TITLE: Into the Mind's Eye
AUTHOR: plumtuckered
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
CHAPTER TWO
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"How is he, Doctor?" asked Malcolm Reed. He looked over the inert form of Enterprise's Chief Engineer to the Denobulan physician.
"He has some severe bruising, but no serious damage," replied Phlox. He turned off his medical tricorder and set it on the little table next to Trip's bio-bed. "If you hadn't been there, the captain would have certainly killed him."
Malcolm dropped his gaze to Trip. He and Travis Mayweather had been walking several meters away from Archer and Trip when he'd heard the commander yell for help. The scene he'd come upon still was etched clearly in his mind. Archer's hands had been around Trip's neck, his face full of hatred and anger. Malcolm had rendered his commanding officer unconscious with a shot from his phase pistol then, with Travis' help, had proceeded to breathe life back into the fallen engineer.
He watched Trip's chest as it expanded and contracted with each breath. He'd almost lost his friend and at the hands of the one person he'd always trusted to protect him.
"Lieutenant?"
The armory officer looked up and met Phlox's kind eyes.
"He's going to be fine," continued the doctor reassuringly.
Malcolm started slightly. "What? Oh, yes, thank you, Doctor," he replied.
Trip stirred then slowly opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion then squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
"Easy, Commander," urged Phlox.
"What----what happened?" asked Trip, his voice hoarse. "T'Pol?" Then his eyes flew opened wide. "The cap'n---where's the cap'n?"
"He's here, Commander," said Malcolm. He helped the engineer to sit up, remaining close at his side in case he needed more support.
Trip tried to clear his throat, but grimaced. "Is he okay? What happened to him, Doc?" he rasped.
Phlox glanced from the engineer sitting before him to the inert form of Archer. "I'm not certain," he replied. "Physically, I can find nothing wrong with him, but his brain patterns are quite erratic. At this point, I can find no discernible reason why."
"Can you tell me what the captain was doing just before he attacked you?" asked Malcolm.
Trip slid from the bed then moved to stand beside the unconscious Archer. "He was walking just ahead of me, we'd found the silk bark you wanted, Doc, when he just suddenly froze. Next thing I knew, he had his hands around my neck."
"He didn't come into contact with anything?"
The engineer shook his head. "Not that I saw, anyway," he replied.
Malcolm looked at Phlox. "Can you wake him up?"
"No," said Trip abruptly. He stepped back then brought his hands up to rub at both his temples. "No," he repeated. "You must not do that."
"Commander?" said Phlox as he moved quickly around Archer's bed to stand at Trip's side.
The engineer dropped to his knees and bent forward, his hands still pressed to his temples. Malcolm and Phlox both knelt beside him, Malcolm placing a steadying hand under Trip's elbow. Then the commander's hands dropped to his sides and his posture straightened. He looked directly at Malcolm and the lieutenant knew instantly that the man staring at him through darkened eyes was not Trip.
"You must keep him sedated," said Trip evenly. "If you allow him to awaken, the Umbra will escape."
"Where is Commander Tucker?" asked Phlox.
"He is here and he is safe," replied the engineer. The distant look in Trip's eyes vanished and they turned back to light blue in color. He blinked. "Malcolm?"
"Trip? Are you all right?"
Trip's eyes glazed over and darkened again. "I told you he is safe." The commander stood. "You must not allow the Umbra to escape."
Phlox stood, grabbed his tricorder and switched it on. "What is an Umbra?" he asked as he scanned the commander.
"That which currently inhabits your captain's mind," replied Trip. He stepped to Archer's bedside. "I am the Binder, S'ele. I am that which is bound to the Umbra for eternity. Your captain did not take care. He gave the Umbra a chance." He looked at Malcolm. "You were wise to render him unconscious."
"What happened to him?" asked the lieutenant.
"There is no time to explain. I must enter your captain's mind and free him. I will need your commander to do this. It will be difficult for him, but he is your captain's only hope."
"I don't understand," said Malcolm.
Trip smiled. "Your captain trusts your commander. He will need that trust to convince the captain to fight." He looked to Phlox again. "This body needs rest if it is to survive the process of rebinding. You must not allow your captain to regain consciousness. All will be lost if he awakens."
Phlox nodded, his eyes moving from the tricorder he held to Trip's face.
"This body must rest," said the engineer again then he suddenly staggered. Malcolm reached and grabbed his friend before he fell. Trip looked at him wearily; his eyes back to their normal color. "Malcolm?"
"It's me, Commander."
With Phlox's help, Malcolm guided Trip back to his bio-bed and helped him to lie down. He watched him closely, seeing the confusion and exhaustion in his face.
"Do you know what just happened?" asked Phlox.
Trip nodded. "He's still here with me---S'ele," he replied. "I have to help him."
"I'm not so sure that's a wise idea," said Malcolm gently.
"I've got to help the cap'n."
"We don't know if---S'ele is telling the truth."
"He is," replied Trip groggily. "You can't let the cap'n come to, Malcolm. He'll hurt someone if he does."
Malcolm nodded. "We won't Trip, at least not until we can figure out what's wrong with him," he said hesitantly. He watched as Trip's eyes slowly slid closed then he looked up at Phlox. "Is he all right, Doctor?"
Phlox nodded. "His brain activity has returned to normal," he said. "But physically he is drained. Whatever this entity is, it is taking quite a toll on the commander's body."
"Then you believe him."
Phlox tilted his head. "As do you," he said. "You know the person we just spoke to was not Commander Tucker."
"So it seems," replied Malcolm. His gaze went to Archer. If what S'ele had said was true, he wondered what was going on inside his captain's mind.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Hoshi Sato turned in her chair to see Travis enter the bridge, his posture rigid, his face taut. "How are they?" she asked.
Travis stepped down to take his seat at the helm. "Dr. Phlox doesn't know what's wrong with them," he replied. "Exactly."
"What do you mean, exactly?" asked Hoshi.
"It seems that Captain Archer has an entity of some sort in his mind."
"An entity?"
"Yeah," replied Travis. "And it appears Commander Tucker does as well."
"What----, but how?" sputtered Hoshi in confusion. Her communications console suddenly beeped for attention. "We're being hailed, Travis, audio only."
"Being hailed?" repeated the young ensign. "By whom? There's no one out here."
Hoshi's fingers danced over her console. "It's coming from the planet," she replied.
Travis scowled then nodded. Hoshi hit a button and the air was filled with the sound of static.
"This is Ensign Mayweather," the helmsman announced.
"We allowed you to search for your silk bark, Ensign," replied a female voice distorted by interference. "Not to desecrate a Vin'Tal."
Travis looked at Hoshi questioningly. "A----," she started, searching for the nearest translation. "A sacred prison, I think."
"Our captain didn't know about the existence of the Vin'Tal," responded Travis. "In fact, we didn't even realize this planet was inhabited."
"We don't normally make our existence known, Ensign. I am Taj-Mel of Gonar Prime."
"Believe me when I say that disturbing your Vin'Tal was not intentional, ma'am."
"Your captain has freed the Umbra."
Hoshi scowled and exchanged a confused glance with Travis. As near as she could tell, Umbra translated as 'one who was not wanted or invited'. Her eyes moved back to her console.
"I believe it has our captain."
"And what of the Binder?"
"He's here as well," replied Travis. "In the mind of our chief engineer."
"What are his intentions?"
"To enter the mind of Captain Archer and free him, then bind himself to the Umbra again."
There was a long silence during which Hoshi could hear only static. She felt a cold knot of fear form in her stomach.
"We can not allow you to leave our space, Ensign. We will give S'ele three hours for the rebinding process. If he has not succeeded in that time, we will have no choice but to destroy your ship. The Umbra must not gain his freedom."
"But ma'am----," began Travis.
Hoshi shook her head. "She's cut the transmission."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
CONTINUED