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"Fiction Wins"
Rating: PG Returning Your Call (9) Hoshi walked around to her station, smiling when Shipper stood. “You have a call waiting,” Shipper told her. “What?” “Some kid named Oodahau. He wouldn’t talk to me. He said he’d wait for you to come on.” Hoshi smiled. “Thank you, Joe.” Ensign Shipper walked around her. Hoshi sat her mug off coffee down and attached her earpiece. She tapped the console. “Oodahau?” “HOSHI!” he cried. “Guess what?” “What?” “I drew a darpilto.” “What is a darpilto?” Hoshi asked. “Uhm…it’s big. Bigger than my dad. Dad hunts it and brings it home and we have a big meal with lots of Lanigiro.” “Lots of Lanigiro?” “Oh yeah. Lots. All my brothers and sisters and dad’s wives and my mom and all sorts of Lanigiro show up.” “Sounds like a feast.” Hoshi turned and logged onto the computer. She started a report running. “Did you just come to work?” “Yep.” “Who was that man?” “That was Ensign Shipper. He works here when I’m not working.” “Does he work all the time?” “No.” “I always seem to get him and then he gets you sometimes but not all the time.” “Well, I only work certain times and he works certain times.” “Oh. Well, I haven’t figured out when you do and don’t work. I will though. Then I’ll stop bothering him. I hate bothering him.” “Sounds like a plan.” “Sounds like a plan,” Oodahau repeated. “Is your radio buddy back?” Travis asked, stepping into Hoshi’s work area and leaning against the rail. Hoshi nodded, smiling. “Ask him if he knows how to play checkers.” “Do you know how to play checkers, Oodahau?” “No. Can you teach me?” “Yes, but not right now.” “Yes you can,” Hoshi heard Archer say. Hoshi looked around, finding Archer standing by the railing. “Keep him talking. Malcolm’s trying to trace the signal.” Hoshi looked across the bridge at Malcolm and then back at Archer. She tapped the mute button. “He’s just a kid, sir.” “And I want to know why a kid’s talking on a COM alone.” “I could always ask, sir,” Hoshi asked, not bothering to keep the cold tone out of her voice. She was still a little peeved about Archer putting Oodahau on the bridge COM when she first spoke to him and he kept trying to trace the signal even though she had been making progress at getting information from Oodahau. “So ask.” Hoshi unmated the COM. “Oodahau, are you alone?” “Yes. Why?” “Your dad doesn’t mind that you’re talking to me with no on there?” “No. Why?” “Well, we have children on our ship and we wouldn’t let them talk to someone alone. We’re just worried.” “Worried?” “Yes.” “Why?” “That you’re alone.” “Hoshi?” “Yeah?” “Are you trying to find me?” “No. Why?” “The computer says you are.” “No. I’m not.” “Then why does the computer say you are? You can’t do that! I thought you were my friend.” “Oodahau, I—” An ear piecing, high-pitched cry made Hoshi rip the earpiece out of her ear. “Lost the signal, sir,” Malcolm said. “He knew we were tracing it.” Hoshi looked at Archer. Her patience with him was starting to wear thin regarding this matter. “Next time, keep him on as long as you can,” Archer said, turning away. Under her breath Hoshi murmured between gritted teeth, “Sometimes you can be such an ass.” Archer stopped short and looked up, half tempted to tear into Hoshi for the insult right there on the spot. Archer turned halfway; putting his hands on his hips and then looked back at Hoshi. “Ensign Sato,” Archer said with a strained voice. Hoshi looked back at him, not masking her glare very well. “My ready room now, Ensign.” Hoshi closed her eyes, getting up. She followed him into his ready room, feeling the bridge crew watching her. Archer sat down on the edge of his desk, crossing his arms. “I have had reports of you coming up to the bridge after hours to talk to this kid.” “I’m trying to get to know him and maybe get him to trust me and maybe find out what’s going on.” “Behind my back?” “It’s not behind your back, sir.” “Then why haven’t you told me?” “I thought you wanted me to find out where he was and who he was? Isn’t that what you said the first time I talked to him?” “Not behind my back.” Hoshi closed her eyes a moment. “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Archer wasn’t sure he wanted to grant that request with how Hoshi had been acting since she’d been talking to this alien child, but he also wanted to know what had her so short tempered with him. “Granted.” “Sir, you’re asking me to lie to him, you’re asking me to deceive him, and you’re getting upset with me when I’ve been trying to find out more. Frankly, I’m half tempted to ignore him from now on just so you’ll stop riding me about this! He’s a child. From day one it was apparent all he wanted to do was talk to someone. He wasn’t trying to trick us. He wasn’t trying to get us to meet him. He just wanted to talk. If you want me to get close to him, then you have to let me handle this my way otherwise this isn’t going to work. If you want to handle this some other way, and lie and deceive him, then do it yourself! Sir.” Archer said nothing for several minutes. “Okay.” Archer nodded. “I’ll let you handle this. But you don’t tell him anything about this ship or Starfleet or Earth without my permission. And if he wants to meets us, you tell me the minute he asks, even if I’m asleep. Agreed?” “Agreed, sir.” “Why did you pull your earpiece out?” “There was a noise on the frequency like really loud feedback. I don’t know what it was.” Archer nodded. “If he comes back, ask him.” “Yes, sir.” “Next time you’re irritated with something I’ve done, Hoshi, will you tell me right away instead of a week later?” “Aye, sir.” “And next time you care to insult me by calling me an ass or any other vulgarity, perhaps you can refrain until you’re in your quarters.” “Yes, sir. I apologize for the insult, sir.” “That’ll be all Ensign. Dismissed.” Hoshi left. The next short story is Innocent Evil The next Tweens story is Strike Three |
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