Heresy - Ch 3

Heresy

By justTrip’n

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Chapter 3

@@@@

Lorian stood with the anxious crowd crammed in the corridor, one of the first in line. About thirty people had gathered outside the doors to the shuttle bay. The Triannon kidnappers had agreed to return Destiny, one year after abducting her, in exchange for a promise that the Enterprise crew would never again “desecrate spheres.” Her pod should already have landed. Why’s it taking so long? Lorian wondered. Outwardly he looked calm.

Lorian held his breath once he heard the clunk—the pod landing. A hiss of repressurization. Finally the doors opened. Those closest to the door spilled onto the catwalks and the away team climbed out of the pod with their precious cargo. First Malcolm stepped out, a weapon lowered at the floor, and raced up the metal steps then a 15 year-old girl in alien dress and hairstyle, followed by Aunt Amanda in her tattered and faded MACO gear. A cheer went up the crowd as Phlox reached out a hand to Destiny and practically dragged her up the ladder, but, oddly didn’t hug her. He inspected her and let out a squawk. Some uniquely Denobulan vocalization. Then she grabbed her father and buried her head in his shirt. Lorain’s resolve to act cool, almost dissolved as adults around him began crying. Even his mother eyes were shining as she clasped Malcolm’s hand in relief.

“Things went quite smoothly. She seems fine,” Malcolm called to the people craning their necks to see. Those nearest the girl began to gasp. The skin on her right hand and forearm was badly scarred, twisted as if she’d suffered a collision with an anomaly.

Archer forced a smile, pretending not to notice. “OK, everyone. They want just the immediate family. The rest of us can continue this party in mess hall!”

Malcolm gave T’Pol a reassuring smile, with a lingering look as he took a step away. He wasn’t immediate family. T’Pol continued to grip his hand. For a moment Lorian wondered if his mom was finally making a public statement about her new “best friend.” But no, it was just some kind of delayed panic. Now she released the hand and redirected her attention to the family reunion. As Malcolm headed down the hall

“Oh my God, Mandy! Is that really you, you’re so big!” Destiny gushed. Her 5-year old sister looked bewildered as her older sister grabbed her up, hugged her, and twirled her around, her loose, brown and tan overcoats flying outwards. Inwardly Lorian cringed to see Destiny so comfortable in the clothing of the Triannons.

She turned to Lorian and looked him up and down. They’d both changed; they were passing through the awkward-looking teenage years. Lorian was no longer as short or as cute; he was not yet handsome. His half-Denobulan twin was in about the same situation. She was blossoming, but not as beautifully as Paris. Lorian sympathized totally. He noted Destiny’s twisted limb and closed his eyes to suppress a wave of anger at the homicidal religious fanatics who’d killed his dad and encouraged her to worship anomalies.

He opened his eyes. “Hey sis,” Lorian croaked, his changing voice betraying him. Oh well, it’s not like it matters today. He held out his arms and she practically knocked him backwards as she ran into them.

“Aunt T’Pol, Aunt Liz!” Destiny continued, “Evan! Chelsea! Flessel! I missed you all so much!”

“Uncle Trip?” Destiny asked, oblivious. Aunt Amanda must not have told her.

“He’s not here,” Lorian replied simply, sparing them all a public recitation of the tragedy.

T’Pol shot her son a look of approval.

Amanda grabbed her daughter by the shoulders like she might never let her go and steered her back to her nuclear family. “Thank you everyone. I love you! Thank you.”

Phlox was back to himself as well. With his widest grin he told his extended family, “I feel like I’m on Denobula—you’ve all been so supportive. We were never alone through this.” The ecstatic commotion continued as the relatives wandered on down the corridor some going home, some joining the bigger celebration.

@@@@@

The “twins” were finally back together. The next day, after the party had died down, Lorian and Destiny had found a quiet unused corridor. They were sitting along side opposite walls, across the floor from one another, tucked up against the bulkheads. Neither faced the other when they spoke. As close as they were, it was still easier to address the personal questions to the steel beams.

“So, what was it like over there?”

“It wasn’t too bad. This one woman was like my mother and my teacher. They seemed to care about me. You know, they wanted me to be “saved” when the Makers returned to the Chosen Realm. Triannons believe the Makers are turning the Expanse into a paradise and . . . “

“You can skip that part . . .”

“But . . .”

“I want to know how they treated you. I don’t care about their crazy religion. So how’d you communicate?”

“Their translators work perfectly. They’re all about communication. They try to convert alien nonbelievers throughout the Expanse. That’s their primary mission.”

“Not to bomb people who are minding their own business?”

“NO! Anyways, not my friends . . .”

Lorian made no comment. His mother had warned him she might need time to re-acclimate. Lorian, got up and looked at the floor. He began carefully kicking at a rip in the carpet, tearing it wider.

“Lorian. I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad . . . I didn’t know. ”

Lorian nodded. “Well, he died trying to save Earth.”

They thought about this a minute.

“Lorian? You’re not going to believe me, but I saw your dad over there . . . across an anomaly.”

“Yeah, you’ve also seen Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.” It was true. She had a vivid imagination.

“Lorian, stop that! I’m serious.”

Lorian stopped ripping the carpet and turned and squatted on his heels. He would listen to her silly story. “All right . . . .” he said reluctantly.

“Well . . . one day, after I’d been there like forever, we were blessed with an anomaly. Everyone gathered to experience it. It was a big room. It was awesome. I tossed my tokens at the anomaly to send them to another world. Then through the anomaly I saw your Dad standing—with another me. I heard him say, ‘I’m gonna get us out of here.’ I hadn’t seen anyone from home in so long. I didn’t think. I ran to him. But I collided with the anomaly and my arm got twisted.”

“I’m gonna get us out of here?” Lorian asked dubiously.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

So she heard what she was hoping to hear.

“Triannons believe in alternative timelines . . .”

“I know. It’s on the game they gave us.”

“So you don’t think alternative timelines exist?”

“I’m sure they do, but so what?”

“If I hadn’t seen your dad and messed up my arm, I never would have gotten home. It’s kind of a big deal over there to be hurt by an anomaly. They call it “feeling the breath of the Makers.’ After that, I was a hero. The Triannons thought I had converted. They sent me back here as a prophet. Your dad helped me; even if he didn’t know it.”

“It’s a shame your arm is messed up. Can you still play basketball?” he asked, changing the subject.

“It doesn’t matter any more. Basketball is kid’s stuff.”

Lorian decided not to argue with her. “So you have you converted?”

“No, of course not!”

Finally some good news. He could relax a little. Give it time. She’ll be back to normal.

“Sometimes it feels like the whole crew here has converted.” He confessed to her. “After my dad died everything just came to a stop. The mission is on hold. We’re no longer investigating spheres, or planning their destruction, or anything.”

Two adults were heading down the hall. The kids got quiet. “Hey, Destiny,” one called. “Glad you’re back!” said the other said. “ . . . Lorian.”

Destiny smiled and waved as they passed.

Now Destiny looked at her twin mischievously. “But it wasn’t all bad while I was gone.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you have secrets to tell me?”

“It’s been a rotten year. Nothing good happened.”

“Paris says you and her are boyfriend and girlfriend”

“No!” Lorian said startled, “I told her ‘no.’”

“She says you kissed.”

He was busted. He should have known Paris wouldn’t keep her mouth shut. How do I explain this? I don’t even know what I was doing.

He rolled his eyes miserably. “It was her idea. It was . . . kind of . . .an experiment. But then she starts saying that we’re ‘bonded.’ I told her it doesn’t work that way.”

Destiny smiled, amused. “Paris loves the drama,” she agreed.

“We’ve all had enough drama,” Lorian stated. He looked across the room at his closest female friend and felt a surge of relief. “I’m just really glad you’re back.”

@@@@

Yesterday was huge relief, T’Pol considered as she stepped from the shower. For so long she’d been unsettled. Now a huge burden had lifted. When Malcolm walked off that shuttlepod, smiling triumphantly, slinging a weapon, with her niece alive and well . . .gloomy thoughts had flown out the airlock. Good things did happen. She could make a fresh start.

She put her briefest silky pajamas on under her best jumper. She was finally ready to move on. She’d told Malcolm it was time.

She stepped from the bathroom just as the doors to their quarters swished open. It was Lorian. T’Pol was pleased to see him. These days she and her son didn’t always intersect. She missed their old routine of shared daily mediation, but now that Lorian was older she no longer forced the issue. Maybe he was meditating on his own—or maybe not. In any case, he seemed reasonably self-controlled for a teenager—Vulcan or human.

Lorian threw his pads on the table and slumped in a chair.

“So,” T’Pol inquired, “Have you had an opportunity to talk with Destiny?”

“Yeah.”

“How is she responding to recent events?”

“She seems almost normal, . . .actually.” He paused a moment. “It’s still hard to listen to her talk about the ‘Makers.’”

“Myths are often founded on truths. If you do not react emotionally to her stories, you may be able to learn something useful about the Sphere Builders and their purpose in this Expanse.”

“I guess the readings Dad took on that last sphere didn’t help us?”

“Your father’s readings may still be useful. I confess I haven’t had time to analyze them properly.”

“Mother! It’s been like a year. Maybe you should let me look.”

“You can not interpret this data without an understanding of hyperdimensional subspace matrix theory. Have you finished your homework for Ms. Sato?”

Lorian shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t see the point. We’re just going to go out and use the translator anyway.”

“Warp field studies?”

“Done. Why am I still in school with these kids?

“Are you not a kid?”

“I’m smarter than all of them. I should be out DOING something.”

“You will find it difficult to keep friends with that superior attitude.”

“You should know, Mom.”

T’Pol’s noted the cutting remark without allowing herself an emotional reaction. She merely raised an eyebrow at her son to signal her disapproval.

“What?” Lorian responded, “You’re everyone’s superior officer. I just mean. . . it must be hard.” His expression was totally sincere.

At least he is communicating, however inappropriately. T’Pol decided. According the human database and conventional wisdom, it was important to maintain parent–child communication through her son’s adolescence. T’Pol’s parents would have sent her out into the desert for some self-reflection if she had spoken so carelessly. “I’m going to meet Malcolm for dinner.” She wished to remind her son she did have friends.

Lorian shifted in his chair and his expression turned sullen.

“Are you bothered that I’m spending time with Malcolm?” she asked.

“Whatever.”

“If you continue to use imprecise wording, then I will ask you to speak to me in Vulcan.”

“Mom, I just want you to be happy,” Lorian clarified. “Do they even have that phrase in Vulcan?”

@@@@@

She stood at the door and called. “Lieutenant, I need you to check tomorrow’s duty roster.”

“Thank you T’Pol, . . .” The door slid open, Malcolm reached out grabbed her elbow. He pulled her in toward him and the door slid shut behind her. “. . .but you’re going to give us away. We’ve been on a first-name basis for seventeen years.”

“I’m sorry, it’s been about that many years since I’ve had to . . . ‘sneak around.’ She sniffed his breath. ”You’ve been drinking.”

“Just a little. Forgive me, but this is still a little strange. It helps me relax.“

They stood for a moment looking at each other over; considering the arrangement they had agreed to. She had a feeling of trepidation. This will go badly.

Be objective. That approach had gotten her through situations more threatening than this one. Avoiding his eyes, she assessed her chosen mate. He was very well proportioned. Evolution had designed each species to select such partners. They tended to be healthier. I’m doing the right thing.

He slipped his left hand in hers and their fingers intertwined. Trip’s fingers had been solid and square. Malcolm’s were long and bony. Don’t think of Trip.

Her partner was inches from her face. She forced herself to look up and across at him. He isn’t as tall . . . but his body was warm and real pressed against hers. He leaned in; his open mouth met hers; their tongues slid into a wet inner space and tentatively explored the new surroundings. Mmmm. He tasted good . . . a little different.

She stopped and he held her. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.” He told her.

“When I was with Trip?”

“No! Are you kidding? Ever since your ‘proposal.’ I was afraid you were going to make me wait till the pon farr.”

“That would be unfair to you. As I explained, I cannot promise that you will find those proceedings enjoyable.”

“Yes, you warned me—the ‘overuse injuries’,” he sighed. “It all sounds very . . . tedious.” He cracked a smile and she realized he was joking.

He kissed her again and she kissed him back. It was all so much easier than she had thought it would be. He is quite skilled. T’Pol wondered if he would find her own skills adequate. She’d only had experience with one other man, and he’d been easy to please. Fortunately, instinct awakened, providing direction, and Malcolm offered no complaints about that direction. T’Pol no longer worried; she was lost in the moment. They stumbled to the floor.

.
Beep! . . . beep! . . . beep! It was the comm. The pulsing signal was annoying. “Ignore it,” T’Pol pleaded in a low voice. She was hungry to move on. Malcolm hovered over her, while the beeping stopped and started up again. Now it was truly distracting. Malcolm released her, and with an angry groan and went to answer.

“Reed here.”

“MOM!” It was Lorian over the comm link. “Destiny’s run off. . .”

Malcolm looked to her in alarm. She wished to reassure him.

“To where did she run?” T’Pol asked evenly. There are no ships docked; she can’t get away.

“She’s here, at our quarters. She had a fight with her mom.”

Malcolm gave a pained sigh of relief.

“Then it’s not an emergency. You talk to her till I get back”

“But mom . . .”

“I’ll be home soon.” She motioned Malcolm to cut the connection.

He looked at her, surprised. “You’re staying?” He seemed flattered.

“Yes, a little while longer.”

Malcolm smiled. Maybe he had expected her to run at the first excuse. He came back over to where she was now sitting on the bed, and reached for her. They tried to get back into it . . . they were succeeding.

There was a knock at the door.

“T’Pol, Malcolm, can I come in?” It was Amanda. She sounded distressed.

Malcolm dropped what he was doing and made a dash for the washroom.

“Certainly. I need two minutes,” T’Pol replied, checking her clothing..

“Oh, . . . OK . . . I’m sorry,” Amanda stammered.

T’Pol went over and met Malcolm at the open bathroom door, taking his shoulder and gently moving him aside to check herself in the mirror.

“Can you return tonight?” he whispered.

“I think so.” A wide-eyed stare expressed her apologies.

“You look fine,” he assured her.

T’Pol left Malcolm’s quarters and joined Amanda in the hall.

“So . . .?” Amanda prompted, grinning in anticipation of T’Pol’s response.

“As you may have guessed, Malcolm and I are “seeing each other” in preparation for a sexual encounter.” T’Pol informed her curious friend. “I would appreciate it if you keep this information confidential.”

“Wow! Of course.” Amanda promised. “So . . . . this is like . . . love? . . .lust?. . the pon farr? . . . what?”

“You believe those categories to be mutually exclusive?”

“Not necessarily . . . ,” her friend smiled, knowingly.

“Then, you can understand that our courtship is . . . multipurpose.”

“I won’t say anything,” Amanda assured her.

“What happened with Destiny?” T’Pol asked, getting back to business.

“Well, you know I was upset that she got her ears pierced over there. I simply suggested that that she close up the piercing till she’s a little older. Then she went nuts. Now I’m not even sure she’ll agree to having her arm fixed. She wouldn’t discuss it. She ran to your quarters.”

@@@@

When the two women entered the room. Destiny and Lorian were in a heated discussion.

“Well it’s not like a tattoo and no one around here thinks it’s cool,” Lorian was saying to the girl, gesturing towards her damaged arm.

“You guys’ll never approve of anything I do. You treat me like a baby. Over there people respected me.”

“We don’t respect you? Our whole fricking ship came to a stop—for a year—so we could look for you.”

“Well now I’m back and I’ve changed,” She told him. “You can’t pretend nothing happened and I’m still 14. Lorian and Paris aren’t the only ones who’ve grown up.”

Lorian reacted by glaring at his “sister” and then turning his back.

Amanda and T’Pol looked to each other, confused.

“Honey, you and Lorian are exactly the same age,” Amanda cooed.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Destiny cried. “I want to talk to Aunt T’Pol, she’ll believe me. And she has a tattoo.”

How did she learn that? T’Pol wondered.

“Night, ladies,” Lorian said dismissively, now heading for the door.

“Lorian!” T’Pol corrected. “You will address us properly!”

“Yes’m,” the boy muttered, turning to face them. “Mother . . . ,” He pronounced with exaggerated care, “Aunt Amanda.” T’Pol nodded and he was off.

Amanda looked to T’Pol apologetically. “I didn’t want Destiny to bother you with this. You’re the one who might find it upsetting. She wants to tell you about a dream she had of Trip.”

“It wasn’t a dream,” Destiny insisted, sounding hurt.

“Denobulans have the capacity to see things that aren’t there. Phlox says the hallucinations help relieve stress.”

“MOM!” Destiny shouted infuriated.

“Amanda. Let me hear her story. It is my job as science officer to evaluate accounts of puzzling phenomena. This is no different.”

“Of course it’s different,” Amanda scolded.

T’Pol changed her approach. “I have observed that a child will often take advice more easily from someone who is not their parent.”

“Well . . . I can’t argue with you there.”

“After we talk, Destiny will return home,” T’Pol suggested. Mother and daughter reluctantly agreed to the plan.

@@@@

It had been a fascinating discussion. Destiny did seem much more mature than the last time they had talked. In fact the last time Destiny had confided in T’Pol, it was to tattle on Lorian—to report some minor misbehavior, the details of which she could no longer recall. (The days of monitoring small children, with their constant needs, now seemed like another lifetime.)

T’Pol refocused her attention on Destiny’s latest claim. It was strange that her niece would hallucinate about Trip and not her own parents. The Trip in her niece’s dream was wearing a worn-out uniform… exactly what Trip had been wearing when he left Enterprise . . . while everyone around him wore brown Triannon clothing. Did that make the girl’s story more or less plausible? She could easily picture her husband stranded on that ship, wearing the uniform she’d handed him over a year ago.

<< I’m fine. Don’t worry. >> The words she’d thought she’d heard from Trip after his accident. T’Pol understood Destiny’s predicament. She’d need strong evidence if she wanted to convince others of something totally implausible. T’Pol felt a stab of loneliness. Malcolm is waiting, she remembered.

She glanced at her chronometer and was startled. It’s 11:20. I’ve got to get back.

@@@@@

She stood outside Malcolm’s door and called him.

“Hmmm?” came the sound from behind the door. He sounds disoriented. He was sleeping.

“It is T’Pol, should I come in?”

“Unnn!” She heard a clunk as his feet hit the floor. The door opened and she slipped in. He was squinting at her. “How’d it go?”

“Fine”

“Sorry, I fell asleep. I’ll blame it on the alcohol.”

“There is no need to apologize. I was hoping you would let me sleep with you.”

“Actually sleep?” He waited for a response. There was none. “All right.”

She took off her jumper revealing the silky pajamas. Malcolm reacted appreciatively. She climbed into the narrow bed and he spooned next to her. He caressed her arm and kissed the back of her neck. She felt guilty at her nonresponse. Intimacy between a Vulcan and a human is quite rare, she reminded herself. Perhaps the case with Trip will prove to be unique. Suddenly, the situation seemed to her to be unbearably sad and difficult. Inwardly, she struggled to suppress these dark emotions. Outwardly she maintained control. She answered her partner’s murmured questions about her welfare and that of her niece as simply as possible. Finally, Malcolm gave up in his attempts to engage her. He went to sleep, while she lay awake, thinking things over.

@@@@

The senior staff was gathered in the conference room. Malcolm and T’Pol selected the seats farthest from each other.

It was getting harder for Malcolm to pretend nothing was going on… even if it wasn’t—yet. Last night she had slept in his bed! And to think she had once seemed so intimidating. As he waited for the crew to settle in their seats, he recalled her “proposal”; how it almost given him a heart attack. Who would’ve thought she actually had feelings for me?

T’Pol glanced his way, and he ignored her. From her amateur attempts at subterfuge, it was difficult to imagine she’d once been an undercover operative.

Jon began the meeting. He was in a good mood. He congratulated them all on their recent success in bringing Destiny home, acknowledging Malcolm’s contribution in particular. Malcolm felt the day couldn’t get any better—and then it did.

“I propose Malcolm receive a monetary reward of 1000 credits to be paid as soon as we secure the funds,” The captain said.

All around the table the officers were raising hands and shouting in agreement.
“Then it’s unanimous!”

“So, I’m guessing it’s off to Siliar IV for some R&R.” Rostov laughed, poking an elbow into Malcolm’s side.

“Perhaps,” Malcolm answered amicably. T’Pol would understand that he’d been cornered.

“Well, I’m afraid that may not be possible.” Jon cautioned. “Malcolm? I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Not at all, sir.”

“Good, because . . . we hope to be leaving this sector very soon. It’s time we put some light years between ourselves and the Triannon homeworld.”

“How soon? T’Pol asked.

“Travis, what’s the schedule? We’re due to receive a shipment of Trellium in what? Two days?”

“One and a half. And then we’re free to go.”

“Jon, I ask that you consider delaying this move.” It was T’Pol “A new phenomenon has just been brought to my attention. It may be particular to the space around this sphere. It will require some time to discern its nature.”

Malcolm perked up his ears.

“Captain, this had better be important,” Travis cautioned “Trellium is fetching a high price in sector 3-8-2. Prices will fall quickly once others learn of the shortage.”

The captain nodded to Travis then turned back to T’Pol. “What sort of phenomenon?” he inquired. His tone was upbeat, but tinged with impatience.

“Visual and auditory manifestations of other realities have been reported near the anomalies,” she informed him.

“Reported by whom?”

“Myself… and now Destiny.”

Malcolm was dismayed. This story was implausible, and to make matters worse, T’Pol was going to give it out in bits. That habit never failed to annoy the captain.

“I’m listening,” Jon prompted.

“A year ago I heard something. Yesterday, Destiny reported to me that she has also heard and seen something.”

“And what did you two hear and see?”

She hesitated a moment while the officers shifted nervously. “It was Trip.”

The captain gave her a disappointed look. Malcolm surveyed the worried faces.

T’Pol pressed on. “Immediately after my husband’s accident, as you will recall, I heard his voice through the bond. Yesterday, Destiny reported a similar experience while on the Triannon ship. In both instances, the perceptions seem to have been facilitated by an anomaly.”

“What exactly did Destiny report?”

“While Destiny was worshipping with the Triannons at an anomaly, visual apparitions came into focus. She claims that through the distortion she recognized an image of herself with the commander. She heard him say ‘I’m going to get us out of here.’ She ran towards the image, into the anomaly, and injured her arm.”

Hoshi looked thoughtful. “There could be something to this. The game the Triannons gave Asatoshi involves similar scenarios. It’s as if these manifestations are a regular occurrence for these people.”

Rostov rolled his eyes. “Sounds like we need a Ouija board to get to the bottom of this mystery.”

“Commander!” Hoshi scolded.

“No, this intolerable!” Rostov said, genuinely upset. “I think T’Pol is suggesting we take the ship into an anomaly field to chase after ghosts. Enterprise has to hold together for the next hundred years. The way we’re pushing her, I can’t promise she’ll last till next Tuesday!”

“We would not need to take Enterprise into an anomaly field.” T’Pol answered in a flat tone. “Perhaps one shuttle pod . . .”

“You see! She’s serious!” Rostov threw up his hands.

“No one’s taking any of our vessels into any anomaly fields,” Jon declared, “Not on purpose,” Rostov looked relieved. “T’Pol, as intriguing as this lead is, we can no longer justify exploration for its own sake.”

“There may be practical benefits,” she pressed. “The research may provide us with a fuller understanding of transdimensional physics and the working of the spheres.”

“How much understanding do we need to be able to blow these things up?” Rostov countered. “No matter how fancy the physics, we still need to locate the one sphere that regulates the others. Which reminds me . . . T’Pol you never got back to me with the results of the scan that Trip and Travis took over a year ago. ”

“I’m sorry. I need a few more days.”

The officers steeled themselves, waiting for Jon’s reaction. “Make it your first priority!” came the reprimand.

“Captain,” she persisted, “I fear that alternative versions of Destiny and Trip are still out there, stranded on that ship.”

“Look,” The Captain paused and began to pace. He began again in a softer tone. “I’m willing to entertain the possibility that Trip is still alive in that parallel universe. But I’m afraid Alternative Trip will just have to fend for himself. It was hard enough rescuing Destiny from that other ship. How do we rescue two people from another ship in another dimension.?

“Perhaps if we sent a message . . . ”

“a message . . . ?”

“ . . . through a hyperdimensional rift.”

“And what of all the other crewmen we’ve lost along the way. Do we go back to look for alternative versions of them as well?”

“The other Destiny can’t fend for herself. I fear this isn’t really over. Not for her.”

“What do Phlox and Amanda say about all this?”

Malcolm spoke up. “They aren’t concerned. They believe their daughter is hallucinating.”

“Good!” The Captain concluded. “Let’s keep it that way. T’Pol I need you to drop this. God forbid we put that poor couple through this again.”

T’Pol looked down at the table.

Jon’s paced another circle, his face scrunched in thought. He came to a stop behind her chair. “T’Pol,” He said more gently, “that other Trip said he would escape. Why not just believe him? If he exists at all, I know he’d find a way to get back to you and Lorian.”

T’Pol met the stares of the other officers. “I’m not asking for your pity. I am fine. But two others are in jeopardy.”

There was an awkward silence around the room. It was a lost cause and Malcolm’s girlfriend was prepared to go down fighting for it. This will be ugly he worried; then an inspiration hit.

“Sir,” Malcolm interjected. He tilted his head in thought. “I just realized there’s a way that T’Pol could investigate this phenomenon, without risk to anyone—and without delaying our departure.”

“OK . . ”

“This year we had a breach in the Trellium shielding on cargo bay 3. Before we had a chance to patch it up, we experienced intermittent anomalies in that area for three months. People used to go watch the show… to see the crates stick to the walls. We happen to have security cameras in that room, monitoring our valuables. Let’s see if they picked up any ‘ghosts.’ We have nothing to lose.”

“How much time would this take?”

“A day or two, maybe less. I could assign the job to a subordinate.”

“That’s fine, if you can do it without alerting Phlox and Amanda. Malcolm, you oversee the project. T’Pol, stay away from it. I need you reviewing those scans.”

“If we find evidence of an alternative universe, can we pursue the Triannon ship?” T’Pol asked.

Jon smiled. He seemed amused by her tenacity. “We’ll cross that ‘hyperdimensional rift’ when we come to it,” he quipped.

@@@@

Later that day, T’Pol stopped procrastinating and reran the tests. The results were the same. No matter which way she analyzed the scans, there was nothing to suggest that the sphere they were leaving behind was any different from the others. It was not the regulator of the system. It could not be used to initiate an explosive, positive feedback loop. It not was the key to their problems a hundred years from now. Trip had given his life to gather this data, and it was going to be a dead end.

That night she slept in her own bed and dreamed restless, abstract dreams She and the ship’s computer were a single consciousness, mining data, eagerly sorting and searching, —looking for an elegant solution, or even a messy one.

She watched a set of eleven-dimensional blobs, each corresponding to a separate universe. The shapes twisted and contorted, but not randomly. Somehow their motions depended on her. Everything depended on her. The humans talked of Schrödinger’s cat. If T’Pol didn’t search for Trip across the invisible plane, would he even exist? An aggravating quantum probability function described her husband—he was potentially everywhere but nowhere in particular.

The blobs bounced against each other in higher dimensional space-time. Two collided and stuck like a pair of jiggling soap bubbles. Local space deformed and suddenly an opening connected the separate realities.

“T’Pol!” A familiar voice. It was distinct and loud. She opened her eyes.

It was Trip, standing over her bed. “I don’t get it . . .Whata you think you’re do’n?” he cried throwing out his hands, “I understand ya gotta live, but . . . .HELL! . . .you couldn’t even wait for the fever?” He was angry. She wanted to touch him to calm him, but found she was paralyzed. She couldn’t even speak. “And Malcolm?” He seemed incredulous. “It had to be Malcolm?!”

She struggled to move a muscle or make a sound. Finally she burst free of the phantom restraints. She awoke shaking—burning with shame, knowing her choice had been ridiculous.

Chapter 4

Return to Chapter 2

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!

A whole mess of folks have made comments

This ... this is painful. I understand what you're saying, that moving on after the death of a loved one is NOT a bad thing but ... T'Pol being with Malcolm is just ... painful. Maybe I've not gotten over that Abomination of a finale like I thought I had but reading this just ... hurt. I guess I'm just too much of a romantic at heart. :(

I'll try to read on though. You've got my interest piqued with the ghostly Trip...

Well Im damn glad that T'pol is finaly coming to her sences. But Still with Rigil on this. ( I guess were both to big of Romantics). Its tough as hell to read, about T'pol an another man, an its only worse that she was the one to intiate things with Lt. Man ho. I just dont Trust Malcolm to be faithful to her, let alone the fact he would ever consider beining with his best friends widdow just barely a year after Trip was "planted in the ground" It makes Malcolm seem like a cold heartless bastard.

An the fact that T'pol still obviously as Trip on the fore front of her mind even while she was tryining to be with the Man Ho. It really sticks me right through the heart, especialy since Ive seen a lesser Vulcan actualy resist the temptations in a simaler situation, an still remain loyal to their beloved (Tuvok on VGR went through the Ponn Far while stranded about 75,000 light years from his mate, yet he was willing to die rather then mate with any one else). Yet T'pol isnt even willing to try the meditation. That donst seem like her at all to me.

The end scene was interesting. I wonder if that was a "bond induced dream"? Cause T'pol obviously felt like shit for trying to move on, With Man Ho of all people, an if her guilt was magnified an transfered through an anomaly an the bond, I have no doubt that would of been Trip responce.

I Cant wait to see how Lorian will take the news that his father may still be alive? No doubt Man Ho will become his enemy #1. I tell ya what if I was in either Lorian's or even Trips shoe's, Id be ready to beat the shit out of that Man Ho Brit.

Im still readin this. But is hard as hell.

This is very painful...but then you think, if Trip comes back, then poor Malcom. But if he doesn't come back...the thought of them really together is just weird...

Anyway, I still love the story, it's different, yet it's fun to throw in some angst.

It's funny how it's the men who are so critical of Malcolm. Have you thought of the possibility that Malcolm has engaged in a series of empty relationships simply BECAUSE no one else could live up to the picture of the "ideal woman" he has in his head? You know... the strong, silent woman with the nice bum, LOL? If he's been secretly attracted to her all these years, but too rigidly British to make a move on his commanding officer until Archer lifted the restrictions on fraternization once they entered the time rift, then he lost his chance with her because Trip got there first. Now that Trip is dead and SHE made the first move, is it impossible to envision that he's feeling like he's finally been offered the chance to be with her without wounding his best friend in the process? Maybe he really LOVES her, guys. I find that scenario even more tragic, because she is OBVIOUSLY still in love with Trip, despite the attempt she's making to "move on". Malcolm's bound to realize that eventually. I think it will break his heart when he realizes that she will never love him the way she loves Trip. This is a true tragedy in the making, justTrip'n... however you look at it, it's just heartbreaking.

How was I critical of Malcolm? I said nothing bad about him. My comment that it was painful to see Reed with T'Pol was primarily because I absolutely loath the idea of ANYONE with T'Pol BUT Trip.

I understand your point about Reed, Distracted, but I completely disagree with you. I NEVER saw Reed as interested in T'Pol outside of admiring her physical attributes so envisioning that he's as in love with her as Trip was just doesn't work for me. And even if he is, that still doesn't make me like the situation anymore, my issues with the absurdity of female pon farr aside. (NOT a shot at you, justTrip'n)

Thanks people for the comments. Actually the scenes with T'Pol and Malcolm were REALLY hard to write. I think I only saved it from being "ICKY" by imagining the Malcolm point of view. The poor guy. If you remember from Shuttlepod One, and all those multiple love letters he wrote to his girlfriends, he truely is a romantic. It is probably a mystery to him as well why none of his relationships ever works out. For me, the answer is his parents really screwed him up. Archer's conversation with them was really creepy--remember when they didn't know which department he worked in?

The reason I got it in my head that T'Pol would turn to Malcolm as a second-best option after Trip was that Malcolm has so much emotional control he is almost Vulcan. I got that idea from Rigel Kent (sorry!) in the story where everyone is dying around Malcolm and still he soldiers on. I think T'Pol would appreciate that quality.

I like the whole idea that Malcolm is so concerned with duty. He has made it his duty to look after Lorian, where he sees he can be helpful, and to find Destiny. Those are great qualities!

Thanks people for reading! I'm so glad you gave me a chance with this!

There are a number of things I like about your story, justTrip'n. The characters act very maturely, arguably far more maturely than they did on the show. There is a sense that these are real people living on a real starship. You write in a very matter-of-factly style. You don't hit us readers over the head with how truly dramatic things are, you let us see our own story. I feel that this is far more engaging than having everything spelled out in excruciating detail.

I was surprised how intimate the relationship between T'Pol and Malcolm has became. I appreciate that your T'Pol cares about Malcolm. She doesn't just use him to solve a medical condition. It's touching to imagine that she would spend the night in his arms even though she technically doesn't have to. The fact that she does it even though she's thinking about Trip all the while makes her gesture very powerful. In a way, she is putting Malcolm's emotional well-being ahead of her own in this moment, and Malcolm realizes this. I'd love to see a conversation between the two in which their situation is addressed. Malcolm would have to be completely dumb not to know that she *is* thinking about Trip when she is with him. I wonder how he feels. His motivations are no less complex than T'Pol's. It's safe to assume that he finds her attractive and there are plenty of indications that he genuinely cares for her. He is a man with a strong sense of duty. He might regard caring for her and Lorian as his duty to Trip. I can easily imagine that this leads him into a powerful conflict of interest as well. He might feel guilty about being attracted to his best friend's wife.

Last but not least I like the complexity of the children in your story. They aren't just cute bystanders, they have thoughts of their own. It's always a safe bet to stay with the main characters, but I wouldn't mind a more extensive segment that shows how Lorian handles this situation. In E², I didn't care much for his character, but in your story he is very interesting. He is intelligent and perceptive. He's even tactful. How rare is that for a teenager?

It's quite amazing how your story is packed with personal conflict without ever exploiting the characters for cheap effects.

Sorry, not my kind of story. T'Pol with someone else for whatever reasons, I just don't wanna read it.

Aw, come on, Kenshin. Give it a chance. Would you really expect E2 T'Pol to remain alone in bed for over a hundred years on a ship full of humans who are all breeding like bunnies? That's awfully cruel, IMO. Besides... I suspect that justTrip'n's got some alternate universe tricks up her sleeve. : )

t'pol and reed! wrong all wrong

I hate to say it, but considering how the other stories by justTrip’n have gone, I knew to wait to see from the comments whether to give this story a chance.

I'll keep reading the comments to see if the story turns out in a way that'll make my TnT shipper heart happy. I'm not for angst for angst sake. But I'll read it if I hear the story eventually delivers comfort to make up for all the hurt.

I guess my point is that from the author's history, no one should be surprised that this is an uncomfortable story. And I wouldn't be surprised if it ends in an unhappy way for TnT shippers. That's why I'm in a wait and see mode.

Really, Distracted, is it any surprise that so few people here like this idea? It IS a T'Pol/Trip Shipper site and there aren't a lot of us here that like the idea of T'Pol being with anyone BUT Trip. To me, it is BECAUSE of the fact that T'Pold in E2 spent so long alone that she was such a compelling and tragic character.

I tend to agree with Kenshin here as my interpretation of Vulcans is that, barring rare exceptions, they mate for life. There is no "moving on" for them. (I don't need to complain about female PF since everyone knows what I think about that). Yes, Sarek did have another wife after Amanda but I find it extremely unlikely that he sought another mate so (relatively) soon after Amanda died. Were it not loyalty to the author, it would be highly unlikely that I would continue to read a fic like this.

@Distracted

Would I expect her to remain alone in bed for the rest of her life? Well, I don't think she had a sex life after Trip's death in E2, I may be alone with that assumption though. But even if she had a sex life, I just don't wanna imagine or read about it.
It's the kind of angst, I'm not good at dealing with and rather avoid.
I mean this is the fanfiction archive of TnT shipper site, imho you can't really blame me for skipping a story with M/T elements in it.

I set aside my utter disgust with Polly Pon'farr and read all three parts of the story last night and this morning.

I see really three distinct parts of the story, each executed with varying degrees of success. The first is the non-Trip, non-T'Pol, non-Malcolm stuff and I think it is executed very well. I think it's approaching the quality of Distracted's non-TnT stuff which is probably the best on the site right now.

The second is the T'Pol and Malcolm thing. If I assume Polly Pon'farr, then, yes, T'Pol needs to solve that problem. As I think through things, and given little tidbits here and there, Malcolm seems like the logical choice. The problem I have is really in the execution. In my mind, this would be an incredibly painful and troubling conclusion for both Malcolm and T'Pol. There just isn't enough inner monologue or discussion to get me on board (or as on board as you ever could). The story almost makes it sound too easy, which I know it can't be and which you do drop a couple hints here and there. I think you should have recognized that wasn't going to go over well and spent a lot of time showing the reader their thought processes. The poorest execution was on T'Pol falling into Malcolm's bed way before Pon'farr. That seemed to come out of left field and I just couldn't get on board with that.

The final part is the Trip part which is not bad. It's kind of light right now, but I'm assuming you did that intentionally.

Thanks Kevin, that was very helpful. Yeah, I have an idea, but if I don't make it compelling, convincing, and appealing I haven't done my job. Your comments give me great feedback about where I have succeeded and where I have not, and they pretty much correspond to my own assessment about the which parts of my story are more successful than others.

Um, I’m just going to throw out here that my guess is this story will stick to “canon” based on the author’s other work. This story is incredible painful as it is and I think those hoping for a happy ending may be disappointed. I’m not trying to be mean here, I’m just worried that there really isn’t a way to make this a happy ending and stick to canon. I’m going to keep an eye on the comment for this story just in case it turns out I’m wrong (which I do sincerely hope is the case). However, I just can’t see T’Pol moving on so quickly after Trip, there are human wives that have a harder time moving on sexual then we see T’Pol experiencing. So I just can’t keep reading. Sorry. :(

Sorry, not my cup of meat. There is only so much I can choke down and I find myself unwilling to wade through any more. Good luck with your story, I hope those that stick with it are rewarded.

HTH2k4

I agree with a lot of the commentors regarding the implausibility of T'Pol really falling for Malcolm this soon after Trip's death... but I don't think she really is. If you assume that she's gonna be forced by biology to choose an alternate partner very soon, and also that Malcolm is not only a logical choice from the ship's social structure POV, but also a friend, I think she's trying to give him something other than mindless sex to compensate for the fact that she feels guilty about having to use him in this way. She's in major denial, though, because it's never gonna work.

About her "falling into bed" with Malcolm... there's an interesting American historical corollary in the practice of "bundling". Early pioneer couples who were courting were placed in bed with each other before marriage... bundled up and sometimes separated by a board installed in the bed to keep them chaste. The idea was to foster intimacy... to see if they changed their minds about marriage after waking up with someone. If T'Pol is deliberately trying to foster a bond with Malcolm so that he will be responsive to her needs in Ponfarr, it would be logical to do something like this... but you'll notice that, although he thought of it as an intimate act, she just rolled over and started thinking about Trip. She's in big time denial, people. This is NOT gonna work... at least, that's the way I see it. We'll have to see how justTrip'n's gonna handle it. Give her a chance, guys. I don't think she's quite as sadistic as you seem to think she is.

You raise valid points, Distracted, but is it really any surprise that so many people are turned off by this? THIS is a TnT shipper site. By default, the majority of readers are uninterested in seeing T'Pol with anyone other than Tucker, or Tucker with anyone but T'Pol. Given the still sore wounds inflicted by that atrocity of a finale, it's no wonder that a lot of people here don't care (or simply don't like, as in my case) reading about T'Pol being with Reed, REGARDLESS of the circumstances. After that ... "finale", I'm all angsted out. I don't WANT to read about T'Pol having to "move on". Period.

If anything, this is doing Reed a serious disservice because I can't see him NOT realizing that T'Pol is still emotionally attached to Trip, ESPECIALLY when she is with him (Reed). Realizing this, he should probably speak to her instead of being so focused on fucking her as it seems he has been so far in this fic. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but that's my opinion and how Reed comes across to me here. The comment he made about being afraid that she would make him wait until PF bothered me. A lot. Anyone with half a brain can tell that she's STILL in love with Trip and he's too busy thinking with his dick.

Sorry, but that does NOT make me like him much.

And yeah, I get that justTrip'n isn't "sadistic", but there are other structural issues that I have with this, issues I have with any fic that has female PF in them. Reed is what? 50ish here? (I think this 18 years after season 3 - from their POV, of course). From what I've read, he's still on active duty, going out to fight pirates and the like. What happens to T'Pol if/when Reed doesn't come back? She's right back where she started, needing a mate for the (ridiculous) female pon farr. What happens then? Move on to Archer? Or Mayweather? Or Rostov? Ick.

And that is my primary problem with this story. I respect justTrip'n's talent here, but T'Pold in E2 gave NO indication to me that she had sexual relationsh with anyone BUT Trip, so it seems clear to me that she didn't experience the whole 7-year cycle thing. I'm trying to put my difficulty in swallowing female PF aside but honestly, I could really care less about reading a R/T'P fic, no matter how much T'Pol still wanted Trip. To me, it's too close to the ridiculous post-TATV Archer/T'Pol tripe where she falls into Captain Bigot's arms within minutes/hours/days of Trip's death that seems to proliferate at other fanfiction sites.

OK people, here’s where I’m coming from. I’m an “old lady” of 44, married to the same man for nearly 20 years with three teenage boys. I love Star Trek in general, Enterprise the most out of all Star Trek, and Trip the most out of all of Enterprise.

I understand that some people don’t want to “poison their minds” with the image of T’Pol and Malcom together. That is legitimate, there are some things on this site I don’t care to read. I have the blueprints for the Enteprise: Next Generation ship, so I know whose quarters are on which deck, etc. The notes to the blueprints assure us that, “the ‘real’ Enterprise is the one in your mind.” (You are free to discover new parts of the ship not on the drawings.) But, I’ve read lots of alternative versions of Trip and T’Pol without doing too much damage to that Enterprise I personally have in my mind. Hopefully this story won’t be too damaging to your vision. You can read it and forget it.

But being an “old lady” it would be pretty silly of me to exclusively contribute stories about how Trip and T’Pol get together for the first time have sex (though I have done that one.) I want to write about something real and there are other things in life than sex, including married life in general, friends, children, the mission etc, and dealing with loss. And this is science fiction after all—it should raise issues that we can debate.

Also, I dare say, in the first episode of Enterprise, if Trip and T’Pol had fallen into each others arms in the Decon scene, mind melded, fallen into perfect synch, and lived happily ever after, we wouldn’t be here still (on this site) talking and writing about it. It was the conflict and imperfections in their characters and relationship, and the hurdles they had to overcome, that made it real and interesting.

Which is all I can say without giving away my ending.

I normally do not step into coments about the stories we publish on the site; however, I'd like to clarify what is appropriate here at Trip/T'Polers:

1. Only the staff of Trip/T'Polers can enter stories for the site; therefore, we decide what is appropriate and what is not.

2. Our Guidelines make clear that T/T stories do NOT have to have happy resolutions.

3. We expect stories to include the idea of T/T--that could include everything from an action/adventure story in which Trip and T'Pol are just two of many characters and who do no more than show concern for each other to a full blown romance complete with NC-17 scenes.

It also includes stories that explore how either Trip or T'Pol would deal with the loss of the other. justTrip'n has offered one solution--in a story that is still incomplete! If you do not like her solution, move on. The archive is full of stories; perhaps you will like another. But please do not try to bully an author into altering a storyline because it isn't the one you wanted to read.

One of the best attributes of fanfiction is its ability to explore plot senarios that would have been impossible in the series. As long as stories have coherent plots and characters that adhere as close as reasonably possible to the characters in the series, then T/T will publish them.

I apologize if my comments came across as "bullying". It was not my intent to do so; I was merely expressing my opinion of the story and the events contained therein.

Rigil knows I have no problems with him. We are cool!

I also apologize if I offended justTrip'n, that wasn't my intention. I was not trying to make her change anything, I was just saying that it is not my kind of story.
Once again sorry.

It is not my intent to hurt anyones feelings nor was there any attempt on my part that I can perceive to persuade them to alter the intended story. Though less than elegantly stated, it accuratly reflected my reaction to the material presented which I inferred was the purpose of a comment/feedback section.

It is indeed proper the author explore any avenue as is their wont and champion their efforts accordingly. It is also up to readers to offer honest feedback or what is the value for the author?

Personally I am finding the comments on this particular work most interesting.

HTH2k4

i find myself reading the comments on this story, but i still can't bring myself to finish this chapter,i got as far as t'pol "going to check the duty rosters"
But the comments are great
Jo

I finally got around to reading this. It was really difficult and painful to get through the T'Pol/Malcolm scenes...but this is a good story you have going here. The E2 universe is a fascinating place to visit. I'm really enjoying both Lorian and Destiny. Lorian seems like quite the normal teen. I'm guessing that Trip is going to give his Vulcan mate a little piece of his mind now. I'm still really hoping this works out for Trip and T'Pol. Maybe an offer of cyber-brownies would help?

Way to be, Bucky. Anyway, I'm not especially gung-ho about this story (T'Pol and Malcolm, yadda yadda yadda), but I'm willing to give it a chance. Fingers crossed for a semi-happy ending!

(...And all y'all need to take a few deep breaths. It's FICTION! Deal!) :)

I browsed through this story and I don't think I'll be reading the rest of it. But for sure I'll be reading the comments...I find them more amusing!