The
Cultural Addition
a Star
Trek: Enterprise - based fan fiction
by: Joycelyn
Solo
Author's note: This story takes place Season Three, so expect general episodic references, but with definite AU qualities.
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise and associated characters are property of Paramount Pictures. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.
Special Thanks: To everyone who's read and reviewed this story. I'm sorry I haven't had the time to write like I would like in the last couple months, but I appreciate all your reviews and hope that, as we enter the home stretch, this story continues to meet your expectations.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Trip/T'Pol Romance; Mystery
Chapter Twenty-Three - Some assembly required
Seated in the command seat of the Enterprise, Jonathon Archer frowned as he listened with the rest of the Bridge crew to Malcolm and Trip's report of their findings -- or lack thereof -- aboard the Ceidé station.
"What do you mean you haven't found anything, Trip? You've been over there for an hour."
"What I'm trying to say, Cap'n, is there isn't anything over here to find. We've been through the entire station. Either the Ceidé cleared out of here before the attack, or whoever opened fire on them did a helluva job cleaning up after themselves."
Archer looked over his shoulder at T'Pol, noting the tilt of her head as she listened to her husband's description.
Her husband. Despite the situation, Archer had to take a moment to reflect on that. Three years ago, he never would have guessed that his first officer and the man originally slated for the position be married. It had been a pleasant enough surprise when the two commanders hadn't killed each other.
"Are you able to access the Ceidé computer, Commander?" the science officer asked. Archer wasn't surprised that, while on duty, T'Pol was all-business.
Her spouse, on the other hand...
There was a heavy sigh before the engineer answered, "We've come across a few terminals, Darlin', but the core is gone. It's impossible to investigate when there's nothing here to investigate."
The frustration his friend's voice was similar to the disappointment Archer felt at not being able to find answers -- or potential allies -- aboard the Ceidé station. In addition to not being able to get what they'd come looking for, Enterprise had delayed plotting a course for Xindi Prime. With their current position, they were at least a month away from the coordinates Rajiin had provided. Granted, this side trip was providing the time necessary for Rajiin and Phlox to develop a cure to the Xindi bio-weapon, but to have come all this way for nothing --
As a last resort, Archer asked, "Trip, is there anything we can salvage? Equipment we can use aboard Enterprise?"
"I'm telling you, Cap'n, there's nothing over here. Not anything useful, anyway. Malcolm and Hawkins are checking out the upper levels, but I doubt they'll find any more than Chang and I have."
"Actually, Commander," Malcolm broke in. "I believe we may have stumbled across something at least marginally useful."
Considering the security officer's knack for understatement, Archer couldn't help but feel hopeful. "What have you got, Malcolm?"
"I can't be sure until Commander Tucker takes a look, but just it may be the answer to our long-range communications problem."
Despite hopes that, once successfully installed, the Ceidé communications relay would enable Enterprise to contact Starfleet for the first time in two months, Trip couldn't help his less-than-optimistic feelings on the matter.
When they'd come into the Expanse nine months ago, he'd wanted nothing more than to find the Xindi -- any Xindi -- and make them pay for the death of his sister and seven million other people.
Then, slowly, that rage had lessened to be replaced by the wonder of pending fatherhood -- a state neither he nor T'Pol could explain. The knowledge that two new lives were going to depend on him -- already relied on him -- gave him reason to live.
And love.
If circumstances had been different; if the Ceidé hadn't interfered, there was a good chance Trip and T'Pol would have never discovered how deeply they cared for each other.
Having found that connection to the beautiful Vulcan, Trip couldn't believe he'd lived so long without it.
It was that connection -- that bond -- that pulled him toward Engineering. He'd yet to see his wife since returning from the Ceidé station and Trip was anxious to check on her. Through their connection, he could feel that the earlier storm of finding the Ceidé wreckage had dissipated, but he wanted to see with his own eyes that she was okay.
Stepping into Engineering, Trip's eyes were drawn to the upper level where he spotted the aqua velour of his wife's newly refitted uniform. Almost overnight, it seemed, her battle with the tight-fitting clothing of the previous months had been lost and she was resigned to wearing the new wardrobe several of the Enterprise women had created for her.
Trip smiled at the memory of T'Pol's brief -- and illogically vain -- thought of her own appearance as she had looked in the mirror that morning. He'd quickly reassured her that she was still the prettiest Vulcan he'd ever seen -- and been reassured, himself, that the growing protrusion of her front limited T'Pol to using the 'lift and and not the service ladders.
Climbing quickly up the greatly contested ladder, Trip joined his wife on the upper level. "How's this for a honeymoon?"
Seated at the Enterprise communications array, T'Pol looked up at her husband's entrance. "Based on Ensign Sato's description, I don't think our attempting to graft alien technology to the ship's systems is in the true spirit of a honeymoon."
"Well, in a perfect world, we'd be holed up in some nice island resort right about now. But, since we don't really have that option, we can at least enjoy the opportunity to spend time together." To emphasize his statement, he extended two fingers and touched them to T'Pol's. The physical connection allowed an instant strengthening of the mental bond.
Her fingers still touching his, T'Pol allowed a hint of a smile to grace her lips. "I still find it intriguing that you find the amount of time we spend together to be inadequate."
"Every moment with you is a pleasure, Darlin,'" Trip said, grinning widely as they pulled their hands apart. "How could I not want more of it?"
Though T'Pol declined to comment, the engineer felt her ripple of pleasure at his statement. He would have teased her about that, would have tried to draw that hint of a smile into a full blown admission, but he sensed that his wife -- ever the workaholic -- was ready to focus on the business at hand.
"So, how you doing?" he asked, indicating the alien device that sat at her feet. "Any progress?"
"I believe I have created an adequate interface for the Ceidé relay to be integrated with our own." T'Pol handed him a PADD with a series of calculations on it. "However, I am having difficulty maintaining a proper power flow to the new device. Three power couplings have already met an unfortunate end."
Trip looked over the PADD, his head nodding. "I think I see the problem. The interface is overriding the Ceidé device's basic power algorithm. The device starts up, thinks it isn't getting enough power, and tries drawing in more than it can handle."
"Can you fix it?"
"I think so. We'll just have to add a power regulator to the interface you created. It'll play tug-of-war with the Ceidé device and keep it from overloading." Trip shrugged. "It's not a perfect fix, but it'll be a lot faster than trying to rewrite alien programming."
T'Pol nodded, watching as Trip made adjustments to the calculations on her PADD. "That should be sufficient for our purposes. When we have completed the interface, Ensign Sato will make the necessary adjustments so that we may contact Starfleet. She would also like to install an encryption protocol. While we are this close to Xindi space, it would be best not to broadcast our position or intentions."
"Let's get to work then. Sooner we're done here, the sooner we can go spend some true honeymoon time together."
Three hours and two more power couplings later, Trip and T'Pol left the new and improved communications array in the hands of the capable Ensign Sato.
Standing outside his door, Trip indicated the charred sleeve of his uniform. "Just give me a minute to change and I'll be right over. Maybe we'll run to the Mess and see if Chef kept anything warm for us."
T'Pol refrained from reminding her husband that most anything Chef prepared could be easily warmed up for late dinner arrivals as she pressed the door release. At the same same time, both husband and wife stepped into their respective quarters.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Trip unzipped his uniform and shrugged his arm free. Turning to release the other arm, he paused at the movement he saw out of the corner of his eye.
"T'Pol?"
Turning slowly, he stared in disbelief at the lack of wall separating his cabin from his wife's. He took a step forward, matching T'Pol's movement.
"This isn't the way we left it."
T'Pol joined him in examining the beam that used to support the wall that once separated their quarters. Turning as one, the couple looked into Trip's cabin and then T'Pol's.
"There was a wall when we left this morning, right?" he asked.
"Indeed."
The Tuckers stared at one another for a moment when their disbelief was interrupted by the sound of the wall communicator.
Since it was the coming from T'Pol's side, Trip stood still as his wife moved to answer it.
"This is T'Pol."
"How are you enjoying the honeymoon suite?"
"Captain?" T'Pol asked, surprised by the jovial tone in her commanding officer's voice -- especially considering the numerous setbacks of the day.
"While the two of you were working on the communications relay, Rostov and his team did some redecorating," the captain explained. "Sorry they didn't get a chance to install the larger bunk yet."
A larger bunk? Trip joined his wife as she stared at the communicator -- an illogical action to be sure since Archer couldn't see the look of confusion on their faces.
Was this your idea, Husband?
"What makes you think this was my idea?" Trip asked, wincing when he realized he'd asked aloud.
"I didn't ask if this was your idea, Trip," the captain said, confusion in his voice. "It was actually Rostov and Hess. Your crew went through a lot of trouble to keep this a surprise. Not to mention the effort it took to convince me to let them."
"You authorized this, Cap'n?"
"I doubt Starfleet envisioned a need for family quarters aboard, but, considering the circumstances, I agreed with your engineers. The two of you have already made several steps toward bridging cultural differences. You don't need another wall between you."
