Author's Note: Okay, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I
thought I'd be done with it sooner, but I've been having a lot of trouble
figuring out where to go with it... darn Muse wouldn't cooperate.
TRADING SPACES
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"Very soon this will all be renewed," said Utla, strutting back and forth before Trip and Doctor Phlox. "You shall see the sacred temples as they were originally meant to be, in all their glory! Instead of the foul dove we shall see the great outspread wings of Lord Rafiziel, the Raven!"
Trip shook his head and tried to shift position once more. He couldn't seem to make the throbbing in his shoulder go away, no matter where he moved. No doubt Phlox would have snapped at him not to move it, had they not been gagged and bound back to back. He chewed at the gag, hoping that might taste better if he moved it, too, but no such luck.
In any other situation, Trip would have been interested to see the technology of the idun'yll ships. Their shuttlecrafts were larger than Enterprise's, and if he wasn't mistaken actually seemed to have a miniature warp drive. But the sight of Malcolm's still form on the floor near him made it impossible to concentrate on anything else (except, unfortunately, the pain in his shoulder).
The other idun'yll were attaching little blinking machines and twisting wires to Malcolm's head. Trip hissed in pain as Phlox tried to get a better view, inadvertantly jerking the commander's arms.
"All those years of persecution," said Utla in annoyance. "All those thousands of years since our good prophet Tobin denounced our temples and set the minions of the blasted Dove on us."
Trip wondered briefly what the chances of finding another planet with ravens and doves on it were. T'Pol could probably tell him. Maybe Malcolm was contaminating their culture, wherever and whenever he was. It was probably the translator malfunctioning, though. What was Malcolm doing at that moment?
Malcolm suddenly sat bolt upright and gazed around in shock, surprising Trip so much that he choked on the gag and started to cough. "What is going on?" Malcolm cried. Trip's head snapped up and he twisted around to see if Dr. Phlox had heard the English accent as well.
"Honored Prophet, we are the followers of the great Rafiziel," said Utla, whirling around and bowing deeply. Malcolm, however, ignored him and stared right at Trip and Phlox, mouth slightly agape.
"I am going insane," he said, quite calmly, and put his hand to his head. Utla blinked and touched a dial on the machines next to Malcolm, and the lieutenant slumped backwards onto the floor.
"What did you do?" Utla cried, ripping the gag from Phlox's mouth. The doctor coughed and glanced at Malcolm before answering.
"I believe that they may be switching back," Phlox replied. "Perhaps the effect is not permanent. Or perhaps his earlier encounter with the cave's energy had some effect-" Utla's fist slammed into his nose. Trip felt the impact and heard the thunk. He heard Phlox gasp.
"Meddling humans!" screamed Utla. "You may have ruined all our plans!" He turned to the waiting technicians with a growl. "Start the procedure now! We have no time to waste!"
Blue light arced through the wires as the harried technicians leapt to follow his bidding. Malcolm's body jerked and writhed, and his eyes opened once more. Tobin's younger, unaccented voice burst out of his mouth, crying in pain. "What is this trickery?" he screeched. "Demons! Demons! Exeunt, demonica!"
Utla said, "The great Raven is the god to follow. Remember that," and delivered a sharp kick to Tobin/Malcom's ribs. Tobin gaped at him, his eyes rolling wildly about in their sockets, and fell to the floor again, gasping.
Trip gave the gag one last, desperate try, and managed to spit it down onto his chin. "Tobin!" he cried. "Tobin, listen to me! Is Malcolm somewhere in there? Can you hear him?"
Tobin managed to turn and look Trip in the eyes, but he was too far gone to say anything, and as Trip watched, his eyes closed and he slid into unconsciousness once more. "Malcolm!" he shouted, but all he received for his pains was a kick to his injured shoulder. He groaned and fell over onto the floor, pulling Phlox down as well.
The floor moved, and Phlox whispered, "The ship is taking off. I believe we are returning to the caves, Commander."
Trip groaned again. "I just hope we get out of this alive," he whispered back.
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Tobin's head spun around and his eyes watered. He doubted this was grief; his body hurt far too badly. He could not seem to control the myriad of thoughts running through his head, all about the Raven and the Dove and the gods of light and darkness. Their followers chanted in his mind, warring between night and day, black feathers and gold feathers, and he screamed without even knowing if it was out loud.
He mourned the day he had ever decided to become a priest. He was sure he would die in this terrible future, alone and bereft of any companionship but the screaming voices in his head. He called out to Mayla, and his mother Kodeeya, and his friends, and everyone he had ever known who was dead and gone now. What were they doing to him?
For a moment he saw Mayla, smiling, and reached out to her. But she faded and vanished away.
A demon spell, some voice in his head said, softly, so that he almost missed it. They are trying to put lies in your mind. Be strong! He recognized the voice, he thought, and reached out for it in the darkness. The screams quieted as he felt the slow, calm strength of the mind who truly belonged in this body.
Malcolm?
That was Trip a moment ago, wasn't it?
They've got him as well, yes, and the doctor.
Who's they? Those people who called us Honored Prophet?
Don't you think you're me? Don't you think you are Tobin?
Not anymore. I have been seeing through my own true eyes. I was back in my body a moment ago, Tobin, and it felt so right that I cannot believe I am you any longer.
I think the veil between our times is slipping. I almost thought I saw Mayla back there a second ago, but I thought I was imagining it.
We must get back to the cave.
Tobin felt himself being lifted up from the ground, and Malcolm's mind-voice dimmed. I think we are going back, my friend.
They tried to put something in your mind, Tobin. I think they're some kind of dark fanatics, who wish only to control the world the way they want it.
I know the future already. I don't need them to tell me.
He was in the cave. Malcolm slipped farther away. The darkness receded a little, and he could indeed feel the presence of the meme in his mind, eating away. Tobin summoned all his strength and pushed it out, forcing it deep into the empty parts that he never used, where it could do no harm.
That's it, murmured Malcolm. Tobin relaxed, his mind silent. He felt himself being dragged along the floor. Somewhere nearby he could hear Trip's voice, railing at the idun'yll fanatics.
He felt the electricity of the cave sweep over him and sighed in relief as the curtain opened again. Malcolm passed him by, and he quickly went back to his own body.
There was pain, as he expected, and his limbs at first refused to work. He struggled, moaning, and a gentle kiss touched his forehead.
"Tobin, my love, the vision is over," said Mayla sweetly. She held him on the stone floor outside of the crystal cave. Blinking his eyes, he saw the mosaics glittering above him in their full glory, restored to their former loveliness.
"Oh, my dear, I am back!" he said, joyfully, and leaned back in her arms, smelling the sweet fragrance of tuht'si blossoms. "I have the most wonderful story to tell you, all about the future." His arms were limp, but he could see his hands, properly attired with four digits and green skin.
"About Enterprise?" she said. "Do you still think your name is Malcolm, silly?"
"No. But for a while, I was Malcolm," he said slowly. "And he was me..."
He felt a last smile from the future, a glimmer of soft accent, and then the curtain dropped, and closed completely.
******************
"Leave him alone!" shouted Trip. Malcolm buzzed with electricity as Utla, standing just outside the door, activated more and more devices that crackled and sparked. The idun'yll shot him a grin, flashing pearly greens instead of pearly whites.
The scent of burning flesh had begun to fill the room, and Trip felt his hair standing on end. "He'll die!"
"Can't anyone gag him again?" asked Utla, annoyed. Two of the others rushed forward and tied the gag back into place. Trip struggled as well as he could, but it was difficult since the doctor was weighing him down.
"Shouldn't it be working by now?" asked one of them, shoving Trip and Phlox back against the wall.
Utla surveyed the twitching lieutenant, and shook his head. "We wouldn't remember what we were going to do. Time would have changed," he replied. "Damn!" The sparks disappated, and Malcolm went completely still. Both Trip and Phlox heaved a sigh of relief.
"All that work for nothing!" screamed Utla suddenly, and threw the controller in his hand viciously toward the wall. "Nothing!"
"What shall we do?" asked the subordinate, his eyes darting back and forth and his hands trembling. Trip could almost smell the anxiety rolling off of the idun'yll.
"Idiot!" railed Utla. "We have failed!" He ran into the room, shouting "Rafiziel! Forgive us!"
"Sir! Get out of there! The visions!"
Utla's eyes bugged out in fury, and he whirled around, ready to bark out a reply, when he froze and stood stock-still. First his arms, then his chest, and then his whole body began to tremble violently.
"The effects of the radiation!" said Phlox softly. "It must be a hallucinogen to them! That's why they see visions whenever they step inside."
Trip, frankly, did not care about Utla and radiation, not when Malcolm was still lying prone at Utla's feet. He chewed viciously at the gag, but it was tighter this time and refused to budge.
"One of them dropped a laser scalpel about five feet away from us," whispered Phlox. "Push against my back. I think we can get to it." He scooted forward just as Trip pushed. "Almost there..."
"MMMPHH!" cried Trip as the doctor jerked forward and slammed into his injured shoulder. "Sorry," whispered Phlox, and Trip heard a small buzzing and felt the bonds around his wrists loosen.
"I see the path of my destiny stretching before me like a purple ribbon into the sunset!" cried Utla, his eyes goggling. Trip flexed and the ropes snapped. He tore off the gag and coughed for a moment.
"Man talks like a damn poetry book," muttered Trip.
"Hey!" cried one of Utla's assistants. "Hey! They're loose!"
"Well, at least someone around here talks normal," said Trip, and slammed his fist into the man's face. He forced his way into the chamber, laying about the idun'yll (didn't they know how to fight at all?) and felt the tingle of static electricity on the back of his neck. Phlox shoved the last one out of his way and ran up to Malcolm.
"We need to get him back to Enterprise at once," he said, voice grim.
"What about him?" said Trip, motioning to Utla, who was muttering incomprehensibly and trembling. Phlox spared him a cursory glance.
"He ought to be more or less fine once he's removed from the radiation source," he said. "Pull him out. He's not our concern right now." He looped the unconscious Malcolm's arms about his shoulders and stood up, grunting.
Trip raised an eyebrow and took Utla's arm. "Come on, Mister Visionary," he said. "Time for a reality check."
Utla slowly turned to face Trip. "I... feel... I feel... the power..."
"Yeah, whatever." Trip hauled on his arm, but Utla was apparently much stronger than his assistants; he refused utterly to move, staying in the same place like a granite pillar. "Fine, stay there!" He delivered one last shove to Utla and ran after Phlox, taking one of Malcolm's arms to help the doctor carry the lieutenant.
They could see very little; the idun'yll had lit the crystal chamber but away from it the only light came from the entrance up ahead. Trip had just glimpsed daylight through the door when a gleaming bolt of lightning shot past them and exploded above the entrance.
Malcolm's head lifted as Trip and Phlox looked over their shoulders. "What...?" he said groggily.
"Aw, damn," said Trip, and Phlox echoed the sentiment in Denobulan.
"Heretics!" cried Utla, standing at the entrance to the crystal cave. "Heretics! You have ruined my chances for power, filthy unbelievers!" His eyes blazed in the darkness, burning red pinpoints of flame. He gazed down at his hands, crackling with electricity. "But the gods have seen fit to make me one of them. Prepare to face my wrath!"
"Oh, bloody hell," said Malcolm, and sagged back against their shoulders.
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Sorry it took me so long. I have a better idea where I'm going now... I think... hopefully I will be able to put up another chapter before long. Please tell me what you think!