Romulan Reality
"Hoshi?" called Archer from the doorway to get her attention. She looked up expectantly from her universal translator. "I have a job for you." he told her.
She glanced at Tomarek and the guard standing behind him, tucked the universal translator into a pocket, and nodded.
"What kind of job?" she questioned, walking toward the door.
"Commander Tomarek has graciously decided that we may get in touch with the ship. I need you to operate their comm system for me, ensign." he said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Aye, sir." said Hoshi, managing to brighten up too.
Tomarek led them through the dim, narrow corridors of the ship to a small room that reminded Archer of his own bridge on the Enterprise, except that it had no view screen. A few Romulans were on the bridge, working quietly at their stations. Tomarek took a seat in a chair on a slightly raised platform and gestured toward a console near the front of the bridge.
"You may work at the main communications station, ensign." he told her.
"Thank you." she said, approaching the set of consoles.
"What do you think of my bridge, captain?" inquired Tomarek as Archer stood a polite distance away from Hoshi, watching her work.
"It's a little like my bridge. I like it very much." commented Archer.
"Explain." said Tomarek with a vague gesture and a quick smile.
"Well, we have a view screen and a couple of adjoining rooms, but the over all set up is very similar." Archer told him.
"Utility, captain, I would imagine. The reason this vessel does not have a view screen is that ships of war, even privateering ships and the like, are not equipped with them. The technology is reserved to science and exploration vessels because of its enormous power drain." Tomarek explained.
"I see." nodded Captain Archer, surprised that Tomarek was revealing something about his ship for a change.
"Has your vessel managed to compensate for the depletion of resources?"
"Actually, the view screen does draw off a lot of power, but it is so useful that we consider the amount acceptable. The Enterprise, after all, is not a ship of war, but a vessel of exploration, commander." he answered.
"I think I can patch you through to the ship now, sir." said Hoshi, glancing over her shoulder at Archer.
"Go ahead." he told her.
"I've got it." she said, giving him a nod.
Malcolm bolted upright in his seat as the voice came over the comm system. He left out a sighing breath of relief as he came to his feet.
"Archer to the Enterprise. Are you there, Enterprise?" questioned the voice of the captain over an audio only channel.
"We are, captain." said Malcolm, giving a nod to Ensign Knight, who was already working very industriously to trace the signal. "And where might you be, sir?" he inquired as the surprise began to wear off.
"I am aboard a Romulan ship, the White Hawk. We are all perfectly fine. We just had a little mishap with the shuttlepod." Archer informed him.
"That's good to hear, sir. Did you locate Sub-commander T'Pol?"
"Yes, we found her." said Archer. Malcolm could almost hear him grin.
"Should I send a shuttlepod for you, sir?"
"That won't be necessary. I believe that Commander Tomarek will either be docking with the Enterprise or possibly helping us to repair our shuttlepod. Until then we are enjoying his hospitality."
The words sounded just a little forced, but Malcolm knew that his captain was probably dealing with the cultural and diplomatic nuances of an alien culture.
"We could use the transporter to move you from one ship to another if there's a problem, sir." said Malcolm, trying to keep his tone conversational.
Captain Archer chuckled and said, "I don't think that will be necessary either, Malcolm. I know we've probably given the crew something of a scare, but everything is perfectly all right. We should be home by sometime tomorrow."
"Of course, sir."
"Good then. Archer out."
Ensign Knight closed the channel and looked at the lieutenant, who seemed suddenly quite contemplative.
"Sir, I've traced the signal to the far side of the planet." he said.
"To a ship in orbit?" questioned Reed.
"Yes, sir."
"Good job, ensign." he acknowledged before turning to Ensign Mayweather at the helm. "Adjust our orbit to bring us closer to the other ship. I want to be nearby, just in case we're needed." said Malcolm, frowning.
Something did set well with the Armory officer. Maybe it was the captain's tone, or the audio only transmission, or the fact that the White Hawk was so far away. It was that last fact that explained why they could not reach the communicators carried by the away team. But was it intentional? Was there some strange, alien plot behind all of this? Reed did not now for certain, but it seemed suspicious.
"Course plotted, sir." affirmed Mayweather.
"Well, Captain Archer, I am certain that you will sleep better tonight, knowing that your crew is no longer frantically searching for you." chuckled Tomarek. "That was done with both efficiency and finesse, ensign." he acknowledged as Hoshi stepped away from the comm panel. She nodded politely.
"We appreciate using your communications system, commander. I know how difficult it can be to trust strangers, especially since you haven't exactly caught us at our best." said Archer.
"No commander found absent from the bridge of his ship is ever at his best." said Tomarek with a smile that still looked full of guile and shrewdness. "But tell me, captain, a little more about your ship. I am interested in its weapons, for instance. Do you have weapons or, since yours is a vessel of science and so forth, have you forgone such measures?" he inquired.
Captain Archer felt a shiver run up his spine as he stood before Tomarek in his captain's chair. He could almost feel Hoshi tense beside him where she stood waiting.
"We have some weapons, but they are meant to be used only for defense." Archer informed him.
"I see. Would you mind elaborating, captain?"
"If it's all the same to you, commander, I would rather not."
"It isn't. In fact it is most imperative that I have this information. And, captain, I have other ways of getting it that simply asking in a polite and conversational tone." said Tomarek with a sneer.
"I thought we were your guests, Tomarek. Do you threaten guests?"
The Romulan captain gave a very dry laugh at the question and said, "Now that you have contacted your ship, I know that we shall be undisturbed for many hours. I have until sometime tomorrow to question you before your ship becomes even slightly suspicious. They have probably ceased all search operations. But since you sent your message to them, we now have their coordinates, whereas previously I wasn't even certain which ship your Enterprise was. Now I know."
"Which means?"
"That I require data regarding the weapons systems of your vessel, its defensive capabilities, and so forth and so on. It would not do for us to meet them without it." said Tomarek.
"So all of this was just to get information?"
"My people value our sense of safety. We like to know what potential enemies are capable of. That is what this is about, captain."
"But we aren't your enemies." objected Archer.
"I am only a commander of a privateering ship, who is following the guidelines laid down by his superiors. It is certainly nothing personal, as I have found your crew and yourself very charming." answered Tomarek, a condescending tone in his voice.
"And I have enjoyed your hospitality, but I don't understand why it must come to this."
"If you are not inclined to talk, remember that I have all night and that I can test your ship's ... abilities for myself at any time." said Tomarek.
"Then you will have to wait all night." answered Archer.
"So be it." said the Romulan. "Guards," he called, "take them back to
their quarters. We will finish this in the morning."
T'Pol had been resting quietly while Tucker paced in an exercise in futility, but both activities were interrupted by the sound of his communicator beeping. T'Pol sat up as he answered it.
"Trip here." he answered, taking a seat with the sub-commander.
"We have a problem, commander. The Romulan has threatened us." said Archer, who had just returned to quarters with Ensign Sato.
"I knew there was something fishy here. What does he want from us?" questioned Tucker.
"Information on the Enterprise. Weapons. Defense. You know."
"Then we have to get out of here." said Trip.
"Don't I know it. He let us contact the ship before he made his threats, so there's no chance of the cavalry coming. If only we could get out of these rooms ..." said Archer.
Tucker immediately thought of Selarev, but shook his head, thinking, "I doubt he would help us, even if he were sympathetic."
"Captain, you should be advised that Romulan brutality is legendary. It may be more advisable to tell Tomarek what he wants to know than to undergo the kind of torture they are capable of inflicting." said T'Pol.
"That isn't an option. I want a plan that is." said Archer.
"I don't know if this would work, but I met a guard, a centurion, who seemed more human or at least more Vulcan. Maybe he would help us get to the shuttlepod and leave in peace." suggested Trip.
"It's a long shot, isn't it?" sighed Captain Archer.
"Yes, sir, but I don't think we can do any better."
"Find that guard then, Trip."
Selarev secured his weapon as he entered the quarters, glancing at T'Pol, who was lying down, and at Tucker, who was leaning against the bulkhead. He looked puzzled.
"You wanted to speak to me, Tucker?" he inquired.
"I just got word from Captain Archer that your commander threatened him to try to get information. It looks like he doesn't plan to let us go anytime soon, if ever, Selarev."
"You are certain of this?"
"Yes." answered Trip.
"Tucker, I don't believe that my commander would harm any of you, least of all your captain. You have done nothing to us and obviously pose little threat to the empire." said Selarev, shaking his head, but obviously having doubts.
"All we want to do is leave. We just want to go back to our ship. Can you help us, Selarev?" asked Trip, shaking his head.
He frowned and asked, "Do you have a plan?"
"I just need five more minutes with our shuttlepod to get it space-worthy again." Trip told him, gambling.
"And you need someone who can get you to the shuttle bay and open the doors?" questioned Selarev.
"Exactly." said Trip, suddenly optimistic that Selarev would comply.
"If we were caught, it would certainly mean my death. Your circumstance would also suffer." he informed Tucker, glancing at T'Pol as she watched impassively from the lower bunk.
"I know it's a lot to ask, but I think you're our only hope."
Selarev shifted uncomfortably and said, "If what you say about Commander Tomarek is true, then it cannot be allowed. We are not jackals or wolves that prey on the less fortunate. We are Romulans. Taking that into account, it seems that I must assist you."
"Thank you, Selarev."
"I know you must have a way to contact your captain. Prepare him for my coming, and I will bring his other officer and him here. Then we will go to the shuttle bay when I have taken care of the guards." he said resolutely.
"Will do." agreed Tucker.
"Most of the crew are off duty right now, but the guards change in one hour. We must go before then." said Selarev.
"Understood." nodded Trip.
Selarev nodded too and walked toward the door, saying over his shoulder, "I only hope I am doing the right thing, Tucker."
When the door had hissed closed behind Selarev, T'Pol sat up and looked at Commander Tucker with one eyebrow raised.
"You are certain that he is trustworthy?" she inquired.
"I think he is. I'm willing to bet my life on it."
"And ours." she pointed out unpleasantly.
Tucker just shrugged and removed his communicator from his pocket.
"Tucker to Captain Archer." he said.
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