AN:  Trip and T'Pol are tested and failure is not an Option. See if you can guess how they pass the test before you read the ending.

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"You will be all right," said Archer. "We can get along without you for a few days. Not going anywhere hostile. Your sections can handle things. Just enjoy your stay here."

Trip and T'Pol had been assigned to stay on this planet as guests and observers. The aliens on the planet did not have space capabilities but were visited by aliens at times. So they said. They indicated that they would welcome two members of the Enterprise crew to stay a few days. Trip and T'Pol had been selected because the aliens had very sophisticated electronic equipment and systems. Archer wanted to know more about this. His chief engineer and science officer would be perfect for the job.

When the shuttle from Enterprise landed, Trip, T'Pol and Archer stepped out and met the leader of the planet, a pleasant sort who had first greeted them and invited them to visit. Now he promised to take Trip and T'Pol in hand and make their stay comfortable and interesting.

"We will be in touch when we return," Archer said. "I'll send down a shuttle to pick you up. So long"

He walked back to the shuttle and Travis took off for the Enterprise.

"So, how does that Universal Translator of yours work?" the leader asked. "It interests us very much."

"Well, it translates, and it is also a small comm unit. We can contact Enterprise when it is in orbit. Otherwise, once it goes to warp and out of range, it is just a translator," said Trip.

"Oh, when does the Enterprise go to warp - just in case you may need something from it?"

"It has gone to warp now. Captain doesn't waste time," said Trip.

"Then you cannot communicate with him?"

"No, if the shuttle was left behind, we could use its deep space comm to contact the Enterprise but he didn't see any need to leave it," said T'Pol.

"Well, let me show you to where you will be staying while on our planet."

"Thank you," said T'Pol.

They entered a ground car and were driven to a building that looked a bit formidable. They got out and walked into the building.

"Do you share a room or do you want separate rooms?"

"Share," said Trip.

"I don't believe we should," said T'Pol, through the bond.

"It is all right. I doubt if he will say anything to Archer about our sleeping arrangements," said Trip.

"That is good," said the leader. "This way."

They followed him into a corridor. It didn't look too inviting. He stopped in front of a door. He opened it and indicated that they should enter. When they got in, they were confronted by men with phase pistols in their hands.

"What the hell?" said Trip

"Ah, this is the cell you will be sharing until your test."

"Test? What test?" said T'Pol.

"The test to see if you go free or are a meal for our pets. He indicated a screen high up on the wall. It showed an arena and two very dangerous animals.

"They are hungry. If you lose, they will be waiting for you in the arena. Both are incredibly fast, and one has a tail containing a poison that paralyzes, but doesn't kill you. You will be aware as it eats you. That is, until you die. The other has a tongue that does the same. Look."

The screen showed two beings entering the arena, trying to escape but caught immediately. The creatures were extremely fast and the tail and tongue long. It was over in a few seconds and the two beings were being eaten."

"What if we pass this test?" asked Trip.

"You will be free to return to your ship when it arrives."

"If we lose and get eaten, how will you explain that to our captain?" asked T'Pol

"Oh, we have that planned. We were showing you our most famous mountain which has a large lake of molten metal at the top; the metal is heated to a thousand degrees. You two got too close to the edge and fell in. You were consumed immediately; nothing at all was left of you. We even have a place showing where you slid off."

"Why us?" asked T'Pol

"We do this often when we have visitors who we believe will accept our story and not cause trouble."

"But why?" asked T'Pol

"Well, the test will be broadcast planet-wide, and if you lose, your encounter with the beasts will also be broadcast. Many companies are competing to sponsor this. Then there is the betting."

"Betting?" asked Trip.

"Yes.  Betting if you pass the test or not and how long you will be able to evade the animals. Of course the government will take a share of the sponsorship and the betting."

"The government being you," snarled Trip.

"Of course."

"What is this test?" asked Trip

"You will see when you are given it."

"When do we take it?"

"A few days. After all of the betting and the sponsorships have been arranged. That way the government will take in more funds."

"Our captain may be back by then."

"This building is shielded. He will not be able to scan and find you here. We will tell him you have fallen to your deaths. We will offer our grief and he will leave. Then you will take the test."

"But he will be gone. How will we get off the planet?"

The leader looked at him. "I doubt if you will pass the test, so don't worry about it."

"Thanks," said Trip

"Do you two speak the same language?"

T'Pol sent through the bond, "Follow my lead. No that is why we need the translator. I do not speak his language and he does not speak mine. Since we have the translators, we saw no need to learn each other's language."

"Then without the translators you cannot speak to one another?"

"No," said T'Pol.

The leader reached out and took each translator.

"I believe I will separate you two, also. But you can see one another through a window in your adjoining cells."

He motioned for T'Pol to walk ahead of him.

"What are you going to do to her?" said Trip.

"Nothing. Your female is not attractive to us. She is safe. We look forward to the test and the arena."

"Trip, speak words," T'Pol said through the bond. "Don't let them know we can communicate through the bond. That may be a help to us later."

The cell door was locked after T'Pol had left with the leader. Trip looked at each wall and then a window appeared with T'Pol standing in a cell. She was now alone.

"Talk about anything I am not supposed to understand," T'Pol said through the bond. "I will do the same. Don't let a long time pass they will get suspicious."

Trip sat on the narrow bed and started to talk:  "I wonder when they will feed us. You know I should have learned your language while I had the chance. If we pass this test and get back on Enterprise I sure am going to."

"I don't trust this guy," Trip said through the bond. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't either," said T'Pol. "I am reciting Surak. They will be listening to us with the translators. Keep talking."

Trip walked to the cell door, banged on it and said loudly, "What about toilet facilities?

A voice came on. "You will see a small room in the corner. In it you will find your kind of toilet. We asked your captain about it, and he told us what you would require."

"Better tell her too."

Time passed slowly for Trip. He talked about many things that he knew would be translated:  the engines and his room that he was sure he would see again as soon as they passed the test. This went on for hours. Then Trip lay on the cot and was silent, with his eyes closed as if asleep.

"T'Pol, I think this guy isn't going to let us go even if we do pass his damned test. I believe we are going to be dinner for a couple animals."

"I agree, but we will have to wait and see. He might be sincere."

"Fat chance of that. He stands to make money off us, and he won't pass that up."

"I know, but what else can we do?"

"Nothing, I guess. I wonder when it's meal time."

There was no meal served.

Trip banged on the door again. "Hey, how about something to eat or drink," he said.

"Silence. You do not need food or fluid."

"Oh yeah? I hate missing a meal and I need a lot of fluids too."

No answer.

Finally an announcement. It is time for you to rest or sleep as you call it. The light will be turned off in ten minutes. It is suggested that you be ready and in your bed by then or you will be punished."

"Okay, no need to get nasty about it," said Trip.

That night Trip and T'Pol talked for hours through the bond, trying to guess what kind of test they would have to take. Finally, T'Pol said:  "Get some sleep. You may need to be rested for the test."

In the morning Trip banged on the door again.

"If you do that once more, you will be punished. You may even assure that you and your companion will be fed to the animals without the test."

"Just wondering about breakfast," Trip said.

Again silence.

About noon, by Trip's estimate, the leader's voice came through the speakers.

"Tomorrow you will be tested. Be ready."

For the rest of the day, Trip paced and spoke to T'Pol about his days before he boarded Enterprise. She said nothing, but he knew through the bond that she was still reciting Surak.

Night came again. They had not been fed for two days and Trip was getting a little parched. The announcement to get into the cot was welcome as Trip had worn a path on the floor and was tired.

"Trip," said T'Pol through the bond. "You must sleep the whole night. Do not speak through the bond tonight. I will sleep too."

The next morning the leader brought T'Pol into Trip's cell.

"How do you greet each other or say goodbye," he asked.

"We kiss," said T'Pol aloud. "That way we can get close together once more so I can say a proper goodbye to you," she said through the bond.

"How do you do that?"

Trip moved to T'Pol and kissed her. "That way."

"Good, excellent. It will fit the test perfectly."

"Where is the test going to take place and when?" asked T'Pol.

"In a building next to the arena in a half hour. We will leave now. I will have to explain the test to you."

They were put into a ground car and driven to a building. Next to it, they could see what looked like a large arena. They entered the building. In it was a group of men and women. It was a large room with raised squares about three inches high.

"You will stand on one of these squares, Commander Tucker. The other males will stand on the rest. You, Commander T'Pol, will have to locate him.

T'Pol looked at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Are you two telepathic?" asked the leader.

"No," said T'Pol.

"You wouldn't tell me if you were," said the leader.

"He signaled to a man standing nearby. The man held what looked like two squat baskets in his hands. The leader took them.

"You both will have these on your heads. You will not be able to see or hear, and if you are telepathic, the baskets have electronics that will prevent you from telepathically contacting each other."

"There goes the bond", said Trip silently to T'Pol.

"Commander T'Pol, you cannot touch any male. If you do, you must step on his square and kiss him. If it is not Commander Tucker, you lose the test. You may touch the square but not the person on it, unless you finish the test. You also will have restraints on your hands." Two men walked up and put magnetic restraints on Trip and T'Pol.

"You will have five of our minutes to find him," he said to T'Pol. "I will put a basket on his head. Once I put the basket on your head, he will be placed somewhere in this room on a square. You must find him and kiss him so he knows that you have found him in time. If you do, you will have passed the test. If you kiss the wrong male, one of our females will kiss him. Their lips will be covered with a solution which will knock you out. When you wake you will have been prepared for the arena."

"If she finds me in time?  What then?" asked Trip.

"Oh, you will go free, but I doubt that she will find you. She will be turned around so she will not know exactly where on the grid she is. It will take her a while to get orientated; by then, it will be too late to find you in time."

He placed a basket on Trip's head and then on T'Pol's

Trip felt himself lifted in the air, turned around a few times and then put down on a square. He tried to keep track of the time so he would know if they had lost, and he could prepare himself mentally. He waited and then he felt a familiar pair of lips on his. He leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers. She evidently stepped back. Then he felt a tingling.

Transporter!

Trip felt himself pulled off the transporter platform and the basket jerked from his head. He knew the Enterprise went into warp drive just then. He looked around and saw T'Pol standing a few feet away. The basket had been taken off her head, too. Archer was standing there. Malcolm and one of his security people were holding the baskets.

Malcolm yelled, "YIIIIII."

"You hurt Malcolm?" asked Archer.

"No, just surprised." He looked at Trip. "If you had that basket on your head when that thing happened I believe your brain would have been fried."

"Good thing we are in warp. I am not sure if they had transporter technology, but I guess they really don't need it."

Trip turned around. "Malcolm can you take these restraints off us?"

"Sure they are just common magnetic restraints."

"What is the ship's time?" asked Trip.

"Morning," said Archer.

"I could use some breakfast and a lot of coffee. Haven't had anything to eat or drink for days."

"What was going on down there? Hoshi picked up some transmissions a few days ago about a test, and then some nasty looking animals, and lastly two people being eaten. She said we should get a day or so closer as she wanted to learn more about this. Then she was sure you were in trouble, so we headed for the planet. The last broadcasts said you were going to be tested and when you failed the test, you were going to be fed to the animals. We hit the warp drive as fast as it would go and got here just in time, it seems."

"Not sure about hat. T'Pol passed the test, so we might have gone free. But I really sort of doubt it," said Trip.

"Malcolm, can you get whatever you need to take off the restraints and meet us in the dining hall?" said Archer.

"Malcolm, can you give those baskets to my people in the science department?" T'Pol said. "Ask them to take one apart carefully to see what they can learn about it?"

"Will do," said Malcolm.

As they all made their way to the dining hall, Malcolm caught up with them and took off the restraints. Trip drew a cup of coffee for himself and a cup of tea for T'Pol. He returned to the table. "Do you want me to get you some broth?" he asked T'Pol.

"No, I will get it myself," she answered.

They went to the line. Trip loaded up on pancakes, eggs and link sausages. T'Pol picked up a bowl of broth. They returned to the table and sat down. Archer sat down a few minutes later with a cup of coffee; Malcolm sat down too.

Trip ate with gusto. He suddenly got a warning wave from T'Pol. He slowed down, chewing  and swallowing rather than gulping down his food.

"That woman is going to housebreak me yet," he thought.

"Exactly," T'Pol said through the bond.

Trip finally finished and sat back with a sigh. "That was wonderful. I was starved. I haven't eaten in three days."

"Okay," said Archer. "Explain.  What was this test and what would have happened if you'd failed? I know what Hoshi thought she heard, but I want to hear it from you."

"The test was that T'Pol had to find me among a whole gang of other males and then kiss me to prove that she had chosen right. If we failed the test, we would have been given to the animals for their dinner. When I felt the kiss, I knew it was her."

Malcolm sniggered and asked, "How did you recognize it was her kissing you?"

"Because if it wasn't, I would have been kissed by some other female who would have something smeared on her lips that would have knocked me out, and when I woke up I would be prepared to be put in the arena with the animals. T'Pol, too."

"OH," said Malcolm.

I'm going to get Malcolm for that, thought Trip.

"All right then, did you just fail the test when we transported you aboard?"

"No, we passed. T'Pol found me and kissed me before the time was up. I still wonder how she did it because we couldn't see or hear because of the basket. Even if we'd been connected telepathically, that basket would have prevented us from contacting each other."

Archer turned to T'Pol. "How did you find him, then?"

"It was easy," T'Pol answered.

"Easy?" said Trip.

"Yes, first I had to determine where I was on the grid, and then I just ran up and down the aisle until I came to you," said T'Pol.

"That doesn't answer my question," said Archer.

"Mine either," said Trip.

"It was easy. I found Trip by his scent."

"His scent?" said Archer.

"Yes, the odor of the men on that planet was very offensive, and I had not used my nasal inhibitor for two days. The leader had taken it away because he thought it might be a weapon. I just ran until I found a human odor and I knew I had found him."

Trip began to giggle and then laughed loudly, banging his hand on the table.

"What is so funny, Commander," said T'Pol.

"There is something to be said for being a smelly Human male."

 

Finis

 

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