Chapter Six:
Commander Tucker, clad in his sweats and a tank top, walked into the gym ready to work out. He chose his machine and started pumping his muscles. The day had been chaotic, what with the sudden attack and Archer almost being killed.
He thought that nothing else out of the ordinary would happen, at least until he heard a noise in the shower area.
Quietly getting up, Trip walked to the showers and hid behind the wall. He saw a redhead step into one of the showers, her clothes thrown out onto a bench. Trip watched as she turned the water on, but could not see her naked body clearly. All he saw was her form of curves. She quietly hummed a song he had never heard during her short shower.
Tucker moved into the gym room again, breathing heavily, not sure what to expect.
"What are you doing?" the woman asked as she walked out, clothed in a Starfleet uniform.
Tucker noticed it was just Crewman O‚Shay.
"Sorry. I didn't know who was in there. Ya can't be too sure with that alien attack, ya know."
Maeve smiled and started at Tucker, who clearly didn't know what to do. He had seen her in the shower, possibly naked. And she could sense that he was attracted to her body.
***
Mishkra hated pretending to be someone else. Not only that, but she had no choice but to use the old alias she adopted for spying on the humans before. Much time had passed since then. She had to stage her death and leave the past, so she would cover all tracks.
Her first spy job on the humans was to see if they were technologically and intellectually ready to meet a highly advanced species. Mishkra was saddened by what little the humans had learned in the many years that had passed.
She was once again Crewman Maeve O'Shay, and she was uncomfortable playing a human. Mishkra hoped her position would not be compromised by the humans' curiosity.
Mishkra left the gym and entered the hall. She took a right turn, down another hall. Literally melting into the wall nearby, she disappeared.
***
Archer paced back-and-forth in his ready room, listening to T'Pol say she did not know of these aliens he spoke of. She pretended to not remember the previous events in order to protect the captain and the humans.
"You honestly have no idea what I'm talking about?" Archer snapped at T'Pol.
"I have never seen nor heard of these people," the sub-commander replied, shifting her weight to the other leg.
The captain continued his pacing, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
"The crewman that was on board," he said as he handed T'Pol a PADD. "She died many years ago. Explain to me how a dead girl is not only walking around this ship but also saved my life."
T'Pol stared at the PADD. Sure enough, O'Shay had died almost fifty years ago and still looked 18. According to the PADD, she had just started at the Academy that year and died at the end of the year in an accident that was not explained. Her body was never found.
"The Vulcan Science Directorate states that time travel is illogical," T'Pol stated.
Archer flopped down on the couch and stared at T'Pol, trying to decide if she was bluffing or not. He looked her in her dark eyes and let her wait for a short time. She was unmoved and almost began to speak again, but Archer interrupted her.
"Is that something you believe?" Archer asked, thumbing the PADD.
"The Vulcan Science Directorate-"
"Yes, the Vulcan Science Directorate states that time travel is illogical. But that also is because they've never met the Suliban nor these aliens that we are dealing with," the captain explained. "What do you believe?"
"I believe that he is correct."
"Why do you, T'Pol? You've met the Suliban; you know they talk about a war going on through time. You understand that Crewman Daniels is from the future. Why do you still deny that it is possible?"
T'Pol wanted to break. She wanted to tell the captain the truth that these aliens told the Vulcans they had the ability to travel through time. She wanted to say that they only used it to fix what other time-traveling aliens messed up. But she knew it was not what she wanted that counted, it was what would protect those of the past. Or future, for that matter.
The Vulcan stared at her captain, unsure how to respond.
"Crewman Daniels believes he is from the future. He is no longer living."
Archer sighed. "Dammit, T'Pol. You know he took me to the past and I came here to the future. Stop denying it! You‚re just proving how damned arrogant Vulcans are. If it doesn't fit into their schedule, it doesn't exist!"
"Is that all?" T'Pol asked.
He stared at her.
"Only if you aren't ready to just tell me you know who these aliens are. All I need is a reason why you can't."
"They believe it will protect the timeline," she admitted.
Archer's jaw dropped. She broke.
"So you do know who they are?"
"That is all I can tell you, captain."
The man leaned back into the couch and rested his arms under his neck. He couldn't believe this! The Vulcans knew about these aliens and were keeping it from everyone that time travel was possible.
"When will you come forth that time travel does exist?"
She stiffed her stance. "Time-"
"Don't give me that bullshit, give me the truth," Archer said gruffly.
"I am not at liberty to discuss that information," T'Pol stiffened even more. "Is that all now?"
Jon nodded and waved his hand toward the door, then stopped.
"Wait. Don't tell them that I know."
T'Pol arched her eyebrow. "Know what?"
And then she left the captain to himself to think about what had happened and what might happen. He knew time travel was possible. It was obvious these aliens were not from 2151. But what was their mission here? Were they far enough out in space that they were in their system? Their galaxy?
If so, what would happen to the humans?
Commander Tucker, clad in his sweats and a tank top, walked into the gym ready to work out. He chose his machine and started pumping his muscles. The day had been chaotic, what with the sudden attack and Archer almost being killed.
He thought that nothing else out of the ordinary would happen, at least until he heard a noise in the shower area.
Quietly getting up, Trip walked to the showers and hid behind the wall. He saw a redhead step into one of the showers, her clothes thrown out onto a bench. Trip watched as she turned the water on, but could not see her naked body clearly. All he saw was her form of curves. She quietly hummed a song he had never heard during her short shower.
Tucker moved into the gym room again, breathing heavily, not sure what to expect.
"What are you doing?" the woman asked as she walked out, clothed in a Starfleet uniform.
Tucker noticed it was just Crewman O‚Shay.
"Sorry. I didn't know who was in there. Ya can't be too sure with that alien attack, ya know."
Maeve smiled and started at Tucker, who clearly didn't know what to do. He had seen her in the shower, possibly naked. And she could sense that he was attracted to her body.
***
Mishkra hated pretending to be someone else. Not only that, but she had no choice but to use the old alias she adopted for spying on the humans before. Much time had passed since then. She had to stage her death and leave the past, so she would cover all tracks.
Her first spy job on the humans was to see if they were technologically and intellectually ready to meet a highly advanced species. Mishkra was saddened by what little the humans had learned in the many years that had passed.
She was once again Crewman Maeve O'Shay, and she was uncomfortable playing a human. Mishkra hoped her position would not be compromised by the humans' curiosity.
Mishkra left the gym and entered the hall. She took a right turn, down another hall. Literally melting into the wall nearby, she disappeared.
***
Archer paced back-and-forth in his ready room, listening to T'Pol say she did not know of these aliens he spoke of. She pretended to not remember the previous events in order to protect the captain and the humans.
"You honestly have no idea what I'm talking about?" Archer snapped at T'Pol.
"I have never seen nor heard of these people," the sub-commander replied, shifting her weight to the other leg.
The captain continued his pacing, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
"The crewman that was on board," he said as he handed T'Pol a PADD. "She died many years ago. Explain to me how a dead girl is not only walking around this ship but also saved my life."
T'Pol stared at the PADD. Sure enough, O'Shay had died almost fifty years ago and still looked 18. According to the PADD, she had just started at the Academy that year and died at the end of the year in an accident that was not explained. Her body was never found.
"The Vulcan Science Directorate states that time travel is illogical," T'Pol stated.
Archer flopped down on the couch and stared at T'Pol, trying to decide if she was bluffing or not. He looked her in her dark eyes and let her wait for a short time. She was unmoved and almost began to speak again, but Archer interrupted her.
"Is that something you believe?" Archer asked, thumbing the PADD.
"The Vulcan Science Directorate-"
"Yes, the Vulcan Science Directorate states that time travel is illogical. But that also is because they've never met the Suliban nor these aliens that we are dealing with," the captain explained. "What do you believe?"
"I believe that he is correct."
"Why do you, T'Pol? You've met the Suliban; you know they talk about a war going on through time. You understand that Crewman Daniels is from the future. Why do you still deny that it is possible?"
T'Pol wanted to break. She wanted to tell the captain the truth that these aliens told the Vulcans they had the ability to travel through time. She wanted to say that they only used it to fix what other time-traveling aliens messed up. But she knew it was not what she wanted that counted, it was what would protect those of the past. Or future, for that matter.
The Vulcan stared at her captain, unsure how to respond.
"Crewman Daniels believes he is from the future. He is no longer living."
Archer sighed. "Dammit, T'Pol. You know he took me to the past and I came here to the future. Stop denying it! You‚re just proving how damned arrogant Vulcans are. If it doesn't fit into their schedule, it doesn't exist!"
"Is that all?" T'Pol asked.
He stared at her.
"Only if you aren't ready to just tell me you know who these aliens are. All I need is a reason why you can't."
"They believe it will protect the timeline," she admitted.
Archer's jaw dropped. She broke.
"So you do know who they are?"
"That is all I can tell you, captain."
The man leaned back into the couch and rested his arms under his neck. He couldn't believe this! The Vulcans knew about these aliens and were keeping it from everyone that time travel was possible.
"When will you come forth that time travel does exist?"
She stiffed her stance. "Time-"
"Don't give me that bullshit, give me the truth," Archer said gruffly.
"I am not at liberty to discuss that information," T'Pol stiffened even more. "Is that all now?"
Jon nodded and waved his hand toward the door, then stopped.
"Wait. Don't tell them that I know."
T'Pol arched her eyebrow. "Know what?"
And then she left the captain to himself to think about what had happened and what might happen. He knew time travel was possible. It was obvious these aliens were not from 2151. But what was their mission here? Were they far enough out in space that they were in their system? Their galaxy?
If so, what would happen to the humans?
