Chapter 3

Archer woke up some minutes before the alarm sounded. He allowed himself to stay lazily in bed, thinking to the last events since they had left spacedock two weeks before.
Sensors had located a new planet, inhabited by a pre-warp civilization and he was eager for visiting it. After one year in the Expanse and the last missions about the Augments and Vulcan, it seemed a privilege to him to return to exploration.
Vulcan ... T'Pol ... he felt a sharp pain in the heart, thinking to her. After the mission, he had tried to comfort her, but she had built a wall between them. He had lost her twice. First, because of Trip ... and then it seemed they even weren't friends anymore. "I miss her ..." he thought "I still love her and I don't know why. She doesn't want me, she never has ... it doesn't make any sense I'm still thinking to her in this way." he sighed.
T'Pol used to live apart, when she wasn't on duty ... but something had changed in the last days ... Niki Parker seemed to have found a way. They had meals together, they talked a lot and someone had told him that Niki was teaching Yoga to her and Hoshi. He felt grateful to Niki for helping her in finding some peace of mind.
Niki. What a talented woman! She had already run a lot of tests with the shuttles, she was never tired! She was hyperactive, 6 hours sleep were more than enough to her, so she had time for gymnastics, yoga, making friends. The crew loved her and even Porthos was crazy about her and Niki had taken him out for a walk a couple of times.
He didn't understand how he felt about her yet, but Trip was right: she'd got a hold on him. Each time they met, he felt lost in her magnetic look. The more he tried to hide it, the worse he succeeded in doing it. "Maybe I should stop hiding myself" he thought "There's no harm in it, after all. We could just make friends ..."
The alarm clock reminded him it was time to get up.

T'Pol, Niki and Hoshi were having breakfast together in the mess-hall. Hoshi was distracted by the couple sitting in the near table. She seemed amused.
"What's happening, Hoshi?" Niki asked.
"Look at David and Jenna." she answered. "I think they're dating. David seems crazy about her!" she giggled.
"How can you say that, Ensign Sato." T'Pol was curious "They're only talking, there's nothing to conclude they are "dating" ..."
"Oh!" Hoshi was puzzled "How can I explain that ..."
"Body language, Sub-Commander" Niki smiled.
"What?"
"Humans can also communicate without talking, T'Pol" Niki explained "Look at Jenna and David, for example. Jenna is smiling and listening to David with interest. David is slightly leaning towards her. Look at the eye contact: this is a powerful sign of attention. It communicates, "Right now, I am more interested in you than anything else!""
"I see." T'Pol raised an eyebrow.
Archer entered the mess-hall right in that moment. Niki got up taking her mug.
"I'll show you another example of body language, Sub-Commander."
Niki went towards Archer.
"Oh, good morning, Captain!" Niki flashed him with a smile.
"Good morning, Lt. Parker" he pressed a button and said "Coffee, strong, hot."
"Would you mind taking some coffee for me too, Captain?" she asked, giving him her mug.
"Sure" their eyes locked and Archer felt like a shock when Niki's hand brushed against his.
"I heard tonight's movie night, Captain."
"Oh yes, Trip told me the ladies have chosen "When Harry Met Sally""
"Seems nice. Will you go and see it?" she looked at him with a meaningful smile.
"Don't know. And you?"
"Oh, I don't have decided, yet." pretending she didn't mind.
"You could come with me ..." Archer was surprised at himself, but was happy.
"With pleasure!"
"Ok, you'll be my date!" he smiled "Dinner together and then the movie, I'll pick you up at 19,00 in your quarters."
"On one condition, Captain."
"Which one?"
"Don't wear your uniform, I would like to see you in civilian clothes ..." she touched lightly his shoulder.
"As you wish, Ma'am" he bowed slightly his head, then left the mess-hall smiling.
Niki went back to the table.
Hoshi looked at her questioningly: "So?"
"I've got a date, tonight." Niki giggled.
"How the hell did you ..."
"Body language, Hoshi ... body language."
Hoshi looked on with an amused air, but T'Pol became petrified. Niki looked at her, worried: "Is everything ok?"
"I'm fine" she answered stiffly "I should go to the bridge, I don't want to be late."
"See you later." said Hoshi.
"What's wrong with her?" Niki asked after T'Pol left the mess-hall.
"Vulcans ... I'll never fully understand them." mumbled Hoshi.

Late in the morning Archer called T'Pol to his ready room.
Archer was looking at a map on his screen.
"We'll reach the planet tomorrow, I would like to make a first reconnaissance in this area, it seems desert so we won't be noticed."
"I'll prepare the necessary equipment."
"It's not necessary, T'Pol. Lt. Parker will take me there with the necessary equipment."
"Have I to remind you that I'm the science officer, Captain?" some feelings of rage were close to the surface.
"No, T'Pol. But Lt. Parker needs to make some landing tests with the new shuttle and I want to take the opportunity to test it, too."
"With all due respect, Lt. Parker can run the tests without your help, Captain." she answered stiffly.
Archer looked at T'Pol questioningly: "I know, T'Pol. What's the problem?"
"The problem is that you need your science officer for this first landing, but you prefer to waste time with a subordinate!" now she was really out of line.
"I'm not wasting my time, Sub-Commander!" he raised his voice in anger. "You'll be allowed to go there with a squad later and take all the scans you wish!"
"Captain, I ..." she tried to protest.
Archer stood up and came up to T'Pol: "I've made my decision. Dismissed." he said coldly.
"Your judgement is clouded by your attraction for ..."
"I said: Dismissed!"
T'Pol left the ready room hastily.
Archer sighed: "What's wrong with her?" he asked himself.

T'Pol returned to her post and tried to concentrate on her work, but she couldn't.
Hoshi noticed she was nervous and her hands were trembling.
"Is everything OK?" she asked.
T'Pol tried to regain her composure.
"A slight headache." she replied.
"Maybe you should go to sickbay." Hoshi suggested "Dr. Phlox surely can help you."
"I'll be back in a few minutes"
Watching T'Pol entering the turbo-lift, Hoshi knitted her brow. "What's wrong with her?" she thought.

While she was heading to sickbay, T'Pol was ashamed for her reaction to Captain Archer's decision.
Archer was cutting her off. He hadn't invited her to Captain's mess-hall in the last two weeks and now he preferred to make the first landing on that planet without her! Why?
And why did she feel so uneasy about that?
"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself.