Battle Fatigue
When he became the Chief Engineer of Enterprise, Charles, "Trip" Tucker, III never believed he would need any special training or fighting skills. They had a great security team, they were on a peaceful mission and they had the likes of Malcolm Reed and the MACOS. He could defend himself and that was enough. Trip was contented just being an engineer, he would leave the fighting to others. That had worked for him too, that is until he was kidnapped, enslaved and tortured by a hostile alien race, the Lisyrians over three years ago.
Trip had been lost for almost six weeks back in October 2153, and suffered the worst treatment of his life. It had affected him physically and mentally, rather severely. He had almost given up his career he had been so traumatized by the experience. He had to re-invent himself in order to survive. He had become another person. He trained, used his natural ability to learn to fight, he went to therapy, he conquered his demons and he came back to Enterprise, better, but completely different.
In the time Trip had served on Enterprise, he and the Vulcan Commander T'Pol had fallen in love. She had helped him through a really difficult period in his life, and they had become close during that time. Their relationship had over time, developed into something more.
Enterprise had done battle with and defeated a hostile alien race called the Xindi for most of the year 2154. They had tried to completely annihilate Earth. Trip and T'Pol had suffered great personal losses while searching for the Xindi doomsday weapon, a son whom they met in the Delphic Expanse, Lorian. A baby girl, cloned by the xenophobic terrorist organization Terra Prime in January of 2155, created from the couple's stolen DNA by a member of the Enterprise's crew. Now, United Earth was at war with an aggressive species, the Romulans. And from March 2155 until this date, the war had not being going well for Starfleet.
Trip had been promoted to Captain in the spring of '55 shortly after the war broke out and assigned to refit and update old frigates and Daedelus class vessels to warp five vessels. He had also been given the task of designing and building Starfleet's first warp seven vessel, the Intrepid. He had no idea he would be named her Captain.
T'Pol was assigned to his ship as his XO. Starfleet had wanted to put T'Pol on her own ship, one of the new warp five vessels originally built for space exploration, but she had insisted that she be allowed to serve as Captain Tucker's XO on the massive warp seven ship. After all he was the youngest Captain in the history of Starfleet and he didn't have as much command experience as the other Captains. He was an Engineer at heart, and T'Pol, with Trip's support had convinced Starfleet that together, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Of course it was a ruse, they wanted to stay together because they were secretly married. In a way it was true since they had always worked really well together. On a deck occupied by only senior officers along with empty guest quarters, they had made it work. They had fooled some of the people, some of the time. Those who knew or suspected the truth just kept quiet. Trip's crew was loyal to him.
Intrepid was made up of the 25 crew members from that celebrated mission "Operation Aphrodite" from so long ago, including, Lt. Commander Robin Carter, Lt. Richard Hall, Lt. Liz Cutler and Lt. Commander Michael Rostov. The rest of his crew totaled 250 personnel of various species. Intrepid had a lot of fire power and it was one of a kind. He had no idea he would be assigned the ship's Captain. But with its specialized technology, the corps of Admirals believed his engineering skills were needed under the circumstances. They had not been disappointed.
Captain Archer had been promoted to Commodore and was on a fast track to Admiral. But he was unhappy. He had not been ready to give up his command, but when war broke out, he had been appointed as the Fleet Commander in the field. Trip was one of his Captains, his best by the way. Erica Hernandez of the Columbia and A.G. Robinson of the Infinity were also under his command. On this particular day, they were getting their asses beat and the Intrepid was still two hours away. It had been on a mission in another sector when Archer's fleet was attacked unexpectedly.
January 2156.
"Damage report!" Captain Archer called out.
"One of our engines is completely out Commodore," his XO, Commander Malcolm Reed replied. "Nacelles to the second, badly damaged. I don't know how much more we can take Sir. Either we need a miracle in engineering or we may need to retreat."
"Damn it!" Archer said. "Not now! Not now! If we retreat it's over. Archer to engineering," he said depressing the comm.
"Kelby here Sir," the voice answered back.
"Mr. Kelby, I need you to keep this boat floating! We getting killed out here, we can't back off."
"Captain, I don't have the parts and I can't make repairs under these conditions anyway…" Suddenly the ship shook. The bridge crew went flying and Kelby was cut off.
"Where the hell is Trip?" Archer said as he picked himself up from the floor.
"We sure could use one of his engineering miracles right about now," Hoshi interjected.
"Right now I'd settle for his big ass ship showing up," Archer replied.
"Captain," a ship is de-cloaking off the starboard bow," Travis Mayweather called out.
"Oh no, that's all we need…"
"No Captain, it's….
"Intrepid!" Hoshi shouted.
"He made it!" Malcolm said. "He actually made it. How in the hell did he do that?"
"Captain Tucker, Miracle Worker," Archer gasped.
Intrepid got between Enterprise and Columbia and went to work. It blasted one Romulan war bird to bits with three shots. It then turned its attention to three smaller enemy ships that were attempting to dispatch Columbia. It took just a few minutes to blast them to hell. Then Intrepid went to the aid of AG's ship. It was badly damaged and the Romulan ship remaining was about to target its engine and cause a warp core breach. Intrepid tried to reach Infinity in time, but was unable to. The ship exploded. Intrepid pursued the massive war bird and after a fierce battle, destroyed it. But Infinity was lost.
Later. Intrepid, Captain's Ready Room.
"How the hell did you get here so fast Trip?" Archer asked, still insisting his injuries were minor and he needed no medical attention. "We were told you were
still two hours away."
"Well Commodore," I personally went down to engineering and pushed the engines to warp, 7.6."
Archer's eyes became wide as saucers. "No," he said, grimacing as he sat. "You didn't."
"I did," Trip grinned. "Scared the hell out of the crew. But, I knew if we didn't do something, it might have been disastrous for all of you. We also used an alternative set of coordinates, cut our time in half."
"Captain, Tucker, Miracle Worker," Jon said and grimaced again. Trip rose abruptly and depressed the comm.
"Tucker to sickbay," he said with urgency in his voice.
"Trip, I'm…"
"Vramarec here," the Trill doctor replied.
"Commodore Archer needs assistance. Get someone to my ready room pronto."
"Yes Captain, right away. Vramarec out."
"Trip, I'm fine. There are too many seriously injured people for the med staff to bother with my scrapes and bruises."
"Nonsense, you're hurt. Phlox is down there now. Came over from Enterprise to help out. He'll insist on seeing to you himself."
Archer hesitated for a moment. "You know Trip, I was almost jealous when you got Intrepid."
"Jon, are you serious? If I had known you wanted her, I would have never…"
"No Trip. You were born to command this ship, and the Captain's chair is for the young. I've had my day. I knew it was time to move on."
"You mean move up, don't you? You know that Admiral's chair is just sitting there waiting for you."
"I know. But, that'll mean I'm grounded for good, sitting behind a desk. At least as Commodore, I got to keep Enterprise and act as Fleet Captain out here. It's been a hell of a ride."
"You talk like it's all over."
"Like I said, commanding star ships is for the young."
"You are young!" Trip said.
"C'mon Trip, you forget that I'm 15 years older than you are. I'll be 51 next year."
"So what? You know a human's life span now is about 120 years. A century ago, a person 80 or 90 was considered old. Now retirement age is 85. Women are having babies well into their 50's without complications. You're not old."
"Easy for you to say. You started your career at age 18. By the time we left star base on that first mission, you were only 30 and already a full Commander. You're the youngest Captain in Starfleet History, and if you keep wielding this monstrosity you call a ship the way you've been, you'll be around a long time." Jon suddenly doubled over and cried out.
"Where the hell is that med team?" Trip said, hurrying over to Jon's side. As soon as he said it the medics appeared with a stretcher and started running scans. They hurried him off to sick bay.
Trips' ship had taken Enterprise into one of its cargo bays and was towing Columbia. Intrepid was housing the survivors of Enterprise, 56 crew members and Columbia, 41 crew members. It had even been able to transport 22 of Infinity's crew before the ship exploded. But A.G. had been lost. Intrepid had a crew of 275, but was capable of housing up to 375, so there was plenty of room for the surviving crew members. Now they were heading home having won the battle. But they were by no means, winning the war.
That Night. Captain's Quarters.
"This is ridiculous," Trip said to T'Pol as they lay on top of the large bed in his quarters. "We're getting' our asses handed to us out here. The Intrepid is one ship and as amazing as it is, it can't be everywhere. It can't come running every time someone is in trouble. We need more warp seven ships, more fire power!"
"I am sure Starfleet has a plan to build more warp seven ships. It would be illogical not to."
"Darlin', are we talking about the same Starfleet that you and I work for or the one that exists in an alternate universe?"
"You are becoming agitated. It does not help when you worry about things you cannot change."
"Aw c'mon T'Pol," Trip replied. "Another day like today and this war will be over while Starfleet brass sits around debating and counting up quarters tryna figure out where to get the money to get the ships we need. They're still having frigates and Daedelus classers up graded to warp five! For heaven sakes, warp five!"
"Adun, please calm down, remember your blood pressure. It is illogical to get so worked up over this tonight."
Trip looked at her like she had two heads, then jumped up from the bed and started pacing around quickly. "How can you say that?" he said "Jon is laying in sick bay, half dead, A.G. is dead! And Erica is sick over losing more than half her crew! That's somethin' to get worked up about, Aduna!"
"Commodore Archer is stable and resting comfortable," T'Pol replied calmly. "He is not half dead. The loss of Captain Robinson is …unfortunate, and Captain Hernandez is a consummate professional, a tough cookie as you would say. She will survive."
Trip laughed a little then blew out a long sigh. "You know babe, sometimes I forget who I'm talkin' to. If you only had a heart!"
"What do you mean?" she replied.
"I mean the sooner we get you off to see the wizard the better, cause we gotta get that heart the great Vulcan creator forgot to give you when he built you!" T'Pol did not respond. She just sat there staring at the man she loved for a few moments. While she didn't understand the references to the wizard, she knew she was being insulted.
"So, you think I am incapable of placing value on the lives of injured and fallen colleagues. That I am a cold automaton, incapable of experiencing loss and grieving as appropriate? After all this time I thought you would know me better by now; that you understood the way I process and express emotion. You have not spoken to me this way since…since we lost Elizabeth." T'Pol then got up from the bed and began walking toward the door. Trip blocked her.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just frustrated, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have said that crummy bit about you not havin' a heart. I know you do, and I know you care about other people too." He then put his hand behind her neck and rubbed the side of her face with his thumb.
"Yes, I do care about other people. But mostly, I care about you. I do not like to see you agitated and upset. I am concerned for your health. Dr. Vramarec is as well."
"Why? I passed my last physical. What's her problem?"
"She said your blood work looked funny. She couldn't quite identify the problem, but she did not like it."
"Yeah she told me that crap too. But how the hell are you gonna tell someone "hey your blood work looks weird, but I can't put my finger on it, therefore, you must be doing something wrong, so stop it. Vramarec is crazy!"
"How does one "put their finger on it?" T'Pol replied, dead pan as ever. Trip looked at her then broke into laughter.
"Leave it to you darlin' to lighten the mood. "It just means that you know something it'n right, you just can't work out what it is, or why you feel that way. But forget that," he said waiving his hand. "I'm fine. Our resident Trill is just fishing for a reason to run some of her tests on me. She's fascinated with human anatomy. I tell you she's worse than Phlox ever was."
"Dr. Phlox is and always has been a most competent and excellent physician."
"I concur whole heartedly babe, now let's just drop it. No more shop talk. I haven't had the chance to be with you in four days. Four whole days!"
"Four days is not a long time Adun. Besides you have been with me every day, on the bridge, in engineering, your ready room."
"Oh no, I'm not talkin' Captain and XO here darlin', I'm talkin' Trip and T'Pol, all alone, naked and workin' up a sweat!" He then pulled her close to him and kissed her.
"That," she said, "can be remedied." Then she kissed him passionately.
He then lifted his hands up to her shoulders and pushed the robe off her shoulder. The silky garment slid onto the floor. Almost simultaneously she undid the tie on his robe, and it slid down his body onto the floor.
Without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and she cradled her legs around his hips, and he walked toward their bed. She fell backwards onto the large bed, and he fell on top of her.
Their minds soothed and caressed each other through their bond. They did not speak except for the occasional moan that rose up out of one or both of them. The electric static between them intensified with the help of the bond energy. It would not be long before they experienced mutual ecstasy and a sense of euphoria.
The Next Morning.
Trip looked around at this dark place. "Where the hell am I," he thought to himself. He had just stepped in the turbo lift on his way to the bridge. Over the years he had become accustomed to being pulled into T'Pol's white room. It usually happened when she was really tired and didn't have her control intact, when she was really mad at him and was looking for a fight, or when he was avoiding her for whatever reason. But this was different, this place was black. T'Pol would never pull him into a place like this.
"T'Pol," he called out, but there was no response. "Maybe I'm dreamin', he whispered. "But I don't remember falling asleep. T'Pol!" he called out again. "Where is this place and what am I doin' here?"
"I'm afraid Commander T'Pol isn't here Captain Tucker," a voice replied. Trip looked around and saw a very familiar face.
"Daniels!" he said surprised. "What the hell!"
"Surprised to see me?"
"I'll say. Just how many times are you gonna die in the 22nd century, only to keep popping back up?"
"Hopefully, that'll never happen again."
"You mean you're not dead? You died in sick bay on Enterprise, for the second time mind you, back in 2154. So how is it that you're here now? You some kind of ghost or spirit?"
Daniels laughed. "No Captain, I quite alive. You keep forgetting I wasn't born until 900 years in the future. So, even though I died so to speak, a couple of times in this century, I can't really be dead now can I, if I haven't been born yet, and the time line hasn't been altered?"
Trip shook his head. "I'm not gonna even try to understand that one. Seriously though, where am I and why am I here?"
"Here is three years from your star date, after the Romulan war has ended." Trip frowned. "And I brought you here because I wanted to show you something. He pressed a button on a device in his hands and all of a sudden an entire star system was rotating around them. "Look here," he said pointing to a planet. This, unfortunately, is Vulcan. This, is Coridian, over here Andoria, and right over there, the Klingon Empire."
Trip was flabbergasted. "But… but they're all, desolate, burned up and, and nothing but desert waste lands! How did this happen?"
"The Romulans happened."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, this is what every planet in this sector of the Universe will look like in exactly 933 days if the Romulans win the war."
"You mean it's gonna happen? They're gonna win it, destroy everything in this system?"
"That is if Starfleet doesn't change its attitude, its strategy and its leadership very soon."
"I been beggin' them to build more ships, stronger, better ships, war ships. We're seriously outgunned right now, and we're gonna lose this thing if somethin' isn't done immediately!"
"I knew you would understand," Daniels said.
"But they won't listen to me. They keep talkin' about money and the lack of resources."
"Oh, planets that still use the concept of money and wealth. Captain, I brought you here to show you the future that will occur if this timeline continues. If this course that Earth's on right now doesn't change, this will be the result. You need to make sure that this," Daniels said, looking around and gesturing with his hands, doesn't happen."
"I thought you didn't interfere with timelines? Thought your job was to ensure that things happened the way they're supposed to, without anyone's interference."
"I'm no longer a temporal agent. I'm here as a citizen of the future United Earth, who just wants to see the right thing done. I stood by for years, followed orders and did what I was told. I made some mistakes, so did the people I worked for. I won't do that this time, too much is at stake. Someone has already interfered with the time line. The Romulans are not supposed to win the war. This future must be altered, and uh… you're the only one that can make sure that that happens."
"How? And why me," Trip asked.
"Because Captain, you're the only one who can see where this war is headed. You're losing, you will lose. How you're gonna prevent that from happening? I'm gonna give you vital information and a set of coordinates. You're gonna have to figure out how to use it. The bottom line is, the Romulans can't win the war. If they do, I will never exist, and you and everybody else in your star system, will die."
"Why should I believe you?" Trip asked. "How do I know this isn't some elaborate deception or ruse to manipulate me for some…some unknown diabolical reason?"
"Because Captain Jonathan Archer once asked me the same question, and he took a chance. He chose to believe me. The result was Enterprise got to continue its mission, and as a result, the Xindi weapon was destroyed, Earth was saved and an alien masquerading as a Nazi soldier, was stopped from helping Germany win World War II. I don't have Jonathan Archer at my disposal anymore, so I've come to the next major player in the big scheme of things, you Captain Tucker. It's all up to you now. Will you take a chance and believe me too?"
Trip sighed and put his hands to his temples. "Alright, alright. I will at least consider what you're tellin' me. But you gotta give me somethin' else to go on."
"Take a look at these," Daniels said handing Trip three data disk. "Everything you need to know is right here." Then Daniels turned to go. Trip looked at the data disk in his hand then back at Daniels walking away.
"Hey, you never showed me Earth's future. You showed me what everybody around us was gonna look like if the Romulans won the war, what about Earth? What's gonna happen to it, where is it?"
Daniels hesitated and looked around at the darkened sky, the rubble left of what was once a city, thousands of skeletal remains all around as far as the eye could see, the air thin and barely breathable. All of a sudden, Trip could see it too. "You're standing on it," Daniels said, then he was gone.