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"I'm a Believer" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG
What’s In A Name? (7) Archer leaned forward on the console. “I’m sending three landing parties down. Trip, your in command of team one in shuttle pod one. Travis, you’ll be flying shuttle pod two and T’Pol and I will take shuttle pod three. T’Pol, do you have--” “Permission to comment, sir,” Travis interrupted. Archer looked up at Travis. “Granted.” “We’ve been out here for over five years, correct, sir?” “Yes, Ensign.” “I was wondering if we couldn’t name shuttle pod one the Grasp.” “The Grasp, Travis?” “Yes, sir.” “Why the Grasp?” “It seems that every time we’re retrieving something shuttle pod one is always taken before two or three.” “Oh, I get it,” Trip said. “The U.S.S. Grasp was a navy deep sea retrieval ship back in the day. It recovered planes, ships and subs lost at sea. Man, where did you find that bit of history?” “Trivia Pursuit last night,” Travis answered. “Then shuttle pod three should be called the Zeppelin,” Malcolm muttered. “The Zeppelin?” Travis asked. “It exploded on its maiden voyage.” “Yes and with all the things that go wrong on that shuttle pod, I worry that some day it might explode.” Trip laughed. “So we should name shuttle pod two Speedy Gonzales. She is the slowest of the three.” “Whom did you play Trivia Pursuit with?” Malcolm asked Travis. “Uhm, Elizabeth, Karen Paris, Ed--” “Gentlemen!” Archer said much sharper than he’d intended. The three men fell silent. “Can we could get back to the landing parties and their assignments?” “Sorry, sir,” Travis said. “Sorry, sir,” Malcolm said. “I’m sorry too, sir,” Trip said. “T’Pol, have you designated landing sites?” T’Pol brought up a three-dimensional model of the planet and began explaining the landing sites. # “Hold the lift!” Trip pressed the button and the door opened. Malcolm darted onto the lift and stopped beside him. “Morning,” Malcolm said. “Morning. What deck?” “E.” “Really? That’s where I’m headed.” Malcolm only smiled. The lift stopped on deck C and Travis stepped on. “What deck?” Trip asked. “E, sir.” “That’s where we’re headed too. Popular deck this morning.” “Yes, sir,” Travis said. The lift stopped at E deck and the three men started walking. Trip looked at the two men and then down the hall. “Where are you two going?” Trip asked. “Launch bay one, sir,” Malcolm replied. “So am I,” Travis said. “That’s where I’m headed too,” Trip added. The three turned into the loading bay and stopped. “Were you told to meet the Cap’n here?” Trip asked. “All three of you were,” Archer said, walking around the nose of shuttle pod one with an ensign. He held three individual one-liter cans of paint and three paintbrushes in his hand. The ensign following him was carrying three envelopes. Archer handed each man a can and a brush and then held out his hand. The ensign handed him the envelopes and left the loading bay. Archer looked in one and handed it to Travis. He looked at in the second and handed it to Trip. He handed the third to Malcolm. “You three have a priority one assignment this morning that is to be completed before you return to your normal duties. I spoke with Starfleet command yesterday afternoon and we decided that some additional identification marks need to be added to the shuttles.” Trip grinned. “Additional identification marks, sir?” Archer smiled, nodding his head once. “That is correct.” “Shuttle pod two, sir?” Trip asked, lifting the envelope. “Yes, Commander.” “Speedy Gonzales, sir?” “U.S.S. Los Angeles, Commander. Speedy Gonzales was turned down four to one. I was the one.” With a grin Trip turned and left the launch bay. “You have shuttle pod three, Lieutenant Reed.” “You mean the Zeppelin, sir?” “Unfortunately, she’ll be named Durango. They wouldn’t accept Zeppelin.” “Bad omen, sir?” “Yes, Lieutenant Reed. Superstition still remains even in this day and age, I’m afraid.” “The U.S.S. Durango she is, sir.” Malcolm headed for the shuttle pod on the opposite side of the bay. “What did they name mine, sir?” Travis asked. “U.S.S. Grasp. They thought it was a very appropriate name for her.” Archer looked back at shuttle pod one. “She does do a lot of recovery missions.” “Yes she does, sir.” Archer looked at Travis. “Get to it, Ensign. The lady’s waitin’.” “Aye, aye, Captain,” Travis said with a grin. He walked over to the nose of the shuttle pod, patting her like an old friend and then disappeared to the other side. Archer grinned as he turned and walked out of the bay. |
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