Merged

Chapter 25

Shran piloted the shuttle to the surface of Phlox's home world. He glanced over a few times, watching T'Pol holding Jontek's hand. When she had come to him to explain the need to go to Denobula, he was concerned. The Pink Skin might be within a Vulcan, but he was still his friend.

The night the Vulcan had typically not handled the Andorian Ale well, Shran had been surprised that T'Pol had shown up within moments of the man passing out. He recalled their conversation.

"Did you know that Archer liked Chan?" This piece of information meant the human was much more interesting than he'd ever believed.

"What are Chan?" T'Pol asked, not understanding the concept. He wasn't surprised. Vulcans mated for life and from what he'd heard, they only engaged in sex when they absolutely had to. Such a backwards species.

"Androgynous males that can turn into females. That's what we call them on Andoria. Apparently on Earth they are called Drag Queens."

"I do not believe you understood the context of Sontek's statement." She seemed sure of her words.

Since she hadn't been in the room when the conversation had taken place, Shran believed she was just being obtuse. "How do you know? You weren't here."

"I share a connection with Jontek. I learned of your conversation from that."

He wasn't surprised that a Vulcan would try to listen in on a conversation. P'Jem had taught him they could do so quite secretly. "You were eavesdropping?"

"No. I felt Jon get upset when Sontek told you that. That is why I knew that he had become unconscious. I have no need to eavesdrop. Very little of what you discuss is interesting to me." She truly did not seem interested. She never did engage in the discussions that he and Archer had had in the past, especially those in his Ready Room, unless Archer had specifically requested her to be there.

"This connection must make intimate talk quite interesting." Shran had always liked the verbalizations of mating. It excited him. If pictures could be transmitted, though, that might make this silent communication worthwhile.

"It has its uses. Now help me get him to his quarters. I would imagine that the Andorian Ale will cause him to suffer the consequences of over indulgence."

"He didn't even finish his glass!" Archer had always been able to hold his Ale almost as well as any Andorian. Becoming a Vulcan had not been in his best interest.

T'Pol stated simply, "As Vulcan's do not partake of alcoholic beverages, the amount that Jontek consumed was quite substantial."

Shran grinned. "Vulcans make cheap dates."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow at him. "Only if you prefer your dates to be intoxicated."

Shran laughed and replied "Those are the best kind!" He had helped her to carry the now limp man down the corridor. Between the two of them they got Jontek into his bed.

As they were leaving his room, T'Pol turned to Shran. "I would appreciate it if you would not mention this newly discovered information about Jon to anyone."

"Why? Archer obviously thinks like an Andorian."

"As I said before, you are taking it out of context. Jon does not seek out chan…or Drag Queens. It was a mistake. One that he would not like to have as public knowledge."

Now Shran was sure he could use this information to make the Pink Skin squirm. "That makes it all the more interesting."

T'Pol gave him a look that could melt ice. "Shran. I believe you…owe me one."

He was surprised at this request. "What?"

She explained her logic. "I helped you when your daughter was in danger. If I understand your code of honor, it is a debt you have not yet repaid."

Shran nodded, conceding the point. "I've never had a Vulcan call me on a debt before. I accept your terms. Nothing more will be said of this." He stopped for a moment. "But I would have loved to have been able to use the knowledge in a more creative way!"

Now he wasn't sure he'd even be able to privately needle his friend. Archer had been a human he felt he could trust. No matter what, Archer had always acted in a way that sought to provide the optimal solution to all parties, unless it was a question of justice. Then he would do his best to make sure the ones injured were provided with reasonable recourse. He'd even found a way to work with the very species that that tried to destroy Earth. Shran had never understood that. If it had been him, after the destruction of the weapon, the Xindi would have paid dearly for killing his people.

And yet, Shran had followed Jontek's plea to allow the brocnar that had murdered so many Andorians with their genocidal plot to face Federation justice and not Andorian revenge. He realized suddenly that change that had occurred in him. When he'd first met the Pink Skin, making that choice would not have been an option. Then he would have lashed back at the Vulcans indiscriminately. Now, he was willing to accept that perhaps it had only been a small number of Vulcans who wanted a return to their former tactics.

As he set the shuttle down at the landing coordinates, he truly hoped the Pink Skin would pull through this as he had beaten the odds during so many situations in the past.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The Denobulan Doctor met the shuttle with a biosled. The Vulcan's body was placed upon it and Phlox made sure all life support functions were hooked up. His initial examination did not bode well for long term continuation of the merged being.

He brought Jontek into the Denobulan medical center. Shran had been told that he would be kept informed but that for now, medical practicalities dictated he go back to his ship. He would not be able to help his friend and quite frankly, could get in the way. Shran was at first indignant, but Phlox continued to insist this was in the best interest of his patient. Shran finally acquiesced, indicating he would expect a report at the earliest possible moment.

After he left, Phlox turned to T'Pol. He asked to speak with her in private.

"I should stay with him."

Phlox indicated that his office was right off of the room so they would stay close. "I want to know that your decisions are your own and not influenced by others, T'Pol. Being in the office will make that easier." She nodded and they went into the office. Phlox looked her in the eye. "I need to ask if you will be willing to help him."

An eyebrow rose. "Of course. Why would you even question that?"

"I know, of course, that you want to help Jontek. What I mean is there is a procedure that will need to be followed. It will require you to meld. It is not to be taken lightly." Phlox wanted to ensure she knew the risks.

T'Pol did not understand why Phlox was being difficult. "I have melded with Jontek before."

Phlox sighed. "I'm not explaining this well. What I mean is you will have to meld with two beings at the same time. You will be needed as a conduit."

"I do not understand."

Phlox explained, "When I was on Earth with Jontek after your pon'farr, I had to work with both beings separately. While I was working with Sontek, we discovered that the Tananites were incorrect."

"Incorrect? How?" T'Pol wasn't sure she liked the direction this conversation was going.

"Sontek had told me that the Tananites stated there was no way to separate the beings without both dying."

"That was my understanding as well." She stopped as the ramifications of his statement sunk in. "You can separate them?"

"Potentially."

"Why are you not sure?"

"It will require the mind of Jonathan Archer to leave Sontek's body."

T'Pol shook her head. "That is not possible."

"Sontek believed it might be possible. He had asked me if could clone a human body. I told him that wouldn't be a problem. After all, Jon willed his body to me. I have more of his DNA here at my lab then exists in Jontek himself. And the procedure is not that difficult. The Narcuchians of Nantichi VII have been creating clones for years although they use theirs to harvest body parts. The clones are fully functional but there is no personality within them."

"You have such a clone of Jon?" The surprise on T'Pol's face was palpable.

Phlox nodded. "When you contacted me yesterday, I started to grow it."

Calculating the time since she'd contacted him, she stated, "That was less than 24 hours ago. How long does it take to grow a clone? I don't think we have much time."

"The Narcuchian procedure is rapid. To age the clone to the age Jon was when he died, perhaps another fifteen hours."

T'Pol was determined to do anything she could to help Jontek. "What do I have to do?"

"You'll have to merge with both Jontek and the clone at the same time. The fact that one of them actually has no mind to meld to will make this dangerous for you. That is, if you become one mind with a being with no consciousness, it could affect your ability to pull away."

T'Pol knew Phlox spoke truly. Entering such a mind would be dangerous. "Yes."

"That is why Sontek is fighting so hard to survive a while longer. He will be holding on to your mind, at least until Jon's mind enters his body."

Phlox could see her weighing the information he'd just provided to her. "I wish to proceed, Phlox."

Phlox was still not sure he had informed consent. "I may not have made this clear, T'Pol. There are no guarantees. Sontek told me that a human mind has never been moved into a human body. It's never been attempted."

T'Pol argued, "But if Vulcan Katra can be moved, I don't see how there would be a problem."

Shaking his head, Phlox explained. "That is different, T'Pol. Those techniques are known on your world. This has never been attempted. Sontek assures me that while the procedure will be different, logically, it should work." He added, "However, if Sontek should die while this transfer is occurring, I'm not sure any of you will survive."

She asked, "Is there any other way you can save Jontek?"

Phlox shook his head sadly. "No. Sontek told me that he knew from the start that Jon would never be able to survive without him, no matter what the Tananites had said. Once the Vulcan part of the merged being dies, the body will start to die as well. If Sontek is not there to accept the human part, it will be rejected and both will die."

T'Pol considered these new facts. "So if we do this, Jon has a chance to live. What about Sontek?"

"The brain damage was extensive to start with. The Tananites were correct in that assessment. The additional damage caused during the battle was significant. Sontek is dying."

"Can't you save him?" The thought that Sontek would die greatly disturbed her.

Phlox had one option. "It might be possible for the merging to be reversed."

"You mean Sontek could exist in Jon's body?"

"That is correct. It would be possible if…"

An alarm suddenly went off in the other room. The nurse that had been monitoring Sontek's vital signs signaled Phlox to return to the room. Both Phlox and T'Pol rushed to see what was occurring.

Phlox checked the readings which indicated that the Vulcan was losing his hold on his life. "We'll have to bring Jon's mind into the clone earlier than expected. Prepare for the procedure." Phlox turned to T'Pol. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. It's Jon's and Sontek's only chance."

Phlox requested the cloned body be brought into the room. T'Pol noted that this was a much younger man than she had known. She had first met Jon when he was in his late forties. In human terms, he was older than she, although chronologically she was the older being. The clone was a man much younger. His hair was longer and thicker, his face held no lines, and the tone of his body not quite as defined. Still she could tell this was not the body of an adolescent.

Three biobeds were set up close to each other. They were set so that the three bodies occupying them would be somewhat seated. The two males faced T'Pol, who was placed in the middle between them. She took her right hand and placed it on Jontek's face in the position to initiate a merge.

She entered into their mind, finding them both in pain, finding them dying. "Jontek!"

"T'Pol. I'm sorry you have to experience this, but it is the only way."

"I am ready. I just wish this had been done right after the merging.

"We didn't know it was possible. Until Sontek met with Phlox we didn't know we could be separated. But we can't turn back time and now time is almost up. We must proceed."

T'Pol took her left hand and touched it to the face of the clone. Touched it to Jonathan's face, feeling his strong jaw, the softness of his hair at his temple, the line of his cheekbone. T'Pol's mind entered an abysses of nothingness. Jontek felt a cold chill as the feeling shot back along her consciousness revealing the absence of mind in the cloned body. They were one mind composed of three, straddling three bodies.

Sontek spoke softly to Jon. "You have felt the filament of the bond between us and T'Pol as it entered our mind before. Your mind will need to glide upon it. I am holding T'Pol. You have nothing to fear."

Jon was uncertain. "The bond although stronger is still weak. Could this hurt T'Pol?"

Sontek replied, "I can not say, Jon. This has never been attempted before. But this is our only hope."

T'Pol encouraged Jon to pull himself along the bond. He was still unsure this was the right thing to do. He didn't want to cause T'Pol any pain. "Jon, you know my mind. I want you to live. I want Sontek to live. This is our only choice and only chance. You must do this."

Jon followed her request. He pulled upon the bond as it went through T'Pol's mind, pulled it ever closer to the clone. He could feel her strain to maintain the duel link, feeling the nothingness that was the clone as it tugged on her mind, pulling her towards oblivion. He could feel Sontek's weakening grip on her mind, feel the shakiness of his connection. Jon hurried along to fill the emptiness of the clone mind.

Finally reaching the interconnection, he flowed into the human form, flowed into himself. He found it alien; he found it no longer seemed to fit. He felt alone and yet not. T'Pol and Sontek were still there. With him.

"Sontek, it is your turn now."

"No, Jon."

"What? You said you would join me when you explained this to me while we were on the way to Denobula."

"I'm sorry, Jon. I had to tell you that to help you make the right choice. We always said that had we been given the choice, we would not have chosen that type of existence."

"But that was before I got to know you, Sontek. I want you with me. I want you to live."

T'Pol spoke. "Sontek, it is illogical not to follow this course. You have the chance for life."

"But it is not the life I would choose." Sontek opened his mind to T'Pol and Jon. They saw the reality that Sontek had known almost from the beginning.

When Sontek had awoken in the medical facility on Tanansis V, he knew he was alive. He had a komihn in his mind, but he was alive. And he was afraid. He feared the unknown.

"Dakh pthak. Nam-tor ri ret na'fan-kitok fa tu dakh pthak."

He could almost feel Surak's voice telling him to cast out fear. That there is no room for anything else until one casts out fear.

He was confused. He had read the Kir'Shara, but this was different. It was almost as if he was hearing Surak speak to him directly. Surak's teachings came to him in waves. He knew this komihn had not only touched the mind of Surak, but had lived with Surak's katra in his mind for several days. Sontek wondered if he was feeling the residual traces left during the sojourn of Surak's mind.

As he considered the reality of the situation he had awoken to, he realized that he did not need the komihn mind, only the komihn's physical structure. He realized that while Jon would certainly need Sontek to survive, the reverse was not at all true. His physical makeup had changed. They had put the komihn's brain inside of him That would allow him to live. But the komihn's mind was weak. It could be easily crushed, removed from existence. He wondered if it would be a kindness to end the existence of the komihn's mind.

"Vah mau vah tor-yehat ri stau. Dom nam-tor vohris nem-tor ha'kiv."

Again the words of Surak came to him, speaking to him of the true path. That as far as possible, he must not kill. That he should be slow to take life.

He argued that the Kir'Shara certainly was never meant to address this. It couldn't have been written to address something as wrong as putting two different planetary species in the same body. It went against nature to do so.

"Ma etek natyan teretuhr lau etek shetau weh-lo'uk do tum t'on"

Again, Surak's words came to him telling him that all have differences. That together, they could become greater than the sum of both of them. Sontek suddenly felt ashamed of how he had initially reacted. If Surak could survive with this komihn, surely he could as well.

"Shiyau thol'es k'thorai ri k'ahm."

He felt Surak's words sear his mind. He truly saw that nobility lies in action not in name. He must do what was right. He must at least attempt to coexist with the komihn. Time would eventually decide if it was possible.

"Pulau na'vathular k'nuhk."

Finally, there was one last thought. Reach out to others courteously. He would do everything he could to accept this being in his head. He would find a way to thrive with the human.

Jon was shocked and humbled at the same time. "You could have had your life."

"But it would have meant taking yours. I could not do that and live to the true path. You were in my care. I did not know if we would succeed, but I had to give us the chance to do so."

"What stopped you during the pon'farr?"

"It was T'Pol. Somehow she prevented me from taking your life. I am grateful to her. I would have been devastated to take the life of my friend, even if it was caused by the insanity of the pon'farr."

"Sontek, I still want you to join me. I shared your body, I offer you mine."

"No. Although I embraced our time together, it is right for me to go. Perhaps if my katra is free, I will be able to find T'Salin again. You deserve your life as a human alone. You deserve your life with T'Pol." He paused. "But know that this has been the greatest journey I have ever taken and I am thankful for what you have shown me, Jon. I have experienced things that no Vulcan could conceive of. I have known what it is to be human."

Each of them looked at the other, realizing that again they were separate beings. Sontek saw Jon in his new body, ready to face the world again through human eyes. Jon saw Sontek's dying form, knew that this being had sacrificed everything for him that he would live and continue. "And you have taught me what it is to be Vulcan. Thank you."

Sontek bowed his head towards Jon and leaned back into the biobed. T'Pol broke the meld she held with Jon and his new body. She knew he would understand. She focused on her continuing meld with Sontek. "T'Pol, you must let me go as well."

"I know. But I want this moment, Sontek. A moment for us to share. You have given me a gift that I can not ever repay. I want you to know how much it is treasured."

"There is an Earth saying that that no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends. I feel that love for you and Jon, T'Pol. I would never have imagined as a Vulcan that I could feel this emotion. It is payment enough. I have lived the IDIC and know that I lived true to Surak's words. Remember me."

"We will, Sontek. You will not be forgotten."

He softly pulled his mind back from her and asked her to leave him. She ended the meld, but continued to feel the bond between them. As he slipped away, she felt the bond between them sever. She felt a tear fall from her face.

She was surprised to feel a gentle hand wipe it away. Looking towards its source, she found sad green eyes gazing at her. "He's gone, isn't he?"

"Yes."

She turned towards Jon and buried her head in his chest. They held each other, not saying a word, just holding each other. Both felt a sadness that shook them to the core. Both felt the reality that their three had become two.