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Round Robin #1: Taxidi

Genre - Round Robin | Main Story | R | Rating - PG-13 | T
Fan Fiction Main Page | Stories sorted by title, author, genre, and rating

Round Robin Fanfiction #1 – Taxidi

Rating: PG-13
Genres: Who Knows!?!?! It’s a Round Robin!
Disclaimer: Enterprise and its characters are all the property of Paramount. We do this for enjoyment and not for profit.

Note: This is our first attempt at a Round Robin format. Please check HoTBBS for rules, and for the list of participants. Each addition’s authors will be denoted by {pen-name}. We don’t know how this will work-out, but it’s worth a try. I, zealousgirl, will be acting as monitor/coordinator for RRFF#1. Please read, and hopefully enjoy.


Teaser to start us off: {zealousgirl}

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

The entire Senior Staff had been called to the bridge, and were now positioned at their usual posts, save Trip. He stood behind T’pol, peering over her shoulder at the science station console. All were furiously working at their respective tasks, noiselessly. Archer stood in front of the captain’s chair. He was staring at a cylindrical object that was displayed on Enterprise’s view screen, attempting to determine just what it was that had caused the engines to stall, and now had them drifting aimlessly in uncharted space.

Frustrated, Hoshi finally broke the silence. “Sir, they’re not responding.”

“Well, that’s not much of a surprise.” Trip said sarcastically. “It’s solid metal; no room for anyone in there.”

T’pol turned to face Trip, planning to inform him that there was not enough information to rule out any possibilities, at this time. Just as she was about to speak, a blinding light filled the bridge, accompanied by a high pitched thrill.

This only lasted a few seconds. T’pol opened and closed her eyes several times, trying to bring her vision back into focus but was startled by a scream from behind her, forcing her to whip around.

“They’re gone!” Hoshi was standing next to her station, her hands on her head, a look of panic on her face.

“Ensign, what –?” T’pol did not need to finish her inquiry; she had determined the answer on her own. Scanning the bridge, it was not difficult to determine that something was amiss – all the male senior officers had disappeared. Only she and Hoshi remained.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


{pookha hare}

T’Pol turned around and looked toward the back of the bridge, into the situation room. The only person left was a very startled Crewman Kelly, one of Trip’s people from engineering. She was in the process of bending over to pick up a padd off the floor. She paused when she saw T’pol turn her way.

“I don’t know what happened Subcommander,” commented Kelley. “Aaron was handing me this padd to check some of the readings, and all of sudden, he was gone, along with Ethan and Bose.”

T’Pol was doing her best not to let any of the emotions she felt, swirling below the surface of her control, show on her face. She needed to find out as much information, as quickly as she could, without dwelling on what dark things could be happening to her crewmates.

She turned to Hoshi, “Ensign, first send out a distress signal to the Axanar that we were to rendezvous with; and, then conduct a scan of the ship and near by space for the missing crew”.

T’Pol could tell the Hoshi was about to object, so continued, “We need to discount the most obvious before we can search further; and, with the ship’s present condition, it may be awhile before we can do anything else.”

T’Pol was preparing to call replacement crewmen to the bridge just as the lift opened and out came Enterprise’s head quartermaster, Tony Allegretti. This at least answered one question on T’pol’s mind - whether it was just the men on the bridge that had been abducted or were all the male crewmen missing.

Tony looked up from the padd he had been double-checking, and realized, with a start, that the bridge looked half-empty. He walked toward T’Pol. “Subcommander, are they off having a meeting somewhere?” he commented hopefully. “I was just finishing up the lists for when we rendezvous with the Axanar ship.”

T’Pol glanced quickly at Hoshi, who just shook her head no and then addressed the lieutenant. “Unfortunately, Mr. Allegretti, the captain and the rest of the men that were present on the bridge were removed by an unknown force.” T’Pol paused and then continued, “I don’t wish to spread panic through the rest of the crew, so for the moment, until we have more facts, I wish to keep this information here on the bridge.”

T’Pol turned back to Hoshi. “Ensign, please notify Mr. Tanner that we will need him on the bridge; and, we also one of Lieutenant Reed’s people to man the tactical station.” T’Pol herself decided to make the next call. “T’Pol to Lieutenant Hess”.

“Yes, Subcommander Hess here. What can I do for you?”

T’Pol reflected that this was not going to be pleasant. “Lieutenant, could you please come to the bridge. I have something I need to discuss with you.”

About that time, Hoshi reported that she had been unable to reach the Anaxar. “Subcommander, I believe our signals are being jammed.”

T’Pol walked over to her. “Then Ensign Sato, we must find a way to contact them because, instead of coming to our aid, the Anaxar will fall prey to the same trap that we did. Because, they will come looking for us once we don’t appear at the appointed time and place.”

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

~Some place pretty far away but in the same galaxy and some very little time in the future~

The men were walking through what reminded Malcolm of one of the tropical jungles of Malaysia. Except, instead of green leaves, the foliage tended to go from dark purples and reds; while the trunks of the, well he thought, trees were dark green. He wondered if it had anything to do with the binary stars that shone through the thick mass of color.
They had been walking for several hours, he believed. At first they had been slightly stunned… he, of course, less then some of the others, he thought. All of the men who had been present on the bridge at the time were now on the planet.

Captain Archer, Trip, himself, Travis, Ethan Novakovich , Chandra Bose and one of Trip’s engineers Aaron Werthan were now making their way through a path in the jungle. Hopefully, they were headed toward a water source, since Trip claimed to hear running water in the distance, or possibly, some form of civilization or at least intelligent life since, at one time, they had topped a hill and had been able to see smoke off in the distance. And it had looked too small and controlled to be a wildfire. Well, at least, they hoped it wasn’t a wild fire.

When they first appeared, they considered just staying where they were. But as Travis pointed out, they weren’t even near a planetary system much less a binary one. So with no way of knowing when or how Enterprise could come looking for them, they decided to look for a way out of the jungle, or at least find a clearing to set up camp for the night - whenever that would be.

Trip couldn’t help pointing out to the others that, if you were going to get stuck in the middle of the jungle, they at least got stuck with a botanist and two former eagle scouts, referring to Archer and Malcolm. Trip at first had made little comments here and there about their circumstances, as he walked along side Archer. But as the sky over head slowly grew darker, he became quieter, and the Captain would glance toward him from time to time.

Malcolm thought he knew part of the why. The part he knew about was that his friend had a fear – no, that wasn’t strong enough - but rather, a phobia about insects. The part he didn’t know was why Trip felt that way. Malcolm had known Trip for a year before he realized how little he actually knew about his friend beyond the obvious stuff. One would think they knew a lot about the commander until you started adding up all you didn’t know. Trip was especially good at distracting attention away from himself, while, at the same time, getting others to open up about themselves.

At first, the sound of the insects flying around the upper reaches of the jungle had been soft and distorted, but as night came slowly closer, it seemed as if the sound was growing louder - as if the insects were settling back toward ground level. Malcolm had to admit that he wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of odd alien insects swarming over them during the night. One reason he hoped they made their way out of the jungle before night did fall.

Plus he had concerns about even bigger things that could be lurking within the jungle - one reason he had pulled a long straight branch off a tree to use as a staff. While he, of course, preferred his phase pistol, which unfortunately was back on Enterprise, he felt like the staff was better then nothing. As if something was listening to his concerns, just as he was amusedly listening to Travis teasing the astrophysicist Bose about finally being on an away mission, a snarling growl through the air.

They all paused to look around, except for Malcolm who walked over to Archer. “Captain, while they are not much, it might be wise for all of us to have a staff, and then quicken our pace through the jungle”

Archer nodded as the men paused to break off their own staffs, as Malcolm waited for the growl to sound again. They had not gotten very far when it did… noticeably closer this time.

Malcolm then knew that whatever it was, it was stalking them. But as he looked ahead, it looked like the jungle was indeed thinning around them, and yes, it looked like a clearing ahead. And now, he could hear the sound of running water. Did it sound like very fast running water he wondered to himself?

Just as the growl sounded ever closer now they broke out of the jungle into the small clearing. A small clearing was bordered on one side by a river, and around a bend on the other side, a very tall waterfall, that ended somewhere out of site far below. And behind them was the jungle with whatever was making the growling sound, about ready to come out on them….

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{Vandiver49}

Hoshi worked tirelessly in an attempt to clear the communications net, but to no avail. Ultimately it was a problem of distance. “Sub-Commander, this cylinder appears to be emitting a high frequency radiation that is jamming our communications. We need to get some separation between us and it, if you want me to contact the Axanar.” Hoshi conveyed.

T’Pol had assumed her position in the Captain’s chair, finding the Communications Officer solution unacceptable. “That cylinder is currently our only clue as to the whereabouts of seven members of the crew. Abandoning without thorough analysis would be illogical.”

It was fortunate that Hoshi’s back was to the Vulcan, affording her some privacy as she rolled her eyes in response. Arguing with the T’Pol was her least favorite activity. Obviously, another approach was needed. “Well Sub-Commander, maybe they might be able to provide some insight into what we’re dealing with.”

Remembering that her earlier scans were ineffective, T’Pol reluctantly conceded. “Very well. Mr. Tanner, plot us a course to the Axanar vessel, Warp 4.” She ordered the new helmsmen.

It only took twenty minutes for Enterprise’s communications to clear enough to hail the Axanar, who were able to provide some insight into their current predicament.

“From your description, it would appear that you have encountered an Interrogator Probe, an ancient device used for exploration by a long dead civilization. We try to destroy any of the probes we encounter.” The Axanar Captain explained.

While the information would prove useful for later study, it failed to answer T’Pol’s more pertinent question. “Where does this ‘probe’ transport its test subjects to?” She inquired.

Luckily, the Captain was able to provide her with that information as well, transmitting the coordinates to what used to be the home planet of this extinct culture, approximately seven parsecs away. “It should take five hours to reach at your ship’s maximum warp speed.” The Captain explained. “Be expeditious though, the planet’s flora and fauna can adverse psychological and physiological effects on those alien to the environment.”

T’Pol acknowledged the Axanar Captain’s warning and had Lieutenant Tanner plot a new course to the hostile world at best speed.

Reclining into Captain’s chair for the long journey and quietly pondering the multiple variables involved in retrieving the wayward crewmen, T’Pol’s mind began to stray. She started to dwell upon the numerous misadventures the ship had encountered and the disturbing frequencies at which they occurred. And the one man in particular, who seemed to endure more than his fair share.

--Meanwhile on the planet. . .

Questioning glances were exchanged by all as they were quickly running out of viable options. Reluctantly, Travis peered over the edge of the falls, down towards the inviting pool below. “Captain,” he called in need of a second opinion as the others feigned an attempt to keep the threat at bay, “It’s a long drop, but I think we can make it.”

The mere suggestion of an idea was more than enough far Novakovich, taking off over the cliff in a blind leap of faith.

Malcolm literally felt his heart skip a beat as Ethan’s scream pierced his ears. Beads of sweat began to pool on his brow during those tenuous seconds, as the party waited for their companion to resurface. The Armory Officer was suddenly gripped by adulation and fear as Novakovich’s cries were heard once again. “Come on down, the water’s great!” He waved to his friends from below.

Travis was the next to follow Ethan’s lead, bellowing a long forgotten battle cry as his body succumbed to gravity’s grip. “Gerominooooooooooooo!!!!”

Werthan and Bose were the next to take the plunge, jumping together for reassurance and leaving the Captain, Malcolm and Trip remaining atop the cliff.

“All right Malcolm, it’s time to go.” Trip said to his friend.

Reed hesitantly walked backwards to the voice of the engineer, the sound of the raging falls drowning out the growling ahead with every step.

“Umm…how deep is the water?” Malcolm asked, every truncated breath bringing him closer to hyperventilation.

“Deep enough for us to survive the fall.” Trip answered hurriedly. “Look everyone down they’re waitin’ for us and I personally don’t wanna stay around here to see what’s behind door number one.”

“Look Malcolm, it’ll be OK.” Archer said reassuringly. “We won’t let you drown.” Trip immediately looked curiously at his Captain, searching for an answer in his face.

“Lieutenant Reed is a little hydrophobic.” Jonathan submitted to his friend reluctantly.

Malcolm turned in stunned disbelief as his Captain betrayed his confidence. But disbelief soon turned into outright fear as he took his first glance over the precipice. “You know what guys, just go on without me. I’ll only slow you down.”

Both men knew this song and dance all too well and now was definitely not the time for it. Luckily, Trip had a very effective means of helping his friend overcome his fear; an unsolicited push over the edge.

“You bloody bastard!!!!!” Malcolm screamed, his arms flailing in the air.

“You know he’s gonna hate you for that.” Archer conveyed to Trip, who simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

“Eh, he’ll get over it.” Trip replied, as they both leapt over the edge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{myst123}

Enterprise finally arrived at the planet after five hours. During the interim, T’Pol conducted an intense study of the planet to be visited. Pollux 4 appeared briefly in the Vulcan database as an M class planet with no life forms but an abundance of vegetation. Memories of their previous encounter with an M-class planet with an hallucinogenic environment caused T’Pol to feel…somewhat agitated. Knowing how susceptible humans proved to be to unusual alien atmospheres, T’Pol was ‘concerned’ about what might be happening to the men of the party. Would they kill each other? She recalled the fight on the bridge, during the encounter with the radiation from the black hole, between the Captain, Commander Tucker, and Lieutenant. She clenched her jaw, anticipating the worst, once Enterprise arrived.

Thankfully, at least the Captain’s chair was now very comfortable since the Commander had adjusted it. He was good at getting the details right.

***********

“Damn you, Trip, what were you thinking? You could have killed me with that stunt.”

“Ah, Malcolm, give it a rest. You were never in any danger. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

The men had swum, or, in the case of Reed, dog-paddled, their way to shore and were drying out in the balmy early evening air. Captain Archer was practicing his Eagle Scout skills by building a fire without matches and Novakovich was examining the plant life for possible sources of food. Oddly enough, there were no fish in the pool into which the men had jumped. The buzz of insects was still around them, but again no insects were visible. It was as though all life forms were invisible.

Malcolm stomped off to direct Archer in the correct way to build and light a fire.

Trip shrugged and strolled along the shore to a point where the runoff from the waterfall and pool became a creek, wending its way through the landscape. Gazing down the stream, Trip was startled to see a woman bathing. As she rose from the stream, she encountered Trip’s gaze and locked eyes. “Welcome, Commander Tucker,” she greeted him.

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

“What do you mean you can’t locate the men? Are you saying we came to the wrong planet?” T’Pol asked Hoshi.

Hoshi realized how well she had come to know the Subcommander. For a Vulcan, T’Pol was practically yelling. Clearly she was upset.

“I mean, there’s too much interference. I can’t lock onto any bio-signs on the surface. But it’s the same jamming frequency as the probe. With that slim bit of evidence, we may be in the correct spot. Other than going to the planet ourselves, I don’t know how to penetrate the interference.”

T’Pol contemplated Hoshi’s suggestion and agreed. Really, Hoshi was proving to be very level-headed in this search and T’Pol was ‘appreciative’. Pressing the comm. button on the Captain’s chair, she contacted Rostov and ordered him to meet her and Hoshi in the shuttlebay to go to the surface.

***********

Once the shuttlepod had penetrated the planet’s atmosphere, the crew aboard was able to identify the biosigns of the men. Fortunately, they were near a clearing where Rostov could land. Once the rescue team had landed, T’Pol led the group to the edge of a cliff. Below they could see the men gathered in the early evening light around a campfire. However, one bio-sign was downstream. T’Pol had a bad feeling about this. Using ropes from the shuttlepod, she led Hoshi and Rostov down the cliff face and along to the campground, startling the men gathered there. Her fears were justified. Commander Tucker was not present, and her experiences with him made her fear what lay ahead.

***********

Trip was startled by the woman and by her knowledge of his name. However, upon rapid reflection, it made sense that whoever was responsible for probing the ship and bringing the men here must know the identities of those transported to the planet.

Casually, the woman emerged from the stream and picked up what appeared to be an ancient human toga. Wrapping it around herself, she turned towards Trip with a level, penetrating gaze.

“Hello, ma’am,” Trip stammered. “I’m afraid you have the advantage over me. Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Commander….”

“I know who you are…Trip. My name is Artemis.”

“Artemis? That’s funny. On earth that is the name of an ancient Greek goddess.”

“Yes, funny, isn’t it?”

Artemis’s eyes shifted and looked beyond Trip.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{Li}

Jon looked up at the rescue party, quickly recovering.

“Well, T’Pol, you got here quick! As much as I’m sure you’d love to sit by the fire here with us, I for one would like to get out of here. Everybody set to go?” Jon looked around, noticing that Trip was gone, at the same time Malcolm and T’Pol had.

“Where…?” All 3 began at once. Malcolm and T’Pol looked at Jon, who completed the question.

“Where’s Trip?” Jon looked around the glade.

T’Pol looked down at her scanner. “He is approximately 30 kilometers that way.” She pointed downstream. An elegant eyebrow went up. “I am also getting an energy reading in his vicinity,” she looked at Jon, “as though he were with someone, yet…” she punched a few buttons on the scanner, trying to narrow the beam. Her brow furrowed. She concentrated on the scanner so that the others wouldn’t see the worry in her eyes.

“Whatever it is, we’d better go get him right now.” Malcolm told Jon briefly, then started walking in the direction Trip had gone.

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

Trip turned his head to see what Artemis was looking at. To his amazement, a building resembling the Parthenon was standing in the distance. The sun glinted off its creamy marble exterior, giving it an ethereal glow.

“What the…?”

“It’s time for you to meet the others, Trip.” Artemis started walking toward a path nearby.

“Mhmm, excuse me,” Trip cleared his throat. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and who I’m gonna meet!”

“Why, everyone, of course!” Artemis smiled at him, looking at him as though she were watching a child. “Don’t be frightened, Trip. The priestesses are eager to meet you!” Suddenly, Artemis turned her head, deer-like, listening to something in the forest. She grabbed Trip’s hand and they disappeared.

Trip found himself shimmering back to existence in the middle of the building that had resembled the Parthenon. Disoriented, he slowly looked around. Many women were standing around him, dressed much the same as Artemis. They wore their hair in elaborate styles, and gold bracelets twinkled up and down their arms. They were chattering excitedly in a language Trip didn’t recognize.

“Where the hell am I?” Trip practically shouted, so he could be heard. The women turned towards him, stunned. At that moment Trip realized that their mouths hadn’t actually been moving.

A tall, statuesque woman approached him. She had coal black hair, deep chestnut eyes, and what would be considered a “Roman” profile. As she came up to him, Trip realized that she was quite old. He was amazed that she carried herself as a young person would.

“I am Hera. Welcome to our world, Charles Tucker. Please have some refreshment.” She gestured to a table laden with fruit and flowers. Silver goblets and pitchers gleamed next to plates trimmed in gold. A chaise-lounge type of sofa was next to it, and several small stools studded with gems encircled the table.

Trip stayed where he was. “Why have you kidnapped me?”

“Kidnapped?” Hera was highly offended.

“Yes, kidnapped! I want to be returned to my shipmates.”

Hera turned and clapped her hands. From out of the shadows came two burly men. Trip stood his ground. They each picked him up by the arms and sat him down on the sofa. Hera sat next to him. The other women sat on the stools and leaned forward expectantly.

“Look, what’s this all about? First you take us off the bridge, then Artemis beams me over here. I’d appreciate an explanation.” He smiled his most charming smile at her.

In turn, Hera smiled her most charming smile. “In time you will understand why we have brought you here. In the meantime, please eat some fruit and drink some wine. Ah, The Muses have arrived!”

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

Malcolm found the footprints first. He looked over at T’Pol. She looked at Jon. “Captain, his bio-signs have disappeared.”

“What do you mean, they’ve disappeared?”

“They are no longer registering on my scanner.”

Archer turned to Malcolm in frustration.

“Sir, I found footprints that lead into the forest. The lifeform that was with him may have led him in there.”

Archer addressed the group. “Okay. Here’s what we’ll do: Lieutenant Reed, Sub-Commander T’Pol and I will go into the forest to try to locate Trip. The rest of you stay out here. We have our communicators to keep in touch.”

There were protests all around. Archer put his hands up. “Both Hoshi and Ensign Rostov have phase pistols. If we’re not back in two hours, go back to the shuttlepod and return to Enterprise. Hoshi, you’ll have to do another sensor sweep to find us. If you have to, enlist the help of the Axanar.”

Everyone checked their phase pistols and communicators to make sure they were working. Archer, T’Pol and Malcolm walked into the forest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{T’Parm}

Soon, they came to the last known location for Commander Tucker. T’Pol noticed an area ahead, where her sensors were being blocked. “Captain, it appears there is a force field 30 meters to the front.”

“You mean around that building that looks like the Parthenon?” asked the Captain.

“What building? There is nothing there but an empty field,” responded T’Pol

Both Archer and Reed turned to stare at T’Pol.

“You don’t see the building, Sub-Commander?” asked Lieutenant Reed.

“I assure you Mr. Reed there is nothing there.” T’Pol responded. “It would be logical to assume that there is some force here that is affecting what you are seeing. It does not appear to affect my senses, however.”

“Whatever it is, we need to get in there to rescue Trip” said Archer.

“Agreed.” T’Pol was as concerned for the Commander at the Captain was.

She began looking for a way to breach the force field, while Lieutenant Reed and the Captain began to circle the building looking for an easy way in. There were no paths leading to the Parthenon, and though the building looked open, there was no easy access. The terrain was very rough. Both Archer and Reed looked at T’Pol in surprise as she seemed to walk through a rock face. It was then that they realized that she was right and they were seeing something that wasn’t there.

T’Pol stopped at a point only a few meters from the building.

“What’s wrong?” asked Archer from behind her.

“The force field will not allow me to go any further. However there appears to be an opening under that log. It will be difficult to get through it, though,” T’Pol responded.

Captain Archer tried to get closer to T’Pol, however his senses were telling him that it was solid rock, he reached out and touched the rock, he could feel it as well as see it. There was no way he would be able to follow her.

“T’Pol. Mr. Reed and I will have to look for another way in. You go ahead and try to get to Trip, be careful,” said Archer.

So T’Pol lowered herself down, and pulled herself under the log. It was very tight, but she was soon through. She looked at her sensor and saw readings for one human and an unusual life form ahead. She assumed that the human was Commander Tucker, and headed in that direction. She attempted to contact Captain Archer but the signal was impeded by the force field.

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

As soon as T’Pol entered the force field she disappeared from sight. Captain Archer was concerned. He and Lieutenant Reed began to circle the building looking for a way in.

Reed saw a slope that looked passable. “Let’s try this way Captain.”

First, Captain Archer contacted Ensign Sato, and told her what they had found, and that they were all right at the moment. Then, they began the scramble up that slope. They hoped they would be able to get to Trip and find out what was going on.

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

T’Pol soon found the Commander. He appeared to be sitting on the ground, talking to himself. Of the alien life form, she saw nothing, but assumed that that was who the Commander was talking to - she was picking up the life form on her sensor and it was near him.

“Commander” she called to him, he did not respond, “Commander”, still nothing .“COMMANDER” she yelled, and he looked up in her general direction but did not appear to see her. She walked toward him, but was blocked by a force she could not see.

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

“Huh? Hey you, I thought I heard T’Pol. What are you doing? Did you do something to her?” asked Trip.

Commander Tucker was very uncomfortable. He had no idea why these beings were paying so much attention to him - what did they want? And now it appeared they had done something to T’Pol, or maybe they were making him hear things. He didn’t understand why they were using the names of mythological gods - it made him nervous. He wondered if perhaps they were able to read his thoughts, and took the imagery from his mind, in order to create such an elaborate scene.

“I do not know what you are talking about. There is no one here by that name,” said Hera.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{stub}

He felt light-headed and…funny. The woman calling herself Hera was burning some wicked incense. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for the Commander. Trip sank back further into the sofa, his eyelids not cooperating. It was difficult to keep them even half open. He tried to survey his surroundings. There were so many people. He tried to listen to the conversation before him.

"What is that you're burning, my dear aunt?" hissed Artemis.

Hera looked innocently at her niece. "I found it outside. It's an herb with wonderfully relaxing effects on mortals."

Relaxing effects? Trip thought. No kiddin'! This place isn't so bad.

Artemis looked doubtfully at the man sprawled on the couch. "If he doesn't say the words, we cannot keep him."

Keep me?

"He will say them, darling," Hera assured. "Where is Eros? I suspect his services will be beneficial."

"I am here," said a sultry voice from behind her. Hera turned around and smiled broadly.

"Eros! As you know, he needs to speak the words."

"Consider it done." The handsome god turned and disappeared into the throng of bodies.

Trip looked on in fascination. This was surreal. What words did he need to speak? Or, he suspected, not speak? He smacked his lips, intending to say something. His mouth was too dry. Trip raised a hand and tried to snap his fingers. "Water?" he rasped.

"Of course, Charles Tucker," beamed Hera. She called to two young maidens, standing near Eros. They carried over a goblet and sat next to Trip, one on each side. He looked from one to the other. He tried to look them in their faces, but his gaze couldn't be lifted that far. The young women smiled and giggled as they held the challis to his lips.

When he'd drank his fill, they started to caress his arms and legs, peppering his face and neck with kisses. Trip's eyes widened in shock.

"What're you doin'?" he asked. Trip gently pushed them away. He received no answer other than the continued affection. "Hey! Stop it!"

Hera clapped her hands together once and the women moved away. "You do not appreciate the feminine charms of women?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"How about some strapping young lads!" Hera declared.

"What?" asked Trip. "No, wait…"

She called to two young men this time. Trip did a double-take as the men sauntered their way towards him. They were well-chiseled, well-tanned and well-oiled. A thought fluttered briefly through his foggy brain that if he were into men, these two would be at the top of his "To Do" list.

As the studs sat next to Trip, one on each side, they began to do the same things to him as the women had. He looked frantically from one to the other. He shoved them away and lurched off the couch.

"Stop it!"

"You don't like them, either?" asked Hera.

"I'm sure they're real nice," Trip replied evenly. He looked around nervously, not sure what to expect next.

Artemis stood by with her arms folded across her chest. She glared at her aunt. This wasn't working, her eyes said.

Hera was silent for a moment, thinking. Finally she said, "If you do not like women, and you do not like men, then you must be a eunuch!"

"A what?" It took Trip's brain a moment to catch up. "No!"

"Impotent, then."

"NO!"

Hera threw her arms up in impatience. "Well then I certainly don't understand how you can resist the flesh of those presented before you." She thought for a moment. "Do you have a mate?"

"No, I don't. I just-"

"None? I do not understand. You could have this all the time, Charles Tucker." Hera studied the Commander. He stood with his hands on his hips, a scowl on his face.

"I think I do understand," she said finally. She looked him up and down.

"That I want to go home?" shot back Trip.

"Your desires have yet to awaken," said Hera. "It's this T'Pol, isn't it?"

Trip took a step closer, the haze gone. "Where is she?" He glared at the two women.

Artemis and Hera exchanged a look. The younger woman bowed her head slightly and moved off, out of Trip's sight.

"What have you done to T'Pol?" repeated Trip. His hands clenched in fists.

"Nothing," Hera replied innocently. In a much lower voice, she added, "yet."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{The Cursor}

The invisible force held T’Pol so firmly in place that the idea of struggling was dismissed from her mind, almost as soon as it entered. There was simply no point. Her arms and legs felt almost dead, as though they had deactivated like any other machine. She could only watch helplessly as Tucker continued his conversation with thin air. Her stomach twisted as pained looks flashed across the human engineer’s angered visage.

“What have you done with T’Pol?”

T’Pol forced the emotions, her shipmate’s desperate pleas churned from her subconscious, out of her mind. He seemed so upset, so wracked with pain by the very implication of any harm coming to her. Part of her found it surprisingly…endearing. Suddenly, a deep well rose up within her. T’Pol found herself realizing just how much his absence had affected her. Now, seeing him here, like this, it was almost more then she could bear.

“Commander, I am here.” Her own voice was strained and cracked by emotion, a deep feeling of shame washed over her, and she was suddenly glad no one had heard her brief moment of weakness.

“Commander…” T’Pol harder then ever to control her voice this time, but only managed to increase the volume. “CHARLES, I AM RIGHT-“

*Excuse me, please refrain from unnecessary auditory contact with the Subject.*

The voice was decidedly female, soft and comforting. Quickly, T’Pol’s eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the words.

Nothing.

Even, more alarming was the fact that she hadn’t heard the words; she felt them inside her mind’s ear.

“To whom…” the raw emotions surging through T’Pol were over whelming, but some how she found the strength to clear her mind, “…To whom am I speaking to?”

*Experimentation Node 4344.*

T’Pol didn’t respond, still processing the information she’d just received.

*I’m the one responsible for bringing your crewmen here.*

“You were built by the same species as the probe.”

*Correct.*

“You are a machine, designed to receive those collected by the probe.”

*Also correct.*

“Why?” The emotions returned to T’Pol’s voice, adding an edge to her question that the disembodied voice seemed to ignore. *An initial scan of your vessel’s database and past history revealed several members of your crew who fit the profile of a cultural experiment I had not yet run.*

“We do not wish to participate.”

*I had no intention of asking.*

“Then perhaps you can show me where on the planet your main database is located. I can give you all the information you seek without need for experimentation.”

*Impossible,* the voice stated simply, *My main database is not on the planet.*

“Then where-“

*You misunderstand,* It said, *My main database IS the planet.*

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

“I wonder,” Hera said as she lifted the knife to T’Pol’s ears, “If a Vulcan would bleed from a wound to these pretty little ears.”

At that moment, Trip just wanted the nightmare to be over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
{Lady Conqueror}

As Hera had lifted the knife a shape had begun to take form, very close to the blade. It was still blurry and indistinct but there was no doubting the shape itself. It could only belong to one person, or more precisely, one Vulcan. Trip wanted to throw-up.

“Please, don’t hurt her,” he begged.

Hera just edged the knife closer, a pout forming on her lips,

“But you won’t play. What other choice do I have?”

“I’ll play. Just tell me what you want from me.”

Hera just laughed.

Trip cast his mind back over the time he’d been here, trying to figure out what these people wanted from him. Most of it was just as blurry as T’Pol appeared to be. The impression of hands and lips, male and female, touching and caressing washed over him. Think dammit!, he ordered his brain. Slowly a snippet of conversation floated up to the edges of his consciousness ~ ‘If he doesn’t say the words, we cannot keep him’ ~ They wanted him to say something. His mind refused to give up any more hints, however. Of course if he remembered the sentence correctly, if he did speak the words, it probably meant he’d have to stay here forever. He didn’t particularly relish that thought, but if it was the only way to keep T’Pol safe...

He glanced at Hera. She was slowly circling T’Pol’s form, as if trying to figure out the best place to stab. Trip shook his head to try and clear the image of T’Pol slumped over on the ground, a pool of blood spilling out around her.

“Wait!” He yelled. Hera looked up from her study, an eyebrow cocked in question in an uncanny imitation of T’Pol.

“Whatever you want me to say, I’ll say it. Just let T’Pol go.”

A deliciously evil smile appeared on Hera’s face,

“You see Artemis,” she said to the other woman as she sauntered away from T’Pol and over to Trip, where she draped her arm around his shoulders, “it’s just a matter of finding the proper motivation.”

Artemis crossed her arms in front of her chest, a scowl marring her lovely face. “Your methods are crude, Hera. But in this case, seemingly appropriate,” she added begrudgingly.

Trip almost sighed in relief when Hera left T’Pol’s vicinity, but he didn’t want to draw any attention back to her, so he held it in. Still, this was an indication that these two women didn’t particularly like each other very much. His own knowledge of ancient Greek legends was sparse at best, but perhaps he could find a way to promote this disagreement between the two. As long as he kept their attentions away from T’Pol, that’s all that mattered to him.

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

~*Meanwhile on a rock outcropping not far away*~

Archer and Reed were facing another dead end. The energy barrier just seemed to cover the whole area.

“This is useless.” Malcolm announced angrily. “We’re never going to find a way in.”

“Don’t give up Malcolm. We’ll find a way, even if we have to blast our way through that barrier.” Archer’s remarks were off the cuff, but it triggered a moment of mutual understanding and agreement between the two men. Pulling out their phase pistols as one, Archer added,

“Better set them to kill. We’re going to need as much power as possible to break through that barrier.”

Malcolm just smirked in acknowledgment.

“Aim for the base, where it meets the ground. That’s the most likely spot for any weaknesses,” he instructed Archer as they both turned their pistols on the target.

Twin beams shot out and started pounding the force field and a red glow was slowly but surely starting to appear, radiating out from the point of impact. Archer hoped that was a good sign.

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

The voice’s pronouncement that the planet was the database surprised T’Pol. Still, perhaps she could find a way to reason with it. Before continuing however, she risked a quick glance at the Commander. Agitation was clear on his face. Whatever was causing the thoughts from the experimentation node to enter her head, it seemed to be blocking Tucker’s words from her. She had to concentrate especially hard to make any of it out.

“...you want me to say, I’ll say it. Just let T’Pol go.”

T’Pol’s eyes widened in surprise. The Commander had obviously just agreed to something that no doubt would only cause further problems. And for her sake, from what she could infer. She had to convince this node to end the experiment quickly, before the Commander was lost to her forever,

“If what you say is true, then I can answer your questions from here. There is no need for this experiment.”

*It has always been done this way*

“As you may have noticed, I’m from a different species than these humans. I’ve been studying them also, for a lot longer. This subject you have chosen in particular. I can answer your questions.” The last sentence came out more forcefully than T’Pol had intended. She hoped her desperation would go unnoticed by this computer, otherwise her lack of control may only serve to contribute to the problem.

*There is no need. The experiment is almost over*


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{Nefertari}

It had taken them a good ten minutes, but eventually Archer and Reed’s beams broke through the barrier, and singed the grass on the other side - that particular section of the force field disintegrated in a cloud of dust.

Malcolm let out a rather surprised yelp when he and Archer were covered by a shower of tiny sparks. The Captain turned to him with an amused grin, as they wiped themselves free of dust. Malcolm shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as he could and returned his attention to the force field. A hole about a meter high and half as wide had appeared. Jonathan clapped his armoury officer on the back in congratulation.

“That was a rather disappointing result.” Malcolm grumbled.

“What were you expecting?” Archer chuckled.

“I don’t know, something a lot more than, poof.” Reed gestured with his hands the way the force field had just dissipated with a minuscule explosion.

“We got the job done. I say it’s a good thing.” Archer smiled, he moved closer but felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You should let me.” Malcolm nodded his head to the hole. “Just in case.”

“Okay Malcolm.” The Captain stepped aside. “We do it your way.”

“Sir.” Malcolm nodded. He adjusted his grip on his weapon; after making sure he had sufficient power left in the phase pistol, he held up his free hand. “Here we go.”

Reed moved towards the hole and put his hand through. When nothing happened, he nodded to himself and stepped through. When on the other side, the Lieutenant turned around and watched as Archer bent down and followed him through.

“Let’s see if we can’t find our officers.” The Captain said with a hopeful smile, as the two men surveyed their surroundings.


**********


Trip stared at Artemis and Hera as they argued; both women were getting angrier and louder with every comment that passed. Tucker felt rather triumphant - his plan had succeeded, even though he had yet to put it into action.
All he’d done was ask what would happen to him if he said ‘the words’. Hera had begun to answer when Artemis had cut in with her own response. The argument had ensued leaving Trip to stare at the two Grecian females, open mouthed and wide-eyed.

“When will you accept what I have to say?” Artemis all but shouted. Trip looked at her with shock, as she was sounding like a teenager. Hera was also looking mildly surprised.

“My dear Artemis.” The older woman smiled, not at all a friendly expression. “You may have discovered this handsome creature, but you do not have the exclusive rights to him. We all do.”

“You know,” Artemis’ voice was cold, calculating, “all the while we’re arguing, he’s not saying the words.”

Trip’s heart suddenly jumped into his throat, the overwhelming feeling that his time had run out constricted his airways and generated an instant headache.
“This was his intention?” Hera considered.

“No, no.” Trip shook his head and held his hands up. “Honest mistake. That’s all.”

“You are a troublesome being.” Hera stalked over to the Commander, holding the knife dangerously close to his throat. “Are all of your species the same?”

“Aaah, so you admit it, you’re not Greek, uh, things.” Tucker announced, somewhat tentatively, trying not to get his throat slit.

“We do not need this!” Artemis hissed.

“You are right.” Hera left Tucker and moved over to the hazy image of T’Pol.

“What’re you doing?” Trip’s heart all but stopped beating. He tried to get up, to go to T’Pol’s aid, but he was being held down. By what, he couldn’t work out.
“You will comply.” Hera hissed at the distressed commander.


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


“What will happen when the experiment is over?” T’Pol asked after a short pause. She was relieved to hear her voice had returned to normal. She, at least, appeared to have some control over her emotions.

*The specimen will be discarded.*

“What do you mean, ‘discarded’?” The panic was reappearing. T’Pol didn’t care; she didn’t like the way things were going, especially as Tucker seemed more and more agitated from what she could see.

*There will be no use for the specimen after the experiment. * The disembodied voice floated around her, teasing and toying with her semi-repressed emotions.

“Don’t you value life? Is this not wrong?” She knew it was a weak argument, but T’Pol felt that things needed to be moved on a bit quicker from the looks of Tucker. In the Vulcan’s mind, any way was better than no way.

*Life is in abundance on this planet. There is no need to value what is common.*

“There is only plant life. No animal life.” The Sub-Commander pointed out.

*It does not matter. The energy is the same.*

T’Pol tried to think quickly; she was beginning to feel tired - her mind was slowing as if she were being drugged. She couldn’t come up with a question that would get this computer to assess its situation. Its programming was strict, no chances of finding a fault, a way to get around it.

“Can you be shut down?” It was an unusual choice of question. T’Pol knew she was beginning to be illogical, yet somehow she felt that it might be a reasonable line of questioning.

*There is a way. It would be hard to remove my power source however.*

“What is your power source?”

*The planet is my power source.*

“How does the planet’s energy get transferred to you?”

*It is of no consequence. The experiment is almost over.*


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


Malcolm stopped abruptly, causing the Captain to bump into him.

“Lieutenant?” Archer’s voice questioned, as he stepped to one side, so he was next to Malcolm.

“Sorry sir.” Reed pointed ahead of them. “Do you see that?”

“Yes I do.” Archer nodded his head.

“Are they supposed to be semi-transparent?” Malcolm whispered. Ahead of the two men was a room full of people, male and female, dressed in Grecian clothing, milling around Commander Tucker.

“I don’t know Malcolm.” The Captain looked round. “Look, there’s T’Pol.”

“Why’s she just standing there?” Malcolm asked.

“Who knows.” Archer peered closer at the Sub-Commander. She and Tucker were both fully visible, yet surrounded by hazy images. “Maybe, whatever it is that makes us see Greek people, has made her believe she’s going through something as well.”

“Makes sense.” Malcolm nodded. “Well, as much sense as any of this can do.”

“Well Lieutenant.” Archer held up his phase pistol. “You get Trip, I’ll see to T’Pol.”

“Aye sir.” Malcolm inclined his head.

“We’ll meet at the campsite, if all goes well. If not, get back to the pod.” Archer nearly grinned. “How are we doing for time?”

“We’ve been one hour.” Malcolm replied after a moment.

“We should be able to get back to the others before they head back to Enterprise.” Archer looked thoughtful for a few moments. “We should be as quick as we can.”

“Yes sir.” Malcolm checked his pistol. “Good luck sir.”

“You too, Lieutenant.” The Captain nodded at his Armoury officer, before walking in the general direction T’Pol was in.

Malcolm glanced around for a second before heading in a different direction, his mind telling him he had to navigate round some very hazy stone walls.


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


“No, please don’t. Wait. No.” Trip strained against his invisible restraints, as Hera plunged the knife into the transparent image of T’Pol. The Vulcan didn’t look surprised as she fell to the floor and landed in a crumpled heap.

“Now, will you co-operate?” Hera demanded.

Trip felt his eyes grow hot as tears threatened to fall. He stared at his fallen colleague in disbelief. How this could happen was beyond him. He’d done everything to prevent this event. He’d intended to say the words. Now there was no point. He’d failed his crewmate. He’d failed T’Pol.

“I don’t think he’s going to do anything now.” Artemis commented.

“Shut up.” Hera warned. “He’ll come round.”

“How could you?” Trip’s voice was barely a whisper. He couldn’t tear his eyes from T’Pol’s lifeless body. “You killed her, how could you?”

“Very easily.” Hera looked at the knife, still in her hand. “Is there anything else I can do to persuade you?”

“Go on then, what words do I have to say?” The Commander’s tone was despondent, his eyes were glazed over, tears ready to fall.


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


Malcolm wove his way through some columns, not entirely sure if they were really there or not. He was developing a slight headache from staring at a landscape that was a mixture of semi-transparent and opaque images. He had passed several people, or at least what he thought were people. None had paid any attention to him, even though he was carrying his pistol in plain view.

He was stepping carefully, trying not to fall over things that might or might not be there. He could see the Commander through the curtain of fake people - he looked very distressed. Reed knew that things in this charade were winding down. To what, his mind wouldn’t let him think such thoughts. He’d rather not know.

He sped up his pace, and hurried to get to his friend, afraid of what might happen if he were too late.


***********


Captain Archer was almost within reach of T’Pol; she looked very tired - her body was slumped against something he couldn’t see. It appeared that she was muttering to something, or maybe herself. Her head would bob occasionally in the direction of Trip, obviously she could see him, and what she saw was disturbing her greatly. Well, as much as the Vulcan would let it. He wondered what was going on inside her mind, how great the turmoil was on the inside.
Suddenly the Captain of the Enterprise was lying on the ground, face first. He shook his head slightly noting pain in his left leg and right arm. Slowly he got to his feet and looked back to see what he’d tripped over.

To his surprise the hazy images were gone. He was in a clearing in a forest. A piece of vine was twisted round his left ankle, he shook it off absently.

“Strange.” He muttered and looked up remembering his crewmates.

He could see T’Pol on the ground a few feet in front of him. In the distance, he could see Tucker and Reed talking animatedly. He wondered what his friend had been put through.

“T’Pol.” Archer called, as he came up to her.

The Vulcan lifted her head slightly. “Captain?” She said in a quiet voice. “What…”
“Its over.” Archer assured her. “Its over.”

“The Commander?”

“He looks to be okay. Can you walk?” He helped T’Pol to her feet; she wobbled slightly but allowed the Captain to help steady her.


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


“Commander Tucker?”

“Malcolm?” Trip blinked a few times, he’d been sure he’d heard the Lieutenant’s distinct accent calling him.

“Commander, where the bloody hell are you?” Reed called again.

“Over here.” Trip scrambled to his feet. He turned round and discovered he’d been lying behind a bush.

“There you are.” Reed caught up to him. “Are you okay sir?”

“I think so.” Trip looked around. “T’Pol. My god, T’Pol.”

“What?” Malcolm saw the pained expression on Trip’s face.

“They killed her.” Trip sat down in the grass again.

“She’s okay.” Malcolm told him. “I saw her. She looked alive.”

“What happened?” Tucker hadn’t been listening.

“I don’t know.” Malcolm hauled the Commander to his feet again. “Come on, we need to get going.”

“Where’s T’Pol?” Trip looked around, looking very much like he was drunk.

Malcolm wondered what those apparitions had done to the poor man.

“She’s right here.” Archer’s voice called.

Trip and Malcolm looked up to see the two senior officers standing side by side. T’Pol looking rather exhausted, and Archer covered in grass and mud stains.
“You’re alive!” Trip smiled when he saw T’Pol. He ran to her and impulsively hugged her. When he pulled back, his expression was sheepish. “Uh, sorry, I thought they’d killed you.”

“It’s okay Commander.” T’Pol replied calmly. “I understand you had a traumatic experience.”

“What happened?” Malcolm asked the Captain with a wry smile.

“Tripped over something.” Archer commented looking rather embarrassed.

“Maybe it was the power cord.” Trip suggested with a chuckle.

“That would be logical.” T’Pol put in. “If the disappearance of the Greeks coincided with your fall.”

“Yeah, okay.” Archer frowned. “It’s a good day to be a klutz.”

“Can we go back to Enterprise now?” Trip asked. “I feel the need for a shower.”

“You’re not the one covered in mud.” Archer looked at him.

“You weren’t fondled by crazed Greeks.” Trip shot back.


**********


Trip sat in the mess hall. It was the middle of the night, ship time, and he was happy for the alone time. When he’d walked in, he had found a piece of pecan pie with his name on it, literally. The label had been written in his friend’s handwriting; he’d made a mental note to thank the Captain for his thoughtfulness in the morning.

The ride back to the ship had been quiet. All the crewmembers, packed inside the small shuttlepod, had made it a crowded journey, but all had been glad to get back aboard Enterprise. None more so than Trip and T’Pol. They’d both been sent to sickbay, having to submit to a battery of tests by Phlox, but eventually Tucker had been allowed to go to his cabin for a rest.

Of course sleep had not come, and he’d found himself wandering into the mess hall, hoping for something that would make him feel a little better. The pie had put a smile on his face and had helped him forget for a few moments the memory of T’Pol’s death. Of course, it had been somehow engineered but it had been all too real at the time.

When the doors opened Trip didn’t look up, he didn’t want to know who was coming in at this hour. If he kept his back to the door, they might realise he didn’t want company and leave after they’d gotten their fix of coffee, or whatever.

“May I join you, Commander?” T’Pol’s voice caused him to look up through the dim lighting of nighttime on the ship.

“Of course.” Trip gestured to the other empty seats at his table.

T’Pol took the one opposite him and placed a mug of tea in front of her. “How are you feeling?” The question was asked in her usual monotone but Trip sensed something more underneath, emotion maybe.

“Much better, and you?” Trip placed the last piece of his pie in his mouth as he waited for the reply.

“I am feeling fine.” She told him. “I was having trouble sleeping and meditating wasn’t helping.”

“Me too.” Trip nodded. “Well, without the meditating.”

“The information that generated the images you saw was created from the minds of all the men on the planet. You were the one they chose to test.” T’Pol all but blurted, in what seemed to be an attempt to avoid an uncomfortable silence.

“That’s nice. I wonder why Greek goddesses.” Trip wondered aloud.

“We may never know.” T’Pol dipped her head. “The computer I spoke to informed me that the planet was not only its power source but also its database. It would be logical to assume it would be able to read whatever was on the planet at the time it took its scans.”

“That does sound logical.” Trip agreed. “What now? How do we shut it down?”

“I don’t think we need to worry. There are no active power signatures that we can find. Since the Captain’s incident there has been no interference with the sensors. It is logical to assume that the experiments will not continue.”

“That’s comforting.” Trip smiled slightly. “Y’know. They spent ages trying to get me to say these words.”

“What words?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know, they never told me what they were.”

“That is probably to your advantage.” T’Pol told him.

“They killed you. Not you, obviously, but they made me think that they had, so I’d say the words.” Trip looked sad again.

“Would you?”

“I was going to the first time they threatened your life.” Trip looked intently into her eyes.

“You would risk your own life, to save mine?” T’Pol raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Editor's Note: We think this is the end--unless zealousgirl writes an epilogue. That will depend upon your comments. ;-)

Bucky


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hooray! zealousgirl has written an epilogue tying up the loose ends.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{zealousgirl}

Trip returned to his quarters, feeling exhausted and yet settled given his recent conversation with T’pol. He was somewhat surprised by the intensity of emotions that the experiment had brought out in him. In particular, the protectiveness for a certain Vulcan that helped him maintain some lucidity despite the ‘Greeks’ attempts to befuddle him.

He took another shower, in the hopes that some of the tension that had set in his upper back and shoulders would be soothed. His mind continued to try to make sense of what had happened to him and the other crew members. Why was he chosen for this experiment? Why did something as simple as getting caught up in a vine seemingly stop the experiment? What exactly was he supposed to say? And what was the point of the whole experiment? He resolved to never knowing the answers to these questions.

Stepping out of the shower, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Catching a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror, he chuckled. “Kinda look like one of those studs that they sicked on me.” Well, at least, he could find humor in a potentially lethal situation – T’pol had informed him that they had planned to discard him after the experiment was complete.

As he exited his bathroom, a flash of light caught his attention. He walked over to his bunk, and found a silver chain with a silver pendant resting on his pillow. “Well, how’d that get here?” Cautiously, he picked it up to examine it more closely.

The chain was the usual herringbone design; but, the pendant was quite unusual. Immediately, he realized that it was a miniature replica of the Interrogator Probe that they had encountered less than a day ago. Looking more closely, he found an inscription: . It looked like Greek to him. Just as he was about to send a call to the bridge, a blinding light filled his quarters accompanied by a high pitched thrill.

When his eyes were finally able to focus, he found himself again inside the Parthenon-like building. A feeling of dread swelled up, and he muttered, “Oh no, not again.”

“Welcome Trip.” The familiar voice of Artemis preceded her apparition in front of him. Luckily Hera and the others were no where to be found.

“What now?” he asked, exasperated.

“The experiment was a success, thus we require nothing further of you.” She walked towards him. She now stopped directly in front of him. Gently, she brought her hand up to touch the pendant that he still held. “Taxidi.”

“What?” He eyed her suspiciously, while frantically trying to come up with a plan for escape.

“Taxidi – it means ‘voyage’ or ‘trip’. That is what is written on the pendant. It is for you, to remember your time with us.”

Trip sent her one of his characteristic expressions that screamed ‘are you kidding?’. “I don’t think I need some bobble to remember the hell you put me through! Send me back to Enterprise, right now!”

Artemis giggled, before continuing. “You will be returned unharmed momentarily.” Her expression was now more serious. “Why do you believe you were sent here?”

“’Cause you guys are a bunch of demented holograms.” His patience was wearing thin; he had no desire to continue this conversation.

“No.” She continued to speak impassively. “We saw the opportunity to witness how your crew could work together, and adapt to unexpected changes. The females on your ship revealed that they were as clever as any male. The few men that came to this planet showed bravery and level-headedness.”

“Well, what did torturing me have to do with this?” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Oh, that. . . an interesting development when you separated from the others.” She gave him a sly smile. “You really should not have done that.”

“OK, then just what was the deal with me having to say ‘the words’? And, why did you have to bring T’pol into it?”

“We wanted to determine what would make you say that you would stay with us. As more pleasurable distractions such as beautiful women and drink were not sufficient, we decided to try more aggressive measures – as you obviously care deeply for that woman. Only she appeared to be able to focus your thoughts.”

“But— ”

Artemis raised her hand up, stopping him from continuing his protest. “You may go now. And, remember what you have learned today.”

Trip gave her a puzzled look, but held off on asking just what she meant by that.

“We each have a goal that we are trying to attain, but don’t forget to enjoy the journey. There is more to life than work – as we get older it is the friends and loved-ones that we remember most fondly.” Artemis’ form began to evaporate before his eyes, her parting words being, “Take care to remember.”

Next, he found himself lying under the covers in his bed. Trip sat up, and scanned the room. He was covered with a cold sweat, and felt somewhat confused. Had that just been a dream? It must have been, since it had been determined that there were no longer any energy signatures on the planet.

He got up to get a drink of water, but froze at the image in his mirror. Trip was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, and a silver chain with a silver cylindrical pendant. He could not help but grin.

{THE END}

zealousgirl’s note: I tried to wrap this up as best as I could – there are still a few issues not resolved, but hey, it’s hard to figure out how you authors are thinking.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this Round Robin ( now entitled “Taxidi”): pookha hare, vandiver49, myst 123, Li, T’Parm, stub, The Cursor, Lady C, and Nefertari. You all did a fabulous job. A big high-five and ‘pat on the back’ for Bucky – she sorted out how to post this round robin. It was so much fun, and did fill up some of the time during the last 5 weeks without new episodes of Enterprise. I would love to do this again sometime. And thanks to all those who have diligently read and reviewed. ~ZG~


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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Ooooh, good, a mystery! This looks promising. I can't wait to see what kind of convoluted hoops you have us jumping through as you lead us up the sci-fi version of the garden path. All the best to you all with this endeavour and keep writing! Ali D :~)

LOL!!! that's great! and mystery is a god addition..

Oh, this is good! Thanks, ZG and pookha. I'm feeling nervous about my contribution in a few days.

more! and hurry! Uh oh!! Trip doesn't like bugs huh?

great addition to zealousgirls wonderful first start pookha. Can't wait for the next part to see where it goes. good luck vandiver

The one above was me. Duh! I forgot to put in my name. I'm such a dolt.

Okay, so glad I'm not up for a while! This is looking v.good

YAY! Great story so far, guys!

Cool story so far. This is fascinating - pookha, you went in a very different direction than I had imagined. That's the fun part of round robin!!!

thanks..
i am sorta looking at this as practice for some things i might do in the future..

great addition and worth the wait..

LOL, vandiver! And, you had better say the same thing when I post my section. :D

LOL that was great LOL

Fantastic!!

Nice twist, vandiver!

Great Job vandiver (like the pat on the back that you gave yourself LOL!!!) I like how you brought in a bit of shippiness in T'pol's POV. Also loved the whole waterfall scene - especially when Trip pushes Malcolm into the water... Hee Hee Hee. . . he's gonna pay for that.

Well, next up is myst - GOOD LUCK!

cool. oh T'Pol you have no idea the trouble your honey bun is going to get into giving the desire of our writers to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate our hunky southern boy! I'm think next scene will have Trip practically drowning as the water fearing Brit climbs onto his shoulders and head to get out of the water.

Love Travis' Geronimo!!!

Great job vandiver. Loved Trip & Mal's interaction - and Archer spilling the beans about Mal being aquaphobic. Hee.

Go Myst!!! :)

Great addition myst!!! I chuckled at the comment about the captain's chair. And, cool twist with the introduction of Artemis. . . Bet she's going to cause some problems with T'pol and the gang.

Good luck Li, with your addition!

yea, definatly a twist...I think that this is turning into something great. Plus T'Pol's admiring Trip's handiwork...cool

Interesting myst. I loved the Captain's chair bit too. Poor Trip's no doubt about to get himself into big trouble (as usual LOL!).


well trip is lucky to be alive ..
it usually isnt a good thing to catch artemis bathing..

he he..
"Her fears were justified. Commander Tucker was not present, and her experiences with him made her fear what lay ahead."

she dont know the half of it..

and the other character touches were nice too.
malcom stomping off to show jon the correct way to start a fire

oh cool! very very cool. of course Trip is the one to find the ABOW! Oh Trip dude your T'Pol honey is going to pissed to find you with a female.

Good job Hoshi!

well, love the story so far, with me in it! heeehe... anyways, keep up the good work!
artemis moonshine

This is the first Round Robin I've read. So far, very good. Good luck, everybody, I just LOVE Trip in trouble!!!

Liking the twists and turns. Can't wait to see what trouble Trip is going to get in with yet another alien female. :-D

Great job Li :)

Hi Li!!!

I really enjoyed how you described the 'ethereal' place that Artemis brought Trip. I also loved how everyone there, but Trip and the readers, knows exactly what is going on. I can totally picture T'pol, Archer, and Malcolm to the rescue.

Good Luck, T'parm with the next installment!

I believe Trip is offically over his head. Hopefully he realizes just how much trouble he's in

yep Trouble with a capital t is exactly what he is in..
hera and artemis are two people you do not want to mess with..
well at least the muses are there
;)

trip soon should he thinking .. i should have payed more attention to greek mythology when i was in school

very good first time I've read on of these and it's very amusing. Oh, and may I bow down to myst123 for linking it to TOS "who mourns for adonais?" and congradguate li for continuing it! I love when things link to the original series, which was my fave! Good job people!

Hey T'Parm!!! Great addition. I particularly enjoyed the picture that you painted for me - the men mesmerized by the Parthenon, and T'pol completely oblivious to this all, and walking through a rock face. I also chuckled at the image of Trip sitting on the ground speaking to no one.

Good Luck Stubadingdong!!!

Good job, T'Parm! I, too, liked the way you had only the humans perceiving the ancient temple-things sure look like they're getting even more complicated!

Nice job T'Parm - I too loved the fact that T'Pol seems to be immune from the aliens. Nice way to seperate her from Archer & Reed too, so we can get to the T/T goodness.

Li and T'Parm!

I enjoyed both your sections.

Yes, T'Parm, I wondered if the "ancient civilization" mentioned by vandiver meant only the species resulting from that civilization could see it. It makes sense to me that T'Pol wouldn't be able to see the Greek goddesses, but who will she see?

Good one T'Parm! I really like that one! Good T/T-togetherness with Archer-and-Malcolm-out-of-the-way-ness good good!

hey!! great job so far!! this is great... great job to vandiver49 for having trip push mal off the edge... that was hilarious!!

stub that was excellent. Now I have to say Poor T'Pol. That was funny with Hera bringing in the guys. LOL!

Great work, stub! I LOL'd a couple of times! Can't wait to see what THE CURSOR will come up with!

Absolutely loved the humor, stub. I could picture poor Trip, pushing away the 2 strapping studs. And, the fact that he became lucid at the mention of T'pol was a great touch.

Good luck to The Cursor!!!!!!

lol, great job Stub, very amyusing! Oh, I'll also bow down to you for being one of 3 people I know who actually know the correct Greek names! Can't wait to read more, good job everyone.

Hey stub!! That was great! I shoulda figured you'd be the one to bring T'Pol into harm's way. Trip to the rescue!

stub! I laughed and loved this section. Thanks!

Thanks guys!

But I still feel bad for leaving the next one in line, CURSOR, with what I did. I've never done a round robin before and now I think I know why. LOL

hey, i'm no meanie! and i don't like hera. the woman chased my pregnant mother and me across the entire planet, so i'm inclined not to like her, but hey i'm not writing the story, so continue by all means.

artemis moonshine

Great twist, Cursor! Now we get to see why the computer projected ancient Greek gods visible only to humans (human males?).

Good luck, Lady C!

ok.. that was a little confusing.. does that mean that T'Pol can now be seen by Trip and they are threatening to chop off T'Pol's ears or something?, so does that mean that T'Pol can suddenly see them and the knife thing as well...
The Former makes Lots more sense than the later... hmmm... Can't wait for more!!

Really liked your take on the story, CURSOR! I could picture the entire scene perfectly (at least I think I can) After reading Becky's comment, I too now am wondering... I will stick with the idea that Trip can see Hera with the knife at T'pol throat, but she is completely oblivious. Also, loved the little shippy thoughts that T'pol was having.

Good Luck LADY C!

loved it cursor..

my guess is that t'pol is oblivious to what trip is seeing..
what trip is seeing inst real but a projection..
ie tpol is fine and talking to the computer but all the while trip has been seeing these images of tpol being tortured..

just my gues..

Hey Cursor. Good job.

Great imagery there, Lady C. I liked how you made it so that Trip could sort of see T'pol's form, and that T'pol had to strain to hear what Trip was saying. Can't wait to see what you do with this Nefertari.

Excellent, Lady C! Nice way to set up Trip to see him use his slim knowledge of Greek mythology to pit Hera against Artemis :D. I'd love to see him use the classics to solve this problem.

Good luck, Nefertari! I'm looking forward to this conclusion. ::rubs hands in anticipation!::

Arrgh! Don't stop there! I can't wait to see what happens next. What words does Trip have to say and can T'Pol stop him in time? Will the Captain and Malcolm shoot their way through the barrier or just make things worse? Gulp. Hope the next part is up SOON! Thanks to everyone for a gripping story... Ali D :~)

Great addition, Lady C. The suspense has gone up a couple of notches, at least! I can't wait to see Nefertari's conclusion.

Thanks for the comments on my part.

Nefertari - that was wonderful. I loved how Archer fixed things by tripping over. LOL! And the scene in the messhall at the end was great too. Just great :)

EP-I-LOG EP-I-LOG!!! ::chanting::
PLEASE!!

Very clever and very entertaining! Thanks, Nefertari, for bringing all together and making all parts make sense. I am one of the one's who doesn't want it to end - an epilogue sounds good to me!

good ending. I vote for the epilog too!

Great ending, Nefertari. I like how you were able to wrap things up.

I do have an idea for an epilogue, and will try to get to it soon. However, the muse has found me for the sequel to 'Retrieval' - I want to stick with her until she decides to flit off somewhere else!!!

Oh, well done Zealousgirl, nice epilogue. It tied it all together superbly. Good luck to all who took part.

Yay that was a cool, twist, ending, THanks to all you wonderful People who write THANY THANKY THANKY!!

ZG! Well done! I love your epilogue. Thanks!

Good epilogue zealousgirl. And it turned out to be quite a good story - Yay! to us :)

Just read this story and I think it's fabulous! But the whole trying to figure out the words thing was not very nice, since it's driving me nuts. j/k. Anyways, would be nice if anyone would want to continue it.