Star Trek Enterprise - 11 - The Good That Men Do by Star Trek

Author:Star Trek
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780743440011
Publisher: Star Trek
Published: 2007-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

Instead of taking them straight to Doctor Ehrehin, as Trip had hoped, Ch’uihv and his men led them into a comfortably appointed sitting room or waiting room, where yet another Romulan—a youngish-looking female this time, also clad in paramilitary garb, and looking every bit as dangerous as any of the men—brought them refreshments before leaving them alone together in the room.

Trip and Phuong sat at a small, round table, both of them eyeing the tray of exotic-looking fruits, meats, and breads that the woman had left for them.

Phuong immediately grabbed a plate and some silverware. He heaped some food on a plate and started to eat.

“Hey!” Trip said. “You sure that’s safe?”

Phuong paused for a moment, then spoke around a mouthful of food. “You think they’d bother poisoning us? If they really wanted us dead, I think they’d just shoot us.”

Trip had to admit that Phuong had a point. Besides, he couldn’t deny the insistent growling of his own stomach, and he quickly began digging into the food before him with gusto, though he studied the tall, clear carafe that accompanied it with some suspicion. It contained an intensely blue liquid that reminded him uncomfortably of something called a Blue Hawaii, an alcoholic beverage with which he’d once had an unfortunate experience back on Earth many years ago.

Phuong noticed Trip’s discomfiture immediately. “It’s called Romulan ale. It’s got quite a kick, but I can guarantee that it’s nonlethal.”

Trip shrugged, then began filling a pair of squared-off drinking glasses with the sapphire-hued fluid. “If you say so.” He handed one of the glasses to Phuong, then took a single cautious sip of his own before deciding that he liked a smooth Kentucky bourbon a lot better.

“Something’s bothering you,” Phuong said, setting his cutlery down momentarily.

Trip nodded. “I’m not sure it’s safe to talk about it here, though.”

“The electronics woven into our clothing would have let us know if there were any bugging devices trained on us now. Go ahead and speak freely.”

Trip looked furtively about the room for a moment, as though he expected to see a hidden microphone embedded in a wall, or a chair, or perhaps even in the food. Feeling foolish, he forced himself to focus all his attention back upon Phuong.

“It’s about our host,” Trip said quietly. “This Ch’uihv character. He’s not who he seems to be.”

Phuong chuckled and appeared almost to aspirate a swallow of his Romulan ale. “In case you haven’t noticed, neither are we.”

Trip felt his irritation beginning to rise. “From the moment I first laid eyes on him, I knew I’d met him before. It was over three years ago, during one of the civil conflicts on Coridan Prime. His name was Sopek back then, and he was the captain of a Vulcan military ship.”

Phuong blanched. “You’re saying you think he’s some sort of Vulcan-Romulan double agent?”

“Looks that way to me. Anyhow, I don’t trust him. There’s no knowing whose side he’s really on.”

“There’s no way to really know that about anybody, especially in this business,” Phuong said.

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