THREE

"Our guest appears quite healthy, Captain," said Phlox, after examining him in sickbay. "No communicable diseases I can detect and no infirmities or abnormalities. He's appears to be in perfect health."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Archer. He turned to the man. "I'm Jonathon Archer, Captain of the earth ship, Enterprise."

"My name is Farris," said the man through the universal translator. "My people are the Tessocks. I had half believed you were a hallucination when I appeared on your ship. An interesting mode of transportation."

"We don't usually use it to transport people," said Archer. "But in your case we didn't have much choice."

Yes," said Farris, "I was not meant to leave there."

"We'd like to talk to you about that," said Archer. "If you're up to it."

"Certainly, Captain." said Farris, "It's nice to have someone to talk with for a change."

As Archer escorted their guest to the conference room, he noticed the similarities and differences between them. He looked rather human, except for his yellow skin and cat like eyes. And his eyelids blinked from right and left instead of up and down.

But other than these superficial differences Farris appeared very similar to humans. He breathed a similar atmosphere and had similar tolerances to hear and cold. Presumably, his nutrition requirements were also very similar.

Once at the conference room, Archer made the introductions to his crew. The only one absent was Trip, who had returned to engineering to continue the repairs. He seemed to feel if he weren't present it would be impossible to complete the repairs. As usual, he was somewhat overly protective of the warp engines.

"Mr. Farris," said Archer as they sat around the table, "we're curious why you were sealed in an artificial asteroids. Our sensors indicate it's been in space for nearly 4,000 years. We've never met a life form with such a long life span."

"You still haven't, Captain," said Farris. "The life span for my race is just over 200 years."

"Curious," said T'Pol. "And yet you remain in perfect health after nearly 20 times that amount of time."

"There's a very good reason for it," said Farris. "The life support, even my diet is precisely balanced to be the most beneficial for my race. Not to mention a special mixture of gasses and other compounds designed to prolong my life as much as possible. Cellular degeneration is severely inhibited. The asteroid was very careful designed to make me live as long as was physically possible."

"Quite a remarkable scientific feat," said Phlox. "It seems to have done it's job quite effectively."

"Oh, that it did," said Farris. "I have nearly an unlimited supply of reading material, videos, all forms of entertainment, even an artificial intelligence to talk with. Everything I need to remain sane and coherent for the rest of my life."

"And yet you are alone," said T'Pol.

"Precisely," said Farris. "The resources of my entire planet went into constructing that asteroid. To make sure I lived a long, comfortable life. But locked away where I would have absolutely no contact with any other living soul."

"So it is a prison?" asked T'Pol.

"That's exactly what it is, Sub-commander," said Farris. "A prison for the most dangerous criminal in the history of my people. Someone so dangerous they couldn't execute me or they'd make me a martyr. So they made sure that would never happen."

"What could you possible have done that made you so dangerous?" asked Hoshi. "You don't seem violent."

"My crime was infinitely worse than anything violent," said Farris. "I committed the most unthinkable crime someone of my race could commit. I wanted to be free."