Disclaimer : I own only the original characters (i.e. the Larneian race), nothing else!!!
A/N : This is a reposting of an old fic. I had intended to change it, update it and generally polish it up but when it got down to it I just didn't have the heart. Frozen Fires is one of my first works and remains as was.
CHAPTER ONE
Whispers in the dark
Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III was bored. His engines were running smoothly, his team was operating without mishap, in fact the whole damn ship was running efficiently enough. It had been weeks since they'd come across anything interesting, he'd lost count of how many. Was it eight? Or nine? Or even ten. It wasn't important anyway. But there was nothing on long-range sensors to pique their interest either, so life was going to go on being boring.
Trip left engineering at the end of his shift and went straight to the Mess Hall. He supposed the food would be yet more re-sequenced protein and other slop provided by chef. That wasn't fair, Chef usually produced great grub, it was just that Trip would have given anything to taste a bit of real home cooking for a change.
It seemed to Captain Jonathan Archer that his friend - indeed most of the crew - needed something new and original to work on. They had been on Enterprise for over six months, fighting battles, resolving conflicts, initiating first contact, but right now their mission seemed… there was no other word for it… dull.
"Captain? Sir?…. Captain Archer?" A crewman - Archer felt guilty that he couldn't remember her name - had obviously being trying to gain his attention for a few moments.
"I'm sorry." Archer smiled at her. Stood to attention, she allowed the corners of her mouth to smile in return. "At ease, Crewman. What can I do for you?"
"Engineering roster for your approval Captain, from Commander Tucker Sir." She offered him a PADD.
"Thank you, Crewman… Leighton." The name suddenly materialized in his memory. She looked pleased that he had remembered her name. He told himself firmly that he really should spend some time getting to know his crew. He took the PADD and added his identification number to it. She took it back from him, waited until he dismissed her, then scurried quickly from the Bridge. It struck him that she had probably finished her shift already and come to the Bridge as a favour to Trip. That man could get anything out of a person with only a word and a smile. Well, any human anyway, he thought ruefully, glancing at the Vulcan science officer, T'Pol. She was stood, as always, as straight as was possible in order to read her control panels . It was funny, he thought, not for the first time, but seven months ago he had deplored the idea of having a Vulcan crew member, let alone a Vulcan first officer, and friend. And yet there she stood. He smiled to himself.
"Captain?" Ensign Hoshi Sato stirred at her post, seemingly listening hard to her earpiece. She sounded nervous, unsure.
"What is it?"
"I'm… well, I'm not sure sir." She listened again. "It sounds like comm. signals sir. Very faint."
Archer glanced towards T'Pol, who studied her instruments momentarily. She looked up. "There are no ships within sensor range. Nor are there any planets with humanoid life-forms." Archer frowned.
"Are you sure Hoshi?" Archer asked kindly. It was not that he disbelieved her, it was just that … well… something had to be producing them, yet there was nothing within sensor range.
"Yes sir. Only… only it sounds like localised transmissions, sir." She looked over at Archer. The look on his face demanded an explanation. "The signals are barely strong enough to be inter-planetary, let alone inter-stellar sir."
"But you claim there aren't any planets with humanoid life-forms." Archer asked T'Pol.
"Correct." Hoshi couldn't help but feel as if T'Pol was snubbing her. "Either Ensign Sato is mistaken or the comm. system is malfunctioning." Hoshi looked crestfallen. Archer, however, was determined to back up his communications officer.
"Well, I trust Hoshi's ears but I don't always trust the comm. system." He informed T'Pol, perhaps a little coldly. "Archer to Tucker."
"Trip here Cap'n."
"Sorry to interrupt Trip but I think the comm. system needs a check-up. Think you can spare the time?"
"I'll get a team on it right away Cap'n."
"Thanks Trip, Archer out."
Hoshi pushed her food about on her plate. She had mauled it so much that she could no longer recognise what it was. Could she have been mistaken? But she was so sure there had been comm. signals. She shook her head to herself. Well, she figured, everyone makes mistakes now and again.
Someone sat down opposite her. "Looks appetisin'." Came Trip's Southern American drawl.
"It was." She retorted.
"So," he continued, "you want the good news or the bad news?"
"Let's try the good news." She sighed.
"There's nothing' wrong with the comm. system." He grinned at her as she looked up.
"And the bad news is that everyone thinks I've gone mad?" Hoshi suggested dully, playing with her food again.
"That's nuts!" Trip protested, his voice commanding her eyes to his. "The Cap'n wants you to find out where those signals came from. He believes you, and so do I for that matter."
Hoshi smiled, grateful to both Trip and Jon Archer for their trust. "Thanks Commander."
"How many times do I have t'tell ya? It's Trip." He insisted. "Care to join me on the Bridge?"
"Dinner first." She insisted, spooning up a mouthful of mush.
"Sounds good t'me." Trip laughed.
Three hours later, and the comm. system was still blank. Nothing. And Trip's team had somehow erased the logs when stripping down the system. It just wasn't Hoshi's day. She slammed her fist down on the edge of the console. From the opposite side of the bridge, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed looked sympathetic.
"No luck Hoshi?" He looked sideways at T'Pol, to see if she protested against the lapse in protocol. However the Vulcan seemed to have her mind on other things.
"Not a whisper." She replied. "I don't know, Lieutenant, perhaps I was imagining it after all."
"You'll find them." Reed replied encouragingly.
"I hope so, Malcolm, I really do." Hoshi answered quietly. "But I'm starting to think they were just figments of my imagination."
