Madison awoke to find herself alone, where had Malcolm gone? She reached over the bed and tapped the comm. She had a terrible feeling that Jonathan and the away team where back. Her head throbbed, reminding her to take the tablets that Phlox had given her.
"Madison to Captain Archer." Madison commanded. She wasn't too sure how the comm. system worked as she only got a brief tour around the ship over two years ago.
"I'm here Madison." Jonathan's voice could be heard through the speaker. "You ok?" His voice was worried. "Your fathers on his way Madison."
"No... You can't let him come." Madison begged the speaker. "Tell him you'll take me home." Madison's mind raced, how could she get out of this. "Please John, don't let him come." She began rocking on her heels.
"Where are you?" Jonathan asked, he couldn't tell her that Admiral Forrest had ordered T'Pol to disclose their location over the comm. Nor could he tell her that he was less than three hours away.
"Malcolm's quarters. I'm sorry John, I think I've done something completely wrong. I may..." The rest of the sentence was a structure of incoherent sobs that even Hoshi would have had trouble translating.
"Ok, I'm on my way." Jonathan's end suddenly became silent and within minutes he appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking advantage of an extremely sweet man." Madison broke down in his arms. "I didn't mean to. I didn't realise how close he was to Trip until it was too late, and I do have feelings for him... But Trip's going to see it as revenge. It's not John, honestly!"
"Hush!" Jonathan rocked her like a child. "Granted, it may have been the wrong time, but you can't change anything. Your father will be here in three hours, we can mend things-"
"I have to leave! You won't believe me, so I'm not going to try and explain.... Just trust me John, give me a ship."
"I can't Madison. Your father is dying, he wants to see you-" Jonathan explained easing her to the bed.
"-Don't make me do something I'll regret John... I told you not to get involved." Madison eased herself towards Malcolm's pillow. "I can't make you see my father for who he really is-"
"Is this all because you regret resigning your post?" Jonathan questioned sourly. "This spoilt brat routine isn't working out too well is it Mad?"
"I told you, I didn't resign. Trip did it for me!" At that instant Madison reached under Malcolm's pillow where she has felt the phase pistol during the night. "I'm taking a ship!" She instantly grabbed his neck and aimed the phaser at his temple. "I don't want to do this... But I have to go! Forgive me."
"Whatever your father's done-" He reasoned as she opened Malcolm's door and led Jonathan blindly down a corridor.
"He will do again! I doubt he's dying very much. The man is corrupt, I wish with all my heart he was dying." Jonathan felt a tear drop on his right hand.
"I will believe you Madison, just tell me what he's done!" Jonathan coaxed. "Your angry he sent you away, it's understandable. He married, he got on with his life and you feel threatened-"
"No what I feel threatened about is the fact he would do this to me just to start a new life with that whore." At this, Jonathan turned to face her. "I'm not going to tell you John. You won't believe me. You believe Trip over me so what chance have I got against my father?"
"Are? You're married?" Malcolm couldn't breath, it couldn't be true. She had no reason to lie to him. His heart was skipping so many beats he thought it would stop.
"Technically. We where blessed in London the year her Mum died, ok so we had a long engagement. Seven years! She thought we where good as married." Trip smiled triumphantly. "She's mine and you're not having her-"
"She's not an object Trip! If she loves you, she's yours but I think you're making a mistake. You betrayed her,"
"Hey. She's the one who resigned! I got a good telling off from her father, so don't give me that crap! You should be defending me!" Trip shouted as they continued walking wherever their feet were taking them.
"Why didn't you tell me about her Trip?" Malcolm's anger glazed his eyes with tears. "If loved her so much, why didn't she ever come up in conversation?"
"Because I was trying to forget. I felt as if I should have done more, I should have got in touch after her father told me she'd gone into hiding, something was telling me things weren't right-" Trip stoped dead as he saw Madison stepping onto the transporter pad, phase pistol aimed at the Captain's head. "Madison?!"
"Stay away. Press the God damn button John." Madison's trigger finger wavered. "John, I have to go! I can't be here when he turns up. Trust me,"
"I can't Madison-" Jonathan was stopped as she vanished from sight. He turned to find Malcolm's finger on the button.
"I trust her." Malcolm said defiantly. Jonathan began to protest, wondering why he was stopping himself from court marshalling his armoury officer. "She was a slave Captain-"
"She must have lied to you, she had that phase pistol she had stolen... If she was a sl-" Malcolm blushed as Jonathan explained.
"That was one of ours Captain, I keep one under my pillow at night."
"You idiot!" Trip shouted looking at the statistics on the panel "She's gone back down to the surface? Simple enough, I'll go back down to the planet and drag her back by the scruff-"
"She won't come back, I only got her on board because she was in need of medical assistance. I believe T'Pol should be aware of what has happened. She might like to contact the Vulcan High Council." Malcolm explained
"What do you know about the Hasem and there dealings with Earth?" Malcolm questioned T'Pol while pacing the Captain's ready room, he felt as if he was interrogating T'Pol and he wished she would stop giving him such a blank stare.
"They are slave trade dealers. We do not interfere with their affairs." T'Pol answered blandly. Just as Malcolm had anticipated. He also knew the Captain's response, who had remained quiet since their return from the transporter pad. He had explained that Madison had intended on commandeering a shuttle pod, but when she had gotten herself lost and seen the transporter she imputted her co-ordinates to the planet and insisted that he pressed whatever he had to in order for her to get back. She'd put it in no uncertain terms that he would have been blown to a million pieces if he hadn't of co-operated.
"Yet you hold such a tight leash on us?" Jonathan snapped bitterly, feeling sorry for himself.
"This is all well and good cap'n but it's not getting is anywhere-"
"Her father sold her into slavery. I believe that is what Lt. Reed is trying to say?" Malcolm nodded positively. "We cannot stop our people from this, but we can protect others from them. Accept our apologise that Madison has been subjected to this."
"If she stays on this planet?" Malcolm enquired. "Will they find her and enslave her again?"
"Most probably." T'Pol answered, Malcolm and Trip shared a glance of fear and anger.
"I suggest we get her on board before any other ship reaches the vicinity. She stands a better chance from both the Hashem and her father while in our protection. You three must take Hoshi and find out where she is. If I'm correct-"
"She transported down to the city Captain. It will be more difficult to locate her." Malcolm answered for Jonathan. "I shall alert local authorities on our arrival-"
"No. let them know before you leave, they can star the search before you arrive."
"She will be on the planet Captain-" Trip bagan, more in reashurance of himself.
"I don't know Trip. Nothing seems right anymore."
"Madison to Captain Archer." Madison commanded. She wasn't too sure how the comm. system worked as she only got a brief tour around the ship over two years ago.
"I'm here Madison." Jonathan's voice could be heard through the speaker. "You ok?" His voice was worried. "Your fathers on his way Madison."
"No... You can't let him come." Madison begged the speaker. "Tell him you'll take me home." Madison's mind raced, how could she get out of this. "Please John, don't let him come." She began rocking on her heels.
"Where are you?" Jonathan asked, he couldn't tell her that Admiral Forrest had ordered T'Pol to disclose their location over the comm. Nor could he tell her that he was less than three hours away.
"Malcolm's quarters. I'm sorry John, I think I've done something completely wrong. I may..." The rest of the sentence was a structure of incoherent sobs that even Hoshi would have had trouble translating.
"Ok, I'm on my way." Jonathan's end suddenly became silent and within minutes he appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking advantage of an extremely sweet man." Madison broke down in his arms. "I didn't mean to. I didn't realise how close he was to Trip until it was too late, and I do have feelings for him... But Trip's going to see it as revenge. It's not John, honestly!"
"Hush!" Jonathan rocked her like a child. "Granted, it may have been the wrong time, but you can't change anything. Your father will be here in three hours, we can mend things-"
"I have to leave! You won't believe me, so I'm not going to try and explain.... Just trust me John, give me a ship."
"I can't Madison. Your father is dying, he wants to see you-" Jonathan explained easing her to the bed.
"-Don't make me do something I'll regret John... I told you not to get involved." Madison eased herself towards Malcolm's pillow. "I can't make you see my father for who he really is-"
"Is this all because you regret resigning your post?" Jonathan questioned sourly. "This spoilt brat routine isn't working out too well is it Mad?"
"I told you, I didn't resign. Trip did it for me!" At that instant Madison reached under Malcolm's pillow where she has felt the phase pistol during the night. "I'm taking a ship!" She instantly grabbed his neck and aimed the phaser at his temple. "I don't want to do this... But I have to go! Forgive me."
"Whatever your father's done-" He reasoned as she opened Malcolm's door and led Jonathan blindly down a corridor.
"He will do again! I doubt he's dying very much. The man is corrupt, I wish with all my heart he was dying." Jonathan felt a tear drop on his right hand.
"I will believe you Madison, just tell me what he's done!" Jonathan coaxed. "Your angry he sent you away, it's understandable. He married, he got on with his life and you feel threatened-"
"No what I feel threatened about is the fact he would do this to me just to start a new life with that whore." At this, Jonathan turned to face her. "I'm not going to tell you John. You won't believe me. You believe Trip over me so what chance have I got against my father?"
"Are? You're married?" Malcolm couldn't breath, it couldn't be true. She had no reason to lie to him. His heart was skipping so many beats he thought it would stop.
"Technically. We where blessed in London the year her Mum died, ok so we had a long engagement. Seven years! She thought we where good as married." Trip smiled triumphantly. "She's mine and you're not having her-"
"She's not an object Trip! If she loves you, she's yours but I think you're making a mistake. You betrayed her,"
"Hey. She's the one who resigned! I got a good telling off from her father, so don't give me that crap! You should be defending me!" Trip shouted as they continued walking wherever their feet were taking them.
"Why didn't you tell me about her Trip?" Malcolm's anger glazed his eyes with tears. "If loved her so much, why didn't she ever come up in conversation?"
"Because I was trying to forget. I felt as if I should have done more, I should have got in touch after her father told me she'd gone into hiding, something was telling me things weren't right-" Trip stoped dead as he saw Madison stepping onto the transporter pad, phase pistol aimed at the Captain's head. "Madison?!"
"Stay away. Press the God damn button John." Madison's trigger finger wavered. "John, I have to go! I can't be here when he turns up. Trust me,"
"I can't Madison-" Jonathan was stopped as she vanished from sight. He turned to find Malcolm's finger on the button.
"I trust her." Malcolm said defiantly. Jonathan began to protest, wondering why he was stopping himself from court marshalling his armoury officer. "She was a slave Captain-"
"She must have lied to you, she had that phase pistol she had stolen... If she was a sl-" Malcolm blushed as Jonathan explained.
"That was one of ours Captain, I keep one under my pillow at night."
"You idiot!" Trip shouted looking at the statistics on the panel "She's gone back down to the surface? Simple enough, I'll go back down to the planet and drag her back by the scruff-"
"She won't come back, I only got her on board because she was in need of medical assistance. I believe T'Pol should be aware of what has happened. She might like to contact the Vulcan High Council." Malcolm explained
"What do you know about the Hasem and there dealings with Earth?" Malcolm questioned T'Pol while pacing the Captain's ready room, he felt as if he was interrogating T'Pol and he wished she would stop giving him such a blank stare.
"They are slave trade dealers. We do not interfere with their affairs." T'Pol answered blandly. Just as Malcolm had anticipated. He also knew the Captain's response, who had remained quiet since their return from the transporter pad. He had explained that Madison had intended on commandeering a shuttle pod, but when she had gotten herself lost and seen the transporter she imputted her co-ordinates to the planet and insisted that he pressed whatever he had to in order for her to get back. She'd put it in no uncertain terms that he would have been blown to a million pieces if he hadn't of co-operated.
"Yet you hold such a tight leash on us?" Jonathan snapped bitterly, feeling sorry for himself.
"This is all well and good cap'n but it's not getting is anywhere-"
"Her father sold her into slavery. I believe that is what Lt. Reed is trying to say?" Malcolm nodded positively. "We cannot stop our people from this, but we can protect others from them. Accept our apologise that Madison has been subjected to this."
"If she stays on this planet?" Malcolm enquired. "Will they find her and enslave her again?"
"Most probably." T'Pol answered, Malcolm and Trip shared a glance of fear and anger.
"I suggest we get her on board before any other ship reaches the vicinity. She stands a better chance from both the Hashem and her father while in our protection. You three must take Hoshi and find out where she is. If I'm correct-"
"She transported down to the city Captain. It will be more difficult to locate her." Malcolm answered for Jonathan. "I shall alert local authorities on our arrival-"
"No. let them know before you leave, they can star the search before you arrive."
"She will be on the planet Captain-" Trip bagan, more in reashurance of himself.
"I don't know Trip. Nothing seems right anymore."