Thriller
Chapter III
"This is crazy!" Jon said to T'Pol, and loudly. "I watched them get in! I got in after them!"
Phlox had greeted them after decontamination. They had barely needed any time in the decon chamber at all.
"I must concur with the Captain," T'Pol said to the Doctor. "I entered the shuttlepod after Commander Tucker as he leant me a hand as I ducked. They were certainly there with us."
"Well I'm sorry Captain, Sub-Commander," Phlox said shaking his head a little. "But the evidence is right in front of you- there is no one there and there is absolutely no way they could leave between you taking off and you landing."
"I want this shuttle scanned inside and out. I want to know how two people can be there one second, and then not there the next. And Doctor, I want you to scan our heads- I want to see if anyone has tried to wipe our memories or anything like that!"
Phlox personally felt that this was unnecessary, but as a patient and the Captain, he felt that was the least he could do under the circumstances. "Of course Captain. Would you both please follow me to Sickbay?" He asked, toning his voice as more of a statement then a request.
Once the Sickbay doors had closed behind them, T'Pol leant over to Jon and said something that had been in the back of his mind too.
"It is possible that they were never with us and that the planet simply manufactured them as it manufactured the beach for Commander Tucker."
Jon hopped up to sit on the edge of the scanning table. "That had occurred to me T'Pol, but we didn't see any evidence at all of the planet being able to create people or lifeforms. The animals were indigenous and I'm sure that Trip's vacation didn't consist of a beach and a town with no people. My guess is that the planet can't produce people otherwise I'm sure we'd have seen some."
T'Pol stood back as Jon swung his legs around to lie down on the bed to go into the scanner.
"In any case, I shan't rule it out Captain. Just in case."