Asphodel- Part 2

Asphodel

By Bucky

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers in Part One

Part Two

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

ON THE PLANET

The next day the flight to the planet was quiet. Archer selected Trip and T’Pol since both were familiar with the range of variation in the dilithium they should be looking for. Two crewmen, Alice Mwangi and Toussaint LeValle accompanied them. Trip piloted while T’Pol reviewed the data he had gathered on acceptable dilithium tolerances with Mwangi and LeValle. As he listened to her low voice he reflected that she was saying more now than she had in the last twenty-fours hours. At least she was saying more than she had at dinner last night.

Boy, that had been excruciating. He wished he hadn’t said anything to the Cap’n. It was one thing to suspect that he liked the Subcommander, something else to have it confirmed. Two days ago he could have teased T’Pol with his usual easy banter. Last night he could think of nothing to say that didn’t sound like he was alluding to a potential romance. “So, you two going to Movie Night next week? We’re supposed to be getting’ “Jules et Jim,”….If ya like French movies….”

Why the hell had the Cap'n said that? “I’m not allowed to like her”? Damn. If Cap’n Archer isn’t allowed to 'like' her then neither am I. The High Command would probably be just as pissed, wouldn't it? Not like it makes any difference, Tucker. She wasn’t wearing that robe for you, now was she? And you know the rules: no bird-doggin'.

Trip continued his internal monologue through most of the journey. Once planet side, Trip, T’Pol and two crewmen began focused scans in the area where the dilithium had been located. One area showed crystals about 200 meters below the surface. That would mean mining. Another had crystals right on the surface, part of a cliff exposed by erosion. Getting them would mean rappelling down and hauling the crystals back up. They decided against mining because without more knowledge of the geology they were unwilling to start blasting and even more unwilling to start digging.

“A little mountain climbing won’t hurt us.” Trip decided for the group and T’Pol assented. Mwangi and LaValle set up the rappel devices at the top, secured the ropes, put on the empty backpacks and started down the cliff side for a shelf about 30 meters below. Once there, they reported finding several large crystals protruding from the side, but about 12 meters to their right. T’Pol set up a new set of ropes and descended to where they indicated the dilithium would be. She secured herself to the side and proceeded to scrape out four crystals, each about a 50 centimeters long and about 12-15 centimeters in diameter. She placed these in a gunny sack which Trip hauled to the top of the cliff. Meanwhile, Mwangi and LaValle ascended and helped the Commander pull up the sack. Once they were up, he had them carry the crystals to the shuttlepod and told them to begin prepping it for their return while he helped T’Pol ascend.

Once the two crewmen set off for the shuttlepod, he turned back to T’Pol. Looking down on her, he wondered at the verdant hint just under her skin. Greeny flower, he thought ruefully. He’d considered asking Hoshi to help him track down the phrase, but had decided against it. It was his private description, the more special because it would never be shared. And as he was gazing down at her, T’Pol looked up. For once he didn’t look away.

And neither did she.

And he remembered that line… but no more:

Of asphodel, that greeny flower,
I come, my sweet,
to sing to you!

What did he know about asphodels? Not much. A hard flower to like. Not much to get excited about. That fits, he thought sardonically. But why did he know that line? College? His lit. teacher was a PhD candidate writing on some obscure poet. They’d had to read that poem. That was all he could remember. Not even the poet. Certainly not the poor beleaguered graduate student who had doted over the much longer poem. And there was T’Pol, hanging below him, attached to the side of a mountain like a greeny flower herself.

Losing’ it, Tucker. Get a grip.

“You ready to come up?” he called down to her.

“Ready!”

“Okay. Start climbing. I’ll take care of the ropes up here.”

T’Pol checked the pitons. She was startled when one pulled free and a large chunk from the cliff side plummeted to the canyon below. Even as the chunk careened its way down, another broke off from the top almost to the rappelling devices. She looked up at Trip, not exactly with alarm, but perhaps with … urgency.

“Hold on, T’Pol!” he called. “Don’t move! I’m going to come down where Mwangi and LaValle left the ropes and lasso you over to more stable ground.”

“Lasso? You are planning on cowboy maneuvers?”

Trip rolled his eyes, sighed, then yelled into his communicator, “Mwangi! LaValle! Tucker here. Come in!”

“Mwangi here, sir. What’s the problem?”

“The ground’s giving way underneath Sub-Commander T’Pol. I’m going down where you two were to try to pull her over to that ledge. I need you back at the cliff site. Stat!”

“Aye, Sir. We’re on our way!”

Tucker grabbed the rope LaValle had used and got himself set to rappel to the ledge. Another chunk dislodged itself below T’Pol. Clunk. Clunk. Thwop. and then the rattling of loose soil.

“Commander, perhaps we should ask for the transporting device.”

That’s like asking mehow I'd like you put into pieces: letting you smash to the bottom or mis-assembling your atoms. Not gonna make Hobson's Choice. Just gonna bring you back to me.

...and the Cap'n...

“I’ll check with the Cap’n, but he’s not likely to want to trust the transporter with you.”

T’Pol looked at him as if registering the implications of Trip’s comment. Then nodded to go ahead.

“Commander Tucker to Cap’n Archer.”

“Archer here.”

“Cap’n we have a situation here. T’Pol was attached to the cliff side where we got the dilithium, but now the geostratum is giving way. I’m going down to a ledge about 10 or 12 meters from her to try to pull her over. But we were wondering if the transporting device might be safer.”

Silence.

“Cap’n?”

“I heard you, Trip. Malcolm is checking on the transporting device now. How is SubCommander T’Pol? Does she agree to this?”

Ka-Chunka, chunka, chunka, crack, crash, thunk, sputter. More rubble disengaged from the cliff.

“Yes, sir. She’d be talking to ya herself, but both she needs both her hands right now.”

Trip wondered if Archer reacted to his lame joke, then added, “We don’t have much time, Cap’n. The ground is givin’ way under her as we speak.”

He heard background voices through the communicator, then “Lieutenant Reed says the other minerals in the area are preventing him getting an adequate lock on the Subcommander. You’re going to have to find a way to rescue her down there.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

“I’m counting on you Trip. You know how important she is--”

“Aye, Cap’n. I know.”

“--to Enterprise.”

“Yes, sir. To Enterprise. Mwangi and LaValle are back at the site, sir. I’ll have them keep in communicator contact with you while I go down.”

“Good luck, Trip.”

“Thanks, Cap’n.”

Trip filled in the two crew members then called out to T’Pol, “Malcolm says he can’t get a lock on ya. Whatever made all this nice dilithium made a lot of other stuff that’s causin’ interference. Looks like we’re back to cowboy maneuvers. I’m gonna go down to that ledge and try to get a rope around you from there.”

T’Pol nodded and Trip started down.

More rubble.

When he got to the ledge he tried flinging the rope that Mwangi had used, but it was too short for T'Pol to tie it around her. After several tries T’Pol called to him, “Mr. Tucker, I’m going to try to swing over to you like a pendulum.”

“Okay, T’Pol. But wait. LaValle, work a belay for T’Pol up there. You and Mwangi are going to have to balance her weight. We can’t trust her rappel device after so much of the cliff has given way.”

LaValle and Mwangi set themselves with the end of T’Pol’s rope and backed out of sight of the edge. Trip started to set pitons for himself thinking he’d be more stable to catch her.

“No, Commander! Stop!”

Rumble, crash, clunk, thunk.

“Wha…?”

“I believe it was the pitons as much as digging out the crystals that destabilized this side of the cliff. For all we know, setting pitons will only endanger you as well.”

“T’Pol, I have to be able to catch you. You’ll have a lot of momentum when you swing that distance.”

“I cannot endanger you, Mr. Tucker. We have to try this without that security.”

Trip pleaded with a look, “T’Pol, from where I am you look like you’re leaping right into the canyon. I can’t let you die.”

“But from where I am, this leap looks to be my only chance to live. We have to consider all the perspectives, Commander. Perhaps I should not be doing this at all. It will endanger you.”

Panic crossed his face at the thought that she would give up. He steadied himself with a breath. "T'Pol, if you heard any of my conversation with the Cap'n, you know we can't lose you. You're more important than I am."

T'Pol stared at him for what seemed like forever, then nodded.

He took a breath and exhaled. “Okay. Go.”

“LaValle. Mwangi. Get ready. She’s starting to swing.”

“Aye, Sir. We’re set.”

T’Pol started grabbling her way back from Trip, grabbing on to whatever rocks protruded from the side until she was as far back as the rope would angle. Then, pushing herself from the edge of a boulder with a grunt she flung herself along the side of the cliff toward Trip.

Trip watched in horror, his body ready to absorb her fall. His bodily functions paused. He heard LaValle and Mwangi grunting. He was dimly aware that the boulder she had pushed off from was plunging to the bottom. He heard a distant crunk, thunk, thunk, thunk. He would have only one chance. She was coming now! There she was! And as she came hurtling toward him he plucked her from the mountainside out of the air. She landed upright without faltering, and he held her to him, cleaving to her, one arm around her slender torso, the other holding her delicate, bud-like head to his chest.

T’Pol could hear his racing heart, his ragged breathing. “I am all right, Commander.”

“I know. Gimme a sec. I thought I lost you. ”

“That is illogical, Mr. Tucker.”

Dismay sank through his bones. “Because I never had you to lose?”

“Because there were only ever two choices. We would both die because the momentum would carry us over. Or we would both live.”

“You’re right.” He said into her hair. “But all I could think about was you. I had to save you.”

“And you did.”

“Yes.”

“We should notify Crewmen Mwangi and LaValle. And the Enterprise.”

Enterprise. The Captain.

He set himself away from her, holding her at arm’s length, then pulled out his communicator. “Tucker here. I have ‘er, Cap’n.”

“Put her on, Trip.” The relief in Archer’s voice apparent to all.

“Captain, I am undamaged.”

“That’s good to hear, Subcommander. How soon will you be able to return?"

“Commander Tucker and I must ascend; then we should be ready for lift off in the shuttlepod. T’Pol out.”

Wanting to avoid setting off any further avalanches, Trip and T’Pol took turns climbing the ropes back up to the mesa level with Mwangi and LaValle as belayers, but the danger was past and the four returned safely to Enterprise without further incident.

LAUNCH BAY

Archer met them in the launch bay, coming out as soon as the bay pressurized. He seemed to want to reach out for both Trip and T’Pol, but held back, extending his arms and then retracting them to his sides. “I’ll expect a full debrief as soon as Phlox clears the lot of you. Damn. I may not let you two down on a planet together again. You only seem to get yourselves bound up in something or other.”

Trip and T’Pol glanced briefly at each other, then back at the Captain. T’Pol spoke first.

“On the contrary, Captain. The situations are inadvertent, but Commander Tucker and I have managed on all occasions to combine our resources to create successful outcomes.”

Tucker rolled his eyes over to her with a half smile smirk, and mouthed ‘successful outcomes’? But he looked up at Archer and nodded a grin. “That’s right, Cap’n.”

Archer looked at his friend and chief engineer for several silent seconds, looked over at his science officer and second-in-command with an appraising stare, then back at the engineer. Both gazed back evenly. And then, as if resigned t a newly discovered truth, said, “Why don’t we save the debriefing until morning. I’ll meet you two for breakfast.”

“Aye, sir,” replied Commander Tucker.

“Certainly, Captain.” Added Subcommander T’Pol.

He left the launchbay as did the others, but the Subcommander and the Commander lingered. If asked, either would have said they were securing the vessel, and both would have been correct, although why the second and third most senior officers should have been doing so would not have come up.

“T’Pol.”

“Mr. Tucker.”

“I hope you are not offended that I held you like that. I know Vulcans don’t like to be touched an’ all. It was beyond my abilities to be logical. Hell, it was beyond my abilities to put it into words.”

“I was not offended, Mr. Tucker. I, too, was conscious of the risk we had taken and survived.”

He looked at her. What else was she sayin’? Time for another risk.

“Mr. Tucker.”

“T’Pol.”

“Perhaps you and I could attend a Movie Night together.”

Damn! She beat me to it again!

“I’d like that. We may not like the same movies though.”

“We must consider all perspectives, Mr. Tucker, even those that do not appeal to us.”

He smiled understanding with his eyes. Take your risk, Tucker! Take it now!

“T’Pol, have you ever heard of asphodel? It’s a greeny sorta flower.”

End

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

Author’s Notes: ‘Belay,’ ‘rappel,’ and ‘piton’ all belong to the vocabulary of rock-climbing—a language I don’t speak. Forgive me if I used the terms incorrectly, and feel free to let me know, so I can correct them.

Author’s Notes: The poem Trip could not remember is “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower” written in 1962 by William Carlos Williams for his wife. If you know the poem at all, you probably know the ending which I've put below. However, our software keeps defaulting each line to the left margin, so if you want to read the poem as it was meant to be read, go to the URL below.

Of asphodel, that greeny flower, 
        I come, my sweet,
                 to sing to you!
My heart rouses                   
             thinking to bring you news
                of something
that concerns you                
             and concerns many men.  Look
                        what passes for the new.
You will not find it there but in
         despised poems.
                   It is difficult
to get the news from poems       
           yet men die miserably every day
               for lack
of what is found there.          
               Hear me out
                         for I too am concerned
and every man                    
       who wants to die at peace in his bed
                   besides.

You can find the whole poem at poets.org:

http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?45442B7C000C07060175

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Eight hardy souls have made comments

aww, GREAT story Bucky! Very beautiful, and delicate. Really liked it! :-))

Very enthralling, I must say! And YAY for movie night! Great story!

Great story! Your descriptions of Trip and Archer's facial expressions and their mannerisms were very vivid and absolutely true to their characters, in my opinion. T'Pol was also wonderfully written. Thanks and I hope you write more in the future!

Wonderful story Bucky, beautifully told! I laughed and I cringed at poor old Trip putting his big old foot in it and getting himself all tied up in knots. Chuckle. Brilliant story, terrible poem but the story was so gorgeous who cares? Loved it. Thanks, Ali D :~)

I think your story hada poetic feel to it .It was really enjoyable to read .I hope you'll write more stories your very talented.

I think your story hada poetic feel to it .It was really enjoyable to read .I hope you'll write more stories your very talented.

Brilliant. Wonderfully written and the characterisation was excellent. I loved the fact that it was T’Pol who got the invitation to movie night in first.

Thanks, Bucky, for writing a literate piece. I didn't know this poem. I'm assuming here that T'Pol is a poem, which is a difficult form to understand but if time is not taken to understand and appreciate poetry life is not well-lived. She brings a richness and perspective to Trip's life.

I really enjoyed this story and hope you will write more. Thanks.