Chapter 34

After the first three days of their shore leave T'Pol now thought that the Human custom of the Honeymoon was very similar to Vulcan Seclusion. They had been spending almost as much time engaging in sex as if they were in the throes of Pon Farr. However, they also spent a great deal of time studying the information Mr. Scott of the 1701 had left them. The science behind the shield technology was sound and something that they could implement immediately. In fact, the tech was so easily implemented that Trip spent an entire hour cursing once he realized just how easy it was. While she was not inclined to curse about a situation that she could not have foreseen, she not pleased to have missed this application of technology that she was already aware of. She was also determined that it not happen again.

"Trip, if these shields can deflect things from the hull, could not a lesser strength shield create a similar barrier inside the ship?" T'Pol asked as she floated just above Trip's arms. He was attempting to teach her how to swim.

"I think you're right," he said after a moment's thought. "Malcolm would really like that if we can figure out a way to make it work. He'd love to have a way to cut off intruders if we get boarded. If we can get a force field up and working I bet the Captain would authorize a trial in the brig."

"It is the least used area on Enterprise," T'Pol agreed. She was determined to learn how to swim because it would be a useful skill to have both on away missions and on leave time as they were planning on spending their next leave on Earth with Trip's family. She had seen in Trip's memories that his family spent a great deal of time near, on or in the water. "If the force field works in sealing off the brig, then it should be possible to seal off other areas of Enterprise as well."

Trip considered the basic theory. "Start moving your arms and legs like I showed you," he said. As she did so, he thought about all the places he could put the force fields. "We might be able to section off portions of the ship at predetermined points or use them to hold atmosphere in the landing bay."

"That would be a logical progression," T'Pol said. She was so busy thinking about what they could do with functioning force fields, such as figuring out where they could get components, where the best testing areas were on Enterprise, where they could be best used, as well as the theoretical applications that she didn't realize Trip had lowered his arms to his side. He didn't leave her side, just watched as she awkwardly swam a few feet.

Then he scooped her up. "I knew you could do it!" he laughed.

T'Pol realized what had happened and nodded. "I will need considerably more practice before I can be called proficient but I seem to have mastered the basics."

Trip grinned, "Well now that calls for some celebrating." T'Pol silently agreed. Celebrating was much more pleasant than swimming.

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Travis Mayweather was mountain climbing. It was something that he'd always been interested in, although it didn't come close to being an avid interest. It was just something that he'd thought would be nice to try one day. He should have listened to his brother and forgotten the whole idea. What little experience he had on a planetary surface had not prepared him for this. He had been out in the rain before. He had even been had to climb steep hills before during a rain. But both of those had both been in San Francisco, on Earth.

San Francisco was a very civilized city, although it was a very hilly one. It was not a wilderness trek on an alien world. 'And this is the easy trek!' he thought glumly. He shuddered to think of what might have happened had he gone with his first impulse and taken the harder route. Now all he could imagine going on that trek would have brought him was a broken leg. 'Thank God I listened to Malcolm!' he thought as yet another trickle of rain water ran down his collar. 'He told me that I had to start slow. It isn't that I'm not physically capable of doing the harder routes but I lack the experience to make sure that I don't get into trouble. And trouble does happen if the slightest thing goes wrong and you don't know what you're doing. He was right to compare it to piloting. I wouldn't let a newbie fly through an asteroid belt. And now that I know just how miserable being out here can be I'm not too sure I want to keep doing this.'

He looked up ahead to see his guide at the top of the ridge, waving to him and the other people in his group. 'Just a little bit farther,' he told himself as he walked up the narrow path. Once he reached the ridge the sight took his breath away. Seeing the valley below him wrapped in the misty rain that he had just slogged through was extraordinary. The sunlight shown through the misty rain in a vibrant array of colors that reminded him of a nebula he had seen as a child. 'This wasn't such a bad idea after all.'

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Back on the Enterprise, Captain Archer was doing a walkabout with Porthos. It really wasn't so much that Porthos needed the exercise but that Archer felt he should check out his ship from stern to bow. It was just one of the little rituals that a good captain followed. Not that he was one of those captains who poked their noses too far into his crew's business. No he tried to show enough interest to let them know that he cared as well as giving them enough leeway to show that he trusted them.

That he was maintaining the right balance was shone in the cheerful greetings he received from the crew that he saw on his unofficial inspection. From the engineers right down to the galley crew everyone either seemed to be either relating what a great time they'd had on leave or talking about what their plans were for theirs'. 'All in all things seem to be going well,' Archer thought to himself as he headed into sickbay and the one person on board who wouldn't be getting much leave time at all, Crewman Cutler.

She was the only medical personnel that the Enterprise had on hand, other than Dr. Phlox and because of that would be on duty during Dr. Phlox's quarterly hibernation. Phlox had assured Archer that he shouldn't sleep more than six days and could be woken up if any emergency occurred that needed his attention. Of course he had to admit that there was the rare occasion when hibernation took longer than six days. So Cutler was on duty until Phlox woke up. Archer hoped for her sake that she didn't have much to do and could take her three days leave. On the other hand, with the information that Daniels had given him, he wanted to make sure that Phlox had all the sleep he needed before they ran into whatever trouble they were headed for.

He found Cutler immersed in a data PADD. "Can I ask what you're reading?" he asked.

"OH SIR!" she yelped as she jumped out of her chair. "I didn't hear you come in!" She placed the PADD down on the desk. "I'm studying Denobulan anatomy. I figured it would be a good idea for someone to know what to do if the doctor ever got injured."

"That is a good idea," Archer praised. "How is Phlox doing?"

Cutler straightened up, ready to give her report. "He's sleeping like a baby sir. I've only had a few minor things to deal with here, a small plasma burn and the like. There hasn't been anything life threatening."

"Good, I don't want to wake Dr. Phlox up if I don't have to. Can you make sure that our medical stores are full? If there's anything we need, I want to pick it up before we leave Risa."

Cutler was confused. 'They had been almost fully restocked when they picked up the Vulcans on Earth. Why would the Captain want an inventory of the medical supplies now? He must be expecting trouble,' she decided. There were several reasons why he wouldn't be talking about it now, the most obvious being that if he did he'd have to cancel shore leave. 'On the other hand, there's no reason why I can't spread the message that we need to be in tip top shape when we leave among those department heads that have gotten back from Risa.' "I'll get right on it Captain. It'll give me something to do besides study."

Archer thanked her and continued on his way, unaware of the scuttlebutt he had just started in his wake. By the time that he got to the bridge and his ready room, it was all over the ship. Of course the rumors were everything from there was going to be a surprise inspection from Starfleet, to they were being sent out to round up the last of the Vulcan revolutionaries to there was an alien race about to attack Earth or Vulcan, take your pick, and they were being sent to stop it.

Those who hadn't bought the wilder rumors pointed the fact that Archer hadn't announced anything. Those who did believe them pointed out that the Captain was too nice to say so because he'd have to cancel shore leave for those who hadn't gotten it yet. The naysayers disagreed because there was no way Archer wouldn't tell them if they were going into battle. The rumor mongers agreed that Archer would never send them into battle without preparing them if he could help it. They also pointed out that he wasn't the sort of person to ruin the first trip some of them had been on away from the ship since they had left Earth the first time. They thought that he would make his announcement just before they left Risa.

In fact, Archer had no plans to make any announcement at all. It wasn't that he didn't want his crew to be prepared, just that he didn't have any information to give them. He didn't know what sort of incident Daniels was sending them into, nor did he know how it would affect the ship or crew. All he knew was that he had to be at a certain point in time and space so that the Temporal Cold War didn't erupt into an all out war that resulted in the destruction of the very fabric of time itself.

He really hated his job sometimes.