A/N: A hastily re-edited chapter, posted before I rush off for a few days - with major thanks to Volley for pointing out my, ah...slight mistake with the swearing blushes many, many apologies to anyone else who was offended...I also apologise becuase I know the chapters were rushed - it was either that or leave the story incomplete for the week - I don't know how long I'm going to be gone. Call it a 'personal crisis'...

Disclaimer: Don't own them. I'm poor. Don't sue.

Chapter Seven

In a rare display of raw temper, Hoshi slammed her fist down on the control panel.

"The technology is inferior to ours, sir," she reported, "the transmitter isn't powerful enough to reach Enterprise with the amount of damage done to the systems. If we could launch some kind of beacon that might help, but there's nothing like that here."

"Is there anything else that we can do?" Archer asked.

Water was starting to seep up through the two exit doors; the bridge was beginning to flood. There was nowhere for them to escape to.

"I can keep trying, sir, but…" Hoshi shrugged, and left the sentence hanging.

"Keep trying," Archer ordered, "we're not giving up. Neither will T'Pol."

"Yes, sir."

Archer reached down, and pulled Reed into a standing position, supporting his weight as the water edged up to his knees. To his surprise, the lieutenant groaned, and forced his eyes open.

"C-Captain?" he mumbled, his accent slurred.

"I'm here, Malcolm. Don't worry; we'll be getting out of here soon…"

Reed was shaking, almost imperceptibly, as if he were doing his utmost to control what had to be mounting terror.

"Sir…the water…"

"I know. Enterprise will beam us out soon…"

"Bloody hell," Reed was visibly shaking now, as the water reached waist height.

"Captain, I'm not getting anything from Enterprise," Hoshi called out, her voice high pitched with fear, "I'm transmitting a general distress signal on all frequencies…if there's anyone out there, they'll find us…"

"We may not have time," Ginger hissed, climbing up to stand on a chair as the water got higher, "Hssiss water! We will all drown!"

"Oh, Christ," Malcolm muttered, under his breath, closing his eyes, "I wish I had my phase pistol."

Archer did not ask what for; he didn't want to know. It looked as if anything were preferable to drowning. By now, the water had reached his elbows, and he was starting to get some buoyancy in the depths. He tightened his grip on Malcolm's shoulder, feeling him shaking. Hoshi abandoned the communications console and came to join them, standing the other side of Malcolm, sharing his weight with Archer. Trembling with cold, pain and fatigue, more terrified than he had ever been since his first encounter with deep water, he managed to lift his head and offer her a small smile. The water reached their shoulders, and Hoshi, the shortest of the three, began to tread water. Archer soon found himself in difficulty as well, and had to kick off the floor. The low ceiling gradually got closer, and he felt a rising panic. His head soon brushed against the metal. He could hear both Hoshi and Malcolm fighting for air. He saw Malcolm disappear under the surface, slipping out of his grip. Hoshi met his eyes, hers wide with terror. The narrow gap of air was rapidly disappearing.

Archer got a mouthful of water and air, and then there was just water. He opened his eyes; all around him, the blue-grey liquid filled the bridge. Hoshi was there, also struggling in the water; he fought the urge to breath, but eventually, instinct to inhale took over, and water flooded into his lungs, freezing and burning at the same time. Sparkles played at the edges of his vision; the intense pressures made his head feel like it was imploding. Darkness called to him invitingly, but he fought it, to no avail. A pleasant tingling spread through his body, and he let go of consciousness.

A/N: I know; it's a short chapter. Sorry. But…the end is nigh…