Small Steps

Small Steps

By kittytrypsin

Rating: G, General, Action/Adventure
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No money was made

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Chapter One

Captain Jonathon Archer tried very hard, but not entirely successfully, to stifle a laugh at the expense of his Chief Engineer, Charles "Trip" Tucker III. Trip had just returned from an away mission in shuttlepod one, in the company of Sub-Commander T'Pol. They were totally professional, but poles apart in temperament. T'Pol was Vulcan, totally emotionless, clipped efficiency personified. Trip was a southerner, all charm, drawl and winning smile, except when it came to the Sub-Commander! They tolerated each other, but as far as friendship was concerned, Archer couldn't see that ever developing.

"I tol' her I was taking pictures of the planet for your records, but would she wait? Oh no, miss high-and-mighty took off without me an' I had to risk life an' limb in the transporter. Honest, Cap'n, you need to talk to her about her temper!"

"Calm down, Trip. There's no harm done, you didn't materialise wrongly 'I don't think' and at least it lets us know the glitches are being ironed out of the transporter."

"I'd just as soon ya ironed the glitches out on somebody else, like her, maybe!"

Archer sighed. These complaints from one officer against the other were monotonously regular in occurrence. He wished with all his heart that he could find some way to help his first officer and his best friend to reach mutual understanding. In an attempt to do this, he very often threw them together on away missions, hoping time together, alone, would work some miracle. He recalled reading an old joke,

'The impossible, we can do at once. Miracles take a little longer.'

He'd just have to give it more time.

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Hoshi Sato, Communications officer aboard the Enterprise, was struggling to decipher an incoming message. Her young brow was furrowed in concentration. The call was coming out on an ancient waveband, crackling with static, which didn't make a translation any easier.

"Do you have it yet, Ensign?" T'Pol asked, sharply.

Travis Mayweather, the young helmsman, looked at his fellow bridge ensign in sympathy. Hoshi often felt that the Vulcan looked down on her abilities, making her feel even more insecure when the Captain wasn't on the bridge.

"Nearly there, Sub-Commander, just a few more words for he Universal Translator to be able to kick in."

Hoshi was a talented multi-linguist, in spite of her insecurities, but in times of stress, such as an incoming distress call, she relied on the UT. This might not be a distress call, but ten chances to one it was. The familiar swish of the door from the Captain's ready room told her he was now on the bridge, together with Commander Tucker.

"Hoshi?"

"Almost got it, Captain...yes, here we go."

Words began to translate themselves into English on the padd in her hand. She carried it across to Archer's chair, who studied it intently.

"Do we have visual?"

"Not yet, we've only just learned to talk to each other. I'll ask them now."

She got busy sending greetings and questions back to the planet. More signals came bouncing back, then the main view screen burst into life showing a grey, dimly lit room with a grey, poorly clad male in the centre of the picture.

"My name is First Minister Voltec. I send greetings from my people and the planet of Altair. You are the first to answer our call. From where have you travelled?"

"I'm Jonathon Archer, Captain of the earth star ship Enterprise. We're on a mission of exploration. How may we help?"

"Our planet has a hostile environment, forcing us many years ago to build shelter domes around our major areas of population. Computers and generators control our environmental controls, hydroponics, basically everything. Unfortunately they are starting to degrade rapidly and we are at an almost critical point. Our distress calls have been going out continuously for almost 5 months, and even that necessary use of our resources has had a seriously detrimental effect on us. We had almost given up hope when your hail came through like a message from the gods. Please say you can help."

"Send us the landing co-ordinates and a list of what you need. We'll be with you as soon as possible." Turning to Trip and T'Pol, Archer grinned. "Okay people, let's go play Superman. Malcolm, you have the bridge."

The armoury officer, Lieutenant Reed, nodded in acknowledgement.

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Archer took the controls of the shuttlepod, himself. He didn't often get the opportunity, what with all the other flyboys liking to take the helm. His companions were checking over the equipment they'd gathered together. There was little conversation between them and he sighed inwardly. This was shaping up to be yet another strained Trip/T'Pol head-to-head.

"Landing site up ahead, folks. The weather is pretty awful, so I'd grab a seat and hang on."

With some difficulty, Archer brought the 'pod down unscathed, landing with a vigorous bump. They donned their Environmental suits, shared out the equipment between them, and opened the 'pod's access door. Once exposed to the environment, they could all fully understand why the Altairians had needed to move indoors. Wind blew in great angry swirls, uprooting anything vegetable that stood in its way. Derelict buildings lay littered about, mostly without windows or roofs. The ground was rocky, all signs of soil washed away by the continuously falling rain. T'Pol, ever the diligent Science Officer, was scanning the area, even though it was a struggle simply to remain upright. Archer marveled at her dedication to Science. Trip tapped him on the shoulder and spoke into the inbuilt communicator.

"Guess I'll pass on the photo's this time, Cap'n!"

Chapter Two

With some difficulty, they made their way towards the first and largest of the domes coming into view. The door opened silently and they stepped into a tranquil haven. Removing the helmets of their EV suits they greeted Voltec. Archer introduced his officers, and Voltec, in turn, introduced the councilors who were with him.

"Our thanks, Captain. You are all most welcome. Please accept our meagre hospitality. We have prepared a meal to welcome you."

He led the way into the room they'd seen on the viewer, but in reality it wasn't quite as grey as it had seemed. The walls were beige, the lighting soft and subdued, probably to conserve energy. Voltec waved them to seats and proudly displayed the refreshments set before them. Trip, who'd had several unfortunate experiences with alien cuisine, regarded the food with suspicion. T'Pol leaned towards him with some satisfaction.

"You once told me you shouldn't judge a species by the food they eat. To refuse, Commander, is likely to offend."

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"These are our main generators, Commander Tucker. I'm afraid they're not in the best of conditions."

Voltec had brought Trip to the heart of the main dome. The engineer's eyes gleamed with excitement at the opportunity to tinker with alien technology. The skilled craftsman in him recoiled at the sorry state of the generators, but that would just make the repairs all the more challenging, and ultimately rewarding.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Guess I'll just get right in there. Tell Cap'n Archer I'll be some time!"

With that, he rolled up the sleeves of his jumpsuit and dove into the heart of the machinery. Voltec watched with a very interesting expression crossing his face.

"I'll leave you to your task, then, Commander."

Trip was engrossed, and merely waved a distracted hand.

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T'Pol tapped the keyboard, entering data into the computer console.

"This is a simple matter to repair. It will take some time, but should present no difficulties. The technology is antiquated, but adequate. I will commence immediately."

Archer and Voltec nodded and moved away.

"I'll return to Enterprise briefly, Minister Voltec. We were on our way to Indus with medical supplies, and need to apprise them of our delay."

Taking the shuttlepod back to the ship, he entered the bridge.

"Hoshi, are we in range to talk to Indus yet?"

"Sorry Captain, not yet."

"Okay, keep trying. Travis, how long would it take to reach Centauri at warp 4.5?"

The helmsman made a few calculations on a padd.

"72 hours, Captain. Sixty, if we pushed the engines to warp 5."

"Hmm, 3 days there and 3 back. If we left now, Trip and T'Pol could finish their repairs. I'll talk it over with them and see how they feel. Hoshi, get them for me, put it through to my ready room."

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"Certainly, Captain. That is the most logical decision to make. Commander Tucker and I will be quite happy to remain here for the 6 days. My repairs will not require that length of time, but I may be able to offer some assistance to the Commander when my work is completed."

"Thanks, T'Pol. We'll be back before you've even noticed we've gone," Archer replied. "I'll tell Trip, myself."

T'Pol's eyebrow rose in response to the Captain's comment. She failed to understand the human need to speak in riddles.

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"O-ki-doke, Cap'n. I've plenty ta keep me going here. These generators had nearly packed in. It mightn't take all of the 6 days, but we'll chill out. I might even be nice to the queen o' logic. Just don't let them blow ma engines. I'd rather ya took 7 days to get back than find ma warp coil in pieces."

"Thanks, Trip. Like I said to T'Pol, you won't even have time to miss us, although Enterprise is sure going to be quiet for the next few days. Oh, and try to stay out of trouble, Trip. You're like a magnet to the stuff!"

Archer returned to the bridge. "Travis, maintain the course for Indus, warp 4.5. Without our Chief Engineer, I don't want to overload the engines; 7 days will suit just fine. Hoshi, keep an ear out for anything from Centauri or Altair. Keep me posted."

"Aye, Captain," the ensigns replied.

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T'Pol's work on the computers was progressing well. She thought about their enforced stay on Altair, and decided to pace herself more efficiently. To complete her work too quickly would mean having too much time with little or nothing to do. Although she'd promised the Captain that she would assist Commander Tucker, she felt certain that the engineer would reject her offer, preferring to work on the machinery alone. She had noticed a certain territorialism in humans, before, and Commander Tucker was definitely territorial. Not for the first time did she sigh inwardly at the mentality of the humans she had spent the last seven months with. Captain Archer was a kind man, always putting the well being of others before him, and often going out of his way to do so. Their present situation was a case in point, as was the mission to Indus. T'Pol felt certain that the captain would rarely turn down a request for help, but she also felt sure that he needed to exercise more caution. The Vulcans had discovered that not all alien races had peaceful intentions.

"Sub-Commander T'Pol, I've prepared some lunch for you and Commander Tucker." Voltec announced quietly. T'Pol was momentarily startled to discover that she'd been distracted enough for Voltec to arrive unnoticed.

"Thank you, First Minister. That will be acceptable. I apologise again that the captain had to leave, and that the Commander and I are an extra burden on your depleted resources."

"Please, the apology is unnecessary. We are only too happy to have you here, doing such wonderful repairs. Our home is yours for as long as you like."

T'Pol thought his remark somewhat cryptic, but decided against pursuing it. As she followed Voltec to the reception room, she saw Trip entering at the same time. He was about to make an impudent remark, just for the fun of riling her, when he remembered that he'd promised to be nice.

"Hi, T'Pol, how goes your repairs?"

Her eyebrow rose in that maddening way that always managed to annoy Trip. She was non-plussed by his comment. No sarcasm? No impudence? Once again she found herself confused by this most complex of humans. He was perhaps the most difficult to fathom. She was in no doubt of his engineering skills, but his mood swings were beyond logic. At times he was full of what humans regarded as impish fun, dragging the captain out of whatever foul temper he happened to be in. At other times he was morose, barking at his engineering team to get optimum efficiency from them. She appreciated that it was not only Captain Archer who looked to Commander Tucker to lift the atmosphere in times of stress. He always seemed to have a quip to dispel the tension, and although she rarely showed emotion, at times he managed even to amuse her, not that she would ever tell him.

"The repairs will be completed very soon, thank you. Perhaps I may be of assistance to you?"

"Yeah, ok, just as long as ya don't tell me how to do my job. Thanks."

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Voltec was meeting with the Altairian council to discuss the ongoing repairs. Their guests had been with them for 3 days now. All of the computer repairs were complete, and very soon the generators would be functional again too.

"Minister, we're going to have to approach them with our request very soon. Enterprise will be back in less than 72 hours, maybe sooner. If we leave it too late." Councilor Trag spoke for his fellow councilors.

"I know, I will speak with them today, but I'm sure none of us is in any doubt as to their response. However, the fact remains, that for our continued existence, we can't let these people leave."

Chapter Three

Trip and T'Pol were finishing a diagnostics run on the newly repaired equipment. The generators hummed with precision, and T'Pol acknowledged her colleague's skill.

"Congratulations, Commander. You have performed most efficiently with the poor materials you had to hand."

"Most efficiently? Makes me sound like some blasted robot. Still, I guess we worked well together most "efficiently" even. Makes a pleasant change from naggin' each other ta death, don't ya think? No pickin' holes in ma work, an' such!"

"Indeed. Your work was faultless, I saw no need to "pick holes"'.

Trip looked at her through his lashes. Grinning, he nudged her arm. "C'mon, we've earned a rest. Fancy a look around outside?"

"The elements are hardly conducive towards taking a stroll, Commander."

"We're off duty, T'Pol. Try calling me 'Trip', the name won't bite ya. Anyway, with our EV suits, we'll be ok. Unless you're chicken."

"Mr. Tucker, (he rolled his eyes in despair) if I understand your inference correctly, then of course I'm not 'chicken'. However, I fail to see why you would wish to explore such an inhospitable environment. Your actions are most illogical."

"There ya are again with the logic. Don't ya ever get tired of things havin' ta be logical? I'm curious, T'Pol, don’t ya? What makes this planet's weather so very bad, an' how come they needed us to do their repairs? Where's their own repair crew?"

Once again that eyebrow rose. "Those thoughts had also occurred to me, Commander, but what answers do you expect to find outside?"

"Well, ya ain't gonna find out 'til ya look! C'mon."

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Councilor Trag watched the two Enterprise crewmembers leave the dome, dressed in their EV suits. They were carrying their scanners, and had the air of those looking for answers. He sought out Voltec.

"Have you spoken to them yet?"

"No, they've been busy finishing the repairs. I was going to approach them over the evening meal. Why?"

"They've gone out, with scanning equipment. If they find out about the 'accident', we'll have a problem."

Voltec sighed. Things were being taken out of his hands.

"All right, gather some men together, and follow them. Be sure not to let them see you. We'll just have to hope that they don't make any discoveries."

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"Commander, stop. This is futile. We will not find anything of use in these conditions."

Trip struggled on ahead, as if he hadn't heard her.

"Mr. Tucker! To proceed is both illogical and highly dangerous. Visibility is down to 13%. Should our navigation equipment fail, we would be unable to locate the dome again."

"Keep your shirt on, T'Pol. Just a few more minutes, then we'll turn and follow the bread back home."

Trip was flashing his torchlight into the gloom, fighting to stay upright in the crosswinds. T'Pol, prudently, had tucked herself into relative shelter behind him, whilst continuing to scan. At least she was protected from the brushwood and debris that continuously blew against Trip. Glancing down at a sudden change in the readings of her scanner, she was about to call the Commander's attention to her findings, when she noticed that he was no longer in front of her: he was no longer in view!

"Commander? Commander Tucker, where are you?"

Only silence greeted her. Cautiously, she continued moving forward, but was still totally unprepared when the ground disappeared beneath her feet. Scrambling to catch anything to break her fall, she felt sheer sides of rock. As she tumbled, she thought she saw a faint glimpse of the colour of the Commander's EV suit somewhere below her. Ground rushed up to her, bruisingly, as she braced herself for the impact and the onslaught of pain. The fall was jarringly broken as she rolled into a firm but yielding object. She was badly winded, and a little disoriented for a few moments, but was relieved to discover only minor aches and pains. Her ankle and wrist throbbed gently, but she had sustained no debilitating injuries. Remembering the glimpsed flash of yellow, she thought of her colleague.

"Commander, can you hear me?"

Again, she got no response. Looking around her to determine where she'd landed, and what had broken her fall, she realised she had found Commander Tucker. She had been lying across his body, and he wasn't moving. Struggling onto her knees, she reached for her flashlight, only to shake it in disgust when discovering it was broken. Searching around the Commander, she found his, and surprisingly, it was working. She inspected the way he had landed, and knew before she scanned him, that his left leg was bent at an unnatural angle. The scan confirmed that his femur was shattered; he had several broken ribs and was unconscious from a head injury. On closer inspection, she discovered that the visor on his EV suit was smashed, and his face was masked in blood. T'Pol shone the torch around their immediate surroundings. They had fallen into a vast crater, filled partially with water, but the ground dipped and rose unevenly. They were extremely fortunate that they were on a ledge, some twelve feet above the water level. Had they fallen any further, it was likely that neither of them would have survived. As it was, T'Pol couldn't see how they were going to make it out of the crater unaided. Instinctively, she tried to hail Enterprise before realising they would still be out of range. Sighing, she realised their only hope of survival was to wait for them to be missed from the dome and a search party organised. Carefully straightening the Commander's fractured leg, she gently rolled him towards her, onto his side, and sat beside him to shield his unprotected face from the wind and rain. A soft moan escaped from him as she rolled him over, but there were no other signs of returning consciousness. She hadn't anything with which to wipe away the blood from his face, and as the wind continued to buffet them, she raised his unresisting head onto her lap, and bent over him. Raising her scanner again, she remembered the surprising readings she'd noticed just before their fall.

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Continue to Part 2 (Chapters 4 - 8)

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