Voyagers II: The Lost Planet

Voyagers II: The Lost Planet

By Jack Daniel Higgins

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Paramount owns it. I don't. 'Nuff said.

Notes: Don't see too many Enterprise crossovers floating around. (In fact, I'm certain that people only write Babylon 5/Stargate SG-1 crossovers anymore---like it's a federal law or something.) It's still a surprise what this is crossed with, though (if you can't figure it out from the title, that is---and if you can, boy are you ever a sci-fi geek!). And no, the answer isn't ST: Voyager. But you'll probably know by the end of this episode.

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

"To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil Must give us pause."

---Hamlet

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

ONE month had passed since the accident. Three weeks had gone by since engineering had completed the required repairs to the engines and replaced a ship-wide network of Kentucky-fried power relays, and Enterprise could once again get underway. Enterprise had limped from system to system, even as the engineering team continued to patch her back together, but even after three weeks, they had only found one Minshara-class planet, and that had been uninhabited by any sentient life. In fact, most of the planetary systems they had found had been utterly devoid of life, desolate balls of rock or empty gas-giants. Wherever they had ended up, it was a vacant corner of the galaxy, mostly hostile to life.

It had been up to the senior officers to try and keep the mood light, to stave off any impending sense of hopelessness. The continuing tradition of "movie night", which Trip had kept alive all these years, was a great help in that regard; but even that paled in comparison to the "grapevine" for providing entertainment. Trip & T'Pol's baby was always a hot topic (there was also a betting pool on the birth-date and the labor, courtesy of Hoshi Sato, of course); and now that the Enterprise had apparently been shot across the galaxy, the crew were already starting to talk about (and place the occasional wager on) who would be the first to "hook up", if it ever became apparent that they would have to become a generation ship in order to get Enterprise home.

While the command staff was eating dinner in the captain's mess one evening, with Admiral Archer joining them (as had become the custom since his arrival), their meal was suddenly interrupted when the baby gave T'Pol's innards a good, swift Tucker kick. T'Pol said nothing, of course; but Trip felt it too, and he was the one who started making a fuss. With his hand on T'Pol's belly, he was grinning proudly and saying, "Yessir, that's a Tucker kick all right. Can ya feel that, honey?"

T'Pol shot her husband a look that carried the vulcan equivalent of "duh".

"What am I sayin', course ya can." Trip sat back down, placed his hand over T'Pol's, and said, "Isn't it high time ya started followin' Phlox's orders and cuttin' back on yer shifts?"

"I am the captain, Charles! I cannot simply abandon my duties."

"You may be the cap'n, T'Pol, but ya have other considerations too. Your health for one, and the baby's for another. No logic in workin' yerself ta death."

"My physiology is not as frail as a human's, husband. I am quite capable of handling my full responsibilities, and will be for some weeks still."

"At least talk to Phlox about it, darlin', an' see what he has to say!"

Archer and Reed were starting to feel like they were alone in the room again---or rather, like Trip and T'Pol thought that they were alone. "Do you think they'd notice if we got up and left, sir?" asked Reed.

"I doubt it... but why would we want to?" said Archer. "Just sit back and enjoy the show. It's better than movie night!"

T'Pol at once turned and faced Archer. She didn't say anything, but from the moody gaze he was getting, Archer suspected that she wanted to give him an earful, and he thanked his lucky star that he was still her superior officer.

Trip, thinking fast to try and dispel the tension, said, "Ya know, speakin' of movie night, why don't we all go this week? It could be just what the doctor ordered."

T'Pol appeared distracted enough by the suggestion that Archer was able to give Trip a subtle look of gratitude. He thought to himself, I wonder if Hoshi would like to---no, get a grip, Jon. She's still your subordinate. It would inappropriate to invite her out on a date! Nervously, Archer asked, "What's showing, Trip?"

"Oh, a real classic," said Trip cheerily. "Galaxy Quest III: The Search for Lazarus! Now I know lotsa folks’ll tell ya that part two, The Wrath of Sarris, is the better picture, but I never believed all that 'even-/odd-numbered Quest movie' garbage. Well, 'cept for number five, but that one doesn't really count."

"Explain," said T'Pol, who had no understanding whatsoever of what Trip was talking about.

"Well, way back when, fans of the show used to say that only the good Galaxy Quest movies were the second, fourth, sixth, and so on, and that since the fifth one was written and directed by---"

"No," clarified T’Pol, "I meant, what is Galaxy Quest?" She was curious; Charles had never mentioned such a thing before.

"Oh! I gotcha… see, it was this cheesy science fiction TV series, back in the 1960s, but it’s been in spin-offs and re-runs just about forever. The original show and the movies were about Captain Peter Q. Taggart of the N.S.E.A. Protector, and his alien science officer, Dr. Lazarus. They would fly around the galaxy, explorin' planets made of cardboard and matte painting… and every week, Captain Taggart would end up in bed with some beautiful, female alien!" Trip chuckled at the memories of the old TV show.

Admiral Archer suddenly laughed at Trip's explanation and said, "Could you imagine a Starfleet officer acting like that? Any one of us would get court-martialed so fast, his head would spin."

"An unlikely outcome, Admiral, since your anatomy would not allow for such a reaction," said T'Pol. "I could, however, imagine a Starfleet engineer who used to comport himself in such a manner."

Trip knew that T'Pol was teasing him about his unusual history with alien women, and so he shot back, "Say what you will, darlin', but I can tell you this: I'm the only man you'll ever meet who's been pregnant with a half-human kid, so it's not like you can ever tell me that I don't know what you're goin' through."

"He's got you there, Captain," Reed chuckled.

"On the contrary," said T'Pol to Trip, "youI, however, will---"

She was interrupted by a comm from the bridge. "Bridge to Captain Tucker."

"This is the captain," said T'Pol. "Go ahead."

From the bridge, Lt. Cmdr. Sato said, "We've just arrived in a system with an M-class world. Lt. Sulek says that his initial scans show some cities, but no significant power-signatures or life-signs."

"Understood," said T'Pol. "Gentlemen, perhaps we should make our way to the bridge?"

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

T'Pol, Trip, Archer, & Reed arrived on the bridge just as Enterprise was making standard orbit around the planet. "Captain," said Lt. Sulek, "I've completed my analysis of the sensor readings. The planet is habitable, but the only signs of intelligent life are a number of ruins scattered on the surface. The scans show negative for humanoid bio-signs; however... there are debris orbit."

"Of what kind?" asked T'Pol.

"Impossible to determine. Speculation: the materials present indicate a primitive, although warp-capable spacecraft."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulek. Commander Reed, organize an away team. We're going to have to---"

"Hold it," said Trip. "What's all this 'we' business? You can't go down there in your condition, at least not until we can see if it's dangerous or not!"

"Mr. Tucker, I am merely pregnant, not an invalid. I should not have to continue to remind you that I am more than capable of leading an away mission."

"Oh, no," said Trip. "Not unless Phlox specifically clears you for away-mission duty... I'm puttin' my foot down on this one."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and said, "Both of your feet are already on the floor."

"Cute," said Trip, "but it won't work this time. I need to hear it from Phlox first, or I'm not budgin'... idn't that right, Admiral?"

"Wha---? Oh, right," said Jonathan, catching on. "This may be your ship, Captain, but I'm still the ranking officer here. Don't make me order you to go see the doctor."

T'Pol realized that she was not only outnumbered; she was outranked. "Very well," she said, and without another word, she left the bridge for sickbay.

"Pulling rank, sir?" said Hoshi. "That hardly seems fair."

"Don't tell me you're takin' her side," said Trip.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she replied. "In fact, if I was in her 'condition', I'd be milking the situation for all the attention and time off that it's worth."

Archer coughed nervously at that. Trip shot his friend a funny sideways glance, and then said to Hoshi, "Yeah, well, you're not a workaholic vulcan."

"If I were human," interrupted Sulek, "I believe I'd find that remark insulting." Trips eyebrows shot up, but the vulcan continued, "However, in this, I believe you are correct. Our captain is, in fact, a 'workaholic'."

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Trip & Archer arrived in sickbay to find T'Pol staring daggers at Dr. Phlox. "Ah. Commander, Admiral, I was just going to call you down here. You were quite right to send T'Pol to see me, Mr. Tucker; she's two days overdue for a checkup."

«You missed a doctor's appointment? That's not like you, T'Pol.»

«I have been busy.»

«We all have, but you and the baby come first!»

Phlox and Archer gave each other a knowing look. Whenever Trip and T'Pol stared at each other like that, something telepathic (and probably argumentative) was going on. "...To that end," said Phlox, snapping the married couple back to reality, "I recommend that you immediately switch to light duties from here on out, and remain off duty starting one week from now. And no away missions."

"Doctor, you do understand the grave situation we are in, do you not? Enterprise needs its captain!"

"I'm afraid that's my final world on the matter," said Phlox. "Better safe than sorry where your health and that of your offspring are concerned. You'll have to start delegating your responsibilities to someone else for the time being."

"Very well," said T'Pol. Without hesitation, she turned to Jon and said, "Admiral, would you consider assuming command for the duration of my leave?" With a raised eyebrow, she repeated, "Enterprise needs its captain."

Jonathan was surprised, but glad that she'd made the offer, and apparently so was Trip. "I'd be honored to, T'Pol."

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

The shuttlepod landed on a grassy field, half a kilometer outside the largest of the ruined cities on the surface. Archer, Malcolm, Hoshi, and Sulek disembarked from the shuttle and spread out, examining their sensor equipment. Sulek immediately spotted an unusual reading on his tricorder and started marching south, away from the ruins. The others followed, and when they caught up to him, the vulcan was taking scans of a wrecked ship that had apparently crash-landed on the planet, and not very long ago, according to the readings that Sulek was taking. "My estimate is that this vessel crashed here not more than a month ago," he said. "There are no bodies inside."

Malcolm cautiously stepped forward and looked at the inside of the ship through a gaping hole in the hull. "Whoever built this was humanoid," he said after seeing the seats inside. "There's not much left of it, though. It looks like most of it was incinerated when it crashed."

"All right," said Archer. "Let's explore those ruins."

They started hiking towards the city and presently came to an ancient road of upturned and cast-aside bricks, which they were able to follow up to the abandoned stone buildings. "Fascinating," said Sulek. "The architecture is almost identical to that of Earth's classical Ancient Greece."

"Oh. My. God!" said Hoshi suddenly. She pointed to a building with broad steps leading up to a row of columns. On the façade above the columns, clearly carved and only slightly worn by time, was a row of letters -- Greek letters. "Those should not be here," said Hoshi. "It's not possible!"

"The language is not Greek," said Sulek. "I cannot read the inscription."

"It's Coptic," said Hoshi. "Greek letters used to write the Egyptian language! Oh-my-God, oh-my-God, sirs, do you know what this means? I... I... I don't believe it..."

"Sir, I think Lt. Cmdr. Sato is about to have a nervous breakdown," said Malcolm. "Breathe, Hoshi. And explain this... very slowly."

"It means, Malcolm, that humans lived on this planet. Centuries, maybe millennia ago, there were humans way out here, thousands and thousands of light-years from Earth!"

"Fascinating, and difficult to explain satisfactorily," said Sulek. "All archaeological evidence confirms conclusively that humans evolved on Earth. Logically, any humans living on this planet had to have come from Earth. Since humans did not have space-travel until relatively recently, we can therefore conclude that humans were brought to this planet, if it was indeed humans who resided here."

"Unless they came here after we developed warpdrive, and somehow traveled thousands of years back into time," suggested Malcolm.

"But then, they would not write with a language that has been dead to Earth for many centuries," Sulek pointed out. "And besides, time-travel is---"

"Yes, we know, 'impossible, as determined by the Vulcan Science Directorate'," said Archer.

"I was going to say, 'a highly improbable explanation', Admiral," said Sulek, his voice carrying a hint of reproach.

They moved on through the city, until the vulcan science officer once again picked up an anomalous reading. "Thirty-five meters in this direction," he said, turning between two stone buildings. The away team came upon a dead body---human-looking, and recently dead by all indications. "The tricorder indicates that he is---or rather, was human," said Sulek. "Shot by a solid-projectile weapon, approximately one month ago."

"The same time that shuttlecraft crashed," said Reed. "Was this... human... part of its crew?"

"In all likelihood," said Sulek.

"That begs the question," said Archer, "who shot him? And with a bullet, of all things?"

"Over there," said Hoshi, indicating the edge of the city, where the buildings ran up against a line of trees. "There are more bodies in the woods!"

As they approached, however, it became apparent that most of the bodies, if any, were not human. They were metallic; humanoid in shape, but slender in the limbs and solidly built. The faces sported a single visor-like "eye" and a speaker for a mouth. The arms ended in either articulate, claw-like hands, or the muzzles of firearms. They were menacing, lethal, killing-machines. "Androids, Admiral," said Sulek. Consulting the tricorder, he added, "Highly advanced artificial intelligence matrices... and equipped with magnetically-propelled solid-projectile weapons."

"Gauss guns," said Reed. "They use a high-powered magnetic coil, rather than gunpowder, to propel a bullet."

"Precisely," said Sulek.

Archer, meanwhile, had stumbled across a body among the fallen androids that stood out from the rest---this one did look human. A beautiful, blonde woman in a white dress, a stain of red tarnishing her chest. "Another human," said Archer.

"Negative, Admiral," said Sulek to everyone's surprise. "This individual is human in outward appearance, but scans show advanced cybernetics built into her central nervous system. I believe this 'woman' was a either a cyborg, or a bioloid."

"What's the difference?" asked Hoshi.

"A cyborg is a cybernetic organism," said Sulek, "a living being with machine components implanted artificially. A bioloid is a biological android, a machine made entirely or almost entirely of organic components, but still a machine nonetheless."

"I wonder if we'll ever know what really happened here," said Malcolm. "All of this is just so... unbelievable."

They wandered back towards the city to get a closer look at the only human corpse that they had found so far. "There's an insignia with writing on the uniform," said Reed. "Looks like more Greek. 'MAΓ-EH'. Does that mean anything to you, Hoshi?"

"Sorry, no. It could be an abbreviation, or even a number for all we know."

Admiral Archer's communicator beeped at that moment, and he responded, "Archer."

"Adm'ral, you'd better get back up here pronto," said Trip anxiously. "Enterprise was just attacked!"

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Several minutes earlier...

"Sensor contact, Captain," said an ensign on the bridge at the science officer's console. "Two small craft just came out of warp... I think... the readings are kind of funny."

"How so?' asked T'Pol.

"Their warp signature is just about impossible to pin down," she explained. "It's like they appeared out of nowhere."

T'Pol turned to the tactical station and ordered the crewman to give an analysis. "They're small. One-man fighter-craft would be my guess. Armaments include... magnetic rail-guns and some kind of missiles. It doesn't look like either could damage us very much if we polarize the hull-plating."

"Do it," said T'Pol. Looking over the shoulder of the ensign at her former station, T'Pol peeked at the bio-scanners. Readings inconclusive... that has never happened before, she thought. To communications, she said, "Try to hail them."

The comms officer tried multiple frequencies, but got only static... until a coded signal started broadcasting on the entire range of Enterprise’s comms systems. "Receiving a transmission, Captain... that's odd. It's binary code."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. Humans and vulcans both had long since abandoned computers that operated on binary code. "Can you determine its purpose?"

"Just a minute... I'm running it against the historical database... uh-oh," said the comms officer. T'Pol raised an eyebrow, and he continued. "It's a computer virus. And a pretty nasty one, from the looks of things. If our computer systems were about a hundred years older, we'd be in big trouble right about now."

"Then it would be safe to say that their intentions are unquestionably hostile?" asked T'Pol.

"Most people don't attempt to make friendly first-contact with a computer worm," affirmed the comms officer.

"Agreed," said T'Pol. "Red alert. All hands to battle stations."

Almost as soon as she gave the order, the two fighters swooped towards Enterprise and made a strafing run on the main saucer. Rail-gun rounds plinked off the polarized hull. "No damage," reported the ensign at tactical. "That doesn't mean they can't get lucky, though."

"Take us about, Mr. Mayweather," said T'Pol. "Ensign, return fire with phase-cannons."

The ensign smiled. For once I get to blow something up instead of Commander Reed! He locked onto one of the agile fighters and fired a low-powered phased-particle beam. The beam scored a direct hit, and the fighter burst into a fireball. "One down, one to go. They don't seem to have any kind of defenses," he reported.

The other fighter swept around in a graceful arc and launched its payload of missiles. A dozen white vapor-trails streaked across space towards Enterprise. Travis tried to take evasive action, but the missiles were guided, and one-by-one, they impacted the ship's hull. With each missile, a tremor was sent through the ship that rocked the bridge violently.

"What the hell was that?" called Trip from engineering.

"Damage report," said T'Pol. To Trip, she sent the thought, «Patience, beloved. I will explain soon.»

"Minimal," said the ensign. "No hull breaches."

"Return fire," T'Pol ordered again.

The ensign did so, and again, the small fighter vaporized under the Enterprise’s phase-cannon fire.

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Everyone assembled in the ready-room once the shuttlepod had returned to this ship.

"They were drones," said Lt. Sulek after he had analyzed the readings from the battle. "Done fighters with organic components, but computer-controlled just the same."

"I concur," said T'Pol. "The alien craft displayed minimal intelligence in their assault on a clearly superior ship, for reasons still yet to be determined."

"I think it's safe to say that wherever we are, it's most definitely hostile territory," said Archer. "I think we should get moving as soon as we can."

"But sir!" exclaimed Hoshi. "We still haven't studied everything on that planet! We might not get another chance to find answers."

"Be that as it may, I agree with the admiral's assessment," said T'Pol. "We should not remain in this space any longer than we have to. And at the moment, we do not have to."

Hoshi was about to argue, but Trip said, "T'Pol and the adm'ral are right. Unless we get a move-on now, we'll never find a way back to Earth, and if you ask me, I'd rather see live humans than dead ones."

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

That evening, Trip informed Malcolm and Jon that he and T'Pol wouldn't be dining with them. He had chef prepare something suitably vegetarian for his wife and brought the meal to their quarters. Then, for good measure, he lit a few of T'Pol's meditation candles.

On Phlox's orders, T'Pol would be going off duty soon. It wasn't long before Trip could sense her presence, heading in his direction. He did his best to cover up any thoughts of the surprise.

«You are shielding something, t'hy'la,» T'Pol thought knowingly.

«Am I?»

«Yes. What are you hiding?»

«Nothin'.»

«You should not hide things from your bondmate, Charles.»

Trip could tell that she was being playful now. «Well you'll just have to come to quarters to find out what it is, oh wife-of-mine.»

T'Pol opened the door at that instant, and saw Trip waiting for her with a candlelight dinner. The tiniest ghost of a smile graced her lips, and Trip almost fell out of his chair at the sight. "This is... a pleasant development," T'Pol said.

"I figured I owed ya, after the day you've had. Sit down, have a bite." There was plenty of food on the table... enough to feed three.

T'Pol sat down and ate a salad quietly. Trip remained silent as well, in word and thought, allowing T'Pol to relax. Finally, T'Pol looked up at Trip and said, "Charles, there is something I would like to show you.»

«What is it?»

«Take my hands.» Trip did so. T'Pol then placed one against her cheek, and the other on the bulge in her belly. Trip gasped. He could feel emotions... comforting, warm, loving emotions. «The bond has been completed for some time,» T'Pol thought. «I have been waiting to share this with you. From now on, you ought to be able to feel it from any distance.»

«It's incredible,» thought Trip. «And from the looks of things, it won't be too long now before we have another Tucker on board.»

«Indeed.»

"T'Pol," said Trip aloud, "promise me you'll do what the doctor said and take it easy until the baby's born? I just... I care about the both of you more than anythin' else in the universe, and I don't wanna see anythin' happen to either of ya."

"I know, beloved. You have my word. I shall transfer command of Enterprise to Admiral Archer soon."

"Soon... as in, tomorrow-soon?"

"In a week."

"Two days?"

"Six days."

"Three."

"Five."

"Four. Final offer."

T'Pol knew when she was beaten. It was illogical to persist in this matter, she realized. "Very well. Four days, but no sooner."

"That's ma girl," said Trip with a grin that could melt a vulcan's control in an instant (and always did a number on T'Pol's). "Girls, maybe?" said Trip suddenly. "Somehow, I'm gettin' the feelin' that we've got a daughter in there."

"It is... entirely possible," said T'Pol.

And as usual, Trip couldn't fault her logic.

•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Fin (for now).

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

A whole mess of folks have made comments

Yep,I recognized it. A month after "Kobol's Last Gleaming, pt2" eh? Maybe they'll catch up, they're looking for Earth too.

Oooooo, I do hope Six doesn't show up to look in on TnT's newborn... I wouldn't want her anywhere near! Wow, awesome crossover....

Can we perhaps get a Sulek-Baltar argument in some upcoming chapter? That would be awesome! :)

best storie

Cool, cool, can't wait to see what you do with this. Should be interesting! I'm liking the whole Archer-Hoshi thing, especially how awkward he is about it! Great job! :)

Great job. I loved it and hopefully you would continue this story

I like it. I too recognize the reference to Battlestar Galactica. Maybe you could have Apollo develop an interest in Hoshi. That will put a fire under Archer's butt. Maybe Starbuck's too (but then the spoilers for next season says Apollo and Starbuck hook up).

This is great. I can't wait till the two crews meet up, and see how you explain how humans arrived on kobol. I'd also like to see their reactions to the vulcans. Haven't seen aliens on battlestar yet.

don't watch BSG so that went over my head but on the whole I like the story so I hope to see more soon. ;-)

I also have not seen BSG, but that didn't make my enjoyment of the story any less! I SO love the "Galaxy Quest" conversation... that had me crackin' up.

I hope that you will continue this story! Thanks.

Qwertyuiop: All I can say is, did you ever see the Original Series episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

I haven't seen the original series, so I'll just look forward to what happens in your fic.

By the way, are you the same guy that posts on Kansas Farscape fiction? Was curious with the similar names.

Yep, that's me.

But... *you've never seen original Trek?!?* Whoa... is that even... I mean... how?

Good story, and was it just me or did it seem Trip was also picking up baby Tucker in that bond by the end? And ooh, dead Cylons, something else definitely going on if the planet is being defended despite everyone on it apparently being dead. So what are they hiding and will Trip and T'Pol find out before the next episode of "Galaxy Quest"? - Ali D :~)

Only have the slightest memories of TOS, but I think I see where you're going with the reference to WMFA.

BSG huh? When I read about the Greek temples I thought of the TOS episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?".

As for the BSG reference, I've sometimes wondered who would win in a battle between BSG tech and 22nd century Starfleet. Guess I have the answer now!

Anyway, a cute read about pregnant Polly :-).

Jack: "But... *you've never seen original Trek?!?* Whoa... is that even... I mean... how?"

I thought you meant the original Battle Star series. The only Battle Star I know comes from the current series on SciFi.

I've seen a good number of the original Trek episodes, I'll look up the one you mentioned.

I sure hope you continue this story soon. I've been looking forward to when the two groups meet. These are two great shows to cross without any conflicts.

i love this please contiune.

Nice fic. Normally, I'm not very big on crossovers between genres 'cause they just don't work but I really like this so far. Please continue...