Chapter 12

In a high rise in the middle of downtown San Francisco a black shuttle craft landed on top of the roof. The klingon agent stepped out flanked by columns of Stafleet Marines. A door slid open on the roof and the group entered.

In an office not too far below Agent Janeway was looking out the window at the city below her as it shimmered in the afternoon sun. Behind her sat Archer who was bloody and bruised as he sat tied to a chair. He was stripped to his waist and he was shivering and sweating at the same time. He was wired to various monitors with white disk electrodes that stuck to his head. Beside him the borg agent was sucking a sort of serum through a glass vial as she filled a hypodermic needle. Agent Janeway turned to face Archer as she started to speak in an emotionless mechanical tone.

"Did you know when this planet was first designed, it was designed to be a perfect world for all humaniod life forms? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost."

The borg jammed the needle into Archer's shoulder and plunged down as Agent Janeway continued to speak.

"Some believed we lacked the programming knowledge to describe your perfect universe. But I believe that, as a organic life forms, humaniods define their reality through suffering and misery."

The borg just studied the reactions to the injection on the screen in front of her as Archer sat there silent and glaring at Janeway.

"The perfect galaxy was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why this world is designed to this: the peek of your civilization."

Agent Janeway turned away from the window and walked over to Archer. She spoke again.

"I say 'your civilization' because as soon as we started thinking for you, it really became our civilization, which is, of course, what this is all about."

She sat down directly in front of him and looked at him dead on from behind her dark sunglasses.

"It's about evolution, Archer, evolution." She said.

She lifted his head until they were eye to eye.

"Like the dinosaurs before you. You have had your time in this universe."

Archer stared hard at her, trying not to show the pain that was racking his mind and body.

"The future of your galaxy, Archer. The future is our time."

Janeway looked to the borg.

"Double the dosage." She ordered.

A few moments later, the klingon walked through the door.

"We have a problem." She said.

In engineering, Wesley, T'Pol, and Tripp looked at Archer's body which was now covered in a cold sweat.

"What the hell are they doing to him?" T'Pol asked.

"They're trying to hack his mind." Wesley said.

"How?"

"They inject virus-like serums to attack the neuro-systems. It's like cracking a computer. All it takes is time." Wesley explained.

"How much time?" T'Pol asked.

"Depends on the mind. But eventually, it will crack and his alpha pattern will change from this to this."

Wesley punched several commands on Archer's personal unit. The monitor waves changed from a frantic chaotic pattern to an ordered symmetrical one. Wesley turned to both T'Pol and Tripp with a very grim look on his face. He spoke once more.

"When it does, Archer will tell them everything they want to know."

"What do they want?" T'Pol asked.

"Every captain of every ship is given the codes to Zion's force field, which can be accessed only through the planet Matrix. They are used only in emergencies. If an agent had those codes and got inside out force field they could disable the entire defense system. It would be the end of everything and we would be fucked." Wesley told her.

Tripp started to pace relentlessly.

"We can't let that happen, Tripp. Zion has to be protected." Wesley said.

Meanwhile in the government building, Archer was fighting for his life and trying to hold his mind together. All three women stood over him.

"Never send an organic being to do a machine's job." Agent Janeway said.

"If indeed, Sato had failed, they will sever the connection as soon as possible, unless ..." The borg started to say.

"They are dead. In either case ..." The klingon said finishing the borg's thought.

"We have no choice but to continue as planned. Deploy the sentinels. Immediately." Janeway ordered.

In engineering, Tripp looked over at Hoshi's dead body. Rage welled up inside of him.

"Goddamnit!" He cursed out loud.

T'Pol turned to Wesley.

"There has to be something we can do." She said.

Wesley looked somber as he spoke.

"There is. We have to pull the plug." He answered.

Tripp turned to look Wesley in the eye.

"You're going to kill him? Kill Archer!"

"Tripp we have no other choice!" Wesley said.

For the first time since being unplugged T'Pol saw things clearly now. Fate was rushing at her like a crashing star ship out of control. Wesley kneeled besides Archer's body.

"Archer, you were more than our leader. You were ... our brother. We will miss you always." he said sadly.

Wesley was about to pull the plug. Tears spilled from Tripp's eyes. Wesley closed his and then T'Pol spoke.

"Stop." She told him.

Both men looked at her.

"Goddamnit! I don't believe this is happening!" She said angrily.

"T'Pol this has to be done." Wesley told her.

"Does it? I don't know. This can't be just coincidence. It can't be! Can it?" T'Pol had a look of determination on her face ash she spoke.

What the hell are you talking about?" Wesley asked her.

"The Prophet. He told me this would happen. He told me ..."

And then she stared down at Archer.

"That I would have to make a choice ..."

"What choice?" Tripp asked.

By then she made her choice, she walked back to her chair and prepared to sit back down to be jacked back in.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tripp asked her.

"I'm going in after him." She said.

"You can't!" He yelled.

"I have to!" She yelled back.

"Archer sacrificed himself so he could get you out! There's no way in hell you are going back in!"

And then she spoke calmly.

"Archer did what he did because he believed that I'm something I'm not."

Tripp raised one eyebrow at her comment.

"What?"

"I'm not the One Tripp. The Prophet hit me with that too." She said somberly.

Tripp shook his head in disbelief.

"No ... you have to be."

"I'm sorry I'm not. I'm just another person. Archer is the one that matters."

Tripp still shook his head.

"No, T'Pol. That's not true. It can't be true."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because ..." And then he looked away.

He couldn't tell her how much he really cared for her or how he really felt.

"T'Pol this is crazy. They've got Archer in a military-controlled building. Even if you somehow got inside, those are agents holding him. Three of them! I want Archer back too, but what you are talking about is suicide." Wesley said.

"I know that's what it looks like, but it's not. I can't logically explain to you why it's not. Archer believed something and he was ready to give up his life for what he believed. I understand that now. And that is why I have to go." She said.

"Why?" Wesley asked her.

"Because I believe in something." T'Pol answered.

"What?" Tripp asked.

"That I can bring him back." She said.

Tripp just stared at her for a long moment and then he sat in the chair next to hers.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

He looked into her eyes with a stare of determination. He wanted to get Archer out of there just as bad as she did.

"No? Let me tell you what I believe Missy! I believe that Archer means more to me than he does to you. I believe that if you are serious about saving him then you are going to need my help and since I am the ranking officer on this goddamned ship, I believe if you don't like it you can go fuck yourself, because you're not going in there without me. Do I make myself clear?"

T'Pol didn't say another word because deep down, she knew he was right. Tripp looked to Wesley.

"Wes, load us up." He ordered.