The First Years: Chapter 1
Codes: A/T'P. Living through bad times and good times.Rating: PG-13.
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Summary: The crew says goodbye to two of their captains.
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A/N: Most of this part I wrote shortly after the news of Enterprise�s cancellation and I think it shows. The prologue was written after this part, so there may be some writing style differences.
�Come in.� Archer said.
The door to Archer�s quarters slid open. He lay on his bed intently reading a book. Porthos hopped down from his place lying against Archer�s side to go greet the new guest. At first, Archer didn�t look away from his book to see who entered.
After his trip to the mess hall this morning, he didn�t want to see another face today that looked at him, hesitating, wondering how to interact with him. Or have another of the brief conversations followed by an awkward silence. Thankfully some faces were different. Like Hoshi�s smile and greeting when he passed by her table. Trip�s smile and familiar accent almost calling him Captain, and then recovering and saying Jon.
In his mind, some of those faces he�d seen just a few hours before. He understood their reactions to him. He was still the person they knew but he could no longer talk to them about the latest events or serve among them. He was a man stuck in time. Life to him was lived in a day. Sleep was death, robbing him of his memories. In the morning, he became again the man struggling to comprehend a world that changed around him.
Archer dropped his book onto the bed. There was no point in reading it since he would forget what he read when he fell asleep. He read it to pass the hours he spent in his quarters today with nothing to do, and to take his mind away from wondering if things could have gone differently if the accident didn�t happen.
He looked over and saw T�Pol standing just inside the door to his quarters. Her hands clasped behind her back. No hint of emotion crossed her face. It was refreshing after the reactions he experienced a few hours ago.
�T�Pol. I didn�t expect you to come back today. Please have a seat,� he said dropping his book and gesturing to the couch.
He stood up and looked through the view port at the planet below and several civilian ships orbiting the planet alongside Enterprise. As he turned around, he noticed T�Pol actually took his offer and sat down - something she rarely did. He also noticed she was out-of-uniform, wearing a pair of loose tan pants and a long sleeved red shirt. Unlike the Starfleet uniform with captain�s rank she had on during her visit this morning.
Walking over to the small couch, he sat beside her. He turned towards her to see her face while they spoke.
�What did you come here to talk about?� he asked.
�I did not tell you this morning that I plan to resign my commission.�
Archer watched her as she gauged his reaction. A dozen questions entered his mind, but all he could manage to ask was, �Why?�
�Enterprise and the other Starfleet vessels will remain in this system protecting the colony. The crew is capable of performing their duties without me. I can be of more use on the planet�s surface.�
Her face and voice were devoid of emotion. She�d obviously planned what she would tell him ahead of time. He knew her well enough to know that she was answering her logical reasons for doing this and avoiding answering any emotional reasons that lay beneath.
�I have a hard time believing that�s the only reason you�re doing this.�
�I have my reasons,� she said. He waited for her to explain. T�Pol continued before he had a chance to pry for more information.
She continued her pitch to sell him on the idea, �I came to ask you if you want to move to the colony with me. Living on the surface could be beneficial to you. You have tried several times to find a new position on Enterprise with no success. I have talked with the community leaders who are coordinating the design and construction of the colony. There is a need for engineers, welders, architects, and other disciplines. You possess some of these skills. I could inquire if there is a position you could perform despite your memory difficulties.�
Archer didn�t believe that he would be able to work again, and he didn�t think she believed it either.
�Why is she asking me to come with her?� Archer thought. �She could just force me to go with her. I�ll forget whether I gave my consent or not in a few hours anyway. No. She wouldn�t do that. That wouldn�t be the T�Pol I know. I might not remember agreeing to come out of my own freewill, but she will. She�ll stand by whatever I decide.�
He silently thanked her for letting him make a decision that affected more than just today.
He looked at her stunned, finally realizing the emotional reason hidden beneath her logic, �You�re doing this because of me. Aren�t you? I don�t want you to give up your commission just because of what may be on the planet for me. What will be down on the planet for you?�
�You� The answer came easily to her mind as she looked into his eyes. She continued to recite her train of logic, �I have inquired about the workers needed on the planet. The community leaders need scientists to conduct surveys for colony sites as well as local plant and animal life, water, and mineral resources. Hydroponics gardens will supplement the protein resequencers supplied by Ambassador Soval. I could assist in the building or maintaining of the gardens. There are several other projects which may need my skills as a scientist.�
Despite her words, he couldn�t stop feeling she was giving up life on Enterprise out of - what? Loyalty? Guilt? Something else? He didn�t want her to regret her decision later. He didn�t want to be the source of those regrets. He leaned closer to her. Lowering his voice, he said his next words hoping his fears about her motives were unfounded.
�T�Pol. If you�re doing this for yourself or for the colonists, that�s fine, but please don�t do this for me. It doesn�t matter to me where I live or what I do. I�m not the one who has to remember for more than a day. You do.�
�When I contracted pa�nar syndrome you did not treat me differently. You did not think of me as incapable of living my life because of my illness. You have never treated me in that manner, yet you do so to yourself.�
�This is different. I can�t remember yesterday or the days before that. I�m trying to catch up with all that�s happened before it all slips away again. I don�t have a life anymore. I just exist.�
�Your illness prevents you from captaining Enterprise, but you still have a �life�. The colony may provide opportunities for both of us. I believe moving to the colony is the only logical solution.�
Archer knew she had a point. He didn�t have a life here anymore. She was stubbornly determined to take this course of action. It was her life, and she wanted to do this for her and for him.
�I need to know the answer to one question before I decide�why do you really want me to move to the colony with you? Is it the same reason that brings you here every morning to tell me about the past?�
After seeing her calm while telling him and her lack of surprise at his emotional reactions, he deduced she�d told the story to him many times. Her demeanor now was still outwardly calm, but she treaded carefully through their conversation like she did not know what to expect.
T�Pol�s eyes widened, and she looked as if she considered evading his question. �In the corridor I asked you to leave, yet you did not. You stayed and tried to save me from the anomaly. I asked you before why you did not leave and save yourself. You told me you couldn�t leave me behind. You said you needed to save me and would do it again no matter what the consequences. If you had not stayed, I would be the one with your condition.�
Archer�s voice lowered his voice trying to break through to her. �So you�re doing this because you feel guilty? The anomaly put the parasites in my brain. You didn�t. It�s not logical to let misplaced guilt run your life.�
T�Pol looked down at her hands then back up at him. �You are my captain and my friend. I am trying to do what I believe is best for you.� In my position, I believe you would do the same.�
Archer looked down at his hands. He now understood more than she knew why she was doing this. His face softened, and his eyes looked over her face as he thought of the years ahead of her. Archer thought back to his mother caring for his father as he degenerated slowly from Clark�s disease. Sally cared for a husband who couldn�t remember at times her or their years together. She held the pain inside and became a pillar of strength for him and his father. He never heard her complain about her situation. He saw her eyes red from crying, and heard her muffled sobs when she thought she was alone. He would have taken that burden away from his mother in instant if he could. He wanted to spare T�Pol from a similar life now. But he couldn�t. She felt a need to do this and would not be swayed. Caring for him on Enterprise or on the colony was just a matter of location.
His feelings answered for him as he looked back into her eyes, �Yes, I would do the same for you.�
He cupped her right shoulder with his hand. �I hope I�ve said this to you before and that I tell you again� thank you.�
�Your gratitude is not necessary.� He could tell from her eyes that she did appreciate his thanks.
�Yes it is. I appreciate all you�ve done for me and what you will do for me�� He took a breath trying to work past the knot in his throat and said, �I�ll go with you.�
Archer couldn�t help feeling that he just handed her a life sentence.
Archer looked over to his right and saw T�Pol�s reassuring presence. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up at him. He smiled at her, and then turned back to the door. He reminded himself to keep his smile and try not to let his disbelief show on his face. Taking a deep breath, he touched the keypad opening the door.
He still couldn�t believe this was happening. This morning he�d woken up in his bed to find his quarters bare. Staggering around his quarters half-asleep, he�d found some of the contents of his medicine cabinet still sitting near his sink and a change of clothing in his closet. Porthos was missing along with his bed, water bowl, and food. An open suitcase lying on the floor near the closet caught his attention. He thought until then that Trip might have played an elaborate practical joke on him. Looking at the contents of the suitcase, he knew he�d packed it himself. His socks were rolled in the peculiar way he learned from his father. The way only he used to save space when packing. The rest of the contents were folded and stacked carefully. He was about to call Dr. Phlox about his lapse in memory when his door chimed. T�Pol entered and asked him to sit down. Then she explained everything. Today was an important day. They were leaving Enterprise.
When they walked through the door, the mess hall was already full with people mingling enjoying refreshments. Crewmembers shook Archer�s hand and smiled at him as he passed through the mess hall.
�It looks like our guests of honor have arrived,� Hoshi said to Trip.
Trip and Malcolm turned away from their conversation with each other and looked at Archer and T�Pol moving slowly through the crowd towards them. Trip greeted them when they reached the long table set up in front of the entrance to the Captain�s mess.
�Jon, T�Pol. I�m glad you could come.�
�I heard about your promotion Captain Tucker. Congratulations.� Archer smiled and shook Trip�s hand. Trip forced a smile onto his face. He�d heard the same congratulations from Archer many times. It was another of the many reminders of the accident. Trip hated to see his friend live through this every day.
�Thanks Jon. If you both will have a seat, I�ll get this party started.�
Trip pointed to the two seats at the center of the table. Archer and T�Pol sat and were soon joined by the senior staff, who took the other empty seats at the table. Hoshi remained standing behind her chair. When Trip nodded at her, she opened a channel ship-wide.
Trip stood behind his chair and called out to the crowd, �May I have your attention please.� The crowd stopped talking and turned towards him. �Please be seated.� He waited for them to find their seats. �I�m not very good with speeches. The truth is I don�t like them. They usually sound too formal and impersonal. So if you all don�t mind, I�ll just talk for a bit about the two people we�re here for today.�
He looked over at Archer and T�Pol. Jon gave him a slight smile of encouragement. �I�ve known Jonathan Archer for 12 years now. I�m proud to call him my friend. I�m also proud to have called him Captain. He�s taught me more than I can ever repay him for. Jon,� he said with a sad smile, �I�ll take care of the ship and look after the crew for you.� Trip was glad he said that to him, even if Archer would only remember it for a few more hours.
�I think most of you know that T�Pol and I didn�t start off on the best of terms.� Some of the crewmembers nodded or mumbled in agreement recalling their arguments, �I now consider her a good friend and a helluva officer. I�ve served under two great Captains.� Trip looked at both Archer and T�Pol. �A toast to Jonathan Archer and T�Pol.� He raised his glass and the other people in the room did the same. �Thank you both for guiding this ship and all of us through some of the toughest times we�ve had to face. You will be missed.� The sound of clinking glasses filled the room followed by standing applause for Archer and T�Pol. �Even though they are leaving today, I hope they will stay here in spirit continuing to guide us. I also hope they won�t be strangers. You�re both welcome back here anytime�
After Trip sat down, Archer stood up. �Thank you Trip. I don�t think I deserve the praise. A captain is nothing without a great crew. I�ve been honored to serve with all of you. I feel like this crew became a family and Enterprise our home. When I first stepped on Enterprise, I knew I had good officers in my crew but I didn�t know how lucky I was to have all of you yet. You�ve taught me so many things.� He looked over at Hoshi. �You�ve taught me about finding strength.� He looked at Malcolm beside her. �Courage while facing death.� He turned his head and looked at Phlox �About holding onto your ethics.� He looked at Trip. �Standing up for what you believe in even when it bugs the hell out of your superior officer.� Some of the crew smiled or laughed. Trip responded to Archer�s lopsided grin with his own smile and a brief chuckle. The laughter died down as he locked his eyes on T�Pol who sat to his left. �Ridding yourself of prejudice, growing to appreciating the differences between people, and of working together towards a common goal.� He looked back out over the mess hall at each face. �I�d like to make a toast to the crew of Enterprise, the best crew a captain could have.�
The crewmen drank from their glasses of engineering�s home brew toasting to that. T�Pol raised her glass of tea with them and sipped it, preferring not to take a gulp like the humans and lone Denobulan in the room. Archer sat down. Trip took that as his cue to stand up and instruct the crew to enjoy the buffet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone stand. Looking over to his left, he saw T�Pol standing with her glass in hand. He froze half-standing, staring at her. Trip recovered and sat back down. The other occupants of the mess hall seemed as stunned as him.
T�Pol stood and tried to look out over the mess hall in the manner Trip and Archer had while speaking. She felt a twinge of nervousness in her stomach but ignored it. �I came to Enterprise expecting to serve here no more than a few days. I stayed with this crew because I found a place where I was needed. Living among you has helped me better understand the similarities between our two peoples and to appreciate our differences. This ship and her crew have come to mean more to me than I anticipated. It has been an honor serving as your first officer and captain. It has been my honor to serve with you all.� Archer didn�t expect T�Pol to admit as much as she did. From the crew�s reaction they took her speech in the spirit it was given- a proud Captain�s goodbye to her crew. The crew in the mess hall stood applauding her speech.
Dinner followed the speeches. Archer tried to eat but kept thinking about the strangeness of all of this. He looked up from his plate at the sea of blue uniforms. He felt naked and out of place in his civilian clothes. He never imagined leaving Enterprise or his crew this way. In his imagination, he�d always been the last one to leave Enterprise before her decommissioning. After saying goodbye to all the crew, he would roam the corridors of the empty ship saying goodbye to Enterprise alone. Then, he would travel back to Earth leaving his ship for the last time. This felt wrong to him.
T�Pol sensed his unease and looked over at him. �Is something disturbing you?�
�It�s nothing,� he said giving her a half-smile to reassure her.
The tables were abandoned, and the crew mingled with him and T�Pol. Some crewmen left to relieve the few people who were manning their stations so they could also come. Most of the people attending came over to Archer and T�Pol to say their goodbyes. He kept hearing from them what an honor it had been to serve under him and how much they would miss him. He shook their hands, gave them smiles, and talked with some of them about the past. As the afternoon wore on, the day stopped feeling surreal and the truth hit him hard. He was leaving Enterprise. His memory of this day would vanish, but he intended to say a proper farewell. He already said goodbye to his crew. Now he needed to say goodbye to his ship.
The crowd slowly thinned in the mess hall leaving a few stragglers and the senior staff. Archer talked with them awhile before saying he had a few places to visit and would see them later.
When they were out in the corridor, T�Pol walked beside him. �Where are you going?�
Archer stopped. �To say goodbye to Enterprise. She�s been a good ship. I know it must sound funny, but I need to do this. I promise we won�t be late for our launch time.�
T�Pol nodded her head slightly indicating she understood. �It is not �funny� if it is important to you.�
Archer�s lips curled up into a smile. �I would like you to join me. She�s your ship too.�
Their first stop was engineering. Rostov stood at attention and saluted him when he entered. Archer smiled, old habits died hard. He looked at his father�s engine while he spoke, �At ease Rostov. I�m just here to say goodbye.�
Rostov�s eyes followed his gaze understanding. �Yes sir.� Rostov left engineering, letting him say goodbye alone.
Archer looked back at the engine. He walked along side it looking over the machine he knew so well.
The first time he saw his father�s engine it was a white ink outline printed on a large sheet of blue paper. Numbers and words he didn�t understand accompanied the arrows that pointed to various parts of the warp engine. His father caught him peaking over the desk to see the schematics. Picking his son up and putting him in his lap, Henry pointed to each part of the engine and explained its function. �It doesn�t look like much on paper, but someday it will make a starship fly at Warp 5.� �How fast is that daddy?� Henry explained to the wide-eyed boy just how fast that was.
Archer put his hand on the metal surface of the engine. �Do you feel that?� �You mean the thumping?� �Yes. An engine is like the heart of a ship. When this engine is inside a ship you�ll be able to feel it beat from decks away.�
T�Pol stood near the door of engineering watching the curious display. Archer slowly dropped his hand back to his side. Looking over to T�Pol, he said �I�m ready to go if you are.� and walked out with her.
The turbolift doors opened depositing Archer and T�Pol onto Enterprise�s bridge. Hoshi and Malcolm sat at their stations, and Trip sat in the center seat. They all stood up as Archer walked out of the turbolift.
�Captain, I didn�t know you were coming here,� Trip said.
Archer ignored Trip�s slip. �I�m just passing through. Hope you don�t mind.�
�Of course not. Would you like to have a seat?� Trip stepped aside from the captain�s chair.
�Yes.� Archer walked over to the chair and sank down into it. His fingers touched the armrests. He sat there a few moments remembering the years he�d spent on the bridge. Looking out the viewscreen, he saw the planet below. Another of the many reminders of what he felt: Enterprise wasn�t his home anymore. The captain�s chair felt strangely uncomfortable. He didn�t belong in it. He no longer led this crew as their captain. He was now just Jonathan Archer, a man who would soon be one of the thousands of human colonists of Ceti Alpha 5.
�Thank you Trip.� Archer stood up and looked around at the senior staff. �I don�t think I�ve told all of you enough how much of an honor it�s been to serve with you. A captain�s not supposed to say this to his crew� there were times that I�ve been afraid. At those times, I knew I could count on each of you try your hardest and together we would pull through� I�m trying not to think of this as a goodbye. I hope to see you all again one day.�
�This isn�t goodbye. You�ll have to deal with my visits, and I have a feeling I won�t be alone,� Trip said with a sad smile.
�I should head back to my quarters before I go to the launch bay.� Archer managed a weak smile before headubg back to the turbolift. He couldn�t think or speak right now. His emotions were warring inside him. He wanted to stay on Enterprise with the crew and his friends. Another part of him painfully felt that he no longer had a place here.
T�Pol directed the turbolift to take them back to the deck of their quarters. She allowed Archer to think and reflect without interruption. The lift halted and opened up. They walked in silence back to his quarters.
Archer packed the last of his belongings into the suitcase clicked it shut. Picking up his suitcase in one hand, he looked over his quarters one last time making sure he wasn�t forgetting anything. On the desk was something he wouldn�t be taking with him. He walked over to the desk picking up the leather bound book with his free hand. Archer would deliver it personally. Turning off the lights, he exited his quarters.
�Are you ready?� T�Pol asked. A small duffle bag hung over her shoulder. It smelled of the incense she burned in her quarters.
�I am.� T�Pol searched his face to read his emotions.
Archer could hear the faint rhythmic sound of the engine deep in the bowels of Enterprise as he traveled towards the launch bay. His eyes ran over the deck plating and walls seeing the small battle scars never fully repaired. Enterprise was a beautiful ship whose stories were told in the imperfections that the casual eye would miss. Her first captain remembered some of these stories as he passed through the corridor.
Lining the hallway to the launch bay were the remaining senior staff of Enterprise. Archer�s face fell as he thought again of T�Pol�s news about Travis this morning. In T�Pol�s eyes he�d seen the look he knew to well. Regret for a crewman lost under your command.
T�Pol lightly touched his arm bringing him back to the present. Archer put down his suitcase then walked over to the senior staff.
Trip was the first person he came to. �Take care of the ship for me. I know she�ll be in good hands.� Archer presented the book to Trip. �I have something for you.�
Trip looked at the book in his hands not knowing what it was. It lacked the engraved title on the spine of the book that the rest of Archer�s books had. A thin leather strap wrapped around the book tying it shut. Trip untied the strap and opened the book. He flipped to the first page and read the handwritten words.
�It�s my captain�s log. I find it easier to write down events than to say them aloud sometimes. I want you to have it. The empty pages are yours to fill in if you want.�
�Thank you Jon.� Trip shook Archer�s hand then wrapped his arm around Archer pulling him in for a hug. Tears hung in both their eye, but neither of them felt ashamed.
Even though Archer wouldn�t remember, he said for Trip�s benefit, �I�ll be counting on that visit Trip.�
Trip tried to keep the smile on his face as he watched Archer walk away. T�Pol walked over to Trip.�I need to ask a favor of you T�Pol.�
T�Pol looked at him her expression blank, �What favor do you need?�
�Jon can be as stubborn as a mule and he�ll want to be independent. He won�t want to ask for your help even if he really needs it. Be patient with him.�
�I had no intention of being otherwise,� T�Pol said stoically.
�I should have known you�d say that. I know you won�t let anything happen to him but I had to ask.� Trip looked over at his friend who was trapped in a bear hug by Hoshi. Trip could see a tear slip down Hoshi�s cheek. When Hoshi finally set him free, Archer thanked her for temporarily taking care of Porthos. Trip looked back at T�Pol. �Goodbye Captain T�Pol.�
�Goodbye Captain Tucker.� By far, it was one of their better conversations since the accident. T�Pol didn�t know if Trip still blamed her decisions for the destruction of Earth. She felt at that moment like they had come to some form of understanding.
T�Pol saw that Archer had moved to Reed who saluted him and shook his hand then said a few words to him. T�Pol talked with Hoshi who said live long and prosper in flawless Vulcan, and gave the Vulcan salute. T�Pol responded in kind saying peace and long life.
After completing their farewells to their friends and comrades, Archer and T�Pol retrieved their luggage and entered the launch bay boarding Shuttlepod One.
The rest of their luggage was already stacked in crates near the back of the shuttle. It was only a fraction of the items in their quarters. They wouldn�t have a place for all of that on the expedition. The rest of their belongs were stored on Enterprise.
T�Pol powered up the shuttlepod�s engines and prepared for launch. She would be flying since she was more familiar with the terrain. The bay doors opened letting the pod fly away from Enterprise descending towards the planet.
Ceti Alpha 5 filled the viewscreen of the pod. Several small oceans surrounded the large continents on the portion of the planet visible to Archer. Faint slivers of ice caps covered the north polar region. Archer saw small clumps of green scattered across the continents. The planet wasn�t as lush as Earth, but neither was it completely arid. His new home didn�t look like paradise. He didn�t expect it to be. No planet could compare to Earth in his mind.
The shadow of the shuttlepod on the clouds below became larger and large as the pod descended toward the clouds. Passing through a thick layer of cumulus clouds, the pod shook as it encountered turbulence.
�We should reach the colony site in approximately four minutes,� T�Pol reported while gliding her hands over the controls.
The shuttlepod broke through the clouds. The pod dove down closer to the terrain. They followed a mountain chain until they reached a plain nestled next to the mountains. A river ran down from the mountains meandering across the flat land towards the horizon. Several miles away from the river a handful of buildings stood out against the trees that dotted the landscape. Archer realized as they approached that they were not buildings but small ships.
A message came over the comm. �This is Ceti Alpha Air Traffic Control. Unidentified shuttlepod please identify yourself.�
�Ceti Alpha control. This is Shuttlepod One from Enterprise requesting permission to land.�
�Shuttlepod One we�ve been expecting you. Proceed to the landing strip and these designated coordinates.�
T�Pol read the coordinates on the screen. �Coordinates received. Shuttlepod One out.�
T�Pol guided the shuttlepod in to land in landing field. It was little more than a cleared field stretching seven kilometers near the colony site. At the end of the field sat a cargo module converted into Ceti Alpha Air Traffic Control. Archer looked at the ships littering the field as they passed over them. Several cargo ships detached from their cargo modules. He recognized a few of the names but didn�t know their captains or crewmembers personally. Small personal ships, assorted mining vessels, tug ships, and shuttles dotted the landing field. Archer reasoned the small ships were housed inside other ships on the journey to the planet. On first glance, the field might appear to be ships arbitrarily lined up in two long parallel rows. But on closer examination, Archer saw that the flight controllers allowed enough space between the ships for loading and unloading of cargo. Each ship could take off without disturbing the next.
T�Pol piloted the shuttle pod smoothly into its designated landing area touching down on the ground between two civilian shuttles. Archer waited for T�Pol to power down the engines.
�Are you ready?� T�Pol asked as she turned in her chair.
�Ready as I�ll ever be.�
She crossed over to the pod door and opened it stepping out. Archer followed her but stopped short.
His eyes were drawn away from the landing field to the colony beyond it. Archer could see sparks slowly moving around on the hull of a cargo ship resting amongst the sparse clumps of grasses about two kilometers away. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he realized what the sparks were. Walking on the hull of the ship in grav boots and fire retardant suits were several humans cutting through the hull with plasma cutters. A small ship, which was only a few times bigger than a shuttlepod, hovered above the cargo ship near the piece the humans were freeing. The bright light of the plasma cutters stopped, and the humans moved on to another section of the hull and started cutting again.
The small ship extended a grappling arm. The sound of the arm connecting with the hull momentarily drowned out the noise of the plasma cutters further up the hull. A few minutes passed while the ship sat waiting. Then, the grappling arm shook as crews on the inside severed the temporary connections from the interior of the ship to the section of hull. The shaking of the arm stopped, and shortly afterwards the ship moved slowly pulling on the piece of hull. It easily came loose exposing rooms on different decks of the ship to view. The ship adjusted under the weight of its load and flew away from the cargo ship.
Archer�s eyes followed its flight path beyond the cargo ship towards the half dozen buildings in various stages of construction. It slowly lowered the piece down beside what looked like other various shapes and sizes of hull fragments. As Archer watched, another ship flew over to the scraps pieces of hull and selected one latching on to it and flying it over towards a building site. Other small ships gathered around the various construction sites rendering aid with their grappling arms. Human figures swarmed on the construction sites, on and inside the landed ships, and on the ground around the massive construction project.
T�Pol intently watched Archer�s face as it turned from awe to something akin to pride. Archer would want to help his people in any way he could. At that moment she felt even more certain that she made the right decision in bringing him here. She walked back over to the shuttle and stood beside him watching the colony slowly come together underneath the alien sky.
First Years Chapter 2
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