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"In Good Time"
Rating: PG p>Return of the Disastrous Duo (6) This story was moved to “Nuggets” so that you may enjoy the full Nuggets experience. King Takes Knight and Pawn(7) Archer strolled through the hall, hearing someone talking ahead of him. He glanced up at the crewmen working in the hall, offered them a quick smile and looked back at the PADD in his hand. The two watched him disappear around the corner and one pulled a communicator out of his breast pocket. “He’s headed in your direction, repeat, he’s headed in your direction.” He snapped the communicator shut as he sprung to his feet. He and the other crewmen ran down the hall, starting to laugh. # Archer stepped onto the bridge and glanced up. He stopped, looking around. There was no one on the bridge. Archer turned, expecting to see them waiting in the situation room. There was no one in the situation room. Archer walked over to his chair and hit the COM button. “Archer to any senior staff.” “Trip here.” “Aren’t you supposed to be up here, Trip?” “Up where, sir?” “On the bridge.” “I’m working on something in the mess hall. Did you need something?” “I need you up here for the senior staff meeting. Where’s everyone else?” “I dunno. Why?” “Where’s the rest of the bridge crew? Are they in the mess hall?” “Uh-uh. Just the mess hall crew and me, sir. Why?” “There is no one up here. Are you sure you don’t know where they are?” “Nu-uh. Chef asked me to come down and fix the freezer control. Not really my job, but I thought I could finish it before I headed to the meeting. I’ll be there in a bit.” “Trip, what is going on?” “What’d’ya mean what’s going on?” “Where is everyone? There isn’t even someone up here manning helm, Trip.” “Cap’n, I dunno. Honest. Look, why don’t you get started on some work. You were telling me last night at dinner you had reports to do, right? Well, get started on ‘em and I’ll see if I can’t round up the missing senior staff for ya, okay? I doubt they went very far, sir. Just give me five more minutes. I almost have this freezer control finished. Alright?” “Trip, I need at least a helmsman up here.” “Alright. Alright. I’m on my way up now. Is she on automatic?” Archer walked to helm to check and found it was on automatic. He walked back. “Yes.” “I’ll be five minutes. See you in a couple. Trip out.” Archer turned and walked to his ready room. The first door opened and he looked up as the second door opened and five aluminum pie plates of whipped cream sprang free from their restraints and covered him with whipped cream. Behind Archer he heard laughing. First it was only two people, and then slowly it became a laughing roar of many, many more. Archer turned, to find the bridge filled with crew laughing and Trip and Ensign Sherie Fields were standing at the front with cans of whipped cream in hand. “No!” Archer ordered both of them, pointing at them to make the order clear. “Don’t you two even think about adding to this!” Trip and Sherie looked at each other. “What’d’ya think, Commander?” Sherie asked. “Well, we did get stuck in the brig for a week.” “Yeah. And he told us about all the deserts he ate while we were in there, which I feel was cruel and unusual punishment.” “And he had us hauled off by security in front of the entire crew.” “And then he put us on probation for three months…which ended yesterday.” “Survey says?” Trip asked with a grin. The rest of the crew pulled cans of whipped fream from their pockets or behind their backs. “Sorry, Cap’n, majority rules. You lose!” Trip laughed. Archer backed into his ready room. “No. NO!” “Ready?” Malcolm’s voice said from somewhere in the crowd. “I am never going to forgive you two if you do this.” “Aim!” Hoshi’s voice called out. They all aimed their whipped cream cans as Archer. He reached out and hit the door controls but the door wouldn’t close. “FIRE!” Sherie laughed. Archer closed his eyes as he was covered with whipped cream. When they stopped, he stood still, not sure if he was going to laugh or become angry. He felt someone grab his hand and a towel was placed in it. He wiped his face off and opened his eyes, finding Navta holding out another towel to him. “You knew about this, didn’t you? And you didn’t say anything at breakfast?” “Uh-uh.” Navta laughed. Archer smiled, looking up at his crew. “I am going to fire all of you and get a new crew!” Archer laughed. They started talking at once, assuring him they still respected him and adored him but that he had this one coming for a long time after ending the entertainment Sherie and Trip had provided the few months they were pulling pranks on one another. Archer ended up laughing. |
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