...Another chapter for your enjoyment.
...This is one of the few times I don't have much to say. Shocking.
I've realized, though, I've been getting more into dialogue. Is that a good or bad thing?
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Universe 3
Hoshi managed to regain consciousness sometime after she'd been brought into sickbay. She sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to sort out what had just happened. Who had brought her there? Why did Lieutenant Archer have four pips? Had she just imagined Archer? These questions and various others battered her mind as she glanced around sickbay.
She noticed a woman at a nearby console who looked almost...Xyrillian. The ship hadn't encountered any of that race in a year, so why was one onboard?
"You're awake, excellent." The Xyrillian woman turned from the panel, noticing the linguist's consciousness. A sudden familiarity struck Hoshi as the woman came nearer, continuing, "You're lucky Captain Archer caught you. You could have had quite a tumble."
Hoshi simply stared for a moment, trying to place the alien woman's face. Her confusion blocked any chance of that she had of remembering her. "Who are you? What are you doing on the ship?
"Ensign, you should know full well who I am. I'm Doctor Ah'len, of the Interspecies Medical Exchange."
"That's not true." Ah'len? That simply wasn't possible. She was an engineer...and was quite dead, as far as the linguist knew. "Doctor Phlox is the medical officer...you...you were never part of the crew."
"Doctor Phlox had to turn down this assignment, Ensign. I took his place." The Xyrillian spoke as she glanced over her scanner. "You're obviously confused over your faint..."
"No. You're an engineer! The Klingons destroyed your ship a year ago! I'm not confused. I know what happened." Hoshi didn't understand what was going on. First she'd met Malcolm outside of the quarters he'd been in two seconds before, seen him turn into Archer, and then was here, with some doctor who wasn't a doctor. Nothing was making sense at all.
"I assure you Ensign, I'm the doctor aboard this ship. I did almost choose to be an engineer at one time, but decided medicine suited me best." The woman, who Hoshi was slowly believing was a Doctor Ah'len, cocked her head. "Perhaps your pregnancy is impairing your judgment. I'm unsure as to what occurs when humans reproduce. Females carrying the child is odd enough..."
Hoshi stared in disbelief, momentarily unable to speak.
"You didn't know? Then I gather Lieutenant Reed is unaware, as well?"
A hand flew to Hoshi's mouth as the words hit her like a ton of bricks. This was Malcolm's baby? Malcolm's baby? The fact he was called 'Lieutenant' was completely missed as Hoshi tried to consider the repercussions of what she'd just learned. How could she tell Malcolm? How could she tell her husband? Should she tell them?
The doctor seemed oblivious to Hoshi's utter incredulity of the matter and went back to the console, continuing to speak. "I must say, it came as quite a surprise, myself. I had no idea you and Lieutenant Reed were intimate..."
The doors to sickbay opened, revealing a tiny little girl as she stepped into the area. A small teddy bear was clutched against her side, intensely green eyes glancing towards each of the people in the room.
"Emma? You shouldn't be here..." Hoshi said to the tan-skinned child as she tried to fight off the complete puzzlement and panic that was taking over her mind.
The girl appeared not to hear the linguist. The lizard-like skin that came in patches across her body seemed to take on a brighter hue as she stared at Ah'len. "Momma?"
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Universe 1
Captain Reed managed to make it to the bridge with no other incidents. The turbolift doors had opened to reveal the bridge he'd come to know well over the past year, the only difference being a seeming shortage of crewmen. Only his first officer, and much to his dismay, Lieutenant Archer sat at their stations.
"T'Pau, where are Ensigns Mayweather and Sato?" He asked as he sat down in his seat, casting a glance back at the dark-skinned Vulcan.
"They failed to report for duty. Perhaps their...anniversary has been extended." Malcolm could help but notice the ridicule that seemed to be incorporated into her words. "But I believe that is the least of our problems."
The Captain's brow raised. For him, it was top priority to find his linguist, but the Vulcan scarcely seemed to follow his worries. "Do enlighten me, Sub-Commander."
"Commander Tucker has reported a heavy strain on the warp core. It seems to be becoming more difficult to keep its components within acceptable levels of stress." The Vulcan paused, "I believe this is due to the presence of quantum tears throughout the vessel."
"Quantum tears?"
T'Pau's 'brow raised towards her Captain as if it was common knowledge, and stated, matter-of-factly, "Openings into alternate quantum realities. The radiation emitted is damaging the warp core and warp field. The stress will likely cause a breach at some point in the near future."
"Inform Commander Tucker to shut down the warp core." Reed spoke to Archer, who had been oddly silent throughout the exchange. He turned his attentions back to T'Pau. "So Vulcans will believe in alternate dimensions but not time travel? I find that quite illogical."
"Time travel is far more implausible than alternate realities, Captain. There is proof that alternate realities exist. Time travel is simply absurd. I also doubt simply shutting down the warp core will stop a breach."
Malcolm had opened his mouth to speak when Archer spoke up for the first time. "I'm receiving a hail."
"On screen."
The view screen flicked on, revealing a bridge exactly like the one he was currently on. Malcolm stood, 'brow raised as he addressed the other bridge, "This is Captain Reed of the starship Enterprise, please identify yourselves."
The Vulcan standing in front of the Captain's chair -- his current position -- spoke, "This is Sub-Commander T'Pol of the starship Enterprise, but of another quantum reality."
From behind him, Reed heard a smug Vulcan 'hm' as he stared in near disbelief.
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Captain Archer had found himself in some void the moment he'd laid Hoshi down and called for the doctor. Lances of light shot in front of him as he tried to push through...wherever he'd been transported to. He couldn't breathe, and could feel himself slowly suffocating as each second in the void passed. But something drove him to continue, as if he knew just where he was going...
A flash of light illuminated a figure in front of him. He felt like he could see Commander Tucker there, trapped in whatever hell he'd been transported into. He tried calling out to the man, but his voice was strangled from him as he opened his mouth. His vision grew dimmed as the need for oxygen grew to a dire urgency, losing sight of the man ahead of him.
His hand broke through something, feeling the air beyond the break. He stumbled out of the crushing void, gasping for oxygen as he collapsed on the deck of the Enterprise.
It felt like any air he inhaled simply wasn't enough. As his world went black, the last thing he saw was an Andorian hovering over him...
I can't tell if this is decent. That's what you get for trying to write when you're being attacked by a cold. That only affects the right side of your body. I know, it's quite odd...Really, it is.
I hope Ah'len wasn't too much. I thought she'd be an amusing addition.
Now you all know who the baby's father is! Mwahaha!
And remember, be kind, review.