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To Have Learned Nothing At All-Ch 16To Have Learned Nothing At All By Samantha Quinn Rating: R A/N: I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. This is completely A/U – nothing past “Impulse,” has occurred in this universe, only because I started this story last year, and it does have a pre-determined beginning, middle, and end that I honestly don’t feel like putting the extra effort into to change the entire story just because the on-screen story has gone in a direction that clashes with what’s here. Thus, if things don’t quite jive, or IF THINGS SEEM FAMILIAR, eh, life happens. In other words, THIS IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.
Chapter 16 And Wake up Where the Clouds Are ~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~ Thirty-two times T’Pol had been forced to re-watch her actions with Commander Tucker. Thirty-two times she had forced herself to reinforce her Vulcan shields against the emotional display that the obvious manipulation of her emotions was threatening to unleash. Thirty-two times T’Pol had sworn silently to herself that she would not lose control again, as she had in the Expanse. *Or has it been thirty-three times?* The realization of her uncertainty made T’Pol re-double her efforts. Breathing deeply, she began to recite passages of Surak, in an attempt to obtain the relaxation state that currently appeared to be beyond her grasp. *Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos, using reason as our guide.* *Wide experience increases wisdom, provided the experience is not sought purely for the stimulation of sensation.* As the intense sensation of pleasure that completely contradicted both of Surak’s sayings overwhelmed her once again, T’Pol was startled out of her attempts at relaxation. Involuntarily, her wrists jerked against of her constraints. The metal, which had once been too cool to the touch, had increased in temperature and was now pleasurably warm. *For such a supposedly xenophobic species, they are unexpectedly knowledgeable about Vulcan physiology.* The scientist in T’Pol wanted time to wonder about that, realizing that perhaps how they had obtained such information might be important. But there was room for only so much struggle in any mind, even that of a Vulcan. As there were already two warring factions struggling for dominance within her mind, there was little room for an anthropological analysis. *There is no other wisdom and no other hope for us but that we grow wise.* *Cast out fear. There is no room for anything else until you cast out fear.* Surak was no help to her as the final wave of pleasure that came in accompany to Commander Tucker’s final words on screen. “I look forward to our reading too, T’Pol.” Involuntarily, her hands jerked again against her manacles once again. This time she could not help but wonder whether the instruments confining her had been traded by the Andorians before or after Enterprise had encountered them in the Expanse. *Perhaps they traded afterwards, in retaliation for not being able to use the Xindi weapon against my home planet.* Recognizing the thought to be an irrational one, T’Pol pushed it aside as the images finally ceased projection. Vaguely, she heard a warning from Hogan not to try to escape. As two overly rough hands grasped each one of her arms, she became aware that it was entirely too exhausted for any type of escape she may have been contemplated. Thus, it was with little resistance that she was escorted to her cell. Ignoring the food that had been pre made for her, T’Pol promptly sat down and began to attempt to meditate. ~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~
She was calling for him, again. But he couldn’t reach her. “Trip. . . please. . . said you’d never leave. Trip, help.” The voice was unmistakably T’Pol’s. Yet, Trip stood alone in the sand. It was sand unlike any he had seen in Florida, though it seemed familiar somehow. “T’Pol! T’Pol, where are you? I’m here, T’Pol!” he shouted to no avail. The ground was moving, though Trip didn’t understand why. “You must cast out your fear,” said a voice to his right. Turning sharply, Trip was confronted with a lanky Vulcan male he’d never seen before. “Who are you?” he demanded. “And where is T’Pol?” “I am Surak, and T’Pol is in the same place you are. Parted but never parted, touching but never touching.” “What the hell does that mean?” Suddenly, Surak began to smile. Though Trip didn’t understand why, the sight unnerved him greatly. Slowly, Surak’s smile morphed into a full laugh and his solemn black robes were replaced with a bright purple tunic. “Silly, silly creature. Come have fun with Sakon.” “Sakon? I thought your name was Surak.” “No, no. Surak is a stuffy old fellow that doesn’t know how to have any fun.” “Trip!” The sound was so desperate that Trip simply began to run. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he knew he had to get there fast. “I’m coming, T’Pol!” “Please hurry, Trip,” her voice pleaded. The further Trip ran, the further away he felt. In agitation, he turned and began to run in the opposite direction. “See there, T’Pol? He is abandoning you. You should leave the humans,” said a voice that Trip recognized distinctly as Soval’s. “No, T’Pol, I’m not abandoning you. Help me find you!” T’Pol’s voice came again. “No, no more Trip.” It was then that Trip woke up. ~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~ Alone in his quarters, Archer leaned back in the chair he’d positioned himself in shortly after Trip had left, and stretched his arms above his head until he heard a satisfying “snap.” Archer wasn’t entirely certain where the snap came from, but the combination of the feel and sound of the snap was immensely gratifying. Rolling his shoulders forward, Archer propped his elbows on the desk in front of him, closed his eyes, and massaged his eyelids. *This is pointless,* Archer grumbled internally. *There’s absolutely nothing here that will help. Nothing at all.* * But I have to find some way to get her back. She’s my crew member. My responsibility.* Memories from his childhood came at that point, completely against his will. In fact, they came in spite of Archer’s best attempts to constrain them. As vivid as the useless words on the screen in front of him, Archer recalled sitting at his grandfather’s knee, regaling in tales of the Eugenics Wars. ~~
“But not everyone, right, Grandpa?” “No, not everyone. There of course was my father, your great grandfather -“ “And Colonel O’Neill, right? He’s my favorite, Grandpa.” “Ah, Colonel O’Neill. He’s always been one of my favorites, too, and you’re right, Johnny. He was flawed, but basically a good, loyal man, especially when it came to his crew.” “That’s because he said that no one gets left behind, right, grandpa?” “That’s right, Johnny.”
For a very long time, Archer had looked to Jack O’Neill as a hero. Of course, given the role of O’Neill’s team in stopping Khan, most people even remotely familiar with history viewed him in a similar light. Still, the colonel had been the sole focus of Archer’s reports from the time he’d learned how to write, all the through the Academy. Only Henry Archer ranked higher in Jonathan’s estimation of what a person should be. Now, alone in his quarters, on his way to APA VI to pick up a replacement geologist, Archer wondered what Jack O’Neill would think of his actions. *No one gets left behind.* Somehow, Archer couldn’t see Colonel O’Neill abandoning his second-in-command, orders be damned. *Because no one gets left behind.* Archer’s musings were interrupted by the sound of the comm. “Lieutenant Reed to Captain Archer.” “This is Archer. What is it, Lieutenant?” “Commander Tucker and I have been reviewing the scans that Anders took on the planet, along with the information gathered by T’Pol.” “And?” “We believe we’ve discovered what’s causing the seismic distortions on the APA I colony.” “Well?” “It would be easier to explain in the command center, Sir.” Resisting the urge to sigh, Archer gave a nod that Malcolm couldn’t see. “I’m on my way, Lieutenant.” After the connection ended, Archer reflected briefly that the senior ranking officer hadn’t been the one to alert him. In all honesty, it didn’t make a difference. On the other hand, it did bother the Captain, and he felt more than a slight twinge of guilt for the way he’d behaved earlier. Trip and T’Pol maybe *should* have known better, but that didn’t justify what the colonists had done, nor did it justify the Captain taking out his frustrations on his engineer because the true culprits were politically protected by Starfleet and Earth. Turning off a screen which apparently held only useless and contradictory information, Archer stood and headed towards the command center. In the back of his mind, he hoped that whatever Trip and Malcolm had found would be useful. ~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~ A/N: Yes, there was a gratuitous Stargate reference.
Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS! Seven people have made commentsYay Stargate and ARGH, you can't leave it there. OOoooh, can't wait to find out what Trip and Malcolm have discovered, and just hope T'Pol can hang on for Trip to find some way back to her. Ali D :~) I *loved* the Stargate reference. There can be no gratuitous Stargate references, as you story demonstrates! LOL I am loving this story. I can't wait to see what happens next. Wonderful as always! Keep this going! I have been sitting her contemplating ways to torture you. You are not being fair at all, slowly bringing out these awesome additions to your story. I'm thinking possibly making you watch the T'Pol in heat moments with Phlox would be suitable punishment. Now, go, write, write often, and post now!!! More more more more more more more more more more more! I can't stand it I want more! |