I am dead bored, being as I am currently an au pair in one of the most boring towns in Australia, so I decided to start a new ficcie and here it is.
I am Dutch, so beware of grammar mistakes – betaer /editor would be welcomed with open arms.
If you could leave a review, that'd be great, if not: thanks for reading this anyway :D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything jadajadajada
CHAPTER ONE
Everyone knows those days when nothing seems to go according to plan and everything you try just blows up in your face, literally sometimes in case of Lt Malcolm Reed. Today had been such a day. After a terrible and long night shift, he wanted nothing more than to sleep, sleep and sleep some more. Which would blissfully happen after he had checked his messages.
Within seconds the smiling face of Commander Tucker appeared on his screen.
"Hello everyone. As most of you know in two weeks time the captain has his 40th birthday. To celebrate this accordingly I've come up with a brilliant plan, if I say so myself." This was followed by a short chuckle. "We're going to have something like an open-mic-night. To ensure of course that there are actually people performing that night, we have agreed that all of the senior staff is henceforth ordered to enter. No excuses are acceptable, you will see that in the following weeks your work schedules seem awfully empty. This time is to be used to practice, people. In cargo bay 2 and 3, sickbay and in the messhall at chef's request there will be lists where you can fill in your name if you want to enter. It's very important to add your talent, so people may join you, if you'd for instance wanted to act out a short play or whatever.
Well I'm expecting a big sign-up. So please don't disappoint me.
Oh, by the way," his expression now darkened a bit. "If you're so desperate to get out of performing to even consider telling the captain about this little set up, or you accidentally let it slip. Then let me tell you, you'll be very, very sorry the wrath of a Tucker is not a joyful thing to experience. Further more your colleagues won't be too happy either. This also goes for either unexplained injures or system failures, which may involve any of the senior staff..
OK, that's it for now," he continued, smiling again. "Good luck to all! Tucker out."
Malcolm sank further down in his chair and groaned out loud. 'Trust Tucker to think up something like this. He fumed, I need to find a way out of this one.'
Threatening Tucker was his first idea…"I'm telling you Commander, my performance will be so long and boring that your entire 'party' will be ruined!" Malcolm told him, crossing his arms defiantly.
Tucker looked up from his padd with a smile: "Really?"
"Yes, I will do this boring lecture about phasepistols, hmm or perhaps phasercannons." Reed continued to threaten, stepping a bit closer to his target to make himself more intimidating.
"Well, it sounds fairly interesting to me though." Trip commented amused.
"Trust me, it isn't."
"Why, I thought you found those topics dead interesting? I'm sure there are other people out there wanting to know the ins and outs of those phasers." He said, smiling lovingly at the security officer, of course getting a glare in return. "Besides, if you make it too boring, who knows what your colleagues might think of you. This is the perfect way to stun them with your talents, Malc, of which, I'm sure, you have plenty." He added with a wink.
"I don't care what other people think." Malcolm growled.
"Sure you don't. Then why are you begging to get out of this thing, I wonder. See you later, Mal." With that he turned around and wandered away, leaving a fuming Reed behind.
Making up an excuse was his second…"I'm really sorry, Trip, but it's my sister, she's in hospital. I'm going to see her that weekend, support my mum, you know." Malcolm told him, with the most saddest face he could pull off.
"Ooh you poor thing. You know what I'll make sure you'll get this weekend off, so you're there sooner, I'm sure they'll appreciate that. I'll also arrange for some extra free hours this week, so you can catch up with you practice time. Good evening Lieutenant."
"But…" Argh Damn!
Plain out refusing was another…"You can't make me do this." He said, arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes spitting fire.
"Ooh, but I can. I'm your ranking officer remember." Trip replied, with the sweetest smile.
"So? This has nothing to do with my duty as chief of security or as Starfleet Officer. You cannot order me to do this commander."
"Really…, you know I could still file in a complaint about you. I'm sure that wouldn't look too nice on your brand clean record."
"Is that a threat?" the lieutenant goggled at his friend. "Trip, you wouldn't!"
"Try me, darlin'."
And once more the lieutenant was left behind, not one step further into getting out of this mess.
Finally he resolved to begging…"Please Trip, please don't make me do this." He said, with puppy dog eyes.
Apparently Tucker hadn't expected him to sink this low, because he did not seem as unaffected as he had done in his former tries. "I'll need a therapist afterwards. All my high school horrors will come back to me. It was dreadful. They practically dragged me off the stage and no one ever spoke to me again afterwards. I've gotten beaten up lots of times."
"Mal.." Trip started, unsure of what to say. "Are you pulling my leg, or what? 'Cause this sure isn't something to joke about, you know."
Malcolm looked up at him. He seemed sincere about the matter. Perhaps Trip would even give in and let him off the hook, but did he really want it this way?
"Fine you win, I'll enter your bloody open-mic-night. But you have to tell me one thing though and please be honest about it. Is it just for our crew or are you going to broadcast this thing around the globe?"
"Oh my god Malcolm you were joking, you're awful!" Trip said in a mock shocked tone of voice.
"Please Trip, tell me."
"Fine, some of the captain's friends are gonna come over, but that's it."
"You swear?" Reed asked him, looking him searchingly in the eye.
"Sure." Trip answered laughing, while pretend spitting through his fingers.
"Commander, please, this isn't a joking matter. I really need for you to tell me the truth. If it is going to be broadcast or open for the public, I have people who will override your authority for me as it will bring my family and this ship in danger. So tell me is it just us and some good friends?" Reed pleaded desperately, grabbing a hold of Tucker's arm.
"Malcolm, what's going on? Is there anything I can do to help? You're not joking again, are you?" Trip asked concerned.
"Trip, answer my question please."
"No, no broadcasting or anything. Just the crew, some people of Starfleet Command and some friends. But Malcolm…"
"I'm sorry Trip, I can't tell you anything. You'll just have to trust me on this one. It has something to do with my past. That's all I can tell you, ok?"
"Alright, but tell me if there's ever I can do to help." Tucker told him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.
"I will," Reed replied with a small smile. "Good night, Trip.
"Good night and good luck with your performance, Mal." The commander told him with a grin.
Ok, so in the end he did have to perform. The problem was he only had one and a half week left to come up with something smashing. He actually did in no time at all. He was a fairly good singer and he had no stage fright, whatever Tucker believed of him. He now needed to find some people backing him up, either vocal or instrumental. Checking out those lists Trip had mentioned in his message seemed the best way to start.
First he made his way to cargo-bay 2.
'Hmm, actor, mime, acoustic guitarist, violist, violist, dancer, dancer, comedian, ballet dancer, actor, drummer, electronic guitarist, piano player, singer, actor, writer. Ok, I'll check the guitarists, the drummer and the pianist. Let's move on to Cargo Bay nummero 3.What do we have here. Poet, drama queen – I wonder what that means, hand reader, expressionist – again question marks, actor, saxophonist, pillow fighter – riiight, reader, mind reader, stripper, comedian, electronic guitarist, flutist, bassist, horn blower – what kind of horn I wonder, and drummer.
Ok, guitarist, bassist and drummer. Moving on.
"Hey Chef, could I see the list please."
"Of course Lieutenant, here you go. Please hand it back to me when you're done."
"Sure thing."
Let's see. Tambourine player, singer, actor, exotic dancer, actor, magician, flame spitter, singer, dancer, acrobat, violist, play writer, choreograph, clown.
Not much here… I'll take the tambourine player.
He took his own list back to his quarters, deciding that he had enough and didn't need to go to sickbay to check the one there, and selected the ones he liked. Luckily he managed to form a band that very same day consisting of two electronic guitarists named Michael Darwin and Yvonne Broome and one acoustic called Timothy Rogers, Franziska Charles was the drummer, Kevin Sanders the tambourine player and Alan Orion as the pianist.
They had now all gathered in Reed's quarters to discuss the more finer details.
"Okay now listen closely. Not under any circumstances is commander Tucker to find out that we're forming a band. I want him to believe I'm going to do a lecture about the ship's security."
"But why, sir?" Yvonne asked.
"Just a little bit of payback time for forcing me to do this." Malcolm grinned. "Therefore I've also taken extra security measures in cargo bay 1 where we can practice. I've changed the sensors, have installed some kind of forcefield and have put encrypted security locks on the doors. This way we won't have any unwanted guests and no one will know that we're there. Trip has no one to turn to but to me if he finds out that something is going on in cargo bay one, I am the security officer after all. So when he does, we'll just move to some place else, understood?"
"Yes, sir." They replied as one.
"Sir, what if he tries to encrypt the codes himself?" Timothy asked.
"Ooh trust me, he won't. He doesn't even understand the basics of encoding a simple message."
"But what if he turns to T'Pol?"
"If he does, I'll find out soon enough. There are some warning bells installed as well, which will go off as soon as someone has hacked through the first encrypted wall. But I don't expect him to turn to her though. Either way, we'll see."
In the end he turned out to be right.
"Malcolm, there is something I need to talk to you about, do you have a minute?" Tucker asked approaching him in the armoury room.
"I'm sorry Commander, I'm kind of in the middle of something here. Why don't you come back after my shift is over?"
"But my shift starts then. It's really important, Lieutenant."
"So is this sir. Why don't we meet tomorrow at breakfast?" Malcolm asked, hiding his grin. He knew all too well that by that time the Commander was probably still asleep. Let's see how desperate he is.
"Can't, my shift ends three hours before breakfast, so I'll be asleep. What about lunch?" Tucker tried again.
"Sorry can't either, I'm having a meeting with some crewmembers." He only partly lied, he was going to do some practicing during lunch tomorrow.
"Why don't you come and have dinner with me tomorrow evening?" Trip now offered, getting a bit agitated by now.
"I have a night shift tomorrow, sir." Reed replied, biting back his laughter by now.
Trip let out a frustrated sigh. "Geez, how in the hell did we become friends. We can absolutely never spend time with each other!"
"Perhaps if you beg I'll come up with something." Malcolm laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Oh that's what this is all about, is it Lieutenant Reed. Fine have it your way." He knelt down and grabbed Malcolm's hand. "Please Malcolm, will you make some time for me today. Please Malcolm, I'm begging you." He kissed Malcolm's hand to emphasize the silliness of the situation.
"Yes Trip, I will." Reed replied laughing, his face blushing. "Just get up from the floor you've made your point." He mumbled.
"Love ye, Mal. You're the best." Trip said, while jumping up and giving him a fierce hug. "I'll come by half an hour before your shift is over. See ya."
Unbelievable his scam to make a fool of the Commander had blown up in his face. Was he ever going to succeed in making him do some payback time, he wondered.
He looked up to see Ensign Van Tiel looking at him, her eyes wide as saucers. How dense can you be, surely a three year old would understand that they were just joking around. She probably had never seen her superior officers act that way. Well news flash hunny, we are only people and we do joke around. He gave here a small smile and stalked off.
"Michael, you'll never believe this!" Ensign Jeanne van Tiel, said excitingly to her friend., as she said down next to him at a table in the messhall. Several heads turned at her loud entrance.
"Shhh, what, what?" Michael Darwin asked curious, shifting his chair a bit closer.
"Commander Tucker just proposed to someone in the armoury and you'll never guess who!" she told him, clapping her hands twice in enthusiasm.
"Ensign Trombose?" Michael tried.
"Nope, try again." She said, grinning.
"Uhm, lieutenant Johnson?" he now questioned.
"No, no, you're way off. For starters it's a guy!" she almost whispered the last word, looking around carefully.
"Lieutenant Reed." Michael told her with confidence and a bit of amazement as well.
"Jackpot! Unbelievable, isn't it?" said Jeanne. "I almost died of shock when I saw it."
"Oh my God, you so need to tell me all the details." He begged his friend, shifting his chair even closer.
"Of course! Well, I only came in halfway through the convo, but I saw and heard all the good stuff. We were all in the armoury when the commander suddenly walked in. He went up to lieutenant Reed and they were discussing something for a while.
"At first the lieutenant refused him, but then, you won't believe this, the commander went on his knees and begged him to marry him!
So, then he finally said 'yes'. Then the commander hugged him and told him how much he loved him." She finished, still in awe of what she had seen herself. She tossed her hair back and awaited Darwin's reaction.
"Wow unbelievable." Michael let out a low whistle though his teeth. "I knew they were good friends, but I had no idea they were this close."
"I know, unreal isn't it? I didn't even know they swung that way. I can't wait to tell Melanie…"
"Hellow darlin'," a very familiar voice drawled in Malcolm's ear, a couple of hours later.
"Hiya Trip." He greeted him. "So what can I do for you?"
"Some people have been messin' around in Cargo Bay One."
"Ooh really? In what way?" Malcolm asked in a serious tone of voice.
"Apparently they are practicing for the upcoming party, because every time I try to open the door I get this automatic message, saying exactly that. But why would they do it so secretive, I wonder." Tucker told him worried. "What if they're planning a mutiny or doing some kind of cloning or whatever."
"Do you honestly believe that? I'm sure nothing is wrong. Have you tried scanning the room yet?"
"Yes, I have. Only I think they have done something with the sensors as I do not even pick up any life signs in there. I also tried opening the doors, but they're locked with heavily encrypted codes. Since I know you're the best code breaker on board and chief of security, I thought I'd better come to you." Trip said hopeful.
"Aah well, I'll see what I can do for you, okay. I'll get back to you tomorrow night." Said Reed with a smile. "You know you gave Ensign Van Tiel quite a shock with your antics this morning."
"Hahaha, poor her." Trip laughed "I'm sure she'll live. Hey, but I've got to get goin' to the bridge. Talk to you soon, ok." He added, looking him in the eye with a smile.
"Definitely! Have a good shift."
"Good night, Mal."