Red Rain
By Thalia Drogna
Keisha knelt down beside Trip and felt for a pulse. She found the beat of blood vessels beneath the skin and let out a sigh of relief. He was alive, although she had no idea how bad his injuries were. Moving Trip was obviously out so she would have to get help. She glanced at the disabled Hunter android, scared that it would reanimate itself at any moment. She didn't want to leave Trip alone but she had to release the lock outs that he had put in place to prevent anyone entering Engineering. She moved quickly to the main Engineering control console and began typing rapidly.
Undoing everything that Trip had done, and that she had then enforced, took a couple of minutes and she knew that those minutes were absolutely crucial to Enterprise surviving this situation. She released the helm controls first and then unlocked the hatch to Engineering. She ran to the door and pulled it open, revealing two surprised Security officers who had been trying to cut through the door and Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol.
"Sir, I have a medical emergency," said Keisha.
T'Pol didn't wait for Keisha to elaborate on her statement and immediately went to the com to alert Phlox that he was needed in Engineering.
"Get Hess down here too," said Archer, to T'Pol, as he pushed past her and into Engineering. He saw Trip lying on the floor and ran to check on his Chief Engineer, Ensign Lauritsen following him. Archer came to the same conclusion that Keisha had. There was nothing to be done until Phlox arrived. Instead he turned his attention to Ensign Lauritsen. Engineering looked like a bomb had hit it and he wanted to know why. "Ensign, report."
Keisha stood to attention, her eyes fixed at imaginary point on the wall. She was in trouble and she knew it, but Trip had told her to stick to her story, so that was what she planned on doing. "Yes, sir. I was working in a jeffries tube when the MACOs took over Engineering. They forced me in to helping them."
"I know that's a lie, Ensign, but we'll address that later," said Archer.
"The MACOs took Enterprise to Algol II. I think they were hoping to hide out there. Commander Tucker rigged up a site to site transport so that they could beam down to the surface. The Hunters boarded Enterprise about five minutes before we entered transporter range. The MACOs held them off until Commander Tucker could beam them down to the planet. One of the MACOs used a rocket launcher to destroy the Hunters and as a distraction so that the final MACOs could get away. Commander Tucker was supposed to be the last to leave as he was the only one who could operate the transporter. I was to stay hidden in the jeffries tube until they and the Hunters had gone. It went wrong though. Commander Tucker was caught by one of the Hunters."
Keisha paused. Emotion was building in her and she didn't want to show any weakness in front of her Commanding Officer. She took a deep breath and continued. "The Hunter attacked Commander Tucker and asked him where he'd sent the MACOs. Commander Tucker refused to answer. I hit the Hunter with a wrench but that didn't seem to do any good. The Hunter grabbed me by the arm and threatened to hurt me if the Commander didn't answer. The Commander must have picked up a live cable because he electrocuted the android, and you can see the result. I reversed the lock out and let you in."
"Damn Darwin," said Archer just loud enough for Keisha to be able to hear. Phlox rushed into Engineering at that moment, followed by T'Pol. Phlox scanned Trip and then waved over two of his assistants who were carrying a stretcher.
"Is he going to be okay?" asked Archer.
"He has extensive injuries, including a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. I'll have a better picture after I get him back to sick bay," said Phlox.
T'Pol was scanning the inert android. "There are biological elements in the android's design. I believe that we should take the body to sick bay for further examination."
Archer nodded. "May be we can get some answers from it."
Keisha found herself being hustled out of Engineering and towards sickbay by one of Phlox's assistants. She protested that she wasn't hurt and didn't need to go to sickbay, but they insisted on checking her out thoroughly. The adrenaline released by being in the middle of a crossfire was wearing off and leaving her feeling weak and sick, so she decided that perhaps sick bay wasn't such a bad idea. She felt mainly anger that her body would betray her in this way, and overlying that was concern for the man who was being carefully lifted onto a stretcher behind her.
She noted that the corpse of the Hunter was also being loaded onto a stretcher much less carefully and was following the small parade to sick bay. Hess and her team were filing back into Engineering rapidly and assessing damage as they came. The Lieutenant immediately began issuing orders, as if being locked out of Engineering and returning to find it almost destroyed was an everyday occurrence. Keisha had to admire the Engineering team for their professionalism in the face of adversity, but then they had been trained by one of the best.
Archer caught up with Keisha again just as she stepped into the corridor outside Engineering. "The MACOs, where did Trip send them?"
"To the planet," said Keisha. "I didn't catch what the co-ordinates were. They should still be in the computer."
"They're not. There was a timed deletion. Damned MACO secrecy. Which means that Trip is the only person who knows where the MACOs are and we can't help them until we can find them."
Phlox had immediately had to perform minor surgery on Trip so that he could repair his broken rib that was pressing on his left lung. If left, it could have punctured his lung, but the operation had gone smoothly and the rib had been set and pinned. Phlox had then shot Trip full of pain killer and muscle relaxant before he relocated the dislocated shoulder. He had splinted the broken hand and placed the whole right arm in a shoulder immobilizer which Archer knew Trip would hate when he woke up.
Sickbay was beginning to feel crowded to Archer. Three beds were occupied, one with the carcass of a Hunter android, another with a pale looking Ensign Lauritsen, and the third was occupied by Trip who so far had yet to regain consciousness. Phlox had curtained off the third biobed while he worked on Trip but he'd given Archer a more detailed run down of the Commander's injuries. None of them were life threatening now that the broken rib had been repaired and Trip was in sick bay. Phlox had made it clear that the injuries were serious, however, and had no doubt caused considerable pain. The concussion was his greatest worry given that Trip already had a head injury and Phlox had indicated that it would need careful monitoring.
T'Pol meanwhile was examining the body of the Hunter. Ensign Lauritsen had been unable to restrain her curiosity for long and had begun to help T'Pol in her analysis. Lauritsen was a computer expert so Archer wasn't surprised that she'd want to take a look at one of the most sophisticated computers that humans had ever encountered.
"What can you tell me?" Archer asked T'Pol.
"The mechanical aspect is extremely advanced. Commander Tucker would be better qualified to analyse the exact specifications of the system," said T'Pol.
"It's going to be a while before we can get Trip's input on this. What about the rest?" said Archer.
"The data matrix is also unlike anything that I have ever seen," said T'Pol. "
"That's because it's not binary," said Ensign Lauritsen, as if it was an obvious fact.
"I thought all computers were based on binary," said Archer.
"Experiments have been conducted using a three state system," said T'Pol, "however I have never seen a working example."
"It's trinary," said Lauritsen. "Or some people call it ternary. I prefer trinary, it sounds better. The Russians performed some experiments with trinary computers back in the 1950s. There are lots of advantages to a three state system. It uses trits and trytes just like binary computers use bits and bytes."
"We have witnessed many examples of the importance of the number three in the behaviour of these Hunters," said T'Pol. "If their numerical system uses base three then that might explain why their computers use trinary rather than binary."
"That's all very interesting," said Archer, "but how does it help us?"
"Now that we know that they're using trinary we might be able to find a way to disable them," said Lauritsen.
"We may also be able to find a way to access the android's memory and it could explain why the former members of the Special Projects Unit are being hunted," said T'Pol.
"Do it," said Archer. "We need answers and a way to deal with the Hunters before they kill all the MACOs."
Archer was about to ask if there was anything they needed when Lieutenant Reed entered sick bay.
"I think that we've managed to take out all the locks that Trip put on the system," said Reed. Once they had been able to get into Engineering, Hoshi had found it much easier to crack the codes and unlock the key systems. "But we still haven't been able to locate the MACOs on the surface."
"What about the Hunters?" asked Archer.
"There are twelve ships in all. They're ignoring us for the moment," said Reed. "They seem to have started a search pattern. They beamed at least three Hunters down to the surface but the ships are providing air support."
"We've got to find the MACOs before the Hunters do," said Archer.
"Well so far the Hunters are still looking, so they haven't found them yet," replied Reed.
Then they heard a commotion from behind the curtain around the biobed. There was the sound of an alarmed southern accent and then Phlox protesting.
"Commander, you shouldn't be getting up!" said Phlox.
"Doc, they're not your unit," said Trip, distinctly audible for the first time. His voice was agitated, and he sounded as if he was having trouble catching his breath.
Archer was already moving towards the biobed when a human shape fell through the curtain and Archer instinctively reached out to catch Trip. Archer couldn't help but grab hold of Trip's injured shoulder, it was either that or let him fall. Trip cried out before he could stifle the automatic response. Archer quickly pushed Trip to his feet so that he wasn't resting on his shoulder. Trip swayed and Archer steadied him as best he could.
"Whoa, what are you trying to do?" Archer asked Trip. "You just went one on one with a killing machine. You're in no shape to be up and about."
"Where's Keisha? Is she okay?" Trip had his eyes closed and was trying desperately not to pass out again.
"I'm here," replied Keisha, quickly coming over to help Archer support the flagging Commander. "I'm fine." Archer and Ensign Lauritsen helped Trip back onto the biobed and he lay back, grateful for the support.
"You've got to let me out of here," said Trip.
"Commander, I've only just repaired your broken rib and dislocated shoulder," said Phlox. "I've also had to splint your broken fingers and I'm very concerned about your head injury. You need to remain in sickbay."
"They're on that planet with no backup," said Trip. He grimaced when he tried to get up again and was pushed back on the bed by Archer.
"From what I've seen, they should be able to hold their own for a while without you," said Reed. "The Hunters haven't found them yet."
"I should be with them," said Trip, breathing hard.
"Where did you send them?" asked Archer.
"I beamed them down to the planet," said Trip. He bit down on a gasp of pain as he tried to position himself more comfortably, but Phlox had already noted his reaction.
"Are you in pain, Commander?"
"Yeah, a bit," admitted Trip. "That Hunter really roughed me up." Archer knew the very fact that Trip had confessed that he was in pain meant that he had to be hurting a lot.
"You sustained several injuries," said Phlox and pressed a hypospray full of painkiller to Trip's neck. Trip relaxed visibly as the drug took effect.
"Where did you beam them on the planet?" asked Archer.
"Go to my quarters and get the black box out of the closet. Bottom shelf, right at the back," said Trip. "I'm not saying another word until I'm happy this place is secure."
"Trip, the sooner we get to them the sooner we can help," said Archer.
"You're not helpin'," replied Trip, his words slurring together, the painkiller taking the edge off his pain but also slowing his body down and making it hard for him to think. "We needed to lead the Hunters away from Enterprise. If I'm here then I'll just draw them back. I need to leave." Trip tried to rise again but this time it really was a futile attempt and Archer didn't even need to do more than place a hand on his chest to prevent him from getting up.
"If I have to put you in restraints in order to keep you in bed, Commander, then I will do it," said Phlox. It was an unnecessary threat given that Trip didn't even have the strength to push himself off the biobed at the moment.
"Damn," said Trip, vaguely, and closed his eyes. "My body feels like it's made of lead. What was in that hypo?"
"I just gave you a strong analgesic," said Phlox. "It's to be expected that you will feel a little sleepy."
"God damned doctors," said Trip. "I have to stay awake."
"Don't fight it, you need the rest," said Phlox.
"I need to get out of here," said Trip, but his eyes fell closed and didn't open again.
"Malcolm, get the box that Trip wanted," said Archer.
"It must be his jamming device," said Reed. "I'll be back soon." Reed left sickbay with a purposeful stride.
"How long is he going to be out for?" Archer asked Phlox.
"We can wake him when Lieutenant Reed returns. For now his body needs to rest in order to heal."
"Remind me again why we thought this was a good idea," said Rush.
"Because it was either this or act like fish in a barrel," said Fenner.
A desert stretched around them, pitted by rocky outcrops. It was against one of the jagged rocks that Rush and Fenner now huddled. They were acting as forward lookouts for the rest of the MACOs while Darwin set up their defences. The wind swept across the bleak landscape and whipped the sand into swirling mists that made it hard to see far. Both MACOs were wearing their desert gear but dust still managed to work its way into weapons and clothes.
"Reminds me of Faranor," said Rush. "Arroya was always my partner and we worked pretty well together. Put up with all my whining. I was complaining about the dust clogging up the weapons and she… well she was professional as ever."
Fenner put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Now we've lost Trip too," said Rush.
"We don't know that he's dead," said Fenner.
"He didn't follow us. There's no other explanation. If he was alive he would have found a way," said Rush. "There's only six of us left, James, and I can't see a way out of this for us. We don't even know what's going on."
"The Colonel will get us out of this," said Fenner. "He always does."
"Maybe this is the one time that he doesn't," said Rush.
There was the sound of the roar of an engine over head. Rush and Fenner pushed themselves back against the rock they were hiding under. A black arrowhead of a ship streaked across the sky above them, no doubt part of the party of Hunters that were looking for them.
"That was close. They're searching pretty damn hard for us," said Rush.
"You got that right," said Fenner.
"Darwin to Fenner and Rush. Come on back as soon as you can. We're nearly all set up but I could do with some input from Rush," said Darwin. The job of setting up their defences would have been considerably easier if Trip had been with them, but there was nothing Darwin could do about that. They couldn't go back for Trip. Beaming down to the planet was a one way street, the interference from the magnetic field of the planet meant that Enterprise wouldn't be able to get a lock on their position again. It was an advantage that Darwin had planned to exploit but the magnetic field could just as easily work against them.
"Acknowledged," replied Fenner. "We're on out way."
"How did you let this happen?"
"What?" asked Trip. He blinked and looked around the white room that he was in. He didn't remember how he'd got here and he couldn't see where the voice was coming from.
"You've been hurt again and this time I can't help you," said the voice.
"Who are you? Where are you?" asked Trip, indicating the empty room.
"Trip, I'm upset that you don't recognise me," said the voice, and the shape of a woman with silver skin began to materialise and walk towards Trip.
"Antonia!"
Antonia smiled at Trip, her skin glittering under the light.
"I thought you weren't allowed back," said Trip.
"You're unconscious, Trip. The Builders let me visit you but I don't have much time," said Antonia.
"I'm unconscious? So this is a dream," said Trip.
"The only way I can reach you is through your dreams. It's when your plane intersects with that of the Builders. It was my punishment, remember, for last time I helped you," said Antonia.
"Won't this get you into trouble?"
"I can give you some pointers, but that's all they'll let me do."
"Well I guess that's better than nothing."
"Rob had the right idea. The Hunters can't find them on the planet because of the magnetic field around the planet. It causes too much interference. The information that you're carrying attracts them. They spend their time scanning the galaxy for any incidences of quantum computers and eradicating them when they find them. They are even able to detect stored data which would lead to the building of a quantum computer."
"We know what they're after. Although if they can detect the data in our heads that makes a lot more sense as to how they can track us. What I want to know is why?"
"Actually you confused them by splitting the data between you, that's one of the reasons why they've been looking for you for so long. The fact that none of you knew you were carrying the data probably helped too. Why they are looking at all is more difficult."
"Difficult?"
"The Hunters are agents for a race of beings that don't exist in the same way that you do," replied Antonia.
"Like the Builders?"
"No, not like the Builders. The Builders exist outside this universe. These beings are part of your universe but they don't exist as solid matter. It's to do with the quantum nature of the universe. They live in quantum flux and they created the Hunters as their enforcers."
"What does that mean?" asked Trip.
Suddenly the room blurred in front of him.
"Commander Tucker?" asked a disembodied voice.
"Trip?" said a familiar voice.
"Why isn't he waking up?"
"It's time for you to go. You can work out the rest for yourself," said Antonia.
"No, wait…"
Trip's eyes opened and he was back in sick bay.
"God damn it!" he said with all the vigour he could muster, and immediately was reminded why he shouldn't make any sudden movements as pain shot through his shoulder. "Why the hell did you wake me?"
"We were getting worried," said Archer.
"I found your black box," said Reed.
"I was talking to Antonia. She was about to tell me what this is all about!" said Trip.
"Antonia?" asked Archer. "Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"
"I don't know. Were you sure when she came and talked to you? It just felt real," said Trip.
"What did she say?" asked Reed.
"Where's the black box?" asked Trip, grimacing as he tried to sit up.
"Stay down, Commander, you're not going anywhere," said Archer, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Lieutenant, turn the jammer on."
"Yes, sir," said Reed and flicked the switch on the side of the black box. "What's the range on this thing?"
"About twenty metres. Enough to cover the whole of sickbay," said Trip.
"Okay, what did she say?" asked Archer.
"She told me that the Hunters are able to detect the data that we're carrying, that's how they were able to track us. The Hunters are the enforcers for a race of quantum beings. They built them to find quantum computers and destroy them. And any data that could mean someone could build a quantum computer. When we split the quantum computer data between us that confused them."
Archer sighed. "Trip, this just sounds…"
"Unbelievable?" asked Trip.
"Yes," said Archer. "You're in a lot of pain and Phlox has you on some heavy medication."
"Oh so when you see Antonia in a dream it has to be real, but when I do it's just my drug addled imagination," said Trip.
"I had evidence," said Archer. "Your track record for telling the truth isn't exactly great at the moment. Why should I believe anything you say?"
"I haven't lied to you once," said Trip.
"No, you just took control of my ship from Engineering, shot my First Officer, stole a shuttle pod and disabled my ship's weapons and sensors. I've got a list of charges as long as my arm against you and I don't understand why you're doing this."
"I can't abandon my friends, Captain, and I'll do anything that I can to protect them."
"There's protection and then there's mutiny. You're already in trouble up to your neck, Commander, don't make it worse."
"I told you I hadn't finished digging yet," said Trip. He coughed and jarred his rib. He tried to hide the pain it caused him, he had to pretend to be as fit as possible so that they'd let him out of sickbay. Unfortunately the monitors gave him away and Phlox came over immediately.
"Commander, I'm going to give you another injection of pain killer," said Phlox preparing a hypospray.
"No, I need my head clear," said Trip. "No more medication."
"Commander…" began Phlox.
"No," said Trip.
"Trip, you have to let the doctor treat you," said Reed.
"None of my injuries are life threatening. I don't want anymore drugs," said Trip.
"Where did you send the MACOs?" asked Archer.
"To the planet," said Trip.
"Where on the planet?"
"I can give you the co-ordinates but if they're following the game plan then they won't be there anymore. They're setting a trap for the Hunters," said Trip.
"What kind of trap?" asked Reed.
"They're going to lure them into a kill zone," said Trip. "I need to get to them. They need me to set up the systems."
"Trip, you're under arrest pending Court Martial. You're not leaving sickbay until Phlox gives you the all clear and then the only place you're going is the brig," said Archer.
"With all due respect, Captain, get your priorities straight. This isn't just about Special Projects, or your petty rivalries with Colonel Darwin. I couldn't give a damn what happens to me, but anyone else who develops a quantum computer is going be hunted down and killed, and they might not even know why. The Hunters are a god damned menace to every sentient being in this galaxy and you're worried about taking me back to Earth for court martial," said Trip.
"I know what we're up against. I saw them destroy Water's Edge, and I know that they're trying to kill your friends, but I can't just let you go down to the planet's surface in your current condition. I know that you're in a lot of pain and that probably isn't helping you to think straight, but rushing down there isn't the way to do this. We need a plan," said Archer. "If we beam down to the surface with no way to defeat the Hunters then we might as well surrender now. Just give us some time to come up with something."
T'Pol took that moment to draw back the curtain around the bed.
"Captain, I apologise for the interruption. Ensign Lauritsen and I think that we may have devised a way to reanimate the Hunter, but we require Commander Tucker's help to complete the process," said T'Pol.
"Show me," Trip said looking straight at T'Pol.
"You're in no condition to be getting out of bed. Perhaps you could talk us through it," said T'Pol.
"No, I need to see it. Now back off, all of you, and let me up," said Trip.
Trip pushed himself up on the biobed with great difficulty and obvious pain. Colour drained from his face and he swayed, Reed catching hold of him before he could fall back on the bed. Trip took a couple of deep breaths and they seemed to steady him.
"At least let Phlox give you something for the pain," said Reed.
Trip looked at Phlox. "Can you give me something that won't make me fuzzy?"
"A mild analgesic will allow you to operate as normal," said Phlox. "I can't guarantee that it will keep you pain free however."
Trip gave a small nod. "Fine, do it. All I need to do is get to that other biobed. I'm trusting you here Doc."
"It would be against my ethical code to ignore your wishes, Commander," said Phlox, "even if I do think you are being extremely foolish." Phlox loaded the hypospray and injected a small dose of painkiller into Trip. The Doctor had been true to his word, the painkiller took the edge off the pain but no more than that, just enough that he was able to function.
Trip gently put bare feet on the floor and got down from the biobed, taking care not to knock his immobilized arm or recently mended rib. The regulation blue pyjama bottoms seemed to be the only thing that Phlox had decided to dress him in. He guessed it had been too difficult to get anything over his broken fingers and dislocated shoulder for Phlox to put a top on him. As Trip threw off the blanket that covered him, the assembled group was able to see the livid purple bruises that covered most of his upper body. Some of them had only begun to show in the last hour or so. Shock registered on Archer's face briefly but it was quickly hidden. It was a miracle that more of Trip's bones hadn't been broken.
Reed could only imagine how much Trip was hurting at the moment. It showed in the stiffness of his movements and the occasional grimace, which Trip was trying hard not to let anyone see. There were beads of sweat forming on Trip's forehead as he wrestled with his uncooperative body. Reed grabbed Trip under his good arm and helped him to walk across to the biobed next to his. It wasn't far but it was a lot farther than Trip should have been walking at the moment.
"Thanks, Malcolm," said Trip, in a low voice. He reached out for the edge of the bed to steady himself. "T'Pol, give me a scanner."
T'Pol handed Trip a scanner, which meant that Trip had to let go of the biobed. Reed was back at his side before the swaying could turn into anything more. Trip pretended not to notice that he was being supported by Reed on his right and T'Pol was hovering discreetly on his left.
"I made a real mess when I sent a few hundred volts through him," said Trip. "You did a good job in repairing the processing matrix. You just need to reconnect his sensory organs. It's a package deal, he won't reactivate if we can't get those working again. We can forget the rest of the body though, the motor centres are fried. What can you tell me about the central processor?"
"Ensign Lauritsen is best qualified to report on that," said T'Pol.
Ensign Lauritsen stepped up to the biobed to report her findings. "The system is based on trinary rather than binary. I believe that this is one of the master control units. Each control unit can manage five other slave units. Yet another instance of threes in their operation. From what I've been able to discover, five is the optimal number but they can control more if necessary. I think that there's another master controller out there given the numbers of Hunters that we've been dealing with."
"Never thought I'd see a trinary system," said Trip. "That makes things a bit more interesting."
"Can you fix it?" asked Archer.
"No," said Trip, "but I can put enough back together that we can get it talking. Maybe even find a way to get it communicating with the other Hunters."
"I've been attempting to devise a way to download the data from the central processor into our systems, however I have yet to find a way to link the two technologies. They are basically incompatible," said T'Pol.
"Yeah, we're not going to be able to do this the easy way," said Trip. "But maybe we could find a way to use this Hunter against the others."
Lauritsen looked up at Trip. "A virus?" asked Lauritsen.
"My thoughts exactly," said Trip.
"But we'll need to get this Hunter in communication range of the others," said Lauritsen. "And get it working well enough for it to be able to broadcast signals to them."
"All it has to be able to do is connect to the other androids," said Trip. "Looks like we don't have much in the way of range, the amplifier's shot to hell and I can't see us repairing it."
"But then how are we going to get it close enough to them," said Lauritsen.
"Well they're looking for the MACOs. We just have to find them first and take our friend here with us," said Trip. "Which means I have to go down to the surface."
"No, absolutely not. You can tell us the MACOs' last known position and Lieutenant Reed will lead a team to find them," said Archer.
"And they'll assume he's an enemy," said Trip, stubbornly. "In any case, I'm the only one who has any chance of finding them. These are people that are trained in covert ops and they're pretty good at hiding when they don't want to be found."
"I can't send an injured man on an away mission," said Archer, equally resolute.
"We're out of options, Captain. If we want to disable the rest of the Hunters then this is our best bet," said Trip. "You said we needed a plan, well this is it. I have to go, there's no one else that can find the MACOs or that Darwin will trust. I won't let the Hunters kill anyone else."
"At least we agree on something. I guess I don't have a lot of choice. Get that Hunter working and then we're taking it down to the planet," said Archer and strode out of sickbay.