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"Lost in Universal Translation" Rating: PG-13 Author's Notes: Here's a Christmas present to my readers! :) A slight spoiler for ENT “Shuttlepod One”. Just the Epilogue after this! Please leave a review! Thanks! PLEASE NOTE: Due to personal reasons, as of 27 December 2008, I am taking a break from ENT fanfic for a while. I will post the Epilogue to "Lost in Universal Translation" within the next few days, but after that I'll be MIA. I plan to return when things settle down a bit, and hopefully it won't be for too long. Thanks to all my readers. ;) Eight “We have reached Omega Nine-Three-Nine-B,” announced T'Pol in a soft voice. Her announcement sounded anti-climactic after everything Hoshi had been through. Omega-Nine-Three-Nine-B. A living, breathing planetary system now reduced to a number on a star chart. Hoshi felt a surge of sadness at T'Pol's words, as true as they were now. “All stop,” Jon ordered. His voice echoed in the eerie silence of the Bridge. “All stop,” repeated Travis as his hands danced over his console. They all stared at the floating remnants of a long-dead planet in the viewscreen. Whatever had destroyed Na'lai's home had scattered its remains for about a half a lightyear in every direction. Now it was little more than an asteroid field; the largest chunk only slightly bigger than Enterprise. The pulsar flickered nearby like a shiny Christmas ornament. As Travis had explained, its cycle reached its peak every seven hours, and when it did, it burst in a bloom of color. Hoshi's gaze was riveted to a blinking flame in the background. “What's that? It's not the pulsar.” “T'Pol?” Jon asked. There was the sound of movement as T'Pol checked her scanner. “The ensign is correct. It appears to be a meteor shower that is passing through the sector.” Malcolm frowned as he checked his console. “Sub-commander, it looks like that meteor shower will pass very closely to the system.” Jon glanced over his shoulder at T'Pol and asked, “When will it arrive, and how close to us?” “It will not arrive for another three hours, and it will pass within two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers to Enterprise. I suggest that we be out of this area by then.” “Agreed.” Hoshi said suddenly. Her skin became clammy and cold when T'Pol had mentioned the meteor shower. Again, an image of multiple fireballs streaking through purple skies assaulted her vision. She gripped the edge of her console as she relived the horror of not being able to breathe as the noxious gases seared her lungs, as the supercharged air ignited her sensitive skin into flame. Na'lai's memory threatened to overwhelm her senses. “Ensign? Ensign!” Hoshi blinked as a hypospray hissed against her arm. She blinked slowly as her vision snapped back to the present. Malcolm knelt in front of her, gripping her hands. His eyes reflected the terror she felt, as if he too could see what she saw. Perhaps he could; Hoshi detected a sense of resonance between them. Although Malcolm's mask was firmly in place, his fear and worry just simmered under the surface. Fear and worry for her. An isolated part of her mind noticed that no one on the Bridge made any comment on Malcolm's "odd" behavior. Does everyone know how I feel about him? How he fees about me? If Hoshi's skin didn't already burn at the touch, she thought that her blush would set her on fire. With an effort, she focused at the two doctors next to her. Phlox was at her right, while Doctor Relnus stood slightly behind her with a scanner in hand. All eyes were on her: Travis's, Jon's, T'Pol's. The Vulcan had stood up from her seat, ready to assist the doctors if needed. Hoshi took a deep shuddering breath, but she could still taste the metallic flavor of death on her tongue. “We must hurry,” she whispered. “It will happen again, if we don't hurry.” Hoshi raised her head, then tried to stand, but the world swirled around her and she nearly passed out. She felt Malcolm's arms around her, supporting her, as her knees gave way. “Her vital signs are climbing to dangerous levels,” Phlox said. The normally cheerful Denobulan's voice held no humor. “Doctor Relnus---?” “Amazing...her blood pressure and internal temperature are approaching a more Esaarian norm,” Relnus added. His scanner beeped wildly as he drew out the Esaarian version of a hypo from his belt pouch and pressed it against Hoshi's neck. “Normal for my people, but a Human isn't physically built to withstand such a drastic change in body chemistry.” “How long?” Malcolm demanded. Relnus shook his head and replied, “Two hours, if that. We must lower her body temperature and slow her heartrate.” Hoshi struggled again to get to her feet, but her joints screamed in agony. She could barely move her mouth around the words. “Some sort of force...pulling Na'lai toward the remains of the planet...I have to go with her---” Malcolm gripped her upper arms. “Na'lai, if you can hear me, you have to let her go! You're killing her!” She shook her head. “Na'lai can't separate from me yet...I have to be in close proximity to the planet for her to do that. If I don't, it'll tear me apart...” Hoshi clung to him with her remaining strength. “And I can feel the meteor shower coming closer...it'll destroy everything in its path...Malcolm, please!” Trip Tucker's voice interrupted his reply. “Tucker to the Cap'n.” Jon reached over and tapped the comlink on Hoshi's board. “Go ahead, Trip.” “I'm in the Shuttle Bay...and Shuttlepod One's glowin' somethin' fierce. It's actin' like a wild horse in the corral and those reinforced walls are literally growin' all over it.” Hoshi turned her head at the sound of Trip's voice. “That's when Na'lai merged with me the first time...it makes sense that we have to take Shuttlepod One to return her home...” She saw a glimmer of understanding and compassion in Jon's eyes, then he nodded at Malcolm. “Trip, get Shuttlepod One prepped for launch. Malcolm's bringing Hoshi down and they're going to bring Na'lai home. Quickly as possible, Trip...Hoshi's just barely hanging on.” “I hear ya, Cap'n...Tucker, out.” Hoshi tried a third time to get to her feet, but instead Malcolm swept her up into his arms. She barely had the strength to hold her head up; it was as if her insides were burning in lava. Think about something cold...chocolate ice cream, sundaes, igloos, newly-fallen snow, icebergs with little black-and-white penguins... “Strawberry ices and sorbets, snowballs being stuffed under the back of your shirt...” She managed a laugh at Malcolm's soft tone. When she opened one eye, she saw his lopsided smile and her heart stopped at the undisguised emotion in his face. “That gives me an idea...” she whispered weakly. “You'd have to catch me first,” he teased, “and that's after we find a snow-covered planet for a snowball fight.” “Maybe we can visit Andoria after this,” she joked as her body began to shiver. Despite the friendly banter, thinking of snow and ice wasn't working. Hoshi felt her body being stretched across a padded cushion and a blanket being tucked all around her. “I will monitor her vital signs, Lieutenant,” came Phlox's voice from somewhere above her. “Stay next to her; your presence seems to stabilize her condition.” “Hang on, Hoshi,” Travis chimed in as she heard the engines begin to fire up. Travis must have volunteered to be their pilot. “We're gonna get you where you need to go.” She could no longer see with her own eyes; her attention was drawn inward. Hoshi found Na'lai deep within the confines of her mind. Their surroundings brightened from a dark blue/black to a fiery orange and its lights flashed across Na'lai's translucent skin and curly hair. Hoshi felt a distinct pull on Na'lai, but that pull sent her body in agony. It felt as if she was being forced through a tiny hole in a microscopic sieve, every muscle and tendon stretched to the snapping point. To make matters worse, Hoshi could also feel the buzz of the incoming meteor shower, like a horde of angry wasps pricking her skin. “It is far worse than I had expected, Hoshi,” Na'lai cried. Verdant tears streamed across her pale cheeks. “I am trying to phase my presence out gradually, but the process is being sped up faster and faster...” Hoshi reached for Na'lai and grasped her hands. “Then don't resist it, Na'lai. Allow it to happen...” “The shock will kill you, Hoshi. I cannot allow you to die again---” “You saved me once, so I've been living on borrowed time.” She managed a smile. “At least you've allowed me to experience your gift.” Na'lai's tears flowed faster, even as her presence became fainter. “I am sorry.” “Don't be. Go home, where you belong, Na'lai, and you don't need to wander alone anymore. Everything will be all right.” Even as Hoshi said the words, she meant them. They weren't words of empty comfort. She felt a fleeting sensation of happiness and contentment, then Na'lai's form completely disappeared, and Hoshi was staring down at her empty hands. Then she was flying through space, heading toward the physical remains of her home. Instead of barren rock, it seemed to glow in many colors, and the air surrounding her became warmer. Smells reached her nose: baking bread and simmering udon soup; wildflowers and the wind through the trees. There was the sound of children laughing, and playing under the sun... It was all around her, and within her, the sense of homecoming and completion. A sense of belonging that she'd never experienced before. As a young child prodigy, Hoshi set herself apart from everyone, and immersed herself in language and linguistics. The loneliness was so much a part of her that she hardly felt it anymore. Her family were little more than strangers most of the time. Then she'd joined the Enterprise crew at Jon's request, and found more than she'd bargained. “What good is learning language and culture if you don't feel them? What good is theory if it's not put into practice?” An old saying floated at the surface of her mind: “I draw water and I chop wood!” The Buddhist monk had stared at his own hands and marveled at the simple pleasures of simple tasks. Just being able to feel and be alive... What good is it to be around family and hold yourself aloof from them? Something broken within Hoshi was healed. If she died now, she would harbor no regrets...save one. Malcolm. She reached out of herself, drawing away from that seductive glow, for if she stayed there, she knew that would never leave. It wasn't her time yet; there were still tasks for her to complete. But eventually, she might search for this place and find it again. Na'lai brushed against her mind in farewell and benediction. It was as if Hoshi was bidding her twin goodbye forever; she fought against tears. Yet Na'lai said in her mind, “This is only 'see you in the future', not 'goodbye'.” Then Na'lai was gone and Hoshi's consciousness went with it. A rude jolt slammed her back into awareness. She opened her eyes, but couldn't move a muscle. It took her a moment to realize that she was staring at the ceiling of Shuttlepod One. Frantic voices rose all around her as the walls shook again. Then a soft hiss pierced the air. “Bloody hell! We've got a leak. Where's that sealant...ah, here it is!” “The hole's over here, Lieutenant. Give me that sealant, since I'm closest to it.” “Here, Doctor. It'll probably do better than mashed potatoes.” “Excuse me, Lieutenant?” “I'll explain later. Travis---?” “The debris is coming in harder and faster, Malcolm. I'm doing my best to avoid 'em, but I can't get around 'em all.” “Enterprise to Shuttlepod One.” That was Jon Archer. “Shuttlepod One, sir,” Malcolm answered. “How's Hoshi?” “Her condition's stable. We're heading back to the ship now. The planetary debris is beginning to break up as the meteor storm gets closer---” “We've got Shuttle Bay One all ready for you. Once you're safely back, we're warping out of the area.” T'Pol's voice echoed in the background. “The storm is bearing zero eight zero mark three and closing fast. I would suggest haste, Mister Mayweather.” “Going as fast as I can, Sub-commander. We'll get back in time even if I have to go out and push.” “I trust that will not be necessary, Ensign.” Hoshi repressed a snort of laughter. T'Pol's joking with Travis? Did I just hear that right? Of course, the Vulcan would deny it to her grave. The shuttlepod shuddered again in the wake of another wave of debris. Her sensitive hearing caught Travis's sigh of relief as they avoided yet another collision. Then Malcolm shouted, “The edge of the first storm wave just hit the system boundary.” “I see it,” Travis acknowledged grimly. “Hang on, everybody.” Again, the walls trembled and this time, more holes erupted from the back of the shuttlepod. Phlox patched up the leaks with more sealant. A faint roar echoed out of the comm speakers, followed by the screech of static. The shuttlepod lurched to starboard and Hoshi felt herself sliding in that direction, but she couldn't move to stabilize herself. She felt Phlox's hand on her shoulder and her sideways progress stopped abruptly. “Captain, we aren't going to make it before the bulk of the storm hits,” Malcolm reported. “Get Enterprise out of here.” “Not without all of you,” Jon's voice was barely heard over the static. “Target that large planetoid in their way, Ensign Mueller. Fire!” The Germanic-sounding voice of Malcolm's second-in-command was lost as thunder reverberated through the shuttlepod walls. Then Travis whooped in delight. “That's done it...thanks, Bernhard! Hang on, everyone, we're coming in!” “Travis!” Malcolm yelled. “Slow down and reverse thrust---” The shuttlepod skidded forward with a piercing screech. Sparks flared from the walls as the pod lurched to the left, then something exploded to Hoshi's right. Shuttlepod One finally halted in a cloud of smoke as burned electrical circuits send faint discharges into the air. “Everyone okay?” Travis asked with a cough. Malcolm swore something incoherent as someone banged on the shuttlepod walls. Phlox had his scanner out and was checking Hoshi when she finally managed to whisper, “What happened? Where are we?” “I believe we've landed,” Phlox deadpanned. |
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