* * *
"This way, Captain!" T'Pol had just pointed out that there were only three life signs left, and the third was fading fast. "Perhaps we should run." She had to shout over the wind that blew faster around them.
Archer smiled. "Okay, T'Pol, let's see what you've got." He set off at a fast pace, daring her to catch him. T'Pol simply raised an eyebrow, put her scanner away, and followed him.
The two ran side by side for about 10 minutes, both frequently increasing their pace to stay ahead of the other. Archer was panting, but refused to let T'Pol outlast him. On they ran.
It wasn't long afterward that the mountains came up on them. With a look at Archer, T'Pol stopped. "I am detecting the life signs just up ahead." She paused.
"What's wrong?"
"There are only two left. There is something else, Captain. These life signs that I am reading..they appear to be children."
He looked grave, then said, "Come on."
They moved forward through the heavy air that felt increasingly like rain was coming. Presently, an opening in the rock face became visible, and Captain Archer motioned to it. Cautiously, they advanced. At the mouth of the cave, both hesitated, peering inside. "I am no longer detecting any bio-signs, Captain. In fact, I am no longer detecting anything. It appears that this environment is affecting the scanners. It is logical to assume that our communicators are affected as well."
"Great. I guess we'll have to go in and have a look around-"
Just then, something knocked Archer over. T'Pol, with her lighting- quick reflexes, turned around in time to stop the second blow from coming. That was the last thing Archer saw before passing out.
* * *
"I didn't think I hit him that hard."
"Indeed." He knew that voice. That was the only thing clear to him. He had to get to that voice. Why can't I see that voice?
"I think he's coming around."
"Captain... Captain Archer. Can you hear me?"
"Ugh.my head hurts."
T'Pol looked at the assailant. "That is understandable."
Archer did his best to sit up, but T'Pol had to put her hand around his elbow to help him. She's so strong. "What the hell happened?"
"You were attacked. I have since explained to our young assailant that we are no threat to him."
"Young? There was nothing young about that knock to the back of the head." Archer saw his attacker for the first time. "You hit me?"
The boy nodded. He couldn't be more than eleven, and he didn't look that strong. On the contrary, the boy looked as if he hadn't eaten in a while, and his dirty face and hair gave him the appearance of a poor beggar child. "What's your name?" he asked.
"I am Captain Jonathan Archer, of the Earth vessel Enterprise. This is my First Officer, Sub-Commander T'Pol, of Vulcan." A light shone in the boy's eyes for the first time.
"Vulcan? I have to study Vulcan in school. 'Ragel-tor mihrsh-bosh du.'" T'Pol did not understand what he said at first, but then realized his general meaning.
"I do not know if I would say it is amusing to meet you, but I appreciate your attempt at Vulcan. What is your name?"
"Mattaya, but most people call me Matt." He turned suddenly, as if remembering something. "Neera! Come on!" He turned back. "She's hiding."
Slowly, carefully, a little girl came out of an outcropping in the cave wall. She ran to stand at Mattaya's side, but stayed behind him. "Say hello," he told her. The little girl looked only slightly better than the boy, though much younger.
"T'nar pak sorat y'rani," she said quietly, so that Archer could barely hear. T'Pol seemed to hear her just fine.
"T'nar jaral. I must admit to surprise; you all speak Vulcan well, for children not brought up on Vulcan. Where did you learn it?"
"All Garelians are brought up with some Vulcan. Neera's better at it than I am." Now he turned to Archer, who appeared to be fine now. "I apologize for hitting you. We thought you were them."
The little girl spoke up again, hatred in her voice, "I bet you are! You've come to finish us off, haven't you! I hate you!!" She ran up to T'Pol and began to swing her tiny fists at the Vulcan's legs. T'Pol glanced up at Archer before picking the small child up, kicking and screaming all the time. Mattaya ran up to her, begging her to stop. The child was acting completely different than she had been a few seconds ago.
"It's not them, Nee, they're friends! Please stop!" But the child would not be calmed. T'Pol showed supreme patience, simply holding the child until she had exhausted herself, tears drying on her face.
"Captain, we should take these children back to the ship immediately. I am sensing a sickness of some kind in the girl." He nodded, and led the party back out of the cave, into the now harsh wind. They made their way back to the shuttle-pod.
* * *
"Well, Captain", said Dr. Phlox in Sickbay. "It appears that the children are both suffering from some kind of radiation sickness. They will need to stay here while I run some more tests."
"Is it serious?"
"I believe that you we're 'just in time' to save them, Captain. I will contact you when they are cleared to leave Sickbay."
"Thank you, Doctor," said T'Pol. He nodded.
Captain Archer and T'Pol left Sickbay, talking in the corridors to the bridge. "I'd like to know what happened to all those people on that planet. And who was that boy talking about, 'it's not them'?"
T'Pol nodded. "It is likely that the population on the surface shared the same fate as that of the ship we encountered. Perhaps our scans can reveal more to us."
It was Archer's turn to nod. He looked at his Science Officer as they continued down the hallway. In her white away uniform, she looked more beautiful and exotic than ever. He smiled, and it did not go unnoticed by T'Pol, who looked up at him, just as he looked away. "I was thinking the same thing." They walked in silence a few minutes, then entered the turbo-lift.
"Captain, it is foreseeable that whomever is responsible for the disappearance or death of these people will be a formidable enemy. Perhaps one of us should speak to Lieutenant Reed about security measures."
Again, he smiled at her, "Good idea. I'll let you handle that one, Sub-Commander. We'll work separately today, then meet for dinner at 1800 hours, sound good?" She rose her eyebrow in acquiescence. "Excellent, it's a date, then." Before she could protest, the door opened and he stepped out on the Bridge. T'Pol simply shook her head. Humans. "Computer: Armory."
* * *
"This way, Captain!" T'Pol had just pointed out that there were only three life signs left, and the third was fading fast. "Perhaps we should run." She had to shout over the wind that blew faster around them.
Archer smiled. "Okay, T'Pol, let's see what you've got." He set off at a fast pace, daring her to catch him. T'Pol simply raised an eyebrow, put her scanner away, and followed him.
The two ran side by side for about 10 minutes, both frequently increasing their pace to stay ahead of the other. Archer was panting, but refused to let T'Pol outlast him. On they ran.
It wasn't long afterward that the mountains came up on them. With a look at Archer, T'Pol stopped. "I am detecting the life signs just up ahead." She paused.
"What's wrong?"
"There are only two left. There is something else, Captain. These life signs that I am reading..they appear to be children."
He looked grave, then said, "Come on."
They moved forward through the heavy air that felt increasingly like rain was coming. Presently, an opening in the rock face became visible, and Captain Archer motioned to it. Cautiously, they advanced. At the mouth of the cave, both hesitated, peering inside. "I am no longer detecting any bio-signs, Captain. In fact, I am no longer detecting anything. It appears that this environment is affecting the scanners. It is logical to assume that our communicators are affected as well."
"Great. I guess we'll have to go in and have a look around-"
Just then, something knocked Archer over. T'Pol, with her lighting- quick reflexes, turned around in time to stop the second blow from coming. That was the last thing Archer saw before passing out.
* * *
"I didn't think I hit him that hard."
"Indeed." He knew that voice. That was the only thing clear to him. He had to get to that voice. Why can't I see that voice?
"I think he's coming around."
"Captain... Captain Archer. Can you hear me?"
"Ugh.my head hurts."
T'Pol looked at the assailant. "That is understandable."
Archer did his best to sit up, but T'Pol had to put her hand around his elbow to help him. She's so strong. "What the hell happened?"
"You were attacked. I have since explained to our young assailant that we are no threat to him."
"Young? There was nothing young about that knock to the back of the head." Archer saw his attacker for the first time. "You hit me?"
The boy nodded. He couldn't be more than eleven, and he didn't look that strong. On the contrary, the boy looked as if he hadn't eaten in a while, and his dirty face and hair gave him the appearance of a poor beggar child. "What's your name?" he asked.
"I am Captain Jonathan Archer, of the Earth vessel Enterprise. This is my First Officer, Sub-Commander T'Pol, of Vulcan." A light shone in the boy's eyes for the first time.
"Vulcan? I have to study Vulcan in school. 'Ragel-tor mihrsh-bosh du.'" T'Pol did not understand what he said at first, but then realized his general meaning.
"I do not know if I would say it is amusing to meet you, but I appreciate your attempt at Vulcan. What is your name?"
"Mattaya, but most people call me Matt." He turned suddenly, as if remembering something. "Neera! Come on!" He turned back. "She's hiding."
Slowly, carefully, a little girl came out of an outcropping in the cave wall. She ran to stand at Mattaya's side, but stayed behind him. "Say hello," he told her. The little girl looked only slightly better than the boy, though much younger.
"T'nar pak sorat y'rani," she said quietly, so that Archer could barely hear. T'Pol seemed to hear her just fine.
"T'nar jaral. I must admit to surprise; you all speak Vulcan well, for children not brought up on Vulcan. Where did you learn it?"
"All Garelians are brought up with some Vulcan. Neera's better at it than I am." Now he turned to Archer, who appeared to be fine now. "I apologize for hitting you. We thought you were them."
The little girl spoke up again, hatred in her voice, "I bet you are! You've come to finish us off, haven't you! I hate you!!" She ran up to T'Pol and began to swing her tiny fists at the Vulcan's legs. T'Pol glanced up at Archer before picking the small child up, kicking and screaming all the time. Mattaya ran up to her, begging her to stop. The child was acting completely different than she had been a few seconds ago.
"It's not them, Nee, they're friends! Please stop!" But the child would not be calmed. T'Pol showed supreme patience, simply holding the child until she had exhausted herself, tears drying on her face.
"Captain, we should take these children back to the ship immediately. I am sensing a sickness of some kind in the girl." He nodded, and led the party back out of the cave, into the now harsh wind. They made their way back to the shuttle-pod.
* * *
"Well, Captain", said Dr. Phlox in Sickbay. "It appears that the children are both suffering from some kind of radiation sickness. They will need to stay here while I run some more tests."
"Is it serious?"
"I believe that you we're 'just in time' to save them, Captain. I will contact you when they are cleared to leave Sickbay."
"Thank you, Doctor," said T'Pol. He nodded.
Captain Archer and T'Pol left Sickbay, talking in the corridors to the bridge. "I'd like to know what happened to all those people on that planet. And who was that boy talking about, 'it's not them'?"
T'Pol nodded. "It is likely that the population on the surface shared the same fate as that of the ship we encountered. Perhaps our scans can reveal more to us."
It was Archer's turn to nod. He looked at his Science Officer as they continued down the hallway. In her white away uniform, she looked more beautiful and exotic than ever. He smiled, and it did not go unnoticed by T'Pol, who looked up at him, just as he looked away. "I was thinking the same thing." They walked in silence a few minutes, then entered the turbo-lift.
"Captain, it is foreseeable that whomever is responsible for the disappearance or death of these people will be a formidable enemy. Perhaps one of us should speak to Lieutenant Reed about security measures."
Again, he smiled at her, "Good idea. I'll let you handle that one, Sub-Commander. We'll work separately today, then meet for dinner at 1800 hours, sound good?" She rose her eyebrow in acquiescence. "Excellent, it's a date, then." Before she could protest, the door opened and he stepped out on the Bridge. T'Pol simply shook her head. Humans. "Computer: Armory."
* * *
