A Fair Trade - Chapter 4

A Fair Trade

by kittytrypsin

Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer # 1: Paramount owns the characters from ‘Enterprise’, I’m just borrowing them. But if they don’t look after them…

Disclaimer # 2: No financial gain is being made from these stories, unfortunately.

A/N I apologise for any discrepancies regarding the layout of Enterprise. My idea of what is on each deck is entirely my own imagination.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Jon and Phlox were in the captain’s ready room, impatiently waiting for Malcolm to arrive with the survivors. It had been some time since Jon had dispatched his tactical officer to locate Goff and his crew, and so far they hadn’t reported back. Anxious for news, Jon crossed to the intercom.

“Archer to Lt. Reed…please respond.”

The ensuing silence unnerved the captain as he realised that something, or someone, must be preventing Malcolm from answering the hail. The normally ‘by the book’ Armoury Officer would have been reaching for the intercom button even as Jon was speaking, if he had been able.

“Computer, locate Lt. Reed.”

The computerised voice replied abruptly and dispassionately, “Lt. Reed is on C deck, section 2.”

Jon looked at Phlox, perplexed. “That’s near the transporter room. If Malcolm had met with Goff and the others, why would they be going anywhere near the transporter room? It’s not as if we’re near a planet to transport to. Come on, Doctor, I’ve a feeling we’re going to need your expertise.”

They lost no time in making their way to C deck. Very little traffic frequented section 2 except during transportations, and the two men encountered no one as they made their way along. When they reached their destination, Jon stopped in confusion. There was no sign of Malcolm, or anyone else for that matter.

The two men began to search the area for clues as to the missing men’s whereabouts.

“Captain, I believe this may be of some significance,” Phlox called, drawing Jon’s attention to the door controls of a storeroom.

The access panel had been warped by a heat source, and wasn’t going to operate for anyone anyway soon.

“If Malcolm’s in there, his head might have received the same treatment that yours got. We’ll have to get in with a laser.” Jon crossed to the intercom.

“Archer to Engineering.”

“Hess, Captain, go ahead.”

“Lieutenant, where’s Commander Tucker?”

“He’s not rostered for this shift, Captain. I believe he was showing some of our guests around the ship. Most of them were here half an hour ago. Do you want me to hail the Commander?”

“No, I’ll do that myself. Send a team along to C deck, section 2 and have them bring a laser. Dr Phlox will meet them and explain. Archer out.”

He pushed the button again and addressed the computer. “Locate Commander Tucker.”

“Commander Tucker is in shuttle bay two.”

Jon pushed the button yet again. “Archer to Commander Tucker, respond please.”

After what seemed to Jon to be a lifetime, Trip’s voice replied, sounding perfectly normal and unharmed.

“Tucker here, Cap’n. What can I do for ya?”

“Trip, report to my ready room, something’s come up. Bring your guests with you.”

“Sure thing, Cap’n, just give me a few minutes to get there.”

Jon breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Trip’s reassuring voice.

If he’d been with his best friend in the shuttle bay, he wouldn’t have been nearly as reassured. Goff had Trip’s arm twisted viciously up behind his back in a painful lock, and a pistol was rammed into his temple. On the floor at their feet lay one of Malcolm’s security men, unconscious and bleeding from a nasty head wound.

“Well done, Commander, we don’t want the captain barging in here, now do we? You saw what happened to Lt Reed and his team when they tried to detain us, so I’ll ask you once more, nicely, to pilot the shuttle and take us where I tell you.”

“An’ if I don’t… what, you’ll kill me?”

“Not immediately, I have another plan for you, but you will be entirely responsible for me killing the man on the floor. A career cut short in its prime, and you could have avoided it. So, what’s it to be?”

Trip reflected briefly on his ill fortune. He’d been giving their guests a lightening tour of the ship and had just left Engineering when they’d bumped into Malcolm and his team on C deck. Malcolm had been his usual, polite self, respectfully requesting that their visitors accompany him to see the captain, when all hell had broken loose. The survivors had produced weapons from the pockets of their clothing (‘an’ I’m SO gonna ask Malcolm why they weren’t searched more thoroughly), and in the ensuing shoot-out, Malcolm and his three crewmen had been easily overcome. Trip had tried to intervene by pushing Goff’s pistol off target, but a clip behind his ear had left him dazed and on his knees, unable to take any further part in proceedings.

When his head had cleared, he’d seen Malcolm and two crewmen being tossed into a storeroom, but at least they were alive, whilst he and the other crewman were dragged towards the shuttle bay. He brought his thoughts back to the present.

“Where exactly are ya headin’? Last time I checked, the cap’n said we were several days from Zena.”

“That’s right, but unfortunately for you, we have no intention of allowing ourselves to be taken back. If we do, we’ll be executed.”

“So, I’m guessin’ that you’re not the original crew of the Dyland, after all. An’ Captain Quin…was he in on your prison break out?”

“You don’t need to concern yourself about him, he’s no longer part of the equation. Now, no more time-wasting, you’ve three seconds to step into the pilot’s seat, Commander, or I’ll kill this man and take my chances at flying the craft, myself.”

Trip recognised the sound of determination in the other man’s voice and nodded helplessly. He bent down and dragged Ensign Barr into the shuttle, then moved to take the controls. The Zenalese struggled to find enough room to sit around the cramped pod, except for Goff who commandeered the co-pilot’s seat, his gun trained on Trip.

“Ok, a nice quiet launch, no chatter with the bridge. Just get us off Enterprise, and then I’ll give you your heading.”

“They’re gonna know we’re launchin’, and hail us.”

“That’s ok, until they do, we’ll put as much space between us and them as possible.”

Goff prodded Trip’s shoulder none too gently with his weapon. Resignedly, the commander started the pod’s engine and operated the remote to open the launch bay doors. Their exit from the belly of the ship was clean and swift, turning instantly in the opposite direction, so far undetected.

TBC

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