ADDICTION
Chapter Three
The world had changed overnight. When Trip had arrived at Tria Colony, the air had been warm, the sun shining. He couldn't believe that in a few short hours, the entire climate had changed. He awoke in the cell shivering from the bitter cold. The others were just beginning to stir as well. Trip looked up at the dark gray sky outside the windows. He could hear the wind howling.
A'Tal stood up beside him then reached a hand down to help Trip to his feet. The engineer grimaced as his body protested his every move. He still hurt from the beating he'd received on Silotan Major but now he also felt the residual affects of the harsh treatment at the hands of the doctor just the day before. The icy cold air didn't help matters much, he thought with bitterness.
They all jumped when the cell door flew open. Two guards came in carrying heavy coats while a third carried a tray of food. Two more guards holding rifles remained at the door, covering their comrades. The coats were dumped on the floor and the tray was left beside them. The three guards joined the two at the door, their hands on the butts of their weapons holstered at their sides.
The doctor Trip had met the previous day entered with a tray of syringes. All the Silotans pushed up their sleeves without being directed to do so. The woman went from one to the next, injecting him or her with the contents of the syringes.
"I think I'll pass," said Trip when the doctor stepped in front of him. In the blink of an eye, two guards had him down on the floor, his arm twisted painfully behind his back.
The doctor knelt and injected the engineer. "It would be best if you cooperated," she said. Then she stood and exited the cell.
"You have ten minutes!" barked one of the guards. The five left the room and slammed the door shut after them.
Ten minutes later, Trip found himself bundled up in a filthy coat climbing into the back of a land transport. He sat down next to Kaea and A'Tal on the bench while the others huddled on the bench across from him. The vehicle lurched forward, nearly spilling Jett out the back. Berryl reached for the boy and hauled him back in.
As the transport wound its way to its destination, Trip looked out over the landscape. The world had frozen virtually overnight. What had been living only the day before was now shriveled and dying in the bitter cold. He pulled his coat closed and shivered.
After only thirty minutes, the vehicle came to an abrupt halt. The guards who'd been sitting in the front of the transport motioned with their rifles for the prisoners to exit. Trip followed the others out into a field of tall grass. He watched as they all dropped to their hands and knees to begin pulling the grass out by the roots.
"Get to work!" ordered one of the guards as he shoved Trip in the back. Trip swung around in anger but was met with a hard rifle butt to the side of his head. The engineer toppled backwards and fell hard, dazed. He felt strong hands grab him and help him to sit up. A soft voice urged him to do as he was told. Trip felt the hot blood dripping down the side of his frozen face and he heard the voice again coaxing him to get to work. Through the fog, Trip could see A'Tal beside him watching him anxiously.
The grass had sharp edges that cut into Trip's hands. The pain helped to clear his mind and he began pulling in earnest.
"Are you okay?" asked Kaea who was working just in front of him. She looked back with concerned eyes.
Trip nodded then looked down at his sliced palms.
"Keep pulling, Trip," instructed A'Tal and the engineer obeyed.
By the end of the day, Trip was exhausted. A'Tal and Kaea helped settle him against the wall of their cell then the Xyrillian knelt beside him. He probed gently at the gash in the side of Trip's head then he took Trip's chin in his hand and peered intently into his eyes.
"You may have a slight concussion," the old man said. He patted Trip's knee kindly then sat down beside him. "You'll be alright."
"What did you do before you came here, A'Tal?" asked the engineer as he leaned his head back against the wall.
"I was a physician," replied A'Tal.
Trip looked at him in surprise. "You're a doctor? How'd you end up here?"
A'Tal closed his eyes for a moment then turned his head to look at Trip. "I was on my way home from a medical conference when I started having engine trouble. I landed just outside the city of Silota. Everyone was so generous and kind. Commander-in-chief Omara had just come into his role as head of security and he seemed like a very genial man. He showed me around the city while I waited for the repairs to my ship to be completed. While we were eating dinner, a patron of the eatery began choking. I did what any doctor would do and tried to help her. As much as I tried, I couldn't dislodge whatever was caught in her throat. She died before more help could arrive." A'Tal sighed. "I was arrested immediately and sentenced to life here."
Trip shook his head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry, A'Tal," he whispered. He gazed down at his sore hands.
"How do you feel?" asked the Xyrillian.
"You mean aside from the headache?"
A'Tal smiled kindly. "Yes, aside from the headache."
"Fine," Trip replied. "Maybe I'm like you and I won't become addicted."
"This is only your first day. The others didn't start showing signs until after receiving injections for several days."
The door opened and a guard walked in with a tray of food. The man set it down then backed out of the room under the watchful eye of another guard.
Berryl and Nate grabbed their bowls first then huddled side by side on the floor and began devouring the contents. Jett knelt beside the tray and picked up a bowl and handed it to Alta. She shook her head. Jett shrugged and took the bowl himself. Kaea picked up the tray and offered it to Trip and A'Tal.
"Thank you," said Trip as he took one of the bowls. He peered in at the red pasty substance and groaned. "Oh this looks delicious," he muttered.
"You'll get used to it," laughed Kaea. She watched in amusement as Trip took a finger full and shoved it into his mouth. He grimaced and shivered dramatically.
Jett came over and sat with them. "So what did you do before ending up here with us?" he asked looking at Trip. The boy still had an air of defiance about him.
"I'm an engineer on a starship," replied Trip. He forced another bite of the paste down, hoping it would stay put in his stomach. "Commander Charles Tucker III, Chief Engineer, at your service."
The boy nearly spilled his bowl as his mouth dropped open. "You're a commander?"
Trip nodded feeling oddly embarrassed at the boy's reaction. He saw Kaea and A'Tal exchange smiles.
"A commander," Jett repeated with a hint of awe.
"You're an important person, huh, Commander?" said Berryl from across the room. "So where is your starship now? If you're so important, why haven't they come for you?"
"Berryl, hush," admonished A'Tal.
"It's okay," said Trip to the old man before looking at Berryl. "They'll find me. I know my captain and he won't give up. I was taken pretty quickly so they're probably just trying to put the pieces together."
Nate snorted derisively then the two began talking softly between themselves casting occasional glances at Trip.
"Just ignore them, Commander," said Jett as he took a bite. "They're here for deserting their posts in the Silotan military. They're just jealous of your rank."
Trip couldn't help but smile at the boy's use of his title.
The first week went by slowly. Every morning the prison doctor would enter and give the prisoners their injections then they would head out to the field to harvest. Trip could feel himself changing but he hoped the changes were because of the circumstances in which he found himself and not because of the drug coursing through his veins.
Now, after a hard day in the field, he paced back and forth in the cell.
"You need to rest," urged A'Tal.
But Trip felt trapped, like the walls of the cell were closing in on him. He peered up at the darkening sky through the windows that lined the upper portion of one wall.
A'Tal moved to his side. "Please, Trip."
"It's happening, isn't it?" Trip asked. "The drug."
"It appears so, my friend."
"Damn it."
A'Tal put a hand on Trip's shoulder. "Try to rest."
The commander jerked away. "Just leave me alone, old man!" he snarled, turning on the Xyrillian in sudden anger. "Leave me alone!"
A'Tal shrank back.
Trip closed his eyes then brought his hands up to cover his face. "I'm sorry A'Tal," he murmured.
"You need to rest, my friend."
"I can't. When I close my eyes, I dream. I don't want to dream!" He paced along the wall, his breathing ragged, his hand sliding over the cool stone. "I don't want to dream," he repeated with vehemence.
Then he looked at his cellmates all huddled against the other walls watching him. Trip turned his back and slammed his fists into the stone. He leaned forward, his forehead touching the coolness. Why, he asked himself. Why hadn't he come for him? The captain was supposed to be his friend.
Trip laughed out loud. Archer was probably glad he was gone. Trip knew all he did was cause him trouble. As soon as the engineer went missing, Archer had probably taken Enterprise at high warp as far away from Silotan Major as he could get.
No, Trip thought. He knew his captain would never do that. Archer was a good man, one of the best Trip had ever known. The engineer slipped down the wall to his knees. He suddenly felt like he was dangling over a deep, cold, dark hole, clinging fiercely to the sides so he wouldn't fall.
"I don't know if I can hold on, Cap'n," Trip whispered, shaking his head. He felt strong hands grab him then arms encircle him, holding him tightly.
Jon sat in his chair on the bridge and looked at each of his officers. They were all working so diligently to find Trip even though a full two weeks had passed that Jon couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. They were indeed the best Starfleet had to offer but they were also some of the best people he'd ever had the privilege to meet. His eyes wandered to his Vulcan science officer. She had barely taken enough time to meditate let alone sleep and Jon wondered how she was still functioning. He had tried to tell her that Trip's situation wasn't in any way her fault and even though she denied "feeling" anything, Jon knew that in her own way, she missed the chief engineer as much as the others.
The captain stood up and headed to his ready room. When the door slid shut behind him, he leaned back against it and stared up at the ceiling. Enterprise was heading back to Silotan Major to try once again to contact Commander Omara. T'Pol's research had uncovered a penal colony on a small planet that fell along the path of a tiny transport vessel but after scanning the large prison complex, they had found no human bio-signs. The captain and Malcolm had gone down to the surface to talk with the prison officials and had run more scans while they were there. They went cell to cell looking for Trip but had no luck. Jon shivered now at the memory of the frigid climate. That was a week ago. After that lead fell through, they had followed the course of another larger ship only to find a vacation spot for the rich and famous of Silotan Major and no sign of their missing engineer.
Jon sighed and moved to his desk. He sat down heavily in his chair then swiveled around so he could look out his view port. He knew he had to make a report to Admiral Forrest on their progress but his fear was that the admiral would give them a deadline after which they were to cease their search and declare Trip missing in action. That was something Jon knew he could never do; give up on his friend. As far as he was concerned, if there wasn't a body, then Trip was still alive.
The captain stood and moved to his view port. He leaned on the sill and stared out at the endless stream of stars. He missed the engineer. He missed his unique point of view and his opinions but most of all, Jon knew, he missed his sense of humor and his friendship. The captain shook his head. They'd been friends for nearly a decade, a decade that Jon held close to his heart.
He sighed again. "Where are you, Trip?" he whispered helplessly.
After nearly three weeks of working in the field, Trip's hands had gone completely numb so it still surprised him when he could see the smear of blood on the blades of grass. He stopped pulling and stared at his palms, watching the blood seep from the tiny cuts. He wondered briefly if the feeling of utter despair he felt was a result of the narcotic from the plant or a result of being left behind by his captain and friend. The Triasaphen was wreaking havoc with his emotions. He hadn't been affected like the five Silotans but that gave him little comfort. The others had become quiet and glassy-eyed while Trip went from anger to a place so dark he thought he'd never come back out of it. He hated this drug and what it was doing to him and to the others. He had grown to look forward to the distraction of his evening chats with A'Tal, Kaea, and Jett but in the last week, Kaea and Jett had chosen to curl up against the wall of the cell each night. They would simply stare out into the cell without focus until sleep overtook them. The other three had done the same.
Trip turned to Kaea who was kneeling beside him pulling the blades at a steady pace. There were four Silotans left now. Alta had gotten herself killed the day before when she charged a guard. Trip knew she had chosen her way to die, preferring the instant death of a phase rifle shot to the slow, painful death of withdrawals. He wondered if the others would eventually do the same as the months passed and the withdrawals became intolerable. He wondered if he'd do the same as well.
"Get to work!"
Trip looked up just as a guard poked Jett with the muzzle of his rifle. The boy appeared to be pulling at the same pace as the others but the guard prodded him again. Under the influence of the drug, the Silotans were docile so Jett did nothing but flinch away. The guard seemed to enjoy harassing the boy so he continued to jab at him.
"Knock it off!" growled Trip.
The guard swung around and glared down at the engineer. "What did you say?"
"I said knock it off!" Trip repeated tightly.
"Trip," whispered A'Tal in warning. The old Xyrillian was working just behind him.
The Silotan guard turned and jabbed at Jett again with more force. The boy whimpered in pain but kept pulling the grass obediently.
Trip got to his feet. "Leave him alone!" he hissed.
"It's alright, Commander," said Jett, his voice trembling.
"No, it's not alright!"
The blow to his back caught Trip by surprise and he dropped to his knees gasping.
"What is going on here, Rem?"
"This prisoner was causing problems, sir," the guard replied.
"He was just trying to help the boy, Breenan," explained A'Tal. "Rem here was teasing him."
Trip shifted his weight until he was sitting on one hip then rubbed at his sore back. Breenan hovered over him brandishing a heavy club. Trip looked up and boldly held the older man's gaze.
"You're lucky we're one short, young man," Breenan said as he tapped the club against one palm. "Otherwise you'd be dead." The Silotan walked over to Rem. "Get them back to work. Today is the last day of harvest and the shipment goes out tomorrow."
To Be Continued
Chapter Three
The world had changed overnight. When Trip had arrived at Tria Colony, the air had been warm, the sun shining. He couldn't believe that in a few short hours, the entire climate had changed. He awoke in the cell shivering from the bitter cold. The others were just beginning to stir as well. Trip looked up at the dark gray sky outside the windows. He could hear the wind howling.
A'Tal stood up beside him then reached a hand down to help Trip to his feet. The engineer grimaced as his body protested his every move. He still hurt from the beating he'd received on Silotan Major but now he also felt the residual affects of the harsh treatment at the hands of the doctor just the day before. The icy cold air didn't help matters much, he thought with bitterness.
They all jumped when the cell door flew open. Two guards came in carrying heavy coats while a third carried a tray of food. Two more guards holding rifles remained at the door, covering their comrades. The coats were dumped on the floor and the tray was left beside them. The three guards joined the two at the door, their hands on the butts of their weapons holstered at their sides.
The doctor Trip had met the previous day entered with a tray of syringes. All the Silotans pushed up their sleeves without being directed to do so. The woman went from one to the next, injecting him or her with the contents of the syringes.
"I think I'll pass," said Trip when the doctor stepped in front of him. In the blink of an eye, two guards had him down on the floor, his arm twisted painfully behind his back.
The doctor knelt and injected the engineer. "It would be best if you cooperated," she said. Then she stood and exited the cell.
"You have ten minutes!" barked one of the guards. The five left the room and slammed the door shut after them.
Ten minutes later, Trip found himself bundled up in a filthy coat climbing into the back of a land transport. He sat down next to Kaea and A'Tal on the bench while the others huddled on the bench across from him. The vehicle lurched forward, nearly spilling Jett out the back. Berryl reached for the boy and hauled him back in.
As the transport wound its way to its destination, Trip looked out over the landscape. The world had frozen virtually overnight. What had been living only the day before was now shriveled and dying in the bitter cold. He pulled his coat closed and shivered.
After only thirty minutes, the vehicle came to an abrupt halt. The guards who'd been sitting in the front of the transport motioned with their rifles for the prisoners to exit. Trip followed the others out into a field of tall grass. He watched as they all dropped to their hands and knees to begin pulling the grass out by the roots.
"Get to work!" ordered one of the guards as he shoved Trip in the back. Trip swung around in anger but was met with a hard rifle butt to the side of his head. The engineer toppled backwards and fell hard, dazed. He felt strong hands grab him and help him to sit up. A soft voice urged him to do as he was told. Trip felt the hot blood dripping down the side of his frozen face and he heard the voice again coaxing him to get to work. Through the fog, Trip could see A'Tal beside him watching him anxiously.
The grass had sharp edges that cut into Trip's hands. The pain helped to clear his mind and he began pulling in earnest.
"Are you okay?" asked Kaea who was working just in front of him. She looked back with concerned eyes.
Trip nodded then looked down at his sliced palms.
"Keep pulling, Trip," instructed A'Tal and the engineer obeyed.
By the end of the day, Trip was exhausted. A'Tal and Kaea helped settle him against the wall of their cell then the Xyrillian knelt beside him. He probed gently at the gash in the side of Trip's head then he took Trip's chin in his hand and peered intently into his eyes.
"You may have a slight concussion," the old man said. He patted Trip's knee kindly then sat down beside him. "You'll be alright."
"What did you do before you came here, A'Tal?" asked the engineer as he leaned his head back against the wall.
"I was a physician," replied A'Tal.
Trip looked at him in surprise. "You're a doctor? How'd you end up here?"
A'Tal closed his eyes for a moment then turned his head to look at Trip. "I was on my way home from a medical conference when I started having engine trouble. I landed just outside the city of Silota. Everyone was so generous and kind. Commander-in-chief Omara had just come into his role as head of security and he seemed like a very genial man. He showed me around the city while I waited for the repairs to my ship to be completed. While we were eating dinner, a patron of the eatery began choking. I did what any doctor would do and tried to help her. As much as I tried, I couldn't dislodge whatever was caught in her throat. She died before more help could arrive." A'Tal sighed. "I was arrested immediately and sentenced to life here."
Trip shook his head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry, A'Tal," he whispered. He gazed down at his sore hands.
"How do you feel?" asked the Xyrillian.
"You mean aside from the headache?"
A'Tal smiled kindly. "Yes, aside from the headache."
"Fine," Trip replied. "Maybe I'm like you and I won't become addicted."
"This is only your first day. The others didn't start showing signs until after receiving injections for several days."
The door opened and a guard walked in with a tray of food. The man set it down then backed out of the room under the watchful eye of another guard.
Berryl and Nate grabbed their bowls first then huddled side by side on the floor and began devouring the contents. Jett knelt beside the tray and picked up a bowl and handed it to Alta. She shook her head. Jett shrugged and took the bowl himself. Kaea picked up the tray and offered it to Trip and A'Tal.
"Thank you," said Trip as he took one of the bowls. He peered in at the red pasty substance and groaned. "Oh this looks delicious," he muttered.
"You'll get used to it," laughed Kaea. She watched in amusement as Trip took a finger full and shoved it into his mouth. He grimaced and shivered dramatically.
Jett came over and sat with them. "So what did you do before ending up here with us?" he asked looking at Trip. The boy still had an air of defiance about him.
"I'm an engineer on a starship," replied Trip. He forced another bite of the paste down, hoping it would stay put in his stomach. "Commander Charles Tucker III, Chief Engineer, at your service."
The boy nearly spilled his bowl as his mouth dropped open. "You're a commander?"
Trip nodded feeling oddly embarrassed at the boy's reaction. He saw Kaea and A'Tal exchange smiles.
"A commander," Jett repeated with a hint of awe.
"You're an important person, huh, Commander?" said Berryl from across the room. "So where is your starship now? If you're so important, why haven't they come for you?"
"Berryl, hush," admonished A'Tal.
"It's okay," said Trip to the old man before looking at Berryl. "They'll find me. I know my captain and he won't give up. I was taken pretty quickly so they're probably just trying to put the pieces together."
Nate snorted derisively then the two began talking softly between themselves casting occasional glances at Trip.
"Just ignore them, Commander," said Jett as he took a bite. "They're here for deserting their posts in the Silotan military. They're just jealous of your rank."
Trip couldn't help but smile at the boy's use of his title.
The first week went by slowly. Every morning the prison doctor would enter and give the prisoners their injections then they would head out to the field to harvest. Trip could feel himself changing but he hoped the changes were because of the circumstances in which he found himself and not because of the drug coursing through his veins.
Now, after a hard day in the field, he paced back and forth in the cell.
"You need to rest," urged A'Tal.
But Trip felt trapped, like the walls of the cell were closing in on him. He peered up at the darkening sky through the windows that lined the upper portion of one wall.
A'Tal moved to his side. "Please, Trip."
"It's happening, isn't it?" Trip asked. "The drug."
"It appears so, my friend."
"Damn it."
A'Tal put a hand on Trip's shoulder. "Try to rest."
The commander jerked away. "Just leave me alone, old man!" he snarled, turning on the Xyrillian in sudden anger. "Leave me alone!"
A'Tal shrank back.
Trip closed his eyes then brought his hands up to cover his face. "I'm sorry A'Tal," he murmured.
"You need to rest, my friend."
"I can't. When I close my eyes, I dream. I don't want to dream!" He paced along the wall, his breathing ragged, his hand sliding over the cool stone. "I don't want to dream," he repeated with vehemence.
Then he looked at his cellmates all huddled against the other walls watching him. Trip turned his back and slammed his fists into the stone. He leaned forward, his forehead touching the coolness. Why, he asked himself. Why hadn't he come for him? The captain was supposed to be his friend.
Trip laughed out loud. Archer was probably glad he was gone. Trip knew all he did was cause him trouble. As soon as the engineer went missing, Archer had probably taken Enterprise at high warp as far away from Silotan Major as he could get.
No, Trip thought. He knew his captain would never do that. Archer was a good man, one of the best Trip had ever known. The engineer slipped down the wall to his knees. He suddenly felt like he was dangling over a deep, cold, dark hole, clinging fiercely to the sides so he wouldn't fall.
"I don't know if I can hold on, Cap'n," Trip whispered, shaking his head. He felt strong hands grab him then arms encircle him, holding him tightly.
Jon sat in his chair on the bridge and looked at each of his officers. They were all working so diligently to find Trip even though a full two weeks had passed that Jon couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. They were indeed the best Starfleet had to offer but they were also some of the best people he'd ever had the privilege to meet. His eyes wandered to his Vulcan science officer. She had barely taken enough time to meditate let alone sleep and Jon wondered how she was still functioning. He had tried to tell her that Trip's situation wasn't in any way her fault and even though she denied "feeling" anything, Jon knew that in her own way, she missed the chief engineer as much as the others.
The captain stood up and headed to his ready room. When the door slid shut behind him, he leaned back against it and stared up at the ceiling. Enterprise was heading back to Silotan Major to try once again to contact Commander Omara. T'Pol's research had uncovered a penal colony on a small planet that fell along the path of a tiny transport vessel but after scanning the large prison complex, they had found no human bio-signs. The captain and Malcolm had gone down to the surface to talk with the prison officials and had run more scans while they were there. They went cell to cell looking for Trip but had no luck. Jon shivered now at the memory of the frigid climate. That was a week ago. After that lead fell through, they had followed the course of another larger ship only to find a vacation spot for the rich and famous of Silotan Major and no sign of their missing engineer.
Jon sighed and moved to his desk. He sat down heavily in his chair then swiveled around so he could look out his view port. He knew he had to make a report to Admiral Forrest on their progress but his fear was that the admiral would give them a deadline after which they were to cease their search and declare Trip missing in action. That was something Jon knew he could never do; give up on his friend. As far as he was concerned, if there wasn't a body, then Trip was still alive.
The captain stood and moved to his view port. He leaned on the sill and stared out at the endless stream of stars. He missed the engineer. He missed his unique point of view and his opinions but most of all, Jon knew, he missed his sense of humor and his friendship. The captain shook his head. They'd been friends for nearly a decade, a decade that Jon held close to his heart.
He sighed again. "Where are you, Trip?" he whispered helplessly.
After nearly three weeks of working in the field, Trip's hands had gone completely numb so it still surprised him when he could see the smear of blood on the blades of grass. He stopped pulling and stared at his palms, watching the blood seep from the tiny cuts. He wondered briefly if the feeling of utter despair he felt was a result of the narcotic from the plant or a result of being left behind by his captain and friend. The Triasaphen was wreaking havoc with his emotions. He hadn't been affected like the five Silotans but that gave him little comfort. The others had become quiet and glassy-eyed while Trip went from anger to a place so dark he thought he'd never come back out of it. He hated this drug and what it was doing to him and to the others. He had grown to look forward to the distraction of his evening chats with A'Tal, Kaea, and Jett but in the last week, Kaea and Jett had chosen to curl up against the wall of the cell each night. They would simply stare out into the cell without focus until sleep overtook them. The other three had done the same.
Trip turned to Kaea who was kneeling beside him pulling the blades at a steady pace. There were four Silotans left now. Alta had gotten herself killed the day before when she charged a guard. Trip knew she had chosen her way to die, preferring the instant death of a phase rifle shot to the slow, painful death of withdrawals. He wondered if the others would eventually do the same as the months passed and the withdrawals became intolerable. He wondered if he'd do the same as well.
"Get to work!"
Trip looked up just as a guard poked Jett with the muzzle of his rifle. The boy appeared to be pulling at the same pace as the others but the guard prodded him again. Under the influence of the drug, the Silotans were docile so Jett did nothing but flinch away. The guard seemed to enjoy harassing the boy so he continued to jab at him.
"Knock it off!" growled Trip.
The guard swung around and glared down at the engineer. "What did you say?"
"I said knock it off!" Trip repeated tightly.
"Trip," whispered A'Tal in warning. The old Xyrillian was working just behind him.
The Silotan guard turned and jabbed at Jett again with more force. The boy whimpered in pain but kept pulling the grass obediently.
Trip got to his feet. "Leave him alone!" he hissed.
"It's alright, Commander," said Jett, his voice trembling.
"No, it's not alright!"
The blow to his back caught Trip by surprise and he dropped to his knees gasping.
"What is going on here, Rem?"
"This prisoner was causing problems, sir," the guard replied.
"He was just trying to help the boy, Breenan," explained A'Tal. "Rem here was teasing him."
Trip shifted his weight until he was sitting on one hip then rubbed at his sore back. Breenan hovered over him brandishing a heavy club. Trip looked up and boldly held the older man's gaze.
"You're lucky we're one short, young man," Breenan said as he tapped the club against one palm. "Otherwise you'd be dead." The Silotan walked over to Rem. "Get them back to work. Today is the last day of harvest and the shipment goes out tomorrow."
To Be Continued