2151

Even with such advancements in humanity, nothing could ever prepare anyone for a loss such as death.

The last mission had gone badly and their Armory Officer, Lieutenant Duncan Hayes from Scotland, had been killed in the line of duty. Unfortunately, Jonathan Archer wasn't sure how because they hadn't been able to beam the body back. It had happened too quickly and the body had only been visible for a moment before they had been beamed out of what had been brutal conditions. Whatever had happened was still a secret and it wasn't that nobody was talking; it was that nobody could remember. A memorial service had felt pointless without a body and Duncan Hayes was one of those who hadn't had any attachments to Earth whatsoever, joining Starfleet simply because nothing else had appealled to him.

Starfleet had been notified of the situation and had advised the Enterprise to continue on their mission because it couldn't afford to be without the information that would come with deep space travel. The Enterprise, Admiral Forrest said, would have to make do until they could find someone who had carried the qualifications that Lt. Hayes had. The Admiral had then ordered them to investigate a planet known as Terra Nova, a deep space colony that had fallen out of contact with Starfleet many years ago.

Still reeling from the death of his Armory Officer, Captain Archer had reluctantly agreed to go and now he, T'Pol, and Mayweather were down on the planet with a Security officer who looked as if they would rather be anywhere but on another away mission. The shuttle ride had been a quiet one and Archer couldn't blame anyone for feeling uneasy about continuing to work even though they had suffered a catastrophic loss, but he was a military man and was about following orders. Starfleet had wanted them to continue on as they were and that's what they would do. Everyone had loved Hayes and those under him had tried to move on, but none of them had really been able to actually do it yet.

"We're…we're not alone, sir," an anxious voice suddenly spoke. "I swear I saw something…"

Archer turned towards the Security officer and saw that he was trembling so much that if he were to fire a weapon, one of them might end up accidentally shot instead. The security officer, however, was gazing into the distance with wide eyes, "A human?" he said anxiously. "Captain, look there…"

Deeply concerned and confused, Captain Archer moved over to the Security officer and his eyes widened as he looked in the direction the officer had indicated. Through the brush, he could see a sickly, but youthful looking Human male with wild hair and simple clothing gathering leaves and wood with the help of a primal looking creature who was also clad in simple clothing. The Human male suddenly froze.

"We're being watched," Captain Archer heard the Human male speak in a British accent. "Go get help."

The primal looking male, however, did not move, "We promised Nadet we would protect you, Malcolm," the man spoke in a gruff voice. "We will not leave you to be eaten by strange beasts."

"STOP!" the Security officer shouted as he emerged from the bushes with his phaser rifle raised. "Get away from the Human, you disgusting freak of nature! Sir, we're from the Enterprise and we're here to…!"

The Human, however, pulled a weapon out of his pocket and pointed it at the Security officer, "Do not harm my brother or I will kill you where you stand!" he ordered in a clipped British accent, his expression one that dared the foreigners to challenge is authority. "And he is not a freak!

Captain Archer's eyes widened and he was about to emerge from the bushes to diffuse the situation when T'Pol and Mayweather arrived, "Captain…" Mayweather said anxiously.

Unfortunately, the Human male heard Mayweather and aimed his weapon towards the bushes, "Show yourselves!" he shouted in the same clipped British accent. "I will not let you harm my family!"

"Captain, I would advise we listen," T'Pol replied tonelessly. "This may help us develop trust."

Captain Archer swallowed hard, but came out of the bushes with T'Pol and Mayweather with their hands raised. The Human male eyed their uniforms with wide eyes, his expression one of confusion.

"Who…are you?" the Human male spoke in a weaker voice. "You are Humans…like us."

The primal looking male frowned, "Your voice is weak," he replied. "Malcolm, drink your medicine."

"I…I agree," Archer heard the British man say weakly. "What…what about…?"

The Security officer glared at him and promptly fired his phaser, hitting the British man in the leg. As he fell, the primal man shot the Security officer straight in the chest and aimed the gun at the others.

"You are not good!" the primal man grunted angrily. "You hurt my brother when he's already sick!"

Dean Archer frowned, "Your brother is sick?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Can we help?"

"You can come," the primal man spoke coldly, nodding at Archer. "But the other two must leave."

T'Pol and Mayweather exchanged a look, "Go back to the ship and talk to Phlox," Archer said softly, watching as the primal man knelt down next to the other male and checked his leg worriedly. "Get him to come down."

"We must get to camp under the ground!" the primal man grunted. "Malcolm's medicine is there."

Dean Archer moved over to his officer and saw that he was dead from the blast. The officer was dead, Jonathan knew, because of pure carelessness. The primal man grunted and Archer moved over to him quickly as Mayweather and T'Pol reluctantly fled back in the direction they had come from in order to get Phlox.

"Carry Malcolm," the primal man ordered in a sharp voice, glaring at Archer menacingly. "Or I will kill you."

The caverns were cool and damp, but Captain Archer didn't really have much of a chance to look at them because he was focused on helping the Human male called Malcolm get through the caves with his rapidly increasing symptoms of illness and injured leg. It was a long process, but Malcolm remained quiet and focused and didn't talk to anyone even though he would stop occasionally to cough.

Soon enough, they emerged into a large cavern that contained dwellings, scavenged supplies, and more primal looking creatures. An elderly woman rushed out of a dwelling and Captain Archer felt Malcolm being led away to a flat rock that resembled a bed. She laid him on it and examined him anxiously.

"You work too much," the woman spoke worriedly. "You rest and take your medicine. You want your blanket?"

Malcolm nodded, "I'm sorry, Nadet, but we ran into trouble," he replied weakly as he began coughing.

Dean Archer froze as he saw that Malcolm was coughing up blood, but Nadet hurried out of sight before he could speak. A moment later, Nadet returned with a rugged looking blanket and a strange bottle.

"Your special blanket and medicine," Nadet spoke, dropping the blanket over Malcolm. "You drink it and rest."

Malcolm nodded and drank from the bottle, "That's an interesting blanket," Captain Archer said softly, desperate to repair some of the damage that his now dead security officer had caused during this contact mission.

"It's what was left of my uniform when my shuttlepod crashed in 2141," Malcolm replied as he stopped drinking and sighed. "My caregiver, Nadet, made it for me to help me get well. It's my comfort…"

Dean Archer frowned, "Shuttlepod?" he asked in a confused voice. "Where did you come from?"

"Earth," Malcolm replied weakly. "I…I suppose it was shortly after graduating Starfleet Academy."

Shock filled Dean Archer, "You're from Starfleet?" he asked in a surprised voice. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ensign Malcolm Reed, sir," Malcolm replied in a tired voice. "Of the Shuttlepod Paris."