Chapter Five:
Archer groaned in pain as the whip slapped down on his thighs. His body was bruised and bloodied from the attacks he already had suffered. He refused to break and his example made sure his crewmen did the same.
"Tell me where you are from!" the alien demanded.
Archer yelled as he felt his skin break under the pressure of the spines on the whip. The pain was unbearable and he felt incredibly ill. He and the crewmen all felt as if they would die.
"No," Archer choked out a response.
"The pain will only increase until we decide we have no use for you," the alien muttered wickedly.
"So be it," Archer replied, clawing at the ground beneath him.
The whip did not lash out on his skin again. Soon he heard the door slam as the alien left them alone.
Olde whimpered from the corner and crawled to the captain. Her face was much paler than usual and she could not control the drool that covered her chin.
The blonde ran her small hands through the captain's hair to check for injuries. Her hands were so cold on his warm face. She wiped her face clean with her other arm and tried not to cry, seeing him this way.
"Shhh," Archer said, trying to comfort the young crewman.
She shook her head and he pulled her close, trying to warm her. Stromberg and Saunders moved in closer as the chills hit them as well. Whatever this poison was it made them warm and then cold all of a sudden.
"Where the hell are they?" Saunders asked rhetorically.
"They've got to be coming," Stromberg said, trying to keep up their spirits.
Olde's breathing was very heavy as Archer held her, but suddenly it trailed off and after a few moments stopped entirely. Archer pulled her off of his chest and checked her pulse.
"She's not breathing anymore. I think she's…" Archer choked, unable to find a pulse on the too-still crewman.
"Unconscious," Saunders spoke up. "She's tough, she's not gonna die."
"She can't die," Stromberg added quietly.
***
Reed and Sato headed for the transporter room once the finishing touches were done to their disguises. Phlox lightened their skin some and put black contacts in their eyes. They now looked like Jalashk and could pass as long as they weren't scanned.
When the two got to the transporter room they went over the plan for rescuing the away team, in between scolding each other to stop scratching their facial and body makeup.
"It stings around my eyes," Malcolm muttered as he stepped onto the transporter pad.
Hoshi nodded, "Don't touch it. That will only make it worse."
The room shimmered around them as they appeared in the dark hallway of the ship where their crewmates were held. The black walls and floors were more depressing than the light gray of Enterprise.
Hoshi and Malcolm darted behind a wide pillar as they heard muffled screams of protest from a nearby room. Instinctively shutting their eyes to block out the screams, they opened them again after hearing a door thud.
Malcolm shook his head slightly as Hoshi moved slightly. The pair heard footsteps pound off in the opposite direction. Reed poked his head out first, making sure the coast was clear. There were two guards outside the makeshift prison who spotted Reed immediately.
"Halt," one ordered.
Hoshi left the safety of the pillar and stood with Reed. The guards, who were taller than Reed and about the same weight, closely looked them over.
"State your name and rank," the other intoned.
The guards had ebony colored hair and black eyes. Their uniforms were loose and black with shiny buttons down the middle. Phlox had copied them perfectly, right down to the square shape of the buttons.
"Why should we give a lowly guard like yourself our names and ranks?" Malcolm answered haughtily.
Hoshi nodded and gave a wicked grin. She hoped she looked intimidating with her hair twisted in the high ponytail.
Both guards kneeled and quickly apologized.
"I am sorry, milord, we were making sure you were not imposters. The humans have been guarded by us for one full day and we did not wish to mess up and have a break in."
"Pitiful fools," Hoshi cackled. "Let us pass, we wish to check up on the prisoners."
"Are you here to check up on how S'vrard has been treating them?" one of the guards asked.
It was easy to get them confused, for they looked almost identical. But one was a few centimeters shorter than the other and did not have quite as fluffy hair as the other.
"Of course. S'vrard is such a screw up, we need to make sure he is properly doing his job," Reed said arrogantly.
The guards nodded and replied, "He has been too harsh, if you ask us. Not to mention he has yet to get any information other than their names."
"What did they say their names were?" Reed asked curiously.
"Larry, Curly, Moe and Susy," the shorter replied, nodding his head like the idiot Hoshi now thought him to be.
Hoshi stifled her laugh.
The guards motioned to the now open door and let them pass…
Archer groaned in pain as the whip slapped down on his thighs. His body was bruised and bloodied from the attacks he already had suffered. He refused to break and his example made sure his crewmen did the same.
"Tell me where you are from!" the alien demanded.
Archer yelled as he felt his skin break under the pressure of the spines on the whip. The pain was unbearable and he felt incredibly ill. He and the crewmen all felt as if they would die.
"No," Archer choked out a response.
"The pain will only increase until we decide we have no use for you," the alien muttered wickedly.
"So be it," Archer replied, clawing at the ground beneath him.
The whip did not lash out on his skin again. Soon he heard the door slam as the alien left them alone.
Olde whimpered from the corner and crawled to the captain. Her face was much paler than usual and she could not control the drool that covered her chin.
The blonde ran her small hands through the captain's hair to check for injuries. Her hands were so cold on his warm face. She wiped her face clean with her other arm and tried not to cry, seeing him this way.
"Shhh," Archer said, trying to comfort the young crewman.
She shook her head and he pulled her close, trying to warm her. Stromberg and Saunders moved in closer as the chills hit them as well. Whatever this poison was it made them warm and then cold all of a sudden.
"Where the hell are they?" Saunders asked rhetorically.
"They've got to be coming," Stromberg said, trying to keep up their spirits.
Olde's breathing was very heavy as Archer held her, but suddenly it trailed off and after a few moments stopped entirely. Archer pulled her off of his chest and checked her pulse.
"She's not breathing anymore. I think she's…" Archer choked, unable to find a pulse on the too-still crewman.
"Unconscious," Saunders spoke up. "She's tough, she's not gonna die."
"She can't die," Stromberg added quietly.
***
Reed and Sato headed for the transporter room once the finishing touches were done to their disguises. Phlox lightened their skin some and put black contacts in their eyes. They now looked like Jalashk and could pass as long as they weren't scanned.
When the two got to the transporter room they went over the plan for rescuing the away team, in between scolding each other to stop scratching their facial and body makeup.
"It stings around my eyes," Malcolm muttered as he stepped onto the transporter pad.
Hoshi nodded, "Don't touch it. That will only make it worse."
The room shimmered around them as they appeared in the dark hallway of the ship where their crewmates were held. The black walls and floors were more depressing than the light gray of Enterprise.
Hoshi and Malcolm darted behind a wide pillar as they heard muffled screams of protest from a nearby room. Instinctively shutting their eyes to block out the screams, they opened them again after hearing a door thud.
Malcolm shook his head slightly as Hoshi moved slightly. The pair heard footsteps pound off in the opposite direction. Reed poked his head out first, making sure the coast was clear. There were two guards outside the makeshift prison who spotted Reed immediately.
"Halt," one ordered.
Hoshi left the safety of the pillar and stood with Reed. The guards, who were taller than Reed and about the same weight, closely looked them over.
"State your name and rank," the other intoned.
The guards had ebony colored hair and black eyes. Their uniforms were loose and black with shiny buttons down the middle. Phlox had copied them perfectly, right down to the square shape of the buttons.
"Why should we give a lowly guard like yourself our names and ranks?" Malcolm answered haughtily.
Hoshi nodded and gave a wicked grin. She hoped she looked intimidating with her hair twisted in the high ponytail.
Both guards kneeled and quickly apologized.
"I am sorry, milord, we were making sure you were not imposters. The humans have been guarded by us for one full day and we did not wish to mess up and have a break in."
"Pitiful fools," Hoshi cackled. "Let us pass, we wish to check up on the prisoners."
"Are you here to check up on how S'vrard has been treating them?" one of the guards asked.
It was easy to get them confused, for they looked almost identical. But one was a few centimeters shorter than the other and did not have quite as fluffy hair as the other.
"Of course. S'vrard is such a screw up, we need to make sure he is properly doing his job," Reed said arrogantly.
The guards nodded and replied, "He has been too harsh, if you ask us. Not to mention he has yet to get any information other than their names."
"What did they say their names were?" Reed asked curiously.
"Larry, Curly, Moe and Susy," the shorter replied, nodding his head like the idiot Hoshi now thought him to be.
Hoshi stifled her laugh.
The guards motioned to the now open door and let them pass…
