Psyche and Sound- Chapter 14

Psyche and Sound

by Orion9

Disclaimer: Enterprise and all related characters belong to Paramount.

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Chapter Fourteen – Ceremony

It was almost pitch dark inside; the only light that could be seen came from the many candles burning at the four corners of the sizeable room. His eyes adjusting quickly to the dim lighting, Phlox drew nearer once more to the unconscious man, frowning when his sharp gaze took in the unhealthy grey pallor and exhausted visage. The young officer was still in the grip of a very high fever, and each wheezing breath that he desperately fought for worried Phlox greatly.

Turning his head, Phlox studied the two silent, unmoving J’ralls who were in the room with them. Each sat cross-legged with backs ramrod straight, the tips of their long, graceful fingers lightly touching Tucker’s temple. Eyes closed, they appeared to be in a deep sleep, but there was a faint smile on each of their faces. Before Koerin had entered into his current meditative state, he’d place beside him a long hypodermic-like device, and for a brief moment, Phlox had stared at it in morbid fascination as he’d tried to reconcile the words with the images in his mind.

While they quickly covered the remaining distance between the clearing and the castle, Koerin had given them a rough idea of the ritual that was about to be performed on their ailing crewmate. Of all of them, T’Pol appeared to be the only one who’d fully understood what Koerin was trying his best to convey to them without being truly alarmed by it. He knew that her insight and acceptance had something to do with Vulcans being able to perform mind melds themselves, this ritual being somewhat vaguely of the same sort.

As Tucker’s doctor, he’d protested for another matter altogether, his main concern stemming from the fact that the engineer, who was fading fast, wouldn’t be strong enough to survive such a strenuous procedure. It took some convincing from the aged scholar, but eventually the Captain had reluctantly agreed to allow the ritual to be carried out, on the condition that their ship’s doctor be allowed to monitor Tucker’s condition closely throughout the ceremony.

Now, aside from the guard standing motionless in front of the door, he was the only other conscious person in the room. He didn’t try to engage the stoic J’rall in conversation, mindful of the silence that was needed for this delicate procedure. Checking the readings on his medical tricorder, the Denobulan shook his head before leaning back on his haunches, his heart heavy with the knowledge it carried. If his health continued to deteriorate at this current rate, the comatose officer would likely be dead within the next couple of hours.

* * * * *

“What…?” Dumbfounded by Koerin’s answer, his jaw worked furiously but nothing else came out. Glowering at the older J’rall, Trip jerked away from the subtle touch of a reassuring hand upon his shoulder as he finally found his voice. “What kind o’ question is that?! ’Course I wanna live!”
Koerin hid a smile, clasping his hands together in front of him. That was exactly what he wanted from Tucker, a show of the spirit that he’d sense in the young human the moment he’d set eyes on him. If he were to make it through the ceremony, that special spark of his needed to be brought out into play.

“So?” The voice was tight with anxiety and impatience.

“Yes, Commander?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Trip countered through gritted teeth. “We’ve already covered your ‘life or death’ question. So, what now? When can I get out of here?”

“When the time is right.”

Trip stared blankly at Koerin for a moment, digesting that answer, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest with a scowl. Dammit, what’s going on here? They were having a conversation but evidently, he was no nearer to an answer now than when he’d first arrived in this strange place. As far as he could tell, he was … somewhere, stuck with two people he hardly knew, and one of them seemed to be quite content channelling Yoda. It must be the robes, he thought sourly, the more mysterious the clothing, the more cryptic the speech. He shot the speaker a dark look. “Could we be a lil’ more specific here? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that didn’t help much.”

Raising an eyebrow at the sight of the grouchy face before him, Koerin said equably, his deep baritone strangely comforting to the bewildered officer, “Of course, Commander. But may I inquire several things first?”

”Sure,” Trip answered, his arms flopping down to his sides in resigned submission. His hard stare had produced no visible reaction from Koerin other than a fascinated smile in return. Nothing appeared to rattle the old guy, who seemed to be following some obscure agenda of his own. And somehow, he had a strange feeling that he didn’t have much of a choice in this matter but to go along with it. All right, fine. He’ll do it … for now. With some luck, this bizarre twenty questions session might even lead him somewhere – hopefully back to Enterprise and his friends. “What d’you wanna know?”

“Why is it that you choose life?”

Almost choking on his astonishment, Trip’s scowl reappeared and then deepened, keeping pace with his mounting irritation. What kind of question was that? Suddenly, doubt reared its ugly head, adding a touch of fear to the mix and Trip eyed the robed men warily, wondering if they were toying with him, or worse, with his mind. After all, he knew next to nothing about these people other than that they possessed remarkable cerebral capabilities.

As if sensing his uncertainties, Koerin spoke up once more, quickly commanding the engineer’s attention away from his reservations before any of them could take root. “Commander?”

“Huh?” Trip puffed out an exasperated breath and gave up trying to rationalise the question any further. His chin jutted out mulishly as he confronted the questioning interest in the green depths. “Why? … Let’s see now, perhaps it’s because I have responsibilities to get back to – my engines need me, the plasma relays need purging, and the impulse reactor…” he trailed off briefly before continuing, his voice strengthening, “…or more importantly, perhaps that there are people who are counting on me to be there for them – my family and friends … some of whom I’m sure are wonderin’ where I am right now–”

“Ahh… family and friends. Irreplaceable treasures. But are you so sure about these people whom you call your friends, young Tucker? Look around you. Do you see them anywhere? Perhaps they have already abandoned you…”

“What? No…” Appalled, Trip denied the words without even thinking, staggering back a step, flinching as if he’d been dealt a physical blow. He stared aghast at the old man, eyes wide and startled.

“But I do not see anyone here…”

“No…” the engineer whispered hoarsely, half to himself, and shook his head slowly. “They’d never…”

“Are you certain?” Koerin pressed.

“Yes! They’d never leave without me!” Trip shouted angrily, reining in his rising alarm. With growing desperation, and still reeling from the possibility that there might be a sliver of truth in Koerin’s blunt statement, the Starfleet officer fought the horrible sinking feeling that had pooled at the pit of his stomach. He might have just given them the answer that they wanted to hear, what he wanted to hear, but did he actually believe it himself?

He looked urgently around, but saw nothing but gentle swirling colours. As a matter of fact, the three of them looked to be last three people alive here, wherever here was. There wasn’t a single sign of any other lifeforms, even worse, of the Warp 5 starship or any of her crew. For the first time since he found himself in this situation, Trip began to question everything he thought he knew or believed.

Was it possible that Enterprise had left him behind? He couldn’t, wouldn’t, accept that to be the truth. The miserable man squeezed his eyes shut, hands covering his face, feeling his heart pounding away as if he’d just broken the world record for the 100-metre race. Was Koerin right? Would his crewmates, his friends, leave without him? Would Jonathan Archer?

The moment his best friend’s name burst into mind, Trip knew he had his answer. The pressure that had been pressing onto his heart promptly lifted, taking along with it the cold hollowness that had filled his entire being. Wrestling the last of his doubts to the ground, he finally looked up, eyes bright.

“I’m sure,” Trip said and this time, the conviction rang strong and unmistakable in his voice. “I know the Cap’n. He’d never leave me behind, not if he could help it. Never,” he reiterated firmly, clear blue eyes unwavering as he met his interrogator’s sharp gaze.

* * * * *

The earliest changes in Tucker’s condition were so slight that he would’ve missed it altogether had the medical tricorder not picked them up when it did. Alerted by the new data, Phlox peered closer, studying the face relaxed in oblivion – a face that looked far too young suddenly – the deep lines of pain and exhaustion not completely smoothed away even by the deep state of unconsciousness he was in.

The Commander was still in a coma, and while his temperature was still highly elevated, his other symptoms appeared to be fading away. Looking at the time, he realised that the two men hadn’t moved once since they initiated the procedure almost two hours ago. The J’ralls were certainly a remarkable, albeit mysterious, species, from their astounding physiology to their extraordinary customs. It was a pity they were such a private race. He’d have loved to find out more about them. Stretching to loosen his tense muscles, Phlox took a slow walk around the room before returning to Tucker’s side. After running another quick scan, the Denobulan then settled down to wait quietly in the shadowy room once more.

Even now, he was still more than a little dubious about whatever Koerin and Taelek were doing. However, as long as it meant a continual improvement of Tucker’s health, Phlox knew that he would keep to his word and remain the passive observer in this ceremony. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do something should anything were to go wrong, the Commander’s well-being being his main priority in all of this. He might not interfere in the ceremony itself, but there would be other ways to get the necessary help.

Although, doing that might be easier said than done, he reflected, eyeing the huge guard, who was watching his every move with an unblinking stare. Easier said than done, but not entirely impossible. Turning his attentions back to his patient, Phlox hope that things would not come to that. After all, he was the physician here.

* * * * *

Koerin studied the human who stood before them, who suddenly looked very young and strangely vulnerable, despite the confidence that was radiating from him. Extremely pleased for the spark he’d been looking for revealed in the engineer’s brilliant blue eyes, the old J’rall allowed a smile to light up his face, chuckling as his obvious pleasure only drew an even more suspicious glare from the exasperated officer.

“What…?” Trip demanded warily as he watched Koerin, a smile still on his face, exchange a quick look with Taelek. “Why are the both of you smilin’ like that?”

“Because you are ready.”

That cryptic answer only served to draw the dark blond brows together in another dark scowl.

“Ready? Ready for what?” Trip asked with an impatient growl. His eyes were a stormy blue as he glared at the man. “Will you quit with t’strange Yoda talk ’ready?”

“Yoda talk?” Two heads tilted almost simultaneously to one side to regard the engineer curiously. “What is this Yoda talk you speak of?” Koerin gave voice to the question, looking visibly amused and intrigued at the same time.

“Yeah … uh …never mind.” Trip cleared his throat and quickly pushed forward, ignoring the slight hint of red colouring his cheeks. “What … what I mean is that you haven’t given me a straight answer once this whole time.”

“Ahh, on the contrary, Commander, everything I have said to you has been nothing but.”

“See?” Trip gestured with a helpless wave of his hand towards Koerin, frustrated beyond words. “That’s exactly what I was talkin’ ’bout…”

Another smile creased the old J’rall’s face as Tucker trailed off into a mumble, liberally sprinkling the rest of his sentences with the more colourful words of his vocabulary. He was fast becoming fond of the young engineer, odd speech and all. These humans were indeed a really interesting species.

“Where do you think we are, Commander?” he asked quietly, interrupting the irritable officer in mid-swear.

Resisting the urge to walk up to the older man and shake him until he made some sense, Tucker dropped his head into his hand and mumbled through his fingers, “Are we back to that ‘gain? I thought we went through this set o’ questions ‘ready. Could we move on to the next set, … please?”

Ignoring the sarcastic reply, Koerin said with his usual calm, “You did not give me an answer.”

“I didn’t?” Forcing his jaw to unclench at Koerin’s slow nod, Trip took a deep breath, trying to remember what they’d talked about. “I … uh … I don’t really know. You said we were somewhere safe. I thought …”

“Yes?” Koerin encouraged when the officer’s voice trailed away.

“…well, that maybe I’m jus’ imaginin’ all this… That it was all just in my mind somehow…”

“And what if I told you that you were right about us being in your mind?”

“I…” His Adam’s apple bobbing, Trip stared at his conversation partner, at a loss for words. It was a while before he managed to ask in a noticeably shaky voice, “I-I am…? I mean, really? We … are?”

“Yes.”

Biting his bottom lip, Trip ducked his head, looking at his boots without really seeing them, mulling over Koerin’s answer. He swallowed with some difficulty, somewhat unnerved by the whole situation, and wondered if this was what they meant by losing one’s mind. It certainly felt like it, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he woke up to find himself strapped down on a bed in a mental institution somewhere while doctors pumped him full of drugs to keep the hallucinations away. He shook away that disturbing image just as Koerin spoke up once more.

“Just look around. Do you not comprehend the great opportunity that you currently have before you?”

That got a stronger reaction from the engineer. “What opportunity? T’be lost somewhere inside m’own mind? I’ve gone crazy, haven’t I? This is all some damn hallucination…”

A quiet laugh escaped Koerin as he looked genially at the irate young man. “No, Commander, this is no hallucination. I assure you that your mental state is still very much whole and completely intact.”

Trip looked unconvinced. Shifting slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest again, glaring long and hard through guarded eyes at the other man.

“Is the incredible so impossible to be grasped? There are many wonders that the mind is able to achieve. Can this not be one of them?” the old scholar asked, smiling at the silent man. “You see, what you have before you is the chance to explore one’s psyche and to see how special it really is.”

With a grimace, Trip lifted one hand and raked long fingers through his hair, causing the strands to stand up in six different directions. “Look, I 'preciate whatever you’re tryin’ to do here but–“

“I can show you if you like…” Koerin interjected gently.

After a moment’s hesitation, the engineer nodded, eyeballing his surroundings doubtfully. When nothing happened after his third sweep of the place, he looked at his companion with poorly concealed impatience and demanded, “Well?”

Koerin lifted a snow-white brow. “Whenever you are ready, Commander.”

“What?” Trip gaped, stunned. “I’m supposed to do something?”

“Well, it is your mind, is it not?” Koerin smiled. “Tell me, what is one of your favourite places in your world?”

Trip thought a moment and then shrugged. “Had some good times at Tarpon Springs in Florida where I grew up.”

“All right, now, close your eyes … Trust me, Commander,” Koerin said when a slit of blue promptly appeared to level a suspicious glare at him. He waited until both eyes were fully closed before continuing, “I want you to concentrate on that place … see it … feel it … taste the air there…”

Taelek looked on in wide-eyed wonder as their colours around them started to swirl wildly. Soon, they began to take on distinct shapes, forming a strange, grainy landscape half covered by a body of water, with various types of flora scattered around the area. The homeworld of the humans was truly a beautiful place, if this was anything to go by. He could certainly understand why the Commander loved it so much.

“Now, take a look.”

Cautiously, Trip did so and his eyes widened in astonishment. He was back on Earth, back in Tarpon Springs. On Sunset Beach. He whirled around, trying to see everything at once. Turning back to Koerin, he blurted, “This is amazing… But … but how?”

“Simple. This is just one of your many memories.”

“You mean I can change this place to anything, anywhere, I like?”

“Yes.”

“This is great…” Jamming his hands into his pockets, Trip took another glance around, soaking in the scenery that was set out before him. He lifted his face upwards, closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Damn, that felt good. He could feel the sun on his skin, the wind in his hair and even taste the sweet moisture on his lips. But… His face fell as the thought completed itself and his fingers curled tightly into fists. Looking down, and almost as if he was afraid of the inevitable answer he was about to receive, he remarked softly, “But this isn’t real…” He met Koerin’s steadfast gaze. “Is it?”

“No, Commander, but we can help you to return to the one that is.”

“You can, huh?” Trip said sceptically, eyes narrowing. Watching as their surroundings gradually returned to its original state, he waited until there was nothing but bright swirling colours before asking, “And how can I be sure that’s the truth? For all I know, you could be here to make sure I never wake up or somethin’.”

"Oh, I do not think Captain Archer would approve of that very much," the J'rall chuckled in reply. "He is expecting you to come out of this alive and well. You were right, he would never have left you behind."

Brightening at the mention of Archer’s name, Trip looked expectantly around. “The Cap’n? He’s here? Where is he?”

“He is waiting, on the outside, along with the rest of your friends.”

“Outside?” The open pleasure on Trip’s face vanished as abruptly as it had appeared and he gave an almost inaudible sigh. “Oh…”

Koerin appraised the dejected slump of the other man’s shoulders and the anguish in his blue eyes awhile. “Take heart, young Tucker.” His tone was kind. “Put your trust in us and you will see your friends again very soon.”

Still deeply suspicious yet oddly filled with a sudden sense of hope; Trip’s startled gaze met the J’rall’s for a fraction of a second before skittering away. He sighed, conscious of the part of him that desperately wanted to believe the promise that was being offered. If there was even the slightest chance that the two of them could help him… Not that he’d anything else to lose. Also, the cost of not giving whatever they had in mind a try – of not being able to see his friends or family again – was not something he was willing to risk. Those reasons aside, he thought deprecatingly, it didn’t appear as if he really had much of a choice at the moment. Looking up, he swallowed hard before saying quietly, “All right. Tell me what I have to do…”

TBC

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A/N: A HUGE apology goes out to those of you who’ve been waiting for this to update. I’ve been swamped by RL lately – barely had the time to log on to post this chapter. Thanks for staying with me though and especially for all your feedback. Only a few more chapters to go after this… then it’ll be all done!
Luna: Thanks! Glad you caught the different POVs – it turned out all right then. :D
Rinne: Hope this chapter didn’t disappoint! Thanks!
Neo Getz: A Nerf bat huh? I gotta admit – I have absolutely no idea what that is… but it sounds … err … *cough* ANYWAY, thanks for the review. Hope you liked this chapter as well. p/s Glad to hear that the plaster is finally off. :)

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Four of you have made comments

Nerf bats is an american thing made of foam for playing ball indoors, review coming soon.....

Yey work's finished, power supply unit of computer replaced i can now actually write what i think of the Chapter.

Loved it, liked the way you had the scents and breeze around the pond, but then again perception is how the mind interprets things, so if the location in a memory the feeling of a breeze against ure skin would b possible, loved the way u did that.

Perception, a wonderful thing.....

This is a gr8 story Write more soon plz, U said theres only a few more chaps left, Hope u got another story in the makings coz i love ure writings.

Ps. ne1 need a beta tester, or sum1 to help work out any sciencey bits just ask, Will continue to b Ure advocator if u need it orion, coz ure gr8!

That chapter was really good. Please post the other chapters soon.
Great writing.

write more plz, i'm w8ing for the chapter and i hope it will come b4 my pulled mucles get better coz that means it wont b long :D

ps. Never set up a stage with only 2 ppl doing the actual work, kills the next day.

Pss. And don't fall off ure skatebord onto ya bum, kills to sit down! lol

Write more plz!