Let the Dead Bury the Living
By Thalia Drogna
When Hoshi handed Archer the sub-space communication that she had just received, Archer couldn't have been more surprised. After Shran's parting shot, that Archer now owed him for his help against the Xindi, he hadn't expected to hear from Shran so soon. He certainly hadn't expected to receive a cryptic message from the Andorian inviting him to meet. Co-ordinates had been supplied and, with them, the message that Shran had information which could be of help to Commander Tucker.
Of course this left Archer with a dilemma. Shran wasn't exactly trustworthy, although Archer believed that in general he was honourable and he thought it unlikely that he would be setting them up after saving them from the Xindi. Shran had told Archer that he didn't sleep well when he owed someone a favour, well Archer felt the same way about being indebted to the Andorian. If he could repay that debt then it would make him much happier. This sounded as if the Andorian wanted something and that made Archer nervous. Shran would only contact him if he was calling in his marker.
He also had the problem of getting to the meeting, he didn't think that the Admiral would be too happy that he wanted to meet with Shran. Officially Earth had no problem with the Andorians but that certainly couldn't be said of their Vulcan allies who would no doubt advise them to have nothing more to do with them.
Archer called his senior officers to his Ready Room. Normally he would have used the situation room but that was too public, especially with the Headquarters Security officers on board. T'Pol, Phlox, Hoshi, Reed and Mayweather, all stood around Archer's desk. It was an informal gathering, Archer perched on the edge of his desk.
"For starters, this isn't official, I can't order any of you to help me with this," said Archer.
"Captain, if you're asking us to help you do something for Trip, then I think I speak for all of us when I say that you have our full support," said Reed. Everyone around him nodded their agreement.
"We'll do whatever we can," said Travis.
Archer smiled. How could he have ever doubted his officers?
"Shran sent me a message, he's asked to meet with me. He says he has information which could help Trip," said Archer.
"Shran is not to be trusted," said T'Pol. "His attempt to capture the Xindi weapon prototype was proof of his duplicity. I do not believe you should go, it could be a trap."
"I have to agree, sir," added Reed. "He may have helped us against the Xindi but he'd stab us in the back given half a chance."
"I'm not so sure about that. We obviously have something that he wants otherwise he wouldn't have contacted us," said Archer. "I have to take the chance that he's being straight with us, for Trip's sake."
"Then I want to come with you," said Reed, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Sorry, Malcolm, I'm going alone," said Archer.
"But, sir..." said Reed, already wording his protest in his head. Archer cut him off before he was able to continue though.
"That's not open for debate. Shran and I have an understanding, but even so I'll be watching my back. The only problem I have is that I don't think that Starfleet are going to let me go and see Shran, at least not without an argument and we don't have time. I need to be at the co-ordinates he gave me in eight hours time."
"Well Enterprise isn't going anywhere," said Reed. He wasn't pleased about Archer's decision to go alone but Shran was calling the shots on this one.
"Not for another few weeks," said Archer.
"Eight hours, doesn't give us a lot of time," said Mayweather. "What about the Vulcans? They've got some fast ships."
"I doubt any of my compatriots would be willing to help us contact the Andorians," said T'Pol. "My pending tribunal will make them even less inclined to help the humans who I served with and who they believe corrupted me." The human officers exchanged some worried looks.
"I think I may have a solution," said Phlox, and everyone turned to look at the doctor. No one had really expected that Phlox would be the one to come up with a plan. "Some of my medical colleagues arrived at Jupiter station yesterday from Denobula, they are attending a symposium on interspecies medicine in Atlanta along with a number of other alien doctors. I had intended to go myself but with Commander Tucker's condition still unstable I decided that I was unwilling to leave him."
"Doctor," said Archer slightly impatiently, "how does this help us?"
"Well the pilot of their transport is Drezan, my crinas-fen," said Phlox.
"Crinas-fen?" asked Archer.
"Second wife's third husband's son," supplied Hoshi.
"You have a word for that?" asked Mayweather.
"Oh yes, you can imagine that relationships on Denobula can get quite complicated. If we didn't have words for all those relations then we'd be forced into some very long winded descriptions," said Phlox.
"Doctor, your point," said T'Pol just a fraction of a second before Archer was about to say something similar.
"Well I'm sure that he'd be happy to take you to the rendezvous if I ask him," said Phlox.
"That's great, doctor. Hoshi, can you open a channel to the Denobulan transport for the doctor?" said Archer.
"Yes, sir, no problem," said Hoshi. "It will be nice to have a chance for me to practice my Denobulan on someone else."
"There is another problem," said Reed. "I'm pretty sure that Davis isn't just here to guard Trip. If they had just wanted someone to follow orders and guard Trip then they wouldn't have sent Lieutenant Davis."
"What's so special about Lieutenant Davis?" asked Archer.
"He used to be Starfleet Intelligence," said Reed. "I heard that he'd left Intelligence but I never found out where he was transferred to. He's certainly not just here for guard duty and I doubt his men are either. We're going to need to be careful around him."
"You're saying that Starfleet sent him to spy on us?" asked Archer, with disbelief. "Admiral Forrest would never have allowed that."
"I don't think that the Admiral was told," said Reed. "I think the orders came from somewhere else, I'm just not sure where."
"At a guess I would say Senator Nash," said Archer.
Reed nodded. "It's possible. However that doesn't help us. We need to find a way to get you to that meeting, without Davis knowing that you've left the ship."
"Yes, and I'm guessing that I'll be gone a couple of days. We'll have a problem if Admiral Forrest tries to call as well," said Archer.
"I'm sure I heard Trip mention something about a fault in the communications system. I think he asked Lieutenant Hess to do a complete overhaul," said Hoshi with a mischievous smile. "Communications might be offline for a couple of days."
"Good idea, better ask Anna to help you make it look good," said Archer, referring to Trip's deputy by her first name.
"Yes, sir, I'm sure that she'll be happy to help," said Hoshi. Trip and his deputy had been friends before they had both been posted to Enterprise and that friendship had only grown with the two of them working so closely together.
"Well that solves one problem, but I still have to leave this ship without being spotted and have a plausible excuse for why I won't be seen around for a couple of days," said Archer.
"That is a puzzle," said Phlox, "but perhaps I can be of assistance there as well."
Archer made a mental note to himself, as he listened to the doctor's idea, to be a better patient next time he was in sick bay. When they had all the details worked out he dismissed his officers to attend to their tasks.
"T'Pol, wait, I wanted a word," said Archer. He waited until everyone else was gone before he turned back to T'Pol. "Why didn't you tell me just how serious this Dohn Zhu was?"
"It did not seem to be necessary to go into all the details, only to inform you that it was taking place," said T'Pol.
"If you get sent back to Vulcan for a criminal trial and you're found guilty, they'll either send you to a mental asylum or execute you," said Archer.
"Capital punishment has not been practised on Vulcan for over a century. It is most unlikely that I will be executed," said T'Pol.
"Which leaves the other alternative, which might be worse," said Archer. "You have to know that you aren't insane."
"I am certain that by Vulcan standards I am not normal," said T'Pol.
"But that doesn't make you insane," said Archer.
"If I am found guilty, then I will be considered to be mentally ill. I can only abide by the judgement of the court," said T'Pol.
"That's only if you are found guilty, you make it sound as if the outcome is inevitable. I don't understand why you aren't fighting this harder. You have to let me help you," said Archer.
"It is a Vulcan matter and therefore I must be judged by Vulcan standards. I cannot let you become involved in this," said T'Pol.
"Why not?" asked Archer.
"Because I believe them to be right," said T'Pol.
Sick bay was quiet. Only the trills and rustles of Phlox's animals disturbed the perfect silence. Trip lay on the biobed staring at the ceiling. The fever had broken and he was slowly returning to a normal temperature. Now he just felt nauseous and tired. He'd already thrown up the contents of his stomach once and his body threatened to betray him and do the same again at any moment. Phlox assured him that this would pass just as the fever had and had given him something to help with the sick feeling in his stomach. Now he was just waiting for it to work while he held onto the bowl that Phlox had given him as if his life depended on it.
Phlox had been called away to an emergency in Engineering. Trip was worried about that, he hated to think that any of his team might be injured. He should be down there with them, not lying on a bed in sick bay doing nothing.
Suddenly Phlox and his team of medics rushed in with a body lying motionless on a gurney. Trip recognised the man lying on the gurney as the Captain.
"Captain!" said Trip with alarm. Archer had burns on his face and it looked bad.
He tried to sit up and ended up moving a bit too quickly and giving himself a dizzy spell. He fell sideways and was caught by Lieutenant Reed.
"It's okay, Trip," said Reed. "It's not as bad as it looks."
"What happened, Malcolm?" asked Trip as Reed helped him to lie down again.
"We just staged a little accident," said Archer, climbing off the gurney.
Trip just looked baffled. "But... but you're burnt," said Trip. The fever was still effecting his brain and making him a bit fuzzy.
"It's not real, Trip," said Archer. He wiped off some of the makeup with the damp cloth that Phlox passed him to show Trip. "It's just some of Phlox's special effects."
"But why?" he asked. This was more than his mind could take at the moment.
"Shran contacted us, he thinks that he has some information that might help you. I'm going to see him," said Archer.
"You can't," said Trip, trying to rise again. Reed pushed him back onto the bed. "It's too dangerous. Not just for me." He struggled against Malcolm.
"Trip, stop it," said Reed. "You'll just wear yourself out." Trip pushed off his hand and struggled to sit up again.
"Commander, you're meant to be resting," said Phlox. He went to a tray of hypos and began readying one.
"I want to know what's going on!" said Trip petulantly. He was feeling dizzy again and he knew he would blackout if he didn't lie back down, but he had to know what was going on. "You can't risk your life just for me. And why all the play acting."
"Trip, I can't let them take you off Enterprise," said Archer, coming over to his friend's bed, "it just wouldn't be right. And there's something else that I need to tell you. Starfleet decided to send some Security officers from Headquarters to guard you."
"They did what?" asked Trip, angrily.
"They insisted, we didn't have any choice," said Reed.
"You mean I'm a prisoner on my own ship?" said Trip.
"Only temporarily," said Archer. "I told you that I'd deal with this and I will, but that means going to see Shran. I've already had this argument with Malcolm, and I've made my decision, I'm going. But we can't let them know that I'm not on the ship, so hence the act."
Phlox approached with a hypospray. "This stress is not good for the Commander." He looked crossly at Reed and Archer before turning his glare on Trip. "You're meant to be resting quietly."
"Doc, please don't knock me out," said Trip, in a pleading tone.
"Commander, I cannot stabilise your immune system if you won't rest, and at the moment there is too much excitement in this sick bay," said Phlox.
Trip rolled his eyes. "Fine, I guess I need the sleep. The nanites keep on telling me my energy reserves are low." He lay back and let Phlox inject him with the hypospray. "Just don't take any chances, Captain," said Trip sleepily as the drug took effect.
"I won't, and I'll be back before you know it," said Archer, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder as Trip closed his eyes. "Look after him while I'm away."
"Don't worry he's in good hands," said Phlox. "Drezan and the Noolen are waiting for you."
"Malcolm, is the site to site transport rigged up?" asked Archer.
"Yes, sir, although I'd be happier if the Noolen was closer, in fact I'd be happier if we didn't have to use the transporter at all," said Reed.
"We've been through this, Lieutenant," said Archer.
"I know. It's ready when you are, sir," said Reed.
Archer sponged off the remainder of the fake blood and burnt tissue. "Do it, Malcolm," he said.
Reed pulled out his communicator and said one word into it, "energise." Archer disappeared.
"Is it true that Vulcans can't lie?" Davis asked T'Pol. The two of them sat in the mess hall, Davis drinking coffee so black that was almost the same colour as the space outside the porthole, T'Pol sipping green tea. T'Pol had been sitting quietly alone when Davis had entered and taken the seat opposite her unbidden, an action that most humans would have considered rude.
"It is against our code of ethics. It is not logical to lie," said T'Pol.
"But you're facing a tribunal to look into your conduct in going with Enterprise into the Expanse," said Davis.
"That is correct, but it has nothing to do with lying," said T'Pol. "I always knew that it might be a consequence of my decision to accompany Enterprise into the Expanse."
"I was sorry to hear about your Captain's accident," said Davis. "Very unfortunate, especially given that he was only down in Engineering for an inspection."
"He should be back on duty in a couple of days," said T'Pol. It wasn't a lie, but it was an omission. "It was not serious," she added, which, she reflected, was true.
"So what's a Vulcan doing on a human ship anyway?" asked Davis.
"I was assigned to provide counsel to an inexperienced crew, however that role has evolved over the mission," said T'Pol. "I believe that Captain Archer considers me to be a valued member of this crew."
"But why you?" asked Davis.
"I was the logical choice. I had already spent some time on Earth at the Vulcan Embassy and my previous assignment had been as Science Officer on the Seleya," said T'Pol.
"But you're still the only Vulcan who has managed to survive for this long on a human spaceship," said Davis.
"That is correct," said T'Pol.
"So why did you do so much better than those other Vulcans?" asked Davis.
"I do not know," said T'Pol.
"Or maybe you prefer not to know," said Davis.
"If you are intimating that I am afraid of that knowledge, then you are incorrect. It is impossible for Vulcans to feel fear," said T'Pol.
"Have you ever considered that it may be because you're more human than other Vulcans?" asked Davis.
"I had considered the possibility that I am able to understand humans better than many members of my species, I do not see that as a flaw. In my current position it is very useful," said T'Pol.
"And your relationship with Commander Tucker wouldn't have anything to do with that better understanding, I suppose," said Davis, with glint in his eye that T'Pol didn't like at all.
"My relationship with Commander Tucker is purely professional," said T'Pol.
"Now, I'd like to believe that, but that's not what I've heard," said Davis. "There's this topic of Vulcan neuropressure that keeps coming up when I mention you and Commander Tucker. According to what I've read it's pretty intimate."
"I have simply been helping the Commander to sleep, it is a medical procedure. After the death of his sister he experienced some disruption to his sleep patterns," said T'Pol, this was getting uncomfortably close to things that she didn't want to talk about. "Doctor Phlox is aware of it."
"I'm sure that he is," said Davis. "I just wonder what else the Doctor is aware of. Unfortunately I haven't been allowed in sick bay for longer than five minutes to talk with him."
"Commander Tucker is still very ill and needs complete rest and quiet," said T'Pol. Although an exaggeration this was mostly true. She began to wonder if all Vulcans were so adept at telling lies without lying as she seemed to have become.
"Yes, your Lieutenant Reed already gave me the lecture. It's coincidental that your Captain is also now residing in sick bay too, so I won't be talking to him for a couple of days either."
"It is lamentable that the Captain will not be available," said T'Pol. "If you will excuse me, I must return to the bridge, my break is over." She rose gracefully from the table and returned her cup to the clearing point before exiting the mess hall.
Davis watched her leave and wondered if he had in fact managed to fluster the Vulcan or was it just his imagination.
Drezan was of the same unshakeably optimistic, jolly disposition that Phlox was. Archer wished that he had asked Hoshi more about Denobulan customs and etiquette before he left Enterprise but there hadn't really been time for a lesson on Denobulan social niceties. He hoped that all Denobulans were as forgiving as Phlox when it came to humans being impolite or just plain ignorant.
"So Captain, you are meeting with an Andorian," said Drezan. "I hope you are prepared, they can be quite surly at times."
"Oh I'm prepared," replied Archer. He was well aware that most people would be considered surly when compared to the Denobulans. "I know this particular Andorian very well."
"We'll be at your co-ordinates in about five hours so you've got time to relax or sleep if you want to. I'd be happy to alert you when we arrive," said Drezan.
"Thanks but I'd rather stay up here with you, if that's okay," said Archer. Drezan had been kind enough to let Archer sit in the cockpit of the small Denobulan transport. This was something that not all pilots were particularly keen on but Drezan had seemed all too pleased to let Archer into his own personal domain.
"My frenas-cen said that you were a pilot yourself and would be interested," said Drezan with a slight chuckle. Archer guessed frenas-cen was the word for Phlox in relation to Drezan, the word he had meant to look up before he left. "If you're interested then I would be happy to give you a lesson in how to fly the Noolen."
Under normal circumstances Archer wouldn't have hesitated to take up Drezan's offer, but now he did. Somehow it seemed too frivolous to play around flying the Denobulan craft while he was on the way to get information to help Trip. It couldn't hurt though, he thought.
"Sure," he said, "that would be interesting. Thank you."
It turned out that the Denobulan ship was actually harder to fly than it looked and it took almost the full five hours of their journey for Archer to master the controls. At least it made the time pass quickly. They arrived at the rendezvous co-ordinates with time to spare and began the wait for Shran's arrival.
They waited. After a couple of hours, Shran still hadn't arrived. Archer began to worry, Shran wasn't the type to be late. There was definitely more to this than Shran giving them information out of the goodness of his heart, but what exactly did Shran have to gain from it? Something was going on with the Andorian and Archer was going to find out what it was, even if it meant going and finding Shran himself.