Disclaimer: see chapter one
a/n: Hey! Thanks so much for the reviews!! (Thanks for letting me know about the ambiguous description in the last chapter Gally Gee!) I apologize for the delay in posting the ending. Time stuff, ya know how it is.
Now, on to the conclusion...
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It was dark. Very dark. He felt warm, but a cool draft cut into the air's warmth and made his skin prickle. He shivered.
A fierce snarl echoed off the close confining walls around him. Iridescent purple flashed brightly in the black abyss before him.
Malcolm gasped and opened his eyes.
He sat stiffly with his back to a corner of the peaceful decontamination chamber. He leaned his head backward and raked a hand through his brown hair, making it stand in a most irregular, most untidy fashion.
Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, he found his muscles were cramped. He was still holding them as though he expected to need to jump up at any moment. With a sigh of self-reproach, he forced himself to uncross his arms and attempted to relax them. This was ridiculous; the thing was not here, he reminded himself; he was safe, safe on Enterprise.
"Your time is up." A voice spoke through the intercom on the wall. Malcolm rose slowly, and walked over to the door.
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"How is he?" Archer asked, wincing as a sudden, sharp pain, ran through his head. A slight noise of discomfort escaped his lips.
"Sorry Captain," a medic said, tone void of emotion as she concentrated, "I'm almost done." She carefully sealed the gash on his head the heavy electrical cable had caused.
Malcolm was led into the large open room of sickbay. The Captain was situated on a bed underneath a bright light as his wound was being attended to.
"Malcolm," the Captain said, catching sight of the Lieutenant. "How are you feeling?" he asked with a look of concern. The last time he had seen him, he had been lying on the gray beach. Archer gave him the once over and decided that he looked better.
Malcolm nodded gravely."I'm fine, Sir," he said. "How's Trip?" he added softly.
"I was just inquiring about that," the Captain said, with a look at the medic.
"He's still in surgery Sir; I'll tell you as soon as we know anything," she said, laying aside her instrument on a tray as Malcolm was being directed to a bed adjacent to the Captain's. "Try and get some rest."
Archer watched him. Malcolm looked completely drained as he eased himself down against his pillow. Slowly, gravity seemed to force his eyelids down. The Captain watched the Lieutenant's eyes fall shut.
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"Run all the necessary scans."
"Yes Sub-commander."
T'Pol looked down on the small planet that hung in the bridge's large window. This creature certainly wasn't like any being she'd encountered before, but then she'd encountered quite a few things out here that she hadn't expected.
Her mind strayed a little to those in sickbay, particularly Commander Tucker. He'd stopped breathing at one point on the way back to Enterprise. His condition was extremely grave.
Her thoughts were interrupted.
"Sub-Commander..." an ensign said looking up from his console. "The entity is, uh, It's um, moving... well, not exactly moving...it's like it's getting bigger, expanding...I don't understand it," he said, frowning in confusion. "It must be a scanner malfunction."
T'Pol's eyes narrowed, she moved swiftly to his side. "This can't be," she murmured, tapping a few keys.
"I know, by this reading, It's extending Itself into space," the ensign said with a note of concern.
"No, not It, energy. A projection," T'Pol said, with a hint of tension in her even voice.
"Ma'am, I'm picking up something on B deck," came a report from Malcolm's station on the bridge. T'Pol's head snapped up. "Something's aboard..."
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It was quite.Very quite. Malcolm opened his eyes and enjoyed the few brief seconds of serenity before he would remember why he was staring at sickbay's ceiling.
He turned and loosened the stifling sheets that someone had tucked in around him while he'd slept. The Captain was no longer occupying the bed next to his. He wondered how long he'd been out.
He leaned back on the pillow, expelling a soft breath.
There came a cackle that cut through the room's stillness.
The Lieutenant shut his eyes and his hands balled up, grasping the sheets he lay on. 'Stop thinking, this is pure paranoia, It's not here, It's on the planet...' he told himself firmly.
"Do you really believe that?" the horrible, serene voice whispered.
His brow wrinkled in concentration. "You're not here, you can't be here," he barely breathed.
"Yet, here we are."
Malcolm refused to open his eyes. "It doesn't make sense. Why would you be here? You got what you wanted from us, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes, it is true! We have no need of you, or your species. But there is much for us to learn yet and we could gain much knowledge with a vessel such as this...yes, a ship like this would be most efficient for our work," It purred.
Malcolm felt his body tremble, and his eyes jerked wide open.
It was in the room with him.
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The ship suddenly shuddered.
"Engineering report," T'Pol said curtly.
"Uh, something's wrong with the computer system down here, our commands are being overridden," a man responded, sounding extremely agitated; most of the ship had heard rumors about what had happened down on the surface.
The lights flickered.
"Ensign Mayweather, take us out of here!" T'Pol said loudly, her eyes locked onto the screen that displayed the intruding energy.
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The thing moved, with Its disturbing movements, towards Malcolm. "So you see, we really don't have any further need for any of your species," It hissed.
"No, STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted twisting helplessly in the binding sheets, tearing at them.
It laughed. "What do you think you can do to stop me?"
Malcolm tumbled out of the hospital bed, still struggling to free himself from the bedding, and knocking over a tray of instruments. The thing propelled Itself with terrifyingly bizarre motions ever closer.
The Lieutenant reached for a fallen, and particularly wicked looking, piece of medical equipment. The room trembled. He could feel the ship lurch forward; he blinked. It was gone.
Malcolm exhaled shakily, letting his would be weapon fall to the floor with a clatter.
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"It's gone," reported an ensign on the bridge, with some measure of astonishment.
T'Pol's posture relaxed ever so slightly, as she watched the stars flying past them.
"Sub- Commander, how, how did you know?"
T'Pol turned her head towards the wondering crewman. "The entity is still bound to that planet. Unless it could insert Itself, or a part of Itself, into Enterprise's computer system, I do not believe it could physically leave It's environment," she said calmly.
"Archer to T'Pol." The Captain had been released from sickbay to his quarters. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes Captain, however, I would like to meet you in the ready room. There have been some developments that I need to inform you of."
"On my way."
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"How is he?" Malcolm inquired three-days after Enterprise had left a particular quadrant of space.
Phlox looked up from the odd plant he was tending. "Ah, Lieutenant, you're here early this morning." Malcolm had been visiting sickbay every morning at 06:00, to check in on Trip.
The Lieutenant's tidy appearance was as crisp as ever, he looked much more like himself than he had of late. The only visible hints that he had been unwell recently, was a lingering pallor about his face, and a small bandage still covering a temple.
The Commander's condition had been serious, and even when the doctor had completed the surgery, it hadn't been clear whether or not he would live. The last few days had been tense as they waited for Trip to turn the corner.
"I was just about to call you down here. He's been asking for you."
"Is he awake doctor?" Malcolm asked.
"Yes, he woke about an hour ago. The Captain is in with him now, waiting to see if he'll wake again soon."
"May I...?" he gestured to the curtained off area. Phlox nodded.
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Trip slowly opened his eyes. He looked blearily at the nearly double image of whom he was fairly certain to be the Jon sitting to one side of him. "Hey Cap'n," he croaked out.
"How are you feeling?" Jon asked gently.
"I'm pretty sure I've felt better." He said words slightly slurred.
Archer smiled. "I'm sure you have. You know you are very lucky to be here."
"What happened..." he asked in a hoarse whisper, trying to get his eyes to cooperate with him. He was trying to organize his scattered and fuzzy thoughts.
Archer's smile faded slightly. "There'll be plenty of time to debrief you later," he said giving the engineer's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Where's Malcolm?" he asked, voice falling slightly.
"I'm here Commander," said the Lieutenant said carefully returning the curtain he had pushed aside back into place.
"A-are you okay?" he asked with a weak break in his voice.
"I'm fine." He said quietly approaching.
Trip nodded, still only really able to identify Malcolm by his distinctive accent. The Commander began to cough.
"Alright, I believe the Commander has had quite enough visiting for today," said Phlox, hurrying in and helped Trip sit up a bit more. He began to breathe a bit easier.
"Get some rest," Jon said softly, and rose to his feet.
"Right," Trip wheezed.
"I'll be back to check in with you later," Malcolm said with a rare, open, smile.
"Hey, Malcolm," Trip called rather feebly.
The Lieutenant turned, with an attentive quizzical look.
"Would you mind doin' me a favor?"
"Name it."
"Remind me, if I ever get the notion in my head again, not to get into anymore shuttle pods with you."
Malcolm chuckled, "Alright, as long as you promise visa versa."
"Agreed." Trip smiled.
"Good, we have a deal. Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow then," Trip nodded and drifted off.
The End
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a/n: Reviews of all sorts are most welcome, and most appreciated! I would really love to hear what you think of this now that it is finished. Thanks for reading!!
This was my first attempt at fan fiction writing; and I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the encouragement. So many of you are such brilliant writers, I couldn't be more honored to have you offer your thoughts and advice to me! Thank you so much!
Thanks to:
Exploded Pen
Quickbeam1
Drogna
Plumtuckered
GallyGee
Rinne
lieutenants-lady
The Libran Iniquity
Phaser Lady
kaliedescopecat
Aeryn Lavanthia
Ocean
Luna
Laura B
Zenna
stage manager
Emiliana Keladry
ChRsTiNe17
cryogenie
Mo Cat
CordeliaBlack
Drakcir
Julie
Wuemsel
Marianne
Sky29
fiona
TEEny
Coz5000
Shorina
Daria
WhtevrHpnd2Mary
Jenna
Andrea
Heather Martin
trecia
Eva
Armand
emma
Asic
Mirage
Misty-Kid
Roper
Pethron
poffie
Streghetta
Blackkat13
...for reading/reviewing!
And thanks to anyone who might review after this is posted!
Also a special thanks to Rinne, my beta, whose patients and advice made this story better than I ever thought it could be. Thank you!
Well, I guess that's all I need to say for now. I fully intended only to post once on this site, but now, I may just stick around a little while longer. I do have another story in mind...
Thanks again, see ya 'round!
-G. Eliot