The Recondite Transformation of Trip

By Mctrip

Rating: PG-13

Genres: angst drama romance

Keywords: sickbay

This story has been read by 1755 people.
This story has been read 4421 times.


Chapter 1

Rating: PG-13,a little cussin’
Genre: Suspense, Angst
Archive: Main Engineering
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Paramount. No infringement intended.
Summary: Andy Mangels wrote “The Good That Men Do” explaining the outcome of Trip’s disappearance from Enterprise. This is another possibility.
A special thank you to Wollem for her suggestions



CHAPTER 1

Dr Phlox applied the finishing touches to Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker’s “wounds”, supposedly received from the explosion that occurred only hours earlier in the ship’s corridor. The lights in sickbay were extremely low because of the possible damage to Trip’s singed eyes.

“I think that will do it.” Phlox commented as he administered the tri-ox compound. Trip started to sit up, but the doctor put a restraining arm on his chest. “Not yet. The Captain hasn’t arrived with the witnesses. A little labored breathing is in order.” Leaning close to Trip he whispered “Take care of yourself, Commander.”

Jonathan Archer burst through the double doors of sickbay, closely followed by Amanda Cole and several MACOs, the ship’s military detail who helped secure the Bridge. “How is he, Phlox?” the Captain asked as he approached the bio-bed. “Can you help him?” Archer’s eyes belied his commanding demeanor.

“I’m doing everything I can, Captain. His injuries are severe.”

Attempting to raise himself up, Trip said “Jon.” The small effort cost him, and he slipped back; but he tried to give Jon a smile, even as his breathing became short.

Phlox slightly moved his head from side to side as he eased Trip down.

Jon moved to Trip’s side and placed a hand on his arm. “The Doctor is doing everything he can. Just try to relax. Malcolm and his security team have rounded up all the aliens. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Jon felt Trip’s hand go limp. Looking at his Officer’s burned face, he whispered “Vaya con Dios, my friend.”

Dr. Phlox pulled the sheet over Trip’s face. The MACOs had moved to a respectful distance when they realized the impending demise of the Commander.

Amanda Cole stepped forward as she said “I’m sorry, Captain. We’ll see if Lieutenant Reed needs our assistance.” Then she motioned her group toward the door. Archer did notice a tear rolling down her cheek.

The tri-ox compound Dr. Phlox used to make Trip appear to have died would keep him in a state of suspended animation until the antidote was administered. Within hours the crew had assembled to hear Jon’s eulogy of their dear friend, Trip Tucker. At the last minute Phlox appeared to adjust Trip’s head on its resting place in the torpedo tube. He actually pressed the small vial of antidote into Trip’s artery and then closed the tube. Malcolm was able to distract those close by with the expression of his personal feeling. Then in a flash of light, the tube was gone.

Jon remained standing at attention until Phlox turned in his direction and ever so slightly nodded his head. As the assembled mourners disbursed, T’Pol, the Vulcan First Officer, lingered behind.

“Are you alright, T’Pol?” Malcolm asked, knowing of the close relationship between his best friend and the bridge officer.

“Yes,” was all she said.

“If you want to talk, I’ll be glad to listen. I will keep our conversation confidential.”

“Thank you, Lt. Reed, but that won’t be necessary. I must return to the Bridge.”

Malcolm, still at a loss to understand the emotionless Vulcan, left to meet the Captain in his quarters as planned. On his way he detoured to the transporter station, capturing Trip’s tube and reassigning it to the coordinates Special Agent Harris had furnished him. Phlox was to join Malcolm and the Captain at his earliest convenience.

Malcolm tapped the arranged signal on Jon’s door. When it slid open, he stepped inside. “Everything has gone as Harris planned. I don’t think anyone was the least bit suspicious.”

Jon nodded his head in agreement. “We have no idea when he will return. This is a very dangerous mission; but Harris seemed to think Trip was the perfect choice because of his background in engineering.”

Phlox had entered the room in time to hear Jon’s comments, “He should be coming around by now, safely aboard their scout ship, the doctor reported. “He may have a slight headache, but that won’t last very long.”

“Remember,” Jon continued, “As far as Starfleet knows, Trip is dead.” All nodded their heads in agreement.

“Malcolm, you and Phlox join me for dinner tomorrow night. If you hear anything, let me know immediately, will you?” Jon asked.

“Of course, Captain. But I really don’t expect to hear anything at all,” the Lieutenant commented as the door slid open and he stepped out. A few minutes later, Phlox followed him.

Trip’s sudden “death” had a profound effect on the crew, especially those in engineering. His upbeat personality and tart remarks always raised the tempo of their repetitive work. They knew he could perform the impossible when he had to, and that he would always look out for those in his department. It would take time, a long time, for things to return to anything like normal.

As Enterprise was approaching Earth and preparing to assume orbit, Jon was still working on the speech he was to deliver to the Council. The door to his Ready-Room chimed, interrupting his misery. When he keyed the door, T’Pol stepped in.

“Captain, I know an invitation has been extended to Trip’s parents to attend the Council Meeting. I would like to meet them and personally give them Trip’s things, if you agree.”

“Are you sure you feel up to doing this? The loss of Trip so soon after the loss of their daughter has devastated them; so this will be a very difficult time. Their emotions may be overwhelming for you.”

“I am sure I can handle this, Captain. It is something I must do.”

Jonathan hesitated ever so slightly. “Then I have no objection.”

“Captain, is there something I’m not aware of?”

“T’Pol, things are a little different from what they seem. I felt, for your own protection, the less you were aware of the situation, the less chance you would be forced to reveal the facts. Trip is not dead. He was chosen for a secret mission that even Star Fleet Command is not aware of. His life depends on our keeping his secret. I hope you follow my reasoning.” Archer was sure he had heard a little intake of breath as T’Pol’s eyes enlarged, but she said nothing.

“Most of the crew will be attending the Council Meeting, also; so I had better put the finishing touches on my speech.,” Archer said as he shuffled the pile of papers in front of him.

“I understand, Captain,” T’Pol murmured as she hastily exited the room.

In his tin cocoon Trip was slowly beginning to come around. Phlox had told him he should lie perfectly still for thirty minutes after he became conscious. He was trying very hard not to be claustrophobic in his present location. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and began to roll down in his eyes. Then he felt a sudden jerk. The capsule seemed to be moving faster. The scout ship couldn’t be too far from Enterprise; but the young engineer continued to feel movement. It was getting much colder now. Trip began to wish that his one man rocket had more than rudimentary environmental controls. Suddenly it stopped. Trip thought he could hear voices, but no one opened the locks.

“Hey!” he called out. “Open the lid.” He shouted the second time, “Hey! Hey! Get me outta here!”

Nothing happened. The voices did stop, though. He began to push against the lid. There was a snap and the lid came loose. Trip tried to sit up as his lungs filled with fresh air. Several faces were peering at him from a couple of feet away. They looked friendly, but he had never seen them before. The Commander wasn’t too surprised since this was his first assignment for Section 31.

“Thanks, guys. It was getting a little close in there. Are we ready to get under way? I’m sure you have some other clothes for me to wear on this assignment.” He realized that no one had said a word to him. In fact, they were still staring at him.

For an instant he thought about the alien in the capsule they had pulled out of the anomalies when he was back on Enterprise.

“Could someone give me a hand; so I can get out of this thing?”

Several men stepped forward and lifted him out of the pod. Trip heard a door open and watched a tall slender man make his way to the capsule. “I am Captain Shad Brecker of Space Research Prime, and you are . . .”

Trip found his ‘official’ voice as he said “Commander Charles Tucker of the Starship Enterprise.

“From . .” the Captain continued.

Enterprise.” Trip repeated. “I’m to meet Harris’ men here and begin our mission.” Flags were going up in Trip’s head. Something wasn’t quite right. Maybe these were the people he was to travel with into Romulan Space.

“Are you the crew who will go with me to Coridan?” Trip asked.

The Captain asked “Where does Enterprise come from?”

“From the planet Earth, but you should know that.” Trip answered. “Where am I? What is the name of this place?”

“I will need to make some inquiries.” The Captain slowly responded. “Please come with me. My office is just down the corridor. Would you like something to eat, to drink?” As he opened the door, he said “Make yourself comfortable. I should have some answers very soon.” Captain Brecker seemed to be genuinely concerned.

Trip hesitated. He was certainly being treated well, but the Captain seemed as confused as he himself felt. “I would like to know what is going on, too.” Trip queried. “Your people look just like my people; but I have a feeling I’m “not in Kansas anymore.” The Captain frowned.

“Oh, that’s just a saying where I come from, when you don’t recognize where you are.” Trip found a seat near the door and waited.

A young lady entered from the door the Captain had just exited. For some reason “Secretary” popped into Trip’s head. He started to get up, but she motioned him to keep his seat.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like something to drink?” she asked.

“No thanks,” he responded with his best smile. “Say, what do they call this place?”

“This is the Research Section of Space Central. The Captain is actually Dr. Shad Brecker, our senior scientist.”

Trip went from wary to curious as she spoke. Was he part of some experiment or had he stumbled into something.

She continued “What brings you to our world?”

“I have no idea. You must have plucked me out of space. Are your people known as Romulans?”

“No. We are called Eridans. You are on the planet Eridania 5, our Space Central.” The young woman rose from her seat as she said “I must return to my duties. The Doctor will be with you shortly. Are you sure you would not care for some refreshment?”

“No thanks, I’m fine. By the way you didn’t tell me your name. I’m Commander Charles Tucker. My friends call me ‘Trip.’

“I’m called Isis,” She said as she closed the door behind her.

Trip was still bewildered. “These people are nice enough and they seem like any other working people, but something is just not quite right,” he thought to himself.

The Doctor opened his door and motioned for Trip to come in. His office looked like any other executive office Trip had been in. A wall of windows displayed a clear view of the evening, with many small craft moving about. As Trip approached the Doctor’s desk he noticed the beautiful black cat lounging in a chair to the side.

“I see you like animals, too,” Trip said.

“What?” the doctor seemed confused. “Oh, Isis, you mean. She’s very special to me.”

Trip took a second look at the cat. His senses said “I know his Secretary told me her name was Isis.”

“I think I have an idea what might have happened, Commander. Our man was returning from a mission and you were somehow caught in his string. I would not have believed that possible, but here you are. I believe you said you call your planet Earth. What do you call your Galaxy?”

“We call it the Milky Way. What do you call it?”

“We call our galaxy Helicity, because of its helicoid shape.”

Trip could only stare at the doctor. “You mean I’ve traveled beyond the galactic barrier? I didn’t think that was possible.”

“We’re just beginning to realize that it can be done. This is called our ‘Garry Project’. We have sent our man, Garry 3, to a distant planet some 60,000 light years away. We were in the process of returning him when you intercepted his String. We are trying to locate him now. Possibly, he continued your journey. Do you know the coordinates of your mission?”

“Not really. I was to beam aboard a Scout Ship and they were to provide me with the coordinates of my destination. Can I return the same way I came?”

“I’m afraid that would be impossible without definite coordinates. You could end up drifting in space.”

The look on Trip’s face said it all. Dr. Brecker quickly added “Don’t give up on us yet, Mr. Tucker. Maybe you can help us work something out. Right now you need to see your quarters while you’re our guest. I’m sure you’d like a change of clothes and something to eat.”

Trip nodded his head as he said “This is a whole new ballgame. I need time to take it all in. I guess I really don’t have any choice.”

“We seem to have a lot in common. Your knowledge will mean a great deal to us; and we may have a few surprises for you.” Dr. Brecker continued.

“I have one question, Doctor. Why are you all trying to accomplish this? Why do you want to travel to other galaxies?”

“We consider ourselves explorers. We’ve been able to establish a Coalition of Planets in this part of our galaxy with a central head, our President, and a cabinet representing every known world within 10 light years. We all work well together and as a team we’d like to travel to other parts of the Universe, maybe establish trade routes that would benefit us all. Do your planets trade among themselves?”

“We seem to have a lot in common, Doctor. Those are pretty much our goals, too; though on a much smaller scale.” Trip didn’t want to mention that there were many combative races in his galaxy. Maybe there was something to be learned here.

“My secretary will show you to your quarters. You’ll find it well stocked with food and necessities. Don’t worry, Commander, we should have some answers soon. Try to get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

As Trip turned to leave, he noticed that the chair near the door was empty. “Goodnight, Doctor.”

The doctor’s secretary was waiting for him in the front office.

“This way, Commander.” She said as she opened the hall door. She was carrying a large package under her arm which she handed to him. “This is one of our uniforms, somewhat like yours. They are working jumpsuits and they are comfortable, only our color is different. Here is the lift. We need the 20th floor. You’ll have a great view of our area.”

Trip could see that there was no quick exit from such a lofty place; but he said nothing. When they reached his apartment, he couldn’t help asking her “Didn’t you tell me your name was Isis.”

“Yes”, she said as she opened the door to Trip’s apartment. “May I call you Trip?”

“Sure.”

She noticed his furrowed brow. “Maybe one evening this week we could have dinner and I could show you around.”

“I’d like that. I’m still in a daze. This is really hard to accept all at once. You all have been very nice to me. Thank you.”

“I will see you tomorrow.” Isis said as she handed Trip the keys.

After closing the door, Trip walked out on his balcony and looked up at the stars. They covered the sky like a sparkling blanket. “A few hours ago I thought I was embarking on an important mission for a very secret part of Starfleet. Now the whole mission is screwed up! I’m thousands of light years away from the Milky Way Galaxy with no way to return home. What the hell am I goin’ to do?” Trip turned and walked back into the bedroom, shed his clothes and stepped into the shower. “I’m sure Jon will be searching for me, if he ever learns that I’m missing.”

The hot water was soothing and he began to relax. By the time he crawled under the covers, his eyes were heavy. In a few minutes he was fast asleep.

Trip opened his eyes. The sun was shinning through the clouds. Some were golden and puffy; others still in shadow were indistinguishable. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. The covers were warm and caressing. He was thinking he might turn over for one more five-minute nap when he noticed the sleek black cat stretched out on the foot of his bed. Its fur shone like satin. He barely moved, but it was instantly awake; however, it stretched and then curled into a black ball and appeared to go back to sleep.

“How did you get in here? I locked that door myself.”

The cat stretched again and rolled over in his direction. He couldn’t help reaching out to pet him. “No, her,” he corrected himself. “I hope you don’t have a litter of kittens around here someplace,” he said out loud as he smiled to himself. “We just don’t have that much room.”

Trip threw back the covers and swung his feet off the bed. The events of yesterday flooded his mind.

“This may be the first day of the rest of my life.” He felt an unexpected shiver run through him. “Can’t dwell on that!”

Once he had his new green jumpsuit on, he made his way to the little kitchen. There was juice in the fridge, some eggs(bigger than the ones back home), butter and what looked like muffins from the bakery. He saw what looked like a coffee maker, but no coffee. He settled for some juice and a muffin. As he turned to carry them to the table, his feet got tangled with something black. “The cat.”

“When did you decide to get up? I’m not much on you winding around my legs. We could both get hurt. Now scoot, go find something to do. I have to meet with the doctor in less than an hour and I’m hungry.”

The cat took a seat in the chair across the table from him and watched his every move.

“Look, I didn’t see any cat food in the fridge. You must be somebody’s pet that lives around here.” Trip got up and walked to the door. “Come on, I’ll let you out and you can go home. I’m sure somebody’s lookin’ for you.”

The cat made no effort to follow him as she began to groom herself.

“This isn’t going to work. All I have is a muffin in the fridge. I don’t even know what kind it is, but you can have it.” Trip retrieved the muffin, picked up a dish and began breaking the pastry in small pieces. He placed the plate on the floor as he said “Okay, here’s your breakfast.”

The cat made no effort to jump down.

“Look, I like cats but they have to keep their place. They don’t eat at the table. If you’re hungry enough, you’ll come and get it.” Trip continued to mumble to himself.

He could have sworn she raised her nose slightly then jumped down and left the room.

“Of all the . . . . Just see if I do anything for you . . . .” Trip finished his breakfast, brushed his teeth and headed for Dr. Brecker’s office. He didn’t see any more of the cat, but he thought he better mention her presence to Isis because someone might be looking for the sleek black moocher.

He entered the office and took a seat. Presently, Isis came in. “Dr. Brecker will see you.” she informed him rather coolly.

“Cats must be pretty popular around here. When I woke up this morning, there was one on my bed. She acted like she belonged there. I couldn’t get her to leave. Somebody must be looking for her.”

Isis’ eyes met his. Then she smiled. “She’s your cat only temporarily. She will help you all she can.” she said as she ushered him into the doctor’s office.

Trip felt a sudden chill as he stared at her. He must have looked confused as he approached Dr. Brecker’s desk because the doctor asked him.

“Is anything wrong?”

“I think I said the wrong thing. I was asking Isis about the cat that I found in my apartment this morning. I couldn’t get her to leave, but I’m sure someone must have been looking for her. I got a real ‘cold shoulder’ from Isis. I mean she seemed offended.”

“Isis is temporarily assigned to you. I thought you might have questions that she could answer.”

“You mean that Isis is a cat!” Trip’s jaw slipped a little lower than usual.

“Our cats are extremely intelligent and very capable. They have the ability to become persons when they choose. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have such allies. Their talents have helped bring about our present state of peace and harmony with our neighbors. They are very easily offended if they are treated as inferior beings.”

Trip remembered putting her breakfast in a dish on the floor. “I guess I owe her an apology. Our cats back home are just cats. We learn to love and protect them, but they are still animals.”

“I’m sure she will understand. Now, I’m assigning you to our engineering section. We will be planning another mission soon and you may see something that needs correcting. You may also see a few things that will surprise you. We’ll talk again later.” Dr. Brecker punched a few buttons and a blond haired young man appeared. “Lt. Aakar, this is Commander Tucker, an Engineer. Take him to the lab and let him see what we’re working on.”

Tucker shook hands and began following Aakar as he left the Doctor’s office. “Where I come from, they call me “Trip”. What’s your given name?”

“I’m called “Lonnie”, Lon for short. I heard you come from a place called “Earth”. About how far away is that?”

“I have no idea. It’s in another Galaxy; so it must be pretty far.”

Lon gave a low whistle. “Our last probe went beyond our galaxy, but we weren’t sure it actually reached another planet.” “Dr. Brecker said you were trying to retrieve the probe when I crossed paths with your ‘string’. What exactly is that?”

“Don’t your people use cosmic string to move around your galaxy?”

“I saw it mentioned once in my text book, but it was only a theory. What’s it made of? What can it actually do?”

As Lon was explaining the functions of ‘string’ several other workers stopped to meet Trip and shake his hand.

“This is where you will be working,” Lon said as he pointed to a work-station with a computer and all kinds of telemetry read-outs, together with actual parts and pieces of applications.

Trip picked up a piece of what appeared to be plastic, but it wasn’t. “What am I suppose to be doing with all this?

“Right now we’re applying quantum physics to our knowledge of the probe relative to the string. This may be able to give us a hint of what went wrong.

“Have you been able to locate your man? He may be on a scout ship on his way to the Romulan Star Empire,” Trip chuckled.

“So far, we’ve been unable to detect any trace of him. What is the Romulan Star Empire? Is it a part of your galaxy?”

Somehow Trip’s little joke didn’t seem very funny now.

“Yeah,” he answered. “We’ve never actually seen a Romulan in person, but we’ve heard lots of stories about them. We don’t know the limits of their territory; but we sure don’t want them trying to take away any of ours.”

Lon pulled up some schematics on the computer to show Trip what they were working with and what they were trying to determine. Somewhere is the back of Trip’s brain a few little wires were connecting. He was sure he had read something about the possibility of this before.

“Familiarize yourself with all this and then I’ll show you what we’re concentrating on. Maybe you’ll see something we don’t.” Lon slapped Trip on the back as he said “I’ll see you at the break.”

“Yeah.” Trip answered, but he was already deep in the computer info before him.

Lon picked him up at the lunch break and they headed for the cafeteria. Several cats strolled through the room, but no one seemed to notice.

“Do you have a cat, Lon?” Trip had to ask.

“Yes. Baby is just a kitten, though. She has a lot to learn before she can stay with me permanently.”

Trip said “Do you talk to her?”

“Of course. I tell her what I’ve been doing and we make plans for the week-end sometimes.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No. Most of the women live and work in another part of the complex. This is a High Priority area and they don’t have clearance.”

“You’re not allowed to leave this area?”<-p> “Everything I need is right here. Why would I want to leave?” Lon asked.

“Back home, men and women live and work together everywhere. If you don’t see or date anyone, how do you get to know them? How can you get serious, like ask them to marry you? You do get married, don’t you?”

A horn sounded, telling them lunch was over. Lon started moving toward the door, Trip following.

“I didn’t hear your answer, Lon. How do you court your girl?”

“That’ll have to wait for another day. We’ve got to get back to the project right now. A man’s life may depend on it.”

It was after 6’00p.m. when Trip looked at the clock. Time really passed fast here. He noticed that the other workers just left their things right where they were and walked away. He was preparing to do the same when Dr. Brecker appeared.

“Well, Trip. What do you think of our Garry Project? Do you have any suggestions for me concerning the string?”

“I’m beginning to get a real feel for it, but it’s very complex. Give me a little more time, and maybe I’ll be able to figure out what you’ve already done.” Trip flashed that boyish grin.

The doctor gave a hearty laugh as he said “It can’t be that hard to figure out.”

“You all must be light years ahead of us. We’re only working on Warp 6 propulsion and transporter technology at the present time. The Vulcans, that’s another race of people, already have Warp 6 but they’re not inclined to share. We’ll catch up to them some day.”

“It sounds as though your planet still faces turmoil and conflict. Do you still engage in wars? Are you still faced with catastrophic illnesses?” Dr. Brecker said as his brow furrowed.

Trip was sure the doctor thought they were living in the Middle Ages. “We’ve come a long way in a very short time. We made our first contact with an extra-terrestrial just a hundred years ago. Our first trip to another planet was only five years ago. Since then we’ve united with other planets who want peace and harmony to form the United Federation of Planets. We’ve tried to stand together as one before our more aggressive neighbors. My mission was to further this cause.”

“It sounds like you are on the right track. Have you been able to control infectious diseases?

“We’ve almost wiped out most of them. Ever so often an epidemic pops up, but it doesn’t take long to eradicate it. How long did it take your people to reach the state they are now in?”

“We didn’t do it overnight, but it’s been over a hundred years since our last catastrophic outbreak. We have our feline friends to thank for our progress. They can be very insistent when they want to be.”

Trip’s curiosity peaked again.

“Can you tell me something about Isis? Where she lives? How close a friend she is? That kind of thing.”

“She will share this information with you when she is ready. It’s not my place to speak to you about her personally.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want you to betray her confidence. I’m just curious. I still can’t get used to thinking of the cat as a person. I really don’t want to insult her.”

“I’m sure she understands. I must be going. Did you meet all the engineers in the department? They are a nice group of people. I hope you can find some mutual ground to push ahead on.”

“No problem, Doctor. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.” Trip made his way to the lift and punched in the 20th floor. When he opened the door to his apartment, Isis was there to greet him.


Comments:

Asso
Dinah wrote: [i]I do like the idea that Archer told T'Pol that Trip wasn't really dead. That does seem far kinder than leaving her to think he was dead; if anybody could be discreet, it would be T'Pol.[/i] Yes, this is my idea, too. This story is interesting. The expectancies could be many and various. I wait with impatience.
Dinah
Trip's life certainly isn't boring -- a ride in a torpedo tube straight to another galaxy. T'Pol better never find out that this galaxy has sexy shape-shifting cats. I do like the idea that Archer told T'Pol that Trip wasn't really dead. That does seem far kinder than leaving her to think he was dead; if anybody could be discreet, it would be T'Pol. I'm looking forward to your next chapter. I'm really curious where your headed with this story. ;) :)

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