The atmosphere in the shuttlepod during the flight back to the ship was tense. Only the combined weight of Anna's higher rank and Travis's testimony had sufficed to persuade Em to abandon the rescue attempt. She sat at the weapons console scowling and silent.
As the shuttlepod shuddered slightly from the gentle touch of the ship's docking clamp, Anna directed a cuff at the rigid shoulder of her friend. "Okay, Em, stop lashing your tail. Or at least promise me you won't bite the captain."
That got her a reluctant grin. "I could not go down again and have a little conversation with these 'shadows' if I was thrown in the brig for biting the capitán. So yes, I will behave myself."
Glancing at her glittering dark eyes, Travis imagined that the 'little conversation' that Em was planning to have wouldn't exactly be conducted along standard diplomatic lines.
The lights on the console indicated that they were safely back on board Enterprise, and in the brief interval while the launch bay repressurized, Travis carried out the post-flight checks. He'd done them so often that everything was done by the time the door at the side hissed open to reveal the captain, impatient for the detailed report that atmospheric conditions on the planet hadn't allowed.
With the captain was T'Pol, as well as Trip and one of his engineers, Michael Rostov. The latter two got to work prepping the shuttlepod for a possible return trip. Travis noted that Trip remained close enough to hear everything as Anna gave her report to the captain.
"We believe we found Lieutenant Reed. Or rather, Ensign Mayweather established his whereabouts. We were unable to reach him, because of the dangers of the environment and because Ensign Mayweather had a hostile encounter with the life-forms the Tellarites mentioned."
Captain Archer's gaze flicked to Travis. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sir." The pilot smiled a little wanly. "I think they were just warning me off."
"Could you ascertain Lieutenant Reed's condition?" T'Pol asked him.
"No, ma'am. I didn't actually see him." He gave a brief rundown of what had happened in the cave, but he was stumped when it came to describing the life-forms. "They weren't … solid. It was like seeing something was there by the way the light changed. There wasn't any color. And there was this whispering. Sort of like voices. And they were angry. They didn't like me being there."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "They said this?"
"No." He knew it sounded ridiculous, but he swallowed and went on. "I could just feel it. I think they came real close to attacking me. But when I left, they didn't follow me."
"Do you think they may have attacked Malcolm?" asked the captain.
Travis spread his hands. "I don't know, sir." He paused, his eyes wide as he held the captain's gaze. "Sir, my scanner reading showed Lieutenant Reed was alive."
Em snapped to rigid attention. "Permission to take a team down and attempt a rescue in force, sir!"
"Permission denied," the captain said. At her mutinous look, he added emphatically, "For the present, Ensign."
Em glared, but said nothing.
"Cap'n, you can't just leave him there," protested Trip, giving up all pretense of checking the plasma vents on the shuttlepod.
"I didn't say I was planning on leaving him there." The captain frowned. "Travis, you say these creatures had voices? They tried to talk to you?"
"I can't be sure, sir. They didn't sound like any voices I've ever heard. We'll have to get Hoshi to listen–" He stopped with a groan. "I'd put my scanner away before it started."
"So no recordings." Captain Archer sighed. "Travis, you'll pilot on the way back down. I'm going to have Phlox and Hoshi come along with us." A faint glimmer of amusement lit the captain's eyes as he looked at the Armory officer, who was standing ramrod straight, staring straight in front of her. "You, too, Ensign Gomez. You'd probably stow away if you weren't included."
"I guess it's pretty obvious why I'd like you two to tag along, but given the danger I don't think it's appropriate to order you."
Hoshi glanced at Phlox standing next to her in the launch bay. The doctor nodded, and she turned back to the captain. "You don't have to, sir. I think we'd both be happy to join the rescue attempt."
Slightly taken aback by the speed of her response – after all, they would be going into one hell of a confined space, and she suffered from claustrophobia – Travis studied her. Her face was slightly flushed, though her eyes on the captain's were steady.
He'd had his suspicions occasionally that there was something going on between Hoshi and Malcolm, but had never managed to unearth any evidence.
Could it be true…? If it was, it would be a powerful motive for her to be so willing to endure a mission like this.
… But whether it was or it wasn't, this was no time to be wondering about it.
"Make whatever preparations you need," Captain Archer told them. "As soon as Trip gives us the all-clear that the shuttlepod's fit to go, we're out of here."
Trip popped out from under one of the pod's inspection panels. "Just a few things we need to finish up," the chief engineer said. "One of these intake valves could use replacin'. Must have flown through some pretty rough stuff down there."
"Do it in a hurry, Trip," his commanding officer said, watching the doctor scurry off to gather medical supplies from Sickbay. "You've got until Phlox gets back." Then he turned to his first officer. "Let's get to the Bridge. I want to check out the latest readings from the scanners. I don't want to fly down there and find out the hard way that something's changed."
"Indeed." T'Pol nodded. "It should only take a few moments."
With the departure of the captain and T'Pol, only Trip, Travis and Hoshi remained in the launch bay; Anna had gone off duty, Michael was fetching some equipment from Engineering for Trip, and Em had raced off to the Armory to get additional firepower, should they need it.
"Guess I'm the one gonna be mindin' the store." The chief engineer gently worked a piece of machinery free of its housing and put it down on the deck plating.
"You could have my place." Travis sat down wearily in the doorway of the shuttlepod. "I've seen as much of that place as I want to see in my lifetime."
Hoshi had been staring off into space, but now she sat down next to him. "Did you actually see him? Was he okay?"
"No. Sorry, Hoshi." He saw her flinch slightly, and realized that his laconic reply had been misinterpreted. "No, I just meant I didn't see him. It was too dark, and he was too far away. I'm sure he'll be okay. He's a tough guy."
Hoshi didn't respond other than to make a noise that might have passed for assent.
They lapsed into silence, alone with their pensive thoughts, as they waited for the others to come back so that the rescue mission could begin.
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