Title: Deception
Author: Friedcat
Author's e-mail: friedcat@yahoo.com
Length: Chapter 1 ~970 words
Fandom: Star Trek Enterprise
Pairing: None yet
Type: angst
Rating: PG
Status: WIP
Summary: While on a seemingly peaceful away mission Archer learns the hard way to listen to Malcolm's warnings.
Feedback: Yes
Series/sequel: Will be
Archive: Not yet.
Disclaimer: They're not mine; they belong to Paramount.
This is not an attempt to infringe on Paramount's copyright. No money was made.
Spoiler:
*****
CHAPTER 1
"Sir, we know nothing about this planet or its inhabitants. I strongly suggest that we wait before sending down an away team," Lieutenant Malcolm Reed urged from behind the tactical station.
Captain Archer wanted to pretend he hadn't heard him, but then that wouldn't be very professional. He would acknowledge his tactical officer's warning and proceed with the away team mission. It had almost become a strange kind of dance between him and Reed. Each man knew his steps and had his own rhythm and they never deviated from the pattern.
"Thank you, Lieutenant, for your recommendation but I feel in this instance that an invitation from the government to initiate first contact is a pretty good indicator of their intentions." Archer winked at Hoshi who had cracked a smile at Malcolm's objection.
It was a well-known fact that Malcolm was a worrier and a pessimist who saw danger and mortal threats around every corner. Archer appreciated that Malcolm took his job seriously and was ever vigilant but he did tire of having to defend his decisions constantly. He turned toward his wary tactical officer, half expecting to find him wringing his hands.
"Malcolm, if it will make you feel any better, why don't you join us?" Archer asked, not meaning to sound patronizing.
Malcolm nodded his head. "Aye, Sir," he said, his tone voicing his displeasure.
Archer turned away, trying to keep his feelings in check. Malcolm had a tendency to get under Archer's skin very easily. It wasn't that he didn't like the man; he did, what he knew of him, but sometimes Reed's militaristic demeanor got to him. If he could only relax, enjoy the adventure of exploring, but he couldn't because he was always too busy looking under rocks for boogeymen.
Archer reached down and activated the comm on his chair. "Archer to Tucker."
The disembodied voice of Trip Tucker filled the bridge. "What can I do for ya Cap'n?" he asked.
"Trip, meet Hoshi, Malcolm, and me in the shuttlebay," he said and turned toward T'Pol as he cut the comm channel.
"Sub-commander, you have the bridge." He walked to the turbolift where Malcolm was already standing and as soon as Hoshi joined them they headed to the shuttlebay.
As they entered the shuttlebay, Malcolm headed straight for the weapons locker. As he opened it and reached for a phase pistol, Archer approached him and stopped him.
"Malcolm, the Dekarm have requested that we do not bring any weapons with us," Archer explained.
Malcolm stared at him, the look of disbelief very evident on his face. "And that doesn't strike you as odd?" he asked.
Archer smiled, "No, it doesn't. There are friendly species out here, Malcolm. It would be," he paused for a moment, "rude to respond to their very open invitation, armed for bear."
Malcolm opened his mouth to protest but Archer stopped him with a hand. "No, Malcolm, end of discussion," he scolded.
The shuttle ride down to the planet was uneventful, although there was an awkward moment as they entered the shuttle and Archer and Malcolm both went for the pilots' seat. Archer had relinquished the position to Reed, partly as a concession and partly so he and Hoshi could discuss the protocols and customs sent by the government representative.
It all seemed straightforward to him as he looked over the last of the documents on the padd he held.
"Nothing too strange here," he said to Hoshi who was looking at another padd.
"No, they are nothing like the Kreetassans. I doubt you'll be sawing any logs this time," she said, muffling a giggle.
Archer tried to give her a stern look but ended up laughing as well. In the front of the shuttle Malcolm heard the laughter and glanced over his shoulder, a disapproving look upon his face.
"Lighten up, Malcolm," Trip said, reading the look. "Ya know, it is okay to laugh once in a while."
Malcolm kept his eyes forward as he responded. "When it is an appropriate time to laugh," he said dryly.
Trip rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're entirely too serious, my friend," Trip said, looking over the sensors.
Malcolm spun around to face Trip, anger in etched in his eyes. "It is my job to be serious," he said through gritted teeth. "If I'm not serious it may cost all of you your lives. You should be thankful I take my job seriously. And it would be nice if others on board would take their jobs equally as seriously." Malcolm's eyes locked onto Trip's.
The two men were too focused on each other to notice the Captain approach. "Is everything all right up here, gentlemen?" he asked, looking from Malcolm to Trip.
Trip broke eye contact as Malcolm turned forward again. "Everything dandy, Cap'n," Trip replied. "Malcolm here was just reminding me of how serious his job is."
Archer smiled at Trip and patted Malcolm on the shoulder. "We are all very aware of how serious your job is, Malcolm," Archer began, but he didn't get a chance to finish before Malcolm spun around in his chair again.
"Do you?" he spat. "If you really did, then I think you'd at least give my recommendations a little more credence than you do." He looked down at Archer's hand still on his shoulder, "And I would appreciate if you wouldn't patronize me."
The silence that followed was almost painful. Nobody in the shuttle even breathed for a moment.
Archer shattered the stillness. "Mister Reed, I do believe we have some matters to discuss when we return from this mission. Until that time, I expect some semblance of the respect that is due a superior officer."
Archer returned to the back of the shuttle and nobody spoke until they landed on the planet.
Author: Friedcat
Author's e-mail: friedcat@yahoo.com
Length: Chapter 1 ~970 words
Fandom: Star Trek Enterprise
Pairing: None yet
Type: angst
Rating: PG
Status: WIP
Summary: While on a seemingly peaceful away mission Archer learns the hard way to listen to Malcolm's warnings.
Feedback: Yes
Series/sequel: Will be
Archive: Not yet.
Disclaimer: They're not mine; they belong to Paramount.
This is not an attempt to infringe on Paramount's copyright. No money was made.
Spoiler:
*****
CHAPTER 1
"Sir, we know nothing about this planet or its inhabitants. I strongly suggest that we wait before sending down an away team," Lieutenant Malcolm Reed urged from behind the tactical station.
Captain Archer wanted to pretend he hadn't heard him, but then that wouldn't be very professional. He would acknowledge his tactical officer's warning and proceed with the away team mission. It had almost become a strange kind of dance between him and Reed. Each man knew his steps and had his own rhythm and they never deviated from the pattern.
"Thank you, Lieutenant, for your recommendation but I feel in this instance that an invitation from the government to initiate first contact is a pretty good indicator of their intentions." Archer winked at Hoshi who had cracked a smile at Malcolm's objection.
It was a well-known fact that Malcolm was a worrier and a pessimist who saw danger and mortal threats around every corner. Archer appreciated that Malcolm took his job seriously and was ever vigilant but he did tire of having to defend his decisions constantly. He turned toward his wary tactical officer, half expecting to find him wringing his hands.
"Malcolm, if it will make you feel any better, why don't you join us?" Archer asked, not meaning to sound patronizing.
Malcolm nodded his head. "Aye, Sir," he said, his tone voicing his displeasure.
Archer turned away, trying to keep his feelings in check. Malcolm had a tendency to get under Archer's skin very easily. It wasn't that he didn't like the man; he did, what he knew of him, but sometimes Reed's militaristic demeanor got to him. If he could only relax, enjoy the adventure of exploring, but he couldn't because he was always too busy looking under rocks for boogeymen.
Archer reached down and activated the comm on his chair. "Archer to Tucker."
The disembodied voice of Trip Tucker filled the bridge. "What can I do for ya Cap'n?" he asked.
"Trip, meet Hoshi, Malcolm, and me in the shuttlebay," he said and turned toward T'Pol as he cut the comm channel.
"Sub-commander, you have the bridge." He walked to the turbolift where Malcolm was already standing and as soon as Hoshi joined them they headed to the shuttlebay.
As they entered the shuttlebay, Malcolm headed straight for the weapons locker. As he opened it and reached for a phase pistol, Archer approached him and stopped him.
"Malcolm, the Dekarm have requested that we do not bring any weapons with us," Archer explained.
Malcolm stared at him, the look of disbelief very evident on his face. "And that doesn't strike you as odd?" he asked.
Archer smiled, "No, it doesn't. There are friendly species out here, Malcolm. It would be," he paused for a moment, "rude to respond to their very open invitation, armed for bear."
Malcolm opened his mouth to protest but Archer stopped him with a hand. "No, Malcolm, end of discussion," he scolded.
The shuttle ride down to the planet was uneventful, although there was an awkward moment as they entered the shuttle and Archer and Malcolm both went for the pilots' seat. Archer had relinquished the position to Reed, partly as a concession and partly so he and Hoshi could discuss the protocols and customs sent by the government representative.
It all seemed straightforward to him as he looked over the last of the documents on the padd he held.
"Nothing too strange here," he said to Hoshi who was looking at another padd.
"No, they are nothing like the Kreetassans. I doubt you'll be sawing any logs this time," she said, muffling a giggle.
Archer tried to give her a stern look but ended up laughing as well. In the front of the shuttle Malcolm heard the laughter and glanced over his shoulder, a disapproving look upon his face.
"Lighten up, Malcolm," Trip said, reading the look. "Ya know, it is okay to laugh once in a while."
Malcolm kept his eyes forward as he responded. "When it is an appropriate time to laugh," he said dryly.
Trip rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're entirely too serious, my friend," Trip said, looking over the sensors.
Malcolm spun around to face Trip, anger in etched in his eyes. "It is my job to be serious," he said through gritted teeth. "If I'm not serious it may cost all of you your lives. You should be thankful I take my job seriously. And it would be nice if others on board would take their jobs equally as seriously." Malcolm's eyes locked onto Trip's.
The two men were too focused on each other to notice the Captain approach. "Is everything all right up here, gentlemen?" he asked, looking from Malcolm to Trip.
Trip broke eye contact as Malcolm turned forward again. "Everything dandy, Cap'n," Trip replied. "Malcolm here was just reminding me of how serious his job is."
Archer smiled at Trip and patted Malcolm on the shoulder. "We are all very aware of how serious your job is, Malcolm," Archer began, but he didn't get a chance to finish before Malcolm spun around in his chair again.
"Do you?" he spat. "If you really did, then I think you'd at least give my recommendations a little more credence than you do." He looked down at Archer's hand still on his shoulder, "And I would appreciate if you wouldn't patronize me."
The silence that followed was almost painful. Nobody in the shuttle even breathed for a moment.
Archer shattered the stillness. "Mister Reed, I do believe we have some matters to discuss when we return from this mission. Until that time, I expect some semblance of the respect that is due a superior officer."
Archer returned to the back of the shuttle and nobody spoke until they landed on the planet.