Alpha Waves - Pt 2

Alpha Waves

By Aquila

Rating: PG-13
Category: Angst, Romance
Summary: Sequel to Beta Waves – T’Pol meets her Father and trips.

==

Part Two

“Sheila Farnsworth says she may have a scoop. She says you have to communicate with her pronto.”

An assistant editor shouted at her boss across the empty bullpen. The gossip rag had turned out its entire shift of writers to cover the madness that was the return of Enterprise. The editor, a woman who had been there and back a thousand times before Sheila was born, winked at the A. E. and took a call from her senior correspondent. Her decision delayed Sheila’s pursuit long enough to ensure that the young woman lost the trail of the fugitives from Enterprise. When the Editor finally deigned to speak to Sheila, the magazine had lost an employee and freelance journalism had gained a new recruit.

“Put the severance pay in my payroll account, Chief,” Sheila directed, ignoring the Editor’s splutters. The rookie was already making a mental list of favours, contacts and possible scenarios that would provide the leads she needed.

==

In a specially assigned fixed orbit above the planet the crew of Enterprise were following leads and asking questions about the missing pair. Ambassador Soval added his incredulity to the search.

“You cannot find them?” he asked barely controlling his anger.

Hoshi turned to the Captain mutely pleading for rescue.

“Trip Tucker has been taking his communicator and tracking device off-line since he was a midshipman at the Academy,” explained Jonathan, who raised his hand to stop Soval’s next protest. “His talent is legendary and what is more no one has ever been able to prove the insubordination necessary to keel-haul his ass over it.”

“He just disappears?” Soval was aghast.

Travis putting his career on the line spoke before Soval could ask the inevitable next question, “Professor T’Pol, since she is officially a civilian, hasn’t worn a Starfleet ID pip for a week.”

Soval squeezed his elbows with the hands that were buried in the sleeves of his robes, “Why wasn’t I informed?”

Archer took satisfaction in reminding the Ambassador that, “T’Pol hasn’t reported to VHC since she opted to stay on board Enterprise at the beginning of the mission.”

“There are 100,000 Vulcan bio signs down there,” stated Lt. Reed. “It will take us days to cross reference our scans with the Vulcan registry.”

Soval’s eyebrows rose to alarming heights. The lieutenant stuck a subtle needle in the side of the diplomat, “Assuming you gave us permission to access the registry, Mr. Ambassador.”

==

Trip and T’Pol knew exactly where they were, although T’Pol was unaware that Commander Tucker was tailing her. Since she had emerged from solitary confinement he had not acknowledged her. To all intents and purposes, to Tucker, T’Pol was invisible, therefore it was logical to assume that he was not following her. Trip counted on her reliance on logic as he tailed her as closely as possible without revealing himself.

“You’re sleep walking, baby,” he observed while watching her hesitate before the entrance to a travel agency. He had his back turned toward her, pretending that he was looking in a shop window at some overly priced bauble. Before their estrangement, Trip had many opportunities to observe her in an Alpha state, as she meditated or when his attempts at neuro-pressure were particularly successful.

It was during one such moment that he had noticed her flawless complexion. He had let go of the body part he had been massaging for fear that his detached and clinical touch would turn more intimate and unwelcome.

“You haven’t got a plan.” He crossed the street, dodging traffic. “Alpha waves occur when the subject is no longer visually processing and lacks focus,” he recited from memory. “Inattention to detail isn’t like you, professor.”

==

The agency staff was stumbling over itself to be helpful to the celebrity.

“Please, Professor T’Pol, take a seat,” said the junior agent, pulling out a chair. “May I get you some tea?”

The senior agent had trotted to the back through a door marked employees only, returning with the agency owner in tow.

“Professor T’Pol.” The owner bowed slightly from the waist, having dealt with the Vulcan aversion to handshaking in the past. “After your extraordinary voyage, what destination could possible be of interest to you?” He said with what he thought was a winning smile, but reminded T’Pol of an oil slick on choppy water.

The staff held their collective breath, while they beamed insincere smiles at their surprising client. Being recognized was too much for T’Pol, who bolted. The chair on which she had been sitting slid into a desk. The resulting crash caused sufficient distraction to allow her to escape through the front entrance. Flying through the door, she failed to notice the man planted on the sidewalk in front of the shop.

“Son of a bitch, T’Pol.”

She would have recognized that voice anywhere, but more significantly the personal scent of the man. One whiff and her mind was a jumble of explicit images and graphic sounds of intimacy. Her body reacted like a junkie who had been clean experiencing her first hit after a fall from grace.

Trip, who knew her as well as anyone on this or any other planet, took charge. He wrapped his arm around her, directing her down the street away from the agency staff that was tumbling out the door.

With shouts of “Professor T’Pol, are you all right?” fading away, Trip pushed the key chain of his runabout to unlock the doors then bundled her into the vehicle.

==

“Come on, Manny,” pleaded Farnsworth, “You’re in an out of the Vulcan compound every day. You must have heard something?”

Manny squinted. He smelled a pay off. “Just how much are you willing to pay for this information?”

From the look on his face, Manny wasn’t asking for money. Sheila had never been a major source of revenue, but she had been the star of his fantasies for a very long time.

“Not that much, Manny,” she shook her head, “Not that much.”

==

Ambassador Soval and Captain Archer sat at the table in the Captain’s mess lunching on plomeek soup and a hummus concoction that Chef had created for T’Pol to vary her diet while in solitary confinement. Soval had already passed his compliments to the chef, asking him to send the recipe to the Vulcan compound.

“We must have an innocuous excuse for their absence from tonight’s reception,” Soval said for the fifth time. His comment was followed by a new variation, “There will be numerous disappointed females who will remark on the Commander’s absence.”

Jonathan didn’t try to hide a smirk, “That came dangerously close to being a humorous remark, Ambassador. Albeit somewhat cynical and all too astute.” Archer sighed, “Trip has become somewhat of a celeb du jour since our return.”

“Only your attentiveness to T’Pol has saved you from the same fate, Captain.”

The statement was a diplomat’s way of asking a question, Archer knew.

“T’Pol is protective of people she cares for,” was the cryptic answer that caused the Ambassador considerable consternation.

Did Archer know? Soval clung to the realization that if the Captain knew of T’Pol’s dual heritage he had not informed his superiors. If he had, Earth would have severed diplomatic relations with Vulcan immediately and the Ambassador would be on a Vulcan star ship en route to the home world.

End of Part 2

Continue to Part 3

Return to Part 1

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

Nine of you have made comments

What's this? Are you perhaps going to take pity on us and give us a better ending? I can certainly hope so.

T'Pol doesn't like crowds. Interesting. She seems awfully shaken about something, and I don't think its just the return to Earth. It seems like its more than just Trip, too. She's a mess. A travel agency? Where, indeed, would she want to go?

So Trip went for it again? Good! It was his responsibility after he never finished reading the note.

Just what kind of trouble is this annoying reporter Sheila giong to cause? As if I didn't already suspect.

Keep this in mind: If they lack romantic chemistry, what about friendship, or a mutual understanding, at the very least? The characters need to be in some sort of harmony.

Can't wait for the next chapter! Please update sooN!

Oh man, so far I'm worried about Sheila! I just hope this time they realize that they can't live without each other! They belong together, and I don't care if that sounds silly the way I said it!

I can't take this unfinished story!!! This is excellent

I am very glad you are continuing this series. Keep up the great work.

Another great chapter. What is Tpol up to and why does she seem so upset. Great to see Trip is not giving up on her. Hopefully she will realise this time that they are ment to be together.!! Please update soon. Thank you.

I like the way the story is building. More chapters please!

hmm... The front page is showing a link to part 3, but the link is a no go.

I LOVE THIS STORY!!!

What torture!! There is a link to Ch.3 but it doesn't work!!

WHY isn't the link to the next chapter working?!!!

Argh!