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"I'd Rather Be..."
Rating: PG One Step Forward (6) Archer let out a sigh, following Trip around the engine, “Please Trip?” “I can’t!” “Trip, please.” Cap’n,” Trip stopped and turned. “Have you ever known me to refuse goin’ visitin’ before?” “No. Which is why—” “Which is why you should believe me when I tell you I cannot go.” Trip turned, opening a panel. “Look, if you want to leave this solar system any time soon, Cap’n, then I have to stay here and make the engine go vroom. Otherwise, we’re not going vroom anywhere.” Archer looked aside. “Take T’Pol.” “She, Hoshi, and Vardee went to the planet out on the edge of the solar system. They’re busy.” “Take Travis.” “Who’s going to pilot Enterprise through the asteroid field to pick up the women?” Trip rolled his eyes. “Then take Malcolm.” “He has the twins.” Trip turned, facing Archer, “I don’t know what to tell ya.” Trip turned and walked away. Archer followed him. “I could order you.” “You could. And then you’d complain because the engine isn’t getting repaired as fast you’d like it to be.” “I don’t complain about that!” Archer protested. Trip scoffed, “Oh! Right!” “I don’t!” Archer argued. Trip stopped, looking back at Archer. “How long have we been at space, Cap’n?” “Over seven years, but I—” “And you think you don’t get irritable when the repairs aren’t done when you think they should be done?” “No.” “Should I put that up for a ship wide vote or do you wanna just believe me?” Archer narrowed his eyes. “I need a navigator. They told me the weather controllers move randomly and it takes two people to get any craft to the surface.” “So…take Ensign Carter.” “And who’s going to pilot on the night shift?” “You’re being difficult.” “I will beg.” “Hey! I know,” Trip spun around. “Take Brila.” “Brila’s a cook.” “She was the navigator on the Diedra for seven years, Cap’n.” “I’d forgotten.” Trip turned, walking again. “Her or Sisyl both, but I have a feeling that getting reclamation to let you have him might be near to impossible.” Archer smiled. “They’ve become rather attached to him, haven’t they?” “The reclamation team is an odd bunch, Cap’n. They go around call Sisyl ‘Little Buddy’ after some old television show character. Amanda told me Sisyl almost looks like the character but I’ll just have to take her word on that.” Archer laughed. “If Brila won’t go, I’m ordering you.” “Order away.” Trip opened a maintenance tunnel door and looked back at Archer, “But just remember that when things aren’t getting done when you want them done it was your fault, sir.” “I do not get like that!” Trip had already climbed into the tunnel. He looked back at Archer, “G’day, Cap’n.” Archer laughed. He turned and headed for the galley. # Archer sat down in the pilot’s seat. “Ready?” Archer asked. “Yes,” Brila answered in a quiet voice. “Okay, here we go. Do you have the data for the weather spheres?” Brila smiled, looking at him, “You pilot. I’ll navigate. We’ll call it even, sir.” Archer laughed. “Sorry. Habit.” “Ready for launch. I have the entry coordinates programmed. Once we enter the atmosphere I’ll plot the coordinates manually to get us through the spheres.” “Sounds good. Let’s not mess up their weather, okay?” “Well, that was the general plan, sir.” Archer looked back at her. She smirked, keeping her eyes on the controls. Archer smiled. “I didn’t know you were such a wise crack.” Archer looked back at the controls. “Guess you don’t know me.” “Guess I’ll have to make a change to that.” “Guess so.” Archer chuckled. They entered the atmosphere and the two returned to seriousness. Archer brushed only one sphere using Brila’s navigation plotting and that was only because it changed position at the last minute. Archer landed the shuttle pod and sat back. “I have to say, Brila, being a ship steward hasn’t dulled your navigation abilities,” Archer complimented. “Does that mean I get to stay on Enterprise?” Brila asked. “Or that you don’t like my cooking and you’d rather I navigate?” Archer stood, leaning toward her. “Keep making peanut butter pies, Brila, and don’t let the navigating go to your head!” Brila grinned at him. “Aye, aye, cap’n.” Archer laughed, patting her shoulder. “This should only take a few hours. You did bring something to do, right?” “I brought an entire kitchen. Does that count?” Archer shook his head, laughing. “Just do the dishes before I get back.” Archer walked over to the hatch, opening the door. “Don’t leave without me.” “I would never leave without you, sir,” Brila answered in a softer voice. Archer looked back at her as he stepped out of the shuttle pod. Brila wasn’t watching him as he’d half expected based on the reply she had just made. Archer shrugged, presuming that the response really was nothing more than a joke. |
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