N E B U L O U S V E X Chapter 3 Trepidation

One week earlier...

Captain's Log - We have been asked by the Vulcans to assist with a medical emergency
in the Velouria system. Now that we have taken aboard the needed supplies, Enterprise
is traveling at maximum warp to Velouria Six. If we are to meet the deadline, however,
it appears that we will have to pass through...an infamous nebula.

"There it is," Archer gawked.

"I never thought I'd see it in person," Travis mumbled.

Before them on the view screen, a massive field of swirling bright pink gases cut a mighty
swath across open space.

"Is it true about what they say?" Hoshi asked. "About what happens to ships in there?"

"T'Pol?"

"None of the rumors have ever been substantiated, Captain," T'Pol said flatly. "The stories that
have circulated over the years are probably nothing more than what you call... urban legends."

"Still," Travis said. "It's just so... so... pink."

"It is that," agreed Malcolm. "It's too bad we didn't aim for the edges, instead of coming up on
the middle like this."

"Lieutenant?"

"Sorry, Sir, it's just... Well, if we'd have maneuvered towards either end of the nebula when we
first started, we could have easily have gone around it."

"T'Pol?"

"That would not have been possible," she said. "It was out of the range of our sensors."

"Well, I mean, it's not like we couldn't see the bloody thing," Malcolm griped. "All we really had
to do was look out the window, and-"

"That's enough, Lieutenant," Archer scolded. "Is there...any way...we can avoid going through it?"

"The nebula is 114 light years across," T'Pol noted. "It would take weeks to go around it."

"And we don't have weeks," the captain sighed. "Very well. Travis, lay in a course and-"

"How high is it?" Hoshi asked.

"What?"

"I mean, why don't we just go over the top of it? It doesn't look that high..."

"You're suggesting that, instead of going around, we go 'up and over it'?"

"Or under," she shrugged.

"T'Pol?"

"If we go 'over the top' of it, it will add one day and seven hours to our journey."

"Well, we can't afford a day," Archer said grimly. "Ensign Mayweather, lay in a-"

"I'm sorry, Captain," T'Pol corrected. "My sensors were calibrated horizontally. The actual time
added would be one hour and twenty-three min-"

"That's enough!" Archer fumed. "I welcome the opinions of my senior officers, but these supplies
have to get to Velouria. Travis, lay in a course!"

"Course laid in, Captain."

"Alright, Travis, take us in," he said ominously. "Into the...Sh'lash Nebula."

After he finished his dinner, Commander Tucker went to the window and gazed out upon the
swirling pink poodle puffs. He was still plenty worried about the captain.

A fella's got a right to be down every now and then, he thought. But
if it goes on and on... That's somethin' else entirely.

Trip finally decided that he needed to share his concerns with somebody else. He ended up
choosing Hoshi, because if anybody knows the cap'ain's moods around here, it's gotta be her.

After a brief search, he soon found her in the mess hall sitting with Sub-commander T'Pol. They
were engaged in a quiet conversation, and both fell oddly silent as Trip approached.

"Hey! Weren't you s'pos ta eat with us tonight?"

T'Pol glanced discretely at Hoshi before she spoke.

"I changed my mind," she said. "I apologize if there was any inconvenience."

"No, it's ok," he said. "Hi Hoshi."

"Commander."

Uninvited, Trip pulled out a chair, reversed it, and sat down with his arms folded over the backrest.
He cautiously surveyed the rest of the room before leaning in.

"Have you guys noticed how Cap'ain's been actin' lately?" he whispered. "I mean, he really seems
to be distracted about somethin'."

Hoshi and T'Pol again exchanged looks.

"I really haven't noticed anything," Hoshi shrugged.

"Nor I," T'Pol added. "How long has this been occurring?"

Trip scratched his head.

"A little over a week now," he said. "Pretty much started right after we entered this nebula. And
you guys say ya haven't noticed?"

Hoshi shook her head.

"No," T'Pol said flatly. "Would you like for me to speak with him?"

"Yeah, maybe you can get him to loosen up a bit. He sure didn't seem ta wanna talk to me."

"Very well," she said. "I will see him after dinner. Now, if you will excuse us."

With this, the three entered a polite staring contest. More specifically, Hoshi and T'Pol stared at
Trip, while Trip took turns staring back and forth between Hoshi and T'Pol. The whole affair was
accented by puzzled silence, at least on Trip's part. Finally, he blinked.

"Uh... Ok... I didn't... Uh..."

The women looked at him in anticipation of his absence. Trip took the cue and slowly backed
off his chair.

"I'll, uh, just go see Phlox, then, I guess? And... leave you two alone?"

Hoshi smiled pleasantly.
Alone in his sickbay sanctum, Phlox fumbled with some snow beetles. As the doors slid wide, he
looked up and was quite surprised to see the recalcitrant Malcolm Reed entering on his own power- not
a limp, scratch, or bump in sight. As a matter of fact, he seemed quite freshly refreshed.

"Lieutenant," he smiled cautiously. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"There's...something that's been on my mind," he said shyly. "I've been...er..."

"Yes?"

Reed shifted nervously and managed only the weakest of grins. I can barely even look him in the
eyes, he thought. This is ridiculous... But I must... I simply must...

"There's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about, Doctor... Err.. I mean, Phlox..."

"Certainly!" Phlox chirped. "What's on your mind then, hmm?"

Malcolm winced slightly, as if being prodded from within.

"I must say that I'm not very comfortable...er...discussing matters of these sort..."

"What matters are we talking about?"

"Personal matters, Phlox... The truth is..."

"Yes?"

The truth is... I can't seem to stop thinking about-"

The doors to sickbay again slid open, interrupting Malcolm in mid-sentence. Trip strolled up to them
directly.

"Fellas."

"Commander," Phlox beamed.

Reed nodded.

"Have you fellas noticed how the- ?" he started, then he paused and studied the two of them intently.
"Am I, uh, interruptin' somethin' important?"

Phlox smiled cordially and turned his head, deferring the question to the lieutenant.

Reed politely cleared his throat.

"Not at all," he lied. You arse.

"What were you saying, Commander?"

Trip shook off the odd feeling that had just swept over him and continued.

"Uh... You fellas noticed how the cap'ain's been actin'?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kinda distracted... Moody..."

"Mmm," said Phlox. "Honestly, I can't say. I've barely seen Captain Archer since we left that Vulcan
transport vessel."

"Mal?"

"I've been working," he said curtly.

"Oh, well... Somethin's botherin' him, that's for sure. I just can't figure out what..."

"I believe that young Ensign Mayweather accompanied the captain on the trip to Lutara about, mmm,
ten days ago. Perhaps he noticed something?"

"I'll go find him," Tucker said. "Thanks. You two, uh, can get back to whatever it is you were talking
about."

Finally.

"Very well, Commander," Phlox smiled. "If you wish, though, I could, ah, stop by the captain's quarters
later and check on him, hmm?"

"Couldn't hurt," Trip said.

He quickly left in search of Travis. He couldn't find him, however, and gave up and consulted the
computer terminal.

"The exercise room," he chuckled. "I shoulda known."
Outside the ship, in wisps and tufts, the Sh'Lash Nebula brooded. Hands on hips, lips a permanent pout,
sh'e was certainly a sight with h'er flamingo pumps and cotton candy beehive 'do. All dressed up with nowhere
in the universe to go, Sh'Lash sighed deeply and twirled a bubble gum lock around a fluffy phantom finger.