Author's note:- Apologies that this has taken so long to post. I bet some
of you had almost given up on it. Hope you enjoy this installment. The next
part should be here much sooner. Let me know what you think. Thanks
Chapter 2 :- Prelude to Escape
Archer leant heavily against the wall allowing the dizziness that had accompanied getting to his feet to pass. He took a deep breath to clear his head and pushed himself upright allowing a moment to hold his balance.
T'pol, once she was reasonably certain that the captain would not fall over again, moved over to the door and began inspecting it for possible means of escape. "The door is bolted from the outside," she stated turning back to look at him. "Even with my strength there is no chance of breaking it down. It would be illogical to try."
"What about the hinges?" Archer asked, trying hard to steady his breathing. If they were going to have any chance of escape he needed to concentrate on dealing with his injuries, passing out any time in the near future was not an option.
"They are on the inside," T'pol explained patiently "but without some sort of tools there is no way that we would be able to remove them."
"Yeah," the captain replied smiling. "Well I'm way ahead of you there." He reached down to undo his zip and winced as the movement of his injured arm reminded him that he was going to need some more help. Much as he hated to admit it. "Mmm do you think you could give me a hand here?"
T'pol who had been examining the hinges once more turned and moved to the captain's side. "How may I assist."
"I need a hand with the zip."
T'pol looked him up and down with an expression which on a human would be called disdainful "And which one would that be?" She indicated the many fastenings on the captain's uniform. "Starfleet seem overly fond of such fastenings for a single item of clothing." She observed.
Archer smiled at her. "They do that." He indicated the main zipper at the front. "If you could help me get this one down to the waist"
T'Pol obliged. The action bringing her very close to him.
"And now if you could er..." Archer paused suddenly slightly uncomfortable about the close proximity of the Vulcan and what he now had to ask her to do. He swallowed.
"Captain?" She asked looking up into his eyes.
The intense gaze from T'pol's deep brown eyes as she looked into his did little to make him feel more comfortable. He hesitated again for a moment before continuing, his mouth inexplicably dry. "I.. er.. need you to reach into my uniform. There should be a small blade stuck down the side of the waistband." He explained. "It's on the right side so I can't get it, my arm." He continued lifting the injured arm slightly
T'pol reached her hand into his uniform. The action caused her to step even closer as she moved her arm in through the confines of the material.
Archer felt the touch of her hand as it snaked around his waist. He could feel her warm breath on the exposed skin of his chest where the uniform had been opened and, not for the first time, he felt the shiver of attraction to the Vulcan officer.
T'pol also found that for a brief moment she was reacted to the close proximity of the captain before she once again took control. She took a deep breath, maybe she was spending too much time with humans?
She continued to search, probing with her fingers turning her head up to face Captain Archer "Perhaps you are mistaken?" She said as her search proved fruitless. "I can find nothing."
"Oh trust me it's there." Archer replied, remembering how he had engineered that they throw him across the room so that he could palm the small tool and wincing slightly as he remembered how one of the blows that had hit his side had driven the blade into his flesh after he had managed to conceal it in his uniform. He was about to suggest that it may have dropped down from the waistband and maybe she should check inside the uniform leg when she found it.
T'Pol moved her hand further around and was rewarded as her fingers touched cold metal. She pulled the tool clear and stepped back.
Archer was quite relieved, not quite sure how he would have reacted if T'pol had remained that close to him for much longer, especially if her hands had had to search further. 'She's a Vulcan' he reminded himself for the thousandth time 'so don't even think about it'
T'pol examined the small blade. "There is blood on it," she stated matter of factly.
"Yes, hiding metallic objects in your clothing whilst aliens beat up on you probably isn't the most sensible course of action." Archer replied. "I must enter that in my log so that I remember not to do it next time."
T'pol ignored the comment and was already moving over to the hinges of the door to test the usefulness of the object she had retrieved.
After a few seconds, she turned back to him. "I believe that this will work but it will take at least half an hour. You would be best advised to use that time to get some rest. I will let you know when I am finished."
Under normal circumstances Archer would have tried to insist that he help, but one of the skills of a captain was to recognise good advice and, when it was best to let your crew do the work for you. So Archer merely nodded and moved back over to the wall. Using it to steady his descent he leant back and slid slowly down. Once on the floor he rested his head back, closed his eyes and waited.
Trip took a seat next to Hoshi. "And I'm telling you," he kept his voice low in a conspiratorial whisper. "There is definitely somethin' odd about the cap'n and T"pol ever since they came back from the planet's surface."
"Like what?" Reed, who was sitting opposite asked.
He pointed down at his food. "Like neither of them has eaten and there has been two meal times since then". He picked up a forkful and put it in his mouth as he waited for an answer
"They explained that they were treated to a feast when they arrived," Hoshi returned, "One where to refuse any dish would be taken as an insult. So it's no surprise that they're not hungry."
"Anything else?" Reed asked
"Well since we've got some time on our hands I asked Jon if he wanted to watch some sport and he said he was too tired." Trip announced as though it was a clinching argument.
"Well maybe he is. It's not unheard of for people to be tired you know." Reed replied wearily
"Yes, but not Jon, it's like he's been avoiding me and as for T'pol she's had even less to say for herself than normal. I'm tellin' you that somethin's up. Somethin happened on that planet."
"So," Reed picked up putting on his best English long suffering tone. "After a four hour intensely draining first contact meeting, the captain returns to the ship, not hungry but very tired and he doesn't want to watch sport," he paused, "and you think this is strong evidence that there is something seriously wrong."
Trip looked at him, "Well when you put it like that...." He thought for a few moments more. "I know this sounds crazy, it's just that my instincts tell me somethin ain't quite right." He said stubbornly. "Just promise me both of ya that you'll keep a look out for anything unusual"
They both nodded to Trip's pleading look. "Well that's all I ask, let me know as soon as you see anything." Taking one last forkful of his food. He stood up. "I'm gonna go see what the sensor logs are tellin us about that place" and with that he turned and left.
Reed looked across at Trip's barely touched food and then across at Hoshi. "If lack of appetite is a sign of a problem than maybe our commander Tucker should be worrying about himself as well as the Captain."
Hoshi smiled back at him "Maybe."
T'pol undid the last fastening on the bottom hinge and stood up. She looked over to the captain, who appeared to be asleep against the far wall. There was no reason to wake him until she had ascertained whether they had a clear escape route or not, so she turned her attention back to the door. As gently and quietly as she could, she lifted the heavy door off its hinges and shifted it to one side before leaning it against the wall. Then she carefully moved her head into the gap and peered into the corridor beyond.
Chapter 2 :- Prelude to Escape
Archer leant heavily against the wall allowing the dizziness that had accompanied getting to his feet to pass. He took a deep breath to clear his head and pushed himself upright allowing a moment to hold his balance.
T'pol, once she was reasonably certain that the captain would not fall over again, moved over to the door and began inspecting it for possible means of escape. "The door is bolted from the outside," she stated turning back to look at him. "Even with my strength there is no chance of breaking it down. It would be illogical to try."
"What about the hinges?" Archer asked, trying hard to steady his breathing. If they were going to have any chance of escape he needed to concentrate on dealing with his injuries, passing out any time in the near future was not an option.
"They are on the inside," T'pol explained patiently "but without some sort of tools there is no way that we would be able to remove them."
"Yeah," the captain replied smiling. "Well I'm way ahead of you there." He reached down to undo his zip and winced as the movement of his injured arm reminded him that he was going to need some more help. Much as he hated to admit it. "Mmm do you think you could give me a hand here?"
T'pol who had been examining the hinges once more turned and moved to the captain's side. "How may I assist."
"I need a hand with the zip."
T'pol looked him up and down with an expression which on a human would be called disdainful "And which one would that be?" She indicated the many fastenings on the captain's uniform. "Starfleet seem overly fond of such fastenings for a single item of clothing." She observed.
Archer smiled at her. "They do that." He indicated the main zipper at the front. "If you could help me get this one down to the waist"
T'Pol obliged. The action bringing her very close to him.
"And now if you could er..." Archer paused suddenly slightly uncomfortable about the close proximity of the Vulcan and what he now had to ask her to do. He swallowed.
"Captain?" She asked looking up into his eyes.
The intense gaze from T'pol's deep brown eyes as she looked into his did little to make him feel more comfortable. He hesitated again for a moment before continuing, his mouth inexplicably dry. "I.. er.. need you to reach into my uniform. There should be a small blade stuck down the side of the waistband." He explained. "It's on the right side so I can't get it, my arm." He continued lifting the injured arm slightly
T'pol reached her hand into his uniform. The action caused her to step even closer as she moved her arm in through the confines of the material.
Archer felt the touch of her hand as it snaked around his waist. He could feel her warm breath on the exposed skin of his chest where the uniform had been opened and, not for the first time, he felt the shiver of attraction to the Vulcan officer.
T'pol also found that for a brief moment she was reacted to the close proximity of the captain before she once again took control. She took a deep breath, maybe she was spending too much time with humans?
She continued to search, probing with her fingers turning her head up to face Captain Archer "Perhaps you are mistaken?" She said as her search proved fruitless. "I can find nothing."
"Oh trust me it's there." Archer replied, remembering how he had engineered that they throw him across the room so that he could palm the small tool and wincing slightly as he remembered how one of the blows that had hit his side had driven the blade into his flesh after he had managed to conceal it in his uniform. He was about to suggest that it may have dropped down from the waistband and maybe she should check inside the uniform leg when she found it.
T'Pol moved her hand further around and was rewarded as her fingers touched cold metal. She pulled the tool clear and stepped back.
Archer was quite relieved, not quite sure how he would have reacted if T'pol had remained that close to him for much longer, especially if her hands had had to search further. 'She's a Vulcan' he reminded himself for the thousandth time 'so don't even think about it'
T'pol examined the small blade. "There is blood on it," she stated matter of factly.
"Yes, hiding metallic objects in your clothing whilst aliens beat up on you probably isn't the most sensible course of action." Archer replied. "I must enter that in my log so that I remember not to do it next time."
T'pol ignored the comment and was already moving over to the hinges of the door to test the usefulness of the object she had retrieved.
After a few seconds, she turned back to him. "I believe that this will work but it will take at least half an hour. You would be best advised to use that time to get some rest. I will let you know when I am finished."
Under normal circumstances Archer would have tried to insist that he help, but one of the skills of a captain was to recognise good advice and, when it was best to let your crew do the work for you. So Archer merely nodded and moved back over to the wall. Using it to steady his descent he leant back and slid slowly down. Once on the floor he rested his head back, closed his eyes and waited.
Trip took a seat next to Hoshi. "And I'm telling you," he kept his voice low in a conspiratorial whisper. "There is definitely somethin' odd about the cap'n and T"pol ever since they came back from the planet's surface."
"Like what?" Reed, who was sitting opposite asked.
He pointed down at his food. "Like neither of them has eaten and there has been two meal times since then". He picked up a forkful and put it in his mouth as he waited for an answer
"They explained that they were treated to a feast when they arrived," Hoshi returned, "One where to refuse any dish would be taken as an insult. So it's no surprise that they're not hungry."
"Anything else?" Reed asked
"Well since we've got some time on our hands I asked Jon if he wanted to watch some sport and he said he was too tired." Trip announced as though it was a clinching argument.
"Well maybe he is. It's not unheard of for people to be tired you know." Reed replied wearily
"Yes, but not Jon, it's like he's been avoiding me and as for T'pol she's had even less to say for herself than normal. I'm tellin' you that somethin's up. Somethin happened on that planet."
"So," Reed picked up putting on his best English long suffering tone. "After a four hour intensely draining first contact meeting, the captain returns to the ship, not hungry but very tired and he doesn't want to watch sport," he paused, "and you think this is strong evidence that there is something seriously wrong."
Trip looked at him, "Well when you put it like that...." He thought for a few moments more. "I know this sounds crazy, it's just that my instincts tell me somethin ain't quite right." He said stubbornly. "Just promise me both of ya that you'll keep a look out for anything unusual"
They both nodded to Trip's pleading look. "Well that's all I ask, let me know as soon as you see anything." Taking one last forkful of his food. He stood up. "I'm gonna go see what the sensor logs are tellin us about that place" and with that he turned and left.
Reed looked across at Trip's barely touched food and then across at Hoshi. "If lack of appetite is a sign of a problem than maybe our commander Tucker should be worrying about himself as well as the Captain."
Hoshi smiled back at him "Maybe."
T'pol undid the last fastening on the bottom hinge and stood up. She looked over to the captain, who appeared to be asleep against the far wall. There was no reason to wake him until she had ascertained whether they had a clear escape route or not, so she turned her attention back to the door. As gently and quietly as she could, she lifted the heavy door off its hinges and shifted it to one side before leaning it against the wall. Then she carefully moved her head into the gap and peered into the corridor beyond.