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"Escape Velocity" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 1 “Why do they call it spelunking?” Eartik’s voice echoed against the rock surrounding the away team but no one answered Eartik’s question. “K’pan, why do they call it spelunking?” Archer didn’t answer. “Do you know why they call it spelunking, K’pan?” Archer’s lips tightened into a straight line. Not that anyone could see it, but he hoped Eartik would at least respond to his feeling of frustration and not ask the question for what had to be the millionth time. He wasn’t so lucky. “Why do they call it spelunking, K’pan?” Eartik paused to let Archer answer and when he didn’t he continued asking, “Where did they get the word spelunking? Why’s it sound so funny? Is it because it’s so dark and you end up falling a lot if you don’t have a light and might make a sound that sounds like spelunking?” Archer stopped short, making Trip run into him. Trip chuckled. “You’re the one that told him what this was called, Cap’n,” Trip teased Archer. Archer turned, shining his flashlight in Eartik’s face. Behind Eartik, T’Pol was studying her tricorder and Ensign Benton had her mouth covered to keep from laughing. The Jit, Xerrix, stood behind her and although he was smiling he had his eyes on the tricorder in his hand. “I don’t know why they call it spelunking, Eartik,” Archer’s voice rose as he continued venting, “they just do! And I don’t know where they go the name. And I don’t know why I even told you!” Archer’s voice echoed through the dark tunnels. He glanced at the crewmen, noticing they weren’t smiling anymore. Archer walked back to Eartik, laying his hands on the child’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell,” Archer told the boy, “but could you please stop asking me about spelunking. I don’t know anything about it, except that it’s a word in our vocabulary and it means cave exploration.” “Why didn’t you just say that, K’pan?” “Because...” Archer looked helplessly at Trip for assistance. Trip grinned, crossing his arms across his chest. “Yeah? Why, K’pan?” Archer narrowed his eyes at Trip, which only made Trip start laughing. “Excuse me,” Ensign Benton said, hurrying past Archer and Trip. Eartik smiled suddenly. “Wanna know what Trip told me?” Archer grinned. “Trip, lead the way. I have to find out what kind of a role model you aren’t.” “Penance, huh?” Trip laughed. Archer chuckled. “What did he tell you, Eartik?” The group started moving again. “Bats,” Trip stated. “Bats?” Archer asked. He looked down at Eartik. “He told you about bats?” “No!” Eartik laughed. Trip shone his light upward. “There’s bats. A lot of ‘em” Overhead there were hundreds of bats clinging to the ceiling of the tunnel. “What Trip tell ya, Eartik?” “Stalagmites might touch the ceiling and stalactites have to hold on tight or they’ll fall off.” Eartik put on a proud face for remembering what his ‘hero’ had told him on the way down to the planet. “That is a useful mnemonic device,” T’Pol commented. “Don’t ya just love it when ya get Vulcan approval?” Trip asked Archer, meaning it as a jab at T’Pol. Archer chuckled. “We should get headed back. After three days down here, I’m ready to see sunlight again.” “Look at this,” Ensign Benton said from ahead of them. Archer pushed past Trip to join her. She was kneeling on the ground, holding up a diamond the size of Archer’s fist. Archer crouched down next to her, opening his mouth to speak. He stopped when he felt a draft of cold air hit his face. He shone his light up, watching the bats fly like a swarm of bees up the tunnel toward the exit. “Wonder what spooked them,” Trip said. “Bats are not particularly partial to loud noises,” T’Pol stated. Trip looked back at her, shining his light in her face. “That was a bad joke, sweetheart.” T’Pol looked away and Trip turned his attention to Eartik when the child grabbed his hand. T’Pol turned her flashlight to the ground, noticing cracks. She shone her light around her. Her breath caught for a second when she watched a crack run from the wall toward where Archer and Ensign Benton were standing. “This ground is unstable, Captain,” T’Pol said, “we need t leave now.” Archer turned to her. “What?” “We must leave now,” T’Pol said, waving her flashlight at the ground to show him what she was talking about. Archer shone his light down and saw a crack quickly making it’s way from the opposite wall toward him. “Everyone back. Now!” Archer ordered. “I have to get a sample,” Ensign Benton insisted. Archer turned, grabbing her arm. “Now, Lisa!” Ensign Benton was surprised when he pulled her up, making her drop the gem in her hand. She pulled back, reaching for the stone. The ground gave way, throwing Archer and Ensign Benton down. Archer’s hands scrambled for something solid to grab on to and stop his fall. His hand found a root and he grabbed it with both hands. The ground continued to give way, causing him to fall as the land surrounding the root became exposed. He heard Eartik scream and looked up. Trip was falling toward him. “TRIP!” Archer yelled, holding out his hand to Trip. Trip’s hand brushed Archer’s arm before their hands linked at their wrists. Trip hit a wall of rock, pushed off and swung around, his hand grazing Eartik’s waist before snapping around it and pulling the boy to him. Archer, Trip and Eartik were slammed into a dirt wall and their decent stopped. Archer closed his eyes a moment, trying to catch his breath. He looked around him but without the lantern and flashlights the walls had disappeared in the pitch-blackness. He looked down. Six meters down he saw two flashlights and could just barely make out a body of one of the team. “Cap’n...we need to go down,” Trip said. “I looked back and those cracks were running pretty far up the tunnel. We can’t hang here forever.” “Can you get a hold of anything?” Archer asked. “I can’t see anything,” Trip retorted, “Eartik, what are you doing?” “I see a root. It goes most of the way down. You said we had to go down.” “Okay. Get on it and start down,” Trip told him. “T’Pol? Xerrix?” Archer asked, “Lisa? “I am above you,” T’Pol answered, “however, I don’t know for how much longer. The ledge supporting me is crumbling.” “Down here,” Xerrix called from below. “Ensign Benton,” Archer called. “She’s below, sir. She appears unconscious.” They could hear the bats flying again. “The grounds trembling again,” Eartik said as he started climbing down again. “Again?” Archer, Trip and T’Pol asked. “Uh-huh. It trembled when the bats started flying and before the ground collapsed. Didn’t you feel it? I thought all of you felt it.” “The tricorder was detecting micro-tremors,” T’Pol told Archer. “How in the hell did you feel a micro-tremor, kid?” Trip asked Eartik. “He’s Rartek. He can sense subtle movements like micro-tremors,” Xerrix explained. “The monkeys could sense earthquakes days before they happened.” “I bet that set this off,” Trip said. “This ground is like powder.” “Volcanic sand,” T’Pol corrected. “There are several dormant volcanoes in the area.” “Leave it to a Vulcan to find a volcano,” Trip joked. “Your humor is ill placed right now, Commander,” T’Pol told him tersely. “I’ve found another root, I’m starting down.” Archer started climbing down the root he had a hold of. Below them Xerrix yelped. “What? What happened?” Archer asked. Xerrix didn’t reply. “Eartik?” “Xerrix fell. The root came out of the wall.” “Where is he?” “I’m fine,” Xerrix said in a strained voice, “but I hurt my ankle.” “If that’s the worse that happens to you, consider yourself lucky,” Trip told him. He started climbing down again. “Xerrix,” he heard Eartik say. “See if you can do something with that ankle, Eartik,” Xerrix said. Archer looked down. He still couldn’t make out much below him. “I’m almost to the bottom, Cap’n,” Trip told Archer. Archer gasped and tensed when he felt the root he was holding gave a little. He held his breath and waited. The root didn’t move again. Archer almost let his breath out when the ground suddenly began to give way around him. Archer felt the root he was holding come loose from the ground and he reached out for the root T’Pol or Trip were on. Archer’s hand found one as the root he held dropped past him. The ground continued to give way and the root he was now holding offered no support. Archer looked down, seeing a flashlight lighting the ground rushing up to meet him. Archer landed on his right side, hearing and feeling bones break from his leg to his shoulder. He screamed from the pain that followed. White light appeared behind his eyes with the pain that followed and sucked the breath out of his lungs before knocking him unconscious. Malcolm walked onto the bridge, looking up and expecting to see Archer in the captain’s chair. Instead he found the senior night officer Lieutenant O’Malley. “Sir,” O’Malley said, rising from the chair. “Do you know where Captain Archer is?” “No. Have you tried his quarters?” Malcolm asked. “Yes, sir. I’ve even asked Navta to search the ship for him.” O’Malley smiled a little. “She’ll be sure to check every crack and corner on Enterprise.” O’Malley’s smile faded, “Logs show he, nor anyone from the second landing party, has reported in within the last twenty-four hours.” Malcolm glanced at the view monitor and the planet it was displaying. “None of them had reported before we left the surface either.” “I thought about sending a landing party back to the surface. May I?” Malcolm nodded. “Yes. Find their shuttle first and then send the team down. You’ve chosen who’s going on it?” “Not yet, sir. Do you want to go on it, sir?” O’Malley asked. “No. There aren’t any other senior officers on board; I have to stay. But include Ryce or Zintar in the party. They may be able to sense them or something.” “Aye, sir.” Malcolm walked to his station and began morning diagnostics. He didn’t want to sit and stare at the view monitor while he waited. # Trip swallowed, wetting his dry mouth. His body ached and his left wrist throbbed with dull pain, but it was nothing unbearable. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, careful to avoid applying too much pressure on his injured wrist. “TRIP!” Eartik’s voice cried and then the boy was hugging him, jarring his aching body. Trip winced, gently pushing Eartik away. “Not so rough. I feel like I’ve just been bucked off a mechanical bull goin’ fast.” “Trip,” Eartik said. “Hold on, Eartik.” “Trip.” Trip rubbed his hand across his forehead. “Where’s the Cap--” “TRIP!” Eartik yelled. “What!?” Trip looked at Eartik. The boy was crying and blood covered his hand and clothes “Are you hurt?” Trip asked, reaching for Eartik’s right arm that was covered with blood. “I’m fine.” Eartik started crying. “But I can’t make it stop. You have to help me. Xerrix got hit by a rock and he’s unconscious and so is T’Pol and Ensign Benton and I can’t stop Captain Archer’s bleeding and I’m really, really scared.” Trip got to his feet, letting the boy grab his hand. Now he saw that the boy had collected the backpacks they had been wearing before the fall and turned on two lanterns that he’d placed on either side of Archer. Eartik led Trip over to Archer, pointing at the right side of Archer’s head. Trip knelt down, only able to stare for the moment. The head wound was bleeding quite a bit, but as far as Trip’s limited first aid knowledge went, it didn’t look terrible. Trip looked down and his stomach knotted. White bone poked through the shoulder of Archer’s uniform. Further down he saw the ragged ends of two ribs punctured through Archer’s uniform. Above his knee Archer’s leg was twisted at an angle that could only mean his leg was broken. “Get me a med pack,” Trip ordered Eartik. “We only have one and it doesn’t have much in it.” “Bring me all the packs and anything that fell out of them when we fell. Hurry, Eartik.” Eartik ran off to obey. Trip moved over to T’Pol to examine her. She had hit her head as well and her right arm and leg were broken, but other than that, he saw no other external injuries. Trip walked to Ensign Benton and even before he reached a hand out to check her pulse, he knew she was dead. Trip closed her eyes and walked over to Xerrix to make sure he was still alive. He found a strong pulse and it appeared he only had a concussion. Trip returned to Archer’s side. “Here.” Eartik trotted back, struggling to carry three packs and drag one behind him. Trip started through the backpacks, pulling out anything he could use for a bandage. He tossed the blankets aside and turned to Archer to start bandaging him. “Are there any sticks or branches down here?” Trip asked Eartik. “Maybe. There’s a little cave over there, but I was too afraid to go in alone.” Trip looked in the direction Eartik was pointing. “Think you could muster up some courage now that I’m awake? I really need a couple.” Eartik didn’t answer. Trip looked back at him. Eartik was looking at the ground. Trip smiled patting Eartik’s side. “It’s okay. I’ll look when I’m done here.” Trip tore a sleeve off a shirt and picked up a couple iodine packets. He handed them to Eartik. “Clean up T’Pol’s head and wrap this around it real snug. Can you use your healing touch to heal any of their wounds?” “I haven’t tried.” “Try.” “T’Pol first?” “Yeah. And then Archer.” “And then Ensign Benton?” Trip stopped working, realizing he didn’t know how to tell Eartik Ensign Benton was dead. “What’s wrong, Trip?” “Ensign Benton won’t need our help, Eartik. Help T’Pol, okay?” “Why?” “Help T’Pol, Eartik. Leave Ensign Benton alone.” “But--” “Eartik!” Trip yelled and then stopped himself. Trip took a long, deep breath and re-collected his patience. He looked back at Eartik. “Kiddo, my head is killing me and I’m really worried about the Cap’n. Please don’t argue with me, okay?” Eartik nodded. “Good boy. Go patch T’Pol up.” Eartik turned and walked over to T’Pol. Trip returned to working on Archer’s injuries. # T’Pol heard humming. She couldn’t figure out why she was hearing humming in the temple, the place of her dream. She opened her eyes, finding dim light and the source of the humming. Eartik was sitting next to her playing with some rocks as he hummed a song. “Eartik,” T’Pol winced. Speaking made her head start hurting. Eartik looked back at her. “T’Pol!” Eartik cried quietly, grinning. “What has happened?” “We fell. Don’t you remember?” T’Pol recalled hanging onto a root in the dark and then everything else was a memory she knew existed, but couldn’t recall. “Vaguely.” “Well, we all fell and now we’re trying to figure out how to get out.” “We?” “Well, Trip is. I’m just supposed to stay with you while he works things out, he said.” “How’s your patient?” Trip asked, coming into the light and crouching down on T’Pol’s other side. “Have you devised a way to get out of...” T’Pol trailed off. She had no idea where she was. “No. I think we fell into an old lava tube, but when the dirt gave way, it filled it up both directions so we’re stuck in a really deep pit now. There’s two rock walls, but both walls are smooth with no foot or hand holds. The other two walls are this volcanic sand.” Trip picked up a handful of the sand. T’Pol started to get up but that made her head spin, which in turn made her violently nauseas and when she grabbed for her stomach, her broken arm flared pain up into her neck. Trip grabbed her before she fell back and gently laid her down. “Don’t try to get up, honey. Your arm and leg are broken. You have a nasty looking bruise on the side of your face too. Probably just a bruise, but I’d rather you not make it worse to prove me wrong, okay?” T’Pol nodded. “Would you like some water?” Eartik asked. “Please.” “The canteen’s over by Xerrix,” Trip told him. He turned back to T’Pol. “Lay still, okay T’Pol? T’Pol nodded. What? No argument?” Trip joked. T’Pol barely shook her head, closing her eyes. Trip leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. “I’m trying to figure a way out of here, honey. Hold on.” Trip lifted her hand up and kissed her fingers. “I love you.” T’Pol squeezed his hand. Eartik trotted back. “Xerrix wants to speak with you, Trip.” “Be back,” Trip told T’Pol. Trip got up and walked over to Xerrix. He was resting against one of the rock walls with his leg up on a flat rock. Trip looked at his ankle that was swollen three times its normal size. “I think it’s broken,” Xerrix said, pointing at his ankle. “Maybe.” “How’s T’Pol?” “She’s okay.” “You’re lying, but that doesn’t matter.” “I’ve thought of a plan. Do we have any tools?” “Yeah. Why?” “Can you fix one tricorder and a communicator? Perhaps put in the memory chip of Captain Archer’s or T’Pol’s tricorder into one since they were mapping our route.” “Maybe. Why?” Xerrix reached out and grabbed a rock sticking out of the sandy wall. He tugged on it, looking back at Trip. “It’s sandy and loose, but not for someone who’s light. Eartik is Rartek too. He can easily scale this wall and see in the dark. But he’s going to need a tricorder to get him out of here and a communicator to get a hold of the crew once he gets out.” “I’m not sending him up that! It’s too dangerous.” “T’Pol is hurt, Captain Archer is severely injured, and how long before Eartik discovers Ensign Benton is dead? Are you prepared to deal with him if he handles the discovery poorly?” “Are you sure you’re not part Vulcan?” Trip asked quietly. Xerrix smiled. “Perhaps I am. Never know with the Varlikon.” Trip smiled. “True. I’ll see what I can do. But I’m not sending him up unless I have a working tricorder and communicator. Tell him nothing until then, okay?” Xerrix nodded. “Captain Archer’s conscious,” Eartik called out. Trip stood and jogged over to Archer. He crouched down on Archer’s left side. Trip reached out and laid a hand on Archer’s chest before Archer moved and caused more injury to himself. “Take it easy, Cap’n. Don’t move.” “Where are we?” Archer whispered, only the left side of his mouth working since the right was swollen with an ugly green and dark purple bruise. “We fell into an old lava tube, I think. I don’t know for sure.” “How is everyone?” “T’Pol’s injured but conscious. Xerrix has a goose egg and maybe broken ankle. Eartik’s okay.” “You?” “A good sized goose-egg and I sprang my wrist. Hurts a little but I’ll live.” “Lisa?” Trip hesitated. He was sure Eartik was listening to them. “She’s a cadaver,” Trip replied. “What’s a cadaver?” Eartik asked. Both men ignored Eartik’s question. “Damn.” “I’m working on a plan. We’ll get out of here.” Trip started to get up. Archer latched onto Trip’s wrist with his good hand. The quick movement caused him to wince and let out a soft grunt. “Stay,” Archer said. “Cap’n, I--” “How’s your mom make her catfish?” Trip hesitated. He sat down, turning his hand and taking Archer’s. “I’ll get us out of here, Cap’n,” Trip said, “somehow. Don’t...don’t be afraid. I can’t do this alone. T’Pol’s must be hurtin’ bad cuz she’s not being herself and if you lose it...” Trip looked to the side when he saw tears run from Archer’s eyes. “I can’t feel anything below my neck, Trip,” Archer whispered. “Stay. Please.” Trip smiled a little, nodding. Archer attempted a smile. “Tell me about the catfish, Trip. Tell me a good story.” Trip gently laid Archer’s hand on his chest. He sat down, hugging one knee and leaning forward on his leg. He rocked his head a little, starting, “She only does it with fresh catfish. Usually we boys went and caught ‘em on the weekend and we’d have ‘em that week. Dad always caught the biggest one and until I figured out the right bait and spot, I always caught minnows...” # “Charles.” Trip looked up from his work to T’Pol. “Yeah?” “May I have a drink of water?” Trip looked around him and spotted the canteen next to Eartik. The boy had finally lain down next to Xerrix and went to sleep. Trip retrieved the canteen and sat next to her. Trip gently lifted her up, resting her torso against him while he helped her drink. He capped the canteen and began to lay her down. T’Pol grabbed his arm with her good hand, pulling herself back into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. “How is Captain Archer?” “In and out.” “He is fearful?” “Yeah.” T’Pol opened her eyes. “I have never been afraid.” “You’ve told me that more than once.” “I am now.” Trip closed his eyes. That was the last thing he wanted to hear. Trip had never realized how dependant he’d become on T’Pol or Archer to solve any given problem when they were present. “Charles?” “Yeah?” “I respect your emotional strength. You have come through many trials and always managed to keep sight on the best thing that could happen in any given situation. I have found it is one of many balances in our relationship.” Trip kissed her temple. “And the others?” T’Pol didn’t reply. “Get some sleep, honey. Makes the pain go away for a while.” “That is not--” Trip interrupted her before she could contradict him. “If you’re asleep, you aren’t conscious of the pain. So get some sleep. I have work to do.” “You are repairing a tricorder. For what purpose?” “Me to know and you to find out. Sleep, T’Pol. You need it.” “As you wish.” “Thank you.” T’Pol reached up with her good arm, hooking her hand on Trip’s arm. “I’m not going to leave you, sweetheart,” Trip assured her. “Go to sleep.” Trip rested his cheek against her head and waited until he was sure she was asleep before laying her back down and returning to his work. # “Sir.” Malcolm looked up from the monitor at Hoshi across the bridge. “Yes?” “The landing party is reporting in.” “Put in on the bridge COM.” Hoshi reached out and pressed the overhead button. “Go ahead, Lieutenant O’Malley,” Malcolm said. “Sir, we found their markers in a tunnel down here, but we haven’t found any sign of them. The markers go pretty deep into the caverns. How deep did he report they were going?” “He didn’t.” Malcolm looked down at the monitor. “Have you reached the end of the markers?” “No.” “They had two days head start on us. Follow them to the end. Tell everyone to keep their beacons on and don’t go anywhere if their beacon isn’t working. I don’t want to lose any other crewmen. Send a crewman to man a relay station outside so we can keep communications up if you go too deep. I’m going to send another landing party down to aid in the search.” “Aye, sir. We’ll report when we have more news. O’Malley out.” Malcolm looked at Travis. He was working without paying any attention. Malcolm wondered if the young Ensign was simply good at hiding his emotions or if he really wasn’t concerned about his fellow crewmen. “Mayweather.” Travis looked up at him. “Feel like spelunking?” “Thought you’d never ask, sir. Which shuttle?” “Only one left. Go get your rock climbing gear. They may need your expertise.” Travis got up and left the bridge. Malcolm turned to the monitor in front of him and brought up the ship duty roster to try to decide who needed to go. “Sir?” Hoshi said. “Hm?” “I may be out of line...but...” Malcolm looked up at her. Hoshi tried a couple times to finish her sentence. “Hurry up and get down there, Ensign.” Hoshi smiled. “Thank you, sir.” Malcolm looked back at the roster. He opened a ship COM and read of four more names to report to the shuttle bay. |
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