Chapter Ten

Feeling relaxed and refreshed after a good night's sleep, Trip opened his eyes and stretched his arms with a huge yawn. He was careful not to make any sudden moves, because that always seemed to bring on his nausea quicker. Slowly he turned his head, and noticed a plate with biscuits lying on a small table next to his bed with a slip of paper beside it.

Picking up the note, he read the message inscribed inside and smiled.

I took the privilege of looking up information regarding human pregnancy. There are several notes that state eating a biscuit first thing in the morning and several small snacks throughout the day will fend off the tendency for nausea. I have taken the liberty of asking Chef to maintain a steady supply in the Mess Hall from now on.
--T'Pol.

"Oh well, might as well give it a try," Trip mumbled to himself, and reached across and took a bite. Ten minutes later, still no sudden urge to race towards the bathroom had risen up in him. "Well, I'll be darned. Maybe there's something in this after all."

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on an image of him thanking T'Pol. "If our bond is getting stronger again, she'll definitely get the message," he thought, as he stood up to get washed and dressed.

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"You look a little perkier this morning," said Malcolm, walking up to Trip in Engineering as he was adjusting some controls on a console.

"Yeah, it's amazing what a few nibbles on a few biscuits can do throughout the day," explained Trip.

Before they could talk more, the comm. interrupted them.

"Archer to all senior staff, report to the Bridge …"

"I'll bet ya anything that's about the Daladian ship," Trip said, as he gave his tools to another crewman with directions on how to finish the job, before they both walked to the nearest turbo lift.

"Good news or bad news?" enquired Malcolm.

"Let's hope good," replied Trip. "I don't even want to think about the consequences of the other option right now."

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"What have we got, T'Pol?" Archer asked, while indicating Malcolm and Trip, who had just entered the room, to take a seat at the Command Table.

"There are heavy scorch marks and blast damage along the hull; it appears they have been in quite a fire fight," explained T'Pol as she highlighted the areas of damage on the view screen.

"Is anyone alive over there?" interrupted Trip with a worried expression on his face.

"Life support is failing, and I'm not picking up any bio signs, but the heavy damage could be disrupting my sensors," T'Pol replied, her concern for him growing, a she felt his anxiety rising. "There ship appears to be dead in space."

"Malcolm, T'Pol, prepare a boarding party and inform Phlox as well; we're going over there to find out what's gone on." Captain Archer glanced over at Trip. "We'll also look for any … um, additional information they may have left."

"Capt'n!" exclaimed Trip, trying to get Archer's attention as everyone began to file out.

Captain Archer waited till they were alone before answering him. "Sorry, Trip, but I need you on the Bridge."

"But, Sir--

"No! And before you say it, this isn't about your condition. I need someone experienced who I can rely up on the Bridge in case who ever did this decides to come back and pay us a visit."

Trip wasn't happy, but nodded his head in resignation. Now was not the time to lose control, he thought, as he tried to refocus his mind and to tame his raging hormones like T'Pol had taught him.

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Malcolm manoeuvred the shuttle up to the docking hatch and latched onto the seal tight. Donned in their environmental suits, Malcolm, Phlox, Archer, and T'Pol slowly peeled back the hatch and entered the ship.

"Malcolm," directed Captain Archer, "go with T'Pol and find out as much as you can on what happened here. T'Pol, download anything to your scanner that we might find useful. Phlox and I are going to look for Allion and Travella. We've got thirty minutes people; I don't want to hang around here any longer than necessary."
With that each pair went their separate ways.

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The damage to the ship was massive: sparks bounced off consoles everywhere, beams and jagged pieces of metal draped all over from where they had exploded, and the whole atmosphere was dense with acrid smoke pouring from damaged equipment.

"Thank god Trip is not here to see what happened to all his repair work," Malcolm muttered quietly, as he ducked under a beam. "Although saying that, I'm not sure that's going to be foremost on his mind at the moment."

T'Pol looked at him surprised. "Commander Tucker has discussed his … predicament with you?"

"Errmmm, yeah, the other morning. I kind of caught him during a bad moment, and put two and two together. After that he came clean on what happened."

"I see. You seemed to have responded favourably?"

"I was a bit shocked a first. I mean, talk about getting hit by lightening twice."

T'Pol seemed a bit confused about the metaphor, but carried on listening while she looked around for anything that might have escaped undamaged.

"But then I got angry. I mean, if you think about it, he was violated under our very noses."

"I don't believe Commander Tucker thinks about it in that respect," T'Pol replied. "He seems quite accepting of the matter."

"That is what I'm having a hard time getting around," Malcolm exclaimed. He studied the console in front of him for a moment, and noticed that it still carried power. So he indicated for T'Pol to take a closer look, before he carried on with his vent. "I tried to make him see that he should be angry at what happened, but he just brushed me off as if it was a natural occurrence."

"Personal loss and grief can affect people in many ways, Lieutenant, making you more protective from going through such experience again." T'Pol replied as she connected her scanner and began the download. "I find Commander Tucker's positive attitude and forward view in how he confronted this situation to be honourable and commendable."

"Yeah well, if it were me, I'd blast the buggers into small pieces."

T'Pol just raised her eyebrow. "It seems whoever did this agrees with you."

"I didn't mean it quite as literally though," Malcolm mumbled, and watched T'Pol pick up her communicator. "T'Pol to Captain Archer."

"Archer."

"We have managed to find an undamaged console and are downloading their database now. We will be finished in 4.97 minutes."

"Good. Finish up and meet us back at the shuttle. We've found what's left of Allion and Trevella," said Captain Archer, causing Malcolm and T'Pol to throw each other a concerned look. "Who ever did this made clear what their intentions were; and they were ruthless in putting it across as painfully as possible," Archer said in a sombre voice. "My only concern right now is getting Trip away from here."

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