Psyche and Sound - Chapter 8

Psyche and Sound

by Orion9

Disclaimers in Chapter 1

A/N: My humblest of apologies if the science, and anything else, is really off… *cringes behind GIGANTIC apology flag* A pinch of salt, anyone?

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Chapter Eight – Explanations

After several frantic but futile attempts, Archer reluctantly conceded defeat in their efforts to contact Malcolm and his group. Anxiety sat heavily upon the four of them as they headed silently towards the last known coordinates of the second away team, each nursing a hope that their friends were all right, wherever they might be.

“What about wild animals? Are there any on the surface?” Archer asked suddenly, trying to eliminate another reason for the sudden disappearance of four members of his crew. He knew he was grasping at straws but that was the only thing he had going right about now.

“None that we know of. And as Enterprise did not report any ships in the vicinity, it would be safe to say that Lieutenant Reed and his team are still on the planet itself,” T’Pol reasoned quietly from beside him. “Also, any attempt to transport them off the planet would not have gone unnoticed. Perhaps they are in an area undetectable by our sensors.”

“I hope you’re right. We don’t have the time to smooth any ruffled feathers should we suddenly find ourselves in someone else’s territory…”

“That would be highly improbable, Captain.”

“Good,” Archer said shortly, eyeing the communicator clutched in one hand as if it held the answer to where his missing crewmen were. Unclenching his teeth, he forced himself to calm down, realising that anger and frustration would not be get them anywhere. But it was difficult, seeing that a setback like this one was exactly the last thing any of them needed right now, not when they still had to find the cure for Trip’s condition. He was so caught up in his thoughts that when the communicator beeped suddenly, he almost dropped it. Biting off a curse, he quickly recovered and flipped it open.

“Reed to Captain Archer.”

“Malcolm!” he exclaimed, relieved to hear the other man’s voice. “What happened? Enterprise lost track your biosigns and all communications more than ten minutes ago.”

There was a momentary silence on the other side before Malcolm’s reply came back, his surprise evident in his voice, “I’m sorry, Captain. I had no idea we were cut off or had vanished from the scans. It could be something to do with the two men that we’ve just encountered.”

Now it was the Archer’s turn to pause in mild astonishment. “What men?” he asked finally.

“They appear to be natives of the planet. And they claim to be able to help Commander Tucker.”

Surprise, fused together with hope, flickered across Jon’s face. Exchanging a quick look with T’Pol, he quickly spoke into the communicator, “Right. You and your team stay where you are. We’re already on our way to your position and should be there in about ten minutes.”

“Aye, Captain. Reed out.”

Immediately after the Armoury Officer had signed off, the communicator beeped again. This time it was from Enterprise, reporting that they’d located the missing team, only to be informed by Archer of the latest development. It was an extremely relieved Lieutenant Anderson that signed off moments later. Pocketing the communication device, Archer turned towards T’Pol.

“There is no record of this planet ever being inhabited, Captain,” she replied his questioning glance, one eyebrow delicately raised.

“Is that so?” he said dryly. “I guess the database is due for an update then.”

* * * * *

“Captain, are you certain we can trust these people?” Malcolm asked in a low voice, keeping both men within sight at the same time. “For all we know, they may have been the ones who’d caused Commander Tucker’s current condition.”

Archer frowned. He wasn’t at all surprised by the other man’s suspicions or doubts. The fact was, he’d been wondering the very same things himself. It hadn’t taken long for both teams to meet up and regroup at the edge of the forest after Malcolm’s call. Once introductions were completed and out of the way, the Lieutenant had taken the first available chance to communicate his reservations regarding their unexpected company to him. Looking away from their subject of discussion, who were conversing quietly between themselves not far away, Archer shook his head as he met troubled grey eyes.

“I don’t have the answer to that, Malcolm. Perhaps we can’t trust them at all. But what choice do we really have? Just be extra alert until we know for sure.”

“Aye, Sir.”

With T’Pol and Malcolm close behind, Archer walked up to the men, who immediately turned towards them, faces open and friendly. “Koerin…”

“Yes, Captain Archer?”

“What exactly did you mean when you told my officer that you could help us?” Archer asked, trying to keep the impatience he felt from showing. Meeting new species might be one of their primary objectives but as exciting as this particular first contact was, right now, time was of the essence and they had no time to spare for any small talk. Hopefully, as soon as Trip was out of danger, they would have all the time to find out more about these J’ralls.

“We can. But first of all, I need to know how your young friend is doing.”

Archer’s eyes narrowed with mild distrust but he complied, describing Trip’s condition and symptoms carefully. At the end of his narration, Koerin’s face was grave. “It is as we fear. Your friend had a brief contact with what our people call a psŷc the very first time he was down here. A reaction to its venom is what ails him.”

“A psŷc?”

With a quick glance around, the old man continued, sensitive to the questioning look on each solemn face, “Yes, Captain. It is a primeval insect, which has existed way before our civilisation began. And since the Day of Enlightenment, this creature has been an important element in an ancient ritual of our people.”

“I see…” Archer looked intently at their alien host before he continued, an undercurrent of anxiety underlying his next sentence. “I’m really sorry, Koerin, if I seem impatient here, but I have a very sick officer on my ship right now and unless we find this insect … this psŷc, he might die.”

“Believe me, Captain. We fully understand your concern,” Koerin responded softly. “In truth, I was beginning to wonder if you were returning. Tomorrow would have been one full cycle.”

“One full cycle?”

Koerin nodded. “Yes, nine dawns make a full cycle for us.”

“Oh… Well, we didn’t know about Trip’s condition until a few days ago. The symptoms only started to show up then.”

“I see. Will your officer be able to join us on the surface then?”

“I’m not sure that would be such a good idea…” Archer hesitated, Malcolm’s caution never far away from his thoughts the whole time.

“It would be the only way to help him.”

“But why help us? What would you be getting out of all this?”

Koerin was clearly not expecting such an outburst and he looked a little taken aback by the bluntness of the way the questions were presented. Jon couldn’t see Malcolm’s expression since the Armoury Officer was slightly behind him but apart from a raised brow, T’Pol displayed no other reaction although he suspected that she wasn’t all too pleased with his candor.

Shrewd eyes assessed him for a time. “Please be assured that our intentions are honourable towards you and your crew, Captain Archer. You have my word that no harm will come to you or any of your people while you are on our world. We only wish to assist your officer, nothing more. Although we may prefer our own company, it does not mean that we condone the death of an innocent, especially when it was of no fault of his.”

Keeping his astonishment of the J’rall’s astuteness carefully hidden, Archer considered the softly spoken words. He glanced over at T’Pol, catching her almost imperceptible nod. Making the decision to accept their offer, the Starfleet Captain quickly explained Phlox’s diagnosis regarding the cause of Trip’s mental assaults.

Koerin nodded when the younger man had finished. “Your doctor’s prognosis is accurate, Captain. But I think Commander Tucker will be unharmed down here. The planet’s gravitational force should protect your young friend until we can help him.”

Archer frowned. “Gravitational force?”

T’Pol shifted ever so slightly, turning towards the pensive Starfleet Captain. “Microgravity is known to cause physiological changes in living systems such as muscle atrophy, bone loss and fluid shifts...”

“Yes, I know. The lack of gravitational acceleration has been proven to have adverse effects on the health of astronauts in long-duration missions. It was one of the several problems that they had to overcome when they started the Space program all those years ago,” Archer said, continuing his Science Officer’s line of thought. He shook his head, still not completely convinced. “But I don’t see how…?”

“The surface gravity here is slightly different, Captain,” T’Pol responded when he turned questioning eyes at her. “It is entirely possible that the small discrepancy here could be an influencing factor in shielding Commander Tucker from inadvertently receiving the thoughts of others.”

“Perhaps. Which would explain why Trip wasn’t susceptible to either your or Phlox’s thoughts, since the both you come from planets with a higher gravity than Earth,” Archer said thoughtfully before glancing at Koerin. “But how can you be sure that this will work?”

“We cannot. However, should the circumstances call for it, we shall then shield him from your thoughts ourselves. But I am convinced that it may succeed, based on a somewhat similar encounter about five hundred years ago, although with a different species. Most of their symptoms parallel those of Commander Tucker’s. I am hopeful that your species will also react positively to the surface gravity of our planet.”

“What happened the last time?” Archer asked, desperately seeking the reassurance he needed before he had to any decision regarding moving his Chief Engineer down to the surface.

“It went well, or at least, the healing part of it. Overall, however, it was not an experience that we hoped to repeat, ever...” Koerin looked lost in thought and his pleasant baritone hardened slightly as he continued, “The previous encounter is not something we like to talk about, for it was not a pleasant memory for our people.”

Reining in his curiosity at that not-so-subtle hint, Archer refrained from asking for more details, saying instead after a moment’s deliberation, “All right, Koerin, we’ll do it your way. But my doctor tells me that Commander Tucker is currently too weak to be moved.”

“Then, we shall await until he is strong enough,” the old scholar replied, unperturbed by the news of the delay. “But it cannot be long.” Gesturing with his right hand, he continued, “Please, if you would follow us, I will explain further on our way to our destination.”

* * * * *

It was slightly after 1700 hours when Trip finally stirred from his first deep, non-drug induced sleep since the headaches had first started. Rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, he slowly sat up, wobbling a little, a part of him vaguely surprised at the lack of soreness in his throat. Not that he was complaining, far from it; he’d never been happier, or more relieved. It was just that he’d had the pain for so long that it now felt a little strange to be free from it. A slight sound caught his attention and Trip looked up as the Denobulan approached, a smile on his face.

“You’re certainly looking a lot better,” Phlox remarked with a satisfied nod as he ran a quick scan over the man seated at the edge of the biobed.

Trip gave him a weary smile. “Well, the sore throat’s gone.”

Phlox nodded, tapping quickly at the screen of the data PADD. He looked closely at his patient. “Good, good … Headache?”

Trip shook his head.

“What about nausea?”

“No, I feel fine, actually. Jus’ a lil’ …” Perking up as the rest of thought hit him, the Chief Engineer continued with a hopeful look, “…hungry. Any chance of some food, Doc? I’m kinda starved.”

“Of course,” Phlox answered cheerfully. “A returning appetite is always a good sign.”

“A good sign?”

“Of recovery.”

“Right.” Trip eyed the Denobulan for a second before voicing his next question, his words coming out in a rush, “But I can have real food, right? Y’know … somethin’ other than what I’ve been eatin’…”

Phlox couldn’t help but smile at the apprehensive expression on the young man’s face. The Commander obviously did not find the provisions in Sickbay appealing, not that Phlox blamed him. Tucker had probably had more than his fair share of it compared to the other crewmembers, considering the number of times he had been in here during the past week.

“Certainly,” Phlox answered, a chuckle escaping him at the look of relief that crossed the Chief Engineer’s face. He placed the data PADD down on the table beside them before turning back to the young officer. “I’ll send someone to get you something to eat from the galley after we’re finished with this final test. Now, Commander, if you would please follow my finger…”

* * * * *

Flipping his communicator closed, Archer allowed a soft sigh of relief to escape as he replaced the small device into his upper right arm sleeve pocket. He glanced to his right and nodded as he met T’Pol’s steady look, allowing a fleeting smile to cross his face at the same time. Although her expression never changed, Archer could have sworn that something flickered briefly in her eyes before she turned back to the path in front of her.

“Good news, Captain?” Koerin’s voice broke into Archer’s thoughts and he looked towards the aged J’rall with a grin.

“Yes, the ship doctor has just reported that my Chief Engineer is doing a lot better. He’s recovering well, in fact.”

Upon hearing the news, the other members broke out in simultaneous smiles. Clapping Travis on the back, Malcolm’s grin widened as he watched Hoshi and Liz share a quick hug while everyone else exchanged relieved glances with one another. Watching the reactions of his fellow crewmates, Malcolm marvelled at the effect of that one tiny bit of good news, feeling his own heart lighten. Suddenly, things didn’t seem to be that bleak.

“That is indeed excellent tidings.”

“Yes, Koerin, it is…”

“Will he be able to join us then?”

“Yes,” Archer nodded. ”He’ll be accompanied by our doctor. They should be on their way soon enough to the coordinates you’ve mentioned.”

“Wonderful. I am looking forward to making the acquaintance of your physician. It is always a treat to meet other healers, and we do not often have that privilege these days. Come, we shall await their arrival at the city, since they will be landing somewhere close by.”

Archer glanced at the scholar beside him as they walked on. “You haven’t exactly explained why you needed Trip to be down here.”

“Ah, yes. But before I do, you first need to understand the role that the psŷc plays in our society. You see, Captain Archer, the sting of this insect releases a toxin into the body, which is then assimilated by the chemicals in the brain.”

“For what purpose?”

“The toxin enhances the recipient’s extrasensory ability.”

“You are telepaths.”

That was not a question. Koerin nodded at the Vulcan’s evenly stated fact. “Very much like you, Sub-Commander.”

“Yes but our telepathic ability is limited, mostly involving touch.”

“So was ours, a long time ago, before they evolved to the level that they are now.”

“Are you able to read minds?”

“Most certainly.” Koerin turned towards Archer. “If circumstances warranted such an action, although we do not normally carry out such practices. On the contrary, we are currently blocking your thoughts from our minds.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, our abilities are only used to defend our cities and our people. Save special occasions, they are not even employed for communication for it involves a lot of concentration from both sides. The simple verbal contact is still the preferred method. Rest assured, Captain Archer, your minds are in no danger of being probed by anyone here. And it cannot be done without you being aware of it. Trust me when I tell you that you will know if someone is doing so. It is not altogether a very pleasant experience.”

“Are all J’ralls telepaths?”

Koerin met T’Pol’s cool gaze. “Yes, Sub-Commander, it is part of our natural ability although the degree of the physic capacity differs somewhat from one person to the other. Those of us, who are what you could call sentinels, or guardians, of our city, naturally possess higher telepathic capabilities compared to those who aren’t.”

“Is that what you and Taelek are?” Archer looked curiously at the old man. “Sentinels?”

“Yes … and no. I was, once, but it was a long time ago,” Koerin replied. “I still retain the elevated mental capacity although I rarely use it now. These days, my time is spent in study and training young protectors like Taelek.”

“I recall an ancient Vulcan legend that speaks of such mystical creature. It was said to possess unparallel capacity to enhance a person’s mental or physical ability,” T’Pol remarked. “But I had always taken that it was all it was – a legend.”

“Ahh… yes, I am afraid it is more than just a legend, though I must admit that I am not at all surprised that it has been reduced to that,” Koerin shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips. “It has been many generations since anyone outside the people of this planet have had the chance to come into contact with one of these creatures.”

“And if it weren’t for the Trip’s chance encounter…”

“You are correct, Captain,” Koerin said, finishing the rest of Archer’s sentence when he trailed off. “We would have remained hidden away as we have been all this while.”

Archer studied the J’rall silently and then asked, “Why now? Why didn’t you contact us when we had a Science team down here a couple of days after the incident?”

There was a glimmer of regret in Koerin’s eyes as he answered, “We watched your people while they worked that day. The Commander looked fine then. It appeared that the venom had not affected him and I thought that perhaps your species were immune to it.”

“I guess we’re not.”

“Unfortunately so. Unlike what I had initially believed, your species is extremely receptive to the toxin. As it turned out, it only works slower on your physiology. With us, it takes but one dawning of the day.”

“Since humans are naturally emphatic…“

“Yes,” Koerin confirmed T’Pol’s theory with a dip of his head. “Because of that, the sting of the psŷc has only enhanced what Commander Tucker already has within him, even if the dose was never meant for him. Taelek was supposed to be the recipient of that gift that your young friend had unwittingly taken upon himself to bear.”

“Wait, let me see if I got this right,” Archer said, impatiently brushing off an insect that had settled on his hand. “Because we also have a somewhat limited telepathic capacity, although it’s not usually utilised, the toxin has somehow brought out Commander Tucker’s natural psychic ability?”

“That is correct, Captain Archer. The toxin does not have any effect unless one possesses an innate extrasensory faculty in the first place.”

“All right … But if it only increases the natural telepathic ability, why is Trip so ill?”

“Perhaps the answer also lies in the human physiology,” T’Pol offered.

“There is that possibility,” Koerin agreed. “Although I doubt any other species, natural telepaths or otherwise, would have fared any better. It has more to do with the mental exercises that we carry out than anything else. You see, unless one’s mind is prepared for the immense cerebral responsibility that it is called to bear, it will eventually break down, and the body along with it.”

“And this is what’s happening to Trip…”

“I am afraid so, Captain. Each of us that are called has been training for this immeasurable mental task since childhood. Your young friend has not.”

“Is that how you shielded my people from our scanners when you first made contact?” Archer questioned.

“Yes, we were unsure whether you meant us any harm so we telepathically blocked out any form of communication,” Koerin answered. “It was only after we’ve managed to establish that his – your – intentions were appropriate, and honourable, that we allowed Lieutenant Reed to contact you.”

“I didn’t know that your abilities were that powerful. Are you able to jam all communication signals?”

“Jam?”

“Err… to block off … stop …”

The faint confusion on Koerin’s face disappeared. He shook his head. “Only when there is a sufficient number of us, and when we are within a certain range. It is not something we do often but it was necessary at that time.”

Archer nodded, absently noting that they were heading towards a small clearing. They hadn’t been walking long but were already some distance away from the thick dark forest. Taking a quick glance around, he wondered if they were anywhere near this city that Koerin had mentioned. It looked like they still had a long way to go – there wasn’t anything within sight but more bushes and trees.

Sensing their hesitation, Koerin invited pleasantly, “Come, Captain, Sub-Commander. We are here.”

By this time, the J’rall had led them to the middle of the clearing. They stood there, waiting for the rest to catch up. Archer shot a questioning glance at T’Pol before looking curiously around, curbing the urge to ask the J’rall where exactly here was, unaware that Koerin was using the time to study the members of the away team.

As soon as Taelek and Malcolm, who were bringing up the rear, joined the waiting group, Koerin waved a lined hand towards the area before them and said with a hint of pride in his voice, “Captain Archer, let me be the first to welcome you and your crew to Gardien City, the capital of our world.”

At Koerin’s words, the air in front of them seemed to shimmer and brighten, while the clearing was somehow growing larger by the second. Archer and his crew watched, transfixed, as little by little, what had been hidden all this while was slowly revealed.

“Wow…” Hoshi breathed, taking in the final sight that greeted them.
Malcolm couldn’t agree more with the sentiment, vaguely aware that his own mouth was currently hanging open, as were Travis’ and Novakovich’s. In fact, everyone was just about speechless in awe. Even T’Pol looked mildly impressed, a no mean feat by itself, considering the number of unusual things that she’d seen in her lifetime.

If the Armoury Officer wasn’t absolutely certain that he was well awake and in full control of his facilities, he would have been convinced that he was in the middle of a hallucination or, at best, under the influence of some sort of drug. As it was, he was hard-pressed to stop himself from asking someone to pinch him awake because, materialising right before their startled gazes and extending as far as the eye could see, was what appeared to be an ancient medieval city, complete with a huge, majestic castle at its very heart.

TBC

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A/N2: I want to especially thank the three of you for your insight and comments. They were tremendously helpful. I hope that the next few chapters will help to explain why sedation, although it is the best course of action, may not be as effective as Phlox would have like it to be. :) A heartfelt thanks also goes out to myst123, for being as great and supportive as ever. :)
akin: Thanks for pointing out the two details. In response to the first one, putting Trip in Sickbay was primarily to isolate him from the rest of the crew as their thoughts is the very trigger of his headaches and other ailments. Sedation would have been the better thing to do but Phlox needed Trip to tell him exactly what happened since no one actually saw his collapse. Only then can the doctor decide on the right course of action to take.
As for the second detail, as Neo Getz had pointed out, the bridge team would need to verify the fact first before contacting Archer, just in case they were wrong. Perhaps ten minutes was a little too long… but I did say ‘about’. :) I must admit I had difficulty with this story – a fic concerning telepathy was harder than I’d anticipated. Hopefully, I’d not dug myself into a larger hole with the remaining chapters. *fingers crossed*
Neo Getz: Hi! I can’t thank you enough for your reviews and comments. They really made my day. Position as advocate is yours if you want it… ;)
cryogenie: Thanks for the review. And you’re right, Trip is exactly where Phlox wants him to be – right where he could keep an eye on him at all times. :)

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Three people have made comments

Wats an advocat? gonna look it up in a sec.... looking..... summet to do with speaking in ure favour i htink, tell me if i'm wrong.

Anyway, lovely chapter glad trip's up. Very nice use and explanation of tese telepathic aliens very belivable (if ailens do exist, my money's on they do). Human natural telepathic and empathic abilities very acurate, an in depth study proved tho that parrot is better than us tho. Some humans are more receptive than others some connect well to just one special individual, (me n ma mum 4 example)we can say summet like "you know..." pauses to htink n the other goes "yep got it" and buys exactly what it was. and then we sit there thinking of summet n the other starts expalaining it without us actually asking the question. Enought babling just trying to say how accurate it is n some bkground info.

Lieutenant Anderson had me in histerics, y u ask? theres a boy in my class called Anderson and the vision of him a a lieutenant was too funny. Loving the story loving it lonving it loving it.

Cant wait for more, Asked ma mum, she said advocate is someone who helps you with decisions and stuff u dont really know to reach a conclusion in your favour. tell me what you need n ill help.

oh very nice. i'm a bit behind so just had a chance to catch up on the last few post. oh angst thy name is Trip! i really like your OC character.

what will happen now that the new sentinnel didn't get the toxin? they can't have trip!

the lonving was menna b loving