The Warp 7 Project: The Enterprise Trials: Part 2

The Warp 7 Project - The Enterprise Trials

By: TLR

Rated: PG13
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and Paramount Pictures…Who I might add have abandoned it for other less tasteful projects. Shows how much they know about the entertainment business. Sorry, I am just getting a bit homesick for new TV material. I know all the episodes by heart and crave some new work by our favorite cast and crewmates. Enough venting…onward.
Summary: This part picks up the day after Jon's coming to Vulcan for his first tour of the plant. He has heard that he may be getting an observer placed aboard his ship by the head of the Vulcan High Council, (namely T'Pol) and is anxious to get to know her better. Meanwhile preparations are continuing for the first Human Warp 7 prototype to be tested in a smaller vehicle before installation and modifications can be made to the big ship. Let's pick up the action from here.

September 15, 2006

Part 2

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04:05 AM

T'Pol stood beneath the hot spray of water, enjoying the silence this time of the morning brought. She now understood why her mother made a point of getting up a half hour before the rest of the household just to get a quiet minute to herself. Once the children and her mate were up, there would be no place to be alone. She felt the hot wetness ease her sore muscles. While trained to ignore pain, the Vulcan really missed her workouts aboard the Enterprise. At least there physical exercise was mandated. Now at home, her work and family took so much of her time that the woman began to know what it was like to be a monk. She spent most of her day sitting behind a desk, talking with less than courteous diplomats, trying to come to compromises that weren't always there. She longed to run on a treadmill again, or even take up a sparring match with a trained MACO. At least then she was in tip top shape. Now the Vulcan wasn't sure if she could even beat one of those humans, not without retraining. She felt the warmth of two arms snake around her body, as her mate's lips caressed the nape of her neck.

"Thought I'd catch you in here…" Trip came up and began planting small kisses up along her ear and hairline. She leaned into his touch, realizing another thing she had missed due to both their heavy work schedules.

"You know the kids are still asleep…" He added, turning her to face him. Trip Tucker wore a huge smile as his passion filled eyes fell upon her equally interested face. He took her mouth to his and began stirring feelings within her that made all other thoughts go out the window. The Vulcan's hands came up to pull his head deeper into the kiss. He came to her willingly, happy to for once have his wife all too himself. Usually their activities were thwarted by the pitter patter of little feet, but right now, the adults of the home knew that both their offspring were tucked safely into their beds.

Trip's hands moved along her body, upward cupping her soft flesh and triggering feelings of arousal that brought T'Pol to him all the more. She groped at his head, then shoulders, then head again trying to devour this man who'd been apart from her in this way for so long. The Human enjoyed this frenzy, allowing his hands to rove to yet another stimulating spot. He moved downward and supported her bottom, one cheek per hand. Trip lifted his mate slightly, until she barely stood on tiptoe before him. This made her body lean into him hard, the flesh mixed with warm water creating a slippery slide sensation that enticed them all the more. He began playing with her mouth, first taking her bottom lip into his, then her top. He tilted his head to explore her orifice deeper, wanting to taste the sweetness of her essence from the inside out.

To this T'Pol met his every move with a counter of her own. Like a well honed dance team, these two lovers played out a routine that was not only beautiful to watch, but brought to each a higher state of need. It was many more long minutes of foreplay before the bond-mates decided their passions needed to be quenched. Backing her up to the wall of the shower, Trip took his wife, bringing such exquisite pleasure to her mind and body that she would be breathless for a long time afterward. Spent they slumped to the floor allowing the warmth of the spraying water to keep their bodies from the cold. Once composed, the two lovebirds rose and dried off. They knew it wouldn't be long before the children would be up and their day routine would begin again.

*****

"Hey there Commander." A thick British accent surprised Trip as he stood beside the testing chamber. He was in the midst of watching yet another round of prototype trials, making sure every thing was in proper running order. He looked around surprised to find that not only Malcolm was walking up to him, but Hoshi too. She ran the last few steps and put her arms about the engineer.

"Hey… You two made it…" Trip wore a huge smile feeling all the more contented in seeing his old friends once again. "Did you guys get settled in okay?" The Human knew that much of their time yesterday was getting assigned quarters in the Human sector.

"Yeah….. They are very nice." Hoshi was positive and optimistic, while Malcolm stayed bland about the whole thing.

"Yes, I suppose they'll do." Secretly he didn't plan on staying too much in his housing, when he could be in Sato's.

"Is something wrong with them?" Trip was truly concerned, but saw the young woman's response which told him everything. She rolled her eyes and simply replied. "It's cause I'm not there."

The Engineer's smile grew. A tall Vulcan stood in the corner patiently awaiting the return of the human female. Trip saw him and asked. "Is he with you?" Hoshi looked over at her escort.

"Yes…apparently I can't get to where I am going without someone to accompany me…. I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted." She leaned into her friend and relayed that last part.

"Hey….It's just a cultural thing." Trip joked. "They think you will try and flirt with a promised or bonded male and then there will be hell to pay. Believe me…. It's better to have an escort. You can easily get lost or break down in the deserts around here. And you don't even want to know about the desert creatures you could find in your sleeping bag." Again another chuckle came from the young man. Reed joined in with a sarcastic snort in agreement.

"Well I best not keep him waiting…" Hoshi turned in the direction of the alien. She heard Trip yell after her half way to the door.

"Tell him to bring you to the house for lunch. My folks should be there by then." He saw her wave and nod, then disappear into a hover craft. Malcolm turned his attention to what played out before him on the screen. He saw the engine prototype light up and pulsate at speeds he couldn't even imagine, a sight that both awed and worried him all at the same time.

"You think that thing is gonna be safe?" His accent made his words all the more dramatic.

"Sure hope so." A voice came up from behind and took the young security officer by surprise. Archer, in overalls, covered in dirt and greasy stains walked up to his officer and caused him to quickly come to attention.

"Captain.." The Lieutenant stood straight and stiff not knowing how to take this circumstance.

"Will you cut that out Malcolm… We are off duty…. Relax." Jon wiped his hands on a rag he pulled from his back pocket. He was amazed at how good he felt getting his hands dirty again. This work reminded him of when the Enterprise was being built. Many times he would don his overalls and help Trip realign a plasma conduit, or purge a clogged injector. It was filthy work, but honest. It was also a nice change from the pressures of being Captain.

(No one was gonna take a pot shot at you inside a Warp drive factory…) That thought gave the man real comfort, his mind still affected by the massive amounts of fighting he and his crew had to do their first 4 years out of space dock.

"Well…How she look Cap'n?" Trip was interested in his old friend's input.

"My dad would be real proud of her Trip… real proud." That coming from this man was the highest praise there was.

"Well Sir…we aim to please…" Trip grinned and saw Malcolm relax into this jovial atmosphere. They continued to watch the display change during the test then reset the equipment for yet another round of trials. It wasn't too long before a female Vulcan came to escort Lt. Reed to another part of the plant. It was this woman's duty to be sure the officer got what he needed to understand the upgrades to the weapon systems that the High Council decided to share with their allies. Trip already warned him not to make any kind of disrespectful or overly friendly remarks. He was to "treat her like his superior officer, understood," in fact were his exact words to the man just moments before he disappeared much the same way that Hoshi did. Trip could only hope that the security officer could forget his playboy ways so as not to encounter the wrath of some jealous bonded male.

*****

Back at home, T'Pol was busy helping V'Cara with the household chores. Lizzie was in school, and Lorian was busy learning his riding skills on the back of a very tired Kamute. The animal slowed his pace to a fast walk as he made his 20th pass through the house. The small child giggled with glee, encouraging the creature to speed up every time it would reduce speed. His diaper clad bottom bounced up and down exaggeratedly once again as the wooly animal came to a slow stop. It searched the room for the female, wanting to tell her of its exhaustion. Sensing she was in the kitchen, the quadruped lumbered into the room and stood quite still in her path. T'Pol looked down, seeing the animal totally disobeying the child's insistence and realized that Lorian had become too much for the older male to handle.

Reaching down, T'Pol took the child from its back and watched the creature move to the far side of the room and lay down. Holding Lorian to give the animal some rest, T'Pol left the room and went into the front garden courtyard. There she played with the tiny tot until there was a knock on the outer gate. Opening it, the councilwoman was greeted by a pair of Vulcan officers. They bowed in respect then stepped aside to reveal their cargo. As they did so, a rather nervous Catherine Tucker stared up at them. They were so tall, a far bit above her and her husband.

While their transports to Vulcan had always been upsetting to the older southern female, this one had been exceptionally so. Between the new guards assigned to the family, and the side track they had to make to help a distressed vessel and its injured crew, the journey was by no means a usual one. Add to that that this time they brought their oldest son Jimmie along to finally see in person, his brother's home and family.

Lorian walked towards the group and stared up exaggeratedly at the oversized Vulcans. He was in awe of their appearance, which kept him from reacting right away like Elizabeth would have. He sent a mental message out to his mother to see if these very opposing figures were to be trusted, and the answer he got was Yes.. Even with the reassurance, Lorian never smiled at the males. Stepping back to allow his fore-parents to enter the area, he continued to glare up at them with uneasiness. Catherine dropped her handbag and went right for the child, scooping him up with great glee.

"There is my little munchkin…" Her drawl was thick and it got his attention from the guards if only for a moment. Afterward, the child's stare went back to the tall men again. Catherine noticed and whispered softly into his ear. "I know what you mean."

Charles Tucker stepped past their escort next carrying a couple of suit cases. Two other Vulcan escorts had the remainder of the luggage to bring in. He was followed by a rather familiar face, though T'Pol had only seen pictures and video letters from him. It was Trip's older brother James Charles Tucker, commonly nicknamed 'Jimmie'. He walked up to his parents who stood before the young Vulcan. The escort sent with them, awaited silently a chance to speak with the council woman after the introductions were made.

Charles spoke up, a smile bigger than Texas on his lips for the young woman he and his wife had come to know and love. "Awe T'Pol…. It's so good to see ya…." He pulled her into a soft hug and noted that the guards looked away from the spectacle. He straightened remembering they were in mixed company and pulled his eldest son forward.

"T'Pol… I want you to meet Jimmie… Jimmie… this is T'Pol, your brother's better half." Charles spoofed back to a debate the family had had in the past that T'Pol was after all Trip's superior officer in more ways than one. "It is so good to finally get you guys together."

Jimmie, a taller man, standing about 5 inches higher than Trip or his father had jet black hair. His blue eyes almost made him look Negallian, a species whose eyes doubled as lighting after the sun set. They were photo-optic in nature. But what made this man so familiar was the strong resemblance he shared with his father. It was like looking into a computer generated makeover. The male, early 40's had the same creases and lines his parent had, only not to the same extent. He had a warm smile, with large straight teeth and the deepest dimples the Vulcan had ever seen on any Human. Secretly T'Pol wondered from many months of video communications, if those inward demarcations didn't go all the way through. Jimmie stepped up, moving a bit closer and extended a courteous hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ma'am." His fine southern manners were reminiscent of her husband's and she accepted his offering in kind. "I know we've talked a lot on the comm, but I was kinda wondering when my brother would let me get to know my sister-in-law." He leaned in and showed just how much a Tucker he was. "Secretly, I think he was worried I'd steal you from him and he was gonna keep you all too himself." This elicited a big grin, as the man stood upright again.

"It is good to finally make your acquaintance as well." T'Pol looked around for his mate and offspring but found them sorely lacking. She looked back to Jimmie who realized instantly what she was wondering.

"The journey was such a long one, my wife wanted to remain home with the kids. Perhaps next time we come out, I can get her to join us."

"Space travel is often troubling, especially if it is something you don't normally do." T'Pol tried to ease the man's embarrassment over his wife's refusal to come.

"Yes… she is quite right. Mother herself took a while to get used to it and even now, she gets herself all worked up about having to ride in one of those mechanical spaceships." Charles turned to Catherine, seeing her blush at the admission that she still didn't have her space legs.

"Well…. I am not a space boomer, like some people I know." She returned defending her position as she handed over the small child to his grandpa. Charles took the child and freed Catherine to come over and hug T'Pol. She too kept it quick so as not to insult the other Vulcan's standing there.

"You could've fooled me." Jimmie spoke up. "The way you sprang into action after all those injured folks were brought aboard." The dark haired male began to laugh as he continued. "Mom heard that we were detouring. The captain or someone came by and told us of the delay." Jimmie became animated using his hands to further his point.

"Well when she heard that there were possibly more than 50 injured humanoids on that vessel, she argued with dad to let her go to our ship's sickbay and offer her assistance." Jimmie looked to his father who was reliving the moment with a broad smile too.

"Needless to say, Dad lost, and all of us ended up marching through the hallways toward the ship's medical bay. Once there, mom realized that these humanoids weren't humans at all. They were scaly with marble-like facetted eyes and fins that extended well past their posteriors." He chuckled once again.

"I thought I was gonna have to pick your mother up off the deck plates when she first saw them." Charles giggled and put a hand on his wife's shoulder. A tone of pride took over his voice then as he continued. "but after the initial shock wore off, she pitched in doing exactly what the medics told her too and was there all night lending a helping hand. I was very proud of her." He bent down and kissed her cheek.

Catherine blushed. "Well I was only doing the Christian thing. It is not proper to let anyone suffer if you can help them." She answered back secretly proud of herself too.

"Very logical….. I am sure your help was greatly appreciated." T'Pol added trying to give the woman the accolades she desired.

"Yep…. I was really surprised at that too…. I thought those Vulcan medics would figure we were in the way, but instead they put us to work the moment we offered our assistance. We weren't able to do much, just some toting and some fetching, but they seemed genuinely happy for the help." Charles was always amazed by this culture, so self reliant and strong, yet caring and compromising, a gross clash of traits in many Human's eyes.

"Our people believe that to offer assistance is a show of responsibility and respect." Teleck, the captain of the vessel stepped out from behind his crewman, growing tired of waiting for these pleasantries to end. "To refuse help is considered illogical and disrespectful. There is always something that can be done. Therefore, there is always a way someone can assist you." He ended his explanation and gave a moment to take in the understanding looks he got in return.

"You know… that’s true…. People want to be of help and when they can't it does stick in their craw… Your way is better…. It's very ….logical…." Charles spoke his understanding as he continued to analyze the nuances of the alien's wisdom.

"Most kind." Teleck returned then looked to the council woman. "Lady T'Pol…. I would speak with you." He gave her an expression that told the young woman he had important news. T'Pol turned to Charles and asked him to get his family settled. He took Lorian in with him, and led Jimmie through the front door into the living area. As T'Pol approached the captain, the air was split by a blood curdling yell "AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!", which T'Pol realized instantly to be from her mate's older brother. This scream was followed by Charles Tucker's voice trying to talk his poor son down from the ceiling.

"Now calm down boy…..I told you about those things… They are as gentle as a pussy cat…. " Through the glass, T'Pol and the crew watched as the elder male took hold of his child's shoulders and pushed him past the white furry beast. "You big sissy…. Look Lorian loves that thing….." The man stared down in horror as the child mounted his steed and they were off again.

The last thing the Vulcans heard from the Humans was the sound of Jimmie replying as he followed the group into the back part of the house. "My brother has gotta be fricking nuts…He's got a huge saber-tooth tiger as a pet and they call 'me' the wild child."

T'Pol turned back to the Captain and awaited the news she suspected he'd brought for her.
"Lady T'Pol…. We have a status report on the Terra Prime threat." The older male's voice was straight and even, denoting the seriousness of the information he brought. "It is as we suspected… They have re-emerged and are threatening any and all joint projects between the two species.

T'Pol weighed the information carefully, forming her orders to the Captain as carefully as she could. When they were finished, the group departed leaving the young councilwoman to continue to ponder the ramifications to the Warp 7 project this new threat could bring.

*****

"It was a fine dinner there, Miss T'Pol" Jimmie's southern manners were in competition with his drawl. He stated picking up the dishes and following his brother into the kitchen area. The rest of the group, Hoshi, Malcolm, the Captain and Charles, Jr. all moved for the living room with the children in tow. Catherine, Trip and T'Pol worked at clearing the table, bringing the dishes to the recycler in just a brief few moments.

"You are most kind…" T'Pol started as she set down her load of items. "But please call me T'Pol. We have no need for formalities between family members." Her look to him was warm and welcoming, a fact that made the young male know why his brother fell so hard for this unique young woman.

"T'Pol it is then…. Can I help with anything else?" He asked remembering what the Captain said about respect.

"We have this covered, however if you wish to assist your brother in entertaining our guest, that would be most helpful." T'Pol knew how to keep from insulting anyone who offered their help. This, the young man smiled at and after a few more seconds he and his younger brother were joining the remainder of the group in the main living area.

Trip picked up a tall container from a cabinet at the far end of the room. He handed it to his brother and saw the large smile he got in return. 'Kentucky Bourbon' James saw on the label, and knew instantly the evening was gonna turn into a very enjoyable one. Trip then retrieved several glasses from that same cabinet and made his way toward the crowd. Pouring out into the glasses small portions of the brown liquid, Archer was the first to notice the change in poison the young man chose.

"What, no Aldeboran Whiskey?" He chuckled and accepted a partially full glass of the American stuff.

"No… some of you are drive'n, I thought it better to stick to the watered down version." He snorted back continuing to divi out a portion to each of his guests. When all had some, Trip raised his glass and prepared for a toast.

"To the Warp 7 project….. May she do as well in the Enterprise as she's doin in her trial simulations." He held his glass forward and got a reciprocal clink from all around.

"Here… Here" The group added in unison. Even Charles and Jimmie were wishing the test flights that would occur in a few days be safe and successful. It was at the end of the toast, that T'Pol and Catherine made their way into the room. She heard what was being said and thought it best not to bring up the matter of possible sabotage in front of all their guests. This, she reasoned could wait. In the meantime however, during the afternoon, the woman was very busy putting new security protocols into place. This would be noticed starting tomorrow morning, so T'Pol knew she would have to discuss the matter with at least the crew before they arrived for work that next day. She waited her time, watching as the children played among the guests. A particularly interesting sight was that of James Tucker who was still very nervous being around the sehlats.

Kamute learned early that his presence upset the young man, so he kept his distance, staying just beside Lizzie as she played with the portable computer her mother had delivered to her this afternoon. It was a smaller version of the one she worked with at school and Trip nearly had a cow when he saw how his daughter was learning. The same voice, mechanical and curt announced every time the child got her answers right 'Correct'. Trip watched a while and realized that for some reason this thing fascinated her. He was glad that she was adapting, though he felt the child's need for personal interaction was being seriously overlooked. Now Lizzie sat on the floor beside her mother playing the portable game like it was Pong… Mesmerized she hardly heard her father's mental query as to how she was doing.

Keller, however found his master's older brother fascinating, coming up frequently and sniffing at his pant's leg. All the others in the room were very used to seeing the pets, but James was having a bit of a time keeping his cool. Like a nervous tax payer at audit time, he fidgeted every time the wooly thing got within two meters of him, trying not to call out and startle that thing. The growling sound Keller made caused the man on several occasions to move away from his inquisitive advances. Finally, not able to hold it in anymore, Jimmie shakily asked the question he needed to know.

"Am I doing something to this thing that he doesn't like?" His voice shook and got the attention of everyone in the room.

"No….He is merely pleased to make your acquaintance." T'Pol answered sounding as reassuring as she possibly could manage.

"So if he is so pleased, than why is he growling?" Keller took yet another sniff and made the man jump a bit higher.

"He growls when he's happy." Trip added… then looked to the pet and gave him a direct mental command. (Come over here Keller….You are scaring him.) With that the beast got up and moved across the room. He sat down beside the engineer and was rewarded with slow soothing petting across the crown of its head. Keller's eyes closed, and his growling got louder, almost drowning out the other conversations in the room. This astonished James, who was now realizing that perhaps his family was right about these big palookas. As the evening drew on, it came time for the children to get ready for bed. During the dishes, T'Pol explained to Catherine that she needed some time to speak to her old shipmates in private and asked if she and her family could get the children down for the evening. As promised, the southern woman enlisted the help of her husband and oldest son, picking up Lorian from his father's lap and taking both children into the back part of the house. It was then when T'Pol announced her need to speak with them.

Archer rose, thinking that the children's removal must be a sign that it was time for them to leave. Instead he was quite surprised when his ex science officer requested they stay for some important information. He retook his seat and waited to hear what was on the woman's mind.

"I need to speak to all of you about some information I was given today. It affects your working on the Warp 7 project and even your being on Vulcan. There has been a re-emergence in Terra Prime activity." She halted waiting for all involved to take in the information.

"What?" Trip was disgusted, thinking that after these last few years, the Terra Prime threat was gone for good.

"How did you hear about this?" The Captain wanted to know more than just the initial announcement. T'Pol saw the knowing look in Hoshi and Malcolm's faces that this information was not coming at a good time.

"The ministry of security here as well as on Earth has been monitoring the situation. Their operatives have infiltrated many levels of the group's operations. The latest intelligence reports that they have is that the group even has counterparts here on Vulcan, some who could be working on the Warp 7 project." T'Pol was straight faced, not letting any of the worry she had for her mate or their friends to show through.

"No way…. I have worked with every one of those people…. I would know if one of them was a spy." Trip got up and paced the room. "Your information has gotta be wrong." The young man's dreams for this project were being dashed by this news and he didn't want to give into it just yet.

"Is there a chance they could be wrong?" Archer added just as upset as his friend, but keeping a handle on it better.

"They are most emphatic about the accuracy of their data. It is a matter of utmost security and I have implemented several new security protocols that will begin starting tomorrow morning. No one at the plant knows of these changes, that is why I am telling you them tonight." T'Pol's news got Trip to come back to his seat. The group hunkered down and began going threw the councilwoman's changes in great detail. It was not only a matter of security for the project, but also for the safety of every Human on Vulcan, that T'Pol went to such links to make sure no one was left unprotected.

*****
The next morning at the plant, Trip, Malcolm and Jon arrived extra early to become updated on the new security protocols. At T'Pol's request, Lt Reed was to assist his Vulcan counterpart sub commander T'veck with getting all the workers in the plant scanned and into the new system. The added security level impressed the captain who saw that T'Pol was going all out to protect the project and her friends. The escort she assigned to Hoshi also denoted that even though the woman had no contact with the project, there was still pending threats to any Human living or working on Vulcan. That was part of the information she got from the ship's captain and again from her old colleagues at the Earth based Ministry of Security.

As the workers arrive, the crowd was met by a dozen armed security guards that held down the entrance to the plant like it was a strong hold. They greeted each staff member and explained the need for them too submit to verifier scan and retinal coding & classification. Many of the Humans took offense to the added measures when detailed by the Vulcan soldiers, but when Lt Reed stepped up and made his star fleet rank known, they quickly quieted and submitted to the brief, invasive procedures. The point of these measures, none of the workers were told. As Trip and Archer watched from the plant observation lounge, they wondered as each worker checked in, just who the mole was in the group. This thought sickened both men and each hoped that T'Pol's colleagues were wrong about the information. As the last of the workers clocked in, they were directed to the plant's main meeting area. From there they waited for some explanation about the change in their routine.

Trip stepped nervously up onto the platform with Jon standing right behind him. In the background, T'Pol stood supporting this action, showing to her people this move was not just a Human's emotional overreaction. As Trip began to speak, he heard his mate's voice in his head reminding him of what they covered of last evening. (Remember to say that these are simple routine security upgrades. Do not mention of our knowledge of the Terra Prime threat. If we hope to flush out the perpetrators, we must keep that knowledge to ourselves.)

"Good morning everyone…" Trip started and reflexively cleared his throat. "I know you all must have a million questions about what you all just went through, but if you give me a moment, I will try and explain our new security protocols too you." The crowd which had been buzzing, quieted wanting as much to hear this as Trip wanted to get it over with.

"Since we are entering the last phase of production, and getting ready to put our prototype into a test vehicle, both Star Fleet and the Vulcan government agreed that some stricter measures should be taken to prevent any type of contamination of the process." Trip started to say sabotage, but changed the word at the last minute to contamination. He heard once more his wife's warning messages in his head.

"I assure you they are all strictly routine measures being taken in other areas of the plant, and are meant to provide for everyone's safety. These measures may take a bit of time to get used too, but my friends Captain Jonathan Archer and Lt Malcolm Reed are here to be of assistance when necessary. Please utilize them or me if you find you are having any trouble with the new protocols. The changes in practice will be explained to you at your stations, since all stations have differing requirements. Please be patient with the changes. I assure you it is in everybody's best interest to work with the protocols rather than against them." Trip stopped his speech feeling very guilty about not mentioning the threat. The crowd picked up on that.

"Why did they need to scan our brains?" An irate human yelled back at his blond haired boss. Trip wasn't as sure about the answer, so he allowed Malcolm to field that question.

"Anyone working in sensitive areas submits to a retinal and brain scan to verify identity. Furthermore, if the materials you work with have any ill affect on the worker, the brain scan will identify the change quicker and can get you the assistance you need in case of an accident. The boys at Jupiter station, as well as the entire engineering crew aboard the Enterprise submit to monthly scans for that very reason. It is purely routine." Reed stood at the comm, head held high and confident that his cover hadn't jeopardized the secrecy of the mission.

"Routine, huh….Then why haven't we been scanned before this?" That same irate human wasn't buying too much of what was being said. It was Jackson, a brown haired male that was passed up for one of the manager positions when Johnson made the cut instead. Reed made a mental note to look into this man's motivations for coming into the program right after the meeting ended. He started again, but found Trip ready to take back control of his bunch.

"Because to this point you haven't been working around the dilitheum in any significant quantities. Also the fusion generators on the trial model aren't large enough to be of any danger to Humans or Vulcans. Now that we are to start working around life sized models, it is necessary to put all safety and security measures into place. This we have done today and I am hoping you all will see just how much they are to your benefit." Trip's last words were spoken with a tone that denoted he was not up for any more debate. The room fell quiet again and he dismissed his crew with little more fanfare. "Okay team…Let's get to work."

The group disbanded. Trip, Reed and Archer left the platform to go to the engineer's office. From there they came up with a plan that would allow them to systematically check out all the workers, even the Vulcans to see who could be the potential threat. T'Pol returned to her office in the High Council building and ordered all new information on the Terra Prime threat be routed directly to her. She continued her talks with the Echaran delegation. As usual the meeting was difficult, but productive when the topic of putting an observer aboard the Human starship was gotten around too.

*****

"Are you sure this is the right way?" A nervous Catherine Tucker asked Kamute as the animal led both her and her elder son toward the school where her grandchild attended. After cutting off the road and across a short patch of desert, the couple got a little nervous about the whole trip. James was really unsure, wishing he'd been the one who decided to stay behind and watch the little boy. But Lorian seemed more comfortable with his grandfather and someone had to go with his mom, so now here he was, an Earthling crossing an alien desert, could this little visit get any more bizarre. As they made their way across yet another dune, the humans spied a building in the center of a vast plateau. It didn’t at all look to be a school house, no play yard or outside equipment. It was just a clay-colored building of single level height that seemed to stretch on for a good four to five blocks. The plateau it sat in the center of, easily fit the structure, making it appear that the building was created specifically for the area. It peaked the woman's curiosity as she made the last few hundred yards to the front door.

The fact that Kamute opened the door made both of them stop and stare. There was a long hallway with numerous archways to either side. There were no other doors, save that which kept the outside out. This too struck Catherine as odd, and yet there was no distracting noise coming from any of the rooms. Just children, all seated neatly in front of their computers, doing their work with great interest. A tall Vulcan approached the duo, and offered some help.

"I am Master Ping…. How may I be of assistance?" The man was curious and spoke in a hushed voice as not to disturb his charges.

"We are Elizabeth Tucker's grand parents." Catherine started and realized she didn't have her husband with her. Rephrasing she continued. "I mean I am her grand mother and this is her uncle James." Jimmie bowed a quick how-do-you-do. "Her mother Lady T'Pol was tied up in council meetings and asked that we come and get the child for her."

Again the gracious male nodded and asked them to wait right there. He strode half way down the hall and entered the third arch on his left. Within moments he came forth with the child and her sehlat in tow. He looked down at the tot, placing a soft hand upon her shoulder as he mentally asked/ (Are these your family members…. Remember your mother wanted us to be sure of these things.)

Lizzie took a long look at her grandmother then touched her hand. The same sweet hum that she'd always known as her gramma's mind came back to her instantly. Elizabeth nodded happily to her teacher and he waved her dismissed.

On the way home, Catherine questioned her grandchild about the pause was. Her only response was "that her teacher wanted to make sure you were who you say you were. Any changes in routine they question immediately." To this the woman was duly impressed. Catherine long worried about how her grandchildren would be taken by others, knowing they were half human. When she found no mistreatment, the southern woman let out a little of those concerns knowing the children would be well cared for regardless by whom. Little did she know the looming threat that was all around them.

Back at the plant, Trip set out to make yet another set of rounds. The group of friends, including Hoshi and her bodyguard T'velt had lunch at the Human corridor at a quaint little veggie Italian Bistro in the midst of all the restaurants and shops. The crew was surprised at how good the food tasted and also with the stout little owner of the shop, Vinnie. This male, in his late 50's had come here after the death of his wife, with his son and daughter-in-law. They both were in the work study program at the Science Academy and were the man's only family. Moving here kept their family together and since Trip first met the man during his initial visit to this planet, the man had two lovely grandchildren. He came over and sat down with the group like he'd known them for years.

"Hey Trip…" He hollered from across the dining area." He came waddling over to the group his apron showing just how hard at work he'd been in the kitchen.

"Hey Vinnie…. Come meet my friends." The man finished his approach and introductions were made all around.

"You want to see pictures of my grand babies?…..they have grown so much since you and your family were in last." Archer realized that Trip and T'Pol must be frequenters of this bistro and imagined the look on T'Pol's face as the man got chummy with her and her children. He whipped out a palm padd and showed off the two glowing toddlers. The boy looked to be about 3 and his sister about 1. They both had distinct Italian characteristics, olive skin and jet black hair. The boy's was as straight as a stick and the girl's as curly as wire mesh. The group ooh'd and aahh'd over the photos, then got the skinny on the best things to order from the menu today. By the time lunch was over, the officers got the entire history of the man's family, his lineage and his move to this far away planet, a fact that made Lt Reed less than thrilled with the use of time. He had hoped to discuss the threat some more.

Back at the plant though, Trip and Malcolm were starting their last set of rounds for the day. The new security protocols were making work very difficult, having to retinal scan sign all changes, kept the workers constantly on their toes. Some humans could be openly heard cursing the procedures, however the Vulcans took it in stride knowing the importance of following the rules. Jackson was one of the biggest noise makers, cussing and swearing every time he wanted a result and had to scan to get it. This raised a flag in both men's book as they put him at the top of their list of suspects.

"Damn…son of a bitchin'……" The tirade went on as Johnson came up to give Trip an update on his section's progress.

"What's his problem?" Trip quipped knowing just how hot headed this particular human could get. If it wasn't for his excellent engineering skills and knowledge, the Human would have been on the first transport back to the Lunar one Station.

"He keeps forgetting about the retinal scanners. He puts in his changes and forgets to encode them. When the machine kicks him out, he has to re-enter all the data again." Johnson waited for his boss and friend to finish with the padd.

"Don't you think that is a bit over the top?" He whispered, feeling as Jackson did about all the added work.

"I know it's a bit much, but the Vulcan government and Star Fleet wanted it, so who am I to second guess them. Think of it this way, if we find a problem in computation, we won't have to wonder who did it. We will know automatically and can get it corrected all the more quickly." Trip flashed him a smile feeling guilty about not being able to tell the man who helped him fit in here, what exactly was going on. He started to go off then remembered…. "Oh yeah… My mom says that Lizzie's birthday party will be day after tomorrow. I hope you and your family can come."

"Wouldn't miss it…" Johnson returned with a huge smile. He could hear Jackson in the back ground still cursing out the equipment as his boss walked away.

*****

The house was full of guests, a fact that didn't sit well with T'Pol. Since the news about the Terra Prime threat, no one who came near her children was immune to suspicion. Along with the usual compliment, Skieck and his mate came and brought their young son. Johnson and his wife brought their daughter who was 2 years Lorian's senior. The Human and Vulcan children played with the sehlats as the adults moved around the room in small groups. Their conversations were varied, each group having its own idea of interesting social events. Soval stood in the corner of the room with Skieck and his mate. They spoke in Vulcan at times, not wishing to bother those around them with the mundane details of daily Vulcan living. Dr. Stepon attended leaving his mate home with their new born son. He stayed close by his father's side and took interest in the different gatherings about the room.

As they spoke, Skieck told of his offer for bonding to the Ambassador, wondering if with all his years of working with Humans he would know whether or not he'd acted inappropriately. The Vulcan wasn't quite sure, but the moment he suggested the union, he swore he felt a surge of anger coming from his boss and didn't mean to offend. Soval simply explained that Humans didn't betroth their children to others, but allowed them to find their own mates freely. The engineer was probably not ready to address such a problem and needed more time to speak of it with his mate. Upon hearing that, Skieck felt much better, and went back to watching the strange particulars of the party.

Catherine entered the room carrying a huge square shaped cake. After the upheaval they had with the fuzzy bunny one, she took no chance of hurting the little girl's feelings again. The candles atop it denoted she was turning five years old and every one of the Humans gathered around to sing. The Vulcans remained on the outskirts, all except for T'Pol who gathered her son Lorian up into her arms. The candlelight beckoned to all the aliens in the room, holding with it some magical calming power. Lorian and Lizzie stared at the candles as the song raged on around them.

"Happy Birthday dear Lizzie……Happy Birthday to you…….Yea!!!!!!" The human's cheers brought the Vulcans from their trance. They watched as the little girl closed her eyes, at her father's suggestion, then blew out the lights atop the cake with a single wind. Another cheer came at that action which puzzled the aliens all the more. Even though this was the third such party the ambassador had been to for the child, it still confused him the lengths these humans went to, to make things special for their children. He often thought they would be better off spending their energies getting their children to learn. In this way both parties would find contentment, not just the parents at making their children happy, this from a Vulcan's point of view.

After a fun filled afternoon, the bulk of the added guests returned to their homes. Johnson stayed behind long after Skieck and his family left. He was talking with Trip out on the patio while the Tuckers and T'Pol got the remainder of the mess cleaned up.

"How you think the project's going boss?" Josh asked having himself another glass of the Kasa fruit punch.

"Good ….real good….I really am proud of all the hard work you and all the others did on this project. I can't wait to take her for a spin tomorrow." Trip's mind was at ease, seeing as how the security precautions were in place and working beautifully.

"Glad to hear that Sir…. Working with you has been quite educational." Josh seemed very in awe of the man who'd gotten his engineering prowess up to standards.

"Hey cut the Sir…. We are partying here… Call me Trip." His boss lent out his glass and matched Josh's with a slight clink.

"Hopefully tomorrow we will have something really great to celebrate." Johnson returned, and saw another acceptance to his toast by the wavy haired young man.

"Let's hope so." Trip added and continued to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the night.

*****

The next day was a buzz with workers at the plant going back and forth, left and right. All the control boards for the rocket ship, nicknamed… Henry 1 after Archer's father, were manned and coming up green. The ship itself, a stealth vehicle that was taken out of service and reinforced to withstand the rigors of warp travel, checked out well during all of it's preflight trials. The task today was two fold. Get it up into the atmosphere and into space, then kick it into gear and hit Warp 7 before leaving the confines of the Vulcan solar system. Jon was beside himself, happy to once more be piloting a test vessel, instead of giving orders from a captain's chair. Secretly he envied Travis his job, wanting nothing more than to take the controls of the Enterprise and put her through her paces. (Soon he might be able to do just that,) he thought as he geared up and began going through preflight checklists.

Trip, who was equally excited about not being left behind this time, was suited up just beside him. His hands and eyes went over every panel, the intermix ratios that the trial runs came up with were all neatly implanted in his brain. He watched the panels detecting no fluctuations in the vessels flow.

A warning gong sounded and all the additional workmen knew to take cover from the backwash of the vessel. They left the hanger area, moving through the corridors to the observation lounges. From there all who worked on the project could see the start of such a fantastic voyage. T'Pol, who joined Soval and Malcolm in the control room studied frantically all the numbers as they came from the vehicle. Something about the day didn't sit well with her. She kept Lizzie from her schooling and made sure that V'Lmir was there at the house in case something untoward should happen. The Vulcan knew Trip's parents would need the support if the test didn't go well. They were not permitted on the base itself, so being at home with their grandchildren was the best place for them.

As the vehicle rose from its position on the platform and began hovering in the hanger, a swift feeling of excitement ran through T'Pol that she realized was coming from her mate. He was living his dream, one that eased the pain he felt at having to leave his friends and his ship to come and start life anew here on this strange world. He loved his family, of that T'Pol was sure, but she still felt the regret he'd feel from time to time after getting one of Jon's letters. Secretly, the human wondered if his life would have turned out differently had they stayed aboard the ship. Now with this chance to fly once more with his captain and friend, Trip could have a bit of what he'd lost, if only for a while and for that T'Pol was truly grateful.

The vehicle eased its way out of the hanger and into the open air of Vulcan early morning. It passed the long length of the plateau, and put some distance between it and the containment tanks at the far end of the factory. Then suddenly it rocketed upward, leaving behind it a large swirl of dust and debris. The exhilaration that came along with that move was equally dramatic, as Trip's already happy mind began to grow more delirious. In her head, she could hear the laughter and happy thoughts of the man she so loved. It made her heart glow with warmth, that what he'd worked for was now coming to pass.

As they rounded the first moon, Trip studied the panel yet another time. Archer who was piloting, sat back and just handled the controls like an old pro. He had one chance to take this vessel out before she was refitted and knew exactly where her touchy spots were. His smile matched the oversized feelings his friend and co-pilot was feeling.

"How she doing, Commander?" Jon asked playing into the man's 'back on Enterprise" fantasy just a bit.

"Runnin smoother than a baby's bottom…Sir." Trip giggled happy to feel the camaraderie the two men shared for so many years slipping back into place like no time had passed at all.

"That's good…. Keep it like that." Archer quipped back taking a look at the differing star patterns this part of space held. He checked his controls again and nothing was showing up red. Meanwhile Trip was behind him in the back up seat, flipping through screens and doing diagnostics faster than his friend had ever seen. It was almost like the man was possessed, wanting to document every moment of this monumental feat. He was happily getting the intermix ratios into balance for their attempt at warp jump when a loud alarm came over the ship's intercom. It took over the comm system, not allowing for communication between the ground and the craft.

Trip moved quickly to try and silence it, taking his eyes off the intermix ratio's. His delay in monitoring allowed the ratio's to go grossly out of balance, a fact that shouldn't of happened even if the Human had ten pairs of eyes on the control panel. By the time the loud alarm was turned off, a secondary alarm had taken its place, this one a warning toward overload.

Knowing all too well that sound, Trip and Archer prepared to try and power down the vessel. The override switches were not working and the two men worked frantically to pull circuits and side panels out to correct the problem. The intermix ratio's continued to grow progressively out of whack, a fact that the people on the planet could see as well on their sensors.

From the control room, T'Pol continued to attempt to get in contact with the vessel, but the intercom was down, most likely due to the first malfunction. When unable to call the crew, she used her empathic connection to warn her mate of their impending danger. She saw the numbers on the screen push past the critical limits and sent a single message out to her husband.

(Now….my beloved….. Now.).

From the control room as well as the observation lounge all the plant workers could see the implosion of the ship's engines as it lit up the already orange sky.

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

Part 3

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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

You realize that if you continue to do things like this we will have to burn you as a witch?

Speculation. Since you are devious, deceitful, and love to have people tear their hair out in frustration, I am going to say that Johnson is the mole. He is Trip's friend and and the most unlikely human on the team, therefore he is the one you would probably pick to be the traitor. Or maybe Trip's brother came there to sabotage the project. He was a secret member of Terra Prime after the Xindi attack and wants to redeem his family honor because ofthe shame that Trip has brought on the clan for marrying a Vulcan. Or it's Trip's sister-in-law. She actually stowed away aboard the ship after pretending to stay behind, snuck into the plant in a crate of spare parts, and rewired the controls the night before the launch.

Failing that, Lizzie accidently hacked into the system with her toy computer and reprogrammed it trying to beat her game of pong.

Malcolm was driven insane with jealousy by the male security guard who fellinto Pon Farr and seduced Hoshi, so he secretly sabotaged the ship hoping that Hoshi would turn to him for comfort in her grief.

I got it! Archer made a pass at what's-her-name, T'Pol's old friend who helps out around the house and T'Pol decided to kill him this was touphold her family honor. She sent Trip that warning let him know that it wastime to abandon ship and leave Archer to his fate. THAT'S IT!

Black'nblue, What the hell are you smoking? Regardless, didn't your mother tell you it was impolite not to share. Hee. Hee. You will have to wait and see. so there, (she sticks our her tongue and makes an exaggerated scrunched up face.) T.

I am not smoking anything to get this way. All my inspiration comes in the form of assorted little colorful pills. See? I got orange ones, and green ones, and pretty little red ones, and white ones, and yellow ones....

Acks...what's with all the cliffs now a days??? Though a great chapter that's building up to something...what I don't know. I won't even try to speulate (my imagination isn't that good) but I'll need to go out and buy more popcorn to read all your stories!

Naw, it's a double twist I'm betting that it's going to be made so obvious that Jackson is the mole that no one thinks that he is actually the mole only for him to turn out to be the mole.

Great story like the rest of the series but you better not leave it at this point for long LOL

Weeeee!Weeee! A new chapter!

How come no one thinks it's one of the Vulcans? Terra Prime has no problem working with anyone to acomplish their goals. They just don't want aliens on Earth or involved with Earth.

Thanks, that was a great chapter, but a mean cliffhanger. Waiting, popcorn in hand for the next part.

Good speculations, but totally off everyone. Keep trying. I will get the next chapter written after p3 of Competition is out. That should get up over the week end. T.

It's T'Pau! She only pretended to fight with V'Las. Really they were in cahoots all along!

Black'nblue please take a yellow pill and lay down until you get a grip. T'Pau....please....T

Not T'Pau? But...but I was so sure...

Now all becomes clear. The sehlats are staging a rebellion. They have secretly been plotting for thousands of years, but introducing those half-human brats was the final straw.

Vert nicely done but cliff hangers like this are like kicking a shelat cruel and unusual.

I bet she's the kind of nurse that covers a boo boo with a cotton ball and a piece of tape instead of giving you a nice donald duck band-aid too. Just plain mean if you ask me. Hrmph. :D

Now now everyone.... I am the kind of nurse that saves your life while you are bleeding to death. Lets get that straight. We don't use no stinkin bandages, we just grind our hands right into your wound and apply pressure. ICU don't know from no stinking bandages. Sorry for the delay, but I was actually quite busy with school this weekend, but I am turning in P3 of Competition in a few minutes. Then I will finish P3 of this little fic. T.

EEEEEEEEEYYAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Nicely done. Oh, and thanks to Blackn'blue for making my day! Can't wait for more! :)

Should have this part out by Thurs even or Friday at the latest. I know Bucky is going away next week and I hope she has a safe journey and a wonderful time. T.

No! Oh no! She's LEAVING us! Alone and forlorn and abandoned! AGH!

*sobbing pitifully. A wretched, broken shell of a man*

Does this mean that we will be forced to suffer with our tongues hanging out for yet another week before we can taste teh refreshing water of the conclusion to Competition?

Nah. I believe Myst takes over when Bucky goes on vacation. Besides Bucky works so hard on this site to keep us connected to our favorite subject, she deserves a heck of a lot more vacations than she takes. I run a site of my own for work and I am always working on it when I get a minute here and there. It's not an easy thing to do and my hats off to her. T.

Thursday afternoon. Ordinarily that would mean I could start harassing you to hurry up and get it finished, since you said Thursday evening or Friday at the latest. But I am goingt to fool you. I will sit quietly and wait patiently like a good little reader.

*sits and stares glassy-eyed at the clock, clutching his pill bottle rigidly in both hands with a death grip*

*After more than 24 hours of non-movement, dust has begun to collect on our hero's shoulders. His drawn, hollow face is gaunt with hunger and despair, yet he refuses to abandon hope*

Sorry, but all hell broke out at work and I had to use my home time for my homework. I will try to expodite things as quickly as possible. I haven't forgotten ya. T.

*It has been more than a day and a half. Woe and grief have etched their fearsome signatures into deep canyons on our hero's countenance. Yet still he perseveres. Never say die. Excelsior!*

I will definitely turn it in by Weds. Sorry guys, my DSL has been bad this week and I got behind on my school work. Not to mention I had to work like a maniac. But I start 3 wks of vacation ( from work) at least on Tues morning, so I should get it finished and turned in by Weds. Then I will tear out the rest of Competition p4. T. :(

*But wait. He stirs! A faint twitch of motion can be seen. Is it? It is! He is ALIVE!*

I think Jackson is a red herring...but I could be wrong. If I am right, and I'm not telling who I think the mole is...because I could be wrong. And I hate to slink off with my tail between my legs.

BTW, BnB, Never say die? But it did. Excelsior was the ship in the ST III movie that Scotty 'fixed' so it wouldn't be hindered by having to go to warp and chase the Enterprise which was being stollen to go retrieve Spock's body to take it and his katra (residing in McCoy) to Vulcan. Ah, how these plots thicken.

He's alive! He's alive! Now who was that we are saying is alive? I lose the thread of the story after an unreasonable time between chapters...like three hours. Hey, I'm human, those Vulcan genes kinda faded out after 16 generations and have not been renewed. Its been a long time since that Irish ancestor stretched out that peat harvesting hook and pulled that pointed earred woman out of the bog that her ship sank into, to take her home and kept her and tell everyone she was an elf.

Tlr, oh TLR. Wherefore art thout, oh TLR?