A Captain And A Madman

Chapter Twelve: Future Tense

((So! This is based off the episode 'Future Tense' from season two of Enterprise. I specify this because I'm not going to be going out of my way to recreate every event in the episode, because I would just end up writing word-for-word recreations of too many scenes; this chapter will focus on the Doctor's contribution and interactions, and as such there will be 'time skips' that seem to bypass exciting/important moments from the episode itself. For that matter, unlike 'Mirror, Mirror,' this chapter actually begins halfway through the episode's storyline. If you haven't seen the episode, and can't find it online, AND want to know wtf you missed, you can find an episode summary on Memory Alpha's wiki entry on the episode.

It should be noted, I based the more episode-centered aspects around the episode's script I found online, and on an unrelated note, the site decided to refer to the ship in the transcript as a TARDIS. Epic.

Sorry not to include everything that happens in the episode, but again, too much of that would just be writing the exact events that took place.))

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It had been an eventful day for the Starfleet ship Enterprise; they had found an abandoned ship, out floating in the middle of space with no power readings and a dead pilot. Mysteries had compounded mysteries as they'd found a dead pilot, seemingly human, on board... and then discovered that the ship was bigger on the inside than the outside, with a hatch in the floor that had led down a long shaft. They'd found some sort of device down there, of unknown purpose or origins, but thankfully they had finally found some solid information; more specifically, in the portable database that Daniels, a former crewman who'd turned out to be some form of temporal agent, had brought aboard. In it, they'd found enough information to at least settle the question of the ship's origins...

Unfortunately, the approach of an unidentified ship was swinging things right back into complicated.

"Twenty thousand kilometers and closing," Travis reported from the helm as Archer and T'Pol stepped from the turbolift, his fingers dancing over the console.

Frowning, Archer turned his first officer as she studied the readings at one of the stations; "T'Pol?"

"The vessel's Tholian," she announced, glancing up. "They're extremely xenophobic. The High Command has had limited contact with them. Captain, it's unusual for Tholians to travel this far from their system."

"I'm getting unusual thermal readings," Reed reported as his console gave a sharp beep, near incredulity on his face. "It's awfully warm inside that ship... more than two hundred degrees."

"They're believed to be a non-humanoid species," T'Pol explained, rather inadequately.

Head bowing, Archer considered it for a long moment before making a decision.

"Open a channel." Slowly pacing forward, he waited until Hoshi hailed the ship before speaking; "This is Captain Archer of the Starship-"

He was interrupted by a sudden series of squeals, clicks and hisses, each one drawing a wince from the bridge crew. A moment later, a translated voiced piped through over the speakers.

"Jonathan Archer, please establish communication."

"Is there something we can do for you?" Archer asked.

More clicks, whistles... and then; "We were sent to retrieve the vessel."

Archer glanced at T'Pol, surprised and more than a little worried before continuing. "I'd like to know how you heard about that ship."

"It is dangerous to you. Temporal radiation."

"Thanks for the warning," Archer replied slowly, "but we can't give it to you."