Disclaimer : I own only the Larneian race , nothing else.

Chapter Two

Crash Landed

Archer sat back in his chair after signing off from talking to Admiral Forrest. The Admiral didn't think anything of the mysterious comm. signals, except to suggest that perhaps Jon's communications officer and linguist needed some real R and R. Archer had frowned at that, but even he had to admit that in five days nothing had come of the communications. He stood and went out to the Bridge, where Trip, Hoshi and T'Pol were all engrossed in something.

"Something up?" Archer asked. His three officers looked up, Hoshi and Trip were almost wriggling with excitement, and even T'Pol looked piqued.

"We found 'em Cap'n." Trip announced before Hoshi could get a word in. She frowned at him and Trip smiled. "Well, Hoshi found 'em 'nyway. We were just tryin' t'boost the signal before callin' ya."

"Can we get it on audio?"

"We require a few minutes to finish boosting the signal." T'Pol answered.

Archer was happy to settle for that. And about ten minutes later, Hoshi patched in the signals to the Bridge audio system. A babble of noises emerged, but in amongst the sounds were, unmistakeably, voices. Trip, stood behind Hoshi at the communications controls, patted the Ensign on the back and offered her a smile. Archer was watching her too; he gave her a nod of encouragement. The voices were speaking, unsurprisingly, some form of alien language. There was some form of conversation, but one side sounded more stressed than the other. At first, it sounded to Hoshi like an argument – like a teenager arguing with his or her parents, but it soon became obvious, to her at least, that someone was reporting back from some situation or other, and the calmer voice was issuing new orders.

"Can we run it through the Universal Translator?" Archer asked.

"I'm trying." Hoshi replied. "But I think the signal's still too weak. Can we increase the power, Subcommander?"

"Perhaps," Archer interjected, "we should concentrate on finding the source?"

"A sound idea Captain." T'Pol replied.

"You and Hoshi get on it. Let me know when you have something. Trip…"

"I'll get back to my Engines, Cap'n." Tucker replied dully, aware his work on the bridge was done, but disappointed to be cut out of the chain at this point. "Good luck to y'all."

Whilst Enterprise carried the crew at Warp Two, Hoshi took the time to begin running the recordings through the Universal Translator. When it failed to come up with anything, Hoshi took some new recordings, tried to feed out the background noises. No wonder the UT was having trouble – there was one language, but two sets of communications, each in a distinctly different dialect. She ran each set through separately, meanwhile set about learning both dialects, in case she was needed on an Away Team.

"Senior Officers to the Bridge." Archer stretched and pushed Porthos off the bed, as the call came through. They must have reached their destination, indeed moments later he felt Enterprise slip out of Warp speed. He took a moment to straighten his uniform, and made his way to the Bridge. He met Trip outside the Turbolift, but few words were exchanged. The remaining senior crew piled onto the Bridge moments after the Captain and Chief Engineer. From his seat in the centre, Archer noted that Hoshi, looking fatigued, was still at her post. He suspected that she had never left. Malcolm Reed, Armoury officer, was now sat at his post, alert and ready for whatever the situation might throw at them. Travis Mayweather, Enterprise's resident boomer, was sliding into his seat directly in front of the Captain. His fingers slid across the controls, releasing the Helm to his control. The young Ensign looked refreshed, as if he'd had a long enjoyable nap. Archer wished silently that he'd been able to sleep. But there was something niggling in the back of his mind that he couldn't shift. Something funny about those voices…

T'Pol was, as ever, a picture of Vulcan calm in amongst the highly emotional humans. Trip looked impatient, but then, the Chief Engineer was always impatient when it came to new life forms.

"How far are we from the source of those transmissions?" He asked T'Pol.

"They appear to be emanating from the fourth planet of the next system." The Vulcan replied smoothly. "At present speed…"

"Currently travelling at three-quarter impulse speed sir." Travis reported.

"… we will reach the planet in twenty-two point seven minutes." T'Pol finished.

"Good." Archer praised them. He turned to Hoshi. "Any luck with the translator?"

Hoshi sighed tiredly. "The UT had a lot of trouble with the lexis of one of the dialects. It seems to run on a similar scale to Shakespearian English. However, I think it'll hold up." She crossed her fingers where Archer couldn't see them. "And sir… the translator deciphered those recordings we took. They're military communicae. We may be heading into some sort of battle zone."

"Run a full planetary analysis." Archer ordered tensely. He wanted to know what was going on down there. The planet reminded him of Earth, but not their Earth – the Earth they had all seen in pictures, green and unindustrialised. It had more land than sea, but there was no immediate evidence of any form of battle zone.

"Results coming through." T'Pol answered a few moments later. "A Mensharen class planet, the air comprises of 68 per cent nitrogen, twenty-eight per cent oxygen, the remaining four per cent is made up of carbon dioxide, and other gases, not unlike Earth's atmosphere. Vegetation similar to Earth's Cretaceous period. No evidence of humanoid life, no large…."

"No humanoids?" Trip interrupted. "Then who the hell was making those noises?"

"I do not know." The Subcommander replied.

"Those signals definitely came from this planet?" Archer snapped.

"Affirmative." T'Pol answered coldly.

"Looks like whoever it was upped 'n' went." Trip commented.

"Run a full sensor scan of the system, check the long range sensors, and see if there's anyone left here." Archer looked over at his friend. "Trip, organise yourself an Away Team."

"Yes sir!" Trip responded enthusiastically. It was a rare thing for the Engineer to get off Enterprise let alone lead an away team, but Archer knew that Trip needed something to challenge him.

"No heroics, Trip, just go down there, take a look around and come back, okay?"

"Aye Cap'n." He replied, in a dutifully dull tone. "Hoshi? Care to come along? Don't look like we'll be havin' any fun, but just in case the translator goes down and we need it?"

"Sure." Hoshi stood to join him.

"Crewman Leighton, report to Shuttlepod One."

"On my way." Came the response.

"Try to keep the engines in one piece 'til I get back." Trip shot at Travis before making for the Turbolift.

"All set?" Trip asked, settling into the pilot's seat. Hoshi nodded, and Crewman Leighton murmured an 'Aye sir' from behind him. Trip wasn't sure why he'd requested Leighton to join them, he figured it had something to do with the fact that he was sick of having too many damn scientists and not enough engineers on these Away missions. Besides, Leighton had done him a couple of favours recently and didn't have much experience with Away missions, so he figured he was doing her a favour in return. Her file said she'd also had some security training before acing quantum physics and changing careers.

"Shuttlepod One, you are cleared for launch."

"This is Shuttlepod One, all systems go." Trip responded jovially. "See y'in a few hours."

The journey down to the planet's surface had so far been uneventful. Trip hoped that in the future someone would make these escapades much faster so that others didn't have to suffer the boredom he was currently feeling. But then, he supposed that soon enough everyone would be using the Transporter systems. Hoshi and Leighton seemed to be getting on well though, which was a bonus. Leighton was quite the comedienne and had had them all in fits of laughter more than once, after she had opened up a little. Trip had decided long ago that an hour enclosed in a shuttlepod could be enough to make or break a friendship.

"Sir?" Leighton spoke up suddenly, breaking off mid-joke. "I'm detecting huge energy readings, right below us…"

"Slowing descent." Trip responded, sitting up straight and allowing his hands to glide across the Helm console. He looked at his display. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Looks like it's been there all the time." Leighton answered.

"What is it?" Hoshi asked the two engineers, at a loss as to what was being shown on the consoles in front of her.

"Was." Trip frowned at his console. "It's gone."

"Some form of energy barrier." Leighton informed Hoshi. "Should we contact Enterprise?"

"I don't think that's nece… What the hell!?!" Trip yelled as the Shuttlepod, which had just begun to descend smoothly once more, spun out of control. A klaxon sounded, making communication difficult.

"That energy field took a bite out of us!" Leighton shouted indignantly over the noise, sounding for all the universe to Trip as if she'd just been bitten by a new puppy.

"The port thruster's gone!" Hoshi called to Trip.

"Starboard one's givin' out too." Trip answered. "Leighton, I need those secondary thrusters!"

"Inoperable." Was the somewhat muted reply.

"Hang on! This is goin' t'be rough!"

All that Leighton and Hoshi could do was to brace themselves in their seats as Trip tried to slow their descent. He knew it was hopeless, but he had to try for the sake of the lives of those he had chosen for the Away mission. He murmured a prayer to whoever was watching over them as the Shuttlepod plunged helplessly to the surface.

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