Chapter Thirteen

"I understand your reasoning, Malcolm, but are you sure it's wise to uproot Hoshi now? Look at all the progress she has made," Jon stated nonchalantly and reached down to pet Porthos. It was two o'clock in the morning and his armory officer was bent out of shape.

"Common decency dictates that Hoshi be relocated into a female crew members quarters." Malcolm left out the part that he had been taking a cold shower when Hoshi walked in on him the night before--it had cemented a decision he had made the week before. She had nonchalantly completed her business and left. Thank God he hadn't given in to the urge to take his problem in hand. He had been so groggy from the erotic dream that he had forgotten to lock the door.

"Sir, she's made great strides, but I can no longer deny that she needs… well… a woman's touch. She's starting to ask questions that are inappropriate."

Jon resisted the urge to ask what kind of questions and barely suppressed his laughter. "Well, who do you recommend she bunk with?"

"Lieutenant Gomez and Hoshi are friends… and her quarters are comparable to mine." Malcolm held his breath.

"Very well, then. You can move Hoshi first thing in the morning. By the way, have you gotten any more information from her?" Jon asked yawning and scratching his head.

"No, sir. She's pretty much shut down about her past. I've done several searches but they are all dead ends," Malcolm stated, standing at ease.

"Admiral Forrest has his adjunct working on searches too. In the meantime, she'll be staying with us. The nearest Earth freighter is only a few weeks out of our way, but the shrinks at Starfleet Medical think that it would be detrimental to remove her from Enterprise. What about Crewman Cutler's insistence that Hoshi is telepathic?"

"Phlox has found no evidence of her claim."

"Well, maybe Lieutenant Gomez will be able to coax more information out of Hoshi. Is that all?" Jon asked his armory officer, hoping he would take a hint and leave. He desperately wanted to go back to bed.

"Yes, Captain! Thank you!" Malcolm made a hasty retreat and stood outside Captain Archer's cabin. He certainly couldn't go back to his quarters. Perhaps the armory? He looked down at his bare feet and knew that would not be an option.

Well, she certainly has done a bang up job chasing me away, and she hadn't a clue as to her power over him.

"But why?" Hoshi cried. "I'll do better. I promise! What did I do wrong? I'll fix it. I-I…" She could tell he had made up his mind by the set of his shoulders, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Anger surged through her at his indifference and cool demeanor. She clamped her mouth shut, jumped off her bunk and started gathering her things, shoving them into a bag roughly; all but one item - her doll. She held on to that, carrying it with her. She took one last look around the cabin and walked up to Em. "Ready?"

Em nodded, determined not to give in to Hoshi's tantrum and laugh.

Malcolm watched the two women leave, relief and regret a double-edged sword slicing into his soul.

"Hey, don't take it so rough, Hoshi. You've grown up quicker than anybody here could imagine," Em tried to console the younger woman, but was met with a sob and a back turned to her.

"B-but I haven't changed any since I've been here," she sniffed, sat up and looked down at her body.

"You've changed in more ways than Malcolm is ready to admit," Em chuckled, patting her on the arm.

Hoshi remained silent waiting for Em to explain.

"Although you haven't changed physically, you've changed up here." Em motioned to her head. "When your parents died, you were six. You had nobody around to show you things or take care of you," Em scoffed. "In fact we still aren't sure how you did survive. They're aren't many six-year-olds proficient in archery."

"My father taught me how to hunt, cook and skin the animals. My mother showed me which plants to avoid and other things," Hoshi sniffed. She could sense Em's curiosity. It wasn't like Malcolm's always there, lying underneath every thing he did.

"I remember we lived in a camp on Mars colony. There were other families there, other parents who were cursed." She looked down as she could feel Em's attention pique.

"My father and mother were both telepathic and telekinetic; they could move things with their minds. The overseers knew about my father, but never knew about my mother. His 'ability was derived by a chromosomal defect." Hoshi had heard that line so many times she knew it by heart.

"They didn't know about my mother. She kept her curse hidden. They didn't know about…me, either." Hoshi looked up, a pleading look in her eyes. She could sense Em's cacophony of emotions and needed to finish.

"I think I have the curse too," she whispered. "If the overseers find out, they will harvest me. Please, you've got to promise not to tell anyone."

Em's head was swimming. "Harvest?"

"They will dissect me."

Those four words made a jolt shoot up Em's spine. "Not while I'm around."

"Please, Em. You can't tell anybody. I can feel the overseers are close by, but they are unaware."

"Can you read my mind, now?" Em asked.

"No, but I sense your confusion," Hoshi admitted. "Some thoughts come to me every now and again. I never realized I had the ability until I woke up after the explosion."

"Hoshi, you've got to let me tell Phlox. We could help you. We could keep you safe."

"No!" Hoshi pleaded.

"At least let me tell Malcolm. In the event that the 'overseers' come for you, I'm going to need more than myself and my phase pistol to protect you," Em beseeched.

Hoshi could sense Em's panic and need to notify her superiors. Deep down, Hoshi felt like a heel for putting Em in the position that she had, but it felt good to finally tell somebody. Her instinct yelled at her for telling Em everything she could remember, but her soul felt lighter and she felt Em's genuine concern for her well-being.

That is what made it easier to tell her. She was like her mother, nurturing, caring and protective. Malcolm was like her father, pushing her to do things and resentful. She still couldn't read Malcolm; it was like he had erected some type of barrier. If she had to guess at the strong confusing emotions she could read off him, she would say they were resentment and impatience. The more she thought about her father, the more she realized he resented her for having to take care of her … resented her for the things he had to do in order to protect her.

She nodded her head, clutching her doll, and giving Em the permission she sought to tell the others. If the overseers found her, she would need everybody that she could get on her side.