EIGHT
Caddorria turned out to be very similar to Earth, with the exception of the physical differences between humans and Caddorrians. BolTak, as it turned out, had been trapped in the nebula for just over three years. It had been believed that he had been killed in the transporter accident that had changed him into an energy being. Everyone was very glad to have one of their senior scientists back with them.
Technologically, the Caddorrians were only a few years behind Earth. They had only had warp technology for only a decade, but already they had achieved warp four. Their transporter technology was more advanced than Earths', but only barely. The incident that had affected BolTak was the first time they had ever tried to transport a living creature. Based on the information they received from Archer and the others, they planned to begin testing to see if movement by transporter might be a feasible way of travel.
The Enterprise spent a week at Caddorria. Dr. Phlox was ecstatic. He constantly spent the time there comparing Caddorrian physiology to human physiology. He was amazed that the similarities and the differences in the two.
T'Pol seemed woefully out of place. Emotionally, the Caddorrians were virtually identical to humans. They had no trouble expressing their feelings and T'Pol found this quite unsettling. After the first three days, she remained aboard the Enterprise manning the bridge. She said it was because she didn't think it was right that all of the senior officers were off the ship at the same time. Privately, Archer felt that she was uncomfortable, though she would never admit to it.
When the Enterprise left orbit, Archer sent a communique to Star Fleet Command. A Caddorrian ambassador was leaving for Earth soon to establish formal diplomatic relations with Earth. Archer was sure that Star Fleet Command would send their own ambassador to meet the ship so that negotiations could begin as quickly as possible.
He also considered the accident that had transformed BolTak into an energy being. He had moved by transporter himself. So had some of his crew. So far, there had been no ill effects from those uses. But he wondered if something like that might happen in the future.
Moving by transporter was fine; for inanimate objects. But when it came to transporting a living creature, he felt that it was somehow wrong. Even considering how fast man was able to improve the technology he had and to come up with new technology, he was thoroughly convinced of one unalterable fact.
The transporter would never be a useable form of transport for living creatures.
The End
