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Reflection - Ch 3

Author - Triplover
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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Three

Trip had never had a heart attack before but he was pretty sure this was it. The shock of seeing himself standing there in front of him and knowing that this man should be dead… he was beginning to loose all feeling in his limbs. His heart was beating faster and faster every second. All the blood had drained from his face. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Sim,” he whispered.

Sim took more steps closer as he extended his hand. “That’s right Trip, you know I’ve been wantin’ to meet you. I’m glad I finally get the chance.”

Trip looked down at the hand and after a few seconds hesitation, shook Sim’s hand. “I’ve been wantin’ to meet you too. Just never thought I would since you were dead and all.”

He couldn’t believe this. It was like looking at his reflection in the mirror. Pakul was right. The only difference was the clothes and that ring on his right hand. “It’s good to know you stopped the Xindi. I’d hate it if Earth were to be destroyed.”

Trip nodded. “Thanks to you, Earth’s safe and sound.”

Sim grinned just as the door opened. Sim turned around and froze the moment he saw her… T’Pol. The last time they’d seen each other her lips had been on his. It was the best thing anyone ever gave him in all his life. On Enterprise even though he called it home he knew from the start how others felt about him. But when T’Pol had come to his quarters he had finally felt like Trip. Just once he wasn’t a clone and it had been T’Pol to make him feel that way.

“T’Pol,” Sim greeted her.

The look on her face said it all. So filled with shock was she, her eyes were wide and he could see her tense. She finally got her bearings and looked over at Captain Archer who took a step closer to her. “T’Pol, as you can see it seems Sim is alive.”

T’Pol looked from Trip to Sim. “How?”

Archer turned to look back at Sim. Everyone was looking at him. “I don’t know T’Pol, but we were just about to find out.”

Sim again smiled. “It’s a long story.”

Archer folded his arms. “I’ve got the time.”

Sim nodded and began walking over to him, never keeping his eyes off the beautiful woman before him. “I guess ya do now. I’d like ya to meet a friend of mine. His name is Rylic. We work together.”

Everyone looked over at Rylic. “Work together?” asked Archer.

“That’s right,” Sim said.

Rylic smiled slightly. “It’s a pleasure.”

No one said a thing as they looked back at Sim. Finally Sim shook his head. “Now that everyone knows everyone why don’t we take this conversation somewhere else? There is a lot we have to talk about.”

==

“As you well know the last time you saw me I was in some sort of casket. If Trip’s memories are correct you use them for your dead when they're in space instead of buryin’ them,” Sim began as soon as they’d reached his ship. Archer nodded. “Well I was found in that casket," Sim continued. "A ship found me. The aliens there were unlike anythin’ you’ve ever seen, Cap’n. They were amazingly advanced, far beyond what we could even comprehend. They have shields; they can go to warp nine, Cap’n! Warp nine! And their medical faculties are far greater than ours. They don’t rely on animals or pets. They have this one tool that heals bones. It regenerates skin making it heal a hundred times faster than normal. They are so far ahead of us, Cap’n. They have holograms that look so real. They can make people! An actual hologram picked up things and he talked to me. It was like talkin’ to a real person! When I was revived I wasn’t sure how to react. They revived me the day I died. They guessed it was only a few hours later. All they had to do was replicate the tissue I would need.”

Trip shook his head. “I can’t believe all this. Holograms that act like real people? Tools that regenerate tissue? The ability to go to warp nine? People in this quadrant can hardly go warp six half the time,” Trip fought.

Sim smiled. “They weren’t from this quadrant Trip… at least, not the quadrant we live in.”

T’Pol’s eyebrows rose. “Then where are they from?”

Sim looked over at her. “The future. I looked through their database. It's the same time frame as Daniels. I think they belonged to another faction. I can’t be sure but there were just certain things that made me wonder. They never hurt me or anythin’ like that though. In fact they did nothin’ but help. They even found a way to stop the rapid aging process I would undergo. Seems we had the right idea, just not the same equipment to do the job.”

Archer somehow wasn’t surprised to find they were from the future. After dealing with Daniels, Silik and others working for their own faction it was no longer a shock to know others from the future had come to his time frame. He just wished he knew why they found his time so very fun to play with. “You work for them?”

“I was a part of their crew for months. It wasn’t but a few weeks ago that I left. People are after me, Cap’n, and they know I have knowledge about your ship. You have a lot of enemies out there and some of them are very powerful. I had no other choice but to leave their ship,” Sim explained.

Trip frowned. “But if they had all this technology wouldn’t it seem that havin’ them protect you would work? With all the stuff they have they should be able to protect you no problem.”

Sim nodded. “That’s what I thought, at first, but it seems there’s an agent working on their ship. Because the captain and I could never find out who it was, I knew I had to get out of there before I endangered their lives and my own. I’ve been on the run ever since. A month ago when I first began to run I stopped at this planet to get some supplies I’d need. Rylic was an old fighter. He knew all about war, fighting… he taught me everything he could. He’s been the only friend I have. If it weren’t for him I’d be dead right now. Your ship is the only place I can go. You’re the only one I can turn to.”

Archer had a lot to think about. When he was in the Expanse things had been very hard for him. He had to do things he’d never thought himself capable of doing. Things he wasn’t proud of but he knew they were necessary to save Earth. Still, it hadn’t been easy just condemning Sim to death as he did. He’d regretted it for a long time after that. It had just been gnawing at his conscience and although he was happy to have Trip still alive it had felt wrong that Sim had to die. It was something he’d never been able to get over. “You’re right, come to the Enterprise. This ship won’t protect you forever.”

Sim smiled. “Cap’n, you know this is a dangerous thing your doin’. I know your mission is very important. I’d understand if you say no. I won’t hold anythin’ against ya.”

Archer smiled. “Sim, you’re a member of this crew. I’ve condemned you to death once. I won’t do it again.”

Sim looked over at his companion and sighed deeply. “At the first sign of trouble I leave, I take my ship and I get as far away from you guys as possible. Those are the terms if I’m gonna stay with you.”

Archer nodded patting Sim on the shoulder. “Welcome home Sim, you’ve been gone far too long.” He then looked back at Trip who was sitting in his chair looking at the floor. He seemed to be in another world. T’Pol sat beside him. Her eyes hadn’t left Sim the entire time. It was then that he realized this wouldn’t be easy for either Trip or T’Pol. But it was the right thing to do and more than that it was something the crew owed him. He’d lost his life to help them with their mission and now it was time to risk their lives in order to keep him alive. He deserved at least that.

==

“Archer to Enterprise.”

“Go ahead, Captain,” came Malcolm Reed’s voice on the com.

“Two ships will be coming from the surface. I want you to dock with the alien vessel and tell Phlox to meet us in the launch bay.”

“Is someone hurt?” asked Malcolm not hiding his worry well at all.

“No one’s hurt. I just think he’ll wanna be here for this,” Archer explained.

There was a short pause before Malcolm answered. “Aye sir, he’ll be there.”

“Good, Archer out.”

==

Trip hadn’t said a single word the entire time the shuttle was heading towards Enterprise. T’Pol had been watching him, looking for a reaction of some kind but she saw nothing. It was as if he were empty with no feelings at all. Something was wrong. She’d only seen him like this twice before; the first was the day he realized his sister was dead. The second was when they told him about Sim after he’d awoken from his coma to see a man looking just like him on the bed next to him.

Trip was the first to get out of the shuttle followed by the rest with Sim being the last to leave. They walked over to Phlox who stood puzzled before them. “You wanted to see me captain?”

Archer smiled before stepping aside. The others followed suit until Sim came into Phlox’s view. “My god!” Phlox gasped.

Sim walked past Trip, T’Pol and Archer. “Hey father,” he said with a grin.

Phlox seemed breathless. He couldn’t even say a thing. Finally Phlox grabbed Sim by his shoulders. “It’s good to see you son.” Phlox gave one of his famous grins before shaking his head with laughter. “How is this possible?!”

Sim looked back at Archer. “It’s a long story.”

==

It was getting late and T’Pol was very tired but could not sleep. She couldn’t get the look on Trip’s face out of her mind. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his face and the emptiness in his eyes. She let out a sigh just before walking into the mess hall to see Sim sitting at a table near the window. He was drinking a bottle of beer as he looked outside at the stars flying past them as the ship moved at warp speed. “You should be asleep,” she told him.

He slowly turned around smiling at her. “I don’t sleep.”

T’Pol’s eyebrows rose as she moved over to him before taking a seat across from him. “I was under the impression that all humans slept.”

Sim chuckled softly. “I’m not human. I’m a clone. Just some creature the doctor grew in a lab. I was never human.”

“You are human, Sim. You may not have been before but you certainly are one now,”

Sim exhaled and closed his eyes. “Trip didn’t seem to be takin’ this whole ‘coming back from the dead’ thing real well.”

“He was affected when you died. Knowing that you gave up your life to save him was not something that you just ‘get over’.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Did you get over it?” he asked, his voice so soft she was certainly only a Vulcan could hear him correctly.

She didn’t know what to say at first. It wasn’t something you just ‘get over’. She’d had a lot of trouble trying to get past the feelings she had when Sim had died. “No.”

Sim nodded. He then looked back at her before standing and began walking to the door. When he got there the door opened but instead of walking through, he turned back to look at her. “Neither did I,” he told her and left.

T’Pol took in a deep breath and looked out the window. Something was very different. Sim was different. Things were not right. And T’Pol was beginning to wonder if they would ever feel right again.


Chapter 4

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Oooh. Bad Sim. You stay away from Polly.

LOL Jenna! I second that! ;) Good story so far...keep it up!

Two Trips! Imagine the fun Polly could have! ;)

Ya see, this is why you shouldn't go firing torpedo cases with dead people in them out into space! Any old time traveller could pick them up, revive them and brain-wash them into sabotaging a ship that carries one of the people responsible for the Federation (am I right? Is my guess even in the right galaxy? ;-) )

This is a great story so far (even if its not doing my internal conspiracy theorist any good), and I may end up nagging...you have been warned, I want the update very soon!

Oooh I have all sorts of convoluted ideas of where this could go next but am content to see what you have in mind. I feel so sorry for Trip, he is going to feel like he is suddenly in no man's land. For a time I think Archer will feel pretty terrific, his guilt over Sim's *death* seemingly erased from his conscience. Hope you post the next part soon. Ali D :~)

This is really intriquing. I'm looking forward to reading more. Sim doesn't sleep? Hmmm, did he sleep the first time he was on the Enterprise?

^^ LOL, no Sim sleeps. He just doesn't WANT to sleep. You'll see what I mean later Lesa. ;)

Doesn't want to sleep-- nightmares perhaps? This is very intriquing, not only that but you keep drawing our attention to the ring on his finger. I don't know what you have in store. What ever it is please post the next installment soon.

I'm teeming with anticipation-can't wait to see what you have planned next. There are sooooooo many possibilities. Hmmm, clone rival over T'Pol, perhaps? Great scene with Sim and Phlox being reunitied- well done.

Can't wait for more, hope I don't have to wait long though!

This is wonderful so far. I can't wait to see where you are going with this. Does T'pol have feelings for Sim as he was the first one she kissed??. Will she be torn between Sim and Trip?. Poor Trip, how will he handle this. Even though they look exactly alike will there be differences between them. Please update soon.!!

Oh, what a wicked little web you're weaving!!! Please continue soon!

Okay, I'm hooked -- this is a great story! Has Sim turned evil? Was he taken over by the aliens who "rescued" him? Is he going to try to take Trip's place? Or is he the same sweet, sensitive soul he was before? Please update SOON!