Faith-Part 16

"FAITH OF THE HEART"
An "Enterprise" story

By Alison M. DOBELL

RATING: PG-13.
ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Welcomed
EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://www.carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY": "When members of the crew go suddenly missing, Captain Archer finds the only witness is unable to tell them anything. Lt Reed takes it upon himself to turn detective."
DISCLAIMER: The characters and 'Enterprise' belong to Paramount. No
infringement of copyright is intended.

Part 16

* * * * *

Captain Archer felt as if he had gone thirteen rounds in a boxing ring with the Incredible Hulk and lost every one of them. He ached all over. Looking round at his battered bridge crew he knew he was not the only one. Travis summed it up. "What the hell happened, Captain?"

He glanced at Lt Reed but he gave a tiny shake of his head. He did not have a clue. At that moment Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker arrived on the bridge. They looked oddly calm and unruffled, though of the two the Sub-Commander had a definite air of fragility about her. The Captain frowned to himself. T'Pol? Fragile? That would be the day. The Captain opened his mouth to ask a question when the Commander spoke.

"The warp core's okay, Cap'n. Whatever it was has gone now."

His mouth snapped shut. Eyebrows drew together in confusion. "If you don't know what it was how do you know it has gone?"

Trip opened his mouth, thought better of it, and closed it again. He gave a shrug. "Lucky guess?"

Everybody shared puzzled looks then began to laugh. Seeing them relax the Commander smiled and walked over to Lieutenant Reed. The lieutenant was giving him a very keen look. He kept his voice pitched low for Trip's ears only. "So how *did* you know?"

"Later. I'll tell ya later, Malcolm. But I'm tellin' ya now. You are *not* gonna believe it."

Lieuenant Reed shook his head and gave a little sigh. Again. Nothing was showing up on sensors.

* * * * *

It was unusual for anyone to use the spatial corridor as a meeting point but the Vulcans were nothing if not careful. Captain Vornak held his position and kept the equivalent of radio silence. Hours passed but he was a patient man. Four hours later they received the signal they had been waiting for and adjusted their position to meet the approaching vessel. The two ships met in neutral territory. The two Captains on the bridge of the Vulcan vessel. Captain Vornak gave a stern nod to the Romulan and in silence they entered his private quarters with orders not to be disturbed. The Romulan did not relax until the door shut behind them and was sealed.

"I spoke with Dr. Lerik. He tells me Chief Medical Technician Sha'kith is dead."

The Vulcan nodded. "Yes. Tragic. Unexpected." When the Romulan raised his eyebrows he added two final words in explanation. "His heart."

Captain Larg realised the Vulcan had no more to say on the subject. Perhaps the Chief Medical Technician really had died of a heart attack? Ah. But what had brought it on? Drugs or phaser fire? He would probably never know.

"We were lucky this time, Captain Larg. If the humans had not been found in time it could have ruined everything and that would have affected the time line."

The Romulan gave him a stern look. "Our governments may be in agreement over this but I still find it hard to believe. A Temporal War?"

"You have seen the same information I have."

He nodded and for a moment his mask of indifference slipped. "Yes. And I still cannot believe it..."

"The Suliban..."

"Yes." The Romulan Captain shuddered and tried to wipe the thought from his mind. In much the same way they had sought to do so from the unfortunate humans. "I do not like this alliance."

"Nor I but the future is at stake."

A long silence stretched between them. At last Larg made a motion that it was time to part. "You will not see us again unless we are at war."

Captain Vornak nodded. "Just keep the Hirogen to their assigned corridors."

"They will obey or be destroyed."

* * * * *

Commander Tucker felt oddly out of sorts. He missed the Sanacrid but it was more than that. He kept getting strange desires rippling through his mind and body at the oddest times. Like now. He was eating with Captain Archer and Sub-Commander T'Pol and the strangest images were unfolding inside his head. Exotic, brightly coloured and more than a little *suggestive*. The Captain had been talking when he realised his Commander appeared to be distracted. His fork paused halfway to his mouth. "Commander, are you alright?"

Trip flushed slightly. "Uh yeah, Cap'n." He put his fork down. His breakfast largely untouched. "If ya don't mind I have a lot of work to be gettin' on with down in Engineerin'."

"Actually Trip, I do mind."

He stared. Stunned. "You do?"

"Yes. For the last couple of days I've been short one Chief Engineer."

The Commander looked baffled. He glanced at Sub-Commander T'Pol but her face was expressionless. No help there. So what else was new? Her eyebrow arched but he missed it. He had turned back to Captain Archer. "I'm not sure what ya mean, Cap'n."

"It's as if you are somewhere else, Commander. Your body may be here but your mind is elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?" He felt stupid just repeating the word but he did not know what else to say. Kept hoping the Captain would say something to give him a clue. To his surprise it was Sub-Commander T'Pol who came to his assistance.

"We have all been through a great deal, Captain. I believe the Commander needs to rest."

The Captain looked at the Commander's pale face and nodded. "I think you're right, Sub-Commander."

"I feel alright, Cap'n..." Protested Trip.

"I am ordering you to take the next two days off. I want you to present yourself to sickbay for a check up."

"Aw Cap'n..."

"It was *not* a request, Commander." Said the Captain firmly.

Realising it was one argument he would not win, Commander Tucker mumbled his reluctant agreement. He should have just kept his stupid mouth shut. "Yes, sir."

He watched the Chief Engineer excuse himself and poured himself another coffee. He continued eating for a few moments, casting surreptitious glances at his Vulcan first officer. "And you, Sub-Commander. How are you bearing up?"

"I am well, Captain."

"No headaches, nausea, nightmares?"

She stared at him for a moment. "I assure you I am quite well."

He nodded. "Good, because I keep having the strangest dreams..."

Her eyes widened slightly. The Captain began to tell her and as he did so the rest of her appetite vanished. When he finished he noticed she still had food on her plate. He had managed to clear his own and was wiping his mouth with a serviette. "I see you haven't finished your breakfast, Sub-Commander."

"I have eaten sufficiently."

"You hardly touched your salad."

"Vulcans do not care to over-indulge, Captain."

He hid a smile. Thinking of the time he had caught her eating pecan pie. His Chief Engineer could be very persuasive. Not to mention downright obstinate until he got his own way. "Of course."

* * * * *

Dr. Phlox ran the scan over Commander Tucker for a second time. Trip was getting impatient. "Well? Can I go now doc or not?"

He viewed his instruments carefully. Not looking at the Commander. "Patience, Commander Tucker."

"That's the second time you've shoved me in that thing. Don't tell me it's not working?"

"The bioscanner is working perfectly, Commander."

"Then what...?"

He was interrupted by the doctor suddenly turning to him, a quizzical expression on his face. "Commander, how much do you remember about our visit to Rastak?"

"What's to remember? It was a brief stopover to visit the Vulcans."

"Why did we stop there?"

He looked confused. "Why ask me? Ask the Captain or T'Pol."

"I'm asking you, Commander."

Trip frowned. "Is there something you're trying t'tell me, doc? If there is just spit it out."

The Denobulan paused. Toyed with telling the Commander what he remembered then caught himself. What good would it do to raise memories that had been so carefully erased? He could be putting the Commander in danger. Commander Tucker's frown turned to a look of concern. He sat up.

"Are ya all right, doc? Ya don't look so good."

Dr. Phlox mentally shook himself and nodded. "I'm fine, thank you for your concern Commander."

"Can I go or d'ya have some more of them tests?"

"No, you can go thank you though I would like to see you again tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side. In the meantime try to get plenty of rest."

Trip nodded and left. Dr. Phlox stared again at his readings. Interesting. The Commander was showing signs of abnormal brain activity. Yet when he put him in the scanner the activity vanished. An aberration? Somehow he thought not. Was it connected to what had happened on Rastak or what the Hirogens had done? He badly wanted to discuss the matter with the Captain but some instinct made him hold back. He was not sure why. He decided to keep his eyes and ears open for a little longer.

* * * * *

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was irritated. Annoyed. Ensign Hoshi Sato sighed for the tenth time and glared at him. He had been fidgeting all the way through the movie. "Do you want to watch this or not?"

He looked at her as if coming out of a trance. "What?"

A few people shushed them. Ensign Sato ignored them. "Come on, let's go outside."

The Armoury Officer nodded and followed her out. Once in the corridor she turned to face him. "Okay Malcolm, what's wrong?"

He frowned, a baffled expression on his face. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."

She crossed her arms. "You've been fidgeting all the way through the film. I bet you don't even know what the film was about, do you?"

He began to squirm. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"I'm listening."

"Really, it's nothing."

She just stared at him. He felt uncomfortable. "It's not too late to go back inside and see the end of the movie."

"I've seen it before."

"Oh."

More silence. "Come on Malcolm, I know when something is wrong. Whatever it is you can tell me."

"Hoshi, I don't know that anything's wrong."

"But?"

He sighed. "It's just that weird thing when we almost lost the warp core. I can't get it out of my mind."

"Why not? It was just an anomaly."

He nodded. "That's what people say when they don't know what happened." He paused. "I don't like not knowing."

She nodded and began to relax. She could understand that. It was like when she came across a language she could not translate. It would bug the life out of her until she could decipher it. "Have you spoken to Trip?"

"Not yet. I didn't want to make a big thing of it."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. Knew the Commander had locked himself in Engineering trying to stop a core breach while kicking everyone else out. Fortunately for all of them the pressure had stopped building up and bled off harmlessly. He had no idea how that had happened and more worrying still Trip had offered no explanation. He had no intention of adding to the man's stress. The Captain had not relieved him of his duties for two days for nothing. Bothering the Chief Engineer over something like this would not be fair on him. Besides he was still having nightmares about whatever it was that had been firing on them. The Captain had suggested a cloaked ship but there was nothing there. Random bursts from the phase canons had not detected the presence of another ship. So what was it? A 'spatial anomaly'? Invisible aliens? Some kind of space turbulence? He did not know and not knowing was killing him. He noticed the look of worry on Ensign Sato's face and forced a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Don't worry, Hoshi, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

She raised her eyebrows slowly. "Who's worried?"

* * * * *

Sub-Commander T'Pol was relieved to get back to her quarters at the end of the shift. It had been a strange unsettling day. Nothing had happened but it had been a strain and the Captain's questions had been unwelcome. She tried to analyse what had disturbed her about them. It was a sense of intrusion. Odd. She went into her tiny bathroom area and checked the shower. She undressed slowly, her mind drifting, her hands sliding down her body as she stripped the thin material of her Vulcan uniform off. An image of Commander Tucker filled her head. In her mind's eye she was reaching for his hands, guiding them to touch her. She closed her eyes, feeling his hands on her and letting her own hands touch him. Her mind opened and called to him.

Minutes later her door opened and swished shut. Commander Tucker blinked in the subdued lighting. Not aware of how he had got there. T'Pol had lit her meditation candles and shut off the lights. The ambient glow matched the glow of her skin. His pulse quickened. She stood naked on a soft rug, waiting for him. Her eyes large and liquid, some emotion floating in them that drew him to her. Her mind reached out and touched his with wordless sensations. Her hands began to undress him, his eyes losing focus as they kissed. As soon as she had divested him of his clothing she guided him to the floor, laying him down carefully. Her eyes absorbing his, swallowing him whole as her hand settled against the side of his face. A low moan slid out of his throat, her fingers found the contact points and plunged deep into his mind. He shuddered, her lips closing over his, her body settling over him. A warm tingle spreading where they touched, a crackle of energy sizzling mind to mind. As if somehow their brains were being soldered together as their bodies began a slow erotic dance.

He gasped. In his mind she was everything. All his hopes, dreams and aspirations. Every sensation was wrapped around her. His heart stretched to accommodate all she encompassed and represented. When she touched him he burned for her, a fever of the heart and mind that the body could only echo like a pale copy. He trembled, the ecstasy almost too much for his heart to take. She slowed him down, her kiss felt all over his body at the same time she touched his lips. He could feel himself getting excited, too excited too quickly. He ached, he cried out his apology, unable to hang on, needing her so badly it was painful. She knew, understood, guided him quickly inside her taking him deep and holding him tightly with her powerful interior muscles. It was heaven and agony. Ecstasy and torture. He cried while they made love. She kissed his tears and got more and more aroused. They made love for hours. Only when the piercing sensations of overly heightened lust had abated did they sag against each other in blessed relief.

Trip raised his tear stained face and looked at her. "What's happenin' to us, T'Pol?"

She shook her head gently. Kissed his eyes, his cheeks, his lips. Fanned his face with her gentle sweet breath. "I don't know, beloved."

Oh God he was getting horny again. He closed his eyes. She kissed his tears and dropped a hand to ease his discomfort. Rocking his erection in her hand and easing him into a gentle ejaculation so as not to hurt him. He was so sore and she had nothing else to ease the pain. "Why, T'Pol?"

She held him close. Commiserated with him while she loved him. They both settled in their exhaustion then she stirred and looked at him. "You have to tell the doctor."

He shook his head. Embarrassed to hell. "I can't."

"Then tell the Captain. Captain Archer is your friend."

"Yeah," He brushed a hand gently down the side of her face, fixated on the glow of perspiration making her skin shine so beautifully. "He warned me to cool it with ya. I can just see how this would impress him."

"It is not funny, Trip."

"I know," He ached. Wanted her so badly. Could not stop. His body reacting over and over again even when the only stimulus was looking at her. Oh God. "We have to find another way, T'Pol."

She kissed his cheek. He trembled and groaned. *Sorry, I forgot myself*

He smiled, weary as he was. First the ghost of the Mothership had attacked them now this. And as if that was not bad enough he had the doctor trying to pick memories out of his head that simply were not there. He froze. T'Pol lifted her head and looked at him. Anxious. "Trip?"

"I had a strange conversation with Dr. Phlox earlier."

"What kind of conversation?"

He watched her intently to see how she would react. "He wanted to know how much I could remember about our stopover at Rastak."

She frowned and did not speak right away.

"T'Pol?"

"I have been having strange dreams about Rastak."

He propped himself up on his elbow. "You too?"

Their eyes met. A horrible cold realisation slid between their joined minds.

"Oh hell, somethin' happened to us down there, didn't it?"

He did not have to see her nod to know it was true.

***************

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Four of you have made comments

Woh! I've been hooked since the beginning of Brave New World and look forward to each new chapter. I don't know how you keep doing it, Alison, but please keep doing it.

who thinks the 2003 Queen of Cliffhangers has been found!

like Classic said... been hooked since the start
of BNW, dangling on the pointy hook every post!

Love your Phlox. Adore your Malcolm and Hoshi, and absolutely fall to my knees in praise of your
Trip and T'Pol.

keep this wonderful intriguing story coming.

wow.

Just when I think I know what's going on, something comes along to completely throw off my perception. I was convinced the sanacrid was evil or at least malevolent, but now. . . now I'm convinced he truly loves Trip.

The complexity of this story is worthy of the complexity of the star trek world itself.

Again, I am amazed and in awe of your talent as a writer. Please continue.

I love all the twist you've got.
When ever I think I've fingured it out, it changes. Not that that's a bad thing. Actually it's a very good thing.

I love the story and can't want for more!