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"Mistake" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG13 CHAPTER 1 Trip fought the hands forcing him to walk, every move making the ropes cut deeper into his bloodied wrists. His captors were much stronger than he was, and had easily overpowered him when they attacked. He had only seen blurs of them as they gagged and blindfolded him. Trip tried to memorize all the sounds he’d heard since the kidnapping, but most of them were alien to him. Door hinges squeaked – not an electronic door? His captors forced him to sit in a chair. Trip tried to spring back to his feet. One of his captors punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He tried to lean over but was yanked back by the hair. One of his kidnappers yanked his blindfold off and Trip found armed Sorh, a race he’d only met that morning, surrounding him. Archer had said this race shouldn’t be trusted; they were proving him right. The Sorh had remnants of insect ancestors with wings that only seemed to act as a way of non-verbal communication. Their heads looked like grasshoppers colored burnt brown with large, bulbous eyes sunken into the sides. Their arms were thin; on one hand they had four fingers and three on the other. Their four grasshopper legs were colored red, yellow or blue and green. T’Pol had warned Archer and him they were quick tempered. “Do you have him?” a voice asked from behind Trip. “He was just where you said he’d be, Reace,” a Sorh in front of Trip replied. A Sorh walk around the chair, standing before Trip. Trip immediately recognized him. They had passed him at the shuttle landing pads. He had stared at Archer and Trip with the same dark, hard glare he had now. Reace’s wings began to lift, trembling with an audible rattle like a rattlesnake. “What...” Reace grabbed Trip’s chin. Trip yanked way from the Sorh’s grip. Reace spun to face the others. “What is this!?” he pointed at Trip. “The ambassador. Like you wanted, Reace.” “The amb...” Reace began calmly, and then screamed, “YOU INCOMPETNANT IDIOTS! AMBASSADOR SUKAL IS VULCAN! THIS CREATURE IS NOT A VULCAN! I don’t even know what SPECIES IT is!” The Sorh spun around, glaring down at Trip. “IS YOUR NAME SUKAL?” Trip shook his head. Reace faced the other Sorh. “What the am I supposed to do with this?” They were silent. A smaller Sorh weakly, softly, replied, “He was right where the ambassador was supposed to be, and at the same time, Reace.” “Did anyone see Sukal?” No one answered. Reace ripped Trip’s gag off, the hard exoskeleton of his knuckles cutting a deep gash across Trip’s face. “You do look familiar. Who are you?” “We’ve never met,” Trip lied. “I asked who you are,” Reace demanded. Trip didn’t answer. Reace grabbed the phase pistol from one of the Sorh guarding Trip and shot Trip in the leg. Trip cried out, leaning forward. Reace jammed the gun under Trip’s chin, forcing him to lift his head. “We eat our food alive and screaming, and judging from your appearance, I’d enjoy eating you very much.” Trip knew he wasn’t lying. Moments before his kidnapping, Trip had seen Sorh eat a pig-like creature. Like watching a wreck, he stared, watching them tear chunks of meat off with their bare hands, all the while the creature squealed in agony until it bled to death. It was the reason he’d been caught off-guard. Was withholding his name worth dying for like that? “Charles Tucker.” “What are you?” “Human.” “Do you know Ambassador Sukal?” Trip lied, shaking his head. Reace walked a few steps, stopping at a table. He laid his free hand on the table top, drumming his fingers on it. Trip looked at his leg, watching blood soak his uniform leg. Phase pistols didn’t do that, so what kind of weapons were the Sorh using? He looked up when Reace turned and approach him. The insectoid lowered until they were eye to eye. “You met with my Liege’s assistant this morning, and there was a Vulcan with you. What is the Vulcan’s name?” “She’s a scientist and not very liked by the High Command.” Sorh smiled, three rows of incisors gleaming at Trip. The pig-creature’s squeals echoed in Trip’s mind. “You care about her. That will help.” Reace stood, walking toward a doorway. “Lock him up.” Trip tried to fight off the Sorh that grabbed his arms. They drug him down a hall and threw him into a room. The door slammed shut, enveloping him in complete blackness. # Archer followed T’Pol through the crowd, watching the dozens of Vulcan and Sorh around him. T’Pol stopped behind a Sorh and waited for him to finish his conversation. “Excuse me, Liege Hela,” T’Pol said. He turned and smiled a mouthful of gleaming white incisors. The smile looked sinister to Archer, reminding him of a shark about to tear off a piece of bloody chum. “I am Commander T’Pol and this is Captain Jonathan Archer,” T’Pol said. “Ah! Yes. I admit I forgot you were arriving this week.” He extended a hand to T’Pol and they shook hands. Archer forced a smile when Liege Hela extended his hand to him and he shook it. He resisted making a face as the short, firm hairs on Hela’s palm rubbed against his skin. “I thought there were to be three of you,” Liege Hela said. “Commander Tucker was detained,” T’Pol said. “That’s unfortunate. I looked forward to showing--” “Liege,” a voice said. The three turned, watching another Sorh walk up to Liege Hela. He bowed at the waist to Hela, and then faced them, staring at T’Pol. “Director Reace, this is Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander T’Pol.” Reace smiled as he extended a hand. “Pleased to meet both of you.” “Director Reace is in charge of the northern and western water districts. He is perhaps my most diligent advisor.” Reace chuckled. “I simply assure things run smoothly, My Liege.” “Did you receive that package we’ve been expecting?” Hela asked him. “There was a bit of a mix-up.” Hela’s smile disappeared. “What kind of mix-up?” “The deliverer picked up the wrong part.” “Did you deal with the deliverer?” “Swiftly, My Liege. I’ve requisitioned the part again. I assure we will not fall behind with our production.” “Inform me immediately when you receive it. Captain, Commander, if you’ll excuse me.” Hela walked away, leaving the two with Reace. Archer looked back at Reace. He was staring at T’Pol again and his wings were raised. They lowered when he noticed Archer watching him, but Archer’s intuition warned him to further distrust Reace. And he suddenly wondered why Trip was late. “Is there a problem?” Archer asked. “Not at all.” Reace said, but his voice hinted there was. It was slightly higher and strained. “We should find our seats before the speaker begins. “We’re waiting for...” Archer stopped, watching Reace’s wings start to lift and shake. Archer finished, saying, “Our interpreter, Hoshi.” T’Pol looked up at Archer but said nothing. “I’ll be sure to save you seats.” “Thank you.” Reace walked away. Archer retrieved his communicator from his sleeve pocket and flicked it open. “Archer to Trip.” “Why did you lie about whom we were waiting for?” T’Pol asked. “There’s something about him I don’t trust.” T’Pol lowered her voice. “You have said that about all the Sorh we’ve met, Captain.” “Archer to Trip. Respond.” “Captain, you have just met the Sorh. You’re being judgmental.” “This is not discrimination, T’Pol; it’s a hunch. They are not trustworthy.” “Vulcans have been trading with them for two decades and they have never proven untrustworthy.” “According to the reports I read, things aren’t going so well with those trades. Why else would they choose to have the summit here if not to smooth over relations? Archer to Commander Tucker, respond.” “They decided to have it here to help the Sorh establish trade with other races, not to smooth over Vulcan relations.” Archer leaned in, whispering, “They eat their food alive, T’Pol, and you think I’m going to trust a race that is that violent.” “Klingons do the same.” “They kill their targ before eating it, and gagh doesn’t count. Some humans eat live worms.” Archer stood up. “Trip, respond!” “Captain, you know he easily becomes immersed in alien cultures. We will see him tonight or tomorrow.” Archer was surprised by the remark. “You two must be off this week.” “Off, Captain?” “Never mind... Just go to the lecture. I’m waiting here for him.” Archer sat down on a bench. T’Pol glanced at the auditorium doors. She joined Archer. “Archer to Enterprise.” “Go ahead,” Hoshi replied. “Scan the Trip’s bio-sign. Start with the market and the hotel, and then radiate out from there. I’ll be standing by.” “Aye, sir,” Hoshi replied. The two waited for Hoshi’s report. |
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