Decisions
Author: Trekaholic
Paramount owns Enterprise and its characters. The reviews I've been getting are great. I'm glad everyone who's reading likes where I'm taking this. I want to take a minute and explain something I thought might be helpful. This story takes place after 'Similitude', so up to that point it takes into account everything that has happened on the show, but after that, it strays away from the show. To me, Trip and T'Pol are good friends by season three and the neuro-pressure has brought them even closer intimately. The reason T'Pol confronts Trip with her feelings all at once is because she is Vulcan, and trying to tiptoe around isn't something she would do. Of course there's some hesitation, but she has made up her mind and sees it as logical to get everything out in the open. Anyway, is everyone as excited about 'Harbinger' as I am? I hope so. By the way, does anyone know how to make italics work on this site? I used it on the previous chapters but it never showed up. Ok that's pretty much it, so let's move on with the story.
Chapter Four
She walked away from his quarters, intent on getting as far away from him as quickly as possible. The corridors were now slowly becoming busy with activity, but tonight was movie night, and most of the people around her were too preoccupied with meeting friends than being aware of her presence. Had she not been Vulcan, the sadness she was hiding would have been quite evident on her. But she has had years of experience in concealing emotions, which has come in handy on many occasions since being aboard this human vessel. T'Pol reached the turbo-lift, and as the doors closed to cut off the outside world, she was finally able to release the breath she'd long been holding.
She didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to forget the whole thing ever happened, just like he had suggested. But as she activated the turbo-lift and began her descent, she realized that even long hours of meditation could not help her now. She knew his behaviour had been peculiar, but his uncharacteristic reaction to her offer of aid had unsettled her. He seemed almost---hostile toward her. He had never acted that way with her before. A past memory suddenly changed T'Pol's train of thought. She recalled a planet they were stranded on during the first year of their mission. The pollen of a certain native plant contained a compound, which adversely affected the team's behaviour. The Commander himself believed T'Pol was responsible for a conspiracy against Enterprise, and had become rather hostile, threatening to use a phase pistol against her. But that was not his fault. Extraneous factors had been affecting his mind.
T'Pol stopped the turbo-lift. She allowed herself a moment to think. The only other time he had been hostile to her, and he was being influenced by outside factors. She chided herself for allowing her emotions to disable her use of logic. His behaviour was more than peculiar. It was---very much unlike him. He would never intentionally try to hurt her, and therefore, it was possible he wasn't entirely responsible for his actions. But what could possibly be affecting him? No strange compounds were aboard the ship, and even if there were, wouldn't other crewmembers also have been affected? Another memory quickly manifested itself in T'Pol's mind as she contemplated her situation. The non-corporeal beings they encountered had the ability to take over the minds of others, including the Commander's. Although T'Pol realized her theory was based mostly on speculation, the slightest chance of her being correct was worth the little experiment she was about to engage in. She re-activated the turbo-lift and headed back to the Commander's quarters.
..........
He stepped onto the bridge, and immediately received curious glances from everyone around him. The one he had come to see, however, wasn't occupying his chair, so he concluded the Captain must have retreated to his ready room for the time being. He hesitated only for a moment before making his way across the bridge, and even then eyes were watchful of his every move. He pushed the button to alert the Captain of his arrival, and waited patiently outside for a response.
Captain Archer was going over some reports on his computer when he heard the chime of the ready room door. He tilted his head slightly toward the door, but never took his eyes off the screen in front of him.
"Enter." When the door opened and his visitor walked in, Archer finally turned his attention away from the monitor to see who it was. If one were to offer a description of Captain Archer's reaction at that moment, it would be one of deep confusion and surprise. This was definitely the last person he had expected to see. But his visitor was too pre- occupied taking in his surroundings to acknowledge his Captain's bewildered stare. It was Archer who eventually broke the silence. "Mr. Rostov, is there something you wanted?"
This shook the crewman out of his temporary daze. "Uh---no, Sir. Well- --yeah there is. I mean yes. Yes, there is." He straightened his posture and clasped his hands to his side.
The Captain's face was now one of amusement. "At ease, Ensign." When it looked like Rostov was breathing a little easier, Archer continued. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Sir. Its just---well---I've never really been up here before. I mean---I've been on the bridge once or twice, but never in your ready room. It's very nicely decorated, Sir."
Archer smiled at that. His ready room wasn't that decorated, but it was the thought that counted. "Thanks. So what can I do for you, Ensign?"
"I heard about those rattling noises in Ensign Sato's ceiling." Before Archer could ask how he knew, Rostov continued. "I heard her talking about it at the mess hall. I didn't mean to listen in on her conversation, but her table was right beside mine."
"Okay. And what does that have to do with you?"
"Uh---you see, Sir, when I was leaving my quarters this morning, I--- uh heard some noises coming from my ceiling. Rattling noises."
Archer's eyebrows flew up. "Rattling noises?" When Rostov nodded, Archer had a puzzled expression on his face. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"They weren't there for long, only for a couple of seconds. I thought maybe I just imagined it or something, until I heard Ensign Sato say she heard the same kind of sound. Then I started to worry, because what if something was crawling around up there? So I came to see you right away. I'm really sorry I didn't come sooner, but I didn't want to bother you if it wasn't a big deal."
Archer sighed. "There's no need to apologize, Ensign. Just make sure you don't hesitate in telling me things like this from now on. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir. Perfectly."
"Good. Dismissed." Rostov excused himself and Archer leaned back in his chair. Hoshi may not have been imagining it, after all. But now he had an unexplained rattling noise on his hands. He decided it best to call T'Pol, as well as Hoshi, to his ready room to discuss this latest mystery.
..........
It continues to scroll through the data on the screen, keen on gathering as much information as possible. These 'humans' intrigue it. They have not only travelled a great distance from their home world, but have also explored so many things in such a short time. Although their technology may not be very advanced, their ship is sturdy and to gain control of it would be most desirable. It is unfortunate they will be betrayed by one of their own, thinks the entity amusedly. Its thoughts are interrupted as the chime at the door sounds, and it shuts off the monitor before getting up to see who it is. The door opens and immediately a look of annoyance spreads across the entity's face. She will definitely be the first to go once it has control of the ship.
"Good evening, Commander. I apologize for once again disturbing you, but may I come in?"
"I need to rest, Sub-commander. Can't this wait?"
"It will only take a moment." T'Pol persisted.
"Fine. But make it quick." It moved aside to let her in.
"Thank you." T'Pol walked into the room then turned to face him. "I was on my way back to my quarters when I realized I had forgotten to tell you something."
"And what's that?"
"I have been trying to calibrate the ship's sensors so that the anomalies we may come across can be detected sooner. I was wondering if tomorrow you might be able to assist me in modifying them, since your expertise as an engineer would prove useful."
The entity took a moment and looked through the Commander's thoughts. It needed to find an excuse that wouldn't arise any suspicion. Until it had completely integrated the Commander's memories, which was proving to be rather difficult, it would be unable to pass as an engineer. There. It had found something. "I can't help you. The Doctor said I'm off-duty 'till I fully recover."
"I understand." So far T'Pol's plan was going well. He definitely wasn't acting like himself. His attitude had changed drastically, and Charles was never one to obey the Doctor's orders, especially if it meant assisting with the ship's operation in some way. It was time to implement the second part of her plan, which would give her the assurance she needed to take action. "Have you had dinner yet, Commander? Perhaps you would like to accompany me to the mess hall."
"I'm not that hungry. I'd rather just be alone."
"I should mention that Chef has prepared some tenderloin steak tonight. It would be a shame if I were to finish it off without you."
It gave a forceful smile. "You go ahead and enjoy it. I'm just gonna call it a night." It was about to push the door's button when it noticed her slowly backing away toward the desk. It also registered a faint thought in the human's mind, but was being blocked from it. After a moment of concentration, it looked up. "You don't eat steak."
"No, I do not." T'Pol had reached the desk and activated the comm. "Security to Commander Tucker's quarters."
"Very clever, but it's too late. He's mine now. And soon so will this ship."
"I do not know who or what you are, but rest assured we will get the Commander back." Within minutes the door opened to reveal Malcolm, along with two other security officers armed with phase pistols. "Lieutenant, arrest this man. He is an impostor."
"She's lyin', Lt. She came in here and tried to kill me! She's the impostor!"
Malcolm looked back and forth between the two, obviously very perplexed. "What the devil is going on here?"
"Lt., escort this man to the brig. That's an order."
"Don't listen to her! I'm tellin' you she tried to kill me! Take her to the brig before she goes crazy again!"
"If I had been trying to kill you, why then would I alert security?" Malcolm looked at Trip, obviously wondering the same thing.
"She's playin' with your head. I tried to fight her off so she called you to make it look like I'm the bad guy. You have to believe me!"
T'Pol saw the Lieutenant's hesitation, but an idea suddenly came to mind. "Mr. Reed, perhaps you should escort us both to the brig until this matter has been settled." She was somewhat pleased with the reaction her suggestion had garnered from the impostor. It was one of anger and disappointment that he was quick to hide before anyone else noticed.
"That would be best." Malcolm was confident that T'Pol was telling the truth, but he still didn't want to take any chances. "Take them to the brig and keep an eye on both. I'm going to inform the Captain." His security team walked in and escorted both officers out of Trip's quarters. Malcolm took one last look around and made his way to the bridge.
..........
"So I wasn't imagining it." Hoshi took a deep breath and sat down.
"We still don't know what's going on. I tried to get a hold of T'Pol but she wasn't in her quarters. I think we're gonna need all the help we can get on this one." The door chimed and Archer looked at Hoshi. "That must be her." He pushed the button and the door opened to reveal the ship's Armoury Officer. "Lieutenant?"
Malcolm bowed his head slightly to the Captain, then again once he saw Hoshi sitting inside. "Sir, I think you may want to come down to the brig with me. There's a situation that requires your immediate attention."
Author: Trekaholic
Paramount owns Enterprise and its characters. The reviews I've been getting are great. I'm glad everyone who's reading likes where I'm taking this. I want to take a minute and explain something I thought might be helpful. This story takes place after 'Similitude', so up to that point it takes into account everything that has happened on the show, but after that, it strays away from the show. To me, Trip and T'Pol are good friends by season three and the neuro-pressure has brought them even closer intimately. The reason T'Pol confronts Trip with her feelings all at once is because she is Vulcan, and trying to tiptoe around isn't something she would do. Of course there's some hesitation, but she has made up her mind and sees it as logical to get everything out in the open. Anyway, is everyone as excited about 'Harbinger' as I am? I hope so. By the way, does anyone know how to make italics work on this site? I used it on the previous chapters but it never showed up. Ok that's pretty much it, so let's move on with the story.
Chapter Four
She walked away from his quarters, intent on getting as far away from him as quickly as possible. The corridors were now slowly becoming busy with activity, but tonight was movie night, and most of the people around her were too preoccupied with meeting friends than being aware of her presence. Had she not been Vulcan, the sadness she was hiding would have been quite evident on her. But she has had years of experience in concealing emotions, which has come in handy on many occasions since being aboard this human vessel. T'Pol reached the turbo-lift, and as the doors closed to cut off the outside world, she was finally able to release the breath she'd long been holding.
She didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to forget the whole thing ever happened, just like he had suggested. But as she activated the turbo-lift and began her descent, she realized that even long hours of meditation could not help her now. She knew his behaviour had been peculiar, but his uncharacteristic reaction to her offer of aid had unsettled her. He seemed almost---hostile toward her. He had never acted that way with her before. A past memory suddenly changed T'Pol's train of thought. She recalled a planet they were stranded on during the first year of their mission. The pollen of a certain native plant contained a compound, which adversely affected the team's behaviour. The Commander himself believed T'Pol was responsible for a conspiracy against Enterprise, and had become rather hostile, threatening to use a phase pistol against her. But that was not his fault. Extraneous factors had been affecting his mind.
T'Pol stopped the turbo-lift. She allowed herself a moment to think. The only other time he had been hostile to her, and he was being influenced by outside factors. She chided herself for allowing her emotions to disable her use of logic. His behaviour was more than peculiar. It was---very much unlike him. He would never intentionally try to hurt her, and therefore, it was possible he wasn't entirely responsible for his actions. But what could possibly be affecting him? No strange compounds were aboard the ship, and even if there were, wouldn't other crewmembers also have been affected? Another memory quickly manifested itself in T'Pol's mind as she contemplated her situation. The non-corporeal beings they encountered had the ability to take over the minds of others, including the Commander's. Although T'Pol realized her theory was based mostly on speculation, the slightest chance of her being correct was worth the little experiment she was about to engage in. She re-activated the turbo-lift and headed back to the Commander's quarters.
..........
He stepped onto the bridge, and immediately received curious glances from everyone around him. The one he had come to see, however, wasn't occupying his chair, so he concluded the Captain must have retreated to his ready room for the time being. He hesitated only for a moment before making his way across the bridge, and even then eyes were watchful of his every move. He pushed the button to alert the Captain of his arrival, and waited patiently outside for a response.
Captain Archer was going over some reports on his computer when he heard the chime of the ready room door. He tilted his head slightly toward the door, but never took his eyes off the screen in front of him.
"Enter." When the door opened and his visitor walked in, Archer finally turned his attention away from the monitor to see who it was. If one were to offer a description of Captain Archer's reaction at that moment, it would be one of deep confusion and surprise. This was definitely the last person he had expected to see. But his visitor was too pre- occupied taking in his surroundings to acknowledge his Captain's bewildered stare. It was Archer who eventually broke the silence. "Mr. Rostov, is there something you wanted?"
This shook the crewman out of his temporary daze. "Uh---no, Sir. Well- --yeah there is. I mean yes. Yes, there is." He straightened his posture and clasped his hands to his side.
The Captain's face was now one of amusement. "At ease, Ensign." When it looked like Rostov was breathing a little easier, Archer continued. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Sir. Its just---well---I've never really been up here before. I mean---I've been on the bridge once or twice, but never in your ready room. It's very nicely decorated, Sir."
Archer smiled at that. His ready room wasn't that decorated, but it was the thought that counted. "Thanks. So what can I do for you, Ensign?"
"I heard about those rattling noises in Ensign Sato's ceiling." Before Archer could ask how he knew, Rostov continued. "I heard her talking about it at the mess hall. I didn't mean to listen in on her conversation, but her table was right beside mine."
"Okay. And what does that have to do with you?"
"Uh---you see, Sir, when I was leaving my quarters this morning, I--- uh heard some noises coming from my ceiling. Rattling noises."
Archer's eyebrows flew up. "Rattling noises?" When Rostov nodded, Archer had a puzzled expression on his face. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"They weren't there for long, only for a couple of seconds. I thought maybe I just imagined it or something, until I heard Ensign Sato say she heard the same kind of sound. Then I started to worry, because what if something was crawling around up there? So I came to see you right away. I'm really sorry I didn't come sooner, but I didn't want to bother you if it wasn't a big deal."
Archer sighed. "There's no need to apologize, Ensign. Just make sure you don't hesitate in telling me things like this from now on. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir. Perfectly."
"Good. Dismissed." Rostov excused himself and Archer leaned back in his chair. Hoshi may not have been imagining it, after all. But now he had an unexplained rattling noise on his hands. He decided it best to call T'Pol, as well as Hoshi, to his ready room to discuss this latest mystery.
..........
It continues to scroll through the data on the screen, keen on gathering as much information as possible. These 'humans' intrigue it. They have not only travelled a great distance from their home world, but have also explored so many things in such a short time. Although their technology may not be very advanced, their ship is sturdy and to gain control of it would be most desirable. It is unfortunate they will be betrayed by one of their own, thinks the entity amusedly. Its thoughts are interrupted as the chime at the door sounds, and it shuts off the monitor before getting up to see who it is. The door opens and immediately a look of annoyance spreads across the entity's face. She will definitely be the first to go once it has control of the ship.
"Good evening, Commander. I apologize for once again disturbing you, but may I come in?"
"I need to rest, Sub-commander. Can't this wait?"
"It will only take a moment." T'Pol persisted.
"Fine. But make it quick." It moved aside to let her in.
"Thank you." T'Pol walked into the room then turned to face him. "I was on my way back to my quarters when I realized I had forgotten to tell you something."
"And what's that?"
"I have been trying to calibrate the ship's sensors so that the anomalies we may come across can be detected sooner. I was wondering if tomorrow you might be able to assist me in modifying them, since your expertise as an engineer would prove useful."
The entity took a moment and looked through the Commander's thoughts. It needed to find an excuse that wouldn't arise any suspicion. Until it had completely integrated the Commander's memories, which was proving to be rather difficult, it would be unable to pass as an engineer. There. It had found something. "I can't help you. The Doctor said I'm off-duty 'till I fully recover."
"I understand." So far T'Pol's plan was going well. He definitely wasn't acting like himself. His attitude had changed drastically, and Charles was never one to obey the Doctor's orders, especially if it meant assisting with the ship's operation in some way. It was time to implement the second part of her plan, which would give her the assurance she needed to take action. "Have you had dinner yet, Commander? Perhaps you would like to accompany me to the mess hall."
"I'm not that hungry. I'd rather just be alone."
"I should mention that Chef has prepared some tenderloin steak tonight. It would be a shame if I were to finish it off without you."
It gave a forceful smile. "You go ahead and enjoy it. I'm just gonna call it a night." It was about to push the door's button when it noticed her slowly backing away toward the desk. It also registered a faint thought in the human's mind, but was being blocked from it. After a moment of concentration, it looked up. "You don't eat steak."
"No, I do not." T'Pol had reached the desk and activated the comm. "Security to Commander Tucker's quarters."
"Very clever, but it's too late. He's mine now. And soon so will this ship."
"I do not know who or what you are, but rest assured we will get the Commander back." Within minutes the door opened to reveal Malcolm, along with two other security officers armed with phase pistols. "Lieutenant, arrest this man. He is an impostor."
"She's lyin', Lt. She came in here and tried to kill me! She's the impostor!"
Malcolm looked back and forth between the two, obviously very perplexed. "What the devil is going on here?"
"Lt., escort this man to the brig. That's an order."
"Don't listen to her! I'm tellin' you she tried to kill me! Take her to the brig before she goes crazy again!"
"If I had been trying to kill you, why then would I alert security?" Malcolm looked at Trip, obviously wondering the same thing.
"She's playin' with your head. I tried to fight her off so she called you to make it look like I'm the bad guy. You have to believe me!"
T'Pol saw the Lieutenant's hesitation, but an idea suddenly came to mind. "Mr. Reed, perhaps you should escort us both to the brig until this matter has been settled." She was somewhat pleased with the reaction her suggestion had garnered from the impostor. It was one of anger and disappointment that he was quick to hide before anyone else noticed.
"That would be best." Malcolm was confident that T'Pol was telling the truth, but he still didn't want to take any chances. "Take them to the brig and keep an eye on both. I'm going to inform the Captain." His security team walked in and escorted both officers out of Trip's quarters. Malcolm took one last look around and made his way to the bridge.
..........
"So I wasn't imagining it." Hoshi took a deep breath and sat down.
"We still don't know what's going on. I tried to get a hold of T'Pol but she wasn't in her quarters. I think we're gonna need all the help we can get on this one." The door chimed and Archer looked at Hoshi. "That must be her." He pushed the button and the door opened to reveal the ship's Armoury Officer. "Lieutenant?"
Malcolm bowed his head slightly to the Captain, then again once he saw Hoshi sitting inside. "Sir, I think you may want to come down to the brig with me. There's a situation that requires your immediate attention."
