Course Correction Studio

Category: Edge of Heaven

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 8. Deeper

    “I still can’t wrap my mind around the idea of having children on starships,” Archer said. He gathered a small pile of scrambled eggs onto his fork. He and Dani had met for breakfast. Kyle had not taken Dani up on her offer to join them, and Trip hadn’t arrived yet.

    “Why not?” Dani asked. “It’s beneficial to have families on board. Think about it – you yourself said that you knew you wouldn’t be able to survive without Porthos. So what did you do? You brought him along with you. Now imagine if you had a wife or kids? Do you really think you would be able to leave them alone for years at a time? If you couldn’t survive without your dog, I think you and I already know the answer.”

    “First of all, there’s a big difference between a dog and a person,” Archer said. “Porthos takes up a hell of a lot less space than a person. Second, while I would certainly miss him if something happened to him, I probably wouldn’t be devastated the way I would if I lost my wife or, God forbid, my child because of something that happened out here. It’s a dangerous galaxy out here – I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting my family in that kind of risk.”

    “You make good points,” Dani admitted. “But for the record, many ships will be large enough to accommodate families in the future, so space isn’t an issue in all cases.”

    “You know, the truth is that I never thought I’d have a family of my own,” Archer said.

    “Never?” Dani asked.

    “Well, I knew my place was in the stars, I knew I wanted to be on the bridge of a starship,” Archer explained. “But I also knew that unless you command freighters, space just isn’t the place for families. So I just figured that I wouldn’t have a family. Except for Porthos here.”

    Dani looked down at the beagle, who sat beside Archer’s chair. She’d almost forgotten that he was there. Archer stroked the dog’s head a few times. Then his eyes met Dani’s again.

    Trip walked towards the entrance to the hotel’s cafe. He stopped short of going in when saw that Archer and Dani were engaged in another “moment”. They were both gazing into each other’s eyes, as they’d done earlier that morning on the beach.

    ‘Damn,’ he thought. ‘How much bad timing can a guy possibly have?’ He walked into the cafe and hesitantly approached the table, clearing his throat as he got closer. Dani and Archer self consciously looked away from each other as Trip pulled up a chair and sat beside the captain.

    “So,” he said, unfolding his napkin and spreading it across his lap, “how are everyone’s accommodations?”

    “Fine. Great,” Archer answered quickly.

    Trip thought Archer sounded just a tad bit anxious, like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

    Trip looked to Dani. “Dani,” he greeted. “How’s your room?”

    “Cozy,” Dani said. “Thank you.”

    “Any special plans for today?” Trip asked no one in particular.

    “We’ll, I was planning to see some of the sights,” Dani said, “and then maybe head back to the beach later on.”

    “It’s nice to be at a beach again,” Archer said. “I lived in San Francisco all my life, and I spent much of my childhood on California’s beaches.”

    “Being cooped up on a ship for so long must be difficult for you,” Dani said.

    “I imagine it’s difficult for everyone,” Archer said.

    Trip looked at Janeway and Archer. This was quickly becoming a two-way conversation again, and he wasn’t a part of it.

    “Do you mind if I join you at the beach later on?” Archer asked Dani.

    “You can join me for the whole day, if you want,” Dani offered. “This morning, I was planning to explore some caverns I know.”

    “Sounds like fun,” Archer asked. “You wouldn’t mind?”

    “Of course not.”

    Archer smiled, but it faded slightly when he suddenly remembered Trip. He turned to his chief engineer to ask if he minded changing their plans for the day.

    Trip answered the unspoken question. “Fine by me, Cap’n,” Trip said.

    “Great!” Archer said, smiling at Dani.

    xxx

    Dani, Archer, and Trip walked deeper into the caverns. Artificial light had been installed along the cave paths, eliminating the need for visitors to bring their own light sources, and the cave paths were easy to traverse. They’d obviously been adapted to make touring easier.

    Stalactites and stalagmites hung from the ceilings and rose from the ground. Archer looked at the structures and remembered seeing something similar in caverns on Earth.

    “There’s supposed to be some kind of natural fountain in here somewhere,” Dani said. She was leading the way.

    “A natural fountain?” Trip asked.

    “That’s what I was told,” Dani said, continuing to lead the way through the caves. She stopped to study a stalagmite. Archer stopped beside her to see what she was looking at, while Trip walked on up ahead.

    “You don’t see many like this one,” Archer observed. The formation was an odd shape, none that Dani had ever seen before.

    Dani turned to reply to Archer, and his proximity startled her. She hadn’t realized that he was standing behind her and looking over her shoulder.

    Dani blushed a little and said, “No, you don’t.” She wandered away, and Archer followed. They continued on for several feet in silence until they stumbled upon the fountain they’d been searching for. It was actually more of a waterfall than a fountain and contained the same type of water that was in the ocean, being that when slivers of light hit it, a spectrum of colors was reflected.

    “All the times I’ve been here in my own time, I’ve never seen this,” Dani said. “I’ve never been in the caves or anything.”

    “It’s my first time seeing it, too,” Archer said. He looked down at her. When she looked up at him, he was drawn to those brown eyes of hers, those lips, that smooth skin that he just had to touch.

    With Archer’s hand gently cupping the side of her face, it was plain as day to Dani where this was headed. She knew she should put the brakes on it before something happened, given their delicate temporal situation.

    But she didn’t want to.

    Instead, when Archer leaned forward to kiss her, she met him halfway, joining her lips with his.

    xxx

    Trip didn’t know how long he’d been walking before he realized he was alone. He’d left Archer and Janeway behind somewhere, but where? He turned and began to retrace his steps. After a few short minutes, he found himself back at the waterfall, which he’d passed earlier. Once again, his timing was atrocious because. Upon approaching the waterfall chamber’s entrance, he saw Archer and Dani in the middle of an intimate, lip-locked moment.

    “Commander.”

    Startled, Trip whirled around. T’Pol had appeared a few feet behind him from seemingly nowhere and spoken. He quickly walked over and led her a few paces away from the waterfall entrance so they wouldn’t have to whisper to avoid alerting the captain to their presence.

    And so that she wouldn’t witness what he’d just seen. Trip could already imagine what T’Pol’s report to the High Command would look like if she’d been the one to find Janeway and the captain instead of him. He had a feeling they would not approve.

    T’Pol’s response to his behavior was the equivalent of a puzzled look for Vulcans. “I did not expect to find you here in the caverns,” she said. “I was under the impression that you and the captain were going to spend the day at the beach.”

    “We had a change of plans,” Trip said. “We’re going later today. What are you doin’ here?”

    “Meditating,” T’Pol said. “Because of its remote qualities, this is one of the truly quiet locations in this area.”

    “You come to a planet like this and all you want to do is meditate?” Trip asked.

    T’Pol inhaled deeply, annoyed. “Not all individuals find the same activities relaxing, Commander,” she said.

    “Good point,” Trip said. “It’s your vacation, spend it how you want.”

    “I intend to,” T’Pol replied. She took a few seconds to look behind him. “Where is the captain?”

    “Oh, we got separated somehow, and I was on my way back to see if I could find him,” Trip explained quickly.

    “And did you find him?”

    “Not yet,” Trip lied, shaking his head. “Nope. Probably went back to the entrance. I think that’s where I’m goin’ to check next.” He stepped past T’Pol, hoping she would follow.

    “Have you checked that room?” T’Pol asked.

    “What room?” Trip asked.

    “This room, Commander. The one you were staring at when I found you.”

    “Oh, that room,” Trip said nodding. “Yeah, that’s just the waterfall.”

    “I was unaware that this cave system contained a waterfall,” T’Pol said. “This is something I would like to witness.” She turned around and began to walk to the waterfall entrance.

    Trip closed his eyes, mentally kicking himself for even mentioning the waterfall. “T’Pol – wait.” He walked over to her before she could make it to the entrance.

    T’Pol stopped and looked over her shoulder at Trip. “Yes, Commander?”

    Trip sighed. “The captain’s in there, okay? But he’s with Commander Janeway.”

    T’Pol turned fully to Trip. “Why did you tell me that you were unsure of his location?”

    Trip hesitated a moment before replying. “Because they’re kind of havin’ an intimate moment, right now, and I didn’t want anyone to disturb them.”

    “An intimate moment?” T’Pol repeated coolly. She turned, intending to complete her trip to the waterfall chamber.

    “T’Pol, they deserve some privacy,” Trip pleaded.

    But the Vulcan ignored him as she took the last few steps to the room’s entrance. She stopped there and observed Archer and Janeway joined at the lips, with their arms wrapped around each other. T’Pol flashed a displeased look at Trip before stepping into the room.

    “Captain,” she said loudly, announcing her arrival.

    Dani and Archer separated. Dani couldn’t conceal the shocked expression on her face. Archer was more embarrassed and annoyed than anything.

    “T’Pol,” Archer said, acknowledging the Vulcan.

    “I came to the caves to meditate. I was told that the quiet setting would be a suitable environment,” T’Pol said. She turned to Dani. “Commander,” she greeted.

    “Sub-Commander,” Dani managed. She looked at Archer once more before hurrying past T’Pol to the exit. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Trip in the doorway. Her embarrassment grew as she realized that he must have seen what had happened between her and Archer as well. She quickly slid past him on her way out.

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 7. Just Jon

    Dani walked along the blue shoreline of Risa.  She’d come here before in her own time, and she was surprised to see that in 200 years, not much about the planet had changed.  It was still beautiful and promoted a carefree atmosphere.  It had only been a few days after Dani’s dinner with Captain Archer in the mess hall, and she was grateful for the opportunity to sort things out.

    Dani sat down in the sand and looked out at the gently lapping waves, the sun rising behind it.  The scene reminded her very much of a West Coast sunset on Earth.

    ‘What if I really am stuck here for the rest of my life?’ she asked herself.  It had been weeks since she’d arrived, and the Enterprise crew was no closer to cracking the temporal transporter’s code than when she and Kyle had first arrived.  It was beginning to look like she’d never make it home.  She knew in her heart that Will had tried to keep his promise to bring her back.  She knew because she knew him and knew that he still cared for her, as she did for him, and he would never willingly abandon her.  But given the circumstances, she was beginning to think going back ‘home’ was becoming more and more of a distant probability.

    Dani jumped when she felt something brush against her back.  She turned around and looked down.  A beagle nudged at her back and walked around in front of her as she began to stroke the little dog’s head.

    “Hey,” Dani said.  There was something familiar about this dog, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. “Where did you come from?”  The dog barked.  Dani looked around her for any sign of the dog’s owner.   When she looked over her shoulder, she saw him jogging toward them in the distance.  She looked down at the dog again.  “You’re a fast one, too fast for your owner.”

    The dog took off in the direction of his owner.  As the owner gradually closed in on his beagle, his image became clearer, and Dani realized that the dog’s owner was Jonathan Archer.  She stood immediately.

    “Porthos!” he scolded as he caught up with the pooch.  He crouched down to the dog’s level. “How many times have I told you not to run off from me like that?”  He picked Porthos up and finally looked at Porthos’s ‘victim’.  He was surprised to see that it was Dani Janeway.

    “Hi,” he said, walking toward her.

    “Hi,” Dani said.

    “I’m sorry about Porthos,” Archer said, closing in the last few feet between himself and Janeway.  “He doesn’t usually behave like this.”  He placed Porthos on the ground and fastened a leash onto his collar.

    “No, it’s alright,” Dani said. “It gave us a chance to make proper introductions to each other.”

    Archer chuckled and sat down in the sand. “So, what do you think?  Is it very different from the Risa you know?”

    Dani sat back down and looked around at their surroundings, nodding slowly. “It’s pretty much the same as I remember it, actually, which is pretty surprising.  I mean, you would think that 200 years would make a difference, but I guess that’s not always the case.”

    “Time doesn’t have to change everything, especially if there isn’t anything that needs to be changed,” Archer said.

    “Don’t try to fix it if it’s not broken.”

    “Exactly,” Archer agreed.

    They both turned their attention to the ocean in front of them.  The sun was rising from behind it, creating a reflection across the water that consisted of nearly every color imaginable.

    “I was just thinking, before Porthos here joined me, that this beach reminds me of the West Coast, except it’s a sunrise here instead of a sunset,” Dani said, stroking Porthos . “And except for the rainbow effect here, of course.”

    “You’re right,” Archer said. “This is my first time here, but I grew up in California.  This place is almost eerie in how much it reminds me of home.”  He looked at Dani and was struck by how stunning she looked in the early morning light.  He knew he was staring, and he hoped it didn’t come across as rude.

    Dani turned to him and was mildly surprised to find him gazing at her.  She didn’t look away.  Instead, she returned his gaze, staring into his hazel eyes.  She wasn’t prepared for the effect that the whole scenario had on her:  the beautiful beach sunrise, the feeling that they were the only two people in the universe, the sheer beauty of the man sitting next to her.  She felt the intense urge to kiss him, and she wasn’t so sure that he would be disappointed if she did do just that.

    Her suspicion was confirmed when Archer began to lean toward her slowly.  Dani moved to meet him.

    “Hey, Cap’n!”

    Archer and Dani each drew back and looked over their shoulders to see Trip jogging toward them.

    “I just finished talkin’ to the people up at the travel agents,” he said once he reached them. “Our cabins are ready and waitin’ for us whenever we’re ready.”

    Dani and Archer looked at each other briefly before looking at Trip, and it suddenly occurred to the engineer that he may have just interrupted something.  “Uhhh, I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

    “No, it’s okay, Trip,” Archer said. “We were just talking about how beautiful everything is here.”  He looked at Dani again.  “Do you have somewhere to stay, yet?”

    “Yeah,” Dani said. “It’s this place on the beach, not too far from here,” Dani replied.

    xxx

    It didn’t take long for the three of them to reach the cabins.  As they approached the 15-story building, the three of them realized that Archer and Trip’s hotel was also Dani’s hotel.  Trip stopped by the desk in the lobby, but Dani and Archer went ahead to the lift that was already waiting for them in the lobby and rode up to the fifth floor. When the lift doors opened, they strolled out into a small lobby area on the fifth floor.

    “So, listen,” Archer began, speaking to Dani, “if you’re not doing anything this morning, how would you like having breakfast with me?”

    ‘He’s asking me out on a date?’ Dani asked herself. She didn’t realize she was staring until Archer spoke again.

    “Well, with me and Trip,” he corrected.

    Dani nodded. “Oh, sure,” she said. “Breakfast would be great. Yeah.” She hoped it didn’t sound like she was trying to convince herself to go.  Really, it was just her nerves making her sound like an idiot. “What time?”

    “About an hour?” Archer offered. “If that’s not too early. This is a vacation after all. I don’t want you to feel obligated to follow a schedule or anything.”

    “No, it’s fine,” Dani said. “I didn’t have anything planned, and I am getting kind of hungry, so it works out great.”

    Dani stopped walking.  They had already reached her door.

    “What?” Archer asked, concerned that he might have begun to annoy her.

    “This is my cabin,” Dani said.

    Archer looked at the room number displayed beside her door and then looked at the door immediately to the right, making a surprising discovery in the process.

    “This is your cabin?” Archer asked her.

    “Yes.  Is anything wrong?” Dani asked.

    “We’re neighbors.”

    “What?”

    “My cabin is right next to yours,” Archer explained.

    Dani nodded. “Really?  How convenient.  Maybe they put all of us from the ship on the same floor.”

    “I don’t think that’s the case,” Archer said.  “Trip is two floors below us.”

    “Well, then,” Dani began, “maybe it’s just us.”

    Archer wondered if the environmental system in the hotel was functioning correctly.  Suddenly, it felt as if the temperature had risen about ten degrees.

    Or maybe it was just him.  He nodded.  ”I’ll see you in a little while then,” he said. “We’ll see you in a little while.  Trip and I, I mean.”

    “Alright, Captain,” Dani said.

    Dani turned to her door, and Archer turned to his. Before he entered the security code on the keypad, he turned back to Dani one more time.

    “You don’t have to call me ‘captain’ while we’re here,” he said. “We’re on shore leave. Think of us as two friends getting to know one another.”

    “What should I call you?” Dani asked.

    “Jon.”

    “Just Jon?”

    “Just Jon,” he said.

    Dani nodded and grinned. “Jon,” she repeated to herself. It felt strange to call him that after weeks of referring to him by his formal rank. But if that’s what he wanted, she was definitely more than happy to oblige. “See you in a bit, Jon.”

    Arch grinned before opening the door and retreating into his cabin.  Before Dani could do the same, the door immediately across the hall from hers opened, and Kyle stepped out.

    “Hey,” he greeted.

    “Hey,” Dani said. “Did you finish settling in?” She entered the security code and opened the door to her cabin.

    “As much as you can for only a two-day stay,” Kyle said, following Dani inside the room. “It seems like you’re not having any problems at all settling in.”

    “Okay, I’ll bite,” Dani said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    “You know what it means,” Kyle said. He lowered his voice to a whisper before speaking again, just in case the walls in this place were thin. “Breakfast with the captain, all that ‘we’re on shore leave, call me Jon,’ talk?”

    “And?  Your point being?” Dani asked. Her voice remained at a normal conversational volume level.

    “All I can say is that I bet he hasn’t invited any other crew to ‘call him Jon’ just because we’re on shore leave.”

    “Kyle, it’s probably only because of our situation,” Dani said. “So what if the other crew can’t call him by his first name. You know we aren’t like other crew.  He probably wants you to do the same.”

    “Doubtful,” was Kyle’s answer.

    “Well, why don’t you come to breakfast with us?” Dani offered. “You can find out for yourself.”

    “I don’t think I’m the one the captain wants to get to know better.”

    “He wants to get to know both of us. He told me when we had dinner the other night.”

    “And that may have been true one week ago, but I get the feeling that’s not the case anymore.”

    “Oh my gods, are you serious?  Are you hearing yourself right now?”

    “It’s not such a wacky idea if you think about it,” Kyle said.

    “What isn’t?” Dani asked. “I want you to say it.”

    Kyle didn’t hesitate to offer up an answer. “He’s into you.”

    Dani didn’t want to admit it aloud, but she had a growing suspicion that Kyle was right.  She and Archer had nearly kissed on the beach not even an hour before.  Of course Kyle was right.  She only hoped that Archer didn’t act on the feelings he was developing.  And she hoped that she could do the same.

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 6. Dinner

    Dani stood at a viewport in the mess hall gazing out at the stars.  She knew they were some of the same stars she’d been seeing all her life, back in the 24th Century.  But they looked so different.  The birthday party for Ensign Sato was going on all around her, but Dani seemed oblivious to it.

    “That drink isn’t going to drink itself, you know.”

    Dani looked over her shoulder to find Captain Archer stepping into the empty space beside her.  She looked down at her drink, which, indeed, had been untouched since she’d picked it up half an hour before.

    “I forgot I was holding it,” Dani admitted.  She smiled and looked up at Archer.  “I guess I was just lost in my thoughts.”

    Archer had spotted her when he’d first come into the mess hall, but she’d seemed to be so deep in thought that he hadn’t wanted to disturb her.  Still, he hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to get to know a little more about this mysterious woman who’d fallen out of time and landed on his ship.

    “I imagine there must be a lot going through your mind these days,” Archer said.

    “I’m sure the same is true for you,” Dani said.  “It’s practically a requirement for starship captains, isn’t it?  Especially when you’re dealing with problems like me and Kyle.”

    “You’re not a problem,” Archer insisted.  Dani gave him a highly skeptical look, but he continued.  “Besides, when you’re a Captain, you have to learn how to deal with the unexpected.”

    “From what I can see, you’ve done a very good job,” Dani said.

    “It sure doesn’t feel like it.  I still haven’t found a way to get you back home, yet.”

    “If you keep saying that, I’m going to start thinking that you don’t want me here.”

    “Don’t think that,” Archer said.

    “Why?”

    “You’ve made things interesting around here.”

    Dani chuckled.  “The Suliban, Daniels, the Andorians – those are all issues you had to deal with before me, and I’d hardly call them boring.”  She finally took a sip of her drink.  It was a cold drink that had warmed to room temperature, and it had probably tasted much better 30 minutes ago. “In all seriousness, Captain, you’ve done everything in your power to help us, and Kyle and I are both so grateful.  Don’t dwell on it too much.  You’re not superman, you’re only mortal.  Besides, I think the 22nd Century is growing on me.  I kind of like it here.”

    “Really?  I’m glad to hear it.  I’ve been meaning to talk to you and Kyle about how things have been going for you here.”

    “Well, of course it’s different from just about everything we’ve ever known, but we’re learning.”

    “Good to hear it.  If you’re up to it, I’d like to sit down with you over a meal – dinner maybe – to get to know you more, the two of you.”

    Dani nodded.  “I know I’d love to.  I can’t see why Kyle wouldn’t, too.”

    “How about tomorrow evening?” Archer suggested.

    Dani nodded enthusiastically.  “Sounds good,” she said.  “It should be fun.”

    xxx

    “It’s too bad Mr. Hicks couldn’t join us,” Archer said.  He plucked his napkin from the table and smiled at Dani, his sole dinner companion for the evening.

    “Dr. Phlox said that he should stay in bed for 12 hours and get some rest,” Dani said.  “Apparently, the cold he’s been trying to fight off has really wiped him out, and he needs time to recuperate.”

    “Of course,” Archer said. “Dr. Phlox knows what he’s doing.  It’s best to follow his instructions to a tee.”

    A steward brought out the first course, a salad, and placed it on the table.  As the crewman distributed the salad to Archer’s and Dani’s plates, the Captain looked across at his new crew member.  He hadn’t anticipated that this would turn into a one-on-one dinner with her.  Frankly, it made him a little anxious.  It almost felt like a first date.  He wondered if she had similar feelings about it.

    After the steward retreated out the door, Archer cleared his throat. “So, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself,” Archer said, gently stabbing at the leafy romaine on his plate.

    “You mean besides the fact that I’m from the future?” Dani quipped. “Well…I was born in Indiana, but I wouldn’t say I grew up there.  Both my parents were in Starfleet, so I spent a lot of time with relatives when I was little.  I also spent a lot of time on starbases and starships waiting to rendevouz my parents.”

    “Children on starships?” Archer asked.

    “Sometimes,” Dani said. “They weren’t on every ship, but it wasn’t like I was the only kid on every ship I went to.  There were usually at least a couple of others.  I did that up until the time I was 12.”

    “What changed?” Archer asked. “Did your parents leave Starfleet?”

    Dani hesitated before continuing.  She had to be careful that she didn’t reveal anything that might have far-reaching consequences.  The problem with that was that it was impossible to know what would make a difference and what wouldn’t.  Her merely being here had already made a difference.  Finally, after a short internal debate, she decided that she would only withhold information that blatantly violated the temporal prime directive, such as information about future technology and defining events.  She would never be able to say anything if she allowed herself to constantly agonize over every little bit of information that she uttered.

    “I sneaked onboard my mother’s ship,” Dani began. “She was a Starfleet captain.  The ship…became lost in a distant part of space, something like 70,000 light-years from Earth.  We were stuck there, trying to get home for about seven years.  So really, that’s where I grew up.  I was 19 when we made it back to Earth.”

    “That couldn’t have been easy for you,” Archer said.

    “I was a little shocked, to say the least, when I found out how far away from home we were.  But in a way, I was really lucky.  I had both my parents there, and the crew was like a big family.  It wasn’t so bad, really.  We had a lot of good times on that ship.”

    The subject of home seemed to be having a sullen effect on Janeway, which was perfectly normal given the circumstances.  Archer decided to refrain from asking her any more deeply personal questions, for now at least.

    “So, did you and Mr. Hicks know each other before you embarked on this mission?” Archer asked, switching tracks slightly.

    “Actually, we went to the Academy together,” Dani said, a smile returning to her attractive face.  “We haven’t seen each other since we graduated from the Academy, but yeah, we were pretty close.”  She looked at Archer. “And we weren’t exactly assigned to this mission together, not from the beginning.  I was floored when he showed up on the Enterprise.”

    “He seems like a decent man and a good officer,” Archer said.

    “He is,” Dani said. “I think he needs to relax a little more, though.  When we were at the Academy, he was always so laid back.  He was the one you could always count on to keep the mood light-hearted and fun when everyone was stressed out.  Now…he’s so serious.  He looks the same, physically, but his demeanor is different.”

    “I’m sure this situation has been difficult on both of you,” Archer said. “We’re scheduled to stop at Risa next week for shore leave.  Do you know Risa?”

    Dani smiled. “Very well.  It’s a very popular vacation spot where I come from.”

    “Good.  The two of you should join the first group that goes down.  I’ll be going down with that group, too.  It’ll be fun, and you need the rest as much as anyone else on my crew.”

    “You don’t have to convince me, Captain.  I love Risa.  It’s been one of my favorite get-away spots for years.  We’ll be on that transport, believe me.”

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 5. Rumors

    “I think they’re spies,” Travis Mayweather announced.  He sat at a table in the mess hall with Hoshi Sato and Malcolm Reed.

    “Spies?” Hoshi asked. “For who?”

    “Well, maybe not spies,” Travis backtracked. “But maybe some kind of observers from Starfleet?”

    “What makes you think they aren’t who they say they are?” Reed asked. “And besides, why would Starfleet want to observe us?”

    “Are you kidding?” Travis asked.  “The first warp-five ship?  Starfleet probably wants to see how we’re handling things, especially since the mission has been bumpier than everyone anticipated.”

    “Kind of like how Sub-Commander T’Pol is here as an observer for the Vulcans,” Hoshi said.  “Come to think of it, I did think it was strange that we picked up two new crewmembers all they way out here.  I mean, it’d make sense if they were high ranking officers or something, but two crewmen?  What two crewmen would be so important that Starfleet sends them all the way out here so that Enterprise can pick them up?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until we go back to Earth?”

    “Exactly,” Travis said.

    “But why this whole ruse, with them pretending to be crewmen?” Malcolm asked.  “Why feel the need to hide, why not just announce why they’re here in the open?”

    “Because they want to see how we perform when we’re not under a microscope,” Travis answered.

    Hoshi started to guide a forkful of food to her mouth but suddenly hesitated.  “What if they don’t like what they see?  Would they recall us back to Earth?”

    Travis and Malcolm exchanged uneasy glances.  “I don’t think it would get to that point,” Malcolm said. “If our visitors find anything lacking in our operations, I’m sure they’ll pass their concerns on to Starfleet, who will then offer their directives for improvement.”

    The conversation ceased as soon as Kyle and Dani approached, but they’d gotten somewhat used to that happening, as it had begun happening almost immediately after they’d first appeared among the crew.  No official introduction or explanation for their presence had been given.  They’d simply been ‘picked up’ from a cargo ship they’d rendezvoused with, which, of course, generated lots of gossip and rumors on a ship containing only about 90 crew.  It actually worked to Kyle and Dani’s advantage.  If no one knew who they were or where they’d come from or exactly why, and several rumors were flying, it would be less likely that anyone would be able to guess the truth.  They would remain a mystery to everyone.

    xxx

    Archer wasn’t oblivious to what his crew thought of their two newest crew mates.  He’d heard the chatter in the corridors and on the bridge, so he had an idea of what the general sentiment was.  However, no one, not even his senior officers, had brought their inquiries directly to him.  He was beginning to wonder if they ever would.

    Then the door to his ready room chimed.  “Come in,” he said, looking up from his computer monitor at the door.

    The door slid open open, and T’Pol stepped in.

    “Good morning, Sub-Commander,” Archer greeted.

    “Captain,” T’Pol said.  The door slid closed behind her.

    “What can I do for you this morning?” Archer asked.

    “Are you aware of the rumors circulating concerning our two newest crew members?” T’Pol asked.

    “You mean Crewmen Janeway and Hicks,” Archer said. “I’ve heard a few rumblings.  Care to elaborate on what you’ve heard?”

    “The most popular rumors suggest that they are Starfleet observers sent to evaluate the crew’s performance,” T’Pol began. “Presumably to determine if Enterprise should be allowed to continue its mission.  According to other rumors, they are spies who are here to ‘hide out’ until the next phase of their mission is set to begin.  Still, others say that they are prisoners and that they are being transported to a penal colony.”

    “Which one do you believe?”

    “I reserve judgment until I receive enough evidence to formulate a conclusion,” T’Pol said.  “However, I cannot say the same of several senior crew members.”

    “What do they think?” Archer asked.

    “The prevailing opinion is Starfleet observer theory,” T’Pol replied.

    Archer nodded slowly.  “I see,” he said.

    “Captain, I do not believe it is unreasonable for the crew to be curious about Crewmen Janeway and Hicks,” T’Pol said.  “Their appearance on the ship was uncharacteristically sudden, given their low rank.”

    “As long as I know who they are and what they’re doing here, shouldn’t that suffice?” Archer asked.

    “Indeed, Captain,” T’Pol said.

    Archer knew it wasn’t the response she’d wanted to hear.  He regarded T’Pol thoughtfully as he briefly considered telling her the truth right then and there.

    “Have Trip and Malcolm meet me here this afternoon at 1400 hours,” Archer said.  “I’ll need you to be present, as well.”

    xxx

    Trip, Malcolm, and T’Pol were already waiting when Archer entered his ready room.  Kyle Hicks and Dani Janeway were right behind him.

    Once the doors slid shut behind all of them, Archer didn’t waste any time getting right to the point.  “I’m sure you’re all aware of the rumors that have been spreading around this ship about Crewmen Janeway and Hicks,” he began.  “You all probably even have your own theories about where they came from and why they’re here.  I called you in today to set the record straight.  I’d like to introduce you to Lt. Commander Danielle Janeway and Lt. Kyle Hicks.  This next part may come as a shock to you but perhaps not, after what transpired when Daniels was here.  Commander Janeway and Lt. Hicks are both from the 24th Century.”

    Malcolm and Trip, both shocked, looked at each other.  Even T’Pol’s cool demeanor faltered slightly at the news.  Archer was correct in saying that his crew members had their own theories about Hicks and Janeway, but none of those theories had even come close to approximating the truth.

    “How did they end up here, sir?” Malcolm asked.

    “I’ll let them answer that,” Archer said, turning to Kyle and Dani.

    Dani looked at Kyle and then at Archer and the others in the room.  She couldn’t believe she was standing in a room full of historical legends.

    “Well,” Dani began.  “It was my mission that started it all.  My team was supposed to covertly retrieve some biomatter from a Suliban research facility in my time.  We found the biomatter, but we unintentionally alerted the Suliban in the process.  While trying to escape, we located what we surmised was a temporal chamber.  My commanding officer ordered me into it, and I had the biomatter, and he sent me somewhere to keep me – and the biomatter – away from the Suliban.  No one on my team could read the Suliban language, so he didn’t know exactly where – when – he was sending me.  Then, I woke up here, in a crew cabin.”

    Trip, T’Pol, and Malcolm looked to Kyle.  “And how did you come to end up on the Enterprise?” T’Pol asked him.

    “I was recruited by Daniels to rescue Commander Janeway,” Kyle said.  “I was to travel here, retrieve the Commander, and return with her to the 24th Century before anyone here became aware of her existence.  Before I could initiate transport back to the 24th Century, Daniels shut down my transporter device.  When he found us, he told us that we couldn’t transport because the Suliban might detect it.  When Daniels was killed, we essentially became stranded here because we need his codes to re-activate my device.  So, that’s my story.”

    “So, let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Trip began.  “You two are from the future, the 24th Century to be exact, and now you’re stranded here because you can’t use your transporter without codes from Daniels.”

    “That’s right, sir,” Janeway said.

    Trip looked at Archer.  “Cap’n, is this some kind of joke or somethin’?” the engineer asked.

    “Unfortunately, Trip, it isn’t a joke,” Archer said.  “This is for real.”

    “Believe me, Commander, I wish it weren’t true, either,” Janeway said.  “But it is.  I’m here, and I’m can’t go anywhere else until we can get our transporter operational again.”

    “Trip, I’d like you and T’Pol to work together with Lt. Hicks to see if you can possibly decode the temporal transporter and get it operational again,” Archer said.

    “Of course, sir,” Trip said, setting his skepticism aside.

    Archer turned to Dani and Kyle.  “Unfortunately, that’s about all we can do right now,” he said.  There was nothing else they could do.  There wasn’t anyone they could call in to help them with this, and no one on his crew had enough experience with time travel to offer any significant insight.

    Dani nodded.  “We understand, Captain,” she said. “Thank you for doing as much as you have.”

    Archer turned his attention to his staff.  “Until we can find a solution to this mess, Commander Janeway and Lt. Hicks will remain onboard the Enterprise as part of our crew, serving as crewmen.  I shouldn’t have to tell you that what you’ve learned here today doesn’t leave this room.  Under no circumstances is anyone on this ship to be made aware of Commander Janeway and Lt. Hick’s true origins without my express orders.”

    “What about Starfleet Command, Captain?” T’Pol asked.

    “You leave that to me,” Archer replied.

    xxx

    Archer watched Admiral Maxwell Forest over their comm link as the older man stared blankly at his desk, processing what Archer had just told him.  It couldn’t be easy hearing that two people from the future were onboard one of Starfleet’s ships.  Archer imagined that Forest’s mind must be racing, trying to figure out what the next step should be.

    “You’re close to finding a solution to the situation, then?” Forest asked, finally looking  at Archer again.

    “No, not exactly,” Archer said.  “Actually, we seem to be as far away as we were when Janeway and Hicks first came aboard.  We’ve been working to decode their temporal transporter device for two weeks now, and we haven’t had any success with it.”

    “So, what are you telling me, Jon?” Forest asked.  Archer’s response was obviously not the answer he’d been hoping to hear.  “You just want me to sit on my hands while two people from the future roam around your ship?”

    “Admiral, I know it seems like a tall order, but the more people who know about this, the more opportunity there is for damage to be done to the timeline.  These people aren’t supposed to be here.  Heaven knows what might happen to all of us, to our future, if people start asking questions.”

    Forest nodded, conceding the point.  But still, there was at least one person at Command who needed to know.  “I’ll have to inform Admiral Hart,” he said. “His section is responsible for dealing these types of situations.”

    Archer nodded. He had anticipated the need to inform Hart, the head of Starfleet Intelligence, and he found that course of action reasonable.

    Forest continued.  “But that’s it,” he said.  “I’m certain Hart will see the benefit of keeping this information under wraps.  It shouldn’t go any further than him.”

    “Thank you, Admiral,” Archer said.

    “Keep me posted on any developments,” Forest said.

    “Yes, sir.”

    “Forest out.”  The admiral ended the transmission, and Archer’s screen went black.

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 4. A Change of Plans

    When Kyle Hicks seemingly shimmered into existence before Dani’s eyes, she only grew more confused by the whole situation. Even after not having seen him in years, she immediately recognized him.

    “Kyle?” she said. “What the hell are you doing here?”

    “I’m here for you – again,” he said.

    “‘Again’? What? Kyle, what is going on?”

    “You’re on the Enterprise, the NX-01, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer,” Kyle said. “To make a long story short, you’re not supposed to be here, especially with that precious cargo you’re carrying, and I’m here to bring you home.”

    Dani looked down at the case she’d placed on the bed, then back at Kyle. “How’d you know about that?”

    “I know about a lot of things,” was his reply. “It’s part of my job.”

    Dani studied the man standing before her, whom she’d known since her freshman year at Starfleet Academy. Physically, he hadn’t changed much. Just over six feet tall with chiseled good looks and blue eyes. But something had changed. He had a sterner look than he’d had when she’d last seen him.

    “I don’t understand,” she said. “I don’t understand any of this.”

    “Don’t try to. It will probably make more sense as time passes.”

    “Again,” Dani said. “You said you were here for me again. What did you mean by that?” Before Kyle could answer, another question came tumbling from her lips. “Wait a minute – I know how I got here…but how did you get here?”

    “How long have you been here?” Kyle asked, totally ignoring the question she’d posed to him.

    “I’m not sure how long I was unconscious,” Dani said, “but I woke up on the floor about fifteen minutes ago.”

    “Have you left this room at all since you’ve been awake?”

    “No. Trust me – I know what kind of weird stuff can happen when you start messing with the timeline. I’ve been here the whole time, praying that whoever these quarters belong to doesn’t come back. Then you showed up.”

    Kyle gave a quick nod. “Okay. Good. That means that no one knows you’re here, yet.”

    “Well, what are we going to do? I can’t just hide out here for 200 years.”

    “You won’t need to. We’re leaving right now. Grab your case.” He pulled a device from a pocket on his uniform. It lit up in his hand as he studied its screen.

    “Where are we going?” Dani asked.

    “Back where we belong, if everyone’s doing their jobs correctly,” Kyle said, still staring intently at the handheld.

    Dani didn’t know what he was looking at on the device or what he was expecting to happen. She didn’t have time to ruminate on it for long. They both heard the sounds that were immediately on the other side of the door, and they saw the door slide away to reveal Captain Jonathan Archer and a crewman.

    “Uh-oh,” Dani muttered.

    “Commander Janeway, Mr. Hicks,” the crewman said. “I had a feeling I’d find you here.” The crewman noted the shocked, apprehensive looks on Kyle and Dani’s faces. “Oh, don’t worry about the good captain here, he knows all about you. Both of you.”

    Hicks and Janeway looked at each other, exchanging expressions of confused relief.

    Janeway turned fully to face Archer and the crewman. “You know who we are,” she said, addressing the crewman. “But who are you? I doubt you’re just a crewman doing his duty.”

    “Mr. Hicks knows exactly who I am,” the crewman replied. “My name is Daniels.”

    “Daniels?” Dani repeated. She shook her head. If that name was supposed to sound familiar to her, it didn’t. She didn’t recognize it from anywhere.

    “He’s a temporal agent from the 29th Century,” Kyle explained.

    “That’s correct,” Daniels said. “And I was just explaining some developments to Captain Archer, including the arrival of Commander Janeway on his ship.”

    “Daniels, what’s going on?” Hicks asked. “I thought the plan was for us to immediately transport back to the 24th Century? We were just about to initiate the transport when my temporal transporter failed.”

    “That’s because I disabled it,” Daniels said.

    “What?” Hicks asked. “Why?”

    “The situation has changed,” Daniels said. “There has been a Suliban operative aboard this ship. A temporal transport would have emitted signals that would probably have been detected by the Suliban.”

    “Is he here for me?” Dani asked.

    “No, he’s here on a different mission,” Daniels replied.

    “Since I can’t transport out, what do you want me to do?” Dani asked.

    “Wait here,” Daniels said. “My job is to find him and prevent him from altering history. Once that’s done, I’ll contact you to let you know it’s safe to transport back to the 24th Century.”

    Dani stared at Daniels. It was difficult to take instructions from someone she’d only known for three minutes. She looked to Kyle. She’d known him for years, and he seemed to trust this Daniels guy. She nodded, more to herself than anyone else. Though she hadn’t seen him in years, she still trusted him. If he trusted Daniels, that was good enough for her.

    “Okay,” she said. “I guess it’s time for me to get comfortable.”

    xxx

    Dani knew something was wrong when Captain Archer returned six hours later. The man called Daniels wasn’t with him.

    Dani and Kyle stood at attention when Archer entered the quarters where they’d been hiding out.

    “At ease,” he said.

    Dani watched him, studied his face, eager to know what news he’d come to bring her. The grave expression written across his handsome features caused a sinking feeling in her stomach.

    “Was Daniels able to locate the Suliban operative?” Dani asked. The timidity in her voice surprised her.

    Archer nodded. “He did,” he began. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t fully successful. He wasn’t able to capture him. In fact, Daniels was killed.”

    Dani didn’t have to hear another word from Archer. During their wait, Kyle had explained the original rescue plan to her. He was supposed to locate her and immediately transport back to the 24th Century. It had sounded simple enough, but when Daniels disabled the temporal transporter, what would have been a simple mission became complicated by the fact that there was no way to get the transporter operational again without Daniels’s activation code. And since Daniels had been killed, apparently, it looked like she and Kyle would be stuck in the 22nd Century a lot longer than either of them had planned.

    “Daniels explained the previous plan to me,” Archer continued, “so, I know that without his code, you can’t use the temporal transporter, and you’re essentially stranded here. I’m not going to pretend like I know how to deal with this situation. But from the beginning of this mission, there have been a lot of situations that I never anticipated I’d have to deal with.”

    “Captain, Commander Janeway doesn’t have as much experience with time-travel as I do,” Kyle began, “but she and I can both tell you that when it comes to these matters, there are certain protocols that must be adhered to.”

    Archer nodded. “Yes, Daniels explained the basics to me, about not interfering. Any contact the two of you have with my crew presents the possibility of altering history. But at the same time, it doesn’t seem humane to keep you both locked in here like prisoners, considering none of us knows how long you’ll be here.”

    “What are you saying, Captain?” Dani asked.

    “Before Daniels revealed himself to be from the future, he was working as a steward in the mess hall. Moreover, he served me in my private mess. I had no idea he was anything other than a mess hall steward until the moment he revealed his true identity. His experience here proves that it’s possible for people from the future to exist in the past as observers, without influencing the past.”

    Kyle and Dani looked at each other. Archer continued. “The only other alternative is for you to stay locked in this room for who knows how long,” he said, knowing that that wasn’t the course he wanted to take.

    “What will you tell your crew?” Kyle asked.

    “It may be necessary to let some of my senior staff in on our scheme, but I’ll evaluate each case on a need-to-know basis,” Archer said. “As for the others, I’ll have to think of something.”