Disclaimer: see chapter one.
a/n: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. School started and...well, I won't bore you by expounding upon that. Thanks for the great reviews!! I never expected so many...!
Off we go then...
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Malcolm's hands trembled as he worked; they had been for the past hour and he couldn't make them stop. His heart raced and his head pounded. He could not ignore the alarms going off in his head. Trip had been convinced that helping the two beings would be worth exchanging for a message to Enterprise, but what would hold them to their word once this task was completed? Malcolm asked himself. Surely not their sense of honor or morality.
"Well done... this looks correct," Parialter whispered.
Malcolm jumped at the words. Parialter had not spoken for the last hour he'd worked, and Its sudden return startled him. Malcolm ran a quaking hand across his brow to brush away his sweat. The room seemed to have grown suddenly warm...He abruptly threw down his tool.
"You intend to let us die don't you?" he asked tightly.
The usually silence was the only response to his question. Malcolm was beginning to wonder if It was just so incredible stupid it took It that long to process his question.
"Such is not my intention. Nor has it ever been. Never have I ever expressed such hostility towards you," came the un-ruffled response.
"You must think I'm an absolute idiot. It was you who lead us to this room. It was you who imposed upon us the choice of either helping you or being doomed to eventual death by mauling! Never showed us any hostility? You're letting him die!" he gestured to Trip. "And now, it may not even matter that we complied with your demands." He finished his rant in a decidedly desperate tone of voice, one that sounded of a man who has given up all hope.
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It wouldn't be long now... It could feel the change happening, Parialter's ever presence in Its mind was fading. It was both unnerving and exhilarating Diluculo found. It was unable to keep as close a watch on Its bothersome counterpart anymore, but found the experience more freeing than Its had ever expected. Diluculo found he could move more freely, the entire planet was not too big for It to observe all at once. But It would not let Itself wander for too long; Parialter would pay for Its deceitfulness, Diluculo thought smugly, and the time was drawing near.
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Malcolm found himself fighting a sudden overwhelming bout of dizziness. His hands wouldn't do what he was trying to make them; he blinked trying to keep the world in focus.
"That is the last task. Once it is complete we must act quickly." The gentle voice of Parialter floated to him as though through a dream.
He blinked and shook his head. "Why? What good will it do? It will surely take over this building and from what it sounds like this may very well be the only place we'd ever have a chance of contacting Enterprise. We cannot run forever." He looked over at Trip, "And I'm afraid Trip won't survive but a few more hours without help," he said voice cracking a little with emotion. He swallowed hard and pushed it all down...deep.
"You will not have to wait for your...ship," Its voice ran over that last word as though it amused It. "I have summoned them...if there was anyone to be summoned."
Malcolm stared into the shadows, disbelief and confusion played across his face, as they fought for dominance in his mind. He shook his head. "You're lying!" he whispered in fury, turning back to his work.
"Really? It is obvious you do not believe, that for you continue with the work."
Malcolm loathed this being. It was right. He would not stop until he was absolutely positive that there was nothing more he could do to save them.
"Bring the other closer to us. You have but one final adjustment, and it is but a turn of a knob."
Quaking with exhaustion, fading adrenaline, and utter dread about what was about to happen, he walked over to Trip. He looked at his friend's face for a moment; he fancied that it wasn't quite as pale as it had been. He took the chilly wrist in his hand, to be certain the Commander had not... His fears were relieved. Slowly, carefully, he dragged the motionless man across the room. Trip moaned softly as he was jostled.
"Now, in behind the third panel, the fifth one I had you work on, there will be a small black knob in the upper left hand corner. Turn it until it can't be turned any further." Parialter's voice had dropped so that it was practically speaking under Its breath, excitement clearly the cause. Going over to where he had been directed, Malcolm's unsteady hand, still stained with blood, reached for the knob.
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Diluculo felt the freedom and power flow through It. It sensed the wind on the beach, the crash of the waves, and the cool air on the highest mountains. It felt Itself swelling, growing, expanding, it was glorious...indescribable power seemed to flow through It. But as it continued to change, and expand so that nothing was out of Its reach, something happened, something entirely unexpected...It wished to cry out but found in Its new mind that vocalization would not change it. So It reached out to embrace the unknown...
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It took but a moment and Malcolm had completed what had been asked of him. He sank down onto the floor, knees betraying him in weakness. He waited in the dead quiet of the room.
"Well?" he asked of the shadows around him.
The lights dimmed and flickered. The darkness grew thick and inky black. Malcolm stretched out a hand to find Trip's shoulder in the dark. He gripped it firmly. The structure began to shudder and shake.
"This may be that opportune moment you were speaking of earlier!" he called loudly over the rumbling. Things were beginning to fall out of place in the room and came smashing down on the floor. Malcolm covered his head with his free hand.
The edifice rocked violently.
A loud silky hiss filled the Lieutenant's ears. He tried to guess from what direction it had come, but it seemed to have been all around him. Disoriented, he attempted to rise.
There came a terrible noise, like that of a freight train throwing on the breaks at full speed. He squinted through the empty blackness before him; surely, this was what it was like to meet death and stare it straight in the face.
There came a light. At first just a dull glow, but in the dark room it appeared bright. The air in the room became wind, swirling about. He never let go of Trip. The light grew in intensity, brighter and brighter. It shone like the brightest light of day from the orb it had formed, ever growing in size and brilliance. Malcolm shielded his eyes as the light washed over him, and the two of them were engulfed by it.
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A shuttle pod touched down on the gray shore, not twenty yards from where the overturned pod lay, burned and crumbling into the sea. Flotsam and jetsam from the craft cluttered the dull sands of this foreign beach. Archer lifted the shuttle's hatch and, squinting in the harsh sunlight, quickly exited. T'Pol appeared in the hatchway behind him.
"T'Pol." The Captain turned to her once he had let his eyes search the mark less beach.
"Their bio signs no longer appear on my scanner, Captain," she informed him, studying the device she held in her hand intently.
"What?"
"I am no longer reading any human life signs, but..."
Archer looked at her impatiently.
"The scanner must be malfunctioning. It was picking up an alien life form," she stated matter-of-factly.
"I thought you said this planet was void of any life forms other than its flora," he said, observing the dull green broad-leafed plants flourishing along the shore's timberline.
"It is," T'Pol affirmed. "Wait, three hundred metre down the beach," she pointed, "there is a human bio sign registering."
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Malcolm felt warm, incredibly hot, but he was too depleted to rise, too tired to care. Softly, a voice drifted to him. His first, instinctive reaction resulted in a moan. Would he ever be rid of this thing?!
The voice persisted though he was still unable to comprehend it. "Le...no..ple..," he breathed unintelligibly.
"Lieutenant." He heard the voice more clearly. He struggled to open his eyes; the dazzling white light blinded him. He felt a soft hand touch the side of his face.
"T'Pol," he whispered, it felt like he was dreaming, and let the darkness overtake him again.
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"Archer to Enterprise."
"Go ahead, Sir," Hoshi answered.
"We have a medical emergency; prepare to beam Lieutenant Reed aboard."
"Yes Sir. We will have Phlox waiting."
"Archer out." He knelt by Malcolm on the sandy beach, his brow furrowed deeply. Had all these injuries been a result of the crash? Where was Trip? He couldn't help but let his eyes wander about in hopes of finding the Commander. He heard a soft hiss.
"Did you hear that?" Archer asked rising to his feet, and staring suspiciously at the foliage.
T'Pol inclined her head slightly to the side, listening, before checking the scanner. Nothing registered.
Archer frowned, his eyes scanning the forest, "Maybe it was nothing."
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Things were fuzzy. He noticed the light first. It was different then the brilliant light he seemed to remember last. It was not quite as intense. He seemed to be aware of someone coaxing him away from his blissful unawareness. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"Ah Lieutenant, it's good to see you're waking!"
He knew that ridiculously cheerful tone. It irritated him, but he didn't know why. Where was he? This wasn't right, it didn't make sense, what happened?
"Is he awake doctor?"
"Almost. Give him another minute sub-commander."
"It is most pressing that I am able to speak with him."
"I am well aware of the situation T'Pol, but the Lieutenant has sustained substantial injures. Be patient, and I must insist you be brief."
Malcolm forced his eyes open, with a tremendous effort. A groan escaped his lips. T'Pol's face gradually came into focus.
"Lieutenant," she said, voice dropping in volume as she noticed he was looking at her.
"W-what...happened..." Malcolm's voice was but a hoarse whisper.
"That is what we are attempting to find out. Do you remember anything?" T'Pol continued in a tone as close to gentle as a Vulcan could get.
"Where's Trip?" Malcolm heard himself ask, still trying to sort out the swirling fuzzy thoughts in his head.
"We could not locate Commander Tucker."
T'Pol watched as Malcolm's eyes suddenly grew wide,
"What do you mean? He was right beside me!" he said memory flooding back.
"I assure you Lieutenant, when we found you on the beach you were quite alone. Do you have any idea at all what has happened to Commander Tucker?"
"Beach? No, no, we were in a building...didn't you bring Trip back to Enterprise?"
"As I've stated, the attempts to locate Commander Tucker have been unsuccessful. The Captain is on the surface with a search party, if you could tell me where this building is..."
"On the surface?! No! T'Pol! It's down there! You need to get Trip and leave! He was right beside me...get him...It's there! It will kill...everyone..." Malcolm suddenly burst out as though just remembering something terrible important.
"It?" T'Pol asked sharply as Malcolm went pale and sank back on his pillow.
"Really Sub-Commander, that is enough!" Phlox interrupted stepping between the two, Malcolm was vaguely aware of Phlox and T'Pol exchanging words as darkness settled back over his eyes.
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"T'Pol to Captain Archer."
"Archer."
"I was able to speak to Lieutenant Reed briefly. He seems to think that Commander Tucker is located in some sort of alien structure."
"Did he give you anything else to go on?"
"No Sir. Our conversation was...brief. However, Phlox has discovered that most of the blood on Lieutenant Reed's uniform is not his own. It belongs to Commander Tucker. The doctor believes the Commander has sustained significant blood loss. It is imperative his is found soon."
"Have you been able to locate this structure Malcolm told you about?"
"No Sir. But it is quite impossible that the Commander is in any building on this planet."
"Why is that?"
"Because there are no buildings on this planet."
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TBC...
Reviews of all sorts are most welcome!! Let me know what you think!
a/n: Okay, I've had this bit written for awhile, and I was intending to post it with more but I hate to leave this for so long as I struggle to find time to write!
I hope it's not too broken up. And directly to Quickbeam 1, your subtle prod for me to get on with it made my day! :) I was going to e-mail you this chapter before I posted, but you don't have an email on your bio!
So I just posted it asap.
I feel so guilty for not being more punctual! I shall endeavor to do better.