NX-01 Enterprise
Rendezvous point
February 14, 2154
"My skin's healing faster than yours." Trip said. "I guess you Vulcans aren't so tough after all."
"Doctor Phlox says we should all be back to normal within two to three days." T'Pol said
"I'm only kidding." Trip said. "You look nice like this. Kind of like an old oil painting."
T'Pol was shocked silent for a moment.
"I'm not old." She said, at last. "I will only be sixty-six years old on my next birthday."
Trip responded, surprised. "I can't believe you told me that."
"You accused me of looking old."
"That's not what I mean. I've been trying to get you to tell me your age since we left spacedock. Why now?"
"To Vulcans, some information is considered…intimate."
"Intimate?"
"Bridge to T'Pol." Travis said, over the comm.
T'Pol pushed the comm button.
"Go ahead." She said.
"A vortex just opened. It's Degra's ship."
XXX
Trip and T'Pol stood at the port airlock, waiting for the door to open. After more than a minute, it finally did so.
Jannar, the arboreal councilor, stepped forward. Captain Archer was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry." He said, his voice full of regret. "We failed to stop the weapon."
Trip felt like he had been gut-punched. He couldn't respond at first.
Over four billion people, dead in a near instant. It was too much. He couldn't fathom it.
"My God," Trip said, at last. "So many people. It can't be possible."
"We did all that we could." Jannar said.
Trip noticed it was Jannar speaking and not Jonathan. He was immediately concerned.
"Where's the captain?" Trip asked.
"I'm afraid that he and your other crewmen were all lost when the weapon self-destructed. We don't know what happened or why they failed to deactivate the weapon."
Trip couldn't take it. He began to hyperventilate.
"I can't…" He wheezed. "It's too much."
T'Pol put a hand on his shoulder.
"Remember your breathing techniques, from our neuropressure sessions." She said, "Breathe slowly, in and out. Cup your hands over your mouth to increase carbon dioxide input."
After a long minute, Trip got his breathing under control again, following T'Pol's instructions.
"What about the moon base?" He asked, after a moment. "Jupiter station? Mars?"
"Dolim attacked a space station prior to the destruction of Earth." Jannar said. "But the remaining Starfleet vessels forced him to vacate the system before he could do any further damage."
"So, we didn't lose everyone." Trip said. "At least there's that."
"How many Starfleet vessels escaped the destruction?" T'Pol asked.
"From what I saw, at least two dozen." Jannar said. "None were in range to intercept the weapon. Dolim took the entire system by surprise."
"We've got to return to the Sol system." Trip said. "Would there happen to be an aquatic vessel nearby?"
"There's one on the way here already. It should have you back in your home system in no more than two days."
NX-01 Enterprise
Jupiter station
February 30, 2154
Jannar was true to his word. It took slightly less than two days to get home, in as much as the system was still home. After two weeks, Enterprise was still space docked, finalizing extensive repairs.
At 1900 hours Trip and T'Pol were in T'Pol's quarter, engaging in neuropressure. They sat face to face working the neural clusters in one another's shoulders. Trip was still reeling from the news that Earth had been lost. Neuropressure provided a welcome distraction.
T'Pol suddenly leaned forward and kissed him passionately.
Trip drew back, after a moment.
"What's that for?" He asked, a little mystified.
"I'm trying to seduce you." T'Pol answered.
"Oh, no." Trip said. "Not this again."
"What do you mean?" T'Pol asked, surprised.
"I'm not interested in becoming another experiment."
Now it was T'Pol's turn to be mystified.
"I never called our time together an experiment."
"Whatever. What do you call it, then?"
"I called it an exploration of human sexuality,"
"Same thing."
"It is not at all the same thing."
"Whatever you want to call it, I've no interest in casual sex with you."
"You had no such reservations with Princess Kaitaama."
"And how do you know if anything happened?"
"It was obvious. You were in your underwear."
"Well…that was…different." Trip stumbled.
"Different in what way?" T'Pol asked.
"She didn't mean to me what you mean to me."
"Are you suggesting you want a romantic relationship with me?"
"I would have thought that was obvious."
T'Pol was silent for a long moment.
"There are reasons why that is not possible." She said, at last.
"What reasons?"
"I would rather not get into it."
"I think I have a right to know. It impacts me too."
Again, T'Pol was silent for a long moment.
"Trip," She said. "Do you remember the effect that trellium had on me?"
"I didn't see it firsthand, but I understand it made you pretty crazy."
"It undermined my emotional controls." She said. "What no one but Phlox knows is that I began experimenting with it. Ingesting small amounts at first, then injecting it. I wanted to experience emotions like a human would."
"T'Pol, that was completely reckless!"
"I know that now. I became addicted to it and only stopped when I nearly died getting to the lockers where it was stored. You may have noticed I've become more emotional recently."
"I did, but I never would have thought it was due to trellium abuse."
"That is why there can be no romantic relationship between us." She said, "You see, Trip, I wouldn't be a good lover."
"Is there nothing I can do to help?"
"Neuropressure helps. That's why I've continued our sessions after you recovered from your insomnia."
"I wondered why, but I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth."
"I'm glad you still get something positive from our sessions."
"I still sleep like a baby. That's better than I'd do without them."
"So, you understand why we cannot engage in a romantic relationship."
"No, I don't." Trip argued. "I think I can handle one emotional Vulcan."
"You haven't seen me truly emotional."
"Still…"
The comm chimed, interrupting them.
"Bridge to T'Pol."
It was Travis.
T'Pol rose and answered the comm.
"Go ahead."
"Admiral Forrest is calling for you. Have you seen Commander Tucker?"
"He's with me."
"Oh…uh…he wants to speak to both of you."
"We'll be there in a moment."