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"Trepidation" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 3 Trip manned the shuttle pod helm while Archer worked the sensors trying to pinpoint the distress beacon. “Teams report,” Archer said to the companel by his arm. “We haven’t found anything, sir,” was the resounding reply from the two other teams. They were in shuttle pods searching the seven plants in the location Trip estimated the mayday had come from. “Hoshi, have you found anything?” “No, sir,” Hoshi replied. “The distress signal is so distorted, like it’s been buried or is under water or something. I can’t even tell you which direction it might be coming from, only that it is originating from your general search pattern.” “What planets haven’t been scanned?” “Dekyl, Braush and Jiple Prime.” “Isn’t Jiple mostly water?” Trip asked. “Why would they try a landing there? The database says that there isn’t any land any bigger than a shuttle pod on that planet.” “Sir, Commander Tucker’s right.” “What are you getting at Hoshi?” “Well,” Hoshi paused, “The signal is distorted like it’s under water and I just pulled up their return course. I’m pretty sure their course took them close to Jiple Prime, sir.” Archer changed to a star chart and began working the controls. A line appeared on the screen from the Preqitar home world to where Enterprise was supposed to rendezvous with the shuttle pod. And the line went within fifty kilometers of Jiple Prime. “No, no, no, no,” Archer muttered, “Please, no.” “What’s wrong?” Trip turned his chair. “Major Hayes, search Braush,” Archer ordered. “Their return trip took them next to as well. Commander Anderson, go to Dekyl. Trip and I will take Jiple Prime.” “Aye, Captain,” the two replied. “Head for Jiple, Trip. We’re going into the atmosphere to scan this time.” “What’s wrong with Jiple?” “It’s ninety-eight percent water.” “Yeah. So?” “If they had to make an emergency landing, they landed on the water.” “These pods are designed to stay afloat for forty-eight hours.” “If it wasn’t damaged in a fight.” Archer looked at Trip. “Not to mention Malcolm has aquaphobia. How well do you think he’s going to be coping stuck in a shuttle pod with water coming in around him?” Trip closed his eyes. “Oh jeeze. He’d be goin’ outta his mind!” Trip increased their speed. # Malcolm had climbed to the top of the top hatch ladder. There was less than three meters of space between the water and the ceiling now. T’Pol held onto the other side of the ladder, floating in the water. Phlox and Travis were holding onto the top of monitors to keep themselves above water without exerting themselves too much. “Think of this as a really big bathtub, sir,” Travis said. “I can’t.” “We should talk about something else,” Phlox suggested. “Something that doesn’t involve water.” “Like what?” Travis asked. “T’Pol, if things had turned out different, would you have returned to Vulcan to get married?” Malcolm asked. “I beg your pardon?” T’Pol asked. “Sorry, but Trip told me about it once, and seeing how we’re most likely not getting out of here,” Malcolm laughed nervously, “I want to know. I’ve always wondered.” T’Pol hesitated. “I would have if I’d had a Vulcan post on Earth.” “Did you love him? They guy you were to marry?” “I hardly knew him.” “Then why would you want to marry him? If you didn’t love him that seems, well, illogical.” “It was arranged by our parents.” Malcolm thought about her reply for a moment. He moved down the ladder so they were eye to eye. “I don’t mean to question your beliefs, Sub-Commander, but where is the logic in arranged marriages?” “It keeps couples from having to go through the inconvenience of seeking a mate.” “That’s not much fun.” “Fun isn’t associated with marriage on Vulcan.” “So then...what if you never loved the man? Could you leave him? Divorce him?” “No.” “That’s stupid!” Phlox and Travis smiled, but kept silent. T’Pol looked surprised by Malcolm’s come back. “How is it unintelligent?” “Well, it would seem to me that if a race as enlightened as Vulcans claim to be, why didn’t they give some thought that not all marriages are going to work. I mean, even if you had to practically pull teeth to get out of a marriage, I would have thought they would have made some concession for it.” “Vulcans do not believe our marriages should be fickle, unlike humans.” “Fickle?” “Haven’t you dated many women since you were of age?” Malcolm smiled. “My first girlfriend was nine. I kissed her behind the school.” “My point exactly. Your time would have been better spent learning rather than worrying about finding a mate during your educational years.” Malcolm laughed. “I can see this being a disagreement that could have no end.” “I concur, but I do not mind discussing it.” The shuttle pod rocked gently and water splashed in Malcolm’s face. His humor dissipated as he moved up the ladder. “We’re going to get out of this, L...Malcolm,” T’Pol told him. “Then why are you using my first name?” Malcolm smiled at her. “I don’t consider that a good sign, Sub-Commander.” “We will get out of this,” T’Pol repeated. Malcolm nodded, looking up at the jammed top hatch. # “The signal just got stronger,” Archer said. “You said that thirty minutes ago,” Trip retorted. “I think we were moving away from it. Make small corrections so I can isolate it better.” Archer watched his readings. “Take a heading of oh point nine two to aft.” Trip made the correction. Archer tapped the controls. “It’s getting stronger now. Keep this heading.” Archer changed screens and tapped the controls. A small blip appeared in the upper right corner. “Hover,” Archer ordered. Trip brought the shuttle pod to a hover. Archer changed to an external visual sensor and zoomed in on the coordinates of the blip. “I’ve found them.” Trip got up and joined him. The shuttle pod was half submerged in the ocean. “What now, Cap’n?” Archer changed back to a sensor reading and reached out to the companel. “What’s that?” Trip asked, pointing at a blip on the screen moving toward the shuttle pod. Archer changed to visual again but he only saw the shuttle pod. He changed back. The blip was getting closer. “It’s something in the water,” Archer said. “Something big to show up on here.” “Move us to those coordinates.” Trip sat back down. Archer tapped the companel. “Archer to all teams and Enterprise. They’re on Jiple Prime. Hoshi, report to Czar’L.” “Aye, Captain,” came a unison reply. Archer looked back at the monitor. The second blip was almost on the shuttle pod in the water. # Something banged on the outside of the shuttle pod, making it rock. “What was that?” Malcolm asked. No one answered. They heard a sound outside. “Sounds like a whale,” Travis said. With a louder bang something struck the side of the shuttle pod, making it rock. The water inside washed up against the sides. Malcolm wrapped his arms around the ladder, pressing his cheek against one of the bars. The creature hit the shuttle pod and then another hit struck the opposite side. “Please go away,” Malcolm groaned. The creatures outside continued banging against the hull. # “I see them,” Trip said, looking through the side window. Archer got up and leaned into the window. He could see the shuttle pod below as they circled it. Two dark shapes could be seen as their backs surfaced, a giant dorsal fin slicing through the water. They rammed the shuttle pod, causing it to rock. “We have to stop those things,” Archer said, going back to the controls. “What are you doing to do?” “Shoot them.” Trip looked at the water and then Archer. “You can’t.” “I have to. If I don’t--” “Sir, you can’t shoot at them.” “If they capsize the shuttle pod we won’t be able to get them out. “Cap’n, I’ve dealt with a lot of marine life in my time. If you make them things angry, then it could be a while before we can get to that shuttle. Maybe too long of a while, if you understand what I’m saying. If you do nothing, they’ll get bored and leave.” “If they capsize it, we can’t get into the top hatch.” “And what if you miss them and hit the water? That’ll cause two or three meter high waves, enough to capsize it. We can’t do anything, sir. Anything we do will only make things worse for them. We’ll think of some way to get them out of there, I promise, because those are my friends in that shuttle pod too, Cap’n.” Archer stopped what he was doing. He got up and walked back to the window, watching the shuttle pod and the ongoing attack. “Circle. I don’t want to leave them until Enterprise gets here.” “Aye, sir.” Trip put the shuttle pod in a circle pattern. # The attacks increased until they were non-stop. The four clung to the ladder and each other now, more for Malcolm’s support than their own. Each hit caused waves to ripple through the shuttle pod and made it rock harder with increasing speed. “We’re going to capsize,” Malcolm moaned. “We have enough room still. It will not harm us.” “And what if they puncture the raft and we sink?” Malcolm demanded. “Lieutenant, calm down.” Malcolm closed his eyes tight. The shuttle pod tipped up after a strong hit. There was a pause before the second hit and the shuttle pod rolled onto the side and continued over. The four were thrown under water. T’Pol, Phlox and Travis surfaced above the water. “Where is Lieutenant Reed?” T’Pol asked the two. Travis spotted him on the ceiling below, struggling to pull away from the ladder. Travis dove down and swam to him, discovering Malcolm’s sleeve was caught on a lever. Travis grabbed his arm and pulled. The fabric ripped and the two swam to the surface. The creatures outside continued to hit the shuttle pod and rock it, but with the largest part below water it had more stability. “I need help keeping him up,” Travis said to T’Pol. She turned. Malcolm was shaking and had his eyes closed tight. T’Pol moved close and slid her arm around behind Malcolm. Travis did the same and Phlox completed the circle. And together they kept Malcolm above water. # Archer was out of the shuttle pod as soon as the bay doors were closed. Major Hayes, Commander Anderson and Hoshi were waiting in the hall. “Do you have a plan? How can we get them out of there?” Archer demanded. “We can’t think of anything,” Commander Anderson said. “Not with the top hatch under water and those creatures attacking it.” “Initial scans indicate they’re a shark of some kind,” Hoshi informed him. “We could maybe rig some shark cages,” Major Hayes suggested. “We’d still have to leave them to get into the shuttle pod. And then we’d have to figure out how to keep them tethered to something on the surface,” Archer argued. “What if we used two shuttle pods?” Anderson suggested. “What about the transporter, Cap’n?” Trip asked, walking up beside Archer. “Can it transport through water?” “We’d be taking some water with them, but yeah, it can be done.” “Get Malcolm first,” Archer turned to the three to continue. “I won’t be able to distinguish between the four. Not with the water. I can just tell them from anything else.” Archer turned to Trip. “You have to get him out of there first.” “I can try, but it’s a one in four shot.” Archer frowned. “The more time we take thinking about this, Cap’n, the further they’re sinking. If that pod gets below water, I can’t guarantee I can get any of them.” “Go. Get it ready,” Archer said. He turned back to Major Hayes. “Get a medical team together and meet us at the transporter pad.” Archer hurried after Trip. # The four had their faces pressed against the floor in an attempt to keep above the water. The emergency lights along the ceiling under them shined blue light up through the water, casting long shadows along the floor. It created a creepy, foreboding atmosphere. “I...” Travis began. “I’m terrified.” “As am I,” T’Pol said. “Really? You?” Malcolm asked. “Vulcans do feel fear.” “I’d never have guessed.” “We repress fear like any other emotion so it does not rule our reactions and lives.” “During times like this, I can see how it is a benefit to be able to repress emotions.” “You are handling the situation better than I’d have expected of you, Malcolm.” Malcolm smiled. “Well, then I won’t admit that I’m so terrified I can hardly move.” “That’s a normal response to fear of this level,” Phlox said. “I can’t recall when I’ve been this scared myself.” “I can imagine how my uncle felt when he drown in the submarine.” “I can feel for him,” Travis said. Malcolm swallowed hard. He gasped when Travis suddenly disappeared from his hold. He looked to the side to find he was gone. “Travis.” “What of him?” T’Pol asked. “He’s gone.” “Enterprise is here and they must be using the transporter to get us out of here. We will survive this incident as I predicted, Malcolm.” The water level rose to submerge the three before Phlox was transported out of the shuttle pod. T’Pol held on tight to Malcolm’s uniform, pulling him to her. Malcolm closed his eyes when his lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen. He gripped T’Pol’s arms, fighting the urge to draw a breath. He started thrashing and T’Pol had to struggle to keep a hold of him. Suddenly he grew still, staring at her with lifeless eyes. T’Pol’s eyes widened and she was transported off the shuttle pod. # T’Pol appeared on the transporter pad and gasped for breath as she looked around her. A medical team was helping Phlox and Travis dry off with blankets and towels and Trip was manning the controls. Archer reached out to help her up but T’Pol pulled away, scrambling off the wet transporter. “You must hurry, Commander. Malcolm drowned.” Trip hurried to reset the transporter. He looked at the transporter when it lit up, watching Malcolm’s lifeless body appear on the transporter pad. T’Pol ran back onto the pad and rolled him on his side to drain the water from his lungs. She leaned down and blew a breath into his lungs. Trip knelt down on Malcolm’s other side, checking for a pulse. Finding none, he unzipped Malcolm’s uniform and ripped open his shirt. He positioned his hands on Malcolm’s chest and began pumping between T’Pol’s breaths. Archer and his crew moved close to the transporter, waiting with baited breath. Suddenly Malcolm started coughing and fighting for his life. He scurried away from Trip and T’Pol, falling against the transporter wall. He looked disoriented, wide-eyed with fright and shook uncontrollably. Trip crouched down in front of Malcolm, laying his hand on Malcolm’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Malcolm. You’re safe, back on Enterprise.” “A scanner,” Phlox said to one of the medical team, holding out his hand. Someone handed him one and he walked over to Malcolm, starting to scan him. Malcolm suddenly shoved the scanner away, springing to his feet. Archer slowly walked onto the transporter, watching his Armory officer with deep concern. “Malcolm, you’re safe. I tried...I tried to get to you as fast as I could,” Archer held out a blanket to Malcolm. “Here. Get dry and--” Malcolm shoved the blanket away and bolted down the hall. Archer started after him, but Phlox caught his arm, stopping him. “Captain, leave him,” Phlox said. Archer looked down at him. “He’s not alright.” “No, he’s not. He just drowned and was brought back to life. Give him some time to digest that.” Archer nodded. He turned back to T’Pol and Travis. T’Pol was holding her arms, staring at the floor. Travis was leaning against a wall with a blanket wrapped tight around him. “You three should get some dry clothes on. Czar’L wants to speak to the four-- three about the attack. The crowd dissipated, leaving Trip and Archer at the transporter alone. “I’m worried about him, Cap’n.” “Malcolm?” “Yeah.” Archer didn’t reply, keeping his own concerns silent. |
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