A Fine Mess- Ch. 4

A Fine Mess

By Chianna

PG - Action/Adventure/Romance
Disclaimers in part one

Chapter 4

Time & A Plan

There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full. - Henry Kissinger

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They had all gathered in the Captain’s ready room, Archer, T’Pol, Tucker and Reed.

Archer barely nodded at his exec officer. T’Pol did not miss her cue, launching into a succinct review of Lt. Reed’s and her own conclusions. "The Lieutenant and I have reviewed the data from the San’jeen. The attack itself could only have three objectives: destruction, acquisition or delay. Since the unidentified ships broke off before destroying the San’Jeen and no attempt was put forth to board her, we must assume, given the current data, that delay was their ultimate motive."

Malcolm pressed a button on the display and specs for one of the marauders flashed on the screen in front of the team. "Though the scans lack detail, we can extrapolate some rudimentary information on this ships armament and defensive capabilities."

"They seem not to be as technologically advanced as the Vulcan ship. But what they lack in sophistication, they more than make up for in fire power."

"You’re not kidding. Looks like almost a full third of that ship houses their weapons and related systems. Floating armories if you ask me," piped the chief engineer.

Malcolm’s face grew grave as it often did when discussing Enterprise’s weapon’s systems. "And speaking of weapons, we are having some problems with power fluctuations to the phase cannons. We repeatedly ran tests over the last twenty-four hours. Two of the test results are suspect but inconclusive as to the origin."

The Commander drew up straighter in his chair, concern etched on his face. Before Tucker could start to grill Malcolm on what the delay was in informing him, Malcolm beat him to the punch.

"The first problem yesterday was barely even a ghost on the system’s sensors. We ran three more tests yesterday and five more today. Only the last two completed just prior to this meeting recreated the power drain." Malcolm turned and addressed his next comment to the Chief Engineer. "I didn’t want to escalate the problem until I could confirm it. The Engineering team has had their hands full with other repairs." Tucker sat back a bit in his chair and nodded toward Malcolm. Reed knew how the Commander took all system’s performance personally and was relieved to see the Engineer relax a bit. Unquestionably, he felt the same about the ships weapons and knew how he would feel if his teams performance was put in question.

"Guess weapons just moved ‘ta the head o’ the line Captain, if it’s fine with you?" posed Tucker.

"Took the works right out of my mouth, Trip. We will meet with the San’Jeen and help if we can, or rather if they will let us." Archer had lost a little of the bitterness that he had in talking about Vulcan’s in previous months. He just knew he had to be realistic. He could offer their top engineer’s services and the ship’s resources. But there were only two likely outcomes. Either, the Vulcans would refuse their help on the grounds that their technology was restricted to humans or point out that the human’s "inferior" knowledge would be of little help.

Well, he wasn’t in the space business to stroke his ego. Every interaction with the Vulcans seemed to reinforce that point, mused the Captain.

"We’ll make one more communication with the San’Jeen. Scrambled, of course. Then, I want to have radio silence after that. Let’s not draw any unwanted attention to the rendezvous. If we end up following through on the San’Jeen’s operation, I’d like to approach the planet without anyone associating us with the Vulcan’s or their mission."

"T’Pol, I want you to analyze the data Lt. Reed has gathered on our phantom power drain. See if you can pin down the source. Trip, run system diagnostics. We need to nail this down, pronto. Dismissed"

The team filed out of the meeting. Tucker always acted the southern gentleman, but as he stepped aside to let T’Pol exit before him, he had an ulterior motive.

"Looks like the Captain doesn’t expect that your pals on the San’Jeen ‘ta be int’rested in our engineering expertise?"

T’Pol wondered at the human need to vocalize questions for which they already had determined the answer. They referred to it as "rhetorical," but in her opinion, should more accurately be termed "pointless." Her eyes narrowed slightly. Knowing humans as she was beginning to, this discussion was likely to lead in a direction that was unrelated to its origin.

"There are protocols for interaction with humans when dealing with our more advanced technologies that any Vulcan captain could not ignore."

"Hell, T’Pol, I know that only too well. Actually I’m kind’a impressed that the captain of the San’Jeen contacted us at all." T’Pol fixed him with an assessing gaze.

Why’s she looking at me that way, Tucker thought? Wonder if she thinks I’m setting her up?

"I mean it. But you know it’s frustrating to us to be treated like kids that need to be sent to their room before the party starts. It’s just that Captain Storek managed to have a conversation with the Captain without your people’s annoy’n habit of put’n us in our place."

"Is there a point to this conversation?"

Tucker, in any interaction with T’Pol, seemed to have an uncanny knack for putting his foot in his mouth. He’d meant to compliment the captain of the San’Jeen, not insult her entire race.

"I guess not. I just wanted you to know that if I was needed, I’d be glad to help – I’d do it anyway but I just..." Trip’s words just tapered off. He looked at her, shrugged and turned down the corridor that led to engineering. Well that went well, Trip. Maybe you should try the Universal translator next time, he contemplated without much enthusiasm.

T’Pol’s eyes followed the Commander as he walked down the passageway. Of all the humans she had dealt with on the Enterprise, the mercurial Chief Engineer was the most illusive for her to understand. As humans would put it, Mr. Tucker often seemed to "wear his heart on his sleeve." Not a particularly attractive picture that thought bought to mind. How do human’s come up with these phrases?

In the next moment the Commander could also show an almost Vulcan single- mindedness to solving an engineering problem. He was, without question, good at what he did. He exemplified humanities’ amazing knack for adaptability. Maybe Vulcan’s discount humankind’s rapid assimilation and development of new technologies because their progress seems so unlikely for a race so unlike themselves in regard to logic and discipline. They are determined to "catch up," as the human’s would put it. What would Vulcan’s do when humans were unquestionably their equals, at least in terms of technology?

What indeed?

T’Pol put her ruminations on human nature and the Commander’s, for that matter, aside and proceeded to her station to review the weapon’s test logs.

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Continued in Chapter 5
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