A.N.: This is my first attempt at Enterprise fanfiction and the idea of posting it actually came from my boyfriend – who liked the story and drove me into putting it on the net. So critisism (as well as thanks) have to go to him.

Anyways – I'm not much into any technical details concerning the Star Trek universe – so if I got anything wrong – please be gentle.

Please read and review.

Prologue:

Space isn't a predictable thing – it never was and it probably never will be. The first space flights, the first steps into an unknown and unimaginably wide surrounding had been a pretty dangerous thing. Adventurous and inventive people had participated in these first steps, had taken their courage and had made progress.

Techniques were improving, routine was checking in and travelling through space wasn't an unpredictable danger any longer, to some it wasn't even an adventure any more. But though time had passed on and security standards and the regularity of visiting space had improved there were still moments of danger and confusion.

The universe consisted of things one - especially human eyes - had never seen before and had no idea how to deal with, didn't even know what to make of the things they saw. The human mind just wasn't adjustable to all the wonders space held for them...

Due to the sake of modern science they had systems and technologies helping them to get along with the unforeseen events of space. But that didn't always work. All this science had been found by human minds and crafted by human hands – they were not infailable.

The phenomenon the Enterprise crew encountered this day however seemed to appear out of nowhere. Nobody would have been able to predict it, to see it coming, not even the ship's high skilled technology – it was just suddenly there. Taking an irregular course through the open space of the solar system they were exploring.

It looked like a wave of red and violet jelly that was quickly floating through space, quickening it's pace from second to second and rising higher and higher with every moment. It was a frightening sight, that definitely couldn't be denied and as nobody was able to say which impact this thing would have on a ship or any other constant form, it was even more frightening.

Unfortunatelly Enterprise's sensors, the one vessel which was in the path of the phenomenon, weren't able to detect the danger until it was almost too late. The wave suddenly appeared on screen without any warning, but due to the watchfulness of their armory officer they were at least able to give tactical alert before the wave impacted with the vessel.

Would one have been able to get a quick look through the whole ship the moment tactical alert sounded without any warning and without any word of explanation, he would have seen slight panic at the first moment. But after a few moments, it was replaced by a professional hectic as everybody was readjusting to the situation, trying to prepare for whatever was happening next.

The final impact with the wave was rather rough and it appeared to be a pretty uncomfortable experience, for the wave seemed to change its aggregate state as it connected with the ship. It became as jelly as it had looked from the outside and made it's way through the ship.

Fortunatelly the material the wave consisted of didn't seem to harm anyone aboard who came into connection with the phenomenon. With it's final passing through the ship there was another rough impact as the wave changed to a steady form again. Before they were even able to have a scan on it, it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

It took the whole crew some moments to find their composure again and to readjust to the situation before they restarted the work they had just been doing, looking for any damage the wave had probably caused on the ship. Upon bridge the Captain, who was just having a look at the rest of the present crew, finally stated his orders.

"Have a fullsystem check of the ship – any damages or injured crewman?"

T'Pol was checking the internal sensors, taking some seconds to overview the incoming reports. But as she didn't answer his request he had an impatient look at her station. She seemed to have a closer look at something on the viewscreen in front of her and the light frowning, which was visible on her face told him that, whatever it was she was having a look at, wasn't a good thing.

"T'Pol?"

She finally looked at him, still without saying a word. If he wouldn't have known it any better he would've interpreted her expression as confusion. But confusion was – somehow an emotion, wasn't it? And as she didn't have these...

"I just received the reports from Engineering... From what they say – it seems like the Commander has somehow... disappeared."

"Disappeared? That's not possible – nobody just diappears into thin air!"

"It's what the report says, Sir."

He gave her an extremely disbelieving gaze once again and then turned away from her station. This wasn't true – there probably was some kind of misunderstanding. The sudden appearance of the anomaly and the multiple damages had caused hectic and the people down in Engineering definitely had mixed something up...

"Captain Archer to Engineering."

"Lieutenant Hess here, Sir."

"We just received your report – there must have been some kind of misunderstanding."

"No, Sir – I'm sorry, but there isn't... The Commander is not here and neither was he among those who were injured during the impact... We can't find him, we don't know where he is."

"That's impossible Lieutenant, that's not acceptable. A person can't just disappear. Are you sure there hasn't been some kind of a mixup. It has been a pretty hectical and stressful situation..."

"I'm fully aware of that Captain and I checked it thrice before sending the report to bridge. He's not here, Sir..."