Chapter 3: Into the Woods
Trip struggled to breathe as he took in his surroundings. The cylinder-block walls and concrete floor were a dull grey and he could hear a faint hum coming from the light flickering in the ceiling. He felt like he was in a 21st century cop movie. The interrogation room, that's what it is, was furnished with a metal table and two metal chairs on either side of it. The far wall had a mirror, which no doubt was one way, and the door had no handle on the inside, only a speaker box next to it with a red button. Trip gingerly sat up holding his left ribs and wincing as a fresh wave of pain hit him. The world spun and he felt nauseous, he drew in another racking breath. What the hell did they give me? He reached into his mind and could feel T'Pol there, she was in pain. He went deeper. She unconscious. Dammit, whatever they gave me must be affecting her. Way to go Trip, you make a lousy Vulcan and now you're killing your mate. Bang up job Tucker. Trip sighed. There was nothing he could do. He silently sent calm and affection to T'Pol hoping it would help somehow and then turned his attention onto his own situation.
He didn't move, he just mentally assessed his situation trying his best to put up the best Vulcan façade. He slowly pulled his legs under him and assumed the meditative pose T'Pol had taught him. He slowed his breathing and focused on the task at hand. Harris was testing him again, trying to determine if he could maintain cover while under duress. They started by drugging him with something that caused him to have seizures and gave him a hell of a bloody nose. Once those symptoms passed he was given only 30 minutes and 14.5 seconds to rest. His internal clock was more accurate now that he was mated to a Vulcan. Amazing the perks that come with falling in love with such an amazing woman. Trip nearly smiled at that thought but suppressed the urge. He was a Vulcan now, and Vulcans don't smile. When he was done "resting" they pulled him out and best the stuffin' out of him. Then threw him in here. He had held up well while they were "testing" him last. He didn't cry out in pain until the very end, and didn't show nearly as much emotion or discomfort as he wanted to. His training and years of essentially being married to a woman who was trained in emotional suppression had prepared him well.
Trip stood up barely feeling his broken rib and walked over to the table. He began inspecting it's structure and when he confirmed it had been cast completely out of metal and had no screws or other materials he could use as a weapon he moved onto the chair. It was the same as the table, cast in a mold, and completely sound. Trip moved over to the speaker box on the wall and removed its cover. The wiring system was one he had never seen before but he looked at it with his well-trained engineers eyes and began formulating a possible means of escape using the wiring system in from of him. Trip didn't want his captors to know he was already able to escape and so made the best quizzical Vulcan face he could, one eyebrow raised and mouth drawn tight, and moved over to the mirror.
He couldn't tell if anyone was behind the mirror but he would bet good money that there was and would have won. Harris starred at Trip with curiosity. This engineer turned agent was surpassing everyone's expectations. He had made a convincing Vulcan in every test they had put him through and now he was sure that Tucker was just buying time until he made his already planned escape. This kid is brilliant. Just what we need.
Harris turned to a blonde woman standing at his side observing TUcker and taking notes on his progress. "Petrovsky, once Tucker has made his escape, which will no doubt be brilliant and successful, send him to my office. On second thought, send him to medical and then have him come to my office. I think it's time he was given his mission."
She turned away from Tucker only briefly. "Yes sir."
Phlox walked into the small apartment at Starfleet Command. T'Pol was sitting on the sofa reading a PADD and drinking a cup of tea. She looked well rested and fully recovered after her apparent drug overdose a week ago. Phlox was still perplexed as to how she could experience a drug overdose through the bond she shared with Commander Tucker.
"How are you today T'Pol hmm? Doing better?"
She looked up from the PADD and almost looked happy to see him. "Doctor Phlox it is agreeable to see you." If he hadn't known better he would say she was smiling. She seemed to notice his observation and turned a light shade of green as the blush rushed to her face. "Trip is happy today and it seems to be affecting me. I apologize if the show of emotion is unsettling." She motioned for him to sit in an arm chair next to her.
"No it isn't unsettling at all, in fact it's rather pleasing. I heard you were offered a position at Starfleet Academy as an instructor. Have you thought about accepting?"
"I have considered all of the options and thought about where Trip and I will be when he returns from his mission. I am unsure what Starfleet will do with him or if he will be able to regain his identity. As I see it, staying here on Earth and instructing at Starfleet Academy is the most logical choice. Trip and I discussed in length after he was offered this opportunity about what I would do while he was gone. We decided together that I should do what felt right at the time. This position at Starfleet Academy feels right, for now." She took a slow sip of her tea and looked at Phlox.
"I am pleased to hear you will be staying here. I am also staying on Earth for the time being. My wife Feezal is working at Starfleet Medical and I am to join her. We are updating Starfleet medical database and I will be doing some instructing of my own while I'm here." Phlox smiled a big Denobulan smile and looked at the PADD that laid on the seat next to T'Pol. "What are you working on?"
She looked down at the PADD and back at Phlox, something told him that she didn't want to talk about it. She sighed. That's new, when did T'Pol start sighing? Finally T'Pol sat up straighter and answered him. "I have been reviewing the alternate Phlox's research into Vulcan/Human hybridization. That coupled with your work on baby Elizabeth has been quite enlightening." Phlox was surprised.
"Are you hoping to conceive a child?" It was a simple question with a not so simple answer.
"Trip and I have waited to have children because of our commissions with Starfleet and our positions on Enterprise. Now that we are no longer serving on the same ship we see no reason to put off having a family. Starfleet Command already has samples of Trips sperm stored away for this very purpose as is standard procedure."
"And when will you be having this child?"
T'Pol looked uncomfortable and discontinued eye-contact with him. "Trip wants me to have a baby as soon as I can. He says there is no guarantee that he will survive this mission and he doesn't want me to lose this opportunity at family because of him."
"But you feel differently." It wasn't a question. The fact that "Trip wants" came out of her mouth said it all.
"I do indeed. I cannot deny the logic of his argument. There is indeed no reason to wait to have a child. However, I know that Trip will want to be present for everything involved in the pregnancy and delivery. He may miss it all just because we are not sure if he will survive his mission. I can wait to have children until he returns, I am not in a hurry."
She still didn't seem convinced of the situation herself, Phlox could see that. "That's not all T'Pol. What else are you feeling?" Suddenly Phlox was switching into his psychologist mode.
"I want Trip here. I know it isn't logical but I find everyday life has become tedious without him. I often forget that he isn't here and search for him in a crowded room, or think of something I wish to discuss with him. The idea of having a part of Trip here with me, isn't unappealing. I am unsure of what to do Doctor. Do you have any advice?"
Phlox thought about it, T'Pol rarely asked for advice. The answer wasn't easily arrived at but once he thought of it, it seemed so clear. "T'Pol, if Commander Tucker wishes you to have a child now, and you also wish to have a child then I see no reason why you shouldn't begin the process of conceiving. I can help by continuing my research and no doubt the resources available here will be a great help to that research."
"You are right Doctor, thank you. It does seem like the correct course of action to take. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the research. I would appreciate it if this was kept private." She handed him the PADD.
He grabbed it and they both held it for a second. "Of course." He smiled a big Denobulan smile and then left her apartment.
6 months later
Trip was running now, as fast as he could. His breathing was ragged and he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. The brush and trees reached out and smacked him in the face and cut at his hands and arms as he ran from his pursuers. He kept running towards the sound of the river and glanced back quickly to check if he was still being pursued. The small beams of light bouncing in the woods behind him was all the motivation he needed to keep going.
The bank of the river met him quickly and he rough stones under his feet made it impossible to run. He stopped and collected himself. By his calculations he had 4.5 seconds until his pursuers were upon him. The river rushed by at a deadly speed. He wouldn't be able to swim across, the undertow would have him almost immediately and he would drown. To the left there was more dark wilderness and to his right was a sheer wall of stone. Trip immediately ran to the left and entered the tree line. He didn't go far into the woods and stayed close to the bank. The Orions who were chasing him would arrive soon and he had a plan to get them off his tail. Trip found a large boulder and rested it on his right shoulder preparing to throw it into the water as soon as the Orions were in sight. If all went well they would assume he jumped into the water and had drowned. Not his best plan but this was the best he had at the moment.
The five Orion smugglers rushed up to the river's edge and stopped looking around. They began yelling at each other in their language and Trip one again wished for a universal translator chip or earbud. The opportunity to throw his big rock had come and he felt absolutely stupid. Is this really going to work? If it does then these Orions are dumber than they look. He lobbed his rock into the river and their eyes focused on the spot the rock had splashed down. One of them, probably the leader, pointed to that area in the river and cursed loudly. His subordinate closest to him caught the full measure of his anger and the full force of his fist. They moved away from the river bank and dissolved into the woods again. Trip sent a silent prayer to the cosmos for giving him one more day and then disappeared as well.