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"Calling All Friends"
Rating: PG Sha-wing! (6) Trip ducked under a low hanging branch and froze when he stood up straight. Malcolm and Travis ran into him, not seeing he’d stopped on the other side of the branch. “Sir?” Travis said, stepping to Trip’s left. Malcolm stepped to his right, looking through the trees at a giant lake below them. “Now, that is one big lake,” Trip said. “Guess we can tell T’Pol we finally made it to it,” Travis said. “I guess.” The three started down the hill. They came out of the pine trees onto a white sandy shore. The steep sides of the extinct volcano surrounded them, creating a shielded area the size of Montana within it’s choked throat. Around the edge of the lake Poplars, Redwoods and Cottonwoods mixed with an even larger variety of pine trees of every species known to earth and another three-dozen species never seen before. The planet was devoid of any animal life, according to T’Pol’s scans and the silence was a little unnerving. Trip pulled his communicator out and flicked it open. “Trip to Enterprise.” “Go ahead,” Hoshi said. “We’re at the lake and it looked a whole heck’uva lot smaller up there. Where’s the other away team?” “They reached the other side an hour ago. T’Pol said to set up camp, they’ll rendezvous at your coordinates tomorrow.” Behind Trip, Travis grabbed Malcolm’s sleeve and motioned him back toward the trees. The two moved away, conversing in whispers. Malcolm shrugged out of his pack and dug out a rope, handing it to Travis. Travis took it and sprinted down the beach and into the trees. Malcolm rejoined Trip. Trip looked up at the sky. “They have half a day still.” “She said the other side was nearly a vertical climb and everyone is refusing to go on. She made it sound like they were on the verge of mutiny.” “Now how could my wife possibly stir up mutiny among the natives? Could it be all that ‘logic’ thrown in at the worst possible time she can think of?” “Sir, I’m not getting in the middle of a marital spat. You deal with her.” Trip laughed. “Alright. I’ll spare you from taking sides. Today. Just today, Hoshi.” “Thank you, sir.” Trip looked across the lake, but he could barely make out the rising side of the volcano from where he was. “If she buzzes you again, tell her we’ll see them tomorrow night. Trip out.” Trip flicked the communicator closed. He turned, starting, “We should prob—” Trip stopped, staring at Malcolm’s stupid grin. He looked up and down the beach and back at Malcolm. “Where’s Travis?” Trip asked. “He came up with a rather ingenious idea. He went down the beach to—” “AYEEEEEEE!” rang out. Trip turned and started laughing. Travis, stripped of his clothes, was flying out of the trees on the rope he’d tied to a limb overhanging the lake. He swung out the full length of the rope, let go and splashed into the water. Trip looked at Malcolm. “He was very persuasive. And T’Pol did say the water was safe and warmed by geothermal streams.” “Why not!” Trip headed toward the pile of clothes and pack Travis had discarded on the beach. Malcolm followed and the two men dropped their packs and stripped. Trip grabbed the rope, walking back as far as it would let him go. He made a running start before hoisting himself up and swung out over the water. With a whoop he dropped into the warm water. |
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