Hi again…
Here's the third part to the story. It's not very long, but I wanted to get it up and out to you.
Enjoy!
Emrys
Disclaimer: See Part I.
Following Orders Part III.
Gorak grinned ferociously. Up to this point, his plan was working exactly as predicted. The anticipation of all the latinum he would earn after this expedition was enough to set his lobes humming. He'd be set for life, a king among his people, revered and…
"Why did you poison my engineer?" Archer asked, and Gorak was brought out of his reverie as he remembered that he didn't have the map quite yet. He allowed his grin to broaden threateningly.
"On the far side of the planet over which my ship is hovering there is a civilization of people who have riches enough to rival all that on the Ferengei homeworld."
Noting from Gorak's explanation that they were no longer on Zyria, Archer pressed further.
"From what we saw of the Zyrians, they aren't exactly as "fortunate" as you describe. And what exactly does that have to do with us?"
"Fool!" Gorak hissed, and the Captain inwardly smirked. The Ferengei were beginning to underestimate his capabilities, and that was exactly the response he wanted.
"You are no longer near Zyria, Captain," Gorak answered in a patronizing tone. "My ship hovers over a planet called Glorenka. The Renkan's live on the north-west hemisphere of the planet, and somewhere within their Great City's limits lies the map which shows exactly where they keep their sacred vault of riches." Gorak rubbed his hands together gleefully, and the other two Ferengei nodded and smiled expectantly at their leader.
"Aha. So, again my question is what has this got to do with us?" Archer asked leadingly. He had the idea that he knew where this particular conversation was going to end, and he looked at Trip anxiously.
"You are going to get me that map, or your friend Commander Tucker will die within one of your human weeks," he stated bluntly. "The poison we injected into his system is quite potent, and its effects are not pretty to watch. I have the antidote, but I won't give it to you unless I have the map in my hands."
"A treasure hunt!" Trip cried incredulously. "All of this for a treasure map! Oh man, this is just perfect!"
"Calm down, Trip," Archer said again. He turned toward the three extortionists. "Why can't you just go down there and get it yourself?" he asked out of genuine curiosity.
Gorak shrugged. "The Renkans are a violent people, and Rule of Acquisition 36 states 'Better to be alive and rich than dead and rich.'"
Realizing that this was all the explanation he was going to get, Archer rubbed a hand across his brow, and looked towards his two officers. T'Pol seemed nonplussed and ready to follow his lead, but Trip was understandably and visibly upset.
"What exactly do you expect us to do?"
***
After the Ferengei left to gather the information that Archer would need to accomplish the task set for them, the three officers discussed their options.
"We shouldn't be doing this, Cap'n!" Trip exclaimed. "I don't want to be the reason for you making deals with these screwy aliens. Besides, I think they're bluffing. I feel just fine."
Archer eyed his friend critically, noted the engineer's paleness and labored breathing, and shook his head.
"Don't lie to me, Trip. If we're going to get through this, you can't lie to me."
Trip sighed heavily, and refused to look at his Captain directly.
"The Captain is right," T'Pol stated matter-of-factly. "There is little that we can do to free ourselves if we are locked away in this room. Logic would dictate that we go to the planet's surface."
"Alright, but I'm going with you," Trip conceded. "I don't want to be left here by myself with those cretins. I don't trust myself around them. Might just rip their ugly ears right off," he said with a wavering smile.
Archer returned the smile, and gripped Trip's shoulder meaningfully.
"Agreed. We all leave, or we don't leave at all."
Here's the third part to the story. It's not very long, but I wanted to get it up and out to you.
Enjoy!
Emrys
Disclaimer: See Part I.
Following Orders Part III.
Gorak grinned ferociously. Up to this point, his plan was working exactly as predicted. The anticipation of all the latinum he would earn after this expedition was enough to set his lobes humming. He'd be set for life, a king among his people, revered and…
"Why did you poison my engineer?" Archer asked, and Gorak was brought out of his reverie as he remembered that he didn't have the map quite yet. He allowed his grin to broaden threateningly.
"On the far side of the planet over which my ship is hovering there is a civilization of people who have riches enough to rival all that on the Ferengei homeworld."
Noting from Gorak's explanation that they were no longer on Zyria, Archer pressed further.
"From what we saw of the Zyrians, they aren't exactly as "fortunate" as you describe. And what exactly does that have to do with us?"
"Fool!" Gorak hissed, and the Captain inwardly smirked. The Ferengei were beginning to underestimate his capabilities, and that was exactly the response he wanted.
"You are no longer near Zyria, Captain," Gorak answered in a patronizing tone. "My ship hovers over a planet called Glorenka. The Renkan's live on the north-west hemisphere of the planet, and somewhere within their Great City's limits lies the map which shows exactly where they keep their sacred vault of riches." Gorak rubbed his hands together gleefully, and the other two Ferengei nodded and smiled expectantly at their leader.
"Aha. So, again my question is what has this got to do with us?" Archer asked leadingly. He had the idea that he knew where this particular conversation was going to end, and he looked at Trip anxiously.
"You are going to get me that map, or your friend Commander Tucker will die within one of your human weeks," he stated bluntly. "The poison we injected into his system is quite potent, and its effects are not pretty to watch. I have the antidote, but I won't give it to you unless I have the map in my hands."
"A treasure hunt!" Trip cried incredulously. "All of this for a treasure map! Oh man, this is just perfect!"
"Calm down, Trip," Archer said again. He turned toward the three extortionists. "Why can't you just go down there and get it yourself?" he asked out of genuine curiosity.
Gorak shrugged. "The Renkans are a violent people, and Rule of Acquisition 36 states 'Better to be alive and rich than dead and rich.'"
Realizing that this was all the explanation he was going to get, Archer rubbed a hand across his brow, and looked towards his two officers. T'Pol seemed nonplussed and ready to follow his lead, but Trip was understandably and visibly upset.
"What exactly do you expect us to do?"
***
After the Ferengei left to gather the information that Archer would need to accomplish the task set for them, the three officers discussed their options.
"We shouldn't be doing this, Cap'n!" Trip exclaimed. "I don't want to be the reason for you making deals with these screwy aliens. Besides, I think they're bluffing. I feel just fine."
Archer eyed his friend critically, noted the engineer's paleness and labored breathing, and shook his head.
"Don't lie to me, Trip. If we're going to get through this, you can't lie to me."
Trip sighed heavily, and refused to look at his Captain directly.
"The Captain is right," T'Pol stated matter-of-factly. "There is little that we can do to free ourselves if we are locked away in this room. Logic would dictate that we go to the planet's surface."
"Alright, but I'm going with you," Trip conceded. "I don't want to be left here by myself with those cretins. I don't trust myself around them. Might just rip their ugly ears right off," he said with a wavering smile.
Archer returned the smile, and gripped Trip's shoulder meaningfully.
"Agreed. We all leave, or we don't leave at all."
