Chapter Three
Captain Archer was seated around his dinning table with Calla after enjoying dinner with his guests.
"Didn't you enjoy your meal? You don't seem to have eaten much."
"It was interesting, Captain, definitely not like I'm used to eating."
"Since you declined the tour with Toldar and Serena, would you like me to escort you to your quarters so you can get some rest?"
"I'm fine, Captain, thank you for asking. I'd rather stay here and have a chat with you, if you don't mind."
"No I don't mind. What would you like to know?"
"How long have you been exploring?"
"We've been out here for three years now, give or take."
"You must have met some interesting species in that time and made quite a few friends."
"Yeah, we've met our fair share, although not all of them have turned out to be our friends. In fact," laughed Captain Archer, "If I was being honest with myself, the vast majority of them didn't." Then, after quietly pondering the events that had happened over the previous three years, he continued, "I think we were just a little bit naïve about what to expect." His voice grew quieter as his mind drifted back to their perilous mission they had just finished. "Space is dangerous and no place for the inexperienced –"I've had to learn that the hard way."
"Is this why you have closed yourself off from your friends?" asked Calla.
"Yes," he replied softly. He didn't know why he was telling her this; it was as if she had woven a spell which allowed all his inner most feelings that he'd buried deep inside him to tumble out.
"I see the death of all those crewmen and Sim last year has affected you greatly."
"Yes," replied Captain Archer ever so softly again. How the hell did she know about all that? Can she read my mind?
"Not your mind, Jonathon, I can read all your thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears. I know you hold a deep regret for all of those deaths and that you have constant nightmares of seeing the image of your close friend being placed in the capsule. You feel that if you push him away now, the hurt won't be as great later."
"Yes," whispered Captain Archer.
"We all need our friends, Jonathon. Pushing them away may seem the right thing to do at the moment but the pain will be just as bad later on, maybe even worse. I will help you see this."
"Why? How?"
"My whole purpose is to help people we sense a need in. My methods are extreme, Jonathon, but they have the desired effect, you'll see." Calla then stood up to depart from the room. "Thank you for the meal, Captain, and the talk. If you don't mind, I will go and rest now."
As she walked out of the room, Captain Archer sat stunned in his chair trying to piece together what had just happened and what she meant by extreme methods.
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Calla was walking down the corridor when she intercepted T'Pol who was making her way to her quarters.
"Are you having difficulties finding your quarters?" asked T'Pol.
"No, I was just taking a stroll after enjoying a nice meal with the captain. I'm surprised I didn't see you there."
"I am partaking in a Vulcan ritual where we purge our body of impurities through fasting."
"I would have thought that while serving on a human star ship, you would try to fit in more rather than emphasising your alienisms by staying on the outside."
T'Pol stared straight ahead, as if she was thinking back to past memories. "My previous attempts at exploring my emotions have not gone well; I nearly lost myself and was overwhelmed in the process. It is therefore logical for me to cease this exploration and embrace my own culture."
"There's nothing wrong with embracing both logic and emotion, T'Pol. You have friends on board this ship."
"Vulcan's do not seek out help. Our emotions are our own and extremely private, it would be inappropriate to involve others." Strange thought T'Pol Why do I feel so comfortable talking to this stranger over my human counterparts and friends who I have known for years?
"My species has a way of putting others at ease with themselves. This is important since our goal is to help others, those who we sense a need in. I sense this need in you, T'Pol. You value your friendship with the humans on board this ship but you are afraid that you will be judged for what you allowed to happen when you selfishly allowed yourself to indulge and embrace your feelings."
"Yes," whispered T'Pol. It was so strange, as if this woman was staring deep into her katra where she had buried all her inner demons that she had previously awakened; fear, anger, shame and desire.
"Humans are an emotional species, T'Pol. They live, deal and cope with their emotions every day – there's no better to help you embrace and integrate yours into your life. I will help you see this – my methods are extreme, but they have the desired effect."
"I don't understand," said T'Pol who was suddenly feeling very confused and frightened.
"You will my child, you will," replied Calla before she walked off down the corridor.
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Later that night Calla walked into the shuttle bay where Trip was working on their ship.
"Commander Tucker, I am surprised to still find you here working."
"I had nothing else to," said Trip smiling. "Did you enjoy your meal with the cap'n?"
"Yes thank you, it was......... interesting!"
Trip laughed, "Is that the polite way of saying ya didn't like it?"
"No certainly not," chuckled Calla, "I am not used to ingesting food orally that's all."
"Ohhhhhhh, how do you normally eat?"
"We usually absorb nutrients and energy from living entities and energies that surround us."
"Come again!" asked a rather confused Trip.
"It is too hard to explain."
"So how come there's food and drink in your ship's stores?"
"That's for Toldar and Serena."
"Don't they absorb nutrients and energy from living energies as well?"
"I am not the same as them."
"You're not from Fabia as well?"
"No."
"So how come your travelling with them?"
"I sensed a need and came to help, just like I sense that need in you."
"You came to help repair their ship?"
"No, I came to repair their relationship – I came to help repair them and how they feel about each other. The damage to the ship was how I accomplished this."
"I don't understand, are you telling me ya caused all this?" asked Trip. He was growing worried and rather concerned.
"My methods are often extreme but they have the desired effect."
"You nearly killed them," replied Trip as he slowly backed up to the comm... He wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt very uneasy about the whole situation.
"They were never in any danger. We are not evil, Trip. Our duty is to observe different species and help them find their way. At the moment I sense this need in you – a loss that you want to find again, a loss that you need and miss dearly."
"Stay away from me!" shouted Trip as he reached for the comm.. He suddenly felt like he had been frozen to the spot. He urged his muscles to move forward but it was no use – he couldn't move.
"I won't hurt you, Trip, don't be afraid – I'm here to help," urged Calla as she slowly pulled his body round towards her. She stared into his eyes and began chanting a hypnotic rhyme. Both were mesmerizing and Trip could feel his inner self being drawn towards her as the music danced throughout his mind. Initially he was frightened by what was happening but he couldn't look away; it was as if there was an inner voice telling him he must listen to that enchanting, exotic sound and stare into those dazzling depths that beheld a mirage of colours until he was lost.
Soon the soothing sound calmed his fears, overwhelming his senses until he was completely under her spell – nothing mattered anymore, no more worries or fears, just contentment, peace, tranquillity and calmness unlike no other, as if he was being reborn.
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Captain Archer was seated around his dinning table with Calla after enjoying dinner with his guests.
"Didn't you enjoy your meal? You don't seem to have eaten much."
"It was interesting, Captain, definitely not like I'm used to eating."
"Since you declined the tour with Toldar and Serena, would you like me to escort you to your quarters so you can get some rest?"
"I'm fine, Captain, thank you for asking. I'd rather stay here and have a chat with you, if you don't mind."
"No I don't mind. What would you like to know?"
"How long have you been exploring?"
"We've been out here for three years now, give or take."
"You must have met some interesting species in that time and made quite a few friends."
"Yeah, we've met our fair share, although not all of them have turned out to be our friends. In fact," laughed Captain Archer, "If I was being honest with myself, the vast majority of them didn't." Then, after quietly pondering the events that had happened over the previous three years, he continued, "I think we were just a little bit naïve about what to expect." His voice grew quieter as his mind drifted back to their perilous mission they had just finished. "Space is dangerous and no place for the inexperienced –"I've had to learn that the hard way."
"Is this why you have closed yourself off from your friends?" asked Calla.
"Yes," he replied softly. He didn't know why he was telling her this; it was as if she had woven a spell which allowed all his inner most feelings that he'd buried deep inside him to tumble out.
"I see the death of all those crewmen and Sim last year has affected you greatly."
"Yes," replied Captain Archer ever so softly again. How the hell did she know about all that? Can she read my mind?
"Not your mind, Jonathon, I can read all your thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears. I know you hold a deep regret for all of those deaths and that you have constant nightmares of seeing the image of your close friend being placed in the capsule. You feel that if you push him away now, the hurt won't be as great later."
"Yes," whispered Captain Archer.
"We all need our friends, Jonathon. Pushing them away may seem the right thing to do at the moment but the pain will be just as bad later on, maybe even worse. I will help you see this."
"Why? How?"
"My whole purpose is to help people we sense a need in. My methods are extreme, Jonathon, but they have the desired effect, you'll see." Calla then stood up to depart from the room. "Thank you for the meal, Captain, and the talk. If you don't mind, I will go and rest now."
As she walked out of the room, Captain Archer sat stunned in his chair trying to piece together what had just happened and what she meant by extreme methods.
-------------------------------------------------------
Calla was walking down the corridor when she intercepted T'Pol who was making her way to her quarters.
"Are you having difficulties finding your quarters?" asked T'Pol.
"No, I was just taking a stroll after enjoying a nice meal with the captain. I'm surprised I didn't see you there."
"I am partaking in a Vulcan ritual where we purge our body of impurities through fasting."
"I would have thought that while serving on a human star ship, you would try to fit in more rather than emphasising your alienisms by staying on the outside."
T'Pol stared straight ahead, as if she was thinking back to past memories. "My previous attempts at exploring my emotions have not gone well; I nearly lost myself and was overwhelmed in the process. It is therefore logical for me to cease this exploration and embrace my own culture."
"There's nothing wrong with embracing both logic and emotion, T'Pol. You have friends on board this ship."
"Vulcan's do not seek out help. Our emotions are our own and extremely private, it would be inappropriate to involve others." Strange thought T'Pol Why do I feel so comfortable talking to this stranger over my human counterparts and friends who I have known for years?
"My species has a way of putting others at ease with themselves. This is important since our goal is to help others, those who we sense a need in. I sense this need in you, T'Pol. You value your friendship with the humans on board this ship but you are afraid that you will be judged for what you allowed to happen when you selfishly allowed yourself to indulge and embrace your feelings."
"Yes," whispered T'Pol. It was so strange, as if this woman was staring deep into her katra where she had buried all her inner demons that she had previously awakened; fear, anger, shame and desire.
"Humans are an emotional species, T'Pol. They live, deal and cope with their emotions every day – there's no better to help you embrace and integrate yours into your life. I will help you see this – my methods are extreme, but they have the desired effect."
"I don't understand," said T'Pol who was suddenly feeling very confused and frightened.
"You will my child, you will," replied Calla before she walked off down the corridor.
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Later that night Calla walked into the shuttle bay where Trip was working on their ship.
"Commander Tucker, I am surprised to still find you here working."
"I had nothing else to," said Trip smiling. "Did you enjoy your meal with the cap'n?"
"Yes thank you, it was......... interesting!"
Trip laughed, "Is that the polite way of saying ya didn't like it?"
"No certainly not," chuckled Calla, "I am not used to ingesting food orally that's all."
"Ohhhhhhh, how do you normally eat?"
"We usually absorb nutrients and energy from living entities and energies that surround us."
"Come again!" asked a rather confused Trip.
"It is too hard to explain."
"So how come there's food and drink in your ship's stores?"
"That's for Toldar and Serena."
"Don't they absorb nutrients and energy from living energies as well?"
"I am not the same as them."
"You're not from Fabia as well?"
"No."
"So how come your travelling with them?"
"I sensed a need and came to help, just like I sense that need in you."
"You came to help repair their ship?"
"No, I came to repair their relationship – I came to help repair them and how they feel about each other. The damage to the ship was how I accomplished this."
"I don't understand, are you telling me ya caused all this?" asked Trip. He was growing worried and rather concerned.
"My methods are often extreme but they have the desired effect."
"You nearly killed them," replied Trip as he slowly backed up to the comm... He wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt very uneasy about the whole situation.
"They were never in any danger. We are not evil, Trip. Our duty is to observe different species and help them find their way. At the moment I sense this need in you – a loss that you want to find again, a loss that you need and miss dearly."
"Stay away from me!" shouted Trip as he reached for the comm.. He suddenly felt like he had been frozen to the spot. He urged his muscles to move forward but it was no use – he couldn't move.
"I won't hurt you, Trip, don't be afraid – I'm here to help," urged Calla as she slowly pulled his body round towards her. She stared into his eyes and began chanting a hypnotic rhyme. Both were mesmerizing and Trip could feel his inner self being drawn towards her as the music danced throughout his mind. Initially he was frightened by what was happening but he couldn't look away; it was as if there was an inner voice telling him he must listen to that enchanting, exotic sound and stare into those dazzling depths that beheld a mirage of colours until he was lost.
Soon the soothing sound calmed his fears, overwhelming his senses until he was completely under her spell – nothing mattered anymore, no more worries or fears, just contentment, peace, tranquillity and calmness unlike no other, as if he was being reborn.
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