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Enemy of the State - Ch 6Enemy of the State By Quills Contact: the_quill_pen@yahoo.com ************************ Chapter 6
Hoshi Sato looked up from her communications station and gave Lieutenant Reed a wry smile. She liked Malcolm Reed. He was a bit stuffy, but he could be a nice guy. When he loosened up. “Still working on the phase cannons?” asked the young ensign, a genuine sympathetic tone to her voice. “It’s a bloody mess,” swore Reed as he leaned over the tactical console. The armory officer shook his head in frustration. “It’ll take days, if not weeks, before I can get the phase cannons back to their original settings.” “Your too much of a perfectionist Malcolm,” countered Hoshi, knowing Reed’s by the book attitude when it came getting things done right. “Do the best you can.” “The Captain wants the weapons back online,” said Reed, a serious look on his face, “and I’m going to get them as close to our original settings as I can.” He jabbed his finger at a console key and waited a second…then shook his head in exasperation when the simulation came up 45 degrees off target. “As it stands right now, Enterprise might be able to hit the broad side of a barn; if it was an exceptionally big barn.” Looking up at Hoshi, he added. “We might end up needing them.” “You think we’re in for a fight?” the question was posed by Travis Mayweather. The young helmsman spun around from his console and looked over at Reed. The lieutenant frowned and shook his head. “I hope not…not with the phase cannons in their current condition. But if the shape Captain Soma was in, when he came out of that space ship, is any indication…then we’d better be ready.” Travis nodded his head as he gave Reed a somber look. “I wonder how Captain Soma is doing.” Mayweather was fond of the Vulcan captain. In truth, most of the crew had taken a liking to Soma for the very brief time he was their acting captain. But Travis felt he owed Soma. Like Captain Archer, Soma believed in the ensign, even when Travis didn’t believe in himself. Soma had given Travis a stern lecture on the merits of a good officer as well as some friendly advice. Travis had not forgotten. “Hoshi, anything new on his condition?” asked Reed. Hoshi shook her head. A concerned look overcame her normally bright and cheerful expression. “No…I heard he was still unconscious. Oh…I hope he’s ok.” Reed’s own somber expression shifted and his brow went completely up as a mischievous grin formed on his lips. “Did you hear that Travis?” Mayweather glanced over at Reed. Clearly he knew where Reed was going with this and not one to pass up the chance to lighten the atmosphere, he agreed with the tactical officer. “Yes…Yes I did.” “What?” replied a dumbfounded Hoshi Sato. “I do believe a certain communications officer is sweet about a certain Vulcan captain,” said Reed letting the words slide off his tongue. Travis just grinned at the suggestion, but nodded in agreement as he glanced from Reed to Hoshi. “Now wait a minute…,” Hoshi began in protest. Reed leaned over his console as he gave the ensign a smile. “And if I recall correctly, she was very interested in the captain’s tattoo when the four of us were in decon…in our skivvies.” Reed looked to Travis who was trying not to laugh. When he looked back at Hoshi, the ensign shot Reed a burning stare. But the tactical officer continued to smile at her pleasantly. “Not to mention the kiss,” added Travis. Hoshi’s head snapped over in the direction of the ship’s helm as she looked at the helmsman in embarrassed shock. “Travis!” “That’s right,” said Reed in elation, “that’s right. Didn’t a certain someone get a goodbye kiss?” Hoshi’s cheeks turned a bright crimson as she looked down at her console. She remembered very vividly what the two men were talking about. Captain Soma was preparing to return to his own Enterprise. Before leaving, he said his goodbyes to the bridge crew and when he had gotten to Hoshi, he had leaned down and kissed the communications officer. The kiss wasn’t passionate. In fact, it was rather chaste and sweet. His lips had touched the side of her cheek, gently brushing past the edge of her mouth. “Travis? Did you get a goodbye kiss?” “Not a one,” replied the helmsman smiling. “And I know all I got was a bloody handshake,” added Reed grinning from ear to ear. Hoshi looked at Reed with genuine anger. He was making fun of her. Maybe he isn’t such a nice guy,” she thought. She didn’t really believe that, but that didn’t stop her from expressing her thoughts vocally. “Maybe Captain Soma just knows how to treat a lady!” snapped Hoshi. She hadn’t meant to be so defensive, but the truth was she had, had a crush on Soma and Reed was treading on a special moment. Reed’s smile disappeared. He could tell he had gone to far. He could tell that her last remark was directed at him. He had hurt her feelings and now he regretted it. Why did I bother carrying it so far. he thought. I like Captain Soma. He like Hoshi. That last thought caught Reed off guard. He looked over at the angry ensign and gave her an apologetic smile. Hoshi’s own features softened slightly and she allowed herself a slight smile. Travis Mayweather was taking the entire scene in. He glanced back and forth waiting for one of them to say something as they both stared back at one another. He could see that they were both exchanging something unspoken that was on the verge of coming out. But after a moment, Reed turned back to his console doing his best to ignore the smile Hoshi was giving him. “Well, I’ll say this for Captain Soma,” said Reed grasping for something to divert attention from himself. “He seems like a regular ladies man. Just like…” But he stopped before completing the sentence as a very odd thought came to his mind. “Like who?” asked Travis wondering why the armory officer stopped. “No…forget it,” said Reed shaking his head. “A thought just popped into my head.” “Oh really…well I guess it has to happen now and again,” said Hoshi giving Reed a smile. For his part, Reed accepted the return barb gracefully and gave the ensign a mock wounded smile. “No, come on,” said Travis again, “give.” The ensign wasn’t going to let Reed off the hook so easily. “I just thought that he was a lot like…Captain Archer,” Reed said shrugging his shoulders. “He’s dynamic, straight forward, a hard hitting commander…then I remembered…he’s also half human.” Travis chewed on what the tactical officer had just said. It took the ensign a few moments to make the connection, but when he did, his brow shot up in astonishment. “What! You think…” The two officers looked at each other for a minute. It was almost as if they were telepathically exchanging thoughts over the matter. Travis was the first one to voice what they were both thinking. “But the only Vulcan the Captain is even on friendly terms with is…” “Exactly,” said Reed shaking his head ruefully. ”I said it was ridiculous.” “That is kind of crazy,” said Travis as he scratched his head. “The Captain and T’Pol.” Hoshi had been listening to what Reed and Travis had been saying. The whole idea seemed absurd to her. She couldn’t even conceive of Captain Archer with a subordinate, even T’Pol. Maybe it was how the ensign looked up to the Captain that made the whole thing seems so absurd. As she shook her head a thought of her own came to the front of her mind and without intending to she spoke it out loud. “You know he looks a little bit like Trip.” Both Reed and Travis turned towards Hoshi. “Oh come on,” snorted Reed as he rolled his eyes. Travis shook his head. “Not Commander Tucker.” “What…What did I say?” “Commander Tucker and the Sub-Commander?” said Reed “No bloody way.” “But I didn’t…” replied Hoshi defensively. “All I said is that he looked a little like Trip. That’s all.” “Trip and T’Pol are like fire and gasoline,” explained Reed. “You don’t store them close together.” Hoshi shook her head. She let Reed have the last word, mostly because she agreed with the armory officer, Trip and T’Pol together? She couldn’t see it. They fought like cats and dogs. Still, Soma does have a striking resemblance to Commander Tucker. Hoshi thought. “But Malcolm’s right…it is crazy.” “Besides, I think the Commander is interested in one of the female M.A.C.O.s,” added Reed. “Really, which one,” asked Travis. “He didn’t say,” replied Reed shaking his head. “He just mentioned one of them had flirted with him in the turbo lift.” Suddenly the sound of the turbo lift doors sliding open prompted the three bridge officers to turn back to their stations, briefly glancing up to see Captain Archer and T’Pol enter Archer rounded the upper deck and stopped at the tactical station. Lieutenant Reed swallowed as he glanced from Hoshi to Archer. “Captain,” was all Reed could get out. “Mr. Reed?” said the captain in clipped tone. “Sir?” replied Reed a bit more nervously than he had intended. Had the captain or T’Pol heard any of the conversation the three bridge officers were having? “Do you have a status report for me?” asked Archer, uncertain what was wrong with his armory officer. “Oh…uh yes sir…I do sir” replied Reed as he allowed himself to relax slightly. “I’ve been aligning the phase cannon targeting system. It won’t be back to the original calibration without several days of field-testing, but I’m trying to get them as accurate as possible in the time frame you’ve given…sir.” Reed sucked in a breath as he tried to calm down. Archer looked at Reed for a moment. “Are you all right Lieutenant?” “Fine sir,” replied Reed. “Just anxious to get the phase cannons calibrated.” “Good,” said Archer shaking his head. “Continue making the calibrations. I want them as accurate as possible.” “Understood Captain.” “Captain,” interrupted Hoshi, “its Doctor Phlox.” Archer stepped down to the lower command deck and tapped the comm. button on his chair. “Yes, Doctor.” “Captain, you wanted to know when Captain Soma was awake,” replied the Denobulan. Archer glanced at T’Pol who was listening intently. “Is he able to talk?” “I’d say he’s insistent about it Captain,” said Phlox. “He’s asking to see you.” “I’m on my way.” Archer hit the comm. button then looked up at T’Pol. “Your with me.” T’Pol gave Archer a surprised look. “Captain, would it not be more prudent for me to continue gathering sensor information?” Archer shook his head. “It’ll keep T’Pol. Right now, we need answers from Captain Soma and I need him as lucent as possible.” “I fail to see how my presence…” “He needs a familiar face to keep him grounded.” T’Pol considered the captain’s statement. Did the captain know? She couldn’t be certain. He had not given any indication that he did know. Perhaps his reference to a ‘familiar face’ was meant purely on a professional level. Even the emotionally charged Captain Archer was known to use the wisdom of logic, much to T’Pol’s dismay. “Of course Captain, an extremely logical decision.” “No need to get insulting,” smiled the captain as he headed up the steps towards the turbo lift. “Mr. Reed, you have the bridge.” Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS! Four of you have made commentsKeep writing it Quills!!!! Please!!! Great story but one beg if I may? MORE TRIP!!!! Malcolm teaming up with Travis to tease Hoshi. Tee hee. Trip and T'Pol like fire and gasoline? How....accurate. Yes, you don't store them together. But when they do meet, it's such a big, pretty, intense, passionate meeting. Fire and gasoline were really meant for each other.... Great chapter. Can't wait for more. How long until T'Pol knows w/o a doubt that Archer knows? And just where is Trip? Keep it coming! I enjoyed re-reading the last few chapters before this one. Your storytelling flows very well and you writegreat dialogue and obviously IMHO have a great grasp of the crew. Can't wait for more. |