Echo

Chapter 26: Locksmith

Author's Notes: I intended to update earlier, but I'm a slacker. Enjoy!

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Echo

The events of today raised plenty of important questions that had to be addressed, but the most prudent of inquiries related specifically to the predicament you, the captain, Uhura, and Spock were in at present. How the hell were you going to get out of this?

The hostile inhabitants of Xanthos had jumped you on the border of their territory during a patrol, and you were presently being held in the back of a rolling cage, your hands bound in front of you by cuffs and your eyes covered with blindfolds that obstructed your vision and covered your ears. You were not gagged, but there was no point in talking anyways lest they stick you with one of their formidable weapons, which resembled cattle prods. Besides, you had all been put onto the wagon at the same time, you knew the others were present.

Your bodies rocked back and forth as the wheels of your transport rolled over rocks. You could feel Nyota beside you as the two of you rolled against each other each time it moved underneath you. Fighting had been impossible, because none of you had heard them approach, a highly embarrassing factor of your capture since you were technically an ex-spy. Still, the extraterrestrial monsters had webbed toes that gripped the rocks with no noise.

Their language sounded like clicking to you, but Uhura seemed to understand them, and was the only person capable of communicating. She had whispered to the group of you before you were shunted onto the cart that they were taking you to the leader of the tribe for judgment.

Apparently the planet had been discovered before Kirk ever been there, and all visitors were supposed to tread extremely carefully considering that the aliens were known for being suspicious and violent. You had all done your best to be discreet, but apparently that wasn't enough to evade capture.

Despite the horrible metallic taste in your mouth, you didn't dare spit out the key that you had managed to swipe from one of the guards before he cuffed you. You had a feeling that even if it wasn't a match for the bindings that held your wrists together, you could maneuver it to get them open anyways. You were fairly decent at picking locks, and you got the feeling that this society was not advanced enough to have electronically operated doors.

After a further ten minutes, the container lurched to a halt, and the gate was wrenched open. Since you were closest to the entrance, they dragged you out first, their damp fingers digging into your upper arms, and set you roughly on the ground. You bent your knees before impact so that you wouldn't topple over, and the others did the same because you didn't hear them fall to the ground. After all four of you were out, you were pushed forward, made to walk a while, and then finally forcefully made to stop in your tracks.

At that, your blindfolds were removed, and you blinked blearily in the sunlight as your captors finally came into view.

Upon a podium sat a lean member of the alien race, like the others, whose only distinguishing royal feature was a spear that he held with a rough pointed stone protruding from the top of it. He had feelers on his face, like the others, that resembled what you would call a beard, and his reptilian eyes were green with slit-shaped pupils.

The forum was located outside, and when you looked around you noticed that their residences were mostly composed of one-tiered huts. The other members of the population were nowhere in sight, probably told to stay in their homes, but they had likely caught glimpses of you as you passed.

The skin of the Xanthosians was frog-like in texture, but very smooth and even looking with no darkened spots. None of the ones you could see appeared to be female, but it was hard to tell since this was your first time seeing them. You tried not to look afraid, but probably failed.