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"Frank and Speak" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG
Surprise (5) Sista peered into the darkness surrounding her, gnawing on the piece of gum in her mouth while she thought. She reached down by her leg, holding her hand outside the panel. “Need plasma torch,” Sista said. Trip was sitting with his back against the wall next to the access panel blowing a gum bubble. He had a toolbox sitting on the floor between his legs that he occasionally picked a tool out of, looked at and put back. He moved tools around until he spotted a plasma torch. Trip popped his gum bubble and plopped the plasma torch into Sista’s waiting hand. “I said I could do this ya know,” Trip said. “Opening too small,” Sista said. Trip smiled, looking up and down the hall of the Diedra. The quietness in the Jit’s ship was unusual to Trip. He was used to hearing the constant engine hum on Enterprise. “Why you not work on you ship?” Sista asked “Day off,” Trip answered. “Don’t have to work.” “Need conduit cable this wide,” Sista held out her hands out to show the length she needed. “What time is it?” Trip dug around in the box again looking for the roll of conduit cable. He found it and cut off a piece to her specification. Trip sat the piece in Sista’s waiting hand. “So what do you think about gum?” Trip asked. “Diedra, what’s the time?” “The time is thirteen hundred and twelve hours,” the computer responded. “Have to hurry,” Sista said. “Gum different. So you nishta like not work sometime?” “I like it...I’m just bored today. Nothing to do.” “What you do on other days off?” Trip shrugged. “Read. Have some games on the computer, but I’ve won all of ‘em. Sometimes I find someone else to play poker with.” “What poker?” “It’s a card game,” Trip explained. “Certain hands win it and you wager money.” Sista pulled herself out of the opening and turned to replace the cover. “Why you wager money? What wager?” “You bet money.” Sista looked back at him with questioning look. Trip looked down, thinking. He added, “You tell ‘em you’re gonna give so much money to the pot in the middle of the table based on the cards you have in your hand.” Sista smiled when he looked up. “I think understand. Have to read about.” “I think I’ve read everything in the library. Twice.” Trip got up with Sista, helping her gather tools. “That why you bother me on Diedra? No book? No...poker or game?” Trip smiled. “Yeah.” “Enterprise need holosuite” “Holo...what?” “Carry back?” Sista pointed to the second box in the hall. “Sure.” Trip picked it up and the two walked back to the engineering room and put the boxes of tools in the cupboard they were kept in. Sista turned, eyeing him with what looked like a suspicious look. “What?” Trip asked. “Today K’pan Archer day off.” “Yeah,” Trip nodded. Sista patted his arm. “You in luck, Trip. Children plan surprise for K’pan.” Trip smiled. “What kind of surprise?” “Not tell. You get surprise too. We go get him and pull down hall whether want or not.” Trip laughed. “Kicking and screaming. Probably have to. He works even on his day off.” “K’pan job. Sista Enterprise. But first...” Sista walked around a cabinet and opened something. She put a combadge on her shirt, pushing on the center. Sista walked back around to the door. “I need to make sure he can understand me, yes?” “Works better for surprises.” “I thought so too. Now. Try again to explain poker.” Sista turned and headed for the door Trip smiled, again trying to explain poker as they walked. # Archer heard the lift stop followed by whispers, shushing and giggles. Archer smiled, deciding to play along. T’Pol looked up from her work, watching Navta and Eartik creep onto the bridge followed by Sista and Trip. “Okay,” Sista said. The children ran around Archer’s chair. Navta climbed into his lap, hugging him. Archer laughed, looking up at Trip and Sista, glancing at the combadge Sista was wearing. “What’s going on?” Archer asked her. “The children want to show you something,” Sista said. “What?” “A surprise. They’ve been working on it for several months.” “A surprise?” Archer looked at Navta with a broader smile. “What’s the surprise?” Navta shook her head. She pinched two fingers together, placed them at one corner of her lips and pulled them across to ‘zip’ her lips shut. Archer laughed. “Not telling huh?” Navta ‘unzipped’ her lips. “No,” she answered and then ‘zipped’ her lips shut. Archer stood, setting her down. Navta took his hand and Eartik grabbed a hold of his other hand. The two tried to run and pull Archer with them. “Hurry!” Navta cried, smiling back at him. “Slow down you two. My old legs don’t go that fast!” Archer laughed at them. The group kept him surrounded as they led him down halls and into loading bay three. “What is it?” Archer looked back at Trip. Trip shrugged. “Don’t know. I was invited at the last minute.” “Sista,” Archer said. He looked ahead again since Navta and Eartik were still pulling him. “Surprise,” Sista answered. “I can’t spoil their surprise.” Archer laughed. The children led him to a door that was slightly larger than the rest. There was writing on it that was in Varlikon but looked different from the writing on the other doors. “I almost didn’t make it,” someone said. Archer looked down the hall, watching Malcolm walk toward him with Porthos tucked under one arm. “Do you know what this is about?” Archer asked. Malcolm grinned. “Yes, sir.” “You’re behind this?” Archer laughed. “No, sir. The children planned this themselves. They had good reason to so I assisted.” “You must close your eyes, K’pan!” Navta insisted. “Close ‘em!” “Okay,” Archer closed his eyes. Archer heard the door open and behind him Trip said, “Oh wow!” Archer felt warmth on his face like he was standing behind a window with sun shining through. “Keep your eyes closed!” Navta ordered. She and Eartik pulled forward on his hands. Archer walked forward. His smile faded when he heard the distinct crunch of sand and it felt like his feet were sinking into sand. He tilted his head to the side, hearing what sounded like ocean surf and seagulls. “OPEN THEM!” Navta cried. Archer opened his eyes and stared in shock. He was standing on a beach, staring out on an ocean. The beach was like the one he remembered playing on as a child. “What is this?” Archer asked. “Holosuite,” Sista answered. Archer looked back. The children, Sista, and Malcolm were standing in the open door. The illusion was a little discomforting when Archer saw the maroon and gray hall of the Diedra beyond the door. He looked at Trip. Trip was couched at the water’s edge, dipping his hand in the water. He stood, looking back at Archer. “This is just like that room on the Xyrillian ship, Cap’n,” Trip said. “You can go swimming,” Eartik said. “You told me you like to swim in the ocean,” Navta said. Archer smiled. “It’s been a while.” “It’s your day off,” Sista said, smiling. “The children wanted you to have some fun. Especially Navta,” Sista laid her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “She told me all the stories you’ve told her about the beach you played on when you were a child like her.” Archer crouched down in front of Navta. “Thank you.” Navta threw her arms around his neck. “For my best friend K’pan!” Archer laughed. “Navta and Eartik will stay and help you learn how to use the program. I’ve had communications routed here so that if anything comes up you can be alerted. Enjoy your surprise.” Malcolm handed Porthos to Navta and left with Sista. The door closed and all Archer could see in it’s place was his childhood beach. “You can show me how to throw a kite!” Eartik said. “Navta’s told me all about them and we learned about them in school.” “Fly a kite,” Archer corrected. “But there isn’t a good breeze.” “I’ll fix that!” Navta said, “Diedra, start air current at half a knot and vary no more than three knots.” A gentle breeze started blowing. “What other surprises are there?” Archer asked Navta and Eartik. The two children grinned. Navta sat Porthos down in the sand and the dog took off at a run down the beach. “Porthos!” Archer called. “He’s okay. Safeties are on. He won’t get hurt,” Navta reassured Archer by patting his arm. Archer smiled at her. “First get out of stiff clothes,” Navta said, tugging on his uniform sleeve. She pointed behind Archer “Tents down there. Come on!” Navta grabbed his hand and pulled on it. Eartik grabbed Trip’s hand and the two men allowed themselves to be led at a run down the beach. # Trip walked out of the ocean and up the beach to the beach chair beside Archer’s. “We need to put one of these on Enterprise,” Trip said. Archer watched the two children run past with their kites flying in the air behind them. Porthos ran behind them as fast as his short legs could go. “Hard to believe this is fake,” Trip said. He picked up a handful of sand, letting it sift between his fingers. “Yes it is.” Trip reached out, picked up a cold beer from the cooler beside his chair, and swallowed a drink. “Beer even tastes real.” “It’s not bad, for being resequenced,” Archer joked. Archer tipped his bottle, swallowing a sip. “So...tell me something Jon.” Archer looked at him. “Do ya like your surprise?” Trip grinned, swallowing another drink of his beer. Archer laughed, laying his head back on the chair. “If I didn’t know any different, I’d say it was real.” Trip reached down beside him and held up a crab for Archer to see. “This part of your description of this place too?” Archer shook his head. “That wasn’t.” Trip turned the crab around to look at its eyes. “You think it tastes like crab?” “Only one way to find out.” Trip grinned. He stood up, calling to the children. # Archer walked into his quarters with Porthos. He sat Porthos down and the dog walked to his bed, laid down and fell asleep. “At least I know the children are good at wearing you out,” Archer told the sleeping dog. Archer began to slowly undress, feeling stiffness setting into his body. He pulled his shirt off and sat down on the edge of the bed with a tired sigh. Archer turned and climbed to the head of the bed, let himself drop and fell asleep. |
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