The Good That Men Do - Andy Mangels [43]
“Maybe I should ask Harris to consider asking Hoshi to go instead,” Trip said wryly.
Archer raised a placating hand. “I’m not trying to shoot you down, Trip. But there’s a lot to consider here. For one thing, no Coalition ship is likely to be within range of the most powerful transmitter you could carry while you’re in Romulan space.”
Trip nodded. “I admit, I may have to improvise. Commandeer some of their equipment. Live off the land a bit.”
“More than a bit, Trip. And have you really considered the danger? The Romulans can probably detect and destroy any ship you bring into their space fairly easily. And I assume they’re security-minded enough to make it pretty difficult for you to ‘live off the land.’ I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to just pop in and out of Romulan space at will, or smuggle secret communiques to us when you can’t raise us over the subspace bands. So what’s the real advantage, given all the downside? And how are you even going to do it?”
“Harris plans on putting me under deep cover. From the sound of it, it’ll involve some surgical alterations, to make me look like a Romulan.”
That raised another point that Archer hadn’t even considered. “Do they know what the Romulans look like?”
Trip shrugged. “Harris says they don’t. But they have connections with people who do. People who supposedly can make me look enough like one of them to pass.”
“Well, at least we know they’re humanoid,” Archer said, half under his breath. He’d often wondered how a race that was so feared throughout the known galaxy could have remained so secretive. But as he had learned over the four years he’d commanded Enterprise, every race- every society- had its secrets, at least to some degree. Like the Coridanites, who for some reason had never allowed outworlders to see the unmasked faces of their diplomats, and guarded their high-warp technological secrets jealously, even from their interstellar allies and trading partners.
“I’ll be working alongside one of their most experienced operatives.” Trip said. “Our job will be to infiltrate their new stardrive project and sabotage it. They need someone with engineering experience to pull this off. That’s why they can’t use Malcolm.”
“And what about the telepathically piloted drone ships, and the Aenar, and the possible assault on Coridan? You’re going to stop those, too?”
Trip rolled his eyes, and breathed out heavily through his nose. “No, sir. It looks like those jobs will be up to you.”
Archer snorted. “So this secret intelligence group thinks that I’ll just do their bidding as well? We’re not a defensive first-strike vessel, no matter how many MACOs or new weapons we’ve taken on since the Xindi attack.”
“I really don’t think it has anything to do with what Harris or his group wants, Captain,” Trip said, leaning forward. “You’re already on the trail of the Orions. If this is all real- which I believe it is, and I think you do as well- you know that events are going to pull you in. And one way or another, you’re gonna make sure that the Romulans don’t get their way.”
Archer spread his hands wide and looked toward the ceiling, as if appealing to a higher power. A tremendous weight seemed to settle squarely upon his shoulders. “’Events are going to pull me in.’ Nice way to say either that I’m predictable, or that I’m easily manipulated by outside forces.”
“That’s not what I meant, sir.” Trip sighed and shook his head. “I’m just not saying it quite right.”
Archer rose and walked to the viewport and gazed out at the distorted, warp field-streaked stars. At times like this, I sure could use a sunrise at breakfast time, he thought. Finally, he turned back toward Trip, who had remained seated, looking up at him with a mixture of trepidation and resolve in his eyes.
“You said it right enough, Trip. I don’t trust this Harris, but I’ve done a little digging, and I know his organization is real, and it is sanctioned by Starfleet, even if only the upper brass seems to know anything about it. And the conclusions we’re all reaching on this ship seem to support the idea that