TITLE: Dear Annie ("The Crossing")
AUTHOR: Mara Greengrass
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL: fishfolk@ix.netcom.com. Feedback is better than chocolate.
PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Yes, just let me know.
CATEGORY: Gen
RATINGS/WARNINGS: G
SUMMARY: Hoshi writes home after the events of "The Crossing."
DISCLAIMER: Enterprise and all its crew belong to Paramount and many other entities with expensive lawyers. I am making no profit from this story.
NOTES: This would have been done sooner if I hadn't had to make an emergency trip to New Jersey for the weekend. Thanks to Captain Average for the beta, and for an explanation that Hoshi attributes to Trip.
* * * * *
Dear Annie,
I've missed you and Earth all along, but lately it's been even worse--ever since I got a little taste of home. The captain brought us all back, but I'll admit that there's a little piece of me that wishes he hadn't. I know, I know, you're tapping your fingers on the desk, waiting for me to explain.
This alien ship showed up at Warp 6 and our weapons and engines just...stopped. Then, it gobbled up Enterprise, like whatsisname and the whale.
There were no life signs and no transceiver, so while I tried my best to contact whoever or whatever was piloting the ship, there didn't seem to be anything to contact. There were just these glowy things, flitting like butterflies, invisible to our sensors.
Captain Archer, Trip and Malcolm went out to see what they could see, and one of these glowy things went *into* Trip. (You'd think eventually we'd stop sending him on away missions, since everything apparently happens to him...and while we're on the subject, why'd the captain take him when the engines so obviously needed to be fixed, anyway?)
When the being came out again, a few moments later, Trip swore he'd been back in Florida, with some ex-girlfriend. Phlox couldn't find anything wrong, so Trip went back to working on the engines. I kept trying to communicate, and T'Pol tried to find these glowy things on our sensors.
Oh, and she also kept up-to-date on how the crew was reacting our being stuck. I hadn't really noticed what a good network she's been building up. She's really learning how to read humans and what's important to us, and in return, people are learning how to talk to her, and how to explain things to her. It's all very neat to see.
While Trip was down in engineering, the glowy thing--which Malcolm dubbed a "wisp"--took him over again. Rostov figured it out when Trip called him "sir," and he called the captain immediately.
T'Pol, Malcolm, and the captain, tracked "Trip" to the mess hall, where the wisp was eating pretty much everything in sight. Liz tells me their conversation was really weird, because it sounded like Trip, but not quite. I'm glad I never met the wisp in Trip's body. It would have...bothered me. Although not as much as the one in Malcolm...but I'm getting ahead of myself again.
The wisp told Captain Archer that his people were subspace explorers--noncorporeal beings who were just curious about us. After that, it left again, and Trip described riding along with Hopalong Cassidy and spending time with his father.
Just when we thought we were clear, one of the wisps tried to take over Phlox, but failed. Then it got Malcolm.
Apparently, he ogled Deb Strauss in the hallway and was incredibly forward and rude to Melissa Chamberlain in the turbolift. She told me later it sounded like the universe's worst pick-up lines: Me man, you woman, wanna get it on?
But that's not the strangest part! Then it went to T'Pol's quarters and told her to take off her clothes. T'Pol wouldn't say much more than that, but I'm pretty sure it didn't hurt her. She looked more annoyed than disturbed. (Yes, I *am* learning how to read Vulcans. Or at least one particular Vulcan.)
While all of this was going on, I was hearing all kinds of strange things from around the ship. Hess trying to kiss Josephson, Em was found *dancing*, and Rostov got taken over while working on the engines. The captain had me send security teams to pick up anyone acting oddly--although Travis made the excellent point that we didn't know if those security teams were themselves, but what else could we do?
We started locking people in their quarters and Phlox figured out how to determine who was possessed by a wisp. Very handy, that. (Although we never did figure out why the wisps didn't just take us all over at once.)
Then, Travis was being chased by one of these things, and he ran up into the catwalk...and it stopped. Apparently, the osmium shielding of the catwalk (where we hid from that storm) somehow stops them from floating through.
So, the captain had everyone evacuating to the catwalk again, and shifted bridge control there. And that's pretty much the last thing I remember, because I was taken over.
Those of us who were possessed have been trying to figure out a way to describe it to others, and there hasn't been much agreement, except that it wasn't scary at all. Whatever they were doing with our bodies, we were nowhere nearby.
I can't even remember all the places I was, but it was...it was amazing and it was wonderful. Yes, intellectually I resent having my body stolen and the idea the wisps were going to take our ship, but I can't regret the experience.
I was home first, I remember that, sipping tea with my mother--that English stuff she used to sneak in to annoy my father when he wanted green tea. No arguments, no demands, just a relaxed tea ceremony.
Then, I was there for a meeting between Humans and Vulcans--before everything went bad, back when they were studying the two languages and communicating. It was incredibly exciting.
I saw San Francisco, too: my apartment with everyone there for a party, eating, drinking, laughing. I walked in the park with you and Mark and Tracy, and we sat in the Japanese tea garden, just like we used to do.
Next thing I knew, I awoke in sickbay, next to a somewhat bruised and battered Trip--who didn't look much happier to find himself here. It's as if we were given the times and places that made us happiest or interested us the most. At least, that seems to be true for everyone I've talked to.
Em told me about whitewater rafting down the best river she ever found, and making fresh tortillas with her grandmother. Rostov blushed a little and mumbled something about gardening with his father. Liz got an incredibly nostalgic look on her face and described traveling the Galapagos Islands with Charles Darwin.
Malcolm changed the subject. Three times. T'Pol came as close to glaring as I've ever seen when I asked her, so I had to give up on her as well.
Oh, I suppose I haven't told you the end of the story, have I?
When we last saw our brave heroes, they'd retreated to the catwalk, leaving the possessed crew locked in their quarters, and Phlox--immune to the wisps--running around the ship.
Apparently, the wisp possessing me called Phlox claiming my leg was broken, then tried to knock him out when he came to fix it. Fortunately, our intrepid doctor is no babe in the woods, and he came armed with a phase pistol and a hypospray, the latter of which he used to knock me out.
Meanwhile, T'Pol convinced Captain Archer to let her try a daring plan: leave the catwalk and allow a wisp to try and possess her, hoping she could learn something from it. To my mind, it's a mark of T'Pol's and the captain's desperation that they went ahead with this plan, because honestly it's the most harebrained and illogical plan we've ever hatched. Stupider even than the time we tricked those Klingons by moving a village six meters to the east. What made T'Pol so sure she could resist, just because she's a Vulcan? And just because the wisps could apparently pull out some of our memories, doesn't mean the flow goes both ways.
The really astounding thing, though, is that the plan worked! T'Pol was able to push out the wisp through force of will. Or sheer Vulcan *stubbornness*. Take your pick.
Well, it turns out these "explorers" were actually riding in a deteriorating ship and couldn't survive in airless space. Why would noncorporeal travelers in subspace have this problem? I don't know, I'm just the comm officer. Trip suggested that the incredible cold of space could slow down the wisp's energy signature, thus killing them. Too bad he'll never be able to test his theory.
In any case, they planned to take us all over and hijack our ship, until Phlox, T'Pol, and the captain hatched a clever plan to use gas to knock us all out--basically choking us so the wisps would leave. The plan was nearly derailed when it turned out that one of the wisps had stowed away in Trip's body and he overheard the plan. He knocked over poor Travis on his way to stop Phlox from releasing the gas.
Phlox looks rather pleased with himself these days, and I suppose he should be: it's not often the doctor sees this much action!
Captain Archer isn't looking quite so pleased. In fact, Trip says he's not eating very well and he's been sighted pacing the halls late at night. (Hey, T'Pol's not the only one with a network of informants.) I would imagine the captain's feeling guilty because he blew up the wisps' ship on the way out, and I can't blame him--for the guilt or the explosions. They were planning to take over any compatible minds they encountered, and yet, I can't help wishing we could have come up with a way to save them as well as ourselves. Some way to learn about how they did it, some way to go back to the places they sent us.
All of which leaves us in a strange position: one-third of the crew disoriented and saddened by our sudden removal from happy places. We're like recovering addicts, willing to do almost anything to get our drug.
Phlox thinks that as certain brain chemicals return to their normal levels we'll all start to feel better, but it's not all that pleasant while we wait. Which reminds me, I'm due in sickbay in a few minutes for a last checkup, so I'll sign off now.
Send me a letter soon, something long and chatty, as I'm feeling homesick. I miss you.
Love,
Hoshi
AUTHOR: Mara Greengrass
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL: fishfolk@ix.netcom.com. Feedback is better than chocolate.
PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Yes, just let me know.
CATEGORY: Gen
RATINGS/WARNINGS: G
SUMMARY: Hoshi writes home after the events of "The Crossing."
DISCLAIMER: Enterprise and all its crew belong to Paramount and many other entities with expensive lawyers. I am making no profit from this story.
NOTES: This would have been done sooner if I hadn't had to make an emergency trip to New Jersey for the weekend. Thanks to Captain Average for the beta, and for an explanation that Hoshi attributes to Trip.
* * * * *
Dear Annie,
I've missed you and Earth all along, but lately it's been even worse--ever since I got a little taste of home. The captain brought us all back, but I'll admit that there's a little piece of me that wishes he hadn't. I know, I know, you're tapping your fingers on the desk, waiting for me to explain.
This alien ship showed up at Warp 6 and our weapons and engines just...stopped. Then, it gobbled up Enterprise, like whatsisname and the whale.
There were no life signs and no transceiver, so while I tried my best to contact whoever or whatever was piloting the ship, there didn't seem to be anything to contact. There were just these glowy things, flitting like butterflies, invisible to our sensors.
Captain Archer, Trip and Malcolm went out to see what they could see, and one of these glowy things went *into* Trip. (You'd think eventually we'd stop sending him on away missions, since everything apparently happens to him...and while we're on the subject, why'd the captain take him when the engines so obviously needed to be fixed, anyway?)
When the being came out again, a few moments later, Trip swore he'd been back in Florida, with some ex-girlfriend. Phlox couldn't find anything wrong, so Trip went back to working on the engines. I kept trying to communicate, and T'Pol tried to find these glowy things on our sensors.
Oh, and she also kept up-to-date on how the crew was reacting our being stuck. I hadn't really noticed what a good network she's been building up. She's really learning how to read humans and what's important to us, and in return, people are learning how to talk to her, and how to explain things to her. It's all very neat to see.
While Trip was down in engineering, the glowy thing--which Malcolm dubbed a "wisp"--took him over again. Rostov figured it out when Trip called him "sir," and he called the captain immediately.
T'Pol, Malcolm, and the captain, tracked "Trip" to the mess hall, where the wisp was eating pretty much everything in sight. Liz tells me their conversation was really weird, because it sounded like Trip, but not quite. I'm glad I never met the wisp in Trip's body. It would have...bothered me. Although not as much as the one in Malcolm...but I'm getting ahead of myself again.
The wisp told Captain Archer that his people were subspace explorers--noncorporeal beings who were just curious about us. After that, it left again, and Trip described riding along with Hopalong Cassidy and spending time with his father.
Just when we thought we were clear, one of the wisps tried to take over Phlox, but failed. Then it got Malcolm.
Apparently, he ogled Deb Strauss in the hallway and was incredibly forward and rude to Melissa Chamberlain in the turbolift. She told me later it sounded like the universe's worst pick-up lines: Me man, you woman, wanna get it on?
But that's not the strangest part! Then it went to T'Pol's quarters and told her to take off her clothes. T'Pol wouldn't say much more than that, but I'm pretty sure it didn't hurt her. She looked more annoyed than disturbed. (Yes, I *am* learning how to read Vulcans. Or at least one particular Vulcan.)
While all of this was going on, I was hearing all kinds of strange things from around the ship. Hess trying to kiss Josephson, Em was found *dancing*, and Rostov got taken over while working on the engines. The captain had me send security teams to pick up anyone acting oddly--although Travis made the excellent point that we didn't know if those security teams were themselves, but what else could we do?
We started locking people in their quarters and Phlox figured out how to determine who was possessed by a wisp. Very handy, that. (Although we never did figure out why the wisps didn't just take us all over at once.)
Then, Travis was being chased by one of these things, and he ran up into the catwalk...and it stopped. Apparently, the osmium shielding of the catwalk (where we hid from that storm) somehow stops them from floating through.
So, the captain had everyone evacuating to the catwalk again, and shifted bridge control there. And that's pretty much the last thing I remember, because I was taken over.
Those of us who were possessed have been trying to figure out a way to describe it to others, and there hasn't been much agreement, except that it wasn't scary at all. Whatever they were doing with our bodies, we were nowhere nearby.
I can't even remember all the places I was, but it was...it was amazing and it was wonderful. Yes, intellectually I resent having my body stolen and the idea the wisps were going to take our ship, but I can't regret the experience.
I was home first, I remember that, sipping tea with my mother--that English stuff she used to sneak in to annoy my father when he wanted green tea. No arguments, no demands, just a relaxed tea ceremony.
Then, I was there for a meeting between Humans and Vulcans--before everything went bad, back when they were studying the two languages and communicating. It was incredibly exciting.
I saw San Francisco, too: my apartment with everyone there for a party, eating, drinking, laughing. I walked in the park with you and Mark and Tracy, and we sat in the Japanese tea garden, just like we used to do.
Next thing I knew, I awoke in sickbay, next to a somewhat bruised and battered Trip--who didn't look much happier to find himself here. It's as if we were given the times and places that made us happiest or interested us the most. At least, that seems to be true for everyone I've talked to.
Em told me about whitewater rafting down the best river she ever found, and making fresh tortillas with her grandmother. Rostov blushed a little and mumbled something about gardening with his father. Liz got an incredibly nostalgic look on her face and described traveling the Galapagos Islands with Charles Darwin.
Malcolm changed the subject. Three times. T'Pol came as close to glaring as I've ever seen when I asked her, so I had to give up on her as well.
Oh, I suppose I haven't told you the end of the story, have I?
When we last saw our brave heroes, they'd retreated to the catwalk, leaving the possessed crew locked in their quarters, and Phlox--immune to the wisps--running around the ship.
Apparently, the wisp possessing me called Phlox claiming my leg was broken, then tried to knock him out when he came to fix it. Fortunately, our intrepid doctor is no babe in the woods, and he came armed with a phase pistol and a hypospray, the latter of which he used to knock me out.
Meanwhile, T'Pol convinced Captain Archer to let her try a daring plan: leave the catwalk and allow a wisp to try and possess her, hoping she could learn something from it. To my mind, it's a mark of T'Pol's and the captain's desperation that they went ahead with this plan, because honestly it's the most harebrained and illogical plan we've ever hatched. Stupider even than the time we tricked those Klingons by moving a village six meters to the east. What made T'Pol so sure she could resist, just because she's a Vulcan? And just because the wisps could apparently pull out some of our memories, doesn't mean the flow goes both ways.
The really astounding thing, though, is that the plan worked! T'Pol was able to push out the wisp through force of will. Or sheer Vulcan *stubbornness*. Take your pick.
Well, it turns out these "explorers" were actually riding in a deteriorating ship and couldn't survive in airless space. Why would noncorporeal travelers in subspace have this problem? I don't know, I'm just the comm officer. Trip suggested that the incredible cold of space could slow down the wisp's energy signature, thus killing them. Too bad he'll never be able to test his theory.
In any case, they planned to take us all over and hijack our ship, until Phlox, T'Pol, and the captain hatched a clever plan to use gas to knock us all out--basically choking us so the wisps would leave. The plan was nearly derailed when it turned out that one of the wisps had stowed away in Trip's body and he overheard the plan. He knocked over poor Travis on his way to stop Phlox from releasing the gas.
Phlox looks rather pleased with himself these days, and I suppose he should be: it's not often the doctor sees this much action!
Captain Archer isn't looking quite so pleased. In fact, Trip says he's not eating very well and he's been sighted pacing the halls late at night. (Hey, T'Pol's not the only one with a network of informants.) I would imagine the captain's feeling guilty because he blew up the wisps' ship on the way out, and I can't blame him--for the guilt or the explosions. They were planning to take over any compatible minds they encountered, and yet, I can't help wishing we could have come up with a way to save them as well as ourselves. Some way to learn about how they did it, some way to go back to the places they sent us.
All of which leaves us in a strange position: one-third of the crew disoriented and saddened by our sudden removal from happy places. We're like recovering addicts, willing to do almost anything to get our drug.
Phlox thinks that as certain brain chemicals return to their normal levels we'll all start to feel better, but it's not all that pleasant while we wait. Which reminds me, I'm due in sickbay in a few minutes for a last checkup, so I'll sign off now.
Send me a letter soon, something long and chatty, as I'm feeling homesick. I miss you.
Love,
Hoshi