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"Fiction Wins"
Rating: PG Calling Occupants (1) Hoshi let out a long slow sigh and then she looked back over her shoulder. Archer and T’Pol were working in the situation room. Trip had left to go to engineering over an hour ago, taking his bag of jokes and tall tales with him. Malcolm hadn’t been on the bridge all day. Travis was busy doing something she couldn’t make out from her chair. She had completed her work and had five hours of her shift to kill. Hoshi sat back, looking up at the view screen. Days like today tempted her to tell Archer she didn’t have enough to do since she’d divided up her work between Sista and Ensign Shipper, but that would only mean he’d pile more work on them and both had begged, pleaded and threatened her to keep her mouth shut. Hoshi reached under her console and picked up a tennis ball she kept there. She reached out and started the computer scanning frequencies and then sat back in her chair, slowly tossing the ball from hand to hand. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift to daydreams. The sound of a voice on a frequency made Hoshi open her eyes. She reached out and stopped the scan. Hoshi began going back through the frequencies one at a time, pausing a few seconds to listen for the sound she’d heard. She finally found it and leaned forward in her chair, closing her eyes while she listened. It was apparent right away that it was a voice and language she’d never heard before. Hoshi rolled her chair up to the console and started the translator. She began translating the language with the bits and pieces the translator was starting to translate. It was clear right away that the language wasn’t much more complicated than Russian. The translator repeated a segment in English, “…out there?” Hoshi’s tilted her head to the side a little, listening for the voice. Now was stopping every so often so it was hard to tell if she’d heard the translation correctly and all of a sudden the translator translated an entire sentences for her. “Calling occupants of interplanetary craft. This is Major Oodahau. Respond!” the voice said playfully. Hoshi smiled, leaning forward. The translator continued with the next sentences, “Blue squadron flank left and shoot the enemy ships down. Red squadron, flank right. Don’t forget to take out the, uhm…the…radeon vasculator deployer. That’s an order!” Hoshi laughed a little, suspecting she was listening to a child’s play battle since there were not ‘ships’ or ‘pilots’ replying back to the orders. “Sergeant Partikel, bring the men around to the front. Surround them and deploy the…destruction blossom. Take us to warp ten, Cox Omao! Let’s see that enemy ship keep up with us now!” Hoshi chuckled. Now she knew she was listening to a child playing. To her knowledge no alien race had warp ten. Hoshi listened to more of the translation until she was sure she had enough to reply back. “Hello Major Oodahau,” Hoshi said. There was a long pause, but Hoshi waited. If her suspicion that the voice belonged to a child was correct, then her replying most likely surprised him. “Hello?” the voice asked. “Hello. Who is this?” Hoshi asked. “Oodahau. Who are you?” “Hoshi.” “That’s a strange name.” Hoshi smiled. “I guess we both have an opinion in common then.” “I’m not really a major. Will you still talk to me?” Hoshi’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I will. How old are you?” “Nine.” Hoshi smiled, nodding. Her suspicion was correct. “How old are you?” Oodahau asked. “Thirty-two.” “That’s old.” Hoshi chuckled. “What was that?” “What was what?” Oohdahau asked. “That noise?” “What noise?” “You made a noise.” Hoshi thought a minute. She chuckled again. “That noise?” “Yes.” “That’s laughing.” “What’s laughing?” Oodahau asked. “Uhm…” Hoshi thought. “Well, it’s what we do when we find something fun or amusing.” There was a pause. “Hoshi,” someone whispered. Hoshi looked around, finding Archer standing at the railing. “Who are you talking to?” he asked. Hoshi shrugged. She tapped the mute button on her console. “I don’t know, yet. He’s nine though so I haven’t gotten very far yet.” “Nine?” “That’s what he said.” “Hoshi?” Oodahau asked. Hoshi turned her microphone back on. “Yeah?” “Where’d you go?” “I was talking to my captain.” “You’re on a ship?” Oodahau asked excitedly. “Yes. Are you?” “Yes.” “What’s your ship’s name?” “Darpitak,” Oodahau stated proudly. “What does that mean?” “I dunno. Am I getting you in trouble?” “No.” Hoshi smiled. “Not at all.” “Put it on COM,” Archer told her. Hoshi looked at him as Oodahau asked, “What’s your ship’s name?” “Can you wait a second, Oodahau?” “Yeah.” Hoshi hit the mute button. “Sir, I’m not sure what’s going on yet.” “I wanna hear the kid,” Archer insisted. “Okay. Just a second, sir,” Hoshi hit the must switch. “Oodahau?” “Yeah?” “Do you want to talk to my captain?” “I thought you weren’t in trouble.” “I’m not.” “Then why do I have to talk to him?” “I…he wants to talk to you.” “Why?” “We like to meet new people.” “What are people?” “Well…us.” “What are you?” “Hoshi,” Archer said. Hoshi motioned Archer to wait as she answered Oodahau, “We’re humans.” “What’s your ship’s name?” “Enterprise,” Hoshi answered. “Hoshi,” Archer said again. “Do I have to talk to him? I wanna talk to you.” Hoshi smiled. “You don’t have to talk to him this time if you don’t want to.” “Hoshi,” Archer growled. “Good. Do you draw?” “Yes.” “Hoshi!” Archer snapped. Hoshi glanced at Archer, answering Oodahau, “Yeah.” “You do?” “Yes.” “What do you like to draw?” “Lots of things.” Archer reached out and hit the bridge COM button. Hoshi tried to block his hand but he was faster. She clenched her jaw a moment. “I like to draw trees. We have lots at home,” Oodahau told Hoshi. “Where’s that?” she asked. “Where’s what?” “Your home?” “Oh, uhm…a ways away. We’ve been gone from it for a long time.” “Why’s that?” Hoshi asked him. “My dad has to check on things. It’s his job.” “Is your dad the captain?” “Yes. He tells people what to do.” Hoshi smiled. “Captains do that, don’t they?” She wrinkled her nose at Archer when he looked up at her. Archer smiled. “My dad does that to everyone. It’s his job.” “Is he there right now?” “No. He’s asleep.” “Oh. Does he know you’re talking to me?” “Yeah.” “Okay. As long as he knows.” “What are humans?” “Me. Me and the rest of the crew on Enterprise. Well, most of us anyway.” “Most of us?” “Yes.” “Your crew isn’t all one kind of thing?” “Species. We call beings that look like humans species.” “Species. Well? Are there other species on your ship?” “Yes. We have a Vulcan, a Denobulan and a few Jit.” “Hoshi,” Archer whispered. “What was that?” “What was what?” “I heard a voice.” “There’s others working here.” “Can they hear me?” Archer held up his hand to Hoshi before she replied. He shook his head. Hoshi frowned. “No,” Hoshi lied. “But sometimes people can hear them when I’m talking.” “Oh. What do humans look like?” “Well, we walk around on two legs and feet. And, uhm—” “Have you ever met a Lanigiro before?” “No.” “What about a Yonna?” “No. Never met one of those either.” “That’s good. They’re bad.” “Are they?” “Yeah. Dad has to keep them out because they come around and start killing Lanigiro on the outposts. He has to post Lanigiro out there so that they can watch over things but sometimes the Yonna get past the outposts and dad has to send Lanigiro to fight them.” “Oh. Sounds like your dad gets pretty busy.” “Yeah. He does. But he’s a good dad. I love him.” “I love mine too.” “You have a dad? Does he live on your ship?” “No. He lives on the planet I come from.” “Where’s that?” “Don’t answer that,” Archer whispered to Hoshi. “It’s a long ways away.” “What it’s called?” “I ca—” “I have to go! Bye!” The channel went silent. “Oodahau?” Hoshi asked. There was no reply. She looked at the monitor and sighed. “He’s gone.” “Until you know who this kid is and why he’s talking without anyone watching him, you don’t tell him anything, Hoshi.” “Yes, sir,” Hoshi said. “I mean it, Hoshi.” “I know. I won’t, sir.” “How’d you find him, anyway?” “He was commanding a play battle on this frequency and I just started talking to him, sir.” Hoshi looked at Archer. “Find out more about him. I’m curious to know who these Yonna and Lanigiro are and who his dad is.” “Aye, sir.” Archer walked back to the situation room. Hoshi sighed, sitting back in her chair. She mulled over the conversation, wondering who the child was. |
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