Fragile- Part 1

Fragile Universe
An "Enterprise" story

RATING: PG-13
ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Welcomed
EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Captain Archer initiates First Contact on a beautiful exotic world. Little does he know that there is trouble brewing in Paradise."
DISCLAIMER: The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Enterprise' are the property of Paramount. No infringement of copyright is intended.

Part One

"DEATHBLOOM"

* * * * *

It was a beautiful planet. Lush in a way that was like nothing they had ever seen on Earth. There were colours to the sky and flora and fauna that defied description. By comparison it made all the colours of Earth look like shades of grey. Captain Archer was amazed. Captivated. The Volarans watched. Silent. Exuding peace and calm. It somehow unsettled the Commander but he could not put his finger on why. He flicked his eyes to Sub-Commander T'Pol as if her detached evaluation would somehow point him in the right direction. She looked aloof and composed but he was not fooled. This place stunned her as well. What he wanted to know was what she thought of their erstwhile hosts only he could not say so out loud. He turned his head slightly to see what Lt. Reed was doing and was gratified to note that the armoury officer was as alert as he was. So. Even the Englishman was unsettled by a day in Paradise.

Captain Archer was like a kid in a candy store. His open eyed wonder and pleasure at everything he saw made Trip smile. Their Volaran host was a sombre man. Stockier than the Prince Regent but with the same golden eyes shot through with molasses. The people moved almost silently. Was that what creeped him out about them? Trip turned his head. He was not sure of anything any more. Then it struck him. This place was like living inside a painting. Too vivid for reality if that were possible. Sub-Commander T'Pol watched him for a moment then turned her attention to the Captain. He kept wandering off the path and had to visibly restrain himself from going farther in his desire to explore. Lt. Reed softly cautioned him, noticing a kind of growing tension in their placid hosts.

"Captain, we must not stray from the path."

The Captain nodded happily. "Quite. Absolutely." He beamed at them. Beamed at the Volarans.

T'Pol frowned. Disturbed by the Captain's mood. Since landing on Volara the Captain had become more and more detached from reality. She wondered if it were a flaw in the Human genome that caused the species to often act in such foolish and idiotic ways. Commander Tucker was grinning back at the Captain, unable to stop himself from responding. His friend looked so damned happy. Then the dime dropped. Captain Archer had wandered again. He was right off the path now. Pale yellow flowers bobbed around the Captain at waist height. Must be something in the pollen. The moment the thought occurred to him he felt an odd shift in perspective. His head began to throb and he felt sick. He closed his eyes and sucked in a pained breath. A rush of air like a sudden draft stole the warmth from him and he shivered. But his eyes would not open and Paradise had never felt so close to Hell before. It lasted moments only. When his eyes flickered open again he was aware of a bright warmth on his face. The brilliant vibrant colours almost overpowering in their intensity. then the exotic scent hit him and his racing heartbeat struggled to slow back to a semblance of normal.

Commander Tucker blinked rapidly, grateful to see that the others had not noticed, their attention riveted to the Captain. Or rather. In the direction he had last seen his best friend. Trip frowned. The bright yellow blooms bobbing their heads and filling the vision for as far as the eye could see. Only the path upon which they walked was clear. A kind of bluish slate beneath their feet. Trip turned his head. Saw T'Pol looking at Malcolm. The Tactical Armoury Officer had his phaser drawn and looked far from happy. Trip had a sudden presentiment of doom and dashed forward. Without thinking he darted passed a startled T'Pol and pushed Lt. Reed's hand aside, blocking him from squeezing off a shot. The Lieutenant turned on him, eyes glittering dangerously with a fury only just held in check. It took him all his self control not to strike out at the Commander.

"Get out of my way, Commander!"

The Chief Engineer shook his head. Afraid if he did so the Armoury Officer would shoot their host dead. "No, Malcolm, don't fire! What the hell has gotten into ya?"

Lt. Reed did not try to hide his fury. The emotion no milder for being held so severely in check. His eyes blazed. "They've taken the Captain."

Shock stunned the Commander, hitting him hard. The Captain? He found his mind was having trouble processing the notion. Volara was a peaceful planet. The Captain's First Contact had been going so well. What could have changed so drastically? It simply did not make sense. He stared at Malcolm. "Huh?"

Sub-Commander T'Pol took a step towards them. "Lt. Reed is correct, Commander. The Volarans have indeed taken Captain Archer into custody."

All the blood drained out of Trip's face. T'Pol's calm measured words threw him the lifeline he needed. Her presence bringing the discordant crash of reality back with a vengeance that was almost painful. He swayed slightly and blinked rapidly, trying to keep his focus as he looked from one to the other. T'Pol looked at him more closely.

"Commander, are you all right?"

Numb he managed to nod. "Yeah, I'm fine T'Pol. Why did the Volarans take the Cap'n?"

Lt. Reed jerked his head slightly towards the exotic blooms. "Apparently stepping off the path is the worst kind of insult you can give to a Volaran."

The Commander looked much more compos mentis now though he was still pale. A thin beading of perspiration on his face and neck making his skin glow faintly though the air was cool not warm. "It is?"

The Sub-Commander nodded. "Yes."

Trip glanced around. All the Volarans had gone except one. It was their stocky host. He waited patiently until all three of them turned to face him. The Commander cleared his throat carefully. Not sure what might be the correct protocol and not wanting to make anything worse. They would not get the Captain out of this mess if he inadvertently added insult to injury. "Forgive us, Ambassador. Our Cap'n meant no offence. Your planet is just so beautiful he acted without thinking."

The Ambassador seemed to glide across the path towards them. His long burnt orange robe flowed like flames of fire against the vibrant yellow background of the flowers. It made Trip's head hurt just to look at him but he did not want to cause offence by looking away. He felt an absurd sense of reassurance to have the Sub-Commander and Lt. Reed standing next to him. The Ambassador looked at T'Pol for several seconds, not a word passing between them. Then he looked at Lt. Reed. Finally his eyes came to rest on the Commander. Trip wet his lips unconsciously. "The Cap'n..."

"Broke our most sacred rule." Interjected Ambassador Ren. His voice was firm but musical. Not raised or angry but managing to somehow convey sorrow, disappointment and polite disapproval at the same time.

*Neat trick.* Thought Trip. As the Ambassador continued to stare at him Trip could feel his tongue becoming thick. His thoughts sluggish. His limbs so heavy the weight was becoming almost painful. What the hell was happening? He struggled to ameliorate any offence caused. "He didn't mean to..." His words trailed off as if they suddenly realised they had nowhere to go.

"He must put it right, Commander."

Trip nodded. It made sense. An apology should do it. He found it slightly easier to talk. "I'm sure the Cap'n'll apologise Ambassador."

The Volaran did not look amused but neither did he look angry either. T'Pol was watching him closely, remembering the notes on Volaran body language that Ensign Sato had thoughtfully inputted into their data PADDs. The Ambassador was drawing his hands into his large voluminous sleeves, indicating that their conversation was coming to an end. "You should go now. Resume your exploration."

The Commander shook his head trying to clear the numb feeling that was dulling his ability to think. He heard Lt. Reed speak for them. "With respect, we will go once the Captain is returned to us."

It seemed as if the Ambassador was having to take in the fact that with the Captain no longer among them, his senior officers did not use one specific spokesperson. He looked from one to the other. It made Trip feel uncomfortable as if he was weighing up souls. This place was damn confusing. He shook his head again and tried to concentrate. Must be all the flowers. Somewhere in the back of his mind part of him was wondering why Malcolm's allergies were not playing up.

"You stayed on the path." Stated the Ambassador as if that explained everything.

"Yeah, much good it did us." Murmured Trip.

Sub-Commander T'Pol decided the quicker they left the better. "If you will reunite us with our Captain we will leave you, Ambassador. Where did your people take him?"

"To the correction facility."

Trip went white. Outrage rising inside him though he knew he had to stay calm. Lt. Reed looked shocked. The Sub-Commander's reaction was much more muted and difficult to read though the sudden tensing of her body spoke volumes. Trip felt as if they were trapped in some kind of nightmare. "What? You're gonna send him to *prison* for smelling the flowers?"

Sub-Commander T'Pol quickly put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes boring into his with a warning to calm down. Her touch vanished almost as quickly as it had materialised but he felt still the rumour of it long after she had moved away. How odd was that? He shook his head again, the slight motion ignored by the others but not missed by them either. The Ambassador's voice was mild. Polite even. A grave courtesy.

"You must understand. This is the gravest of offences."

The Sub-Commander kept her voice level and unemotional. "It was unintentional, Ambassador."

"Your Captain was instructed to stay on the path, Sub-Commander."

Trip was growing anxious for his friend. "Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. We're Humans and sometimes our curiosity gets the better of us. It won't happen again, Ambassador. Ya have my word on it."

The Ambassador eyed him calmly for a moment. A look in his eyes that Trip could not quite fathom. "No, Commander. It will not."

* * * * *

Captain Archer could not believe it. The Volarans had brought him before the Prince Regent. One of them intoned in a calm dispassionate voice. "He strayed from the Path, Highness."

"And touched the blooms." Added another.

"He was told not to leave the Path." Said a third.

"All was ignored." Intoned the first voice sadly.

The Prince Regent was bipedal like all his race. Two arms, two legs, a slightly heavier body frame than the Human species. They would have made excellent line backers. The shorter individuals just topped six foot. The Prince Regent looked to be about six foot nine give or take a hair's breath. The Captain did not want to speculate on how big the largest specimens might be. The Volarans had an exotic pale gold tinge to their skin and apart from their startling eyes and odd musical inflections they could pass as large Humans. No pointed ears. No cranial ridges or compound eyes. No wings or webbed fingers and toes. No tentacles or extra prehensile limbs. All in all this placid race were not only a lot easier on the eye than many races they had already met but they also seemed to be among the least volatile species. The Captain held a hope that his little infraction would garner no more than the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. He was about to be disabused of his assumption.

"Why did you break our covenant?" Asked the Prince Regent softly.

*Covenant? What covenant?* The Captain frowned slightly. "You mean my straying from the Path?"

The Prince Regent nodded and waited. He seemed calm. Placid. Just like very other Volaran he had met. He relaxed. This should not be so hard. "I'm sorry. I saw such beauty I just had to walk in the fields. Touch the amazing flowers and trees. It was the only way I could make it real."

The Prince Regent seemed to pale slightly. Now what had he said? "You did this on purpose, Captain?"

The Captain looked embarrassed. "Guess so but I am sorry. I never meant any harm or disrespect."

For a moment there was complete silence. "You must make recompense."

Captain Archer nodded readily. Eager to put things right. At least he had not eaten in front of them.

"You will give five of your Earth years in recompense."

The Captain stared at him in shock. "What?"

"Our ecology is delicate, Captain. You will give five of your years then will be free to go."

He could hardly breathe. "Isn't that a little drastic?"

"The usual recompense is death."

All the colour left his face. He felt suddenly weak. What had he been thinking? He was the Captain of a star ship. The first Earth Captain to take this historic step. Was he going to end his career in ignominy over a minor infraction? He shook himself. This was obviously not minor to them. When in Rome and all that.

"What will happen to my ship? My crew?"

"They did not stray from the Path."

The Captain resisted the urge to raise his voice. "Which means?"

"They are free to continue on their journey."

He breathed out a sigh of relief. That at least was something. "Can I see them?"

The Prince Regent made a sign with his hand, turning the palm downward and lowering his hand slowly. "It is not permitted."

The Captain began to feel a growing sense of alarm. "Why not? You just said they didn't do anything wrong."

"That is correct."

"I'm the Captain of a star ship. There is no way they will just leave me here. Not unless I can explain it to them."

"You are contaminated and your people are violent."

The calm emotionless judgment stunned him. Contaminated? Violent? "How are we contaminated?"

"You are contaminated not the rest of your people."

"I am? How?" Realisation hit him before the Prince Regent could answer. "The flowers."

"You touched the blooms."

Captain Archer felt as if he were trapped in some kind of odd little nightmare. He felt tired and dizzy. Must be the shock. "They were just so beautiful..." He murmured. Beginning to sound distracted. He missed the look that passed between the Prince Regent and his men.

"Your people are also violent." Repeated the Prince Regent.

"Only when they have to be."

The first speaker did not look too convinced. "This is a peaceful planet yet you came armed."

"Just taking precautions." He mumbled. His eyes were growing heavy and it was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate. "Please. I need to reassure my people that you do not intend to harm me. Then they can come back five years from now and take me home." He paused and swallowed, yearning for some moisture to lubricate his dry throat. For some reason his breathing was becoming laboured. He blinked eyes so dry they scratched as if filled with grit. "Please, Highness. Let me speak with them. If I can keep my people calm there need be no trouble."

Silence fell. The Prince Regent considered him for a few moments then nodded slowly. The Captain seemed sincere. "Very well, I will grant your request but if you seek to deceive us you will be put to death."

The Captain could only nod. His throat had become so sore that he did not think he would be able to survive the formation of words. *So much for not being a violent species*. His eyes were burning. He was oblivious to the gentle guidance of the Prince Regent's men. Feeling a great sense of relief when they eased him onto a low hanging platform that mimicked a garden swing except that it was many times bigger. The strange contraption rested his aching limbs and soothed him. Perhaps it was the rocking motion? He could not tell. It was Commander Tucker's voice that roused him. Eyes sprang open painfully. The Commander's voice booming in his head and setting off stabs of pain that almost drove him mad with the agony of it.

"Cap'n?" Seeing his friend's distress, Trip turned on the Prince Regent. Eyes flashing angrily. Lt Reed was anxious that he was going to do something spectacularly stupid. But both he and Sub-Commander T'Pol were more than an arm's length from the Commander who had strode quickly ahead of them to close the distance between himself and his Captain. "What have ya done to him?"

Ambassador Ren had followed the Humans into the Royal Audience Chamber. He now stepped forward. One of the Elders having already positioned himself to block the Commander from drawing any closer to the ailing Captain. "We have done nothing. Your Captain touched the bloom. The flush is more pronounced on your species."

Trip turned blazing eyes on him. Not caring a fig about protocol now. His worry for his friend over riding even the semblance of caution. Lt. Reed closed his eyes and resisted the urge to groan aloud. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means," Said the Prince Regent calmly. "That he has been contaminated."

The Commander looked stunned. Sub-Commander T'Pol gave the Prince Regent a slight bow. Her mark of respect earned her a tiny nod in exchange. Permission given for her to speak. "Highness, forgive both our intrusion and any offence we may have unwittingly caused. The Captain intended no harm and neither do we but my companions are concerned and worried about the health of our Captain." She spared a glance for Captain Archer. His colour all but drained now from his face. Heavy beads of perspiration soaking his skin. "He does not look well." She said in a masterpiece of understatement.

* * * * *

Commander Tucker was pacing up and down, his anger keeping him in perpetual motion while his anxiety was running rings around his common sense. He ran a hand through his tumble of blond hair, trying frantically to think of a way out of this mess. They were in an antechamber. The polite but oh so firm guards had appeared out of nowhere and escorted the increasingly volatile Commander out of the Royal Audience Chamber. Lt. Reed had glared at him in frustration. Annoyed that his friend's lack of control had removed them from the Captain's presence. Who knew what was happening to him? Only Sub-Commander T'Pol seemed calm and relatively unaffected.

"Commander! Will you stop pacing and calm down?"

Trip looked at the Lieutenant, worry pinching his eyes and haunting the sickening pallor of his skin. Lt. Reed realised Trip was afraid. The panic actually took the wind out of his anger. "If we don't do somethin' Malcolm the Cap'n's gonna die here!"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise then alarm. "Die? What are you talking about? The sentence was five years not life."

"Might as well have been life." Retorted Trip in a much softer, more pained, voice.

The Armoury Officer's eyes began to narrow. A suspicion nagging at his back brain. "What do you mean?"

It was the Sub-Commander who answered. "The flowers which so fascinated the Captain are kept away from people for a reason, Lieutenant."

"What reason would that be?"

She glanced at Trip but he felt too sick at heart to say the words. She said them for him. "The flowers are called the Ranik'ra Sheed. The literal translation is The Deathbloom."

For almost a minute no one spoke. The silence so utter it was painful. Lt. Reed looked aghast. "Does that mean...?"

Commander Tucker had stopped pacing. His face pale and drawn as he looked at his friend's shocked face. "Yeah, Malcolm, it means exactly what it says. Because the Cap'n touched them the poison was absorbed straight through the pores of his skin. The Volarans are immune." He paused and drew in a hitching breath. "But Humans aren't."

Lt. Reed felt his legs begin to buckle. He sat down quickly before he fell down. "Bloody hell. When we make a mistake it's never a small one is it?"

The Commander could not reply. He was close to tears. Lt. Reed took a few moments to take it all in. He looked at his two colleagues. Friends and companions both. "We have to do something."

"The Captain needs to see a doctor." Said T'Pol bluntly.

Trip shook himself out of his sorrow. Gritted his teeth and determined to find a way to get the Captain out of this in one piece. "Do ya think they'll let us bring Dr Phlox down?"

The Sub-Commander raised a single arched eyebrow. Looking at her, Lt. Reed gave a tiny shrug. "We could always ask."

* * * * *

It took the best part of six hours to convince the Volarans that Captain Archer should be seen by their own doctor. Lt Reed wanted Trip to return to Enterprise but he would not hear of it. Nothing short of phaser fire to the head would shift him. Seeing the tight set of his jaw, the Lieutenant hoped against hope that they could both save the Captain from the poison and find a way to get him back to Enterprise. Neither option was looking too good at the moment but he was convinced that if they lost the Captain they would be in danger of losing the Commander as well. The Tactical Armoury Officer felt his heart ache. His mind racing looking for alternatives. Options that would give them a way out without costing any lives.

Dr Phlox was beamed down. Seemingly not discomfited in the slightest by having his molecules scrambled. Physician Tek, the Volaran doctor, began to go through the symptoms of Captain Archer's condition. Trip tried to follow their conversation but the language kept changing and even when they spoke the Human tongue known as English it was with the convoluted technobabble of incomprehensible things. Why were medical terms always jaw crackers anyway? Why didn't anyone just tell it as it was? Distraught though he was he did not resume his pacing. Instead he took up position to the immediate right of the Captain and stood suddenly immobile and silent, his eyes speaking of the fading hope shattering in his heart as Dr. Phlox expounded his verdict. No one dared to breathe. No one stirred. In the aching silence nothing seemed to matter any more. For Commander Trip Tucker he heard only nine words. They were small words. Insignificant on their own but capable of stopping his heart in its' tracks when strung together.

"I am sorry to say the Captain is dying..."

* * * * *

Continue to Part 2

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