Things That Come in the Night- pt. 8

Things That Come In the Night

by The Watch Stander

Disclaimers in Part 1

AN: A big Thank You to all who have left reviews and also to all who have patiently waited for another chapter.

It’s great to know there are people in Germany, Holland, France, England and other places that read these. It makes it fun and that’s what writing should be about.

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Part 8

Archer had agreed to fly over to the cargo ship in the shuttle pod and bring Trip with him. The engineer had gone along intrigued by Broetag’s offer to show him their engine room.

As they walked to the shuttle bay Archer seemed in a good mood for a change, more like the Archer of old. “Sounds like we might have made a friend as well as gained some information on the Xindi,” He was smiling now, confident that they would have an amiable agreement on the trade for the charts.

Trip didn’t agree, Broetag still hadn’t told them what he wanted in exchange for the charts and he still had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

Probably want half our food supplies in payment! Chef will kill the Captain if he trades away our food.

Trip smirked at the picture of an enraged Chef chasing Archer with a frying pan.

Reed had met them at the shuttle and tried once again to talk Archer into taking along a security detail. He was clearly worried about the two men, Trip in particular who seemed to attract trouble like a bee to honey. Archer was more level headed, but still seemed somewhat gullible, even now with his new hardened attitude.

“It would be the right thing to do, Captain. We hardly know these people.” Reed was becoming upset with the Captain. The man should learn to listen to his security officer’s advice.

Archer was having none of it, “We’re here to make allies not enemies, Lt. Arriving with armed guards is not being very friendly. Trip and I will be fine.”

Trip shrugged at Reed and showed a look of sympathy to the frustrated armory officer as he descended the stairs and followed Archer to the shuttle.

Reed yelled down to Trip, “Be careful,” he shook his head and had a worried look on his face, ‘‘and for goodness sake watch your backs!”

Trip smiled and waved.

Malcolm would always state the obvious, but he was a good armory officer and friend.

Archer flew the shuttle into the cargo bay of the smaller ship and made a perfect landing inside. Broetag met them with three of his crew and the men shook hands with Trip and Archer as Broetag introduced them. There was one man, Nika, who seemed very nervous, but even he came forward and shook Trip’s hand. Archer seemed at ease with the whole thing, but Trip just couldn’t get comfortable with Broetag and his men.

“Captain, Commander, we welcome you to our ship. It’s not as big as yours, but we have a few surprises if we need them.”

He looked directly at Trip, “Commander, you will find our engines equivalent to your own and possibly even better.”
Broetag’s smile widened with pride and one of his men called Roker, smiled as well.

Must be his engineer, Trip thought.

Archer was interested in the fact that Broetag knew about the Enterprise’s engines and possible speed. Neither he nor Trip had discussed the Warp engines with the Captain. He wondered how much Broetag already knew about them and their mission here. It would not be to their advantage to have it know that they were looking for the Xindi. Archer started to have a very bad feeling about this cargo ship captain. The man seemed to know more than he was letting on.

Trip had a forced smile on his face, but Archer could tell that he too was suspicious of the men before them. Suddenly Reed’s suggestion of security no longer seemed unreasonable.

Broetag was the perfect host and showed them around his ship including the engine room, which he explained, was capable of warp 7 if necessary.

Trip was dumbfounded, A ship this small with so much power.

“Is that why you don’t have a problem with pirates?” Trip asked.

Broetag chuckled, “Yes, that and other surprises. We always manage to elude them, that’s why our customers entrust us with valuable cargo that other ships can’t deliver. We make a fair profit from running these items.”

As Archer listened, he could just imagine what items they must have carried, contraband no doubt.

Trip was enthralled with the warp 7 capability of the ship as he walked about the engine room looking at the engine’s size as compared to their warp 5.

I would love to see the specks for this engine.

Broetag noticed the guarded look he was getting from Archer and decided it was time to show him the charts. “Come this way Captain, I’ll show you our charts and we can come to some decision on the price.”

Archer glanced at Trip and they followed Broetag to his bridge area. All three members of his crew followed behind the two star fleet officers. Trip felt like they were being herded and it gave him a creepy feeling. His head started to throb again from the cold and the stress of this situation.

What I wouldn’t give to be back on Enterprise.

Archer watched Broetag bring up the system charts of the expanse and he immediately became interested when he saw a symbol that he recognized as Xindi on one of the planets.

“This covers all of the expanse?” he asked Broetag.

“All of it and then some! I’ve included the surrounding systems as well incase you want to wander out of here at some point.” Broetag had that smile back, as if he knew something.

Archer was very interested in obtaining them now and he hoped Broetag would be fair and not ask for something they couldn’t give him or couldn’t spare.

“What would you want in return?” The question was asked and both he and Trip held their breaths waiting for the answer.

“Ah, we finally get down to the business of trading. What I want is something that I’m sure you would be willing to trade. I know why you’re here in the Expanse, Captain. Your reputation precedes you. You are looking for the Xindi and I am more than willing to give you the charts in trade, for I have no use for their kind and what they are planning. The rumors are running wild and I don’t want to be involved in any way. So you see we have a mutual agenda. Now, let me tell you what it is that I want.”

Trip had moved away from the chart table to stand a short ways away from the two men incase of trouble. Archer was still near Broetag.

“You have a siren on board your vessel, and we want her in trade for the charts.”

Archer looked at him in disbelief, “A what?”

Trip’s face went pale; he knew where this was going. Somehow, they had detected her on their ship.

“We have been looking for this creature for as long as I have been a cargo runner. She is worth more to us than you can imagine. It’s all I’m asking for and you have my solemn word to never mention that I saw you or your ship in the Expanse.” Broetag was serious now, and Archer had no doubt that he meant what he said.

Archer shook his head in confusion, “I don’t know what you mean, I haven’t had any reports of any such creature being detected on our ship.”

Broetag nodded, “I know, but we have a detection system and it shows her signature on board your ship. You must understand, to obtain such a creature will bring us untold wealth that would mean our people would have food and resources for many years to come and we would no longer have to leave our planet and families. You must give her to us! Please, captain!”

Broetag was pleading now, desperation bordering on panic. He feared that Archer might not understand how important obtaining the siren was. It was everything to him and his crew.

Trip watched Broetag and his crew carefully, not sure, what was going to happen next. What he didn’t want to do was to give the siren to these men; she was a living entity after all and had done no harm to anyone, least of all him. He kept silent, unwilling to say anything and letting the scene play out.

Archer was getting flustered, but decided to try and rationalize the situation. He really wanted and needed the charts for his mission so he would have to play along.

“Tell me how I can find this siren and I’ll try and help you catch her. I don’t want alien entities on my ship.”

Broetag relaxed and smiled, “That’s easy, the person whom she has contact with is here,” he pointed at Trip, “Commander Tucker is her host!”

Archer couldn’t believe it, he turned to look at Trip whose face paled and took on a sudden look of guilt.

“Trip? Is it true?” Archer didn’t want to hear the answer.

Trip looked ashamed and almost pleaded with Jon, “I tried to tell you this morning, but…, ” he couldn’t finish, now thoroughly feeling responsible and disloyal to Jon. All his emotions surfaced at once as he looked at Jon, begging for understanding. Inside his heart was pounding realizing what a fool he’s been in not telling Jon sooner.

This shouldn’t have happened! I knew something was wrong; it was a trap all along! I shouldn’t have come.

Archer stood there shocked, his best friend and he didn’t know. He felt betrayed, what other secrets did Trip have that he wasn’t sharing. Then he realized Trip had tried to talk to him this morning and he had been the one to push it off to later not Trip.

Archer didn’t know what to say to Broetag. He turned to the man,“I’m sorry, I have to reconsider this, I didn’t know about the siren being on board.”

The men behind Broetag started to mumble angry words between them. The nervous one, Nika, suddenly stepped forward and pointed a weapon at Archer.

“He’s stalling! He’s not going to give her to us!” Nika shouted in anger as his finger tightened on the trigger.

Archer realizing the man was serious, steeled himself for the resulting shot to be fired. He would have to be very fast to dodge it or grab the weapon and wasn’t prepared when Nika suddenly fired.

Jon watched in horror as the discharge hit Trip after the weapon was pointed in the engineer’s direction.

Trip crumpled to the floor a look of pain and disbelief on his face.

“No!” Archer shouted, a vise-like grip tightening around his heart as he ran over to where Trip lay.

The engineer was lying face down and Archer gently turned him over. Fearing the worst, Jon pulled Trip’s head and shoulders onto his lap. The front of Trip’s uniform was covered in blood as the wound was bleeding badly. It was a serious injury and needed treatment.

“Trip?” Archer said softly trying to remain in control of his emotions.

Trip’s eyes were watery and pain filled as he looked up at Jon’s shocked face.

“I’m sorry, Capt’n, I wanted to tell you! Didn’t know how to begin…” Trip groaned as pain washed through him and caused him to gasp out loud. His insides were on fire and pained filled his every sense.

Jon’s heart pounded in fear at the thought of losing Trip. He took hold of Trip’s hand and tried to talk to him as much for his own sake as Trip’s. He had trouble saying what he wanted for there was so much more he needed to say.

“I know you tried, I’m sorry for not listening.” Jon could hardly speak as his emotions started to play havoc with his voice.

“I’ll get you back to Enterprise.” Archer tried to reassure Trip hoping that he could save him, ”Just hold on!”

A sudden sense of helplessness washed over Jon as he tried to put pressure on the wound with his hand and the blood flowed through his fingers. He almost sobbed in frustration and pain as he watched his friend’s life slowly seeping out of him. Trip gasped in pain and Jon pulled him closer as if to keep the pain away.

The irony was that it should have been him lying here not Trip. If he had thought Nika was going to shoot Trip, he would have stopped him somehow. Even going so far as to throw himself in front of Trip if that’s what it took. However, no amount of self-recrimination was going to aid Trip now, Jon needed to get him help.

Broetag had taken the weapon away from Nika after having angry words with him, then walked over and stood above Archer and Trip. “I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t mean for this to happen. My men are desperate as you now realize.”

Archer regained his self-control and tried to push away his distress at Trip’s situation. He looked up at Broetag, “I need to get him back to Enterprise! ”

Broetag looked regretful, “I’m sorry Captain, but the damage has already been done. I must now use the Commander’s condition to our advantage. “

Seeing the look of shock on Archer’s face, he added, “You have to understand, if there was any other way I would comply with your request. I don’t wish to harm the Commander, but I must capture the siren or I will have a mutiny on my hands. ”

Archer couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Trip has done nothing to deserve this. What kind of people are you that would watch while another living being bleeds to death!”

All the pain and anguish came to the surface with that statement; all of Archer’s regrets came with it as well, for he knew who was at fault.

What kind of man does nothing while his best friend practically self-destructs before his very eyes.

All these months I wasted, I should have helped him!

If Archer had spent more time with the younger man, this never would have happened. Trip would have told him about the entity, they were that close once.

But not anymore! I failed him, both as a friend and as his Captain!

Jon held back the pain as the realization washed over him, but he needed to get hold of himself for Trip’s sake as well as his own.

I have to do something I can’t let him die.

Broetag noticed Archer’s distress and seemed to give in slightly, ”Let’s get him to our infirmary. You can help him there.”

The cargo captain told one of the larger crewmen to pick up Trip and carry him to their infirmary.

Archer immediately became cold and hostile as the crewman came forward.

“Don’t touch him!” Jon threatened, “I’ll carry him!”

The crewman stepped back, reading the deadly meaning of those harsh words in Archer’s intense green eyes.

Jon carefully picked up Trip who was barely conscious and followed Broetag down the corridor, trying to form a plan as he went to contact Enterprise at his first opportunity. They hadn’t searched either of them so; both he and Trip still had their communicators. There was hope yet that they could escape and save Trip. Archer wasn’t about to lose his best friend without a fight.

TBC

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Three people have made comments

Great to see you have updated but you can't stop there!! Trip shot and bleeding to death, at least Archer has come to his senses and realises what a lousy friend he has been to Trip and why doesn't he ever listen to Malcolm. Pleeeeeeese update soon.Thank you

Wow I didn't see that coming.Please update soon, you can't leave it there. Thanks VP

Thanks for updating, I've been waiting for another installment. This is really getting good