Lost
I apologize to all of you for doing this in pieces. Unfortunately, what started as a short story took on a mind of it's own!
As always thank you to all who read this and left kind comments behind.
Part 2- Into The Void
T'Pol sat at her science station watching the readings of a newly developing anomaly as it fluctuated across the screen. This wave of unknown origin seemed to be forming just outside the nebula and would merit further observation.
Captain Archer and Lt. Reed were still inside the Nebula. She hadn't received a communication from them for over three hours; this disturbed her for it could mean that now three of Enterprises' senior officers were missing.
Hoshi kept directing signals at the nebula, but continued to receive static back. She sighed in frustration, worried that the Captain and Malcolm as well as Trip were now in trouble and there was nothing they could do to help.
Sitting here waiting was the worst of all worlds, so once more she adjusted the frequencies and attempted to reach them, determined to find a signal that would work.
T'Pol watched as the wave built up then started moving through space into the nebula, it caused ripples in the space around it. This wasn't something that she had ever encountered before and it certainly didn't abode well for anyone in its path, including the two shuttles with their crews that were inside the nebula.
It was time for a decision, and it wasn't a logical one, but she had to at least try and retrieve the crews of the shuttles.
"Ensign Mayweather, bring Enterprise just into the outer edge of the nebula, but not all the way in. I want to try and send a signal to Captain Archer."
She hoped that she wasn't risking them all in doing this. By staying just halfway outside the nebula, she would be able to leave quickly should trouble arise.
Travis was quick to respond, "Yes, Sir!" He piloted the ship so the bow just entered the nebula and the stars around them instantly disappeared from the forward screen, replaced by static lightening and bright colors of gold and red.
It was disconcerting for now they were surrounded by colors and static flowing all around them as if they were submerged in liquid. He held his breath waiting for something to happen, but was pleased when nothing did.
T'Pol addressed Hoshi, "Ensign Sato, try sending a hail now to both shuttles, use any frequency."
"Yes, Sir." Hoshi responded and smiled glad that they were at last trying something new.
I wonder if we'll ever see Captain Archer, Trip and Malcolm again, she thought, then determinedly pushed it aside and tried a positive approach.
We will see them again if I have anything to do with it!
*************************
Lt. Reed kept checking his control panel for the coordinates of Commander Tucker's shuttle that he had received earlier. They still couldn't see anything!
It's so bloody frustrating, where the hell are you Trip!
Beside him, Archer, equally frustrated and tense, was straining forward hoping to see the shuttle appear in the murky space that surrounded them and obscured their view. His concern for the missing engineer was written on his face.
The Captain had been constantly hailing Trip, but hadn't received a reply back. Fear for his friend played on his nerves making him edgy. The truth was he knew Trip must be injured and unable to respond. It made the situation all the more nerve racking and stressed the importance of finding him and getting back to Enterprise as soon as possible.
Reed watched the readings and looked up once more to the forward screen, a smile crossed his face quickly and he slowed the shuttle. "There she is, Sir, forward and two degrees to starboard!"
Archer's head snapped up to look forward through the view screen, he had been trying another hailing frequency when he heard Malcolm's exclamation.
Before them hanging in space at an odd angle was the shuttle once more.
Archer wanted more than anything to hear Trip's voice, but there still was no answer when he tried hailing it.
The shuttle hung there silently, dead in space unwilling to give them what they wanted.
Reed scanned the craft with his forward scanners, "There's life signs, Sir, emergency power. Plenty of air, shall I dock with it?"
Archer was about to answer when their shuttle lurched upward and Reed fought for control of the ship as it was pushed forward as if on a wave in the ocean. They went right past Trip's shuttle and neither of them was able to see what affect the force had on the other pod for they were too busy trying to control their own forward momentum.
It felt like a roller coaster ride as they were dragged along by the wave causing them to suddenly head up and then nose dive with Reed fighting all the time to keep them from loosing control and tumbling. Archer could do nothing to help; it was all in Lt Reed's hands.
They spiraled downward as if in free fall and suddenly broke free of whatever had them in its grip. All around them were pieces of debris in what seemed to be a calm area, free of the static and illuminated all around by the nebula that encircled them with it's many colors and lights.
The calm inside the storm. It reminded Archer of the eye of a hurricane
Reed's startled exclamation of, "Bloody hell!" made Archer follow the Lt's line of sight. In the distance were at least five huge ships that were just sitting dead in space. Neither man knew what to say.
Reed broke the silence, "It's a bloody graveyard!" He looked up from his control board. "There are bio signs, but no life signs."
Archer breathed deeply, calming his ragged nerves, "We have to find Trip, and get out of here."
Reed nodded and tried to turn the ship back toward the nebula, but was forced back into the void where the other ships were. "Some kind of sheer force is pushing us back, it's preventing us from leaving!"
Archer feared as much when he had first seen the other ships. They wouldn't all be here if they could have escaped. They certainly had more powerful engines than the shuttle.
"Any sign of Trip?" he asked, trying to think of something to get them out of here as well as find the missing shuttle.
Reed looked again at his scanners, and then tried sending several pings out toward the nebula. He waited for what seemed an eternity.
"Nothing, Sir," he finally said in frustration and disappointment.
Just when they had been so close to retrieving the Commander!
Archer made a decision, " Bring us in closer to the ships, maybe we can get a better view of the surrounding area."
Reed moved them in to the center where the other ships waited, frozen in time for all eternity. Derelicts that were no longer of any use to the dead they contained.
The shuttle flew past two large cargo ships that were devoid of any atmosphere inside having been breached by some projectile that allowed space to lay claim to their insides. A third ship was the largest and was still showing a breathable atmosphere.
"Let's see if we can dock with that one. It may have something onboard that will help us find Trip." Archer pointed at the cargo ship closest to them.
Reed swung the shuttle in and made a perfect docking on his second try with a hatch on the forward hull.
Archer sealed the hatchway against the ship then opened the hatch of the shuttle into the airlock.
The air that greeted him spoke of staleness and death. Both of them coughed as they entered the ship holding their hands over their noses and mouths. It was all they could do to keep from retching at the smell.
It only took a few steps into the corridor outside the airlock to see what had happened. Bodies were strewn everywhere, some had been carrying foodstuffs and others weapons. There were several different species and it looked like this ship had been raided by the other inhabitants of the void for food and were killed by the crew of the cargo ship. Reed ran his hand held scanner around the ship, no life signs appeared.
Archer was dismayed at the violence all around them, some of the aliens had been literally hacked to death. Alien blood was everywhere, walls, floor, and ceiling. It was a nightmare.
I wonder if this is what will happen to Enterprise if we go too far into the Expanse.
He remembered the pirates who had boarded his ship and stripped it of supplies.
Reed had gone forward to a diagram on the wall that was illuminated by emergency power. It had remained on despite the death of the ship's crew.
"Captain, the bridge is just ahead according to this ship's layout."
Archer turned his attention back to Reed, "How far? I don't want to get too involved in here and maybe miss Trip's shuttle if it's thrown into this void as well."
"I guess it to be just beyond that bulkhead, we could take a quick look and then leave?" Reed suggested.
Archer gave it a quick thought and agreed, "Ok, but we'll download their logs if any and try to decipher them on the shuttle. "
Reed nodded and headed toward the bulkhead stepping over several rotting corpses whose vacant eyes stared up at him as he past by. Archer followed and did the same, trying not to look or breathe for that matter.
The thought of finding the shuttle and discovering Trip's lifeless blue eyes starring vacantly at him, accusing him of being too late had entered his mind.
Archer shook the image off, and followed the Lt.
******************************* T'pol was trying to reach either shuttle pod but with no success.
An air of gloom hung over the bridge making everyone depressed, for now it seemed that even their Captain and Malcolm were lost as well.
Finally, T'Pol gave the order to return Enterprise back to normal space and out of the nebula. She had little choice, for if she remained inside she feared they too would become a victim of the nebula. For now all they could do was wait and hope that one of the shuttles made it back to Enterprise. She feared that Commander Tucker was lost and could only hope that Captain Archer would realize this and return to his ship and his command. One crewman was not worth the lives of 80 others even if it was Commander Tucker.
They all sat waiting once more for the return of their crew mates wishing all would come back, but willing to accept one shuttle if that's all that would be allowed by fate to return.
**********************
Archer and Malcolm had entered the bridge of the cargo ship without finding any more bodies. It seemed that everyone had died together trying to fight off the boarding parties that had raided them for supplies. The ship had been stripped of equipment from the bridge as well.
While Malcolm down loaded the files from the ship's logs, Archer was drawn to the desk in the corner where papers were strewn as well as several padds. Mathematical equations covered the papers as well as a drawing showing what must have been the area they were in and the nebula that surrounded them.
They must have been working on a way out of here
Archer picked up the padds and the drawings. Nothing was completed but it would give them a start. He went to the forward screen and gazed out at the swirling mass that surrounded them and wondered if they would ever find Trip.
Is this to become our grave as well?
Malcolm walked over and stood beside him. "I've got it all, Sir. We'd better go and see if we can find Mr. Tucker."
Archer nodded and they solemnly left the bridge, making their way once more through the grizzly hall of death on their way back to their shuttle.
Trip was out there somewhere and Archer was determined to find him and get away from here as quickly as possible.
******************
Trip came to once more and vaguely remembered hearing Archer's voice telling him they were on the way.
The outside was no longer filled with flashes of light, but darkness and no sounds. Even the comm was silent. A fear went through him and his heart started to pound,
It never happened! Oh God! It must have been a dream! Jon was never here!
He knew he had a concussion and was unable to get up. The console was just above him, so he must have been trying to get here for a reason.
It had to be true!
He forced himself to remember. The shuttle seemed to be drifting, but there was no way he could tell where he was. Finally, fighting back the agony the move caused, he pulled himself up and found the comm button.
"Capt'n are you there? Can you hear me?" Desperation filled his voice, but he didn't care, they had to be out there somewhere! He knew he hadn't imagined it. "Please be there!"
****************************
Archer once more used the frequencies that Hoshi had given him hoping to locate the shuttle that held Commander Tucker and get a response. Malcolm was using his radar system as well, but neither of them had been successful.
A noise suddenly crackled from the comm, it sounded like a voice. Archer nearly jumped on it in his haste to tune it in and bring up the volume.
"Trip! Can you hear me?" Archer shouted.
"Capt'n, I thought I was dreaming that you called!" Trip was so relieved now that tears had formed in his eyes. "Thought you all had forgotten me."
Archer could hear the emotional distress in his friend's voice and he tried to reassure him. "We'd never do that, we were caught in some kind of anomaly before we could get to you. We need to locate you, Malcolm's taking a reading trying to get your coordinates."
Archer hoped he was nearby, for right now they were unable to fly anywhere outside the void that had their shuttle trapped.
Trip was having difficulty balancing himself on the seat and using the comm, his fragile hold on consciousness was threatening to let go again because of the pain.
"Have to make this short, Capt'n, can't stay upright long enough." his voice faded as he slowly slid back to the floor and tried desperately to keep from falling into the blackness that wanted to claim him.
Archer looked at Malcolm who nodded, he had found the shuttle.
"We have you, Trip, hold on!" Archer didn't get a response, but the fact they had located him was enough to calm him.
"I show him just entering the void, Sir, over by the last cargo ship on our starboard side." Malcolm sighed in relief, Trip was still alive and they had managed to find him again. This time they would make a proper go of it and use the grappler on the pod.
He flew the shuttle through the void to the coordinates and there before them was Trip's shuttle still drifting at an odd angle.
Archer wondered what he would find inside, how badly was Trip injured? At least he was alive he kept reassuring himself, there was that at least. The memory of the corpses on the cargo ship was sill fresh in his mind. Their empty eyes still haunted him as if warning him of impending doom that was still to come.
Archer pushed the memory aside and made ready with the grappler. He hooked the shuttle with the first try and they now had to decide whether to board her or not.
He looked over at the huge cargo ship before them, it must have a shuttle bay to deliver supplies, and if we could open it, we could bring in both shuttles and retrieve Trip as well.
"Malcolm, swing by the rear of that ship, see if their launch area is still open."
Reed looked at the ship before them, and carefully turned the shuttle. He went slowly since he was towing the other shuttle behind. "Bio signs again but no life signs aboard." He mentioned, "I see a switch, we could try firing a shot maybe shorting it out?"
Archer looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "Go ahead, otherwise I'll board through a hatch and open it from inside."
Malcolm was about to fire when the door started to open on its own. The ship was still running on emergency power and the electronic detector had been activated by their approach.
Once the door was wide open, Reed flew the shuttle slowly inside towing the other carefully behind.
It was tricky landing them both inside, but the area was large since it was a cargo ship and it easily accommodated both ships. Once inside, the automated ramp came up again triggered by the electronic eye. Archer waited for the cargo airlock to regain atmosphere, then quickly opened the hatch. He was outside in a flash and on his way to the other shuttle. Reed drew a weapon as he exited, carefully taking in their surroundings, he didn't want any nasty surprises.
Archer cracked the hatch open on the other pod and went inside. Equipment was strewn everywhere inside the shuttle. He quickly spotted Trip lying on the floor near the pilot seat apparently unconscious.
"Trip!"
Archer held his breath as he knelt down to examine his friend and found his pulse steady. Trip looked pale and his head was covered with dried blood. It wasn't surprising considering the state the inside of the shuttle was in. He probably had other injuries as well, so Archer didn't try and move him. The medical scanner from the first aid kit in the other shuttle would be needed to determine that.
Reed was at the doorway," How is he?" he asked anxiously.
Archer took his first deep breath," Alive, but I'll need the first aid kit to check him for any serious injuries."
"I'll get it," Reed left to fetch it.
Archer sat down on the floor next to Trip; he couldn't believe that they had finally found him after searching for what must have been 14 hours. He rested one hand on Trip's shoulder as if to be sure that he was really here. He didn't remove it till Reed returned with the kit in hand.
Reed crouched down next to Archer and handed the kit over to him. Archer quickly opened it and used the scanner on the engineer. What he found wasn't the best of news, but it could have been worse. Trip had damaged vertebrae and it looked like some were pressing on his spinal cord, fortunately, nothing was broken. They would have to move him very carefully so as not to injure him further.
Archer took out a hypo spray and gave Trip a shot of local painkiller. They would move him while he was still unconscious. His other injuries could be treated after they had him safely inside the other shuttle.
I apologize to all of you for doing this in pieces. Unfortunately, what started as a short story took on a mind of it's own!
As always thank you to all who read this and left kind comments behind.
Part 2- Into The Void
T'Pol sat at her science station watching the readings of a newly developing anomaly as it fluctuated across the screen. This wave of unknown origin seemed to be forming just outside the nebula and would merit further observation.
Captain Archer and Lt. Reed were still inside the Nebula. She hadn't received a communication from them for over three hours; this disturbed her for it could mean that now three of Enterprises' senior officers were missing.
Hoshi kept directing signals at the nebula, but continued to receive static back. She sighed in frustration, worried that the Captain and Malcolm as well as Trip were now in trouble and there was nothing they could do to help.
Sitting here waiting was the worst of all worlds, so once more she adjusted the frequencies and attempted to reach them, determined to find a signal that would work.
T'Pol watched as the wave built up then started moving through space into the nebula, it caused ripples in the space around it. This wasn't something that she had ever encountered before and it certainly didn't abode well for anyone in its path, including the two shuttles with their crews that were inside the nebula.
It was time for a decision, and it wasn't a logical one, but she had to at least try and retrieve the crews of the shuttles.
"Ensign Mayweather, bring Enterprise just into the outer edge of the nebula, but not all the way in. I want to try and send a signal to Captain Archer."
She hoped that she wasn't risking them all in doing this. By staying just halfway outside the nebula, she would be able to leave quickly should trouble arise.
Travis was quick to respond, "Yes, Sir!" He piloted the ship so the bow just entered the nebula and the stars around them instantly disappeared from the forward screen, replaced by static lightening and bright colors of gold and red.
It was disconcerting for now they were surrounded by colors and static flowing all around them as if they were submerged in liquid. He held his breath waiting for something to happen, but was pleased when nothing did.
T'Pol addressed Hoshi, "Ensign Sato, try sending a hail now to both shuttles, use any frequency."
"Yes, Sir." Hoshi responded and smiled glad that they were at last trying something new.
I wonder if we'll ever see Captain Archer, Trip and Malcolm again, she thought, then determinedly pushed it aside and tried a positive approach.
We will see them again if I have anything to do with it!
*************************
Lt. Reed kept checking his control panel for the coordinates of Commander Tucker's shuttle that he had received earlier. They still couldn't see anything!
It's so bloody frustrating, where the hell are you Trip!
Beside him, Archer, equally frustrated and tense, was straining forward hoping to see the shuttle appear in the murky space that surrounded them and obscured their view. His concern for the missing engineer was written on his face.
The Captain had been constantly hailing Trip, but hadn't received a reply back. Fear for his friend played on his nerves making him edgy. The truth was he knew Trip must be injured and unable to respond. It made the situation all the more nerve racking and stressed the importance of finding him and getting back to Enterprise as soon as possible.
Reed watched the readings and looked up once more to the forward screen, a smile crossed his face quickly and he slowed the shuttle. "There she is, Sir, forward and two degrees to starboard!"
Archer's head snapped up to look forward through the view screen, he had been trying another hailing frequency when he heard Malcolm's exclamation.
Before them hanging in space at an odd angle was the shuttle once more.
Archer wanted more than anything to hear Trip's voice, but there still was no answer when he tried hailing it.
The shuttle hung there silently, dead in space unwilling to give them what they wanted.
Reed scanned the craft with his forward scanners, "There's life signs, Sir, emergency power. Plenty of air, shall I dock with it?"
Archer was about to answer when their shuttle lurched upward and Reed fought for control of the ship as it was pushed forward as if on a wave in the ocean. They went right past Trip's shuttle and neither of them was able to see what affect the force had on the other pod for they were too busy trying to control their own forward momentum.
It felt like a roller coaster ride as they were dragged along by the wave causing them to suddenly head up and then nose dive with Reed fighting all the time to keep them from loosing control and tumbling. Archer could do nothing to help; it was all in Lt Reed's hands.
They spiraled downward as if in free fall and suddenly broke free of whatever had them in its grip. All around them were pieces of debris in what seemed to be a calm area, free of the static and illuminated all around by the nebula that encircled them with it's many colors and lights.
The calm inside the storm. It reminded Archer of the eye of a hurricane
Reed's startled exclamation of, "Bloody hell!" made Archer follow the Lt's line of sight. In the distance were at least five huge ships that were just sitting dead in space. Neither man knew what to say.
Reed broke the silence, "It's a bloody graveyard!" He looked up from his control board. "There are bio signs, but no life signs."
Archer breathed deeply, calming his ragged nerves, "We have to find Trip, and get out of here."
Reed nodded and tried to turn the ship back toward the nebula, but was forced back into the void where the other ships were. "Some kind of sheer force is pushing us back, it's preventing us from leaving!"
Archer feared as much when he had first seen the other ships. They wouldn't all be here if they could have escaped. They certainly had more powerful engines than the shuttle.
"Any sign of Trip?" he asked, trying to think of something to get them out of here as well as find the missing shuttle.
Reed looked again at his scanners, and then tried sending several pings out toward the nebula. He waited for what seemed an eternity.
"Nothing, Sir," he finally said in frustration and disappointment.
Just when they had been so close to retrieving the Commander!
Archer made a decision, " Bring us in closer to the ships, maybe we can get a better view of the surrounding area."
Reed moved them in to the center where the other ships waited, frozen in time for all eternity. Derelicts that were no longer of any use to the dead they contained.
The shuttle flew past two large cargo ships that were devoid of any atmosphere inside having been breached by some projectile that allowed space to lay claim to their insides. A third ship was the largest and was still showing a breathable atmosphere.
"Let's see if we can dock with that one. It may have something onboard that will help us find Trip." Archer pointed at the cargo ship closest to them.
Reed swung the shuttle in and made a perfect docking on his second try with a hatch on the forward hull.
Archer sealed the hatchway against the ship then opened the hatch of the shuttle into the airlock.
The air that greeted him spoke of staleness and death. Both of them coughed as they entered the ship holding their hands over their noses and mouths. It was all they could do to keep from retching at the smell.
It only took a few steps into the corridor outside the airlock to see what had happened. Bodies were strewn everywhere, some had been carrying foodstuffs and others weapons. There were several different species and it looked like this ship had been raided by the other inhabitants of the void for food and were killed by the crew of the cargo ship. Reed ran his hand held scanner around the ship, no life signs appeared.
Archer was dismayed at the violence all around them, some of the aliens had been literally hacked to death. Alien blood was everywhere, walls, floor, and ceiling. It was a nightmare.
I wonder if this is what will happen to Enterprise if we go too far into the Expanse.
He remembered the pirates who had boarded his ship and stripped it of supplies.
Reed had gone forward to a diagram on the wall that was illuminated by emergency power. It had remained on despite the death of the ship's crew.
"Captain, the bridge is just ahead according to this ship's layout."
Archer turned his attention back to Reed, "How far? I don't want to get too involved in here and maybe miss Trip's shuttle if it's thrown into this void as well."
"I guess it to be just beyond that bulkhead, we could take a quick look and then leave?" Reed suggested.
Archer gave it a quick thought and agreed, "Ok, but we'll download their logs if any and try to decipher them on the shuttle. "
Reed nodded and headed toward the bulkhead stepping over several rotting corpses whose vacant eyes stared up at him as he past by. Archer followed and did the same, trying not to look or breathe for that matter.
The thought of finding the shuttle and discovering Trip's lifeless blue eyes starring vacantly at him, accusing him of being too late had entered his mind.
Archer shook the image off, and followed the Lt.
******************************* T'pol was trying to reach either shuttle pod but with no success.
An air of gloom hung over the bridge making everyone depressed, for now it seemed that even their Captain and Malcolm were lost as well.
Finally, T'Pol gave the order to return Enterprise back to normal space and out of the nebula. She had little choice, for if she remained inside she feared they too would become a victim of the nebula. For now all they could do was wait and hope that one of the shuttles made it back to Enterprise. She feared that Commander Tucker was lost and could only hope that Captain Archer would realize this and return to his ship and his command. One crewman was not worth the lives of 80 others even if it was Commander Tucker.
They all sat waiting once more for the return of their crew mates wishing all would come back, but willing to accept one shuttle if that's all that would be allowed by fate to return.
**********************
Archer and Malcolm had entered the bridge of the cargo ship without finding any more bodies. It seemed that everyone had died together trying to fight off the boarding parties that had raided them for supplies. The ship had been stripped of equipment from the bridge as well.
While Malcolm down loaded the files from the ship's logs, Archer was drawn to the desk in the corner where papers were strewn as well as several padds. Mathematical equations covered the papers as well as a drawing showing what must have been the area they were in and the nebula that surrounded them.
They must have been working on a way out of here
Archer picked up the padds and the drawings. Nothing was completed but it would give them a start. He went to the forward screen and gazed out at the swirling mass that surrounded them and wondered if they would ever find Trip.
Is this to become our grave as well?
Malcolm walked over and stood beside him. "I've got it all, Sir. We'd better go and see if we can find Mr. Tucker."
Archer nodded and they solemnly left the bridge, making their way once more through the grizzly hall of death on their way back to their shuttle.
Trip was out there somewhere and Archer was determined to find him and get away from here as quickly as possible.
******************
Trip came to once more and vaguely remembered hearing Archer's voice telling him they were on the way.
The outside was no longer filled with flashes of light, but darkness and no sounds. Even the comm was silent. A fear went through him and his heart started to pound,
It never happened! Oh God! It must have been a dream! Jon was never here!
He knew he had a concussion and was unable to get up. The console was just above him, so he must have been trying to get here for a reason.
It had to be true!
He forced himself to remember. The shuttle seemed to be drifting, but there was no way he could tell where he was. Finally, fighting back the agony the move caused, he pulled himself up and found the comm button.
"Capt'n are you there? Can you hear me?" Desperation filled his voice, but he didn't care, they had to be out there somewhere! He knew he hadn't imagined it. "Please be there!"
****************************
Archer once more used the frequencies that Hoshi had given him hoping to locate the shuttle that held Commander Tucker and get a response. Malcolm was using his radar system as well, but neither of them had been successful.
A noise suddenly crackled from the comm, it sounded like a voice. Archer nearly jumped on it in his haste to tune it in and bring up the volume.
"Trip! Can you hear me?" Archer shouted.
"Capt'n, I thought I was dreaming that you called!" Trip was so relieved now that tears had formed in his eyes. "Thought you all had forgotten me."
Archer could hear the emotional distress in his friend's voice and he tried to reassure him. "We'd never do that, we were caught in some kind of anomaly before we could get to you. We need to locate you, Malcolm's taking a reading trying to get your coordinates."
Archer hoped he was nearby, for right now they were unable to fly anywhere outside the void that had their shuttle trapped.
Trip was having difficulty balancing himself on the seat and using the comm, his fragile hold on consciousness was threatening to let go again because of the pain.
"Have to make this short, Capt'n, can't stay upright long enough." his voice faded as he slowly slid back to the floor and tried desperately to keep from falling into the blackness that wanted to claim him.
Archer looked at Malcolm who nodded, he had found the shuttle.
"We have you, Trip, hold on!" Archer didn't get a response, but the fact they had located him was enough to calm him.
"I show him just entering the void, Sir, over by the last cargo ship on our starboard side." Malcolm sighed in relief, Trip was still alive and they had managed to find him again. This time they would make a proper go of it and use the grappler on the pod.
He flew the shuttle through the void to the coordinates and there before them was Trip's shuttle still drifting at an odd angle.
Archer wondered what he would find inside, how badly was Trip injured? At least he was alive he kept reassuring himself, there was that at least. The memory of the corpses on the cargo ship was sill fresh in his mind. Their empty eyes still haunted him as if warning him of impending doom that was still to come.
Archer pushed the memory aside and made ready with the grappler. He hooked the shuttle with the first try and they now had to decide whether to board her or not.
He looked over at the huge cargo ship before them, it must have a shuttle bay to deliver supplies, and if we could open it, we could bring in both shuttles and retrieve Trip as well.
"Malcolm, swing by the rear of that ship, see if their launch area is still open."
Reed looked at the ship before them, and carefully turned the shuttle. He went slowly since he was towing the other shuttle behind. "Bio signs again but no life signs aboard." He mentioned, "I see a switch, we could try firing a shot maybe shorting it out?"
Archer looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "Go ahead, otherwise I'll board through a hatch and open it from inside."
Malcolm was about to fire when the door started to open on its own. The ship was still running on emergency power and the electronic detector had been activated by their approach.
Once the door was wide open, Reed flew the shuttle slowly inside towing the other carefully behind.
It was tricky landing them both inside, but the area was large since it was a cargo ship and it easily accommodated both ships. Once inside, the automated ramp came up again triggered by the electronic eye. Archer waited for the cargo airlock to regain atmosphere, then quickly opened the hatch. He was outside in a flash and on his way to the other shuttle. Reed drew a weapon as he exited, carefully taking in their surroundings, he didn't want any nasty surprises.
Archer cracked the hatch open on the other pod and went inside. Equipment was strewn everywhere inside the shuttle. He quickly spotted Trip lying on the floor near the pilot seat apparently unconscious.
"Trip!"
Archer held his breath as he knelt down to examine his friend and found his pulse steady. Trip looked pale and his head was covered with dried blood. It wasn't surprising considering the state the inside of the shuttle was in. He probably had other injuries as well, so Archer didn't try and move him. The medical scanner from the first aid kit in the other shuttle would be needed to determine that.
Reed was at the doorway," How is he?" he asked anxiously.
Archer took his first deep breath," Alive, but I'll need the first aid kit to check him for any serious injuries."
"I'll get it," Reed left to fetch it.
Archer sat down on the floor next to Trip; he couldn't believe that they had finally found him after searching for what must have been 14 hours. He rested one hand on Trip's shoulder as if to be sure that he was really here. He didn't remove it till Reed returned with the kit in hand.
Reed crouched down next to Archer and handed the kit over to him. Archer quickly opened it and used the scanner on the engineer. What he found wasn't the best of news, but it could have been worse. Trip had damaged vertebrae and it looked like some were pressing on his spinal cord, fortunately, nothing was broken. They would have to move him very carefully so as not to injure him further.
Archer took out a hypo spray and gave Trip a shot of local painkiller. They would move him while he was still unconscious. His other injuries could be treated after they had him safely inside the other shuttle.