Unbound-Part 10

Unbound
An "Enterprise" story

By Alison M. DOBELL

RATING: P-13.
STATUS: New. SEQUEL to "NOTHING VENTURED"
ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Welcomed.
EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Commander Tucker learns something about Dr. Phlox. Ensign Sato begins to get suspicious and Sub-Commander T'Pol realises it is time to take a desperate chance."
DISCLAIMER: The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Enterprise' are the property of Paramount. No infringement of copyright is intended.

Part Ten

"NOTHING GAINED"

* * * * *

Sweat was pouring off him. His hands, arms and shoulders ached so much he could cry but there was no way he could afford to give up now. It took a supreme effort of southern bloody mindedness to activate the damn sensor and when the grate began to slide back it almost knocked him clean off the ceiling frieze. Dizzy and close to panic he felt nothing but relief when a hand appeared out of thin air and caught his flailing arm hauling his exhausted body up through the opening. Only when he was lying gasping on the grating did he realise who had saved him. He blinked, stunned, the sweat stinging his eyes but not impairing his vision one iota. He stared in shock.

"Doc?"

The Denobulan looked dreadful. Although he was still in one piece his skin had a dull bluish tinge that looked anything but healthy. His face was puffy and wet and his movements were sluggish and awkward. He could not even begin to grasp where he had got the strength and agility to do what he had done. The doctor slowly opened swollen eyes; his pupils looked a mess the equal of his body. "Shouldn't have come..." He mumbled.

"Now ya tell me." Murmured the Commander in an effort to lighten the mood.

The doctor did not smile but flopped on to his back. His mouth open, his breathing laboured. Trip felt a rush of fear and somehow managed to drag himself along the grating to reach him.

"What they do to ya, doc?"

"Torture."

Trip had figured as much but it still chilled him to hear it. "How ya feel? Can you walk?"

Dr Phlox did not even attempt to turn his head to give him a disparaging look for that remark. "Can't stand, C'mmander let alone walk."

"Ya still managed to haul my ass up before I fell. Thanks."

The doctor mumbled something, his eyelids so heavy he could scarce keep them open. The Commander was feeling a little better now he had got his wind back. He managed to sit and began to check the doctor for injuries. He quickly established that the merest touch was agony. His concern mounted.

"Have to get ya outta here."

Dr Phlox shook his head slowly. The effort of doing so nearly draining him. It was almost as if he was drugged. "No. Can't save me. Go."

"Not gonna happen so save your breath."

The eyes opened through sheer force of will, the doctor turning his head so he could look at the Commander and make eye contact. Trip noticed a clear liquid was streaming from the man's eyes but sensed it was not tears. How he knew that he had no idea. "I'm not important, Commander. Go, while you still have time."

"There is no way in hell I'm leavin' ya to those bastards. I wanna know what they did to ya and if there's anythin' ya need me to do for ya before we look for a way outta here."

"They will never let me go."

Trip blinked, sure he had misheard. "Ya mean us."

"Go Commander."

"Trip."

"You must go, Trip. Warn the Captain."

"About...?"

The prompt went unanswered. Dr Phlox closed his eyes and seemed on the brink of passing out. Trip put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. Afraid to let him pass out in case he could not rouse him again yet reluctant to cause the man any further pain. His driving force now was nearing panic. Every cell in his body screaming that they were running out of time. He was relieved to see the doctor's eyes open again.

"That was a neat trick with the blood."

Dr Phlox just stared at him.

"The thing with the morse code. Where the hell d'ya learn a thing like that?"

He did not answer. Trip was not sure whether he was simply incapable or chose to remain silent. In the end it became a moot point as the Commander felt the grating move beneath him. "What the hell...?"

He tried to brace himself but the sudden tilt turned the former ceiling into another vertical construct and without having time to locate a suitable handhold Trip felt himself falling rapidly down the grating towards the forty foot drop below. He cried out in alarm only just aware of another body flying passed him as they slid free of the grating and hit empty air.

Forty feet below them Lt Malcolm Reed looked up. He turned white as a sheet, a look of absolute horror on his face. "Oh shit!"

* * * * *

Ensign Hoshi Sato was shaking. It was not that the nightmare was particularly traumatic, horrific or even gory. It wasn't. It was the fact that it had been so *real*. Waking had been a Herculean effort for her and that had left her frightened. Wondering what would have happened had she failed to wake. She lay there breathing heavily, the blood pulsing loudly in her ears, her fright abating only slowly as she recalled the dream. The masks removed as her tormentors revealed themselves. Was it real? Where had these images come from? Why was she having these dreams - no - nightmares? And what did it mean?

She lay there for almost an hour slowly reliving the dream. Only when she at last sat up did she realise she was still fully clothed and lying on top of her bed. What was going on? Her brow furrowed with anxiety then she remembered. Not the dream but the reality. She had gone to get something from Dr Phlox for her headache only what she had found had terrified the wits out of her. As memory came cascading back to her Hoshi threw back her head and screamed.

* * * * *

Ambassador Chot seemed amused, a definite lighter air attending him as he moved across the huge audience chamber and listened to his major domo update him. "You cushioned the fall?"

"Yes, Excellency."

"Did they see your shade?"

"No, Excellency."

"And the other?"

"He appears to be distressed, in shock."

"Then his mind is open?"

The two Zenari stared at each other.

"What did you read?"

"He thinks the Commander's back is broken."

"And the spy?"

"He has no further injuries, Excellency. The Chief Engineer inadvertently broke his fall."

"Monitor the Lieutenant more closely. Harvest his thoughts but do not touch his mind directly. He is naturally untrusting, suspicious and wary. His duties mirror his nature."

"Yes, Excellency. What of the others?"

"Let the Lieutenant tend them for now."

When Kentak had gone the Ambassador approached the dais and waited in silence. After a few moments a column of heavy air drifted down from the high vaulted ceiling, darkening in its' descent until it hovered on the crystal dais in deepest shadow. "Did you find the engineer's shade?"

"No, Excellency. I found something more troubling."

"Speak."

"It was detected by the Vulcan and has been neutralised."

The Ambassador hid his surprise. They had always known it was a possibility but he had not expected Sub-Commander T'Pol to be so astute. They had underestimated the Vulcan. It must not be allowed to happen again. "Recover the body."

"Your pardon, Excellency, but I cannot find it."

Something dark and fell sparked in the Ambassador's eyes. "I would know had it been destroyed. Find it!"

"Excellency, the Vulcan has done something with it. It is hidden from us."

For a long moment there was silence. "Go to the Captain. The time is almost upon us."

"Yes, Excellency."

"It is time we demonstrated the full impact of their folly."

* * * * *

Lt Reed was almost beside himself. Commander Tucker lay at an unnatural angle on the floor, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Eyes glazed more with shock that with pain. Carefully he straightened his limbs and only received a low moan in response. "Trip? Trip, for God's sake, say something!"

Trip blinked slowly, sighed then looked at his friend. "Ow?"

"Very bloody funny. You could have been killed. As it is you almost gave me a ruddy heart attack."

"Ya don't have a heart Malcolm."

The Armoury Officer was surprised how much the light hearted comment hurt. He blinked rapidly for a moment then got back to the serious business of assessing his injuries. "Just lie still, Commander, and tell me where it hurts."

There was silence. Lt Reed frowned at the Chief Engineer. Dr Phlox was lying unconscious but breathing next to him. How that little miracle was possible the Armoury Officer did not know but he was not about to question their good fortune.

"Commander? Trip?"

Trip wet his lips slowly. "I don't feel any pain, Malcolm."

"Nonsense, after a fall like that you must be in agony."

The Commander gave him a calm level look which frightened the Armoury Officer more than if he had been writhing in pain. "No, Malcolm. I don't feel a thing."

All the air seemed to huff out of the Lieutenant's body. If anything he went even paler than he already was. Quite a feat when he looked like parchment anyway. "Nothing?" He asked faintly.

"Not a twinge."

For a moment his friend was lost for words. Oh God, he was paralysed. He tried to stay positive, to not give in to the threat of depression. He scooted closer and put a hand on Trip's chest. "Do you feel that?" He asked quietly.

"No."

Lt Reed bit back the threat of tears. "Okay, I'm going to test your reflexes next."

"Mal..."

"Just bear with me and let me know if you feel anything."

"Mal..."

"I'll start with your right shoulder."

"Malcolm!"

He paused, swallowed hard and stared at Trip with frightened eyes.

"It's okay, Malcolm." Said Trip quietly. "There's nothing you can do. No one's fault."

His friend sniffed and blinked back tears. Where the bloody hell had they come from? "Don't you DARE give up, Commander!"

"Not givin' up just not foolin' myself either and ya need to do the same."

"Trip, we'll find a way..."

"Malcolm, stop it. We're both adults, we knew what we'd be gettin' into. I need ya to check on Phlox for me. It seems the bastards tortured him."

Malcolm was sitting on the floor between his two friends and for a moment Trip thought he was going to lose it. He had never seen the Brit so close to unraveling. "This was supposed to be such a marvelous sodding adventure." He sniffed. "So bleeding heroic, the first star ship from Earth to explore the bloody galaxy. Meet exotic alien lifeforms." He huffed darkly. "What a ruddy joke. We found aliens alright and most of them either want to blow us to kingdom come, mate with us - well," He broke off and gave Trip a sheepish look. "Mate with *you*..."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!"

"...or rob us blind."

"Risa wasn't my fault either."

A smile almost made it to Lt Reed's face. "You do seem to have an inordinate number of mishaps, Commander. Maybe we should rename you 'Jonah'."

"The galaxy hates me."

"Oh, I rather think not."

"How'd'ya come to that mind dazzlin' conclusion?"

A half smile quirked up the side of Lt Reed's mouth. "You're still here aren't you?"

So intent on buoying each other up were the friends that they failed to notice a slight change in air pressure. The clear shade of the Zenari aide undetected as it settled behind Lt Reed. As the Armoury Officer leaned forward to reach Dr Phlox the Commander got a glimpse of something on the extreme edge of visibility flickering behind him. It was almost like a hint of smoke with something bright twinkling in its' depths. Some instinct set off every alarm bell in his head.

"Malcolm! Look out behind ya!"

Lt Reed looked at Trip in surprise. Something very heavy suddenly impacted on the Commander's lungs knocking all the breath out of him. He felt a darkness closing in on his brain. The struggle to stay conscious was almost beyond him. From very far away he heard a voice. Funny. Sounded kind of familiar only he could not place it. The voice was telling him to trust him. To hang on to him. Yeah. Funny man. How do you hang on to a voice? Yet he clung to it, a desperate man hanging on to a piece of straw to keep from drowning. Not even thinking about how flimsy a construct it was to keep him afloat. Funny how when all else fails and reason takes a hike instinct kicks in. His eyes were heavy, closing. His body shutting down. Lungs almost flattened now. Air a precious commodity he could no longer afford. *Hang on*, the voice yelled in quiet desperation. *Sorry. You'll have to do it for me*. Then darkness came and slammed shut the door that was being held open for him.

* * * * *

Captain Jonathan Archer glared at the Sub-Commander. He had asked her to see him in his ready room and now the two of them stood facing each other. The tension in the air was palpable. The Captain took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

"I've spoke to Lt Reed and he is as alarmed as I am. We have to find Commander Tucker."

"Captain, you cannot trust the man you think is Lt Reed."

Anger flashed in the Captain's eyes. He slammed his right hand down on the table top to emphasis his point. "I am sick to the back teeth of your paranoid accusations, Sub-Commander! I've spoken to Lt Reed and can assure you he is the same man I took on board at the beginning of this mission."

"Captain..."

"No, enough! I'm not listening to any more of this nonsense. We have enough problems without inventing more." He paused briefly. "I would have thought your Vulcan logic would have precluded such flights of fancy, Sub-Commander."

She just stared at him, her face an expressionless blank. She buried the growing worry deep inside her. Glad now that she had not fully confided in the Captain. Things were even worse than she had suspected.

"Now, I'm going to ask you for the last time to tell me what happened between the Vulcans and the Zenari when they made first contact."

Sub-Commander T'Pol had known this moment would come. Had anticipated all the things she would say to protect the information. Now it seemed a pointless failsafe. The Zenari had made far more progress than she expected. The Captain's obdurate tunnel vision was playing right into their hands and that made her suspect something else. There was only one way to test her theory and the cost would be high. "Very well, Captain. I will tell you."

* * * * *

Ensign Travis Mayweather sat in the observation deck looking out at the stars. He felt as if he had wandered into an episode of the Outer Limits. He wanted to pinch himself and wake up but the depressing fact that it was real circumvented that nice little fantasy. He was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when Hoshi came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. She snatched her hand back and looked immediately contrite. "Sorry, Travis."

He was about to tell her it was alright when he got a good look at her face and noticed she had been crying. "Hoshi? What is it, what's the matter?"

Tears welled up at the sound of concern in his voice. "I'm sorry, I'm probably over reacting."

Travis scooted up to make room for her and bade her sit. She sat down gratefully and Travis took her hands in his. "What happened?"

"I... I thought I was dreaming." She looked away briefly before continuing. "Thought I was imagining things."

"What things?"

"When we got back from Zeon I was so happy. So many new languages, such an interesting culture. I was in awe."

Ensign Mayweather nodded but did not say anything.

"Then I started getting these really bad headaches. I eventually went to see Dr Phlox." She did not notice that Travis was now holding his breath. Her eyes were widening with distress. He squeezed her hands gently in his and waited for her to explain. "It was awful Travis. At first he just sat up and grinned at me with that huge V-shaped smile of his then he opened his mouth..."

"It's alright Hoshi. Go on."

"I thought it was quiet in there."

He looked blankly at her. What did that have to do with...?

"When he opened his mouth I saw bits and pieces. Fur and bone and what looked like skin..." She shuddered. "Travis, it was the remains of his bat."

Travis looked shocked. "What?" She had to be mistaken. Dr Phlox loved that hideous creature. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. He seemed amused by my distress. Took great pleasure chewing down slowly and crunching on the bones so I heard every one of them break. When I tried to back out he caught hold of me and sat me on a chair. I noticed then that I could not see or hear any of his animals."

"You mean...?"

"I think he ate them all."

The Ensign made a face. "That's disgusting." Even though he had suspected Dr Phlox might be an imposter he had not expected to hear such graphic confirmation. "Then what happened?"

She looked sick. "He regurgitated it."

Travis paled.

"Everything he had eaten, Travis, it was horrible!"

"Why would he do that?"

Tears broke ranks and flowed down her cheeks. "That was when he started to feed it to me..."

* * * * *

Dr Phlox was in so much pain yet his peripheral senses remained sharp. Alert. He was aware of the Zenari presence shadowing the Armoury Officer and was surprised it had not infected the Lieutenant with its' shade to take over the human. He realised after a few moments that the Zenari wanted the human's mind uncontaminated for some reason. Why? They had shown no qualms in copying the three of them. Who knew what havoc their shades were causing back on Enterprise. He had to warn the Captain but how? The three of them were trapped. Part of the Zenari's vast unfolding plan. The humans were but a small part of a larger plot that covered both vast distances and time. How many species were being drawn into their nefarious web? He knew some of it but not all. Had spent years being trained, building the expertise he would need and the connections that would be so vital to carry out his duty. The Vulcans were indeed far more accomplished than their Human protégé would ever suspect. And that fact had protected their Human charges for so long.

He lowered his temperature slowly, bringing his breathing into a shallow murmur of inhalations that barely raised his diaphragm. He was laying half on his side, his bloated body covered in something that looked like blue bruises. His puffed out face was slimy with the excretions that protected his loss of body temperature and prevented his skin from drying out in the Zenari atmosphere. His eyes were sore, his ears hurt yet he extended his senses even more. They were in dire straits especially the Commander. He knew it amused the Zenari to immobilise the Chief Engineer yet keep him conscious to witness what was to come. At least now that he had been rendered unconscious by Kentak's shade when he tried to warn Lt Reed his body could gain a little of the rest it so badly needed. Dr Phlox was afraid that luxury would be short lived. He concentrated on the Lieutenant. Felt the Zenari extending his hold on the Armoury Officer and tried to still the rage longing to erupt in the man's defense. These were good people and he was meant to protect them. Monitor their progress. Watch over them. But the Zenari were nothing if not inventive in their deadly arts.

Quiet. Still. Affecting a state of near hibernation he used his body's inactivity to free his mind still further embracing all the techniques and skills at his command. Reaching out tentatively to make contact with Lt Reed. The Englishman sat in stunned silence. The Zenari now exerting his shade over him, the Lieutenant resisting with the remnants of his will. Privately, Dr Phlox was impressed with him. The Lieutenant was no push over. The Zenari thus distracted, the doctor was able to insert his own consciousness on the periphery of the shade then - quickly before it could detect him and mount an adequate defense - he flooded the shade with his fractured consciousness using the disruptive thought patterns like sharp knives of the mind to cut and thrust and rent and tear apart the fabric of chaos that sought to contain and manipulate his friend. The scream was unearthly. It came from the shade but used Lt Reed's vocal chords to vent its' pain and fury. Dark light coalesced and crackled sending tremors through the crystal floor and making the walls quake. The doctor ignored any possibility of danger from the room collapsing. If this failed they were worse than dead. Better a tomb than an unending nightmare of doom.

* * * * *

Continue to Part 11

Return to Part 9

Return to Unbound MENU page.

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

A handful of people have made comments

Wow! That chapter had some twists and turns in it! I love how you're incorporating all the characters. Great stuff! Thanks!

Good chapter. I do hope we'll actually see Hoshi/Travis report what happened with Phlox to Archer. And shouldn't Archer do something to safeguard his crew against Phlox?

I'm dying to know the details of what happened to the Vulcans. Are we going to find out soon, are are you going to drag it out another chapter? :)

Crumbs!
I am amazed at Archer's blinkered attitude and am hoping that there is a reason behind it other than stupidity:)
What nasty characters these Zenari are, how could they do such things and how are our poor heroes going to get out of this one?
I can't wait for the next instalment.

Have just read chapters seven through ten and wow!...excellent, Ali. Your imaginatiion never fails to amaze me. Looking forward to the continuation.

Have just read chapters seven through ten and wow!...excellent, Ali. Your imagination never fails to amaze me. Looking forward to the continuation.