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“As a show of good faith, Captain Archer, we offer you this Assessment, Detection, & Observational Reality Equipment.” The Kenorite leader gestured solemnly to something that looked a little like a view-screen, about the size of the movie screen in the mess hall. “It can only be used in conjunction with this Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device, or SQUID.”
“ADORE? That's ... a bit of a trope, isn't it? An out-of-place word being used as a device name," Archer explained, as the alien looked puzzled. "Anyway, ADORE and SQUID? What do they do?”
“You place the SQUID on the head of a telepath, and it connects to their versions of multi-verses. These will never be exactly the same as your universe, even if they look the same; but it gives you the ability to see on the ADORE what is happening elsewhere that impacts on your people.”
“And you say it can only be used in conjunction with a telepath?” The Kenorite nodded. “But we don’t have a telepath on board.”
“Your communications officer is a latent telepath, as evidenced by the ability of the creature Tarquin to contact her and enter her mind. Although she has managed to shut him out, the ADORE will still allow a view of the multiverses, although not within people’s minds. It is enough for the SQUID to connect between multiverses, without connecting directly to the people. You may consider it a form of dreaming from your side, though your communications officer is able to stay awake throughout, and does not necessarily need to retain the SQUID throughout the session. This first time, however, it may be necessary.”
Hoshi looked unconvinced, and so did her captain.
“I’d rather not have anything invade my mind again if I can help it.”
“I assure you, Ensign Sato, this is not invasive at all. It simply uses your latent telepathy to connect to the multiverse, but no memories or any other element from your own mind are able to come to the fore.”
“Well, perhaps we can give it a try here and now, Hoshi, while the Kenorites are around to keep an eye on the situation. We’re all here, to be fair, and Phlox will watch over you specifically.”
“Very well, sir, if that’s what you want.” Hoshi still looked reluctant, but she wasn’t about to disobey an order.
“If you will lie back on this recliner so you are comfortable, I will attach the SQUID and begin the connection. Let me know at once if you feel any discomfort.” They placed a translucent mesh with seven protruding arms over Hoshi’s head; six arms touched her scalp at equidistant intervals around the back and sides of her head, and the seventh came to rest in the middle of her forehead.
“The device is non-invasive and works only with brain-waves,” the Kenorite explained. “Now we will set up the neural link. If the rest of you will take your seats, we can begin.”
They pressed a button on the SQUID, and the view screen flashed and opened on a view of Trip and Hoshi in their Starfleet away uniforms. Archer looked at the Kenorite, a query in his eyes. They shrugged in return.
“Who’s to say this is the same universe as yours, just because of the clothing?”
Archer nodded. “Okay. Let’s see what happens in this one.”
They turned back to the ADORE.
"Shit! Shit! What the hell? Where's Malcolm when you need him?" Trip's eyes were wild and he was clutching at his hair as he stared down at the ticking clock.
"Malcolm's not here, Trip, and we can't get hold of him! It's up to us to stop this thing!" Hoshi's voice was shaking, her eyes wide with horror as she reached toward the device but refrained from touching it.
"Well, I don't know how to disarm a nuclear device, do you?" The chief engineer sounded on the verge of hysteria. "We need a weapons expert! I'm going to comm the ship." He reached for a pocket.
"No!" Hoshi exclaimed frantically. "We don't know what radio signals will do this close to the weapon. And before you suggest it, we can't transport it, either, it's armed and active and the transporter might just detonate it and then we're screwed!"
Trip's eyes darted between the communications officer's pale face and the device relentlessly ticking away before them. "Well, what then?"
"Okay, okay, we have nine minutes, I need one minute to calm the hell down or I'm going to mess this up." She squeezed her eyes shut, opened one hand palm up, and began rubbing the centre of the palm with two fingers from the other hand.
T'Pol Prime exchanged glances with their reality's Hoshi, remembering the Klingon ship. One eyebrow lifted and she inclined her head the minutest amount as Hoshi nodded at her gravely.
"What the hell are you doing, Hoshi?" Trip exclaimed frantically.
"It's a technique T'Pol taught me," she explained, her voice already a little calmer. "Back on the Klingon ship. I use it when I'm feeling overwhelmed and I can't think straight. Now shut up for a second."
Trip opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it, and closed it again. A few seconds later, Hoshi opened her eyes.
"Right," she said, her voice still wobbly, but determined. "Let's find out what kind of device this is. There should be a marking on one of the sides."
"What the hell does that matter?"
"It matters, Commander, because that will inform us of which wires to cut to disarm the bloody thing!"
Malcolm started and Trip glanced at him sideways, a smirk on his face. Hoshi kept her eyes studiously forward, biting at her lip, and Archer had to keep himself from snorting at his armoury officer's perplexed expression.
For a moment holo-Trip stared, then swallowed. "You sounded exactly like Malcolm then," he said, a faint tinge of awe in his voice.
"Good. I'm trying to channel him, or I'll go to pieces. Now help me look!"
Together, they looked around the device, searching for some kind of name, markings, anything to identify the device, until finally Trip gave a crow of triumph.
"It looks like this is an NRS-426."
Hoshi gulped, then sighed. "Well, that's good to know, although it makes life just that much harder."
Trip looked alarmed. "Harder how?"
"Malcolm said this is the upgraded version of the NRS-420 and so it's not just a matter of cutting the wire in one place, we also have to remove the uranium target at the other end. Good thing we're here together."
"Okay," Trip breathed, "what do we do?"
"On this particular device, we, um…" Hoshi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began reciting. "The NRS-426 is a bit of a dog’s bollocks if you don’t know what you’re doing." Her finger went up sharply, though she didn't open her eyes.
Watching the screen, Malcolm ducked his head to hide a grin and Hoshi compressed her lips together, keeping her gaze firmly forward.
"Not a word, Trip! It has a detonator and a uranium slug at the rear end, and a uranium target at the front end. You can render it relatively harmless by removing the target, though best would be to do that, then cut the wires to the detonator, and then remove the uranium slug, too, for maximum safety." She opened her eyes to find Trip staring at her.
"Malcolm trained you on how to defuse a nuclear weapon?"
"No. Well, not exactly. I'm not trained, Trip. I just pay attention when he talks." She shifted under the engineer's gaze. "What? I like to hear him speak."
"Yeah, I got that when you repeated his swearing." She went scarlet and glared at him, but he carried on despite quailing just a little. "Hoshi, we're going to try and disarm this thing because you listen to Malcolm when he's wibbling on about weapons?"
"He doesn't wibble, unlike some others I could mention! Everything Malcolm says has a purpose! You just have to bloody pay attention!"
Malcolm smirked just a little, finding something on the ceiling incredibly fascinating, and Hoshi cleared her throat quietly, biting the inside of her cheek, while Trip glared at Malcolm and T'Pol raised an eyebrow. Archer looked down at his feet, rubbing at his nose as he did so, while the doctor and Travis sported ear-to-ear grins.
"Okay, the fact that you're sounding so much like him has me more than a little worried, but … okay, sorry, darlin', I'm just … we're going to do this?"
"We have to do this."
"Why, because if we don't, this entire valley will be destroyed?"
"Yes! And also because if we don't, and we die, Malcolm will travel through space and time to find us and kill us himself! And I bet T'Pol won't argue with him!"
This time Malcolm gave the tiniest snort, even though his counterpart colleagues on screen were in grave danger. That was the attitude his current colleagues harboured, too, he wagered. For the briefest second his eye caught Hoshi's and she winked at him. He was hard-pressed to maintain his equilibrium, but with a stern internal lecture, his urge to snicker madly was quelled.
For a moment they stared at each other, eyes wide; then they both let out the breath they'd been holding, snorting, before catching themselves. There wasn't time to get hysterical.
"Okay, let's get to it, then. I only have one multi-tool, though."
"I—may have a knife of my own." Hoshi reached into her boot and pulled out a small flick knife with a deadly sharp blade.
"Hoshi, what the—?"
"It's for self-defence, Trip, and I wouldn't be carrying it if my husband didn't think it was a good idea, which it's turning out to be," Hoshi snapped. "Now shut up and help me open this thing!"
Once again Malcolm started, and this time he and Hoshi locked eyes and then looked away, both blushing furiously. Trip couldn't help but notice, however, that Malcolm, who had declined a seat in favour of standing, moved infinitesimally closer to Hoshi’s recliner.
Together they opened both sides of the device and then stared in abject horror at the innards. On Trip’s side, a detonator hung in the centre, held in place by a mat of wires. It would require cutting through the entire mess to get to the uranium slug.
“I’ve got a little problem here, Hoshi, which wires do I cut? An’ I can’t get to the uranium slug without more time than we have available.”
“Okay.” Hoshi appeared to be thinking hard as she looked at her own innards, where a metal ring hung. The outside of the ring was bulkier than the inside; the centre hole was almost closed, making itself a target for the slug to hit and create fusion. The ring was held in place by four sets of wires where the quarter hands would be on an analogue clock-face.
Staring at the target, Hoshi mumbled to herself, and then said, “The blue wires.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Now hush. I need to get this target detached before you start working on those wires. It’s bound to be heavy.”
“Let me do that and you take care of the detonator. If it’s heavy, it’ll be easier for me to handle while I cut it free.”
Hoshi nodded, and they switched places.
“Here goes nothing.”
Cradling the uranium target, Trip started snipping the wires holding it in place. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be connected to anything of value; they were simply a net holding the metal in place.
"Okay, done,” he said, as the last wire parted and the uranium ring came free. He carefully slid it out of the compartment and, moving gingerly, set it aside.
“Your turn.”
Hoshi turned her attention to the detonator. It was the work of moments to gather the blue wires and slice them like butter with her ultra-sharp knife.
The countdown stopped at three minutes. The two stared at the numbers, then at each other, and finally let out the breaths they’d been holding.
"We did it, darlin', we did it!"
"We did! Malcolm will be so proud!”
“That’s not going to be enough!” Malcolm was staring at the holo-verse in horror. “They need to get out of there!”
“Malcolm, what—” began Trip, and the armoury officer interrupted.
“That model always has a fail-safe switch. It’s not fully disarmed.”
Hoshi’s communicator buzzed, and she hastily took it out of her pocket. “Enterprise?”
“Not exactly.” It was Travis. “Get outside, you two. We’re on the way to pick you up.”
“Okay, we’ve got the uranium.”
"Good. See you in one minute."
"Okay, we'll—"
The device beeped, and claimed their horrified attention. The countdown flashed as something whirred to life inside the contraption.
“There’s a backup detonator! We need to get the hell out of here and get this uranium target far away!”
“But the slug—”
“No time! Starfleet can still clean up the effects of a dirty bomb, but not if this uranium is still in the vicinity!”
"There isn't time to get downstairs and away!"
"Then we'll go through the window!"
"It's two storeys up!"
"Stop arguing and RUN!"
Together they turned toward the biggest window and ran for it, Trip holding the uranium target.
“Let me lead!”
Hoshi covered her face with her arms and leaped through the glass ahead of Trip, sending all the shards through before her. Instead of falling two storeys, however, her feet hit tiles, and she rolled and slid down a small roof that seemed to be a patio enclosure.
Trip yelped as he came down behind her and rolled past, cradling the uranium in his arms. Hoshi reached out and snagged the collar of his flight suit as he passed her, preventing him from falling straight off the roof. She kept sliding, and Trip’s weight pulled her over the edge, her hand scrabbling frantically for purchase until she managed to grab hold of the edge of the gutter and hung there for a moment, dangling Trip.
"Lower your feet!" she bellowed, and he obeyed instantly. She dropped him the metre that was left below his feet, then let go and landed beside him, crouching to absorb the impact. "Two minutes left! MOVE!"
Together they started running, heading across the field in a bid to get as far away as they could. Hoshi prayed with all her might for Malcolm to pull a miracle out of his hat.
Her prayers seemed to be answered; a shuttlepod came shooting in from the far-off fields, skimming the tree-line and dropping low as it crossed the fields. To the onlookers, this looked sleeker than their regular craft.
They saw Travis behind the controls; then the hatch opened and they caught a glimpse of Malcolm and T’Pol on either side, strapped into harnesses that went around their arms and thighs. Malcolm held out his hand, shouting to Hoshi. T’Pol leaned forward.
“Trip! Throw the uranium inside!”
He took aim and hefted the thing like a shot-put; it flew between the two and T’Pol put out a hand and caught it before it slammed into the side of the shuttlepod. Hoshi’s legs were too short for her to keep up with Trip or reach up to the hatch.
“Trip!” she screamed, and he turned toward her. Malcolm leaned forward again, and before she knew what was happening, Hoshi felt herself being picked up at the collar and the seat of her pants. Trip did a quick revolution and flung her forward; she hit the hatch and tried to grab on, but felt herself sliding. Then Malcolm was there, his hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her up.
“Travis! Get lower!” he shouted, even as he hauled at Hoshi. Travis dropped the craft another metre and Trip made a wild leap for the hatch, grabbing on to anything and everything he could reach.
A strong hand grabbed his collar and yanked, and he went flying into the hold.
“Get us out of here!”
And then the world shook and went red and then black, as a dragon roared outside and a shock-wave buffeted the shuttlepod. Travis hung on like grim death as he took the shuttlepod into a vertical climb, heat buffeting the interior; the hatch was still closing, but they’d managed to escape the worst of the flames.
And then they were clear, and the hatch thunked into place. Trip sat down hard, clutching at T’Pol’s hand; she didn’t seem to mind him holding her in front of their friends.
Malcolm pulled Hoshi into his arms as she hung on to him for dear life, shaking.
“Bloody hell, woman, you’re determined to take years off my life, aren’t you?” His laugh was shaky but relieved as he pressed his lips to her hair. He looked at Trip and nodded thanks; Hoshi wouldn’t have made it without that throw. Trip nodded back, and closed his eyes, the adrenaline coursing through him.
The sound of water striking the shuttlepod penetrated the vessel.
“It’s raining, putting out the fire,” Travis called. They moved forward to look through the view screen; sure enough, the fire that had engulfed the field was dying back. The house they’d escaped was obliterated; Hoshi and Trip looked at each other and shuddered at how close they’d come to being blown to smithereens.
“Think the rain will sort out the effects of the explosion?” The question came from Travis.
“No,” replied Malcolm. “Rain won’t wash this away. But Starfleet will be able to.” He looked down at his wife in his arms. “Let’s get this uranium back to the ship and get these two back to Phlox.”
“Aye aye, Lieutenant-Commander,” agreed Travis, and took the shuttlepod up again. They were heading home.
The view-screen blinked off. Hoshi took a deep breath and lifted the SQUID from her head, carefully handing it back to the Kenorite. Everyone seemed a little awed by what they’d just seen, Malcolm and Hoshi a little shaken, Trip and Travis excited, the captain cautiously interested. Doctor Phlox beamed; no one knew whether that meant he was impressed, or simply pleased to see the range of responses around him. T’Pol appeared serene as ever.
“If I may, exactly why are you presenting us with this technology?” inquired Malcolm. “And will we have to connect it to Hoshi - Ensign Sato - every time we wish to view another multi-verse?”
“To start it, yes. In fact, our tests indicate that your Vulcan crew-mate may also be able to activate it, should your communications officer not feel up to the task. And there is no need to worry,” the Kenorite leader continued. “The ADORE will only connect to multiverses where this group of people exists in the same timeline. Memories, dreams, and personal thoughts will simply not appear, and cannot be made to appear. This is purely an inter-dimensional transmitter.
“As to why, you put yourselves into great personal danger to save our planet and our people. The ADORE and SQUID are amongst our greatest achievements, and we wish to share this with you in thanks for your selfless actions.”
Archer looked at Hoshi, then T’Pol, Trip, and Malcolm. Conflicting emotions raced across her face; interest, uncertainty, concern; then she glanced at Malcolm, and determination appeared. She turned back to the captain and nodded. T’Pol raised one eyebrow minutely and gave a faint nod; Trip grinned and nodded enthusiastically; and Malcolm looked at Hoshi. Apparently satisfied with what he saw on her face, he turned to his captain and added his acceptance.
Captain Archer turned to the Kenorite leader and shook their hand. “Thank you for your extremely generous offer. We accept.”