Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Part 28 - The Corridor Reflects Back Upon Itself

There were three of them. Two were fraternal twins, born fifteen years after their older sister, Marie Helêne. But the two younger ones were Karyn and Declan. It was just as Lili had predicted or, perhaps, as she had suggested. But no matter, for they were there just the same.

Marie Helêne's job was to farm, and she did it with relish. Karyn was both the pilot and the First Officer to Lorian Cyrus Tucker who was, as Jonathan Archer had predicted, the captain. And Declan Archer worked as the Chief Medical Officer, doing the very best he could, even though he had rather limited experience and always felt he was floundering.

Connor Greer IV was another member of that generation, and he was the Communications Officer. He was also related, for he was married to Stephanie Hodgkins, twin to Steven Hodgkins, who was Marie Helêne's husband. Steve and Stephanie were both on the senior staff – she was the Science Officer and he headed up the Tactical Department.

There was a new Hoshi Khan, great-granddaughter to the original Hoshi Sato Khan. She was an Engineer and was just back from leave, for she and her husband, Arashi Tiburón, had just welcomed a son, Jun Tiburón.

Arashi's sister, Linda, was married to Declan. They, too, had fairly recently become parents, and had named their daughter Lili. Steve and Marie Helêne had a son, Jay, but he was older. And Connor and Stephanie also had an older son – Connor V.

The youngest generation – which they called 3.4, or Pi – was in danger of collapsing on itself. Most of the children were related in some manner or another, and a lot of them closely so. A marriage for Lili Archer – when she came of age, for she was only two years old – would be rather difficult indeed to work out. She could not wed Jay as he was a first cousin; so was Jun. Plus Jay was quite a bit older than her.

Connor V was a potential prospect for Lili Archer, though, as he was a relative of her Aunt Marie Helêne's, but only on the Hodgkins side. Declan and Linda hoped their daughter would, when the time was right, take to someone like Connor, as there were few options.

The same was true for all of the other children in that generation. There were too many relatives and not enough variables.

=/\=

There was a meeting of the senior staff. "Today's the day," Lorian announced. No one had to ask what that meant – it was the day they knew they could meet the original NX-01.

"How is your mother feeling about all of this?" asked Karyn. T'Pol was still alive, the only one left of the original crew.

"She is ... stoic," Lorian used the diplomatic term. "I imagine explaining all of our entanglements will be most difficult. Jolene's twins are married to one of the Archer great-grandchildren and a Greer! The Ikaaran blood! The Denobulan line! We should make sure they get the documentation. They are going to be interested."

"Sir," Karyn noted, "they are going to want to know about the Xindi weapon, and why we did not stop it."

"I, I know," Lorian agreed, "but it should be – is it not obvious? This is a ship full of small children and old men and women."

"And a lot of cobbled together spare parts," Hoshi added.

"That, too," continued the captain. "We could not keep up with the weapon or the Insectoids or the Reptilians. Ramming speed would have been our sole option. Are we to end the lives of Lili Archer, Jay Hodgkins and the rest of them? I, I am well aware of the idea of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few. But I cannot condone that. I cannot think of that. These are our children. These are our parents, and all of our loved ones. It was an unthinkable option."