Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: Escape Plan Beta

Author: Taryn Eve

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Rating: PG

Category: Gen

Summary: "I have fleas. This isn't what I had in mind when the Captain asked if I wanted to go on a first contact mission." Reed & Sato are hostages of an alien in a cave.

Spoilers: Broken Bow, Shuttlepod One, Silent Enemy

Comments: Dedicated to Dr. Daniel Jackson, SG-1 (tongue in cheeck, of course).

Archived to Reed's Armory on 10/15/2003.

Reed looked across the campfire at his host, a dark-haired humanoid named Kaven. The alien smiled expectantly in return, his hand resting lightly on his new phase pistol. The tactical officer smiled and raised the bowl in his hands in salute.

Hoshi Sato nudged him in the ribs. "Eat it," she whispered fiercely.

Reed never lost his smile as he whispered back, "It's still alive."

Sato said something Reed couldn't understand. Kaven looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled.

"What did you say?" Reed asked.

Sato stuck her fingers in her own bowl of squirming soup. "I told him it reminded you of a Klingon delicacy. Not that he's heard of Klingons. Now, as my grandmother was fond of saying, shut up and eat it."

She took up a protesting chunk, then flicked it against Reed's lips. He sighed, opened his mouth, and accepted the morsel. Sato withdrew her fingers.

Reed swallowed and said, "Not bad, really. Think he'd give us a doggie bag?"

Sato wiped her fingers on her pants and smiled. "I can't see Chef making this the soup du jour. You know, when Captain Archer called your parents before your birthday, they said you used to eat anything set in front of you."

"And no doubt my sister told you about my hunger strike," Reed said dryly. He smiled, then returned his attention to his bowl. Kaven, assured that his guests weren't going to avoid the meal, picked up his own bowl.

Sato ate a bite, then said, "You know, this place is a lot like Earth."

Reed gingerly fished out another chunk of soup, then asked, "How so?"

Sato looked over at Kaven, who was dressed in animal skins and wearing a hat made from woven straw.

She said, "Well, back home there are more than a few people who don't embrace a technological lifestyle. They live as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. I find it interesting that Kaven stayed in his world's version of the Old World, while his brother is the chief of information for the other continent."

Reed stared into his empty bowl. "Yes, just as I find it interesting that the language of superior firepower is spoken everywhere."

Sato said stiffly, "I'm sorry I didn't see this coming, Lieutenant. I wish I'd known that Larvet was going to kidnap us and hide us in his ancestral cave."

Reed said darkly, "I don't think this is the first time Larvet has pulled this stunt. Did you notice our host's wall hanging? I daresay that's a Vulcan design."

Sato sighed. "I imagine Subcommander T'Pol is writing 'I told them so' in her personal log. Sometimes I think Captain Archer ignores her advice just to be contrary."

Reed set his bowl down. "I suspect T'Pol is doing her best to track us down via the sensors and beam us the hell out of here. Look, Hoshi, don't dwell on the things you couldn't control in this situation. We must remain calm and alert. I have no doubt the Captain is negotiating for our release at this very second."

The comm officer gave him a doubtful glance. "You mean you don't have an escape plan yet?"

Reed gave her a pained look. "I'm working on it. In the meantime, eat everything our friend offers you and try to rest. You're going to need your strength in case we have to run for it."

Sato stared into her soup bowl. "In other words, shut up and eat it. Aye, sir."

Reed patted her back.

He awoke with a start. The fire had burned itself down, but there was still enough moonlight to see Kaven standing watch at the mouth of the cave.

"What is it?" Sato asked, sitting up next to him. She yawned heavily.

Reed fingered the blanket that had been thrown over them. "I should be keeping watch for the two of us. I think something in that soup knocked me out, though."

Sato asked sleepily, "Have you figured out that escape plan, yet?"

Reed eased himself out of the blanket, then said, "I suspect the caves must be shielding our biosigns somehow. We might have a chance if we escape outside into the jungle. Enterprise might just be able to pick us up on the sensors."

Sato rolled over and said, "Or we might get strangled by some of those huge snakes Kaven killed for our breakfast tomorrow."

Reed draped the blanket over her. "And they call me the Grim Reaper. Go back to sleep. I'm going to figure out how comfortable our host is with that phase pistol his brother tossed him."

Sato rolled over again. "Last time I woke up, he was polishing something, almost obsessively. I think it was the phase pistol. I think he likes it as much as you like yours."

Reed said bitingly, "That probably is my phase pistol."

Sato looked up and smiled at him. "Then nothing can stop you from reuniting with it, right? No one can part you from your true love for very long."

He tugged on his hair. "Right. God, I want a shower. That blanket has fleas. I have fleas. This isn't what I had in mind when the Captain asked if I wanted to go on a first contact mission."

Sato laughed.

Kaven, attracted by the sound, walked over, clutching his new weapon. He relaxed at the sight of Sato smiling up at him.

He pulled out a pouch from his clothes, and offered it to Sato. She looked up at Reed, who nodded fractionally. She said her thanks in Kaven's language, then opened the pouch.

"What's in it?" Reed asked cautiously.

Sato smiled once again. "Beads. Oh, they smell good."

Kaven made a complicated gesture and pointed at Sato's hair. She blinked, then shrugged and put a few of the beads in her hair. She stood up and shook hands with Kaven, then motioned to a puzzled Reed to do the same.

The tall alien grinned widely and said something to Sato.

"Oh my," she said faintly.

Reed said, "What? What is it?"

Sato shook her head. The beads clicked quietly.

She said, "Uh, you need to work harder on that escape plan. He wants to marry me tomorrow night. I have the gift of laughter."

Reed rolled his eyes. "Well, he should thank his lucky stars that his brother didn't bring him our Sub-commander T'Pol instead of you. She wouldn't be keeping him in stitches."

"Malcolm," Sato said sharply. "Get us out of here."

Reed began rolling up his sleeves. "What about those snakes?"

Sato eyed her admirer. Kaven took off one of his animal skins and offered it to her. She sighed, thanked him, and took the skunk-colored skin reluctantly.

Reed stretched his arms. Kaven couldn't take his eyes off Sato as she draped the skin over her shoulder.

Reed said quietly, "I need you to distract him. Tell him about long engagements or something. I want to take a look outside of the cave."

Sato nodded, but her look was full of self-doubt.

Reed eased away from them step by step.

"Be enchanting," he said, keeping a watchful eye on Kaven.

The alien man ignored him completely as Sato sank down onto the blanket once again. She patted the ground opposite her, and Kaven walked over to her.

Sato began speaking in a soft voice, as Reed slipped outside.

He stared at the dense foliage and repressed a groan. They wouldn't get through that mess without leaving tracks a blind elephant could follow. He knelt to the ground, and studied the animal tracks littering the dirt in the strong moonlight. He concluded that he couldn't get his crewmate away from the cave at night. He berated himself for wasting time struggling with his bonds on the flight over from the other continent. He should have paid better attention to the terrain. He needed another escape plan.

He looked up at the night sky. He could see a number of stars, and in the foreground, some satellites. He shrugged. No doubt Enterprise was scanning for them on the continent from which they'd been kidnapped.

He didn't understand the political situation on this planet. Kaven's brother didn't want to expose his people to outsiders like the Enterprise crew, but still wanted all of the advantages the humans had to offer. Larvet hoped to trade his Enterprise hostages for information on advanced warp technology and a shuttlepod. T'Pol had counseled Captain Archer to avoid this place.

Reed shrugged. Captain Archer wanted to freely explore as many worlds as possible, without the shadows of the past holding him back. Sometimes, that meant the humans would fall flat as they tried to learn how to fly.

He only hoped these flying lessons wouldn't come at the expense of his life, or Hoshi's.

He picked up a few rocks and slipped them into his uniform, then slipped back into the cave.

Kaven waved his hands in the air in front of his face, smiling. He pointed at the beads in Sato's hair and then at Reed.

"Um, no thank you," Reed said primly.

He sat down a short distance from his Sato, who shook her head.

"Actually, the beads are an insect repellent. Something about the scent mixed in the clay repels the local fleas."

Reed ran his hands through his short hair and smiled. "Ask if I can make a necklace, and if I could have a bit of string or cord. Actually, I want to make necklaces for all three of us. Tell him it's a human wedding ritual."

Sato smiled and relayed the request. Kaven grunted his assent, and walked off to search his packs.

The comm officer asked in a whisper, "What are you up to?"

Reed shifted the rocks in his shirt, then took off his jacket. "I'm revisiting the ancient traditions of Earth, Hoshi. I always liked the story of David. I'm making a sling."

Sato looked at him warily. "There is no way in hell I'm giving you any of my clothing, Malcolm Reed."

Reed laughed before he could stop himself. "I won't confiscate your bra, Ensign."

Kaven returned, and offered several lengths of twine to Reed. He stared at Hoshi's red face, then shrugged and sat down next to Sato.

The tactical officer said, "Thank you. You're a kind host and I wish your brother Larvet wasn't such a rotten person."

Kaven caught his brother's name and looked at Sato questioningly.

Sato sighed and said, "I hope you don't have to kill him, Malcolm."

Reed shook his head. "I'm not going to kill him. I'm going to give him a headache, though. We've got to put enough distance between us and this cave so that Enterprise can detect us."

Sato took out her pouch of beads and handed it to Reed. He examined the beads, then spread them out on the ground. He selected one of the bits of twine, then sighed dramatically. Kaven looked at him, puzzled.

Reed asked dryly, "I wonder if he'd conveniently go away again? I want to take off my undershirt and my native modesty prevents me from undressing in front of you two."

Sato rolled her eyes.

Reed grinned, then said, "Oh, all right. I have a streak of shamelessness in me a mile wide, but I think Kaven's bright enough to put two and two together if he sees me make the sling. I heard water dripping last night. Ask for a bath."

Sato wrinkled her nose. "You're the one with fleas."

Reed looked up at her and scowled. "My fleas and I outrank you. Go."

Sato sighed. "The things I do for Starfleet. Kaven, dagalla?"

The muscular alien eyes glazed at Sato's request. He paused to stare at Reed sternly.

Reed held up his hands. "I'm staying right here. Where would I go? I don't like snakes as much as the next fellow."

Sato bit her lip and said, "Look, Malcolm, if it comes down to it, and only one of us can go, run for it. I'm pretty sure Kaven won't hurt me."

Reed sighed. "You're too noble, Hoshi."

Sato looked at him, surprised. "You mean you'd actually leave me behind?"

Reed flushed and picked up a few beads. "No, absolutely not."

Sato shook her head, and followed Kaven down a passage in the cave.

Reed said under his breath, "Even though it makes sense to run for help and bring back reinforcements to rescue you."

Sato's voice said loudly, "I heard that."

Reed dumped the beads and laughed at the absurdity of their situation. Trapped by a caveman!

He ripped off a wide strip of cloth from his undershirt, then hurried to fasten the twine to it to fashion a rough sling.

He said mildly, "It's not a phase pistol, but it will do."

He stood, picked up his rocks, and crouched by the wall.

The sounds of leaves and sticks cracking outside made him look up. Larvet entered, holding a phase pistol. Reed realized the other man couldn't see in the darkness of the cave. He quickly brought his makeshift weapon to bear, and the rocks hit Larvet solidly in the torso.

The big alien groaned and fell over. Reed scrambled for his phase pistol as Larvet writhed in pain.

Sato and Kaven entered, at a run. They stopped short at the sight of Larvet.

Reed said intently, "Back away from Kaven, Hoshi."

He raised the phase pistol and trained it on Kaven. The dark-haired man ignored him and walked over to his injured brother.

"Larvet? Larvet gemalla?"

Larvet didn't answer. He panted from the pain in his chest.

Kaven sighed. "You are a fool, brother."

Sato gasped. "You speak English?"

Kaven smiled broadly. "Larvet brought me one of your universal translators when he delivered you here. I worked with it while you slept last night. Yours is a hearty language. You humans have a lot of potential. You have the gifts of laughter and language."

Sato and Reed exchanged confused looks.

Kaven patted his brother's cheek playfully. "You only want their technology." He looked at Reed and Sato apologetically. "I am sorry. I did ask my brother to bring you to me for safekeeping when I learned of his plans. I'm a professor of anthropology at Capital City's University. I only had to look at you on the Ministry of Information viewscreen and I knew that you had once lived as my people did. I wanted to do a bit of field study before my brother's plot undoubtedly failed. He tried this once with a Vulcan woman a few years ago. She never smiled once."

Sato took off the animal skin from her shoulder. "So you aren't really a caveman?"

Kaven sighed. "The last of my people were removed from these caves when Larvet and I were very small. I still want to teach our children the old ways. Larvet disagrees, but he still comes to me for help with his troubles. Our culture may have changed, but we will always be brothers."

Reed waved the phase pistol at him. "If you don't mind, we'll be on our way."

Kaven stood up and walked over to Sato. He took her hand and kissed it.

Sato smiled up at him and said, "So you weren't really going to marry me?"

Kaven laughed. "Would you like to stay and find out?"

Sato slipped her hand out of his grasp. Kaven laughed ruefully.

Reed nodded at him, then retreated out of the cave with Sato.

They walked down the incline a distance. Reed scanned the terrain, looking for other threats.

Sato took a step away from him. "There's Larvet's shuttle. I'll take a look at its comm system and ask Enterprise to beam us out of here."

Reed nodded.

A short time later, they sat together in the decontamination chamber.

Sato looked at him. "How does it feel to be free of fleas?"

Reed opened his eyes. "I suppose it feels a lot like being single. Are you going to keep those beads in your hair?"

Sato slipped two beads out of her hair and handed it to him. "I'm going to make that necklace after all. It will be a reminder that you were heroic, even though Kaven wouldn't have let his brother hurt us."

Reed laughed. "Here's to wild anthropologists everywhere. I hope we don't run into any others. I'm out of escape plans for the moment."

Sato laughed, and they settled back into the relaxing warmth once again.

~the end~