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"In Good Time"
Rating: PG Reprogramming (1) Archer heard the lift open and looked up. Ensign Novakovich walked up, handing him a PADD. “The report you requested, Boss.” “Boss?” Archer asked him “I meant sir…sir. Sorry, sir.” Archer nodded looking down at the PADD. “Excuse me, sir,” Nathan said, turning to leave. “Ensign.” Nathan slowly turned back around, knowing that it had finally coming. Since they had returned from the planet Xaritex he kept calling Archer ‘Boss.’ Until today, Archer would laugh or at least smile, but he suspected that eventually Archer was going to say something about it. “Nathan, I think I may have to send you back to Earth. Trip here, too.” “What?” Trip said, hearing his name but not the statement, “What, Cap’n?” Archer looked at Trip, “I was telling Nathan I may have to send you two back to Earth.” The bridge became silent. Everyone’s eyes turned to Archer. “Wh-Why?” Trip asked. He watched Archer’s face for any sign of humor but he wasn’t seeing any and it was giving him a sinking feeling. “You both have fallen out of protocol severely since we’ve gotten back from Xaritex. Nathan’s calling me Boss all the time, you’re going around accidentally referring to yourself as Kurt and talking in Iola…it isn’t acceptable.” “But…it’s only been two weeks!” Trip retorted. Archer shook his head, looking down at the PADD. “And Hoshi gonna have to go too.” Hoshi had been listening to the conversation but until now had pretended to be busy. She looked back at Archer. “Sir?” Hoshi said. “You’ve been doing the same things as Trip has. I catch you talking to aliens in Iola every so often and that could prove fatal one day. Maybe today or tomorrow even.” Hoshi started to protest but didn’t even know which part of her protest she wanted to start on. And the worst part was there wasn’t a hint of humor in Archer’s face. “I’ll have to request a transporter to take you three back. I’m going to be sorry to see you three go,” Archer looked down at his PADD, shaking his head, “but you three need to go back through basic and re-learn how to address a commanding officer.” “I was never in basic training, sir!” Hoshi protested. “All the more reason to send you back, Hoshi.” “But, sir!” “Cap’n,” Trip protested, “we haven’t—” Archer started snickering. He leaned forward; breaking into gut wrenching laughter so hard he started crying. Hoshi smiled, turning back to her work. “I’m going to put a request in to send you back, Captain!” Hoshi jabbed. “I really wanted to play it up some more too!” Archer howled, “I just couldn’t hold it back with the look you three had.” “I’m going down to engineering now,” Trip said as he stood, “Don’t call me if you need anything. I won’t answer.” Archer calmed down, watching him step onto the lift. He looked up at Nathan, who was smiling. “Sorry, Nathan. I’ve been waiting for a day you three were in the same room and one of you messed up. Consider yourself a victim of your Captain’s ornery streak!” “I see that, Boss.” “You really have to quit calling me ‘Boss,’ Nathan.” “Sure thing, Boss.” Nathan turned and walked to the lift. |
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