More Than a Lifetime #8: The Edge of Heaven

Chapter 16: She's All Yours, Captain

"Reed to Shuttlepod Two," Reed commed from the bridge.

"Archer here," said the captain, who was inside Shuttlepod 2 with Dani and Kyle.

"She's all yours, Captain," Reed said. "Good luck."

Archer handed phase pistols to Dani and Kyle. "If Daniels is right, there shouldn't be more than 20 Suliban for us to deal with," he said.

"I've heard that one before," Dani said.

The shuttle pod launched from Enterprise and flew toward the Suliban cruiser to dock with it. Once the shuttle pod docked, Archer used his scanner to open the doors to the Suliban cruiser.

"The stun grenade's on a three-second delay," Kyle said. He threw it through the opening and into the Suliban cruiser. Five Suliban fell from the corridor ceiling. Kyle, Archer, and Dani climbed out of the shuttle pod and headed down the corridors. It was a running firefight as the group made its way along the corridor. Kyle threw another stun grenade to stop anyone from following them as they entered a control room. Inside the room, the team was confronted with several control panels.

"Which one?" Dani asked. This all seemed so familiar, yet she knew it wasn't deja vu that was responsible. She'd been confronted with a similar situation during the mission that had initially landed her on Archer's ship.

Archer crossed the room and sat down in front of a set of panels. "Here," he said. He opened one of the panels and removed the discs. "Go."

The team returned to the corridor and found Suliban moving along the floor and ceiling toward them.

"They're all around us," Dani said.

"Archer to Reed."

"Go ahead," Reed said through the comm.

"We need some help here," Archer said.

"I see them," Reed said. "You'd better take cover."

Dani, Kyle, and Archer ducked behind a corner and braced themselves for whatever it was that Reed was about to throw at the Suliban cruiser. The cruiser rocked with the attack from Enterprise, and an resulting explosion momentarily knocked the Suliban out.

"Go," Archer ordered. The team scrambled and made it back inside the shuttle pod just as more Suliban got into the airlock.

"What's the problem?" Archer asked.

"I can't release the docking clamps," Kyle said. Everyone looked up at the shuttle pod airlock door. On the other side,Suliban were trying to force their way in.

"Ignite the thrusters," Archer instructed. Kyle did as instructed. The shuttle pod trembled but still didn't break free of the Suliban cruiser. "Go to full power," Archer said. Kyle increased the thrusters to full power, and after a slight rumble, the shuttle pod finally ripped free.

"Archer to Mayweather," Archer said to the comm.

"We see you, Captain," Mayweather said over the comm.

"Set a course backward to the Vulcan ship," Archer said. "Go to warp four as soon as we're aboard."

"Yes, sir," Mayweather said.

xxx

"It was 10 months ago. He brought me back 10 months," Archer said. He sat at the desk in his ready room, and T'Pol stood, listening to him convey his experience with Daniels. "But I knew everything I know now. How is that possible?"

"As I've told you," T'Pol began, "the Vulcan science directorate has concluded that time travel is impossible."

"Well good for the Vulcan Science Directorate," Archer said, rising to his feet and take a few steps toward T'Pol. "Maybe they can tell me how I woke up yesterday knowing exactly where that Suliban ship was or how I suddenly had the ability to construct a quantum beacon to see through its cloak. And while they're at it, they might as well tell me how I knew where to find those discs."

"All valid questions," T'Pol conceded. "But to conclude that the only answer is that you acquired this information from a dead crewman who transported you back through time is illogical."

"Why don't you give me another explanation?" Archer suggested.

"I can't," T'Pol said.

"Because there isn't one. I got a call from Trip, something about inspection pods. It was the exact same call I got the day before they found Klaang. Word for word."

"Perhaps you were dreaming."

"Possibly, but it certainly is odd that Dani was in my dream and that she remembers experiencing exactly what I experienced without any variation," Archer said. "Listen - I never thought this was possible, either, but I traveled through time, and I need you to believe me."

"Why?" T'Pol asked.

"Because it's hard enough trying to fathom all this without having my science officer, a colleague who I trust and rely on, accusing me of being an hallucinating mad man."

"I don't remember accusing you of anything."

The chime to the ready room door sounded. "Come in," Archer beckoned.

The door slid open, revealing Dani on the other side.

"I didn't know you were in a meeting," Dani said. "l'll come back later."

"That won't be necessary, Commander," T'Pol said, making her way to the door. "I was just leaving." She bid farewell to Archer as she left him alone with Dani, who took T'Pol's place inside the room.

As the doors closed behind T'Pol, Archer walked over to Dani.

"You did it," Dani said.

"We did it," Archer corrected her.

"I feel like I can't enjoy it because I'm waiting for Daniels to show up at any moment and tell me it's over for us."

"Don't think like that," Archer implored. He kissed her.

"Bridge to Archer," Reed commed.

Archer reluctantly parted from Dani and took a few steps over to the comm panel on the wall. "Yes?"

"We're getting some strange readings, sir," Reed reported. "It might not be a bad idea for you to come out here."