FLY TRAP
Chapter 1
Assignations

The two girls lay on their backs looking up at the ever changing star scape. Neither was quite used to it yet. Mara Beckett looked across at her room mate Mei Sun. She'd been more than a little concerned when she found out she would be sharing a room with a total stranger. She disliked social interaction almost to a phobic level. But she found Sun easy to get to know, and after a little over a year, she counted her as one of her closest friends.

'You're wasting your time fancying the Captain, Sunny. What Earthly chance do the likes of us have with that Vulcan woman flouncing around in front of him with her tattooed on whatever-it-is.'

'Yeah I guess so. But he's so..... I dunno..... ruggedly handsome.'

'Where on Earth did you get that from?' Mara laughed. 'You been reading those books again?'

'It's the closest I'll ever get to romance, reading about it. Ah well, I suppose I'd better aim a little lower. Commander Tucker?'

'Hmm..... He's a bit girly for me. Imagine it.' Mara slipped into story telling mode. 'Confronted by hostile aliens on a lonely planet.......'

'You've been reading those books again?' grinned Sun.

'....on a lonely planet, and we're about to get vaporised, and Commander Tucker flutters those purdy li'l ahh lashes.....'

'Hmm well maybe he is a bit pretty. I quite liked Ensign Potter until I saw him walk.' Sun giggled and swung her legs off the couch and did a perfect imitation of Ensign Potter in motion.

'Yes.' Mara grinned. 'What a waste.'

She suddenly looked serious. 'Sunny, you know that Concept I submitted about EM shielding?' Sun nodded. 'Lieutenant Reed wants to see me about it.'

'So what's the problem? That's great news! You've been noticed!'

'But I've never spoken to him before.'

'But he's your section head! How have you gone a year without speaking to him?'

Mara didn't speak for what seemed an eternity. Sun waited patiently. Then,

'Promise you won't say anything to anyone, but I've managed to avoid it because I don't know how I'll react.' She paused, gathering her thoughts. 'You see, I've got a major crush on him. i'm totally in lust. Just hearing that gorgeous English accent sends me all funny!'

'Oh wow! And now you've got to go to his office and speak to him one to one! When have you got to go?'

Mara looked pale. 'In about twenty minutes.' She stood up and began picking invisible fluff off her uniform. 'He's a perfectionist. I'm scared to death. It takes all my effort not to look a total scruff.'

She looked at Sun who was grinning immensely. 'If you really want to knock his socks off, you should be wearing that black dress I saw in your things. That'll sort him!'

Mara refrained from comment and left their quarters.

-0-0-0-

Mara took the scenic route to tactical. She had plenty of time, and she wanted to walk herself into a calmness that she didn't yet feel. It hadn't worked by the time she entered the turbo lift. As the lift took her towards Malcolm Reed, she took deep breaths and willed her pulse to slow. She halted the turbo lift mid journey, and eyes closed, she made a supreme effort to slow down her breathing. The last thing she wanted to do was hyperventilate and pass out in front of the Lieutenant. When she thought she had gained a modicum of control, she restarted the lift.

She so wished that she hadn't submitted the Concept. She was about to make a total ass of herself, and there was absolutely nothing she could do. All her training hadn't prepared her for this, but then it was hardly likely to have done. She should have grown out of this when she was sixteen!

Suddenly there she was, outside Lieutenant Reed's office.

This was it.

She reached out her hand to the buzzer.

-0-0-0-

'Sit down and relax, Ensign Beckett. I've been looking at this Concept you've submitted and it makes most interesting reading. When ever did you have time to put it together?'

Mara tried to get a grip on herself. 'In my own time, Sir. I've been thinking about it for a couple of years.'

Malcolm Reed flickered a smile. 'I'm really impressed, Ensign. The idea of a Phase Generator able to deflect EM weapons is new as far as I know. I notice that you suggest its use only as an emergency measure when the hull plating fails. Is that because of the high energy consumption?'

Mara nodded. No need to risk speaking if it wasn't necessary.

Reed brought up the schematics on the screen he had in front of him, swung it round so that Mara could see it, and too her horror, walked round the desk and stood behind her.

'If you look here,' He leaned over and pointed to the screen. Mara breathed very carefully. 'The reason for the high energy input/output ratio could be because the EM phases overlap causing destructive interference.' He leaned on the desk with his left hand and pointed to the screen over her right shoulder. Mara decided it was probably safest not to breathe atall for a moment or two. She could fel him close to her and was having trouble concentrating on what he was saying.

'If you were to employ phase descriminators here and here,' he continued, 'that might reduce the energy ratios.' He straightened up. 'What do you think, Ensign?'

'Yes.' A squeak 'She coughed. 'Yes.' Better. 'Maybe with your permission I could set up a computer simulation.'

'Very good, Ensign. There's not a great deal tpo do in tactical at the moment. You may cut your duty priods by two hours until further notice. It's not much, I know but it will give you a little time to work on the project. Do you need an assistant, or do you prefer to work alone?'

'Ensign Mei Sun is very good at setting up simulations. Maybe she could help?'

'Very well. I'll speak to her department head. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.' He smiled. 'Anything else?'

'No Sir.'

'You may go.'

He watched her until the door closed behind her. There was something about her. Not quite sure what.'

-0-0-0-

Mara waited until the door closed behind her before collapsing against the bulkhead. He had smiled at her!

'He smiled at me!' she breathed.

And Lieutenant Reed rarely smiled!

Mara floated towards the lift.

-0-0-0-

Reed closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was about to go and eat with the Captain. Again! When the last time had been cut short he thought he'd got away with it, but Archer had remembered. His mind involuntarily slipped back to the last time, the terrible silences, and the subsequent hideously embarrassing episode outside the ship. He felt sick just thinking about all the heart outpouring when he thought he was about to die, and now, well...... now he was terrified!

Malcolm had made a supreme effort to be the type of officer Archer clearly preferred. He had tried to make small talk with his colleagues, but the talk turned out to be microscopic rather than small, and even that he found exhausting. He thought that how he looked might make a difference, so, drastically, he'd had his hair cut. It was no longer neat and brushed back, but short and a little spiky. All this had accomplished was to make him look far too young to be taken seriously (he thought) and also made him feel untidy and self conscious. The new look had certainly brought its share of startled double takes, but no one, thank goodness, had been indiscreet enough to say anything. Even Trip, the closest he had to a friend on the shop, refrained from comment. His smile though told Malcolm all he needed to know. He decided the same day as the cutting that he would grow it back. In the meantime he had to go about his duties looking like a scruffy kid.

(Mara had noted with approval the new look. She couldn't know what had precipitated such a change, but she liked it. It made him appear more approachable (to other people, not her) and vulnerable (to her, not other people!) She really wanted to get close to him, but getting there filled her with dread.)

Malcolm picked up the file he had downloaded off the computer; "Great British Sporting Heroes of the Last Century". He hated sports; there were far more constructive ways to spend one's time!

He threw the file on the couch and picked up Mara's Concept folder. A far more interesting topic for discussion.

Taking a deep resigned breath, (while removing some invisible fluff from his uniform) he left his quarters.