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Darn.
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MIND AND BODY
Chapter 2: Uneasiness
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"Now why exactly did Malcolm need us all to come to the armory right now? It's almost third shift. What's he still doing in the armory?" asked Archer, striding purposefully through the halls with T'Pol and Hoshi hurrying in his wake. At least, Hoshi was hurrying; T'Pol, ever dignified, merely stalked along with a greater speed than usual.
"Mr. Reed insisted that he had made first contact with an alien being," said T'Pol. "I felt such a situation required your presence, Captain."
"And explain to me how he made first contact in the ARMOURY?" growled Archer, jabbing at the turbolift buttons. The doors slid shut with a whoosh, and they began to descend.
"He was unclear. He made reference to a device and a holographic projection, but he did not explain fully. He insisted we report to the armory as soon as possible."
"A device?" said Hoshi. "He picked up an alien device from the planet we went to yesterday. It was attached to a skull but he took it anyway. It wasn't projecting any holograms or anything, though."
Both the captain and the subcommander raised an eyebrow at her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it amused her to see how much the captain had picked up on T'Pol's mannerisms, but now was not the time to comment. That damnable machine! She knew it would be trouble.
"Well, he can explain it right now," Archer finally said, stepping through the turbolift doors before they opened all the way. T'Pol gave Hoshi a glance and followed. Hoshi sighed and ran after them.
Reed had left the doors to the armory open. His voice echoed down the hall, occasionally punctuated by an oddly flat, mechanical response. Hoshi's sensitive ears caught the words, "Your ship was rusted to pieces. We couldn't have salvaged it for anything but scrap metal."
"What is your estimation of the length of time my ship had been there?" said the oddly timbred voice.
"I'd say at least ten years, probably more like twenty or thirty---," said Reed. He broke off in midsentence as the captain, T'Pol, and Hoshi came through the armory door, spinning around and snapping to attention. "Captain! Subcommander! Ensign!"
Archer goggled at the apparition on the console before them. Hoshi would have laughed at his obvious amazement, but she was too busy being amazed herself at the glowing figure standing hazily in midair.
"May I introduce Jolas, of the planet Halpar," said Reed stiffly, holding up a hand to the gleaming apparition. It---he?---bowed elegantly.
"I am most honored to be on your ship," said Jolas as he stood up. His face disturbed Hoshi, although she could not figure out why. It looked somewhat familiar; it was quite obviously human, but wrong somehow.
"I'm Captain Archer. This is Subcommander T'Pol, my second-in-command, and Ensign Sato, my communications officer," said Archer, recovering himself. "Although it doesn't seem that we are in need of her services, from the looks of things."
"No. I was able to access your computer database and your translation matrices," said Jolas. Both men looked distinctly unsettled at this declaration; Reed embarrassed, Archer surprised. Hoshi set her padd down and stepped up to the alien.
"Can you explain how you did that?" she asked sweetly, smiling to reassure the alien.
"Your language does not include terminology to fully explain," Jolas said. "It may be comparable to extending one's consciousness out of one's body. Does your species possess telepathy?"
"Humans do not. My species, the Vulcans, do possess rudimentary telepathic abilities," T'Pol said unexpectedly. "I do not fully understand what you mean but I believe I do comprehend somewhat."
"We also possess telepathy," said Jolas. "This machine limits it to computer impulses but in our natural forms we are able to read synaptic impulses in the minds of others, both Halparen and other species."
"We do not read the minds of others," said T'Pol, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Captain, I do not feel my presence is necessary. Permission to be excused."
Archer gave her a curious look but nodded, and the Vulcan turned on her heel, sweeping out of the armory. "I did not mean to offend," said Jolas.
"I gather that telepathy is a bit of a sensitive subject," said Reed brusquely. Jolas nodded at him.
"Lieutenant Reed and I were speaking of my ship's condition when you arrived," he said, turning to Hoshi. "You were also on my ship for a time. What is your estimation of its condition?"
His eyes, glowing golden, sent a shiver up Hoshi's spine. The skeleton in the ship danced in her mind---it must be Jolas, she knew. Talking to someone who should be all rights be dead unnerved her beyond measure. She and Malcolm would definitely have to have a talk about picking up things attached to dead bodies. "I doubt we could do anything to fix it," she said. "The computers were intact but the engines and everything that would make it actually work was completely destroyed in the crash. There--- there was a body, too." She snuck a glance at Malcolm, raising an eyebrow. His cheeks flushed red and he mouthed the word 'sorry' at her.
Don't say sorry to me, thought Hoshi. It's not my corpse, it's this thing's.
"My corporeal remains," said Jolas matter-of-factly. "The computer cores are active?"
"Yes," said Hoshi. "At least, most of them. We downloaded all the information we could find into our database."
"Excellent. I shall review them and present you with specifications for a cloning facility and a genome to create a new body for myself."
"Hold on just a second," said Archer, stepping forward. "Why should we help you? We don't even know what you are. Or how you got in that thing."
"I will share all the technology required with your doctor. This will be beneficial for you, captain. Our medical expertise is superior to yours."
"I'll think about it," said Archer.
Jolas frowned. "I would appreciate a prompt decision," he said. "I understand your concerns, though. You have no comparable abilities. This must seem very strange to you."
Damn right it does, thought Hoshi. She and Malcolm REALLY needed to have a talk. No touching dead bodies, ever. Next target practice, that's what they'd do. Sit down and have a talk about dead bodies. Great.
She realized too late she was glaring at him; he returned the look with a querulous glance. Archer, not noticing the exchange, patted Reed on the shoulder. "I'll trust you to see to whatever our visitor may need in the way of amenities," he said. "I will consider your request," he added to the alien, "and give you an answer tomorrow." With that he left the armory, both officers staring after him.
"Well," said Hoshi finally. "He's usually more interested in visitors."
"It is getting late," said Malcolm. "It's nearly 2300."
"Still..."
Reed gave a her a look that plainly said, not in front of the alien, and turned back to Jolas. "Do you need anything?"
"My thought-saver is sufficiently equipped to support my thought processes," said Jolas. "If it is your resting time I will rest as well. Tap the side if you require my presence." The hologram shimmered and then, like water spiraling down a whirlpool, sucked itself back into the little silver box.
"It was a kind of recorder," said Reed in amazement. "I was right."
"I don't think this is exactly the same type of thing," said Hoshi.
Reed shrugged. "I want to go back down to that ship. Maybe there were more people and they did the same thing."
"We went through the whole ship, Malcolm. It wasn't that big. We would have seen anything. He was probably the only one on board."
"I wonder where the rest of the Halparens are?" said Reed.
"Is that the name of his species?"
He nodded, stroking his chin idly. "Maybe there's some family member or something left. We should take him back there."
"He's been there a long time, Malcolm," warned Hoshi. "Longer than you said. Thirty years? Forty years? It's more than that. Definitely more. We should carbon-date the body. And anyway, did you see that ship? It was pitted and worn on the outside, and scans showed the material was a high- grade ceramic. It takes a long, long time to do anything to material like that."
"I know," said Reed, cheeks flushing slightly. "I didn't think of it, though. How do you know that?"
"I'm not entirely limited to knowledge within the linguistics field," said Hoshi. "Besides, hang around Trip long enough, you pick up stuff. And I heard him talking about this ship earlier." She grinned. "Come on, Lieutenant. We need to have a talk about you and dead bodies and shattering their skulls. Mess Hall for a nearly-midnight snack?"
Reed cocked an eyebrow at her in such a good imitation of T'Pol that Hoshi couldn't help but burst out laughing. "It was an accident, Ensign," he said, doing a pretty good imitation of the Subcommander's voice as well. He couldn't keep a straight face, though, and grinned hugely at the still- giggling ensign. "That's insubordination. Tell anyone and I'll put you on sanitation duty for a week." He picked up the silver thought-saver and deposited it inside a tool case, then snapped the lid shut and locked it. "Just in case. You'll enjoy sanitation, Hoshi. Maybe you'll stay there permanently!"
"Oh, yes, and I suppose Crewman Marsell the sanitation engineer will man the Universal Translator? When you get blown up it won't be my fault." They left the armory, bantering back and forth between them. Reed ordered the computer to turn off the lights as the door hissed shut behind them.
Neither of them saw the tendrils of golden light creep from the tool case, across the floor, and up into the computer console. Neither saw the screens flicker through pages and pages of ship schematics and crew personnel, or records of their travels and information about Earth and Vulcan.
Neither of them came back that night, so the golden light sparkled in the darkness for hours, reading everything in Enterprise's database at high speed, flipping from subject to subject so quickly that a human eye would have seen only a fluttering blur of pictures and words.
All night it sparkled, but when the first crewman came in the morning, the armory was as quiet and still as always, nothing different at all.
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Reviews always appreciated!
Thank you, everyone who reviewed! Nice to get feedback.
*************
MIND AND BODY
Chapter 2: Uneasiness
**************
"Now why exactly did Malcolm need us all to come to the armory right now? It's almost third shift. What's he still doing in the armory?" asked Archer, striding purposefully through the halls with T'Pol and Hoshi hurrying in his wake. At least, Hoshi was hurrying; T'Pol, ever dignified, merely stalked along with a greater speed than usual.
"Mr. Reed insisted that he had made first contact with an alien being," said T'Pol. "I felt such a situation required your presence, Captain."
"And explain to me how he made first contact in the ARMOURY?" growled Archer, jabbing at the turbolift buttons. The doors slid shut with a whoosh, and they began to descend.
"He was unclear. He made reference to a device and a holographic projection, but he did not explain fully. He insisted we report to the armory as soon as possible."
"A device?" said Hoshi. "He picked up an alien device from the planet we went to yesterday. It was attached to a skull but he took it anyway. It wasn't projecting any holograms or anything, though."
Both the captain and the subcommander raised an eyebrow at her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it amused her to see how much the captain had picked up on T'Pol's mannerisms, but now was not the time to comment. That damnable machine! She knew it would be trouble.
"Well, he can explain it right now," Archer finally said, stepping through the turbolift doors before they opened all the way. T'Pol gave Hoshi a glance and followed. Hoshi sighed and ran after them.
Reed had left the doors to the armory open. His voice echoed down the hall, occasionally punctuated by an oddly flat, mechanical response. Hoshi's sensitive ears caught the words, "Your ship was rusted to pieces. We couldn't have salvaged it for anything but scrap metal."
"What is your estimation of the length of time my ship had been there?" said the oddly timbred voice.
"I'd say at least ten years, probably more like twenty or thirty---," said Reed. He broke off in midsentence as the captain, T'Pol, and Hoshi came through the armory door, spinning around and snapping to attention. "Captain! Subcommander! Ensign!"
Archer goggled at the apparition on the console before them. Hoshi would have laughed at his obvious amazement, but she was too busy being amazed herself at the glowing figure standing hazily in midair.
"May I introduce Jolas, of the planet Halpar," said Reed stiffly, holding up a hand to the gleaming apparition. It---he?---bowed elegantly.
"I am most honored to be on your ship," said Jolas as he stood up. His face disturbed Hoshi, although she could not figure out why. It looked somewhat familiar; it was quite obviously human, but wrong somehow.
"I'm Captain Archer. This is Subcommander T'Pol, my second-in-command, and Ensign Sato, my communications officer," said Archer, recovering himself. "Although it doesn't seem that we are in need of her services, from the looks of things."
"No. I was able to access your computer database and your translation matrices," said Jolas. Both men looked distinctly unsettled at this declaration; Reed embarrassed, Archer surprised. Hoshi set her padd down and stepped up to the alien.
"Can you explain how you did that?" she asked sweetly, smiling to reassure the alien.
"Your language does not include terminology to fully explain," Jolas said. "It may be comparable to extending one's consciousness out of one's body. Does your species possess telepathy?"
"Humans do not. My species, the Vulcans, do possess rudimentary telepathic abilities," T'Pol said unexpectedly. "I do not fully understand what you mean but I believe I do comprehend somewhat."
"We also possess telepathy," said Jolas. "This machine limits it to computer impulses but in our natural forms we are able to read synaptic impulses in the minds of others, both Halparen and other species."
"We do not read the minds of others," said T'Pol, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Captain, I do not feel my presence is necessary. Permission to be excused."
Archer gave her a curious look but nodded, and the Vulcan turned on her heel, sweeping out of the armory. "I did not mean to offend," said Jolas.
"I gather that telepathy is a bit of a sensitive subject," said Reed brusquely. Jolas nodded at him.
"Lieutenant Reed and I were speaking of my ship's condition when you arrived," he said, turning to Hoshi. "You were also on my ship for a time. What is your estimation of its condition?"
His eyes, glowing golden, sent a shiver up Hoshi's spine. The skeleton in the ship danced in her mind---it must be Jolas, she knew. Talking to someone who should be all rights be dead unnerved her beyond measure. She and Malcolm would definitely have to have a talk about picking up things attached to dead bodies. "I doubt we could do anything to fix it," she said. "The computers were intact but the engines and everything that would make it actually work was completely destroyed in the crash. There--- there was a body, too." She snuck a glance at Malcolm, raising an eyebrow. His cheeks flushed red and he mouthed the word 'sorry' at her.
Don't say sorry to me, thought Hoshi. It's not my corpse, it's this thing's.
"My corporeal remains," said Jolas matter-of-factly. "The computer cores are active?"
"Yes," said Hoshi. "At least, most of them. We downloaded all the information we could find into our database."
"Excellent. I shall review them and present you with specifications for a cloning facility and a genome to create a new body for myself."
"Hold on just a second," said Archer, stepping forward. "Why should we help you? We don't even know what you are. Or how you got in that thing."
"I will share all the technology required with your doctor. This will be beneficial for you, captain. Our medical expertise is superior to yours."
"I'll think about it," said Archer.
Jolas frowned. "I would appreciate a prompt decision," he said. "I understand your concerns, though. You have no comparable abilities. This must seem very strange to you."
Damn right it does, thought Hoshi. She and Malcolm REALLY needed to have a talk. No touching dead bodies, ever. Next target practice, that's what they'd do. Sit down and have a talk about dead bodies. Great.
She realized too late she was glaring at him; he returned the look with a querulous glance. Archer, not noticing the exchange, patted Reed on the shoulder. "I'll trust you to see to whatever our visitor may need in the way of amenities," he said. "I will consider your request," he added to the alien, "and give you an answer tomorrow." With that he left the armory, both officers staring after him.
"Well," said Hoshi finally. "He's usually more interested in visitors."
"It is getting late," said Malcolm. "It's nearly 2300."
"Still..."
Reed gave a her a look that plainly said, not in front of the alien, and turned back to Jolas. "Do you need anything?"
"My thought-saver is sufficiently equipped to support my thought processes," said Jolas. "If it is your resting time I will rest as well. Tap the side if you require my presence." The hologram shimmered and then, like water spiraling down a whirlpool, sucked itself back into the little silver box.
"It was a kind of recorder," said Reed in amazement. "I was right."
"I don't think this is exactly the same type of thing," said Hoshi.
Reed shrugged. "I want to go back down to that ship. Maybe there were more people and they did the same thing."
"We went through the whole ship, Malcolm. It wasn't that big. We would have seen anything. He was probably the only one on board."
"I wonder where the rest of the Halparens are?" said Reed.
"Is that the name of his species?"
He nodded, stroking his chin idly. "Maybe there's some family member or something left. We should take him back there."
"He's been there a long time, Malcolm," warned Hoshi. "Longer than you said. Thirty years? Forty years? It's more than that. Definitely more. We should carbon-date the body. And anyway, did you see that ship? It was pitted and worn on the outside, and scans showed the material was a high- grade ceramic. It takes a long, long time to do anything to material like that."
"I know," said Reed, cheeks flushing slightly. "I didn't think of it, though. How do you know that?"
"I'm not entirely limited to knowledge within the linguistics field," said Hoshi. "Besides, hang around Trip long enough, you pick up stuff. And I heard him talking about this ship earlier." She grinned. "Come on, Lieutenant. We need to have a talk about you and dead bodies and shattering their skulls. Mess Hall for a nearly-midnight snack?"
Reed cocked an eyebrow at her in such a good imitation of T'Pol that Hoshi couldn't help but burst out laughing. "It was an accident, Ensign," he said, doing a pretty good imitation of the Subcommander's voice as well. He couldn't keep a straight face, though, and grinned hugely at the still- giggling ensign. "That's insubordination. Tell anyone and I'll put you on sanitation duty for a week." He picked up the silver thought-saver and deposited it inside a tool case, then snapped the lid shut and locked it. "Just in case. You'll enjoy sanitation, Hoshi. Maybe you'll stay there permanently!"
"Oh, yes, and I suppose Crewman Marsell the sanitation engineer will man the Universal Translator? When you get blown up it won't be my fault." They left the armory, bantering back and forth between them. Reed ordered the computer to turn off the lights as the door hissed shut behind them.
Neither of them saw the tendrils of golden light creep from the tool case, across the floor, and up into the computer console. Neither saw the screens flicker through pages and pages of ship schematics and crew personnel, or records of their travels and information about Earth and Vulcan.
Neither of them came back that night, so the golden light sparkled in the darkness for hours, reading everything in Enterprise's database at high speed, flipping from subject to subject so quickly that a human eye would have seen only a fluttering blur of pictures and words.
All night it sparkled, but when the first crewman came in the morning, the armory was as quiet and still as always, nothing different at all.
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