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"Mirage" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG
June 5, 2151 : Enterprise, Hallway “T’Pol,” Archer called. She stopped and turned. Archer stopped next to her, handing her a PADD. “I don’t need this, T’Pol.” “It’s an effi--” “I don’t need an efficiency report every day, T’Pol.” “Do you not need to know how your crew is doing?” “Yes, but not like this. They know their jobs and they do them fine.” “Yes, but--” “Efficiency reports every other month and that’s all. Understood?” “That is not effective, Captain.” “By whose standards? Yours or mine?” T’Pol didn’t answer. “Exactly,” Archer said. “It wouldn’t hurt you to act a little like the rest of the crew, either. Might help them warm up to you.” He walked away. T’Pol looked down at the PADD in her hand, contemplating Archer’s suggestion. March 31 : Arid Planet, Shuttle Pod She opened her eyes, staring at the green blood freckling the rich tan skin of her hand. Her eyes drifted to the helm controls under it. She became aware of something oozing down her temple and touching it, discovered it was her own blood. She closed her eyes as dizziness swept over her and started to draw a breath. She stopped the breath when pain tore across her chest. As the dizziness subsided, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. It was daylight outside and a large sun cast goldenrod light across a barren, arid landscape and into the shuttle pod. A peak rose steeply to the left of the shuttle pod. The base of another filled the window on the right. She started to stand and her knees buckled, dropping her back into the chair as she faded from consciousness. January 29 : Vasgha, Osewa Home World Archer opened the shuttle pod hatch and stepped into warm sunlight. A light breeze blew the scent of exotic flowers across his face. Hoshi, Trip, and T’Pol stepped out behind him. Before them five alien humanoids in vibrant colored robes that swept the ground waited. Their ridged, yellow-pigmented hands were clasped loosely, adorned with glittering jewelry. They greeted the visitors with welcoming smiles that reflected in their purple eyes. “Greetings,” the middle one said, bowing. The four returned the greeting. “I am Oriam. Welcome to Vasgha, Captain Archer.” “Thank you.” Archer looked past him at the Osewa city. The city was carved into the sides of a steep, extinct volcano island. The sparkling turquoise ocean peeked from between a few buildings, but was otherwise hidden from view. “This way,” Oriam said, sweeping his hand toward the door of a building. Archer fell into step beside him, his crewmen following him. He glanced back at T’Pol and she slightly inclined her head. Archer looked away with a smile and for a second T’Pol pondered how that slight movement always elicited the same reaction from him. March 31 : Arid Planet, Shuttle Pod At first she wasn’t sure if she had opened her eyes. She reached up and touched them. They were open, but there was no light coming from outside. Even the stars were missing. She stood and on shaky legs walked to the back of the craft. She felt the top of a bench that was ajar and knelt beside it. She felt a variety of objects in the bench until her hand closed around a long, cool cylinder. She felt along the cylinder. Her finger slid into a soft depression and she pushed in on it. The flashlight came on, revealing the bench was filled with blankets and unfamiliar instruments. She shined the light around the craft until she spotted a bench across from her. Crawling one-handed she moved over to it. Inside she found a mirror, medic kit, and electric lantern. She hung the mirror and turned on the lantern. She sat the flashlight on the floor, not noticing it rolling away. She closed the bench lid and lifted up on her knees as she spread the medic kit out on the bench. She looked into the mirror and stopped, touching the green blood that had congealed on the side of her face. “That can’t be right.” Suddenly she grabbed at the pain in her chest, doubling over. She whimpered softly, trying desperately to draw a full breath. It finally came when she fainted. January 30 : Vasgha, Osewa Home World “Wow,” Trip said. He stopped, staring at the archway they were passing under. T’Pol stopped, looking up. The carvings in the top of the arch were colored with vivid paint and highlighted with gold, silver, and crushed gems. “I’d have hated to be the one that carved and painted that. Talk about a crink in the neck!” “I doubt the artist did either standing,” T’Pol commented. Trip looked sidelong at T’Pol. “I was told once that Michelangelo spent a lot of his time standing to paint the Vatican Sistine Chapel ceiling.” “I am unfamiliar with this artist.” T’Pol walked away. Trip chuckled, walking with her. Ahead of them Archer and Hoshi had joined the Osewa under an arbor trellis. They sat on benches and chairs made of obsidian and marble. Trip looked down at the handful of nuts in his hand. “Wanna try one?” He held his hand out to T’Pol. “No, thank you.” “You’ve got no sense of adventure, T’Pol.” “How does my disinterest in alien cuisine translate to a disinterest in adventure?” Trip grinned. “T’Pol, you don’t have an adventurous bone in your body. That’d be too... Impulsive.” “You do not know me as well as you believe you do, Commander.” Trip smiled, looking toward the edge of the garden. A high iron fence surrounded bright colored flowers of different shapes and sizes. “Can’t believe how many poisonous things they have on this planet – plants, animals... Surprised the bugs aren’t poisonous!” T’Pol didn’t comment so Trip fell silent. They joined the group, standing behind Archer. Archer suddenly pulled his communicator out, tapping it. “Hoshi, my communicator stopped translating,” Archer said. “Ask them to wait for a moment.” Hoshi started to translate. Oriam and another representative suddenly stood up, speaking in harsh tones as they made angry gestures in Archer’s general direction. “Hoshi?” Archer asked Hoshi. “He said get out.” “Ask him what we did wrong.” Hoshi started to speak but he cut her off, motioning back toward the garden gate. “He’s demanding we leave or all business relations will be cut off permanently.” Archer stood, stepped around the bench, and stopped. Five Osewa were walking toward them. They began yelling at the representatives, who retaliated with their own yelling. “What the hell is going on, Hoshi?” “The newcomers are accusing Oriam and the other Osewa of stealing business by not allowing us to talk with them. It’s starting to get heated, sir.” “Let’s move over by the fence and let them straighten this out.” The four moved away from the two groups, watching the yelling quickly progress into brawl. “We’re going back to our rooms,” Archer quietly ordered. The four started around the Osewa. One grabbed T’Pol’s arm and she turned, pulling back. At the same instant another swung a fist toward the Osewa, but he ducked and the punch slammed into T’Pol’s jaw. The Osewa let go of her arm and she fell, landing near the garden fence. T’Pol heard hissing and rolled over. A black and cream-colored snake that had been sleeping under the garden foliage had been rudely awakened by T’Pol’s arm slamming against it. Its head shot up as it pulled into a coil, hissing loudly at her. T’Pol froze, holding the serpent’s black-eyed gaze. Archer reached down to help her up, but spotted the snake before he touched her. He was instantly immobile. “Captain,” Trip gasped. Archer didn’t move. “Hoshi, tell them to stop fighting IMMEDIATELY!” Archer ordered. Hoshi turned to convey the message. A punch meant for another Osewa missed its target and hit Hoshi in the chest. She fell back, landing on top of T’Pol. Reactively, T’Pol jerked her arm. The snake struck, its fangs tearing through T’Pol’s sleeve and sinking into her arm. T’Pol didn’t make a sound; she simply passed out. Archer grabbed the snake behind its jaw, forcing the serpent’s mouth open and carefully pulled the fangs out. He caught the snake’s tail and held on tight to the squirming creature as he stood. The snake writhed, hissing angrily. Archer suddenly noticed it had become silent. He turned, finding Hoshi and the Osewa staring at him. “Hoshi, tell them we need antivenin.” Hoshi told them. There were a few moments of conversation before Oriam answered her. Hoshi turned to Archer, shaking her head. “They don’t know what an antivenin is.” “They have reached warp six, cured most diseases on their planet, and they don’t have antivenins?” Archer asked in disbelief. Hoshi weakly shrugged. “Tell them I need something to take this snake back to Enterprise in. Doctor Phlox can probably make it, and seconds are crucial.” Hoshi turned back to them. One spoke to her, pointing past her at the ground. Hoshi and Archer both looked. Trip was lying on the grass with two long barbs buried in his neck. Above him a large orange and purple flower was slowly wilting as it died. “Do they have a cure for the flower’s poison?” Archer looked at Hoshi Hoshi asked and several nodded. “We have to hurry.” Hoshi relayed the request. The Osewa scattered in different directions to obey Archer’s requests. |
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