Chapter 8 Answers and Illness
"This is a meal?" Trip asked, thrusting the bowl of liquid away with his foot.
"You should eat Trip, keep up your strength." Archer admonished.
"Like you?" Trip pointed to Archer's bowl, cooling beside his folded knee.
"I'm not hungry." He said, a wave of queasiness rolling across his stomach.
Trip glanced at Reed, sharing a worried look. Reed resumed studying his own bowl of food when Archer glared.
"Stop that. I'm not sick."
"Then why aren't you eating?" Trip didn't back down.
"I told you, I'm not hungry."
"Not hungry...in a venissian flu kind of way." Trip mumbled.
"I'm not going to argue with you." Archer grouched.
Reed decided it was time to intervene, bickering only increased the growing ache in his head, "Commander, its best he doesn't eat. If he is sick, I don't think we want to risk it coming back up any time soon."
Archer started to thank Malcolm and then his last statement processed, "I'm not sick!" He said, indignant.
"If you say so Captain." Reed sipped a spoonful loudly.
Trip fought to keep from smiling. Where his confrontation with Archer had failed to make progress, Reed had managed to make the point.
The door to their enclosure swooped open, admitting a Taltaxin pointing a phase pistol in their direction. "Remain seated." He ordered.
Archer nodded to his men to do as told. Being incapacitated wasn't going to help them get out of here.
Behind the alien, a woman entered the room. She was shorter than most Taltaxin's, her limbs shorter, and her eyes wider.
"You're human?" Trip said, shocked.
The woman shook her head, "No Commander, but I do resemble your species. You can imagine the shock our ministry had upon seeing your away team, no?"
Reed did remember the odd welcome they had received. It should have been an indication to them that things were not right. Malcolm had been alarmed but Archer had cautioned a wait and see approach.
The Prime Minister and his cabinet had reacted with surprise upon seeing them after landing. It hadn't been a pleasant 'haven't seen you in a while' surprise, more along the line of 'the in-laws are coming for dinner' surprise.
"I'm a mutation Captain, a genetic aberration." She supplied the answer to their unasked question.
Archer went to stand, dizziness washed over him. He decided to stay down. "Then you are this Future? How did you get us off our ship?"
Trip slid closer to Archer, a subtle move of support. He was aware his friend was succumbing to the flu. Reed mimicked his action on Archer's other side.
"I am The Future. I will explain everything. If you will allow me?" She gestured towards the floor in front of the three men.
Archer extended his hand, an invitation.
"This is a long story Captain, I will try to, keep it short, as you say?" The woman spoke quietly. If they had been on Earth, any one of the men would have found her attractive. For a Taltaxin...she would be considered ugly.
"Years ago, babies began to appear with this particular set of mutation. Our government became involved." Bitterness laced her words. She sat yoga- style before them, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"They claimed the mutation was dangerous, that if allowed to continue our kind would soon overwhelm and dominate. Their campaign of terror succeeded. The general population followed along like sheep, leading the mutant children to death chambers."
Archer, Tucker and Reed felt the disgust and pain radiate from the woman.
"I'm sorry..." Archer replied, a whisper in the room.
The woman smiled, "You can understand their reaction when you arrived. Panic ensued. Your species was the genetic mutation they fought so hard to eradicate."
"How did you survive?" Trip asked.
The woman trembled, "My parents, Commander Tucker. They didn't believe I was the danger the government insisted I was. When the report was made about a mutant baby whose parents refused to put it down, there wasn't a place they could hide that was safe. The ministry hunted my parents and put them to death. They rationalized their actions by saying that my parents could have produced more mutant children. It was bad enough one had escaped...but if my parents had more..."
Reed sat stunned, "No one protested their actions?"
"Not out loud, Lieutenant Reed. To do so was a death sentence. There was an underground movement."
"The conspirators." Tucker said.
"Yes, Commander, they didn't agree with the Ministry's policy of murdering innocent children. They set up a system to rescue as many of us as possible. Unfortunately, the ministry is very good at what they do. Most of the conspirators that hid mutants were discovered, and all were killed."
"But you lived." Archer stated.
"Yes, but they got closer and closer every day to finding my whereabouts."
"And that's when we arrived." Reed put the pieces of the puzzle together.
The Future nodded, "Yes, that is when you arrived."
Tucker shifted his legs, grimacing as muscles cramped, "That doesn't explain how you managed to evade our sensors and hide aboard our ship like you did?"
She smiled, "That is the easiest to explain of all." She produced a small black box from her pocket. She offered it to Trip.
Trip took the item gingerly; it felt surprisingly heavy, "What is it?"
"It's an energy disruptor. With this box I can excite the molecules around us, creating energy. The energy can then be used to disrupt electronics. Sensors...ships systems..."
"Like a bolt of lightening!" Trip exclaimed.
The woman looked confused.
"It's a stream of electrons, arcs from the ground on our planet to the clouds, when a positive charge builds up. The energy created by the electrons excites the molecules in the air as the electrons move, that's what we see as lightning. It'll disrupt electrical systems if close enough." Tucker explained.
She nodded, "Yes, like lightning."
"That doesn't explain how you hid from sight?" Reed asked, the one answer he wanted to know.
"That is a secret, Lieutenant Reed, one of the technologies the conspirators developed to help keep me safe. I would prefer that to remain a mystery for now." She answered, uneasy.
The room fell quiet. Archer chewed on the new information. Tucker wondered about keeping the black box, but handed it back to the woman when she held out her palm to retrieve the item. Reed burned with unanswered questions. She had explained a great deal, but there were holes left unfilled.
"Why are you here? Aren't you afraid of getting sick?" Reed asked finally, the thought occurring to him as he noticed the growing pallor of Captain Archer.
The Future stood, "I've had it before. Most of the conspirators have, they've traveled to Relas V planning for this eventual escape. One of the trips they brought venissian flu back to Taltax. We are a spacefaring race, Lieutenant, most of our people have had this virus as a child."
"Then why are we being kept isolated?" Archer asked, angry.
"I said most Captain, it would not be good for even a portion of our crew to fall ill at a time like this."
"We are becoming sick, Future, we need medical assistance." Reed looked pointedly at Archer.
"I'm sorry. We never meant to involve all of you. We had hoped to take your Captain, but you two showed up at an inopportune time. Our ministry's vessel arriving accelerated the need for action." Her voice softened, "I will see what I can do for a doctor."
"Is Future your real name?" Archer asked, curious, one final question before they were left alone.
She smiled, a gentle curve in a sad face, "No Captain, only my parents knew my real name." She rapped against the door, "I'm finished."
The door closed behind her retreating form. Archer leaned back against the metal, letting it cool his warming skin. He was sick. He spared a glance at Tucker and Reed. They were staring at him.
"Don't you two have anything better to do?"
T'Pol sat in the Captain's ready room, PADD's cluttered on the desk before her. Phlox's recent report, security's report...and still the situation remained. They were on course for Relas V, tailing a ship full of Taltaxin criminals, Enterprise herself tailed by the ship representing the Taltax government. An impasse that she knew would be broken before reaching Relas V. After discussing at length with the Prime Minister, she felt he would do anything to retrieve or destroy the criminal from the conspirators.
Cran had been more forthcoming on the Ministry's reasons for capturing The Future. He had explained capture was only an illusion. Dead or alive, it wouldn't matter to the Prime Minister, the pretense only to save intergalactic face. The story he had offered seemed too horrific to be true, yet of the two men, she believed Cran's version to be the more truthful.
The door beeped.
"Come." T'Pol answered.
Doctor Phlox entered, the usual smile missing from his animated face.
"Yes Doctor?"
"It's been over 48 hours since their exposure." He didn't need to explain whom he was referring to.
"What do you suggest I do?" She snapped, uncharacteristically giving in to her emotions. She fought to achieve control.
Phlox eyed her with concern, "Sub-Commander, how long has it been since you had any rest?"
"Too long." Before he could lecture, she continued, "This situation will be deteriorating soon. We are within a day of Relas V. I must find a solution Doctor, until then, rest is the least of my concerns."
"You will do them no good if you collapse." He said, compassion for the Vulcan officer reflected in his features.
"I won't collapse." She assured him, "I will contact Cran about our people."
Before Phlox could say more, the panel in front of T'Pol beeped, "Yes?" She answered.
"Sub-Commander, Captain Cran wants to talk with you." Hoshi said.
"Put him through Ensign." T'Pol raised an eyebrow at Phlox, "Perhaps now would be sufficient."
He nodded, remaining in the room.
"Sub-Commander T'Pol, do you recall we said we'd deal with the issue of a doctor when it arose?" Cran's voice crackled into the room.
"I do, Captain. Our ship's Doctor has informed me they are likely becoming ill." T'Pol replied.
"I'm afraid that is precisely what is happening. We will allow your Doctor to transport over, but only your Doctor, no security...do you understand Sub- Commander?" He said, his tone severe.
T'Pol looked at Phlox, he nodded acceptance. "We'll send him over at once."
She closed the channel. "Be careful Doctor."
Phlox nodded, and left to prepare his supplies. T'Pol stared at the door where he had been moments before. "Take care of them." She whispered.