"Reality Flux" by A. Rhea King Rating: PG Disclaimer: Don't own them, CBS/Paramount does. Summary: Reed and the child T'Pol saved from the Jakisau world are kidnapped by a slave merchant, but fate rescues them by throwing them into the future. Now they are trying as desperately to return to their present, as the crew is trying to bring them back. CHAPTER 3 “DAAAAA!” Aina sung out. Reed looked over his shoulder as he scratched his full beard. His hair would have reached his waistband, except it was in a thick, tight braid. He stood in the galley of the alien ship mess hall, working on something that his body hid from view. Aina appeared in the doorway. She was wearing clothes far too big for her and no shoes. Her hair was long and tangled in spots. He turned back to his work. “Da?” “Yes?” Reed asked. “What are you doing, Da?” Reed didn’t answer. “Da?” “Hm?” Aina was shocked. “Do you know what today is?” “No. What is today?” “You don’t know what today is, Da?” “No. Should I?” Aina looked at the floor with a crestfallen expression. “You forgot, Da?” Reed suddenly spun around. Aina looked up and her face lit up. He held a plate with a lopsided cake. It had thick white frosting smeared on it and nine chunky candles. Compared to their size, the glow of the candles was dim. Reed smiled, watching Aina hop up and down. “YOU REMEMBERED!” “Happy birthday, poppet.” Reed crouched down. “Make a wish and blow out the candles.” Aina hopped up to him, staring at the cake. She drew a breath and the hull groaned loudly. Their joy vanished as they both looked up, waiting and listening. The hull groaned again. Reed stood and sat the cake on a counter. He reached his hand down for Aina’s. She slid her hand into his, pulling close to him. He smiled kindly at her. “Scared?” Reed asked. Aina nodded. “And why is that?” “I’m always scared of them, Da.” “They don’t hurt.” Reed looked up, seeing the wave coming through the mess hall wall in their direction. “I’m scared where they’ll put us.” “They haven’t put us anywhere bad. Come up here, Poppet.” Reed reached down for her. Aina lifted her arms up and he picked her up. She pressed her face into his neck so she wouldn’t have to see the wave coming. Reed watched it until it was almost on him. He closed his eyes. The wave overtook him. For several minutes he saw flashes of light and heard a rush of sound, and then everything stopped. He opened his eyes. Reed turned, watching it continue through the galley. He looked at the counter where he’d sat the cake, finding it gone. “Aina!” Reed cried. Aina looked at him. He pointed at the counter. “That wave was so famished it ate our cake!” Aina giggled. “That’s okay. We’ll still have cake?” “Of course. I’ll make another one.” “No, no.” “No?” “We’ll have a party like from that story you always tell me. With the girl and the rabbit and the man with the tall hat.” “Alice in Wonderland?” “Yeah! Everyone from Enterprise will be here too!” Reed smiled, kissing her cheek. “Alright. We’ll do that. We’ll have to set all the tables first.” Aina wiggled from his arms and ran to a drawer. She pulled it open, grabbed a handful of silverware, and ran into the mess hall. Reed looked longingly at the spot he’d sat the cake for a minute, and then collected plates. # T’Pol walked into the mess hall and picked up a tray. She served herself food and sat down at a table. There were a dozen crewmen in the room with her. Most were still posted to duties or short rest periods, all in an attempt to keep Enterprise from being caught by one of the waves coming out of the nebula. “Look at the size of this thing!” someone cried. Everyone looked up. A crewman was standing at the window, staring out. T’Pol and the other crewmen got up, joining him. Outside a ghost ship four times larger and longer than any ship they’d ever seen was passing by. It was like they were a diver watching a sperm whale pass. When it passed the crew returned to their meals, even more silent than before. T’Pol sat down with her meal, but found she had no appetite any more. “T’Pol to the bridge,” Trip said over the COM. T’Pol walked over to a companel. “Go ahead.” “We picked up an audio conversation. Sounds like Malcolm. Hoshi’s trying to clean it up enough to understand.” “I’m on my way.” T’Pol left the mess hall. # T’Pol leaned on Hoshi’s other side. Trip stood behind her. “Play it again,” T’Pol ordered. Hoshi tapped the controls. The audio recording was staticky and there was an annoying squeal in the background. “--in exchange for food,” an unfamiliar voice ended. “We would consider that?” Reed’s voice answered. “I have some plants,” a female said. “They grow fast and produce food quick.” “That would be worth exchange. How many do you have?” “Only five,” the female said. “Five for trade?” the other voice asked. “Yeah. Da, can I trade five for clothes?” “The female is Aina.” T’Pol said. Hoshi and Trip looked at her. They heard amusement in Reed’s voice. “Yes. I only need a few couplings and one injector.” “We’ll check the other food stores you’ve offered and see if we can’t arrange a trade.” “Thank you. We’ll be docking shortly. Be wary of those waves, Captain, lest you lose crewmen.” “Thank you for the warning.” The communication stopped. “How do you know for sure that’s Aina?” Trip asked. “Aina calls Reed, Da.” “She does?” Trip asked. “Yes. Have you been able to pick up any other transmissions, Ensign?” “Dozens. Most are in languages I’ve never heard, though.” “Send a message to Lieutenant Reed. Let him know we’re trying to help him.” “Send it how?” “Just send it. I’m sure he’s also trying to find us. He’ll capture it if he is able.” “Yes, T’Pol.” T’Pol turned and walked to the captain’s chair. She turned to sit down and found Trip standing next to her. “She calls him Da?” Trip asked. The question made the entire crew look at them. T’Pol motioned him to follow and they went into the ready room. “Yes,” T’Pol answered, turning to face him again. “Why does this disturb you?” “I’m just surprised is all.” “You are bothered by this.” “I spend so much time with her and--” “She began calling him ‘papa’ but he corrected her and taught her to call him ‘Da.’ Apparently this is what he called his father and uncle when he was her age.” “Oh. I didn’t know that.” The two were silent for a moment. “I miss her is all.” Trip turned to the door. “So do I, Charles.” Trip looked back at her. With a smle he left the room. T’Pol turned, watching the nebula. # Reed scratched his bearded cheek. Gray hair had turned it to salt-n-pepper color. The system he was working on was as stubborn as he was. He looked up when an alarm went off. Seconds later he heard Aina calling for him and smiled. Thirteen-year-old Aina raced around a corner, running at full speed toward him. Reed laughed, dropping his tools. Her golden skin was starting to turn a bronzed color with gold sparking like mica flecks across it. She fell into his arms, letting him drop her into his lap. “The alarm went off, Da. There’s a wave coming.” Reed stood, sweeping her into his arms. “A wave is coming! A wave is coming!” Reed sung out, prancing down the hall with her. Aina laughed, hugging him. Reed stopped prancing, hugging her back. “I love you, Da!” “You just say that.” “I do!” “And you’ll be telling the next boy that exact same thing, won’t you?” Aina laughed, wiggling out of his arms. He sat her on her feet, the two walking down the hall together. Aina grabbed his hand, swinging it as she walked. “Da?” “Yes?” “Why don’t we go to Earth?” Reed sighed, looking at her. “We have to find our way back to our time, Aina. We can’t contaminate the time line.” “But why?” “One change might cause a ripple effect. I’ve explained this too you before, poppet.” Aina looked up at him. “I want other kids to play with, Da.” “You’re saying I’m boring?” Reed joked, smiling. “YES!” “AW! You are a wicked child! I will send you to bed without any supper!” “The way you cook, that wouldn’t be bad thing, Da!” Reed laughed, tickling her. The two walked onto the bridge. Reed sat down at the helm controls. Aina leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck. Alarms were sounding everywhere. Reed tapped a control, to silence them. “Ready?” “Ready.” Behind them a wave passed through the wall. Aina turned her head, watching it come. She smiled, watching a rainbow of colors shimmer across the surface. “It’s pretty, huh, Da?” Reed didn’t answer. He hated the waves that kept sending them catapulting back and forth through time, but never to their own time. He closed his eyes. The wave passed over them, catapulting them through time. When Reed opened his eyes, the view monitor showed another ship not far off port. He prepared weapons, but sat waiting. Something beeped on helm. “Aren’t you going to answer them?” Aina asked. “No.” “But maybe--” Aina reached out to touch a control. “No, Aina.” Reed grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand back. Reed saw a wave coming at the ship from another direction. The wave overtook the ship, turning it to a ghost image. At the rear of the ship it met with the wave that had passed over them. There was a bright flash of light and when the waves separated, the ship was nothing more than a ghost image. “Maybe they could have helped,” Aina argued. “I doubt it.” Reed turned back to the controls. “You always doubt it,” Aina said with a pouty look. Reed looked sidelong at her, smiling. “Stick that lip out any further and I’ll pull it.” Aina stuck her bottom lip out further. Reed reached up and tugged on it. She laughed, hugging him. “I’m going to play.” “Alright.” Aina ran off the bridge. Reed turned back to the controls, looking over the sensor data. Back to Chapter 2 Continue to Chapter 4

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