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"Borderline"
Rating: PG Jumping Rope (7) Trip’s mind was working as hard as his body as he was on a problem that had tied up engineering for a week while he jumped rope. Two vents weren’t responding to computers and had to be opened manually, consequently creating a dual problem. Usually this helped work out problems, but so far he was still at square one on this problem. Trip stopped, gathering the rope in one hand and putting his hands on his hips. “What were doing?” Trip looked back. Navta was sitting on a basketball behind him. “I was,” Trip paused, smiling. “I was working on a problem and jumping rope.” Navta bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes following the jump rope. “Have you ever jumped rope?” Trip asked her. Navta shook her head. “No. But I’ve seen lots of crewmen doing it. Why?” “Good exercise.” “You said you were working on a problem thought. How does jumping a rope do that? Is that why other crewmen do it too?” Trip smiled. “I don’t think all of them do it to work out problems, but sometimes doing something else helps me figure out a problem. I’m just a strange duffer.” “What’s a duffer?” “Me.” “You’re Trip.” Trip chuckled. “Uhm. Yeah. Well, I’m that too.” “How do you keep from falling? How do you keep the rope from tripping you?” “I’ll be right back. Don’t leave.” Trip turned and went into the equipment closet to get another jump rope. He returned and handed one to Navta. She took it, looking it over. She looked up at Trip with a questioning look. “Get up,” Trip told her. “Stand over there so you can see me.” Trip pointed to a spot in front of him. Navta got up and walked over to the spot, turning to face him. “Back up some.” Navta took two steps back. “Okay. See how I’m holding the rope?” Trip swung his rope back behind him. Navta nodded. “Do the same, Navta.” Navta swung her rope back. “Now watch.” Trip jumped the rope once. “Try it.” Navta tried it, but jumped to late and caught the rope between her legs. “I’ll try again,” Navta informed him with a nod. Trip smiled, watching her try it over and over until she did it. “I DID IT!” “I’ll do it too!” Eartik yelled, running up to them with a jump rope. Trip glanced back, catching sight of Hoshi and another ensign peeking out of the equipment closet. Trip turned back to the children with a grin. He waited while Navta instructed Eartik on how to jump a rope. Once they had it he joined them, returning again to his thoughts. “Trip?” Trip looked at Navta. “Yeah?” “What was the problem?” “In engineering two vents aren’t responding. When we need to vent I have to send two men up to manually open them.” “I bet it’s because the circuit relay was smoking,” Eartik said. Trip stopped jumping and looked at Eartik. “What?” “I smelled smoke three days ago and so I went to find it and I came across this circuit relay that was smoking.” “Eartik!” Eartik stopped jumping, looking up at Trip. Trip leaned over, meeting Eartik’s eyes. “Am I in trouble?” Eartik asked. “A lot.” Eartik looked down. “You were in a Jeffery tube if you saw a smoking circuit board which you weren’t supposed to be in, in the first place. And then you smelled smoke and instead of telling me or your parents or an adult, you went to check it out alone.” Trip looked at Navta. “I’m assuming alone.” “I wasn’t there!” Navta cried. “She wasn’t there,” Eartik said. “And then you saw a smoking circuit relay and you never told anyone. You’ve been helping out in engineering long enough to know that’s a bad thing.” “I forgot.” “How can you forget a smoking circuit relay?” “I was on my way to tell you!” Eartik looked up at him. “And then my dad told me I had to go home and do homework. And when I tried to tell him, he told me to go anyway.” “Did you tell him about the circuit relay?” “No.” “Ever?” “No.” Trip stood up. “Eartik, next time, tell me. And for the gazillionth time, stay out of the Jeffery tubes, kid!” “Yes, sir.” “Now…jump rope or somethin’.” Trip started jumping rope. “You don’t hate me?” Eartik asked. Trip stopped and looked down at him. “I’d never hate you, Eartik. Be mad at you, get upset with you, but I’d never, ever hate you.” Eartik smiled and went back to jumping rope. |
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