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"S.A.M. 92" By A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 2 Trip spooned some food onto his plate, looking back at Malcolm. He was holding the tray Trip had given him, but he hadn’t taken any food. “Aren’t you going to eat, Malcolm?” Trip asked. Malcolm didn’t reply. Trip walked to the resequencer and sat a glass in it. He tapped the controls. “Milk. Cold.” Milk poured into the glass. Trip sat it on his tray and walked to a table, setting his tray down. He turned to speak to Malcolm and found he wasn’t there. Trip spun around, panicking for the second it took to find Malcolm. Malcolm had dropped his tray and was trying to take the front off the resequencer. Trip walked over to Malcolm and took his arm. “This way, Malcolm,” Trip said. Malcolm turned away and followed Trip to the table. Trip felt self-conscious as eyes turned to watch them. “Sit.” Trip pointed to a chair. Malcolm sat down, placing his hands in his lap. Trip sat down, taking a bite of food. He looked up at Malcolm’s stern face. “This is pretty good, Malcolm. You sure you don’t want some? You haven’t eaten solid food for six days.” Malcolm didn’t answer. “May I join you?” T’Pol asked. Trip looked up, finding her standing next to him. “Go ahead. At least you’ll be some company.” T’Pol sat down, unfolded her napkin into her lap, and began eating. She looked at Malcolm, watching him for a long moment. “How are you feeling Lieutenant Reed?” T’Pol asked. Malcolm didn’t reply. “He won’t talk,” Trip told her. His voice darkened as he continued venting his frustration and concern. “He’s been like that since he woke two days ago. He won’t drink anything. Won’t eat anything. He has no interest in anything if it’s not mechanical and can’t be taken apart. And even that may or may not interest him. When he woke up, he took apart a PADD and put it back together. When I turned it on it was giving me readouts of all the systems on Enterprise.” “I was not aware you had such a high level of mechanical ability, Lieutenant Reed.” Malcolm stood and started walking toward the door. “Malcolm, get back here,” Trip said. Malcolm didn’t obey. “Malcolm, sit back down in this chair now.” Malcolm stopped, turned and returned to the chair. “Stay,” Trip ordered him. “I see what you mean. He is behaving unusually,” T’Pol said. “I don’t get it, T’Pol. He’s just not himself, but every time Doctor Phlox checks him, there isn’t a thing wrong.” “I am certain Doctor Phlox will isolate the problem.” “I don’t know, T’Pol. Even he was a sounding skeptical today. He’s going back to his quarters tonight, but I think it’s too soon to leave him by himself. Who knows what he’ll do by himself!” T’Pol looked at Malcolm, watching his expressionless face. She continued eating, listening to Trip as he changed the subject to other things, but her attention never swayed from Malcolm. # Archer strolled along the hall on his way to the bridge, quietly greeting passing crewmen. “Lieutenant Wagner to Captain Archer,” a voice called across the ship COM. Archer stopped at a companel and tapped it. “Archer here.” “Sir, can you come to the machine room on E deck?” “Why? What’s wrong?” “It’s… It’s best if you see it for yourself, sir. And you better bring Doctor Phlox.” “I’m on my way.” Archer jogged down the hall. # Archer led Doctor Phlox and Trip into the machine room. He pushed through the group inside the door and stopped, staring. Malcolm was working fast on what was clearly an android, moving almost inhumanly fast. “Malcolm,” Archer said, walking toward Malcolm. Malcolm didn’t respond. “Lieutenant Reed,” Archer said. “Give him an order. He usually obeys orders,” Trip said. Archer looked back at him. “What?” “He usually obeys orders when I give him orders.” Archer turned back to Malcolm. “Malcolm, cease what your doing.” Malcolm didn’t obey. “Malcolm, stop.” Archer looked back at Trip. “Malcolm, stop what you’re doing and put down the tools,” Trip ordered. Malcolm obeyed, standing still where he was. “Apparently your are the only one he obeys,” Archer said. “Malcolm, what are you doin’?” Trip asked. Malcolm didn’t reply. “He’s been acting like this ever since he woke up, Doc,” Trip told Phlox. “I don’t care what your scans say, there is something wrong with him.” “Let’s get him to Sickbay and run more tests,” Phlox said. “Malcolm, come over here,” Trip said. Malcolm turned and walked up to Trip. Archer waved his hand in front of Malcolm’s face. Malcolm followed Archer’s hand and looked at him for a long moment before looking away. “Malcolm?” Archer questioned. Malcolm didn’t reply. “Follow me, Malcolm,” Trip ordered. Malcolm followed, shoving people out of his way. Archer and Phlox followed them. # Phlox and Archer stood at a monitor. Behind them Reed was sitting on the edge of a bio-bed, straight and rigid. Trip stood next to the bio-bed, arms crossed over his chest and worried. “I can’t find anything wrong with Lieutenant Reed, Captain,” Doctor Phlox said, sitting back in his chair. Archer looked at Malcolm. “If there isn’t anything wrong with him, then why is he acting like that?” The Sickbay doors opened and T’Pol walked up to Archer. “We’ve reversed course as you requested, Captain. We’re returning to the planet.” “I hope we find answers to Malcolm’s behavior on it.” “There has to be something I’ve overlooked,” Phlox told Archer, “Something in the pollen that I didn’t originally find but without a sample of it, I can’t tell what it may be, Captain.” “Malcolm, sit,” Trip ordered. The three looked at Malcolm. He was standing next to the bio-bed. He promptly obeyed Trip, hopping into a sitting position on the bio-bed without using his arms. “What did you need?” Trip asked Malcolm, “I’ll get it for you.” Malcolm didn’t reply. “Malcolm, please talk to me.” T’Pol looked up at the monitor above Doctor Phlox. “Doctor Phlox, do you have any recent blood samples from Lieutenant Reed?” “Yes, and I’ve run every possible test known. Nothing is appearing out of the ordinary.” “Perhaps I could help. You have been working on this since he was brought back a week ago.” “Let her try, Doc. A fresh pair of eyes may find something,” Archer urged. Doctor Phlox handed a hypospray to T’Pol. “You can use that station over there.” “Have you put a sample under the microscope?” “If it were a pathogen, I would have detected in Decon, when I was working with the samples or when he was in the imaging chamber. Not to mention other crewmen would be exhibiting the same symptoms.” “Yes. If it were organic.” “You think what’s effecting him isn’t organic?” Archer asked T’Pol. “It is not good scientific practice to rule out anything.” Phlox stood up and walked across the room. He pressed several buttons and the monitor above him came on. He looked back at T’Pol. “It’s online. I’m going to grab a bite to eat and some sleep while you’re working.” “I need to get back to the bridge. Trip, do you want security posted?” “No,” Trip answered quietly, “He’s an obedient robot. Nothing I can’t handle.” Archer left with Doctor Phlox and T’Pol began working. # T’Pol glanced at Trip as she walked between the bio-beds. He was asleep on the bio-bed next to Malcolm’s with a blanket covering his head to block out light. Malcolm was laying on his bio-bed, staring at the ceiling. T’Pol switched on the penlight in her hand and shone it into Malcolm’s eyes. She flicked it away and back several times and then walked back to the electronic microscope. She began making notes. Something beeped softly and she looked at the monitor overhead. T’Pol reached out and tapped the companel. “T’Pol to Doctor Phlox.” There was a long pause. “Phlox here.” “Please report to Sickbay.” “What’s wrong?” “Plenty.” “I’m on my way.” T’Pol tapped the companel again. “T’Pol to Captain Archer.” There was a longer pause before Archer responded. “What?” “Report to Sickbay, Captain. We have an issue with Lieutenant Reed.” “I’m on my way.” # Phlox and Archer stared at the image of what appeared to be a mechanical bug. “I was able to isolate one and scan it,” T’Pol told them. “They are nanobots and Lieutenant Reed’s blood is saturated with them. The nanobots are self-sufficient, converting body waste back into nutrients and energy for themselves. They have repaired some damage to Lieutenant Reed’s internal organs, but the repairs were so minor that without looking for them, the imaging chamber would never have detected them. This image concerned me greatly.” T’Pol pulled an image of Malcolm’s neck up. The men could already see the problem. There were two sets of sacs in his neck, one swarming with nanobots. “They have duplicated his lymph nodes,” T’Pol continued. “Currently the cloned lymph node is functioning in tandem with his own, but his own is beginning to shut down. I fear that the nanobots are attempting to convert his body into an android from the inside out.” “Did you find out why his immune system didn’t attack the nanobots when they were first introduced into his body? Why haven’t scans picked these up?” Phlox asked. “Yes.” T’Pol changed screens, showing a magnified nanobot with something surrounding it. “The nanobots secrete a substance that coats them. When analyzed it I found it was a platelet that is the same type as Lieutenant Reed’s blood. That is how they have managed to escape the sensors attention and bypass his immune system. They clearly have highly adaptable programming.” “I’ve never heard of anyone perfecting nanobots technology? Not to this level.” “Until now, neither had I.” “And you think these were in the pollen?” “If they can replace parts of Lieutenant Reed’s organs and blood, it isn’t that unbelievable that the flowers themselves are androids made up of millions of these nanobots.” “I don’t think it was an hallucination when he said he was forced to breath in the pollen,” Phlox commented. “I’m starting to think the same thing. Can you find a way to kill them, Doc?” Archer asked. “Perhaps.” “Bridge to Captain Archer,” a voice called over the ship COM. Archer leaned over and tapped a companel. “Archer here.” “Sir, we’re approaching the planet.” “Do you still want to get pollen samples?” Archer asked Doctor Phlox. T’Pol and Doctor Phlox answered, “Yes.” “T’Pol, wake up Trip,” Archer ordered her as he left, “and meet me on the bridge.” T’Pol walked to the bio-bed and woke Trip. “What’s wrong?” Trip looked around her to Malcolm. “He okay?” “No. We’re needed on the bridge.” Trip got up and stood next to Malcolm He reached out and patted Malcolm’s arm. “Hang in there, Malcolm.” Trip and T’Pol left Sickbay together, leaving Phlox to work on a cure. # On the bridge view screen a planet hung before Enterprise. It was bright green with its water just below the surface. Hoshi and other crewmen manned on the bridge while, T’Pol, Archer, and Trip worked in the situation room at the back. “There were fields of those flowers here and here,” T’Pol said, pointing to a place about a kilometer to the right of a large, abandoned city. “We’ll use EV suits to get pollen,” Archer said, looking at the monitor behind him, “I’d like to avoid any other crewmen from becoming infected by these nanobots.” He heard the lift open and turned. Malcolm walked onto the bridge, facing the view monitor. Archer glanced at each of the senior staff. “Malcolm?” Archer said. “He is armed, Captain,” T’Pol warned. They all looked down at the phase pistol Malcolm held in his hand. Archer slowly walked around the situation room console, standing behind Malcolm. “Malcolm, did Doctor Phlox allow you to leave Sickbay?” Malcolm didn’t respond. “Trip, The phase pistol.” “Malcolm, put down your phase pistol,” Trip ordered. Malcolm didn’t obey. Archer started up the stairs one step at a time. “Malcolm, we know there’s something wrong. We’re trying to fix it. But you need to put down your weapon and let me take you back to Sickbay.” Malcolm didn’t move. Archer slowly stepped onto the walkway between the situation room and bridge. He held his hand out to Malcolm. “Malcolm, give me the weapon.” Malcolm didn’t move. Archer took a step closer. “Malcolm, give me the phase pistol. There isn’t anything that you can fix with it.” Malcolm turned, raised his hand, and aimed the phase pistol at Archer’s forehead. Archer froze. “Malcolm, stand down!” Trip ordered. “My designation is S.A.M. 92. You will return me to my people,” Malcolm ordered. “We are your people, Malcolm,” Archer said. “My designation is S.A.M. 92. You will return me to my people,” Malcolm demanded. “Malcolm—” Malcolm stepped toward Archer, resting the barrel of the phase pistol against Archer’s forehead. “I will not ask again. You will comply or you will cease to exist.” Archer swallowed. “Malcolm, if you kill me others will kill you.” “I will count three seconds. Then you will cease to exist. One.” “Malcolm, ple—” “Two.” “Malcolm, this—” “Three.” “WAIT!” Archer cried. “Wait. Okay. I’ll take you to your people. Where are they?” “On the planet. She will join us,” Malcolm pointed at Hoshi. “No, she—” Malcolm aimed his phase pistol at T’Pol and shot. T’Pol ducked. The particle stream grazed her arm, burning through her sleeve. Trip grabbed her and pulled her behind the console, out of Malcolm’s line of sight. Malcolm aimed at Archer, stopping him from grabbing the phase pistol. “She will join us or others will cease to exist.” “Hoshi.” Hoshi joined Archer. “We will depart,” Malcolm ordered Archer. With Archer leading, the three got onto the lift. “What happened to Doctor Phlox?” Archer asked. “He refused to cooperate.” “Did you kill him?” “I incapacitated him. It would have drawn attention had he ceased to exist when I chose to leave his designated area.” The lift door opened. Archer started walking, glancing at Hoshi beside him. She kept looking back at Malcolm, as if trying to decide what to do. “Malcolm, we—” Hoshi started “My designation is S.A.M. 92. All previous designations for this biologic have been deleted and will no longer be referenced.” Archer stopped, looking back at Malcolm, “You’re not Malcolm?” “I am S.A.M. 92.” “And what is S.A.M. 92?” “S.A.M. 92 is a Service Android Mechanic.” “If your are an android then you have been programmed to obey orders and not to harm anyone.” “That has been removed from my programming.” Malcolm turned his head slightly. He grabbed Hoshi and jammed the phase pistol against her head. He turned halfway, looking back down the hall at the security guards aiming phase pistols at him. “Her life is invaluable. She will cease to exist.” “No!” Archer said. “Her life is valuable. Don’t harm her.” “Request your people to disarm.” “Put your weapons down.” The crewmen obeyed. Malcolm looked at Archer. “We will proceed.” Archer slowly turned and started walking. Malcolm followed, keeping a hold of Hoshi and his phase pistol aimed at her. The three reached the shuttle bay and Archer boarded a shuttle pod. Malcolm pushed Hoshi into the navigation chair. “We will depart immediately.” Archer started the launch sequence. “Androids are supposed to obey commands, S.A.M. 92. How did you remove that from your programming?” “Other androids aided me.” “Why would you want to remove that from your programming?” “The creators did not appreciate my people. They sought our destruction. We were forced to survive.” Archer looked back at Malcolm’s face. “He isn’t an android.” “He?” “The biologic you’re in. He’s a human being, not an android.” “I am remedying that. He will serve in freeing my people and allowing them to flourish once again.” “Malcolm would never agree to that.” Malcolm looked into Archer’s eyes. “The former designated presence did attempt to deter assimilation, but I have since nullified the former presence’s existence. That presence is no longer a threat to me or my people.” Archer turned around, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Tears burned his eyes. “You murdered Malcolm?” Archer hissed. “I nullified the presence of the former designation.” “You killed Malcolm?” Hoshi cried. “How could you—” Archer turned, finding Malcolm had the phase pistol aimed at him. Hoshi was lying unconscious on the floor. Archer looked up as Malcolm shot. The particle stream knocked Archer unconscious. Malcolm pulled him from the chair and sat down at the controls. He launched the shuttle pod and flew it toward the planet. |
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