Chapter 3 - Conspiracy Theory
Captain Archer caught the shuttle to Brazil that evening. The Starfleet Language Institute was located in the middle of the Amazon jungle, a fact that at one time would have made it nearly inaccessible, but with 22nd century transportation technology, it was nearly as easy as traveling from San Francisco to New York. Archer had contacted Hoshi to let her know that he was on his way, but he hadn't told her why. By the time she met him at the shuttle station, she was burning with curiosity.
"Sir!" She waved to him from the terminal. Grabbing his small overnight bag, he strolled over to meet her in the debarkation area.
"Hoshi," he said as he hugged her. "It's good to see you!"
"You, too, sir." She returned his hug. "I've got a ground car waiting outside." She led the way out of the terminal, and they were soon on their way. "So, what's so important that you have to come to Brazil?" she finally asked.
"Let's just say that there's a possible conspiracy that we need to find out about," he answered.
"Conspiracy?" Hoshi glanced over at him before returning her attention to the road. "Well, you've got my attention."
"Good." He sighed. "T'Pol discovered some disturbing information and we need help finding confirmation." He paused, then continued, startling her with his next words. "Trip's alive."
"What!" She swerved a little, then straightened the car. "I think you'd better wait to tell me anything else until we arrive.
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Captain Archer had contacted Malcolm Reed before he left for Brazil. They had met at the 602 Club, ostensibly for a drink, but Archer told Reed about T'Pol's discovery and the falsification of Trip's death certificate.
"I'd like for you to get in touch with your 'friend,'" Archer told him. "I know that you want to stay as far away from his 'section' as you can, but he may have information that we can use."
Malcolm agreed. "You're right about staying as far away as possible from the 'section,' but if it means getting Trip back, I'm willing to try." Both men had parted, promising to get in touch if either of them got any new information.
Now, sitting in Hoshi's living room, he was relating the same story to her.
"So, T'Pol actually has a mental bond with Trip?" Hoshi was amazed. "I didn't think something like that could be possible between humans and Vulcans. There really aren't any documented telepathic humans."
"Well, apparently, Trip has some kind of innate empathic ability." Archer took a sip of his tea.
Hoshi nodded. "You know, it really makes sense. He had – has – the ability to relate to other people, make them feel comfortable. Plus, his being in love with T'Pol could have facilitated a mental bond between them." She directed Archer's attention to the reason for his visit. "So, why do you need me."
"Sonocorp's employee records are encrypted with a code that's so complicated that even T'Pol can't break it." He smiled at her, his most charming smile. "I figured that a talented linguist who could learn the Xindi-Insectoid language and break a Xindi-Aquatic encryption code could handle this little problem."
Hoshi rolled her eyes at the flattery. "This "little problem" as you call it is highly illegal, sir," she said seriously. "Employee records are confidential."
"Well, if what we suspect is true, Sonocorp is up to its figurative eyeballs in illegal doings," he countered. "Kidnapping and falsifying official documents for starters." Archer leaned forward. "Trip's alive out there, suffering from amnesia and God knows what else. We've got to use every resource we have to find him."
"Isn't there any way Starfleet could help?" she asked.
Remembering T'Pol's reluctance to talk with him in his office, he shook his head. "Quite frankly, given that Sonocorp has a huge contract with Starfleet in producing components for the Warp 7 engines, I don't know how high up this conspiracy goes. If Admiral Forrest were still alive, I'd go to him but that's not an option. There would have to be some top-level Starfleet personnel involved, especially since the supposed Starfleet 'doctor' that pronounced Trip dead falsified his death certificate by signing Phlox's name to it. No," he reiterated emphatically, "we can't risk going to Starfleet, at least not until we have some kind of evidence, which you can help us find."
Hoshi thought about it for a few minutes. If what the Captain believed was true, then Sonocorp's activities weren't just illegal, they were criminal and cruel. Trip's friends and parents all believed him to be dead. She remembered how frail his parents were at the memorial service and came to a decision.
"I'll do it Captain." She rose from her seat and headed to her computer. He followed her.
"You're going to do it from here? Can't that be traced back to you?"
Hoshi smiled demurely. "Captain, do you know what a hacker is?"
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In the meantime, T'Pol and Phlox were quite busy tracing "Dr. Rayburn."
"Well, Commander, it seems that 'Dr. Rayburn' was not sent by Starfleet all." Phlox imparted this information to T'Pol over dinner at Madame Chang's Chinese restaurant. "There is no record of a 'Dr. Rayburn' in either past or present personnel files, although the person who relieved me of duty on the Enterprise sickbay had the proper identification and clearance passes."
"It seems obvious that there was collusion within Starfleet at some level," T'Pol observed. "Most likely, at a very high level."
"My question is, why? Why would someone kidnap Commander Tucker, falsify his death, and induce amnesia?" Phlox questioned, rhetorically.
"You are sure his amnesia was induced?" T'Pol asked. "Couldn't it have been a by-product of his injuries?"
"That's highly unlikely," he answered. "Commander Tucker had no head injuries. He was lucid when he was placed in the hyperbaric chamber." He shook his head. "No, no, his amnesia was induced. And, I would guess that his sudden appearances in your meditations mean that his subconscious is trying to override the re-programming of his memories."
T'Pol felt fear constrict her breathing, then she immediately controlled it. "If Trip regains his memory and they discover it, he could be in grave danger."
"Yes, Commander, he could," Phlox nodded in agreement. "Let us hope that we can retrieve him before that happens."
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"Captain, I've got it!" Hoshi called out.
"You've found Thomas Clark's name?" Archer rushed to her side.
"No, sir, but I have broken the encryption." She started searching through the database. "There it is."
On screen was the employment information for "Thomas Clark."
"Born . . . same year as Trip, but different birthdate. Employment date . . . two years ago?" Archer frowned. "Obviously they're trying to cover their tracks just in case anyone manages to break their code." He looked again at the computer screen. "Current employment assignment . . . Arcadia Station." Archer thought back and remembered something. "Arcadia Station is where a lot of the Warp 7 engine components are being manufactured. Practically the whole engine is being built there then reconstructed at the building platform. It's rumored they're already working on a Warp 10 engine." He paced a little, then slapped his hand on his thigh. "That's it!" Archer wheeled around. "Trip told me a few months before he supposedly 'died' that Sonocorp had approached him to work for them. They offered him huge monetary remuneration if he would leave Starfleet. He turned them down. So, when he was injured they took advantage of that and had him declared dead and just took him."
"Why would they do that?" she asked.
"Greed," he replied simply. "I don't know how they managed to get such a big Starfleet contract, but I'm willing to bet that they used undue influence over someone in Starfleet command to do it. Trip's innovations redesigned the Warp 5 engine and a lot of his ideas went into the Warp 7 engine. Sonocorp got greedy and wanted his expertise all to themselves in designing and building the Warp 10 engine."
"So, what do we do now?"
"I'm going back to San Francisco and see what Malcolm has dug up. Then, we'll come up with a plan to rescue Trip, whether he remembers us or not," Archer walked to the window and stared out at the Amazon jungle just beyond the campus. "If Trip starts remembering his old life, he's in danger. We have to get him out before that happens."