Chapter 2
T'Pol sat perfectly straight,
poised on the chair in her quarters, looking warily
at her view screen. She stood up and started for the
door, but then she paused and
began re-making her bed. The comm sounded, and the captain's
voice followed.
"Archer to T'Pol."
She eyed the control panel for
a moment, then she leaned and pressed the
button.
"This is T'Pol," she
said.
"I thought you were going
to join us for breakfast this morning."
She hesitated, then she pressed
the button again.
"I apologize, Captain.
I'm running...a bit behind. I will be there momentarily."
"Very good," he said.
"Archer out."
T'Pol sat down on the edge of
her bed and crossed her arms. She threw a
glance at her terminal, and after a moment, she stood up and
left the room.
"Blue."
"Purple."
"Nope, blue."
"If it's purple, I get
to go, ok?"
"Alright, and if it's blue?"
"If it's blue...I'll stay
up here and clean out the plasma ducts."
"Fair enough."
"Ha!"
"Pretty confident, huh?"
"Blue was just three or
four days ago. I haven't seen purple since the party,
and that's been a whole two weeks!"
"So you figure it's...due?"
"That's what I'm sayin'."
"Well, what if it's neither?"
"Let's not complicate-"
(The doors to the captain's
mess slid open.)
"-things..."
T'Pol hesitated for a moment,
then she cautiously entered the room. Trip and
Archer stood up in front of their mostly-empty plates.
"Good morning, Sub-commander,"
Archer smiled.
"Good morning, Captain,"
she said. "Commander."
"Mornin'."
T'Pol sat down at the table,
and the steward brought her breakfast. Archer
resumed his place and took a dangerous swig of orange juice.
Trip remained
standing; he picked up his plate and shoveled the rest of
his scrambled eggs.
"Well, I hate to eat and
run," he chewed, "but it looks like I've got a lotta
work to do today."
"Don't wear yourself out,
Trip," the captain nodded pleasantly.
The commander returned his plate
to the table and garnished it with his
napkin. T'Pol looked up at him as she forked something
leafy. He wished them
luck and left the room, the doors sliding shut behind him.
Archer stirred his eggs
for a few moments, then he turned to T'Pol.
"Well, today's the big
day!" he boomed.
T'Pol twitched.
"Pardon?"
"Halmari Five!" he
grinned. "Aren't you looking forward to it?"
"The reports were...intriguing,"
she admitted.
"Looks like it'll be you,
me, and Phlox," he continued, finishing his sausage.
"Travis, too. He needs to get out."
"Commander Tucker isn't-
?"
"He has other plans."
T'Pol quietly consumed a bite
of carrot and downed it with some tea. Archer
leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"Any ideas as to what's
up down there?" he asked.
T'Pol finished another bite,
then sipped.
"The data suggest that
it has something to do with-"
The comm cut her off.
"Captain, we're approaching
the planet."
"Standard orbit, Travis,"
he replied, then he added, "Go ahead and notify
Phlox."
"Aye, Captain, and...Doctor
Phlox is standing right here."
Archer smiled.
"Very good," he said,
then he returned his attention to T'Pol. "You were
saying, Sub-commander?"
T'Pol cleared her throat.
"The data suggest that
it has something to do with a large bio-mass," she
continued. "I searched the Vulcan database and
found nothing similar, so I assume
that the bursts are...unique to this planet."
"So we will be adding to
the Vulcan database, today?" Archer arched.
"Perhaps," she said.
The comm interrupted again,
and Travis spoke.
"Captain, you...may want
to see this."
"I'm on my way," he
said.
"It's simply breath-taking!"
Phlox exclaimed. "I can't wait to get down there!"
All eyes were on the view screen
as the turbolift door opened. Archer swept
onto the bridge, and T'Pol followed shortly.
The image showed the full round
of a medium-sized, blue and green planet,
which appeared to consist mostly of large land masses. The
points of interest,
however, were the numerous small patches of swirling colors
that dotted the
northern hemisphere.
"There goes another one!"
Hoshi chirped.
"That makes a total of...fourteen,"
Malcolm added. "Minus the two that
faded out."
As they watched, a dark green
spot slowly blossomed into a tiny, circular
rainbow. It undulated and shimmered, teasing the entire
spectrum, and seemed
to revolve around itself.
T'Pol quickly moved to the sensors.
"Whatever it is,"
Travis marveled. "It sure is pretty."
Archer turned to T'Pol.
"Anything?"
"Sensors confirm that the
phenomenon is biological," she said. "Beyond that,
however, the readings are...unspecific."
"Travis, can you get a
tighter shot?"
The helmsman clicked a button,
and the observers released a collective, "ahh!",
as the screen filled with the brilliant swirling mass.
"Any ideas, Phlox?"
Archer asked.
"I haven't the slightest,
Captain," he shrugged. "I've never seen anything like it."
Archer leaned on the rail for
a moment, then he stood up.
"Well, what are we waiting
for?" he cracked. "Let's get down there and take
a look. Travis, you're drivin'."
Mayweather lit up and handed
over the helm. Hoshi looked expectantly at
Archer.
"Captain?"
He smiled at her and shook his
head.
"Not today, Hoshi,"
he said. "Maybe tomorrow, though."
Hoshi nodded her disappointment
as the four headed towards the turbolift.
"Sir," Malcolm interjected.
"Wouldn't it be wise to take a security officer
with you? Just in case?"
"I think we'll be alright
this time, Lieutenant," he smiled, then he nodded,
"Nice try, though."
Malcolm sulked.
T'Pol paused and glanced at
her data pad, then she looked up at Archer.
"Captain, I have selected
several possible landing sites," she explained. "They
are all similar to the last, prior to its...eruption."
"Very good," he said.
