Disclaimers, etc. in the teaser.
Author's Note: No, we're not in the Mirror Universe. But the real universe can get dark in places, too, and it doesn't help when elements of the Mirror Universe suddenly show up there.
Thanks as always, reviewers!
Closest to the door were the four boots, a jumble of masculine and feminine. Next lay sprawled a blue uniform and a lighter blue catsuit, then a black shirt, a grey tank top, a blue tank top. Finally, a pair of blue underwear and a pair of grey panties lay discarded on the deck next to the bed, where a rich purple coverlet also lay in a heap.
Up on the bunk, a naked Vulcan lay prone across the chest of an equally naked Human. Both were panting and covered with a fine sheen of perspiration.
"That's more like it," the Human said.
The Vulcan, somewhat uncharacteristically, sighed. "Agreed."
The Human turned so that they were nested together on their sides. "You know that thing I said about this thing between us not being such a big deal?"
"Yes," she said, with a hint of an edge in her voice.
His voice turned husky. "I lied."
He couldn't see her raise her eyebrow, but he might have felt her tense slightly.
He sighed and caressed her arm. "So we're bonded."
"Apparently."
"That could explain a hell of a lot, actually."
She said nothing.
"So, T'Pol?"
"Yes?" She turned to look at him.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me about any of this before I transferred off the damned ship?"
x x x
Jonathan Archer started awake. What was that annoying ping?
Oh. The comm.
"Archer," he groaned, glancing at his monitor: 0229.
Crewman Petrovich's voice was apologetic. "Sorry to wake you, Captain, but Ambassador Graal wishes to speak with you. He says it's urgent."
Jon sighed, trying to remember whether a Tellarite would be offended by a man's naked chest. Of course, if that didn't bother him, something else was bound to. "Give me a minute and then patch it through." He quickly hunted for a shirt he could pull over his head.
"Ambassador?" he said, when Graal's distinctive snout appeared. "How can I help you?" He knew he should probably try to find something rude to say, but he wasn't quite awake enough for that.
"Just what do you Humans think you're up to?"
Jon blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Three days ago we came across two of your kind in a shuttle craft. They were being pursued by an Orion marauder. They claimed to be escaping from Orion slavery, and asked for our help."
"I trust you assisted them?"
"We did. At the time, we thought we were allies."
Was that just another Tellarite insult? Jon took a deep breath and desperately tried to think of something offensive. "I don't know of any reason why that would have changed, Ambassador, as unpleasant as our association can be." There, maybe that would do. "Can you give me any more information on the two people you're talking about?"
"They claim to be two survivors of a freighter captured by the Orions, the Martin Ennals."
"That ship was reported missing over five months ago. I guess we know what happened to it now."
"That's not why I called you. The shuttle they were in was built on Earth. It was traveling at a speed in excess of warp three."
Jon stared back at him in puzzlement. "We don't have any warp-capable shuttles."
"It also had shielding better than anything we've seen so far, even from the Vulcans."
"Ambassador, we don't even have shields on Enterprise."
"Before my people officially declare war on yours, perhaps you'd like to explain just what kind of diabolical double game you've been playing?"
Jon squinted at the screen at an utter loss.
It would be so nice to wake up now.
x x x
In a Tellarite sickbay redolent with the aroma of warm mud, Dr. Phlox scanned two weary Humans, a man and a woman. He turned to Archer and reported, "They are suffering from malnutrition and they also show evidence of assault and trauma, as well as some mild neural damage consistent with the use of Orion control devices. Their symptoms are entirely consistent with what they've told us."
The Tellarite surgeon in attendance snuffled in agreement. "It is not an uncommon syndrome in this region of space."
"Those Orions are a menace against our peoples and our commerce," Jon said. "It's time we did something to stop them."
Graal said, "Yet it appears you Humans already have all the technology you could possibly require to defeat them. Perhaps it serves your purpose to let these Orions terrorize our people."
"You keep talking about advanced technology," Jon said. "But we're not a match for even your fleet, as you well know, and we're also still years behind the Vulcans and the Andorians. I have yet to see any of this technology you keep jabbering on about." He was doing his level best to keep his tone combative instead of baffled, but the effort of doing so was giving him a headache.
"It's being studied by our best engineers and tacticians, of course," Graal said. "We're not the fools you apparently take us for."
"The technology we saw was amazing, Captain," said the tall young man who'd identified himself as Ahmed Khan, the engineer's mate aboard the Martin Ennals. "And it was definitely an Earth ship ... it had emblems of the planet all over it. But we believe it may be a ship from Earth's future. And it was not a particularly nice future." He frowned at his much shorter companion, Tamar Cardini, a cargo specialist.
They were just two of the original fourteen missing crewmen from the Martin Ennals – and as far as they knew, the only two who had survived, except for a third companion, Seth Carter, who they said had covered their escape.
"The Martin Ennals was over thirty years old, Mr. Khan. Are you sure it didn't just seem advanced compared to what you're used to?"
Khan exchanged a sour glance with Cardini, who said, "We knew you would have trouble believing us. That's why we brought a copy of the database with us."
"Great," Archer said. "Where is it?"
Khan nodded his head towards Graal. "They have it … like everything else."
Jon turned to Graal, frowning. "At least show me what he's talking about."
Graal pulled a data chip out of his vest and put it in Jon's hand. "This is a copy. You can be certain we're already acting on the original. I will allow you to take these people back with you, but that's it. I thought I knew you, Archer, and that's the only reason I'm giving you this opportunity. I suggest that you do not waste any time in explaining what we see here. And kindly do it in a way that doesn't insult our intelligence."
Jon stared at him, nonplussed. If it was rude NOT to insult Tellarites, what the hell did that mean? He snarled, "You people obviously have this all wrong, which shouldn't surprise me. Just give me 24 hours, Ambassador. By then I should have an explanation that even you can understand."
Graal snorted thoughtfully. "Take as long as you like, Archer. We have mobilized our forces. Until we have our answers, you and your pathetic excuse for a ship aren't going anywhere."
Perhaps the situation wasn't completely irretrievable. At least Graal had finally thrown an insult at him.
x x x
"Here are your guest quarters," Travis said, opening the two opposing doors. "Let me know if you need anything at all. I grew up on a freighter myself - the Horizon."
"I've heard of her," Tamar said. "Is their Captain Mayweather a relation of yours?"
"My brother," Travis said. "They avoid this region of space. He says it's not worth the risk."
"Your brother's right," Ahmed said. "I think I'll stick close to home after this. Assuming we ever get home." He walked into the cabin and looked out the window at the Tellarite ships hanging in a ring around Enterprise.
Travis followed him in, as did Tamar. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. Captain Archer and Ambassador Graal are old friends. The captain will work something out."
"Can I stay with you, Ahmed?" Tamar said. "I don't want my own cabin."
"Yeah, I know," Ahmed said, and turned to Mayweather. "We won't need the other one."
"I'm sorry," Travis said. "I didn't realize you two were together."
"We're not," Tamar said. "Not really. But if there's one thing we figured out fast in that hell-hole, it's that you never want to be alone." She sighed and turned to the window. "Poor Seth."
"He might be okay," Ahmed told her. "He's pretty tough."
"He helped us escape," Tamar told Travis. "And if they figured that out, he's already dead. If they didn't, he's dead anyway, sooner or later. They work you and starve you to point of exhaustion, and then when you just can't go on anymore, they cook you. And the worst part is, your old comrades are starving so badly, they just go ahead and eat. Do you think there's any chance your captain will be able to help him?"
Travis swallowed. "I don't know."
"We shouldn't have left him behind," she said mournfully, staring out at space. "We don't deserve to be here, safe and comfortable, when he's not."
"It was the only way," Ahmed said. "You never know, Tamar. He might still make it out." He put his hands on her shoulders and she turned and leaned into him for a comforting hug. "I count at least four cruisers out there, Mr. Mayweather. Can this ship outrun four Tellarite cruisers?"
"I assure you, the captain is doing his level best to make sure we won't need to."
Tamar didn't take her head out of where she had buried it in Ahmed's chest, so her voice was quite muffled as she said, "Our captain did his best, too. They served him for breakfast."
