Author's Note: This story is just a multipart story. I was thinking: what if the two Enterprises were still thrown back in time? Now you have two ships a hundred years in the past hoping to save earth. What would happen? What would that look like? As this story progresses, the missions discussed will be vignettes separating the parts.
Story Three: Point of Convergence- Part One
The vortex seemed to be vibrating all around them. Each passing microsecond a chance of being torn apart by the turbulence or of being flung countless years into the past. T'Pol studiously examined her console, monitoring the two ships progress through the vortex. The readings she was receiving caused a faint trickle of worry to cross her mind. Both of the Enterprises had taken damage so it was entirely possible that the vortex would indeed be destabilized all over again. Her thoughts momentarily turned to the man on the other ship that called her Mother. She could only hope that he and his crew were safe and that they would, on the other side of the vortex, see each other again.
Before joining the crew of Enterprise she had never wasted time on hoping for things. Hope was illogical and was not based in science. Vulcan's, as she had frequently told Commander Tucker, did not hope. However, she found herself doing it more often than she liked to think about. That fact was no doubt the fault of the same human she had corrected.
Time seemed to pass slowly, each microsecond an eternity. The sensor readings were not hopeful. In fact they seemed to bring about a sense of dread. No amount of hoping would bring them home, she knew that. Looking up, she made eye contact with Captain Archer. One slight shake of the head was all it took to let him know that things were not going well.
He nodded and then faced the helm station. "Keep us steady Travis."
"Aye sir, approximately ten seconds of travel left."
Archer turned to Hoshi. "Lorian's ship?"
Hoshi looked up from her console. "They're still out there sir. They took heavy damage but they are still with us."
When Enterprise finally emerged from the vortex it took only moments to confirm what T'Pol suspected, they were indeed in the wrong time. Lorian's Enterprise emerged minutes later and immediately hailed them.
Lorian's stern face filled the screen, a faint line of green blood rolling down his forehead. "Captain," he began without greeting from Archer. "I'm sure you've already confirmed that we've travelled back in time."
Captain Archer nodded his head solemnly. "We need to begin thinking about what we are going to do now that we're here. We'll be looking to you and your ancestors for guidance." Despite the fear that was gradually growing in the pit of his stomach he knew that waiting around and twiddling his thumbs wouldn't serve any purpose. He needed to start acting now, getting his crew settled, his ship fixed, and his mission back on track.
Lorian nodded. "Of course. Perhaps we should meet and decide how to proceed from here?" The image of the other bridge wavered for a second. The damage to the ships was affecting communications, they needed to get started on repairs as soon as possible.
Archer agreed. "First repairs need to be started and then we can meet on whichever ship is least damaged." He was hard pressed to decide which that would be but he was betting on his own, if only because it wasn't as old.
Lorian apparently held the same belief. "That would appear to be your ship at the moment Captain. I'll get my engineers on repairs immediately."
"See you soon." Hoshi closed the channel to Lorian's Enterprise. Archer sat down in his chair with a deep exhale. He could already feel the weight of the entire ship on his shoulders. He knew they were a resilient group of individuals but he still felt a deep sadness for them. He pressed a button on the arm of his chair and opened a channel to engineering. "Archer to Commander Tucker."
A loud roaring sound filled the bridge. "Tucker here sir."
Archer winced at the background sound. He didn't envy Trip his job. "How are we looking down there?" He prepared himself for the bad news. It didn't exactly sound like things were going well.
It took a few moments for Trip to respond, everyone on the bridge could hear the faint sound of him yelling to someone in the background. He finally turned his attention back to the comm. unit, his voice slightly hoarse from smoke inhalation. "Well we've had better days Cap'n. I could use some help down here if you can spare T'Pol and her team." Archer looked over and saw that T'Pol was already moving towards the turbolift.
"She's on her way. Keep me updated, Archer out."
The corridor was littered with debris and smoke. Each breath filled with acidic pain, each step a potential danger, and every turn could lead to a dead end. T'Pol silently led her team towards Engineering. She forced the dread that threatened to overwhelm her to the back of her mind. She hoped her mate was not injured.
This man is not your mate. She reminded herself.
Another voice broke through her thoughts. That is not true, you know this. It is illogical to deny the truth.
T'Pol ignored this voice. It was illogical to talk to oneself. It was a sign of mental illness. The other voice seemed to have little patience for her. Even if you deny him as a mate, he is still a friend. He is still important to you.
She could not deny the logic of the other voice no matter how disconcerting the logic. What bothered her more was that the voice sounded like her mother. Long had they argued about logic. Perhaps a brain scan is in order, the Trellium addiction may be affecting me again. No other voice chimed in to dissuade her from this course of action.
Engineering lay ahead of them, the door stood open letting smoke and a cacophony of disturbing sounds to escape. They entered the department and she sought out the familiar face of Commander Tucker. He was standing over a console, face smeared with black soot, uniform singed and ripped, his hair stained by the thick smoke.
He yelled over the sounds of overtaxed machinery and alarms. "Alright Johnson, try it now." A few seconds later one of the more obnoxious alarms silenced. "Great. Now get to work on the EPS conduits." He turned around and caught sight of T'Pol. "Well, aren't you a dream come true?" She raised an eyebrow at his comment but he brushed past her. "Ok, I need two of your guys to head to the Damage Control team on C-Deck. They are trying to restore life support to full. I need another two to help out Malcolm's boys in the armory. The targeting array is out of commission." He looked to her expectantly.
She quickly dispatched Hawkins and El-Fayyad to the Armory and sent Gomez and Partnov to C-Deck. "Anything else you need?" Her team was busy and she was now in need of a job. He looked around, his tongue moving around in his cheek as he thought. That physical tick of his had often proved distracting to her during their meditation and neuro-pressure lessons.
The sound of his voice drew her attention from his cheek back to what he was saying. "Well, I figure that the Cap'n will want you and me to work on the warp drive and to coordinate things." He started moving toward the hatch that led to the turbolift. "Also, he called me just before you got here and told me that Lorian and Karyn were on their way over and that he wanted us present for the meet and greet. I'm leaving Hess here in charge of keeping things going while we're away. Hopefully this meeting won't be too long. Then we can get back and get this bucket of bolts back in shape."
They made it to the lift and instead of heading for the transporter as she expected Trip took them directly to the ready room for the meeting. "Are we not going to greet them at the transporter?"
He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Nah, I wanna get my damage report set up for the Cap'n before they arrive. Besides, I want to make sure the place is in one piece before we get started. I figured you could get started on a list of suggestions for the Cap'n as well." Again T'Pol found herself surprised by his foresight and logic. The thought of this human being her mate was not as dissatisfying as she had previously led herself to believe.
"A well thought out plan Commander. We should stop by the Science department and grab several PADDS. I would also like to grab a small med kit."
Trip turned to her. "Are you hurt?" His concern for her was almost palpable. He stopped, grabbing her arm to halt her progress, and looked her over.
She allowed him a moment of examination. "I am not injured. However, when Lorian messaged I observed a head laceration. Given our own reticence to receive medical care unless unavoidable it is only logical to assume he would also go without medical care. I wish to treat his head wound when he arrives." She finally realized that he was still holding her arm.
Trip realized this at the same time and slowly removed the offending appendage from her person. "So, Mama T'Pol is gonna force Lorian to sit still while she treats his head wound?" T'Pol raised an eyebrow at the misnomer. "I guess you're right. He is definitely our son and we aren't the best examples when it comes to being injured on duty." He chuckled and they once again headed towards the Science department. "Heck, once I fractured my left foot and still managed to pull a double shift before the pain made me pass out."
The soft swish of the ready room doors was nearly drowned out by the sound of welding. Sparks flew from wall panels, small fireworks filling the corridor with flashes of light. Lorian stepped through the threshold and saw his parents already occupied the room. Together they were rearranging the room which had taken some minor damage during their small battle and subsequent journey through the vortex. The table was still covered in a thin layer of debris and all but two chairs had already been righted. They looked up when the doors opened and signaled that they knew they were no longer alone.
Lorian stepped forward, creating enough room for the others to follow him through. They all began taking places around the room. "Father, Mother, do you require assistance?" T'Pol finished placing the last seat and moved towards a small med kit on the table in front of her.
Trip approached him and clasped him on the upper arm and shook his hand. "No thanks son, but it looks like you could use some help." He motioned to Lorian's forehead which was still bleeding slightly.
Lorian's brow wrinkled painfully and he suppressed a wince. "I am not in need of medical attention." He could see however that it was useless to fight them. He allowed his father to lead him to a seat and his mother began treating his head wound. "Thank you Mother. It is pleasing to see that you are uninjured."
T'Pol focused on the small head wound as she answered him. "It is also pleasing to see you, though your injury is displeasing. Your father was concerned." Trip smirked at her misdirection. She wasn't wrong, he was concerned, but he wasn't until after she told him. Lorian glanced over at his father and a silent understanding passed between them.
Jon followed Lorian and Karyn into the ready room. He couldn't wait until his ship stopped smelling like smoke and solder. He was surprised to see that Trip and T'Pol were already there setting everything to rights. Hoshi and Malcolm followed him and took their seats. He turned to Karyn and wrapped her in the hug he had been waiting to give her. Travis joined them almost immediately.
Jon rejoined to conversation that was taking place between the three other people in the room. "Your father was concerned." Jon looked over and could see Trip was smirking and he definitely didn't miss the silent communication between him and Lorian. Jon shook his head.
Once Lorian was looked after and Karyn was equally asked after the debrief was underway. Jon stood at the end of the table, never comfortable with being idle.
"We already know our situation as far as where we are in time. We know we can't go back to Earth or Vulcan." He looked around the table. "What we need to know is the status of the ships, our supplies, repair schedules, list of allies, trade routes, relationship we can use and build."
T'Pol looked up from the PADD she had been writing on. "We should also consider establishing a permanent settlement. It is unlikely that the older Enterprise will last yet another 100 years."
Karyn shook her head sadly. "She's right. When you were first thrown back in time you attempted to do so. You were unsuccessful and decided to remain on the ship."
Travis leaned forward, suddenly quite interested. "Why? What happened?"
"Perhaps that is a story for another time." Lorian looked to Jon. "Captain we need to focus on what we are going to do now. I will provide you with the coordinates of the planet you were unable to colonize. I will also provide you with a complete copy of our memory banks. You can look through all relevant data."
"Thank you. T'Pol, you and Hoshi will need to comb through all of that information. I want you to get me a list of everything you think I need to know." Both women nodded, T'Pol wrote something down on her PADD. Jon turned his attention to Malcolm. "How are the sensors and weapons systems?"
Ever the consummate officer Malcolm sat up straight as a board. "Sensors systems are being repaired as we speak sir. Weapons are still inoperable but Damage Control teams have been dispatched. I think we should have sensors within the day and weapons should be online in the next day or so."
Trip knew that the next question was for him so he just ran his hand over the back of his neck and dove right in. "We have hull plating back on and up to 45% last time I checked. Lifesupport should be at nominal, T'Pol and I had people on that immediately. We have hull breeches on multiple decks, weapons systems to repair, and an entire EPS system that needs replacing." He sighed and sat forward. "Engines aren't completely down but they need some serious TLC. I don't think we should go above impulse for at least three days. It's gonna take some time."
Jon sat down, taking it all in. "T'Pol?"
She sat up straighter, looked first to Trip and then down at her PADD. "I have a list of suggestions Captain that I will pass on to you. I also have the personnel report." She looked down at the PADD again and began reading. "Thirteen minor injuries, four serious, no critical. No casualties reported, all personnel are accounted for sir." She raised an eyebrow. "However, it would seem that Porthos escaped from your quarters again and was found in the galley." She looked up, humor only apparent in her eyes. "It would seem that Chef will be requesting cheese in the near future."
Everyone chuckled and even Lorian managed a small smile. Jon leaned forward in his seat, palms rested on the top of the table, a smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for your report. Hoshi, T'Pol once we have the memory bank from the other Enterprise I want you two to begin working on that. Until then, T'Pol, you and Trip continue working on repairs. I want status updates every hour. Hoshi, work with the communications officer on the other ship, see if we can map out the best course for resupply. Travis, find us a safe place to do repairs, coordinate with Karyn. Malcolm, I want you to get those weapons systems up as soon as possible. Any other suggestions Lorian?" The older man shook his head. "Okay. Dismissed."
The hours passed by slowly, each minute bringing another problem to be solved before they could start the official clean up. Damage Control teams sealed the hull breaches first and then worked their way through each deck, removing debris, doing cosmetic touch ups, and evaluating systems in need of repair or calibration. After two days of strenuous repair work both Enterprises were finally able to make their way to the dwarf planet A-459C. Travis and Karyn put both ships in high orbit while the rest of the crews prepared for a future in the past.
Once Engineering was no longer at risk of blowing up Trip joined Hoshi and T'Pol in the stellar cartography room and began going through the other Enterprise's databanks. They started at the very beginning, learning about the mistakes, the hardships, and the successes that their alternate selves had made. Marriage and birth records were placed to the side and mission reports were thoroughly combed through.
Two days into the research Trip and T'Pol were going over repair schedules, requisition lists, and finalizing official reports in the mess hall. Hoshi entered and searched the mess hall for them. She spotted them at a small square table in the back of the room. She could only hope that she wasn't interrupting something personal. Grabbing a tray, she loaded it with salad, a glass of iced tea, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies, and then headed their way.
"Mind if I join you?" Two pairs of eyes turned to her at the sound of her voice. T'Pol put down her PADD and motioned to the chair on the side of the table. She sat down, settled in and began to eat. They both turned back to their work and ate in silence for a few minutes.
Trip put down his PADD and looked at T'Pol. She raised her gaze from her own work and raised an eyebrow in silent query. He exhaled loudly, shook his head, and then returned to his work. It was only a few moments before he looked up again. "What is it? You have looked at me twice in the last three minutes. There is clearly something on your mind. What is it?"
"Well, it's just that I found something in our personal records." He glanced over at Hoshi who looked down, pretending to ignore what he was saying. "It's just, well I never looked at our personal records because well, if I wanted to know something I could just ask Lorian." He sighed. "Hoshi, it's alright. If I didn't want you to know I wouldn't have brought it up here. I would have waited until later." She looked up, blushing slightly but glad to have permission to listen. Trip looked at T'Pol, his face heavy with emotion. She placed her PADD down, giving him her full attention. "Right, well I assume you also ignored our personal records."
"Of course, I needed only speak with the alternate version of myself or with our son. I saw no reason to read the personal records of our alternate selves. I also assumed that we would not be trapped in the past and that any decisions they made would no longer be options for us." The underlying message there being that if they were never trapped in the past she would probably have pushed Trip away by now.
"Well, I thought, 'hey why not look now? Couldn't hurt.' But I was wrong." He looked down at the PADD, reading the information he wanted to share. "We have three children on file, not one. Lorian isn't even the eldest." T'Pol took the PADD from him.
"We had another son and a daughter." T'Pol scrolled down. "'Daughter, Charlotte T'Mir Tucker, born January 4, 2072. Brown hair, green eyes. Six pounds, ten ounces. Son, Lorian Malcolm Tucker, born August 18, 2078. Brown hair, blue eyes. Four pounds, six ounces.'" T'Pol swallowed, glanced up at Trip and then back down. Her voice was quiet and even, completely devoid of emotion. "'Baby Boy Tucker, born March 27, 2079. Blonde hair, brown eyes. Two pounds even. Premature stillborn. Note: Parents indicate name to be given as Solan.'" Hoshi blinked away tears and she could see Trip struggling with his own emotions. T'Pol scrolled through the PADD looking for something. When she finally spoke again her voice was quite, her own battle to control her emotions taking its toll. "'Charlotte T'Mir Tucker, born January 4, 2072 died December 24, 2093. Age 21.' It doesn't say how she died. She was… very young."
Trip nodded silently. He choked out the next sentence. "I've already tagged the report from that day. We can read it, find out what happened. I… I was already gone by then but you… well, you recorded something on it, so did Lorian." He took the PADD from her, typed in a command and gave it back to her.
T'Pol looked at the PADD in her had as if it were burning her. "Perhaps another time." She locked eyes with Trip. A conversation passed between them, no words necessary. Hoshi was amazed to see the genuine emotion in T'Pol's eyes and even more surprised that when Trip reached for her hand in a sign of comfort T'Pol didn't stop him.
Hoshi suddenly felt like she was intruding and just as she was getting ready to leave the table Trip turned to her, his easy smile already on his lips. "Sorry if we were getting too serious for ya. Did you learn anything new from the records?"
She relaxed slightly in her seat and smiled. "Actually I did, that's why I wanted to sit with you. Remember in the meeting when Karyn mentioned a failed colonial mission?" They both indicated they did. "Well, I found the mission log. At first I thought it was a story, a fictional story I had stumbled upon. It reminded me of a short story I read once, 'Dark they were, and Golden-eyed.' Then I remembered when the Captain, Malcolm, and I were transformed into aliens."
Trip was suddenly very interested in what Hoshi had discovered. "Well? Can we read the log?"
"What log?" Trip looked over and saw both Travis and Malcolm waiting to join them. He made room and motioned them to sit.
"Hoshi found the log about our failed colonial mission." Trip caught them up and then turned to Hoshi. "So, tell us, what happened?"