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DECEIT: Part Four
***
2155
{{ How did an ordinary bond lead you to deceit?
> I owed him an explanation. It mattered to him, and to me.
{{ He was owed nothing. You owed us your research, done as instructed, and a notation that you were bonded with him.
> He deserved more than that.
{{ There is nothing more than that. Bonding does not alter your task. It does not require further details to be shared.
> Trip was a complicated person for a bond.
{{ Your reports must not be incomplete or inaccurate.
> He asked..
{{ You violated the protocols and endangered Elchora.
> He will never share..
{{ Violation of protocols and the endangerment of our world and way of life are
not lightly put aside.
> "Way of life?" Where do *you* get words like that? <shakes head>
{{ How did Archer become involved?
***
2154
Trip: Cap'n, have you noticed anything strange about our guest?
Archer: No, Trip. What's up? Archer kept as honest a face as he could.
Trip: Nothin'. He's just strange.
Archer: That's not the kind of diplomatic comment I'd like to hear my senior officer make about our guest.
Trip: Oh come on, Cap'n. He scares half the crew with his looks -- I don't mind 'em, now that I've been around him a while. An' he says whatever he's thinking. And he thinks some pretty strange things.
Archer: The Tabrans have knowledge that Starfleet wants, or at least that's what Forrest could get from the higher-ups. Even the Vulcans approve. He has Starfleet's permission to interview the entire crew.
Trip: And who's he interviewed? You, me, and three of my staff. And me twice.
Archer: He's scheduled to interview Travis and Hoshi next - he'll be on the bridge a lot. That should keep you out of his hands.
That had slipped out and both of them realized it.
Trip: You're not jealous, are ya?
Archer: No. He's not my type. Just be polite, okay Trip?
Just for a minute, the old easy kidding had seemed possible again. Archer got up and left the Mess Hall, shoulders lower than usual. Trip wished he could take back that last jibe. He sat there for a long time, picking steadily at the pie in front of him, and the next slice after that.
(( Why would he be jealous? He's the one who broke it off. He knows I wouldn't really do anything. ))
He heard Tegl's words again but didn't dare continue that conversation right now. It made him feel very foggy, and very warm. (( Are Tabrans telepathic? And his arms - the way he lifted me up like I weighed nothin'. )) I wouldn't mind havin' some arms like his around me.
Crewman Jenks turned around, several tables away, wondering if she'd heard the Commander correctly. Trip froze, the last forkful of pie an inch from his mouth, looking at her, and gave a faux grin while cursing himself mightily.
...
Back in his quarters, Trip looked up Tabrans in the human and Vulcan databases. There wasn't much, in fact, oddly little in either database beyond recent contacts with Researchers. The home world, Tabra, had no mapped location beyond the general star coordinates of its region.
***
2150
"You're a friend. A friend forever." (...) "This way we can be together, just not really together. " < s i g h >
Archer had been trying this for a while now, but didn't know how to say it. It wasn't going to be easy.
"We'll have to end it, Trip. We can't live this way and command the first deep space mission. We'll be making history with every..."
Trip burst in with two large
bags of food.
YOU are gonna live like a king tonight! I just got one of Momma's recipes that
she's held tight to for years and years. No chicken will ever compare again.
Just you wait...
Trip!
Trip stopped instantly and put down the food. As he turned around, Archer caught him with both hands, and pulled him into a deep kiss that lasted almost until they got to the bed. By then, Trip was clear on the plan and pushed Archer back on the bed, burying his face in Archer's neck, licking up under his jaw to his ear. Archer rolled his head back and gave in to his Engineer's wicked tongue.
When they finally passed out and woke again in the dark, and slept again, the food was a distant memory, warm, wilted, mostly a waste.
***
2154
(( I can't abandon the Cap'n like this. What did Tegl mean, "We can get him back"? God he's got an amazing face. A helluva lot nicer than that Tellarite. ))
Tegl's face reappeared in his mind - a wild face, strong-featured and assured, so very out of character with his job.
(( He's smarter than he lets on, and his eyes never stop moving. He notices everything. )) Trip's cheeks reddened as he thought of Tegl's hands moving up his arms, lifting him, his lips right there, but not kissing; that nose, smelling him.
(...)
Trip was halfway to Tegl's quarters when Malcolm caught sight of him and hurried to catch up.
Reed: Commander. If you have a minute.
Trip: Uh, no Malcolm, I don't. I have to be somewhere.
Reed: I'll walk with you. It's about the power adapters for the new torpedoes.
Trip: Are they overheating?
Reed: What? No. They haven't been routed over yet. That's why I need you to divert the power temporarily.
Trip: Can it wait, Malcolm?
Trip came to an abrupt halt with those words.
Reed: I'd like to get the weapons systems fully operational as soon as possible. Are you all right, Commander?
Trip: Yes, I'm fine, why?
Reed: You look quite flushed.
Trip: I'll be fine.
He turned to go, but Malcolm pushed the PADD in front of him, and he stopped.
Trip: I'll get to it first thing in the morning.
Reed stared after Trip's receding back.
Reed: Let's hope there aren't any surprise attacks before then!
***
Trip buzzed the door but got no answer. Again, and no answer. He knocked.
Trip: Tegl, it's me.
He looked nervously up and down the corridor, but who would be near the guest quarters anyhow?
The door slid open and Tegl smiled broadly, showing teeth Trip hadn't noticed were so...fierce.
Tegl: I am interviewing Ensign Sato next week, and was
reviewing her data.
Trip: You have data on her already? And you still need to interview her?
Tegl: We have only external data from the first contact reports. And why are you here?
Trip: I don't know. I .. I want to ask you what you want with me.
Tegl: I am attracted. You feel the same way.
Trip: Is that written all over my face? Because the way you keep sayin'
that...
Tegl: It is, Commander.
Trip: Call me Trip, then, if you know me so well.
Tegl: Trip. I'm not asking you to abandon your other bonds. Only add one to strengthen the others.
Trip: That's not how it works with humans.
Tegl: No, it doesn't. You're right.
Trip: Are you already bonded with someone?
Tegl: No.
Trip: Good. Neither am I.
Tegl: Yes, you are.
Trip: That's over.
Tegl: We can make it work again.
Trip: What do you know about losing the chance to love the person you really love? You couldn't possibly understand.
Tegl: I do. I saw how my parents-
Trip: What's that?
Trip thought he was artfully changing the subject by
pointing out a small instrument on the Tabran's table, covered in symbols.
Tegl picked it up and brought it closer to Trip so he could see it, but didn't
let go of it.
Trip: May I?
Tegl: It's not something I can share. Tabran technology is not shared.
Trip: I understand.
Tegl: Really?
Trip: The Vulcans were unwilling to share advanced technology with us.
Tegl: Ah, but they had their reasons. They feared your species and still do, to a large extent.
Trip: Feared?
Tegl: It's a logical fear, well rationalized, but it's still fear. That's how
we characterize it in our reports.
Trip: Show me what it does.
Tegl: Curiosity is a Tabran virtue, Trip.
Trip: It's a human virtue too. Show me how it works.
Tegl knew very, very clearly that this was all wrong. It was a direct violation
of several contact and research protocols. It could mean his career.
Tegl: It simulates the home world.
(( Well, if I'm going to have both, I'd better play to win. ))
Trip had drawn back as he realized it was a holographic device, recalling his pregnancy.
Tegl: You don't have to be afraid of it. We carry them to help us maintain a connection on longer missions.
Trip: Have you been away long? Two months doesn't seem long. We've been on this mission for over a year now, and we were exploring for two years before that.
Tegl: I traveled almost 8 months just to meet the rendezvous ship that brought me to Enterprise. That ship traveled 3 months.
Trip: At warp? More or less than warp 5?
Tegl: At warp. Let that be enough of an answer.
Trip: You speak so openly and honestly about your feelings and now you won't talk?
Tegl: We don't discuss the home world.
He could feel the openness in Trip beginning to close up just as he was.
Tegl: Here. Sit down.
He clicked two tabs on the box and Trip felt a buzzing in
his head.
Trip: Turn it off-! ! Sonofabitch...What am I looking at?
Tegl: This is my world.
Trip: It looks like home.
Tegl: It is home.
Trip was still aware of the seat beneath him, and he could see Tegl, but overlaid was a dimly green light, and the oddest sensation of humidity like he hadn't felt in ages. The ground was damp and there was a creek nearby. The dappled light was so familiar, he could have believed it was a Southern forest.
Trip: There's no sound.
Tegl: Yes, listen.
Trip heard the creek now. He could sit here forever, it was so close to his childhood world.
Tegl: I grew up here. The trees were so dense that we never adapted well to strong light.
Trip: Is that why you have eyes like that?
Tegl: Eyes like what?
Trip: Oh, I... I didn't mean it that way. They're just ... not like mine. They're dark.
Tegl: So you are attracted. Flirtation is a Tabran virtue too. You'd do well in my world.
Trip *was* attracted, and it ate at him. He hadn't felt this...adrift since his sister's death, and before that, only Archer had brought him real sadness. Now he was shutting Archer out and longing for what Tegl seemed to be promising him - and that could only last five more months.
Trip: I need to go. Lt. Reed asked for my help.
Tegl: I'll be on the bridge if you need to find me. Or here.
Trip: In this forest?
The buzzing stopped and the peaceful greenness faded out slowly.
***
2154
Trip: He had some kind of holographic device. Showed me his home world. It buzzed in my head at first, but now it's just a headache. A killer.
Phlox: You saw his home world?
Trip: Yeah, but he said it wasn't something he could talk about.
Phlox: The Tabrans never reveal themselves. Here, let me put this around your head.
Trip: Can you just give me some medicine?
Phlox: Lay back, Commander. Alien holoprojectors that cause headaches are serious business.
Trip: It was so green.
Phlox: Commander?
Trip: His world. It was just like the MacKenzies' woods.
Phlox: I'm not familiar with that location.
Trip: It was behind our farm. We used to play in there - James and...Lizzie...and me.
Phlox: Your optic nerves have been overstimulated, but the headache seems to be muscle strain in the eyes, nothing more. I'll give you an analgesic.
Trip: Thanks, Doc.
Phlox: And Commander... Tabrans never reveal the facts of their life. Their feelings and emotions are always well displayed, but nothing of their world. You must have a very good relationship with this Researcher.
Trip: Our ...relationship... is just fine. I'm assisting him as much as I can. Cap'n's orders.