaving a being of unknown origin standing in its wake.
Roughly two meters tall, it closely resembled a bipedal felinoid. The large violet eyes studied them, holding them in their tracks. Archer felt the knot in his belly grow tighter as he realized he was unable to move, unable even to speak, he felt a chill run up his back.
*Curious, why have you come to this place?* The thought while clear, was definitely not his own. Stunned, he knew it must belong to the alien. He tried to formulate a response when he was interrupted, *Do not concern yourself too much Captain Archer, we mean you no harm*
He felt a slight tickling sensation in his mind, old memories suddenly surfaced as the feeling intensified. Images of his early childhood were quickly replaced with more recent events. The whole thing lasted only a few seconds, but the experience left him feeling drained. Before he could demand an explanation his vision blurred then went black, he crumpled to the deck silently in a lifeless heap.
Part 12
His head hurt with a terrible headache, the pounding sent echoes throughout his entire body. He moaned as someone shook him gently, speaking softly, "Jon, are ya all right? Come on buddy, say something!"
"What hit me?", he managed to say in a raspy voice.
"Thank God you're all right! I was beginning ta worry there Capt'n."
Trip's response was shaky, an element of tension lingering as he continued, "Can ya sit? You were out awhile. Two more of them cat people came through in the meantime."
With Trip aiding him, the Captain managed to sit up. His head swam as he tried to focus on his surroundings, relieved that there were three suited figures gathered around him. He winced as a he felt the intrusion of the alien's thoughts.
*Do not fear Captain, Halarastar is not used to communicating with those not of our own. He regrets that his attempt at contacting you resulted in your collapse. Fortunately, Salhalamandra-sah is an accomplished healer, she was able to restore your cerebral functions back to normal.*
Archer gingerly angled his head so that the being addressing him was within sight.
"Who are you?"
*I am Vasharakalanan, of the Tambuccan Strider Clan, but I sense that isn't the real question. As you suspected, we are those whom the one known as 'Grace Jimenez', told you of. We are what she calls 'Saylvakians', although we call ourselves Ouwhan'hadeo.*
As he digested the clarification, he looked at in detail their new acquaintances. Close up, the resemblance to a cat was amazing, a thick silken mane framing their heads, but as he examined the small female approaching him, he was struck by a remarkable feature, she had wings! Delicately tucked close to her body, they reminded him of a bats. She kneeled down next to him as she placed a furred hand on his forehead, the pads of her palm were bare but soft as suede.
*Is there much pain now Jonathan?*, her thought was feathery and light.
"How do you know my name?"
*It is your name, how else should we call you by?*
Uncertain, he doggedly continued, "Well yes, it's my name, but how did you learn it? I didn't have time to introduce myself, or anyone else for that matter."
There was a slight shift in how she sent her response, *We have always been what you would call 'telepaths'. It was necessary to delve below your surface thoughts, a transgression of privacy we truly regret, but we needed to know your intent*
She rose and move towards the others,he noticed for the first time that someone was huddled against the nearby wall. The healer knelt next to the still form and gently lifted the helmet off, revealing the unconcious face of Sub-commander T'Pol. The Ouwhan'hadeo placed her hand on the Vulcan's forehead while touching her throat lightly with her finger-pads. He practically jumped as she began vocalizing, it sounded like music, multiple tones forming as one.
As her companions responded, Archer felt a stab of fear pierce his guts. "What's the matter? How's T'Pol?"
The hear gave him an appeasing over her furry shoulder, then returned her attention back to the Sub-commander.
*She has withdrawn her mind. She was filled with great fear as we came through the portal, she made a loud meaningless sound before falling to the floor.*
Archer looked over at Trip as he asked, "She was afraid of you?" His thoughts ran in chaotic circles as he tried to assimilate the revealation that his Chief science officer was so terrified of these people that she would faint.
*I beleive the fear stemmed from the initial touch of our thoughts, would her people by any chance have some telepathic abilities of their own?*
To overwhelmed by the whole situation, he somehow managed to give the alien a coherent response. "Yes, but I believe they only perceive telepathy when they physically touch another."
Again she spoke in her own language, he listened intently to it, curious as to why people who could communicate telepathicly would opt to use a spoken language.
The healer's forehead creased as her muzzle wrinkled, *She will not respond to me, her terror has not lessened.* She turned, looking Archer squarely in the eyes, *Perhaps if one who she is familiar with and trusts was to touch her mind, the barrier her fear has become would abate*
"How? None of us are telepaths." Archer felt desperate, it was frustrating being unable to help. He didn't like being unable to help one of his crew, and for some reason he wasn't ready to put name to, especially the usually stoic Vulcan.
The creature beckoned to him, *Please Jonathan, come here. I will put your thoughts in contact with hers, I can sense her trust in you*
He made his way to her side and hunkered down next to her, she took his hand and placed it on T'Pol's forehead, covering his hand with her's.
*Slowly form your thoughts into one single clear desire, she will her you* He didn't miss the emphesis on himself. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on thinking positively about these beings, how they meant only to help. A small sigh escape as T'Pol started to stir, her eyes fluttered open and she wore a confused expression. She eyed the healer suspiciously as he pulled his hand away.
"Sub-commander, are you alright?" A hesitant nod answered him as her gaze turned to him.
"What happened?"
He couldn't prevent the slightly lop-sided smile as he said, "You fainted."
"Sir, you must be mistaken, I have never fainted."
Chuckling as he got up, her distaste at the very notion plain. "Well, you did this time."
While the healer stepped back, he offered his hand to T'Pol, aiding her to her feet. As she swayed slightly he got a hold of her shoulders to help steady her.
Making a noise equavalent to clearing ones throat, the taller of the two males approaced. "Cann vee tulk wiff u eh momint Capteen" His astonishment must have shown for the fellow laughed, "Vee huv bin stoode-eng yur lankwig."
"Only if you have a different name you go by, because frankly, I'm never going to remember the ones you gave me!"
Eyes dancing in merriment, all the Ouwhan'hadeo laughed at his remark.
Part 11
Commander Jimenez sat quietly in the back of the shuttle as they headed back to the alien ship. The cheerful mood she had back on Enterprise before departing, dissolved as they neared their objective. Trip was puzzled by her behavior, she seemed interested, even exited about this new discovery but when the opportunity came to actually explore, she became withdrawn. He wasn't sure if it was his place to ask, but whatever was bothering her, there had to be more to it than she was telling.
The Captain had reduced the away team down to four, teaming them into pairs for safety measures. As the shuttle drew closer, their sensors detected a noticeable change in the radiation emanating from the ship.
T'Pol scanned the results before saying,"Captain, there seems to be some sort of dampening field at work now."
"Can you pinpoint the exact location of whatever's feeding energy to it?"
After several attempts at varying the scans, she shook her head as she replied, "Sorry sir. There is no detectable energy source on board that ship."
His puzzled response was coached in a monotone, "If there's no detectable energy source on that ship, then where exactly does that field get its power from?"
"Unknown at this time."
"Hmm."
Jimenez's gaze was directed out the view port when she spoke up, her voice came thick and slurred, as if she were in a trance, "Tandgoly once said the Saylvakians could fly the void of space as well as the skies."
Archer's head swiveled in her direction, sounding peeved, "Come again Commander. Who are the 'Saylvakians'?"
Her eyes had a distant look in them as she angled her slightly in his direction.
"An ancient people we once found signs of on Laronis III, Tandgoly was my mentor during my studies there. He never did explain why he thought they could fly."
The Captain tried to coax more from her, using a gently urging tone, "Is there something about the ship out there that reminded you of that?"
"Atriums, aviaries, whatever they were, they always had a large open space adjacent to their living areas."
Archer noticed T'Pol was also listening intently to this new information. He pivoted in his seat as he continued, "How many other worlds have you discovered signs of these people on?"
Grace blinked, swallowed, then turned her gaze full on him, "I'm not allowed to say sir."
"Why not?" Frustrated, he pounded the arm rest in emphasis.
"It was a direct order Captain, I've already said to much as it is." The contrite answer did little to appease Archer's ire, who was now certain Starfleet had some idea of what they would find.
"I don't appreciate deceit Commander, and I don't like being lied to. If you know something about that ship, then I'd suggest you start talking, now!"
Her lips compressed tightly, forming a thin line, her dark eyes narrowed. She spoke clearly, leaving little doubt of her resolve, "I would like to tell you sir, really I would, but I was given explicit orders not to disclose any details of my mission."
He glared at her and was opening his mouth when the pod shuddered. The had arrived at the vessel, Archer gave her a scathing look as he instructed the team, "Trip, I want you to go with Jimenez here, T'Pol, you're with me."
A faint glow could be discerned as the away team entered the corridor originally accessed, the source of the illumination was tiny slits in the ceiling. As they worked their way to the site of Grace's previous mishap, she started muttering to herself.
"Quiet that Commander." Archer snapped.
He was totally unprepared for the sight that awaited him though as the atrium came into view. The Apache woman's reaction however, was profound.
"Bik'ehgo'ihi'dan! They are near!"
Jonathan Archer wasn't the type that normally gave in to primal fears, but the sight before him pushed him very close. Clamping down on his reaction, he grabbed Jimenez, and shook her as he hoarsely said, "What is that Commander?"
Her awed response did little to ease his growing panic.
"It is the roadway I suppose, the bright and beckoning path occasionally used by the Saylvakians."
The space that had been vacant previously, was now filled with a swirling, multi-colored mist, roughly spherical, it emitted an almost inaudible hiss.
Commander Tucker gasped as he whispered, "Capt'n, don't look now, but I think sumthin's happening."
As they watched a dark form was taking shape in the poly-chromatic maelstrom, the outline became more defined while the vortex died away, leaving a being of unknown origin standing in its wake.
Roughly two meters tall, it closely resembled a bipedal felinoid. The large violet eyes studied them, holding them in their tracks. Archer felt the knot in his belly grow tighter as he realized he was unable to move, unable even to speak, he felt a chill run up his back.
*Curious, why have you come to this place?* The thought while clear, was definitely not his own. Stunned, he knew it must belong to the alien. He tried to formulate a response when he was interrupted, *Do not concern yourself too much Captain Archer, we mean you no harm*
He felt a slight tickling sensation in his mind, old memories suddenly surfaced as the feeling intensified. Images of his early childhood were quickly replaced with more recent events. The whole thing lasted only a few seconds, but the experience left him feeling drained. Before he could demand an explanation his vision blurred then went black, he crumpled to the deck silently in a lifeless heap.
Part 12
His head hurt with a terrible headache, the pounding sent echoes throughout his entire body. He moaned as someone shook him gently, speaking softly, "Jon, are ya all right? Come on buddy, say something!"
"What hit me?", he managed to say in a raspy voice.
"Thank God you're all right! I was beginning ta worry there Capt'n."
Trip's response was shaky, an element of tension lingering as he continued, "Can ya sit? You were out awhile. Two more of them cat people came through in the meantime."
With Trip aiding him, the Captain managed to sit up. His head swam as he tried to focus on his surroundings, relieved that there were three suited figures gathered around him. He winced as a he felt the intrusion of the alien's thoughts.
*Do not fear Captain, Halarastar is not used to communicating with those not of our own. He regrets that his attempt at contacting you resulted in your collapse. Fortunately, Salhalamandra-sah is an accomplished healer, she was able to restore your cerebral functions back to normal.*
Archer gingerly angled his head so that the being addressing him was within sight.
"Who are you?"
*I am Vasharakalanan, of the Tambuccan Strider Clan, but I sense that isn't the real question. As you suspected, we are those whom the one known as 'Grace Jimenez', told you of. We are what she calls 'Saylvakians', although we call ourselves Ouwhan'hadeo.*
As he digested the clarification, he looked at in detail their new acquaintances. Close up, the resemblance to a cat was amazing, a thick silken mane framing their heads, but as he examined the small female approaching him, he was struck by a remarkable feature, she had wings! Delicately tucked close to her body, they reminded him of a bats. She kneeled down next to him as she placed a furred hand on his forehead, the pads of her palm were bare but soft as suede.
*Is there much pain now Jonathan?*, her thought was feathery and light.
"How do you know my name?"
*It is your name, how else should we call you by?*
Uncertain, he doggedly continued, "Well yes, it's my name, but how did you learn it? I didn't have time to introduce myself, or anyone else for that matter."
There was a slight shift in how she sent her response, *We have always been what you would call 'telepaths'. It was necessary to delve below your surface thoughts, a transgression of privacy we truly regret, but we needed to know your intent*
She rose and move towards the others,he noticed for the first time that someone was huddled against the nearby wall. The healer knelt next to the still form and gently lifted the helmet off, revealing the unconcious face of Sub-commander T'Pol. The Ouwhan'hadeo placed her hand on the Vulcan's forehead while touching her throat lightly with her finger-pads. He practically jumped as she began vocalizing, it sounded like music, multiple tones forming as one.
As her companions responded, Archer felt a stab of fear pierce his guts. "What's the matter? How's T'Pol?"
The hear gave him an appeasing over her furry shoulder, then returned her attention back to the Sub-commander.
*She has withdrawn her mind. She was filled with great fear as we came through the portal, she made a loud meaningless sound before falling to the floor.*
Archer looked over at Trip as he asked, "She was afraid of you?" His thoughts ran in chaotic circles as he tried to assimilate the revealation that his Chief science officer was so terrified of these people that she would faint.
*I beleive the fear stemmed from the initial touch of our thoughts, would her people by any chance have some telepathic abilities of their own?*
To overwhelmed by the whole situation, he somehow managed to give the alien a coherent response. "Yes, but I believe they only perceive telepathy when they physically touch another."
Again she spoke in her own language, he listened intently to it, curious as to why people who could communicate telepathicly would opt to use a spoken language.
The healer's forehead creased as her muzzle wrinkled, *She will not respond to me, her terror has not lessened.* She turned, looking Archer squarely in the eyes, *Perhaps if one who she is familiar with and trusts was to touch her mind, the barrier her fear has become would abate*
"How? None of us are telepaths." Archer felt desperate, it was frustrating being unable to help. He didn't like being unable to help one of his crew, and for some reason he wasn't ready to put name to, especially the usually stoic Vulcan.
The creature beckoned to him, *Please Jonathan, come here. I will put your thoughts in contact with hers, I can sense her trust in you*
He made his way to her side and hunkered down next to her, she took his hand and placed it on T'Pol's forehead, covering his hand with her's.
*Slowly form your thoughts into one single clear desire, she will her you* He didn't miss the emphesis on himself. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on thinking positively about these beings, how they meant only to help. A small sigh escape as T'Pol started to stir, her eyes fluttered open and she wore a confused expression. She eyed the healer suspiciously as he pulled his hand away.
"Sub-commander, are you alright?" A hesitant nod answered him as her gaze turned to him.
"What happened?"
He couldn't prevent the slightly lop-sided smile as he said, "You fainted."
"Sir, you must be mistaken, I have never fainted."
Chuckling as he got up, her distaste at the very notion plain. "Well, you did this time."
While the healer stepped back, he offered his hand to T'Pol, aiding her to her feet. As she swayed slightly he got a hold of her shoulders to help steady her.
Making a noise equavalent to clearing ones throat, the taller of the two males approaced. "Cann vee tulk wiff u eh momint Capteen" His astonishment must have shown for the fellow laughed, "Vee huv bin stoode-eng yur lankwig."
"Only if you have a different name you go by, because frankly, I'm never going to remember the ones you gave me!"
Eyes dancing in merriment, all the Ouwhan'hadeo laughed at his remark.