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"Vivarium" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 2 Malcolm reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. He closed his eyes for a minute before letting out a sigh. “Rough day at the office?” Trip asked, sitting down across from Malcolm Malcolm looked at him. “Kasbra has been crying for two days now. Those Par’Tek really upset her.” “She’s young. She’ll get over it,” Trip joked. Malcolm smiled. “I certainly hope so. Just wish I knew what they were hiding.” “You and the rest of the crew,” Trip said. “They were so nosy!” “Tell me about it.” “Morning gentlemen,” Doctor Phlox said. The two looked up. “May I?” Doctor Phlox motioned to the open chair beside them. Trip motioned to it. “How are you Lieutenant Reed? Has Kasbra calmed down any?” “I can’t tell. The hours I’ve spent walking the floor are starting to merge with the hours that I haven’t.” Doctor Phlox and Trip chuckled. “If it’s any consolation, Likos is having a similar problem. He said it’s normal for young Jit to have difficulty with exposure to strong negative emotions. He said it would end with time.” “Vardee said the same thing.” Malcolm smiled. “I think. I can’t remember. I might have dreamed that.” Again Trip and Doctor Phlox laughed. Enterprise rocked from a phase canon hit. “ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!” Hoshi yelled over the ship’s COM. Crewmen abandoned their breakfast and raced to their stations. # “I’m detecting seven ships, sir,” Travis told Archer. Archer had manned the weapons station until Malcolm could reach the bridge. “Continue evasive maneuvers,” Archer reported. “Missile away.” Enterprise shuddered from another hit. “We’re being boarded,” T’Pol said. Archer turned to launch another missile. “T’Pol, what kind of shielding do they have?” Archer asked. “They ha--” Archer looked up. An alien had beamed onto the bridge behind T’Pol and had her by the neck with a phaser aimed at her head. Hoshi had a phaser aimed at the alien, making Archer glad he’d finally relented to allowing her to keep one the bridge. The alien said something. The lift door opened and Malcolm stepped off, aiming a phaser at the alien as soon as he saw it. The alien pressed the phaser against T’Pol’s temple, saying something. “We don’t understand you and we aren’t lowering our weapons,” Archer said. Enterprise rocked again. Hoshi’s console beeped but she ignored it. The console beeped again. Something on the alien beeped and he responded. He and T’Pol started to be transported away. T’Pol yanked away, breaking the transport. The alien’s outward appearance flickered and for a brief second they all saw a Par’Tek instead of the creature that had been there. Malcolm shot at the alien and hit a monitor where he’d been standing, sending a shower of sparks across the bridge. T’Pol turned to Archer, but her words were lost as she was transported off the ship. Hoshi’s console beeped again. Hoshi jumped up and pressed a button. “BRIDGE!” Hoshi snapped. Travis got back into his seat. “The alien ships have gone to warp,” Travis informed Archer “They took Doctor Phlox,” a crewman reported over the COM. Another COM beeped. “Bridge here,” Hoshi replied. “The aliens took Trip,” another crewman reported. Hoshi’s console beeped again. “Bridge.” “Tell the captain they took Ensign Cutler,” a third crewman reported. “Cutler?” Archer stood. “Why would they take Cutler?” “They also took Ensigns Westgard and McDowny,” the voice on the COM continued. Archer stood. Now things weren’t making any sense. Only Doctor Phlox, Trip and T’Pol had made sense, they were senior staff. McDowny and Westgard made some sense as well because they were both engineers. But Cutler made no sense. She was a biologist. She wouldn’t know anything about Enterprise and little about the inner workings of Starfleet. # Trip could hear someone nearby sobbing. He opened his eyes, staring at the bright light overhead. Trip slowly sat up, finding T’Pol standing by an opening. She glanced at Trip. “How is your head?” T’Pol asked. “Great..considering the splitting headache I have.” “You have a bump. Did they strike you?” “No.” Trip closed his eyes. He looked up at T’Pol. “Not once. Even when I was fighting they never struck me. I hit my head on the railing when one tried to grab a hold of me. I was hit with a phaser blast and that’s the last I remember.” “They are Par’Tek.” T’Pol looked back out the door. “Par’Tek?” Trip stood. T’Pol nodded. “They were using a holograph to disguise themselves when they attacked. The disguise of the one that took me flickered and I saw a Par’Tek under it. I was stunned as soon as I arrived on their transporter pad.” Trip stood, walking up to her. He reached out, turning her chin so he could see the light bruise on her neck better. “Did they give you this?” “Yes. He gripped my throat tight, but not enough to damage me.” “What’s your definition of damage, T’Pol?” Trip said. T’Pol looked at Trip’s face. “I am fine.” Trip looked out into the hall. “Who’s crying?” “Ensign McDowny.” Trip moved to the other side, seeing Elizabeth Cutler standing near the door. “Hey Liz, you okay?” Trip asked her. She looked at him. “Scared to death, but fine. Doctor Phlox is still unconscious though. How are you?” “Okay.” “Commander?” a man’s voice asked. “Ensigns Westgard and McDowny are in the cell next to ours,” T’Pol told him. “You okay, Eddy?” Trip asked. “Yeah. How are you two holding up, sir?” Eddy asked Trip. “We’ll live. Marsha’s there with you?” “She’s pretty shaken up, sir.” “Marsha?” “Yeah?” Marsha asked. Her voice was shaking. “Hey, we’ll get out of this. Somehow. It’s gonna be okay.” “I’m scared.” “We are too. Hang in there, Marsha.” “Yes, Commander.” Trip smiled. He leaned against the doorframe, looking down at his feet. T’Pol walked to the bench at the back and sat down. Trip joined her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The six were silent; awaiting whatever fate was to befall them next. # Trip started awake. He lifted his head, listening for the sound that had woken him. Trip heard the distinct winding down of a warp engine. He got to his feet, walking to the door and looking down the hall. He felt warmth on his arm and looked down to find T’Pol standing beside him. Trip looked back out into the hall. Voices were getting closer, speaking in a language he didn’t understand. “Commander?” Marsha whimpered. “Be strong, Marsha. No one do anything rash,” Trip ordered. “Yes, sir.” Four Par’Tek walked to the first cell that McDowny and Westgard were in. Trip watched them stand outside and talk. Two more Par’Tek joined them carrying weapons and the six entered the cell. There was a short commotion and then silence. Two Par’Tek came down the hall with stretchers and entered the cell. They left with McDowny and Westgard on the stretchers. The six Par’Tek left the cell and one said something in a loud voice. Above them on a COM speaker a voice replied. They turned, heading for Trip and T’Pol’s cell. Trip backed away, instinctively pulling T’Pol behind him to protect her. T’Pol pulled away but continued to back away beside Trip. The four stood outside the cell talking and occasionally motioning to the two of them. “Can you understand them?” Trip asked. “No,” T’Pol answered. “Any ideas?” “No.” The Par’Tek turned, one disengaging the energy field. Two appeared carrying what looked like old-fashioned rifles and aimed the weapons at the two. Trip and T’Pol bolted separate direction, missing getting hit by darts. Trip turned to move again when he felt a sting in his neck. He reached toward it. Two pairs of hands grabbed his wrists and arms, pushing his chest against the wall and pinning his arms behind him. Trip struggled despite the feeling of weightlessness that began to wash over him. His knees buckled under him and the hands guided him to the floor, laying him on his stomach. “CHARLES!” he heard T’Pol scream. Trip crumpled into the arms of a Par’Tek, falling asleep. The Par’Tek gently laid him on the floor, both turning to watch the four remaining Par’Tek advance on T’Pol. T’Pol bolted to the side when a Par’Tek took aim. She felt a dart pierce her arm and grabbed for it. T’Pol grunted when she was tackled to the floor by the five Par’Tek. She struggled against them, trying desperately to wrestle free. She felt a sting in the back of her neck and could feel the drug they’d injected starting to weaken her. T’Pol tried to block the feeling out of her mind and her struggle for freedom didn’t lessen. There was another sting in her neck on the other side and this time she succumb to the drug, falling asleep under the Par’Tek. They got up, one calling out. Two Par’Tek trotted in with stretchers and the group moved to Phlox and Cutler’s cell. # Trip turned his head, feeling the warmth of a body beside him. His dreams had led him to the T’Pol’s bed and he smiled, sliding his arm around her. “Morning, honey,” Trip murmured. T’Pol didn’t reply. Trip opened his eyes, looking up at T’Pol’s face. Trip sat up in bed, laying his hand on her shoulder and gently shaking her. “T’Pol?” T’Pol didn’t stir. “T’Pol, wake up.” T’Pol still didn’t move. Trip reached out and checked for a pulse on her neck. He let out a breath of relief when he found one. Trip turned his head and his stomach tensed. He had never seen the room he was in before. Everything, down to the carpeting, was foreign to him. Trip got out of bed and looked down, finding himself naked. He looked back at T’Pol, finding her naked as well. Trip numbly staggered to a wardrobe and opened it. Civilian clothes hung in a neat row on one side. On the other side hung casual clothing that he’d seen Vulcan’s wear. Trip grabbed clothes and pulled them on with shaking hands and breaths. Trip stood when he was done, looking around the room. He pulled out clothes for T’Pol and walked back to the bed to dress her. Trip was pulling a sleeve over her right wrist when he noticed something on her wrist. Trip reached out and switched on the lamp by the bed. Trip turned her wrist over, running his thumb over freshly tattooed numbers and barcode. Trip looked at his right wrist and found he had a number a digit higher than hers on his wrist above the barcode. Trip returned to dressing her, finding it more difficult since his hands had begun shaking again. Trip walked to the bedroom door when he was finished and very slowly opened it. He saw an empty living room that resembled any other living room in some small apartment on Earth. Trip stepped into a living and dining room decorated with comfortable looking furniture and painted milk white, bare of any decoration. Trip turned, looking at the kitchen. There was a refrigerator, a full stove, a sink and a quick cooker. And a door. Trip walked to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. Trip looked at the device beside the door. It was a black box and the only thing on it was a pulsating green light. Trip felt around the box, trying to find out how it was attached to the wall. He gave up after a few moments. Trip walked back to the living room, spotting another door. Trip walked to it and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge either but there was no black box near it. Trip sighed, looking around the room. “This can’t be good,” Trip whispered. He walked back to the bedroom. He pulled a large armchair over to the bed and sat down. Trip felt his hope fighting to stay alive as he watched T’Pol sleep. He wished she were awake. He needed her support more than ever. # Archer raised his hand to slap the monitor and stopped. He let out an angry grunt instead and lowered his hand as he fell back into his chair. Archer massaged his temples, closing his eyes Archer looked at the door when the doorbell beeped. “Come in.” Hoshi enters. “It’s late. What’s are you doing up?” Archer asked her. He went back to work on his terminal before she replied. Hoshi smiled. “Well, I sort of got asked to do a favor.” “Which is?” “The crew is worried about you, Captain. You’ve been up for three days straight and Chef told them you’ve only had two meals in three days. We really need you right now. You should get some rest and if there’s something any of us could do, to let us.” Archer looked up at Hoshi. She smiled. “They’re our friends too.” Archer nodded. “I’ll give you the information we received from the last freighter. A fresh pair of eyes may be able to find something I haven’t. If you come up with anything, you have to promise to wake me.” “Immediately, sir.” Archer slid a data card into the slot beside the monitor and hands it to Hoshi. She took it, looking at Archer when he didn’t let go. “Thanks, Hoshi.” Hoshi nodded once, walking out. Archer slowly rose, looking out at space. # Trip sat up, hearing one of the doors open in the other room. He stood, walking toward the bedroom door. The overhead lights came on and he squinted until his eyes adjusted to the bright light. He found five Par’Tek standing in the door of the bedroom. One smiled, speaking to Trip in their language using a gentle, singsong voice. “What’d’ya want?” Trip demanded. He continued speaking as he reached in his pocket and pulled out what looked like an apple. He held it out to Trip, stepping toward him. Trip retreated a step, his dread deepening as he listened to the Par’Tek continue speaking. “Stay away!” Trip snapped, retreating back another step to put himself between the Par’Tek and T’Pol. The Par’Tek turned to the others. The five had a brief conversation and one left. The four that remained continued talking, motioning to Trip and T’Pol occasionally. The one that left returned with a weapon similar to the one used in the cell. Another Par’Tek followed him with a two-meter long rod that had a wide flimsy loop at one end. Trip stepped back when the first Par’Tek stepped toward him again. The one that had the weapon aimed it at Trip. Trip ducked and leapt to the side when the Par’Tek fired the weapon at him. He turned, seeing the loop of the rod heading toward him. Trip bolted back toward T’Pol. The loop came down over his head and he reached up to push it away. Trip gagged, falling back when the loop was yanked hard enough to momentarily cut off his air. Trip struggled against the loop, trying to pull it off or turn so he could grab the rod away, but the Par’Tek was keeping it turned so the rod was behind Trip while pulling him away from the bed at the same time. Trip watched the other Par’Tek walk past him to the bed and swung out at one that came close. The Par’Tek moved away, saying something in a sharp tone to Trip. “BACK AT YA!” Trip screamed. He felt something sting his arm and let out a yell of pain and anger. He was able to turn enough to see the Par’Tek giving him the shot. He felt another Par’Tek grab his wrists, and then he was pushed to the floor with his wrists pinned behind him in a lock hold. Trip struggled to get free but he was at a disadvantage in this position. Trip turned his head and the room blurred suddenly. He closed his eyes a second as his limbs became heavy as lead and numb. Trip felt like he was floating and lost all orientation when he opened his eyes, unable to even tell which way was up or down. The Par’Tek voices sounded distant and far away. He felt someone pull the loop off his neck and whoever was holding him released him, gently rolling him onto his side. Wherever a Par’Tek touched his body his skin tingled slightly and the sensation lingered even after the pressure of their touch left. Trip could make out Par’Tek in front of him, but under the affect of the drug he couldn’t tell exactly how many he was seeing. They were drifting with everything else in the room. He saw three Par’Tek hold up a slim black metallic instrument and then a penlight was shone in his eyes. He closed his eyes against the light but his eyes were forced open one at a time. “Go away,” Trip whispered, or thought he did. He felt the floor under his back and then there were a pair of hands touching various parts of his body. He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the room was still drifting. He felt them give him several shots, but none of them affected him like the first one had. He felt hands grab his arms and haul him to his feet. They led him across the room, patiently waiting as he tested each step. The hands gently placed him back in the armchair and then they were gone. Trip swallowed, letting his head fall back against the chair back. “What do they want?” Trip whispered to the air. The air didn’t reply. # Doctor Phlox opened his eyes and stared at the lamp beside the bed. He rolled onto his back, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up, finding the entire room unfamiliar. Doctor Phlox swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stopped, staring down at himself. He didn’t remember taking his clothes off. He looked around, spotting clothes laid out on a chair near the bed. They were human civilian clothes, but he decided clothes were better than being nude. Doctor Phlox walked out of the bedroom into a living room and found Ensign Elizabeth Cutler sitting in a chair curled into a chair and crying. Doctor Phlox walked over to her, sitting on the end table beside the chair. “Ensign?” Elizabeth looked up at him, gasping back sobs. “I woke up with you.” “What?” “We were in the same bed. We were naked. And look.” She held out her right arm, showing him a tattooed number on her wrist. “You have one too. I don’t know where we are. Both doors are locked. And--” “Shhhh.” Doctor Phlox reached out, laying his hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay.” “IT’S NOT OKAY!” she screamed. Doctor Phlox leaned forward, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. “Elizabeth, it will be okay. We cannot lose our heads at this moment. This is when we have to stay calm and collected, okay?” Elizabeth sniffed, nodding. “Good.” Doctor Phlox patted her shoulder. “You told me once you sleep in the nude. Waking up like that shouldn’t have been that unusual, should it?” Elizabeth smiled, even laughed a little. She shrugged. “Course, anyone seeing me nude would be afraid, wouldn’t they?” She laughed again, looking up at him. “No.” Doctor Phlox sighed, looking around the room. “Not much on decorations, are they? Whoever they are.” “Par’Tek. These five were in here a little bit ago. They came in and I guess checked on you and spoke for a little bit and then they held me down, gave me shots and left.” “Did they speak to you?” “No. There’s some kind of drink in the fridge,” Cutler motioned to the refrigerator, “but it’s tasteless.” “Well, hopefully that will change. Have you eaten?” “No. That fruit’s all that there is to eat.” Elizabeth motioned to the table where a bowl of fruit was sitting. “But I don’t even know if it’s edible.” Doctor Phlox looked back at her. She looked ready to cry again. “It’s going to be okay, Elizabeth.” Fresh tears started as she broke down again. Doctor Phlox sat down on the arm of the chair, holding her. |
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