Chapter 14
Trip was running down Enterprise's corridors, his heart thudding, and his legs pounding on the metal floor beneath. He passed the odd crewman, who each gave him the same confused look, but he ignored their stares, his only thought was of getting to Sovek's quarters. His eyes still stung from tears, but his determination brushed them away. He arrived at his destination, and pounded repetitively on the Vulcan's door. It opened soon after.
"Mr Tucker are you aware of what time it is?" Sovek began, sounding unimpressed at being interrupted so late at night.
"I saw her" Trip whispered, walking past Sovek and entering the room. "She was in trouble and we aren't going to get there in time." he continued.
Sovek lowered his head, "you most likely had a nightmare, particularly in times of great emotional stress they can seem very vivid, almost real….I have experienced something similar to what you described."
Trip shook his head violently in response. "I saw her, we were in the white room and she said we were going to be too late." He brushed the tears streaking across his face off with the back of his hand. "I know it was real. I've never been so sure of anything in my life" he continued.
"What you are suggesting is implausible, we have no means of contacting T'Pol, you have been under a lot of emotional pressure. I suggest you go back to your quarters and rest Mr Tucker."
"It's happened before while I was on Columbia. It was the bond." Trip answered back, his hands gesturing to his head.
Sovek was taken by surprise, even on the outside his facial expressions expressed it. "…You have formed a bond with my daughter?"
"We've had it for a few months, that's why I came to you. You're the only person on the ship who I thought would believe what had happened. I mean I assume you had the same thing with T'Les." Trip responded.
Sovek didn't answer. In truth he had formed a bond with his wife, a stronger bond than most Vulcan's, but he had never been able to contact her over large distances using it. Could what the commander be saying be true? He had only ever heard of small instances when Vulcan mates could use there bond to communicate with each other when separated. But even then it was limited. And how did this Human know of his wife?
"You know of T'Les?" Sovek questioned. He still found it hard to think of his wife, even though he hadn't seen her in over four decades. He kept asking himself the same question, over and over again, and as of yet he had not come to an answer. If I had been there would she still be alive?
"Yeah, I met her when I went to Vulcan." Trip responded, interrupting Sovek's train of thought.
Sovek opened his mouth to ask something more, but Trip stopped him. "We can talk about my trip to Vulcan later. All I want to know is if I there's some way I can help T'Pol. The ship can't move any faster, I've already got her going at warp five point two. I was thinking if there was anyway the bond can be used, anything that would help her…. Even if it only makes her a little more comfortable when…. ."
Trip didn't finish the sentence but Sovek knew what he meant. He still wasn't one hundred percent convinced the commander hadn't just dreamed his 'conversation'. But what if it was true? There was a chance his daughter could be saved, and he would do everything in his power to help.
"There is one way, I have only heard of it being performed once. I am unsure whether it would even work with a human."
"Well don't keep me in suspense." Trip responded.
"It uses the bond which mate's have. One gives up their own strength to their bonded partner. It allows healing and gives the one in danger a greater chance of survival."
"Ok lets do that." Trip answered immediately, not even thinking about what it entailed.
"Commander, you must understand I have very limited knowledge of this, it will more than likely fail. It will also put you in danger."
"That doesn't mean we can't try." Trip said determinedly. "Just tell me what I have to do."
Sovek considered Tucker's attitude, he was ready to risk his life for T'Pol. It appeared his daughter had made the right choice being with this human. It appeared T'Pol also felt as strongly, a bond would not have formed if both parties didn't feel something significant for each other.
"Very well commander." Sovek relented, he decided he would give the engineer the chance. He, in truth didn't believe it would work. The stories he had heard had detailed that the mate's were in close contact with each other, in this instance it was not the case. However Tucker had said he had spoken to T'Pol, if that was true the bond may be strong enough.
"You will be severely weakened by the process, you will need time to recover afterwards."
"The Cap'n gave me tomorrow off, said I needed time off since I've been working too hard." Trip responded. "There's nothing stopping us from doing whatever you suggested. Just tell me what to do".
"Very well commander, I will need to instruct you in the basics of meditation techniques for this to work. We do not have an ideal amount of time but it will suffice."
Sovek indicated to Trip to sit down, he sat and imitated T'Pol's meditation stance. "You will need to be able to clear your mind and reach out to her. Once you have done that I will inform you how to continue."
Trip closed his eyes, a look of total concentration apparent on his features. He followed exactly what Sovek was instructing him to do. He concentrated on his breathing, his heart rate and focused his mind solely upon T'Pol. As the minutes turned into hours Trip's determination soon turned into despair.
"Why the hell isn't it working?" Trip said breaking the silence of the room, he stood up and started pacing around the room. "I've done every damn thing you've told me, but nothing's happening."
"Mr Tucker, you need more patient. Vulcan's meditate and develop the skill all their lives, you cannot believe that you will master it in a few hours." Sovek answered, and slowly considered what he was about to say next. "Perhaps we should desist, it is highly unlikely that we were going to contact T'Pol, there is no point wasting time on a meaningless task."
Trip spun around. "No please I'll concentrate more, just let me try one more time."
Sovek listened to the engineer's plea, his logical mind telling him it was pointless to continue, but a part of him believed in the commander, "As you wish." he replied.
Trip sat, his entire being focussing, reaching out, blocking out everything but her. His forehead creased in concentration. His breathing slowed. Soon after he became aware of an almost invisible presence at the back of his mind, his heart rate quickened. 'T'Pol?' his consciousness whispered.
He thought he faintly felt her respond, he concentrated on making the connection stronger. 'Please let this work' he prayed. If he lost her he didn't know how he would cope. In the past few years he had depended upon her, she was his confidant, his friend, his lover. If she was gone he wouldn't have anyone, if her life ended so would his.
'Trip?' he heard her speak.
'Hey dar'lin' he choked, the emotions inside him building.
'How are you speaking to me?' she questioned, confusion slightly apparent in her voice.
'Your Dad helped a bit there' he whispered back almost afraid he would lose the connection with her. 'He said there was a way to help you. Give you enough strength to resist them until Enterprise comes…. I'm not going to lose you dar'lin.' Trip answered. He started to relate what Sovek had told him, T'Pol became surprised at their apparent solution.
'It will be dangerous to you. I am not willing to put your life at risk.' T'Pol stated, even in her condition she was still more concerned about Trip's welfare than her own. A fact which didn't pass Trip by.
'I don't care what happens to me, as long as it helps you.' Trip could feel her about to respond but cut her off. 'If I lose you then there I don't know what I'll do. Please dar'lin just try, if not for you then for me.' His plea worked and she relented. Trip did exactly what Sovek instructed; pouring his energies into strengthening the connection with T'Pol.
Their souls, their Katra's, their entire beings met, merging as one. What was his was hers, what was hers, his. Their mind's became one. It didn't matter that their bodies weren't together, their soul's were as one.
Trip had never experienced anything like it, he doubted any other human had either. Every thought, every memory, every emotion cascaded through him, flowing between them. He was in her head and she his. Trip could see what had been done to her, the overwhelming surge of anger, hatred and vengeance consuming him. I should have done more to help her.
Trip there was nothing you could have done. Her mind whispered soothingly back to him.
I can help you now though dar'lin. His consciousness answered. He could feel just how weak she actually was and it scared him.
Every minute they were connected T'Pol felt slightly better, whether it was just Trip's presence in her mind, or the fact that the bond was acting as a conduit, transferring his strength and energy to her she couldn't decide. She didn't even know how long they had been connected, minutes, hours…days? It didn't matter; time was irrelevant here.
Hours had passed aboard Enterprise. Sweat was forming on Trip's face and his form was shaking slightly, the strain being put on his body becoming visible. Sovek noticed this but chose to ignore it, he knew that even if he said something the commander would just ignore him. As even more hours passed Trip's figure was shaking even more violently. All of the colour had been drained from his face, his face now a pasty white complexion. Sovek knew he had to intervene now.
"Commander." Sovek spoke loudly, he received no response.
"Commander you must desist." he said once again, even louder this time.
Sovek reached out his arm and placed his hand on Trip's shoulder. The mere touch sent emotions bombarding into Sovek's mind, he pulledhis handquickly back, as if he had been burnt. Trip jerked back towards reality, his eyes blinking rapidly, he looked around as if to see where he was.
Sovek looked down towards his palm where he had touched the young engineer. The Vulcan was still reeling from the sensations and emotions he had felt. He had never know a Vulcan, or human for that matter who had affected him in such a way. Vulcan's were touch telepaths and were accustomed to feeling others emotions, the emotions they felt however were very basic and not at all strong. What he had felt when he had touched Tucker was very different. He looked over to the engineer, Trip was taking deep breaths to calm himself, some of the colour was coming back into his face. Whoever this Tucker was he was very unnaturally gifted… special. A lone thought entered Sovek's mind, why?……