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"Imbalance" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 3 : DAY THREE “Cap’n,” a voice said from a far off place. Archer didn’t move. “Cap’n, wake up.” Archer opened his eyes. Trip knelt beside him and the woman stood guard behind him. Archer looked back at Trip’s bruised cheek and swollen, split lip. He held the ropes that had bound Archer in his hand. “You’re flying again,” the woman told Archer. “Tie Commander Tucker up, Captain.” Archer got up, taking the rope from Trip. “Turn around,” he ordered Trip. Trip stood and held his hands behind his back. Archer tied the ropes to look like they were tight but left them loose enough Trip could slip his hands out of them. He met Trip’s gaze as he helped him sit down. Trip looked down with a slight nod. Archer walked back to helm and sat down. He looked down at the monitor. “These coordinates are different. Was there a course change?” “Yes,” she answered. Archer looked back at the view monitor. “Is it all right to ask your name?” “Why do you care?” “Just curious,” Archer answered, intentionally sounding hurt. She looked at him. “Didn’t envision you as the emotional type.” Archer looked at her as she walked past helm. “How did you envision me?” She stopped before she turned. She was smiling. “Do you hate the Xindi?” Archer didn’t answer. The question felt baited. She leaned on helm. “Well?” “No, I don’t hate them. I’m just not crazy about them.” “What’s the difference?” “Yeah. What’s the difference?” Archer heard Trip mutter. The woman and Archer both looked at him. Trip looked down, avoiding either one of their eyes. The woman looked back at Archer with raised eyebrows. “Do I detect disdain among the crew?” Archer shook his head. “This crew has been through hell. I’m not even going to gratify you with a reply.” “You get mouthy when you’ve had a day’s worth of sleep.” Archer looked up at her, surprised. “A day? What happened to a few hours?” “Your Commander convinced me that it’s in my best interest to let humans get sleep.” She glanced at Trip. “So we don’t fly into a moon, proton star, or something. And since we had to make a stop, it was best for your health that you stayed asleep.” “A stop for what?” She smiled. “You wouldn’t answer my question. I won’t answer either of yours.” Archer sighed. “I’m angry that they attacked Earth, but I am not going to judge an entire race based on it. Not until I have all the facts.” “Haven’t they attacked you since you started searching for them?” “Yes.” “And you’ve lost crew in these attacks?” Archer nodded. “And that doesn’t make you hate them?” Archer shook his head. “Did you know that those two Gartil senators helped the Xindi build the weapon they sent to Earth? They sold them slaves to mine Terillium-D. The mine you found the Xindi prisoner at, as a matter of fact. They also helped build a weapon of genocide that they tested on my world and we were only farmers. We supplied the Xindi and the Gartil with food but they needed test subjects. Now what do you think about them?” Archer didn’t speak. “You don’t believe me?” “I don’t have any reason to.” She nodded, walking around to the captain’s chair. She sat down, leaning back in it. “My name is Aup’r.” “Why did we stop?” “I have a present to deliver to a Xindi colony.” “A revenge present I take it.” “It will wipe out the entire colony just as painfully as it wiped out mine. And I will continue delivering them to every Xindi occupied planet until they are all dead. And then I will wipe out the Gartil. None of which would be possible without Enterprise and you, Captain Archer.” “What if there’s more to this story, Aup’r? What if they aren’t the villains, just the pawns? If you kill entire worlds to exact revenge for your people, you’re as bad as they are.” “Which would hurt you worse? Watching your spouse and adult children die painfully, bleeding from their eyes and ears, begging you to kill them to stop it? Or holding your eight month old daughter as she dies, screaming in a way that it haunts your every waking hour?” “Both, I guess.” “Then you understand why we must do this.” Archer looked back at Aup’r. “There is no we, Aup’r. I’m not helping you do this.” “We have four days for you to change your mind.” She leaned forward in her chair, smiling a cold, hateful smile. “Because when the word gets out that Enterprise was the one that delivered the weapon, every Xindi in the Expanse will be after your head. I can keep you hidden. I know secrets about the Expanse that not even the Xindi know.” “My crew would never follow you, and neither will I.” “Don’t be so sure.” Archer looked away, deciding stopping this conversation was the safer. Having his hand forced in killing Xindi, most who were probably innocent, was too much for him. His mind began whirring, trying to figure some way out of this situation. |
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