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"Imbalance" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 1 : DAY ONE Archer and T’Pol wove their way through an assortment of aliens and market stalls. T’Pol was keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings, and Archer. His temper was close to the surface and she had seen it explode in horrible ways since they’d entered the Expanse, something she would rather avoid in this crowded market. She glanced at the lane that led back to the spaceport as they passed. “Captain,” T’Pol said. “Hmm?” Archer asked. “We have passed our turn.” Archer didn’t reply. T’Pol grabbed his arm, stopping him. “I need to calm down before we go back, T’Pol.” He yanked away from her and continued walking. She followed close behind. Suddenly Archer spun, his temper exploding in her face. “This was a complete waste of time, T’Pol! That man had nothing! We brought all those items for trade only to be mugged!” “As you will recall, Lieutenant Reed warned you not to trust him.” Archer shook his head. “It is to be expected that we should come across informants whom are dishonest, Captain,” T’Pol continued, trying to sooth Archer’s anger with words. “Many species know we are searching for the Xindi and many will attempt to take advantage of the fact.” Archer put his hands on his hips, looking up at the cloudless blue-green sky. “We need to return,” T’Pol quietly urged. Archer headed back toward the spaceport. They came out on a large landing pad and zigzagged around craft and their occupants. They came around a shuttle and found four aliens waiting at their shuttlepod. The aliens held light plasma rifles and were dressed in black. Their cloudy black eyes watched the two with open suspicion and along the sides of their face their three sets of nostrils flared slightly. Archer’s hand slid toward his phase pistol. “We’re looking for someone,” one of the aliens stated. His eyes suspiciously watched Archer’s hand. Archer’s hand rested on the phase pistol but he didn’t draw it. “Who?” “A woman. She kidnapped two of our senators and we followed her ion trail to this planet.” He held up a PADD for Archer to see, showing a picture of an alien woman. “Have you seen her?” Archer and T’Pol shook their heads. “Which craft is yours?” he asked. Archer motioned toward the shuttle pod. “Go open it.” Archer didn’t move. “Or we could just arrest you on suspicion, since you look like you’re hiding something.” Archer wanted to refuse; he wanted to yell, even if what he’d yell wouldn’t make any sense. He wanted to demand these aliens to tell him where the Xindi were, as he suspected most aliens in the Expanse did know where to find them. Instead, Archer led them to the shuttle pod and opened the side hatch. “Wait out here,” Archer ordered T’Pol as he stepped in with the aliens. They did a sweep through the shuttle pod and left. Archer watched them leave, glaring at their backs. T’Pol stepped into his line of sight. “Thank you for not making the situation worse, Captain.” “You’re welcome,” Archer muttered with a touch of sarcasm. He walked over to the pilot’s seat and fell into it, laying his head against the headrest for a moment. “I’m exhausted, T’Pol.” Archer sat up, starting the launch sequence. “Shut the hatch.” “There is--” T’Pol began. Archer didn’t question her discontinued sentence. He was sure he didn’t want to know what she decided not to say. “There has to be an easier way to find the Xindi. And before they finish that weapon.” Archer shook his head. “If it wasn’t for Malcolm--” Archer stopped when T’Pol fell against the helm, catching herself. He looked up at her as she slowly looked back. Archer turned his chair. Lying on the floor were two aliens that looked just like the two that had stopped them. The alien woman from the picture had a phase rifle trained on T’Pol and Archer. “What do you want?” Archer asked the woman. “Your ship. Get us in the air.” Archer hesitated. She aimed the rifle at T’Pol. “Do you want me to shoot her?” Archer looked down. “My ship is a science vessel.” “You’re lying,” the alien chided. “No I’m not.” She mocked a sympathetic smile. “I’d really hoped this could be done the easy way, Captain Archer, but apparently we have conflicting plans.” The woman stunned all of them. # Archer opened his eyes, looking at the feet before him. He rolled onto his back, looking up at the woman. Her blond hair was long and curly, and if he’d run into her in a bar on Earth, he would have tried to pick her up because of it. Her eyes were voids of blue and didn’t appear to have pupils. Her clothes fit tight, revealing her every curve, and had been patched several times over. She wore a wide belt around her small waist with pouches sewn onto it. Sitting in the navigation chair, she was leaning on her legs, hugging her phase rifle to her and holding Archer’s gaze with a deep, intense stare. He glanced at the back of the shuttle pod. T’Pol was sitting against the back with the two aliens that he assumed were the senators she’d kidnapped. All three had their hands and ankles bound, were gagged and wore metal collars. Archer turned his head, feeling something rub against his neck. He reached up, touching the collar around his neck. He looked back at the alien. “What is this?” “Persuasion. Now, about your ship.” Archer looked away. “She’s just a science vessel.” “And yet I’ve heard she’s defeated aliens that were otherwise undefeatable.” Archer looked back up at her. “If you know so much about her, then you know I’m telling the truth.” “Get up. Take the helm.” “I’m not taking you anywhere.” “You’re not?” Archer didn’t answer her. She unclipped a device from her belt, looking it over with mock thoughtfulness. “Are you sure?” Archer didn’t reply. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you won’t.” Her cold stare shifted to Archer. “Are you the type that would die for his crew and all, Captain Archer?” She pressed her finger against a button on the control. Archer screamed when electricity erupted from the collar and tore through his body. It was over in seconds, but the pain ebbed much slower. “Are you so sure you won’t take me anywhere?” Archer forced his trembling muscles to pull him into the pilot’s chair. Outside daylight was fading into night, meaning hours had passed. Valuable hours they could have been hunting the Xindi. “Before we arrive at your Enterprise, you will order your crew to their quarters and lock them in. I do not want to meet with any member of your crew when we get there, or first she will die, and then you.” “If you kill us both, my crew won’t hesitate to kill you.” “While I find that hard to believe after all I’ve heard about humans, are you sure you want to rely on a hunch?” Archer shook his head, looking down. “Let’s get moving, Captain Archer.” Archer launched the shuttle pod. Breaking free from the planet’s gravity pull, he turned toward Enterprise. Archer tapped the companel near his hand. “Archer to Enterprise,” he said in a dark voice. “Go ahead. Sounds like the meeting didn’t go so well for as long as you were down there,” Trip commented. “Order all crew to their quarters, Trip, and lock them down. You are the only one to remain on the bridge.” “What?” Trip asked. “Him too,” the woman ordered. “Someone has to remain at helm, or Enterprise could drift into the planet’s gravity pull. Then you’d be without a ship.” She didn’t argue. “Trip, do as your ordered.” “Aye, sir,” Trip answered. “Trip?” “Yes, sir?” “Don’t try anything.” There was a pause. “I won’t, sir.” “We’re preparing to dock,” Archer informed him. Archer flew under Enterprise and up to the docking arm. It attached with a clink and the shuttle pod lifted into Enterprise. The doors closed and there was a moment of silence. The woman grabbed Archer’s arm and pulled him to his feet. She turned him around, shouldering her rifle and pulling the control for the collars from her waistband. She worked it. “The collars are all set to explode at the touch of a button.” She looked up at Archer. “If we run across anyone, you won’t live long enough to warn them.” “We won’t. Just Trip on the bridge.” “Untie them.” She motioned to the three at the back. Archer obeyed and helped T’Pol and the senators to their feet. He turned back to his kidnapper. “To the bridge.” She motioned to the hatch. With T’Pol in the lead and the group left the shuttle bay. The empty halls had an eerie feeling as they walked through them. Archer risked a glance at the woman. She held Archer’s gaze. They stopped at the lift. “Why do you need Enterprise?” he asked. She reached for the collar control. Archer quickly looked away, falling silent again. The lift opened and the group stepped on. Archer turned and reached out to touch the control. The woman jammed her rifle into Archer’s ribs. “None of your usual tricks, Captain Archer.” Archer tapped the controls. The lift rose and opened on the bridge. The woman pressed her rifle into Archer’s ribs, holding his arm. Trip turned in the helm chair, watching them. “You, against the view screen. The ship will be all right for a few minutes,” she ordered Trip. Trip looked to Archer. Archer barely nodded his head. Trip stood and walked over to the view screen. “You three join him,” she ordered T’Pol and the two senators. They walked over and stood next to Trip. “Sit down.” The four sat down without taking their eyes off of her. “Can you fly this ship?” she asked Archer. “No.” “How fast is Enterprise?” “Warp three.” “Three, huh?” She leaned over the monitor on the captain’s chair and tapped the controls. She looked at Archer, “How many crewmen are on this ship?” “Twenty.” Archer’s stomach sunk when she yanked the collar control off her belt. He opened his mouth to object, but a surge of electricity cut him off. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain. It stopped and lay where he fell, waiting for his muscles to relax and the pain to subside. “Stay down or he’ll get it again,” the woman said. Archer opened his eyes. Trip was slowly sinking back to the floor, staring at Archer. The woman crouched down, meeting Archer’s gaze as he shifted it to her. “You really need to do something about this habitual lying, Captain. It could be detrimental to your health.” Archer didn’t reply. “Eighty-two crewmen, warp five. I did a lot of research before I kidnapped you, Captain Archer, so let’s try that question again. Can you fly your ship?” “Yes,” Archer whispered. “Helm. Now.” The shock had left him weak and he had to use the captain’s chair to pull himself to his feet. He staggered to helm and fell into the chair. The woman entered coordinates into the captain’s chair monitor. “Set a course for these coordinates and go to warp four point five.” “Not five?” Archer asked sarcastically. The woman didn’t answer him. Archer entered the coordinates and went to warp. He looked up when the woman stopped next to helm, looking down at her prisoners. She stunned Trip, T’Pol, and the two senators and then looked down at Archer. She held his spitting glare with a cool stare. “I want some rope,” she told Archer, “or something to tie them with. Put Enterprise on automatic and let’s go.” “You want me to leave helm at warp four point five?” “Yes.” “Look, I don’t know if you’ve been in the Expanse long, but the anomalies here have caused--” “I was born in the Expanse and there aren’t any anomalies that severe along this course.” Archer looked up at her, surprised by the information. “You’re native to the Expanse?” She nodded. “Now get up and let’s go get some rope.” Archer obeyed her order and walked back to the lift. He led the way to a cargo hold and retrieved several lengths of rope. The two returned to the bridge. “Tie them up tight.” Archer tied his crewmen and the senators as ordered and then turned to her. She motioned him back to helm. Archer sat down. There was a brief silence between them. “You know a lot about me, I take it.” “A lot of people in the Expanse know a lot about you. You’ve been asking questions. Too many, if truth be told. It has left you vulnerable. You’re certainly no military man.” Archer was offended by her observation, but thought it best not to mouth off a comeback. “What else do you know about me?” “You have a pet dog, you are from Earth and you grew up in San Francisco. Yes, I know a great deal about you and your crew. I’ve been following your exploits for some time now. After what I’ve paid for information on your ship and crew, I should know everyone aboard this ship down to their favorite sleeping position.” “What are these two aliens for?” Archer nodded at the senators. “Trade.” “For what?” The woman leaned in, rubbing the back of Archer’s neck, just above the collar. “Did you enjoy the shock?” Archer didn’t answer. “I can give you another one if you don’t shut up. Would you like that?” Archer jerked away from her, looking back at the view screen. The woman walked to the captain’s chair and sat down. Archer’s mind was trying desperately to work the problem, but so far it was hitting a brick wall with every solution it came up with. In the end he eased it by working over the data they’d collected on the Xindi so far. |
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