***

2154

Reed was running toward the cave entrance as they emerged - Tegl first. Reed's suspicions grew, until he saw Trip and Archer close behind, his hand on Archer's shoulder. Reed noticed the touch now, and it calmed him.
Reed: What happened, Captain? Are you all right?

Archer looked at Tegl.

Archer: Are we in any danger?

Tegl: I have no way of knowing.

Reed: Sir, what was in there? Why did you fire your weapon?

Archer: I'll explain later, Malcolm. It's gone for now. Let's get to work.

Reed: I'll investigate.

Archer: Finish with the collecting, Lieutenant. Just be on your guard. We'll leave as soon as it's done.

Reed: It would help if we knew what to watch for.

...

Archer: No, it wouldn't.

(***)

T'Pol: Was it an energy life form, or a creature of some kind?

Trip: Yes and no. We thought we saw something. Tegl's sure he did. It was terrifying for a minute, and then it was gone.

T'Pol: You imagined it then?

Trip: All three of us?

T'Pol: You've hallucinated in caves before.

Trip scowled at her as they loaded the last of the supplies.

T'Pol: It could be something Tegl did to you. We don't know his abilities.

Trip: It was real enough.

***

2154

Hoshi headed back to her cabin to relax. It had been a draining shift during the resupply mission, keeping in constant contact with T'Pol and watching the sensors for any approaching ships.

Tegl: Hoshi.

Hoshi: (startled) Mr. Tegl!

Tegl: ror keltth tabr?

Hoshi: (stunned but quick) akel... akel ror.

Tegl: Then join me, please. You've progressed far enough to help me.

(***)

Hoshi again headed back to her cabin, pretending not to hear friends down the hall calling her. She was exhausted, overwhelmed by Tegl's lesson. Her curiosity had won out earlier, but now her fatigue drove her to sleep. She dreamed a very strange, long dream of a forest, and a book in a language she didn't know. When she woke she was frustrated rather than rested. She returned to Tegl's quarters immediately.

***

2154

T'Pol: Are you certain you saw something?

Archer: No.

T'Pol: But you claim there was something there?

Archer: Yes.

T'Pol left the questions hanging, waiting for Archer to prepare his reply.

Archer: Tegl saw it, I'm certain. Trip saw it. I saw...something, but only at the last second.

T'Pol: You fired before you saw anything?
Archer: No! I saw a ...change, a movement.

T'Pol: In an empty cave.

Archer: I can't explain it. Why can't you accept it? There are three of us who saw it.

T'Pol: It is simply unlikely that anything could have evaded our scans unless it was cloaked. It is more likely that there was nothing there.

(***)

Trip locked down the shuttle while Tegl waited; the image from the tunnel wouldn't go away, and it distracted him. The fear was gone, entirely, but the oddness of the experience was fixed in his mind.

Tegl: Trip, I shouldn't have put you and Archer in danger down there.

He stopped when he realized Trip was not hearing him. He reached out a hand.

Trip: What?

Tegl: What I did in the cave was a mistake.

Trip: Mistake? You warned us.

Tegl: You and the Captain were able to defend yourselves, yes.

Trip: We did a pretty good job, didn't we? Good thing I had him there.

Tegl: Still, the attack was...

Trip: But there wasn't anything really there, was there? I've never felt that way before - so afraid and then it just stopped. Were we hallucinating?

Tegl closed his eyes and focused on that last word.

Trip: I'm going to ask Phlox to check us for anything unusual.

***

2154

Hoshi: What is the meaning of this sound, here?

Tegl: It shows that the speaker is fatigued.

Hoshi: But he just said that...

Tegl: It's what you call sarcasm.

Hoshi: I haven't begun to master Tabran.

Tegl: You know enough. Here, take this text and read it.

Hoshi: anchan..? Is that the Captain? Captain anchan?

She laughed a little.

Tegl: Continue.

Hoshi: anchan sro-e entenprshe eltth

Tegl: Incredible.

Hoshi: What?

Tegl: You read that correctly.

Hoshi frowned.

Tegl was striding back and forth, and as he passed her chair, he clapped his hands down on her shoulders. She nearly screamed.

Tegl: You guessed the entire structure! There's hope yet! Tell me the structure, the coding, as you see it.

Hoshi: It's your final report on Captain Archer and the Enterprise crew.

Tegl: Clearly.

Hoshi: It's structured for written format, read by a group, a panel of seven.

Tegl: Exceptional. Was it luck?

Hoshi: It says sro-e, eltth. That only makes sense if your report is read by seven people.

Tegl: Does it?

Hoshi: Doesn't it?

Tegl: eltth..., sro-e.

Hoshi: I don't see the difference.

Tegl sighed.

Tegl: That's all right. We've been up for hours. Go and rest. We can work more tomorrow.

Hoshi: I'd like that.

Tegl: I know.

***

2154

Private File Entry

What have I done? I could have gotten them killed, and died with them. Why did we stay? Having it all - risk large, win large? Hah!

I'm certain they want to be together. They'll rethink their cowardice now, their failings.

Kous, your death was not left unremembered. I have mourned you every day, as we mourned Alkkav. I know now that Alkkav died quickly, -- twenty? Is it twenty years ago? If you'd been there, with him, he'd be alive. Your combined strength could have held off the darkness. Archer and Trip made it. Now they'll take the direct path. They will walk together, as you and Alkkav did. They will...

The recording stylus slipped from Tegl's hand and rested across the last word he'd written -- kekau. He let out the same lonely sound that had overwhelmed Archer, a long loud cry for his creators.

***

2154

Phlox scanned the shuttle crews and kept Trip, Archer, and Tegl a bit longer, but found no contaminants of any kind. At Trip's insistence he did further tests; Archer and Tegl both questioned this, but Trip insisted.

Tegl was absolutely silent on the walk from decon to sickbay, and this uncharacteristic quiet spread to Archer and Trip, who both leaned against the same biobed, again shoulder to shoulder. Tegl watched them.

(...)

Phlox: Ah.

Archer: Doctor?

He studied the data on the screen and waved them over.

Phlox: Ah!!
Trip: Doc, could you be more specific?

Tegl remained at a distance.

Phlox: There is a change in your brains!

At this enthusiastic outburst, Archer turned silently to Trip, his brow furrowed.

Phlox: Oh, nothing harmful, gentlemen. Since you all claimed to see something that sensors did not detect, I performed a simple scan and compared it to earlier ones. Look here, Commander Tucker, this is you - your brain I mean - before and after. There are striking new memory traces, chemical imbalances, even a slight enlargement - here.

Trip: Am I okay?

Phlox: Oh you're fine. But you've obviously been through something significant.

Archer: Could it be a holographic projector, like before?

He turned to look at Tegl, who was standing near the exam table, several feet away, eyes averted but listening, and still strangely quiet.

Phlox: This is nothing like holographic stress, or even hallucinatory residue. It resembles long-term damage from abuse, but you accumulated it over the course of a few minutes. Now, what's really interesting is the scan from our Tabran friend...

Tegl: Doctor!

Trip and Archer both turned. It was the first thing he'd said in a while.

Tegl: I'm sorry. That is private.

Trip: I need to help with the supply storage.

Archer: You sure we're okay?

Phlox: Fine, Captain.

Archer: Very well. I'll talk to you later.

When they had gone, Tegl approached impatiently.

Tegl: Delete that file.

Phlox: I'll do no such...

Tegl: If you don't, there will be consequences. For me.

Phlox: Another of your secrets.

Tegl: I'll delete it myself if I have to.

He was standing at his full height again.