Chapter 2

Niki sighed and walked to the mess-hall just to drink some herb tea ... nobody was there ... while she was looking outside at the stars, a lot of thoughts crowded her mind.
3 months left she thought I have to be careful, there's no margin for error.
She reminded the man telling her why Soong had to be set free: "He will begin a cybernetic project that will be completed by his descendant: I can't tell you all the details, but believe me. It's important that his project is completed. No one else could do that."
She remembered the talk with Soong after escape:
He couldn't believe she was alive: "Jeremy told me you and your mother were dead because of my experiments. I saw you! You didn't breathe anymore!" he closed his eyes "I felt so guilty ..."
"Oh, you felt guilty ... my mother really died, you bastard!" she cried out "The loss of your family should have taught you something ... but you didn't stop!" she said with anger "And years later you made the Augments ... and look at what they've done, it could have been a catastrophe!"
"I really believed it was good for humanity! I didn't mean to create them for bad purposes!"
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions" she said "Tell me why you did that to ME."
"I thought it was for your own good ... I wanted you to be healthy ... and smarter ... and stronger ... I ..."
"I just wasn't an unknown embryo ... I was your daughter! Your own flesh and blood. And you played with my DNA with no restraint!"
"Nefer, please listen to me!"
"Shame on you! And don't call me Nefer any more. Nefer Soong died 30 years ago!"
Soong remained silent for a minute, then he said: "I assume Jeremy Parker brought you up as his daughter."
"He was a very good father ... I loved him a lot ... and I was forced to disappoint him because of your damned experiments."
"I don't understand ..."
"You don't have to ... this is none of your business."
He raised his hands as a sign of surrender.
"What are you gonna do of me?" he asked.
"Leave you on a suitable planet and forget you ever existed." she replied "You will be free to carry on your cybernetic studies ... but I warn you ... don't try to play with DNA again ... otherwise I'll kill you with my own hands!"
Niki came back to reality 'cause someone entered the mess-hall.
It was T'Pol. She pressed a button and said: "Camomil tea, hot."
Niki came up to her. "May I join you?"
"Please."
They sipped their teas silently for a couple of minutes, then T'Pol said: "I didn't mean to be impolite at dinner"
"Never mind" Niki smiled "I should have known that Vulcans are reserved about their personal matters. Some humans are the same. Do you feel better?"
"What?"
"Your headache ..."
"Oh ... yes, better ... and you?"
"I just can't sleep ... new place, new bed ... and I was thinking about my father. He died one year ago."
"I understand ..." she paused "I've lost my mother recently."
Niki was surprised at T'Pol talking about this.
"You must miss her, don't you?" she asked.
T'Pol looked away from Niki, trying not to show her emotions.
"Maybe we could comfort each other ..."
T'Pol looked at Niki questioningly "I don't understand."
"When grief is too great, it's difficult to deal with it alone. Humans search for comfort from another person, a friend or someone who can understand how you feel." Niki paused "You may be a vulcan, but you DO have emotions as me. Pushing them away won't help you to get through your sorrow."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow and said: "Maybe ..." then she stood up "It's very late, I should rest."
"Good night, Sub-commander" Niki smiled and watched T'Pol leaving the mess-hall.

The morning after Niki showed the shuttles to Archer, Reed and Tucker.
The 3 shuttles looked shining in the launch bay, with their streamlined shape.
Trip Tucker was excited and put a lot of questions to Niki. They were all inside the first shuttle looking at the instruments.
"Why only 2 seats? They are bigger than our shuttlepods but there's not so much room inside."
"They are not designed to replace shuttlepods." Niki stated "You should see them just like an alternative. The main seat is for the pilot, the other can be used as a science or combat-posting."
"Combat?" Reed was surprised.
Niki showed the console: "Torpedoes ... mini phase cannon ..."
"Seems to me this is more a fighter than a shuttle." was Reed's comment.
"It's a shuttle, but with higher defence capabilities." Niki replied.
"Only defence?" Archer seemed a little sarcastic.
"Come on, Captain, you should know better than me there are a lot of 'bad guys' out there!"
"I can't argue with that" he grinned.
Trip asked: "What's that?" pointing at the hatch behind them.
"Rescue capsule"
"What?"
"If something goes wrong, you can separate the rescue section from the rest of the shuttle. There's place for two, life support and food for one month. It has also landing rockets."
"Ah ..." Trip was puzzled.
"Now you know why it is so big" Niki smiled. "Come outside. I'll show you the propulsion."
Niki showed them all the technical aspects of the shuttles and the test schedule.
Trip came up to the third shuttle.
Niki said: "This is at an early stage of development, I won't use it for tests in the next days. During my flight from Earth to spacedock I found some malfunction. I've got to work on this."
"Maybe I could help you, if Captain Archer has nothing to object."
"It's ok for me, Trip."
"Your proposal is appreciated but I must decline. Some equipments are classified, I have to do the job by myself."
"It's a lot of work, Niki." Archer said.
"Oh, I never worry about hard work" she replied.
Archer grinned "We shall leave spacedock tomorrow at 8:00 and remain in the Sol System for a few hours, so if you want to stretch your legs with one shuttle before we go to warp ..."
"I'll be ready, Captain" she replied with a disarming smile.
Archer was captured by Niki's smile. For a moment, their eyes met and he felt lost.
Trip cleared his throat: "I should be back to Engineering."
Reed added: "Me too, have some job to complete. Captain?"
Archer startled: "Launch bay is all yours, Lt. Parker"
Along the corridor, Trip said: "She's got a hold on you, Captain"
"What?"
"Look ... she's a charming woman."
Reed added: "And she's single, as far as I know"
"She's a brilliant test pilot, according to Starfleet's card." Archer seemed a little annoyed at Trip's comment.
"So, you were only stunned by her intelligence in launch bay." he sounded malicious.
"Get to the point, Trip!"
"Come on ... you can't deny you're attracted by her."
"I'm not attracted by anyone."
"What's wrong? She's not a regular crew member, you could have good times together."
"Just drop it!" Archer entered the turbolift and left Trip and Reed out.
They giggled in the corridor.
"The best is yet to come" Trip mumbled.