***

2154

Archer tried to calm himself down, but it was hopeless. His own ragged breathing reminded him of Tegl; the images were uncontrollable, always swinging back to Trip. It was his nightmare again, that awful sadness in Trip's eyes. He was holding Trip's face in his hands and didn't even have the courage to say a single word. Now, he fought as hard as he could to stay focused.

Do I regret it? No. It was the right choice. I did it to protect him from his own impulsiveness.

Hearing this answer out loud chilled him, stopping the tears. It made things suddenly very clear. When he reported to the bridge the next morning, the doctor had treated most of his wounds, but Hoshi was sharp enough to notice his eyes.

***

Trip stared out at the stars speeding by, his face blank. He hadn't moved for hours, blinking only occasionally, his arms folded across his chest, his lower lip bitten almost to bleeding. The stars were little help. They passed and vanished, not even lingering long enough to make a decent June night sky at the pond.

There were two stories in the back of his mind - the true one, and the one he thought Archer would want to hear. It wasn't untrue but it wasn't entirely complete, and it wouldn't make things worse than they already were. He spoke to an image of Archer in his head, which made it easier.

Which story do you want to hear? Whichever one works, I'll tell you that one.

***

Tegl was shaking. The message on his desk was more frightening than anything he'd seen. It only hinted, but that was clear enough for him. They suspected something. At the very least, his next report would get increased scrutiny and at worst, he'd be called back before his job was done. Either would mean a mark on his record and a block in his career path.

He was acting with all due caution, and the few illegal things he'd done were impossible for them to know. The language must not have been convincing enough. Perhaps the distractions he hadn't anticipated had entered his writing.

This is unacceptable. They wouldn't dare order me home -- it would cause too much embarrassment. Idiots!

Unaffected by the defiant snarl, his recorder blinked implacably, awaiting a response.

***

2154

Phlox: How goes the interviewing?

Tegl: Well enough.

Phlox: Getting those reports off on time?
Tegl: Yes. The third one last week.

Phlox: No difficulties?

Tegl: You ask strange questions, Denobulan.

Phlox: Well, I haven't seen a Tabran in a while, but...

Tegl: You've never seen a Tabran - we haven't been on your world in your lifetime.

Phlox: Ah, but I *have* seen one. It was during the war, when I was on Durala 4.

Tegl: I know them both well. I imagine your war service was covert and that's why our Researcher never noted it. I'll be sure such a glaring omission is listed on his record.

...

Phlox: You might try interviewing the crewmen in the medical facility. Or in tactical operations.

Tegl: Mr. Reed is taking me there today, as a matter of fact. Thank you for your suggestions, but I have a clear plan that I'm following.

Phlox: If that includes harming the Captain, I can't allow you to continue.

Tegl: The Captain's business with me is private. I wasn't able to restrain myself fully and I'm sorry if I hurt him. Your loyalty to the humans will be noted in my report.

...

Phlox left with the same disrespect for Tegl he'd entered with.

***

2154

Hoshi: Captain, could I speak to you for a minute?

Archer: What is it, Hoshi?

Hoshi: Are you all right, sir?

Archer: What did you want to speak about Ensign?

Hoshi: There was a message from the Tabran Advisory Council, for Tegl.

Archer: Pass it on to him then.

Hoshi: Sir, I have been trying to learn some of his language, but I couldn't get much more than a few words.

Archer: What's the problem?

Hoshi: It's just too complex. It seems to rely on situational environment - who's present, where you are,... no one sentence is ever the same.

Archer: And the message?

Hoshi: I saw two words at the top - dtelth and a-akshik, I think.

Archer: Hoshi? What's the point?

Hoshi: Sorry, sir. It means,... I mean, I think they mean "bad," or "wrong," and "return."

***

2148

Jeannie: There's never been so much talk around here. Charles Tucker III going out into space! Our own boy! The very idea. We've never even seen a Vulcan in person, and here you are working hand in hand.

Doreen: Are they all very secretive and emotionless? That's what I heard.

Archer: Well, ...

Oren: Course not, Mrs. Tracy. They clearly hate us humans.

Trip: They're obstructionists, that's what they are.

Archer: Trip,...

Doreen: Oh, you poor boys. What awful things are they doing to you?

Oren: Vulcans have always hated us. Broke their monopoly on space.

Trip: Well, they don't do anything except tell us to keep waiting.

Jeannie: Mr. Archer, where did you say you grew up?

Archer: Near San Francisco.

Oren: Where Timmy Cleary went to.

Jeannie. Ohhh. Well, it's a nice town, I hear.

Mrs. Tucker: Of course it is. Timmy Cleary was a good boy.

Trip: Are you still bringing him up? His brother was the one they convicted.

Jeannie: And did you really serve on a ship with them?

Archer: Um, no, I didn't.

Trip: She means the Vulcans.

Doreen: Must have been a real challenge for you.

Archer: Well,...

Oren: I don't see the point of heading off to other stars.

Trip: No you don't, do ya? You never did.

Mrs. Tucker: Where *are* the drinks? Oren, get them from the kitchen.

Jeannie: Mr. Archer, are your intentions honorable?

Trip: Jeannie, knock it off!

Mrs. Tucker: Trip. Jeannie. Jonathan is our guest.

Archer blinked. The drinks, and the silent respite he believed they'd bring, did not materialize. He kept waiting for Trip to step in and field Jeannie's last question, but this was not the Trip he thought he knew. This was someone else, someone new. The accent was thicker, and the conversations - there seemed to be three or four at a time - were unlike anything he'd experienced. Everything seemed to depend on who was in the room, who they knew, how they were related - to Archer, it was all a secret code.

***

2154

Trip: You haven't been paying attention at all. That's how accidents happen.

Porthos looked up at him, puzzled.

Archer had been unusually friendly lately, and a shore leave was almost unheard of during this mission, but he'd invited Trip to come along, leaving T'Pol to monitor Tegl's actions. He'd shared his concerns with her, but not the details. T'Pol didn't ask about the details.

Trip: Cap'n, he's not listenin' to me. Maybe you should try.

Archer: Sit down boy. Over here, by the tent.

Trip: Amazin'.

Archer: He knows I mean it.

Trip: I meant it!

Archer: Oh, did you?

Trip: I sincerely did. And I had treats too.

Archer laughed, freely, like he hadn't since they began the mission.

Trip: Mhmm. That's music to m' ears.

(...)

Trip: Cap'n, you'll have to let the rest of the crew have shore leave. They know we came down here, they know it's safe.

Archer: I will. I just wanted to bring the people that matter to me first.

Trip: Is Porthos people?

Archer: If you don't know the answer to that, you must have skipped a large part of your education, Commander.

Trip laughed this time.

(...)

Trip: I miss camping.

Archer: We've been camping twice.

Trip: In three years!

Archer: This mission...
Trip: I know, I know. I wouldn't give this up for anything. It's more important than anything either of us has ever done. Save Earth, save the future. And stay alive doing it.

(...)

Trip thought of telling Archer what had been happening with Tegl. He chose to wait. Archer started to tell Trip the decision he'd reached, but instead brought up the insects sparkling out over the lake.
(...)

Archer stared at his Chief Engineer's face, so close to his. Trip continued to watch the insects, blue sparks shimmering above the water and below the surface in reflections.

Trip: You sure they aren't dangerous?

Archer: I wouldn't let them hurt you.

***

2154

Tegl: Come in, Ensign. Are you ready to continue learning the Tabran language you'll never need to use?

Hoshi: I think I made some progress on the page you gave me last week.

Tegl: Progress? I doubt that.

Hoshi: You made the right choice not to become a teacher.

Tegl laughed loudly at that, and Hoshi gripped her chair tightly.

...

Tegl: This line is all wrong. But here - that's close. Very close. You didn't consider the three other people who would be present when this was read.
Hoshi: I didn't know there would be three other people in the room.

Tegl: They aren't there - two are on monitor connections, one is on voice-link.

Hoshi: I'm supposed to consider that?
Tegl: Context is everything. You'll never see the beauty of our language if you ignore every detail - Researchers are among the most skilled at using the language, if I may say so. Simply because we notice everything. Your fear of me, for example.

Hoshi: That's not hard to see.

Tegl: Your fear of T'Pol, for another.

Hoshi was speechless. Even those who noticed it thought it was admiration or simple obedience. T'Pol herself believed it was an assertion of power.

Tegl: You see, when you don't ignore the details, the images become as clear as water.

Hoshi took back the paper she'd tried to translate. Her mind worked furiously to juggle all the possible meanings that were indicated but realized that even accounting for three more people didn't explain what she was seeing.
Hoshi: It's a code.

Tegl whirled around from his desk and fixed his large black eyes on her.

Tegl: If by 'code' you mean that it does not say what it appears to say, then you are correct.

Hoshi: You gave me a code instead of a plain text?

Tegl: There are no plain texts. Everything is covered. We can express our purest self with this language, but only when it is concealed.
Hoshi: This is your report.

Tegl: Never mind that. I'll give you another page to work on. And Ensign Sato, say nothing of this.
Hoshi: Not a word.