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"Starting Out" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG Hooked (2) “Excuse me, Lieutenant Reed.” Malcolm looked around, finding Hoshi standing behind him. Beside her stood one of the Jit that had stowed away on Enterprise. Malcolm had seen her in the halls and in the mess hall with Hoshi, Archer, Trip or T’Pol. He couldn’t have ignored her even if they’d simply passed on a space station. Her bright green eyes, hidden behind black locks, seemed to hint at years of wisdom that contradicted the youthfulness of her face. Her black hair was cut short and while he normally liked long hair, on her short was beautiful. Malcolm had often noticed how her smile, which he’d exchanged with her as a polite passing expression, seemed to brighten the mood of any person it was turned on. Had his childhood best friend been there, Malcolm would have told him that the first time he’d seen the woman he had fallen into lust. While Malcolm didn’t know her personality, physically she was the kind of woman he was attracted to--if she were human. That thought had the effectiveness of a cold shower. He wasn’t about to get involved with an alien, no matter how human she looked. “This is Sista.” Hoshi motioned to Sista with the PADD in her hand. “Sista, this is Lieutenant Reed.” Hoshi pointed to Malcolm with the PADD and then handed the PADD to Malcolm. “Here is a list of her skills. Captain Archer posted her to the armory for now, sir.” Malcolm took the PADD, scrolling through the list of Sista’s skills. “She understands limited English.” Hoshi handed Malcolm a communicator. “You’ll need this. It translates most of the Varlikon language, but it does leave some words out.” Malcolm turned on the communicator and stuck it in his sleeve pocket. “I need to get back to the bridge, sir. Will you be okay?” “Yes,” Malcolm answered. “Call me if the translator goes on the fritz,” Hoshi said. Malcolm smiled. “You’ll be on my speed dial.” Hoshi waved good-bye and left. Malcolm looked back at Sista. “You have a lot of skills,” Malcolm commented. Sista nodded. “Yes.” “Of all these skills, which are you the best at?” Sista smiled at Malcolm. “I only listed skills I am best at.” Malcolm looked at the PADD. “That’s a lot of skills.” “We had to have a lot to be captain.” Malcolm looked up at her. “Captain?” Sista smiled, shaking her head a little. “Not important.” “Tell me what your thoughts are on this,” Malcolm turned, pulling up information and schematics on the phase canon, “We blow out power relays every time we use the canons at full power. Doesn’t make for a very--” Sista pointed to a place on the screen. “Canon too powerful for these four couplings. They are absorbing and redistributing power back into the power relays, which is blowing them out.” Malcolm slowly looked back at Sista. “The couplings have to be there, Sista.” “Couplings are wrong material. You need to put on the dirilium couplings.” “Dirilium couplings are meant for plasma tubes.” “They can withstand higher voltage.” “No they can’t.” Malcolm’s anger rose in response to Sista’s insistence of a fact he knew she was wrong about. Sista smiled, leaning toward Malcolm. “They can withstand the voltage.” Malcolm stood, opening his mouth to argue. “How can you prove that I not pass the test if you’ve never test answer?” Sista turned to face him squarely. Malcolm clamped his mouth shut. “What?” Malcolm asked. He’d meant for the word to be said with more anger and force than it came out as. “You asked me this question to test my knowledge, did you not?” Malcolm stared at Sista for a long time. He smiled, “Lieutenant Monroe needs some assistance.” He pointed to a woman toward the back of the armory and then handed Sista the translator. Sista opened her hand and Malcolm sat it in her hand, but didn’t let go. Sista closed her hand around the translator and his hand. Malcolm looked down at their hands, his emotions stirring from her gentle touch. Malcolm let the communicator go, looking up and meeting Sista’s gaze. “Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?” he asked. ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING MALCOLM!?’ Malcolm screamed in his head to himself. Sista smiled. “I would love to, Lieutenant Reed.” “You can then explain this answer and persuade me you are correct,” Malcolm explained, hoping he could brush over the real reason he’d asked her to dinner. Sista smiled. “And you can persuade me I’m wrong, Lieutenant.” Sista pulled the translator out of Malcolm’s hand Sista walked around Malcolm, glancing back at him. Malcolm was watching her walk away. Malcolm turned back at the screen. “What did you just do, Malcolm?” Malcolm asked himself as he returned to his work. He smiled, whispering, “Guess I’ve just been hooked!” |
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