Geido led the team down another dimly lit white-walled corridor. To Malcolm, it was no different from the rest: a door every once in a while, a damp, rusting pipe that stuck out of a hole where a ceiling tile should be, leaning high over a pool of water on the floor. Lights flickered, and the constant sound of dripping water reminded him of Chinese water torture. Aside from that, the only sound in the corridors was the clank of eight boots on the metal floor.

Malcolm put his weapon back in the holster on his hip. Something he usually wouldn't be caught dead doing, but he really didn't think they'd come across as much as a puddle of goo any time soon. Except for unlocked doors hanging slightly ajar, there had been no sign that Hoshi and the Colonel were down here at all. He glanced at the MACO, her name was Money, and at the pulse rifle she kept raised as if expecting an attack at any moment. Geido's rifle dwarfed it, though. He kept it slung across his shoulder by the strap. Malcolm pulled out his scanner in place of his gun. Geido was leading them to where a red spot marked a life sign. He put the scanner away.

Something caught Malcolm's attention, something different. A new sound, but it seemed wet and sloppy, like all the other sounds ringing in his ears. As the noise grew louder, he was able to make more of it. Rushing water, like water plummeting down a one-foot fall. There was lots of it.

"What is that?" He asked. Travis glanced at him. He had noticed it, too. He searched the corridor quickly, scanning the area, trying to figure out what was going on. Money seemed not to notice much, her only sign of acknowledgment a slight scan of the corridor, braid swinging as her head moved.

"It's water." Geido said, pointing out the obvious. "These pipes haven't had maintenance in years. Water's leaking all over the place, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of it gathered up in a lake somewhere."

"That bang we heard a while ago." Travis said. "Could it have been a pipe exploding?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it had been one of the water tanks." Geido said. "The weapon is in this room." He said, motioning with his rifle to a doorless room, flooded a foot high with water. A loud hum could be heard emanating from within, and the faint beep of a console.

The four went in. The weapon sat vibrating slightly in the center of the large room, surrounded by a ring of consoles. Beyond, on the far side of the room, was a…. Malcolm couldn't describe it beyond 'a huge white block used as some sort of test target for the weapon.' A soaked bundle floated in the water just outside the ring of consoles, near the block. Geido ignored it for a moment as he fiddled with the beeping console.

"The weapon is overloading. I'm shutting it down." He pressed a few buttons, and the hum of the weapon died down. The Colonel's attention moved to the soaked bundle on the floor. He knelt down in the water, picked it up, and let it lean against his shoulder.

"My son, what has happened here?" The Counsellor's shock of red hair was soaked, now a dull wood brown. His yellow eyes glittered with moisture.

"The weapon…." He stuttered between shivers. Malcolm wanted to shiver himself as cold water filled his boots. The MACO shifted uncomfortably when her own feet became drenched. "It was… too old to… be activated… again." He gasped, as if his lungs had no air in them. Perhaps one of them had been punctured somehow. "It's… rusting… on the bottom… because of the water. When I…"

Geido shook his head, silencing him. "Do not speak. You are hurt, and tired. Where is the Human woman?" He asked.

Malcolm had not stopped scanning the room since they had entered. There was no sign of Hoshi anywhere.

When Bynaul didn't answer, Malcolm asked again, "Where is Hoshi?"

"She is not here." He said, never pulling his eyes away from his father's.

"Where did she go?" Travis asked, his anger rising.

"I do not know. I was too… absorbed… in the weapon. I didn't… care… she had… left the room." Bynaul's voice was quiet and odd, as if his voice and been scraped against sandpaper and rocks.

Angrily, Malcolm took the scanner out of his pocket and scanned for her life sign. There! It was faint though, a pale red dot barely showing where she was. He showed it to Travis, and a look of urgency filled his face. He looked back at the black-skinned Colonel, not wanting to wait to be led away.

"My son, I have learned from my mistake." Geido began, but Bynaul silenced him with a tighter grip on his shirt collar.

"The mistake… was mine…. I was greedy… for power…. I was… blinded… by it."

Yes, yes, this was all very touching. Malcolm shifted his feet, ready to go find Hoshi. So he did just that, Travis and the MACO following. He didn't really care what the Salindais Admiral had said. He wasn't going to sit around waiting to find Hoshi. According to his scan, her life sign was staying put. Why wasn't she running, trying to find a way out?

Worriedly, the three galloped down the corridors, the MACO outrunning the men.

"In a bit of hurry?" Malcolm said curiously.

"I was always the fastest runner during training." Money said with a smile. The bulky rifle now slung across her shoulder didn't slow her down at all.

Finally, he came across the room that Hoshi was supposed to be. The room was dark, apparently a storage room, and the sound of the rushing water seemed to be coming from here. There was a one meter square hole in the floor that led to a sort of basement, even darker than the storage room.

"Money, do you have a flashlight with you?" He asked. Fumbling with one of the gadgets attached to her uniform, she handed him a small flashlight. Flicking it on, he shone it down the hole, illuminating metal stares, massive tanks that had giant, gaping holes in them, and… Hoshi. She seemed unconscious, her body hanging limp against the stairs, her uniform caught on something. And she was underwater. Though judging by how fast the water was rising, she hadn't been under for long. Water soon bubbled up out of the hole, and the storage room began to flood.

"Hoshi!" Travis called. He was scared for her life.

Tossing the flashlight at the MACO, Malcolm splashed down the stairs, all fear of water aside. This was no time to be a wimp. After his head was below the ceiling of the flooded room, he dived down deeper, head first, to get to her faster. When he reached her, he untangled her uniform from the metal framework of the stairs, and brought her up, to air. The MACO and Travis took her out of his arms, laying her down on her back in the dry hallway. Malcolm followed, dripping from head to foot.

Pushing his way through to Hoshi, he checked her pulse, her breathing. There was no sign of life. CPR. It had to be done. He tilted her head back, opened her mouth…. It was all simple from there. Memories flooded back, of sailing on the ocean with his father, and what his father had taught him about basic boating safety, CPR included.

Something gurgled in Hoshi's throat, and she coughed up water, as her eyes flickered. She turned over onto her side, coughing up water till the floor was soaked.

Everybody had smiles on their faces. Money was happy. She had been part of the team that rescued Hoshi from the Xindi ship. She had been shot while on the ship, so she didn't want to see Hoshi die now. Travis was an image of glee, a big grin on his face and relief in his eyes. Malcolm had no expression on his face as he stroked Hoshi's cheek when she finished coughing.

"Malcolm?" She said, her voice weak and small.

"Yes Hoshi." He answered quietly.

"Are we going back to Enterprise?"

He smiled. "Yes, we're going home."