Reflection - Ch 2

Reflection

By Triplover

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing.
Rating: R
Summary: Trip must face some old demons when a friend from the past reappears asking to stay on Enterprise as a member of the crew.

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Chapter Two

“Sir, we’ve reached the planet,” Travis told Captain Archer.

Archer stood up and looked at the screen to see a beautiful brownish green planet that was twice the size of Earth. He could tell it was mostly a desert planet. “Good work Travis. I’m sure Trip will be quite relived to hear that we’re here. T’Pol, meet me in Launch bay one. See if you can make up a list of things on board we can trade.”

T’Pol looked up from her console. “Yes, Captain,” she muttered before moving into the turbolift.

Archer grinned shaking his head. “This should be very interesting.”

==

When Trip had found out Enterprise had finally reached the planet he had never felt more relieved. Trip was very tired of Engineering and when Archer asked him to join them in launch bay one, he was out of there before the captain had even finished speaking. It would be him, Captain Archer, T’Pol and one of his engineers, Ensign Lake, going down to the planet. Trip smiled as he saw the three already there. It was nice to be out of Engineering. He hadn’t left once the entire day. He’d missed dinner with the captain, spending his time doing labor he didn’t even want to think about.

“Trip, you must have been really itching to get out of there,” the captain said shaking his head.

Trip grinned. “You could say that… never thought I’d feel that way but I don’t think even a Vulcan could handle workin’ that long in nothin’ but muck.”

T’Pol’s eyebrow rose. “You forget Mr. Tucker that we have far greater discipline than you.”

Trip simply shrugged as they all got into shuttle pod one. “Whatever you say T’Pol, but I was just exaggeratin’.”

T’Pol frowned. “It is hard to keep up with all of them. I’m afraid I may never quite understand them.”

“Don’t worry T’Pol… I’d be happy to teach ya all I know.”

Archer turned around from the pilot’s chair. “If you think Trip’s bad you should meet his parents. I swear those two talk in code. They could be talking about me right in front of my face and I’d have no idea what’s going on.”

Trip grinned. “Yeah well just imagine livin’ with them. After a while you’d get it… either that or ya you’d get in trouble a lot more.”

Archer chuckled. “It’s like learning another language.”

T’Pol expelled air. “I think I’d rather be stuck in the ‘muck’.”

==

During the entire ride down to the planet, Trip was having a very difficult time keeping himself from looking at T’Pol. After the interesting talk they’d had only two days ago, he was beginning to see a new side of T’Pol… one that both worried and intrigued him. He didn’t know what to think at this point. Something was very different with T’Pol and he had a feeling it wasn’t because of lack of meditation. T’Pol crying? He couldn’t get the image out of his mind.

He just kept thinking about how she looked. Her eyes green… tears running down her beautiful green tinted face. It was a sight that scared him more than anything else could. He wanted to know what was going on with her. Obviously something in the Expanse had changed her but what he would never know. In fact, ever since he’d been in that coma she’d been acting different with him. Perhaps it had something to do with Sim. He sometimes wondered what happened between those two before Sim died. No one told him much of anything about him. It was Phlox who said the most. Archer wouldn’t say a word and the only thing he was told from T’Pol was what she’d told him the night they’d made love.

But how would that affect her emotional control like that? There had to be more going on. Could it be Rajiin? She had certainly done some real damage to T’Pol. Perhaps that was it. Something must have happened… something that messed up her ability to control her emotions. It made sense. And then there was her time aboard the Seleya. She certainly hadn’t been herself after that. Being exposed to Trellium-D could also be the reason for her inability to suppress some of her more intense emotions. There were many possibilities. Some included things she hadn’t told Trip about, and although he couldn’t quite be sure what she might have done to affect her like this it was possible that something happened that she hadn’t told him about. It wouldn’t be the first time.

It was then that he was shaken out of his thoughts as the shuttle landed and the three with him began to gather their things in order to leave. Trip stood, his body hunched over because of the low ceiling as they began to leave the shuttle. Trip was the second to leave the shuttle after T’Pol. He stretched leisurely before looking back at his captain. Before leaving the planet Trip had decided it best to check out what was the best place to go for supplies. There was one in particular that he was interested in. Apparently it had all kinds of things he could use. “There’s a shop nearby that I was hopin’ to check out. We could check there first.”

Archer nodded and looked over at T’Pol. “You and Ensign Lake look around for other shops. Trip and I will go to the shop he found.”

T’Pol nodded as her and Lake left in the opposite direction. Trip and Archer then headed towards the shop. Trip couldn’t help but look around at the other men selling whatever they had… food, technology, women. But what most sold was pets or herbs. They claimed their herbs had healing powers for various things. “Phlox would love to come down here and see if he can find some of these herbs to use on the crew,” Trip noted.

Archer chuckled. “Somehow I have a feeling you're right about that, Trip.”

It didn’t take too long for them to reach the shop Trip had been talking about. It was a small place but they’d been told it had the best technology… including injectors. The two walked in to see a man talking with a young boy.

“Tola, you really should do your homework now while you have time. I don’t want you staying up late again because of something you forgot to do.”

“But father, I want to play with Chylic today.”

The man shook his head. “Not until after your homework is done. Now go to your room.”

In a huff the boy rolled his eyes and stomped into a room that must have been built beside the shop. Trip smiled warmly. He supposed there were some things that would always be universal. “Uh… excuse me.”

The man finally looked up and smiled when he saw the man before him. “Ah, I see you’ve returned! I hope my warp coil hasn’t been giving you any trouble.”

Trip looked at him in confusion. “Warp coil? Uh, we just got here today. I’m afraid this is my first time here. I heard it was good place for engineering parts.”

The man folded his arms. “You’re an engineer.”

Trip nodded.

“You told me that two days ago. I remember… Sim right?”

Trip’s eyes widened slightly as he looked over at his captain. Archer had the same expression on his face. “Sim?”

The storekeeper nodded. “That’s your name isn’t it? Sim? You came in here two days ago. You traded a Klingon cloak for a warp coil and a few other things. I remember quite well.”

Trip took a step closer to him. “My names Charles Tucker the third. I just got here today. This Sim guy… he looked just like me?”

The storekeeper frowned. “Right down to the accent… and the blonde hair and blue eyes. The only difference now is in clothing and you're not wearing that interesting silver ring he had on. Do you know him?”

Trip raked his hands through his hair. “It’s not possible… he died. He couldn’t have come here.”

Archer nodded. “Uh, do you know where he might have gone? This man you saw earlier?”

The man shook his head. “I’m afraid not. He said something about delivering cargo for the people he works for. But he didn’t give me a place and please, just call me Pakul.”

“Pakul… ya said he was in here two days ago?”

Pakul nodded ‘yes’.

Trip sighed. “He’d be gone by now….”

Archer rubbed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter how far he is. He can’t be Sim. Phlox watched him die. Trip you were there at his funeral! It can’t be him.”

“Funeral? You mean he really died?” Pakul asked in surprise. He was just now realizing that this was no joke. These men were serious.

Trip looked up at the shopkeeper. “Yeah… almost a year ago.”

“I’ve never seen a ghost before. Let alone one that wanted a warp coil,” Pakul muttered.

Both Trip and Archer smiled.

“Who says I’m a ghost?” asked a far too familiar voice from behind them.

Trip and Archer turned around to see the very man they’d been talking about before them. He pushed his hood down and smiled. Next to him was another man who kept his hood on. “It’s good to see you guys again.”

Archer’s heart almost stopped as he saw the man standing there. He shoved his hand down to get his communicator and opened it, moving the mouthpiece up to his face. “Archer to T’Pol.”

“Captain… we have found two injectors that are in good condition. I was just about to contact you and ask if you wished for us to purchase them.”

Archer swallowed hard still staring at the man who now had a grin on his face. “Buy them and get your ass over here as fast as you can. We’ve just met… an old friend.”

Sim nodded at the two and took a step forward. “Didn’t think you’d be meetin’ me again did ya?”

Chapter 3

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Half a dozen of you have made comments

hmm sim being alive, i like it:-) wonder what the ring is for? keep it coming please!!

I hope we'll find out how Sim is alive. I mean, they basically took his brain tissue.. maybe he'll be all zombie-like and evil. Muahaha.

Oh yeah, I like this story.

Oh my, that's a twist! This is getting good!!!!

Yep, I'm hooked alright! This is really good so far! Keep it coming, please!

Uh oh, trial and tribulations about to bubble to the surface methinks and am I the only one who suspects the guy with his hood still up is behind this? Can't wait to see what happens next. Ali D :~)