This is something, I planned for quite some time already. Basically since I've finally started to watch Star Trek: Enterprise right from episode one to the last. So, I already wrote some tiny piece about Ambregal in space; this is going to be the second one, currently planned for twelve chapters of about 25,000 words and, as you've already noticed, as a crossover of wrestling and Star Trek: Enterprise. Malcolm Reed is the main character here, a few others from that crew will probably make a guest appearance. But I only got a very rough plan so far, so there might be some ad hoc inclusions.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this first chapter. As always I'm interested to know what you think. So, feel free to comment.

01 | Humble Stance

Lately I've been watching a little complex grow

You know, you gotta know

That's why I chose to tell you

That humble stance and timid glance makes your world turn so slow

You know, you gotta know

There's no-one going to help you.

– – – –

Pluto, Hillary Mountains, 10 October 2156

The alarm went right off when Dean and William both just had made themselves comfortable in their new beds. Hidden under a couple of blankets, Dean sighed. Everything here had been just a little too easy since their arrival. So, this probably was just the start of the difficult part.

But the alarm wasn't on for very long. Just a few seconds later everything around the two men was a peaceful bubble again.

"What was that?" Dean asked right into the darkness.

"I've got no idea," William answered but immediately turned around to finally get some sleep.

And there was the alarm again that actually didn't really sound like an alarm. More like a...

"I know, you're in there. Answer the door," a tinny sounding voice in a strange accent was heard from the other side of their cave.

Yes, indeed. More like a doorbell.

This time, Dean's disgust sounded like a growl because he knew what was coming.

"Please, dear boy, may you let in the gentleman?" William requested as expected. "The sooner you let him get whatever he wants, the earlier we're going to have our peace back."

William sounded like he was already sleeping. So, Dean just for a few seconds pondered over his words but found that his companion had been right. That voice from the other side sounded rather serious and wouldn't go away.

But Dean still had his doubts. Wrapped in as many blankets as he was able to carry, he stepped to the massive door and switched on the speaker to the tube.

"How do I know that you don't want to kill us?" he asked and immediately listened to a laughter that didn't sound too friendly. More like sarcastically.

"Would there be any reason for that?" the voice answered with a question himself.

"Well, I don't know what you've heard about us," Dean said but in an instant thought that this had been a very foolish thing to reply.

"Listen, sir, you've locked your outer door and there wouldn't be any way to open it unless I belong to security and got the keys," the voice now said. But somehow, Dean only heard security and instantly got images of heavily armed police and military to his mind.

"You're security?" he then asked slowly and looked around for any weapon he could grab. But he only saw a stone that he picked up while he heard the man on the other side speaking again.

"Like I said. Now, open the door or do you want for me to freeze to death out here?"

Dean considered that for barely a moment. But then thought that this wouldn't be a great first impression for the two of them. If this man was up for a fight, he needs to get one. And Dean wasn't a coward by any means. So, he finally opened the inner door, the stone firmly in his right.

The man, who entered their cave, wore the typical outdoor fashion on Pluto: heavy boots, a helmet and, most importantly, a thick spacesuit. He still carried the helmet on his head when the inner door closed automatically behind him. But he took it off immediately.

He seemed to be rather unwary of any danger, Dean thought. How easily he could have hit him with his stone while he'd taken off the helmet.

"I'm Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Head of Security on Hagia Eiréne. Welcome to Pluto, Mr..." the man insisted and Dean thought that it would be a wise decision to play to this man's rules – for now. From the back, he heard soft snoring. So, William wouldn't be of any help right now.

"Ambrose. The sound from there belongs to Mr Regal," he told this security lad and pointed towards the snoring.

"You aren't Vulcan, aren't you?" Mr Reed said and seemed to pay extra attention to both of Dean's ears. "No pointy ears and without any will or wish to offend you but you don't seem to be very logical."

Then he smiled and Dean wasn't sure if he laughed with him or about him. For someone who's Head of Security of a space station on the far edge of a solar system, this guy certainly loved to play with fire.

"I don't really know what you aim here for," Dean reported truthfully. But this only earned him a light giggle from the man, who had just started to walk around their cave.

Mr Reed actually walked on a few steps more but then turned around to face Dean again who had been standing on his very spot, still with his stone in hand, waiting patiently for any suspicious movement from this so-called Head of Security.

"You aren't Vulcan. You are Human and from Earth. So, you got at least two names. I'd like to record your full name, not just fragments. Makes later identification much easier, you know?" Mr Reed finally explained, fortunately with a heavy tone of sarcasm to him.

"Identification?" Dean still asked.

"Well, we're on the edge here, far periphery. When I call for help, we're probably get some within a few weeks but not earlier. I'm prepared for pirates, not invasions. Anything can happen. And if it does – worst case that is – it'll be nice to have full documents about any living creature that existed on Pluto at the time of, you know... doom," Mr Reed explained, looking around again in a way as if he was searching for something... or someone.

"You're not very optimistic. That's not exactly welcoming, Mr Head of Security," Dean said, now trying to match his counterpart's sarcasm.

"Reed. My name is Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. What was your name again?" The man really used his first opportunity to ask again. He probably wasn't as bad as Dean first thought. At least, he could talk and he was able to ask the right questions.

And Dean sighed before he answered.

"Dean Ambrose and William Regal."

"You're civilians then," Mr Reed guessed and Dean again wasn't able to read the man's feelings about it.

"You sound like this is something bad," Dean assumed, now trying to catch Mr Reed with a killing look.

"Not at all. Well, not much. I just have a harder life imagining what civilians would want to find on Pluto," Mr Reed vaguely explained but hardly paying much attention to the new man on the planet.

"Freedom? Happiness?... Security?" Dean suggested.

And there was the giggle again, now followed by an echo that instantly got Dean's attention. He finally moved and followed his visitor deep inside the cave. He hadn't been here so far because it was hidden behind a corner. And him and William had been too tired when they arrived here, just saw the beds and fell onto them. No need and no desire to explore.

"Happiness?" asked Mr Reed when Dean had closed up to him, looking into the direction where Mr Head of Security was pointing to with his electric torch. "Well, if vast loneliness at night is your thing, then you might gain happiness."

"What's that?" Dean instantly changed subject when he saw the wave-like pattern on the wall in front of them.

"We haven't entirely found out yet. They are only at present in this very area. Could be made by alien creatures; could be natural grown structures. But it seems safe to say that we haven't found certain alien creatures. So, it might be here for centuries."

"There are a little too many seems and mights in your speech for my liking. Are you sure, we're really safe in here? I mean, at least till next day?" Dean asked, looking straight into Mr Reed's face, hoping to catch some positivity. And there was.

"You mean, for the coming seventeen and a half years? That's one day here, you know? Pluto is a little slow but that's alright. You won't be able to separate day from night anyway because, basically, there's only night on Pluto," Mr Reed explained with a smile that looked honest and friendly. But then, he walked away from Dean again, out of the deeper cave back inside the outside cave and for a moment, Dean was left alone in darkness.

But he heard the echoing words of Mr Reed, so he followed him back to where they came from.

"I'm going to leave you sleeping now. You should be safe for the next few hours. Just check back that both of your doors have been locked entirely when I'm gone. They should but you never know. Double check is always better than feel sorry later. Understood?" Mr Reed kind of ordered when he'd arrived back at the transparent aluminium front that separated the vaguely cosy interior from the bitterly cold of the outer world.

He probably had a sharpened sense of hearing because Dean was right behind him.

"Got it, Mr Head... Mr Reed," Dean answered. He felt very tired again, so he didn't want to provoke further arguing with the visitor. After all, he really seemed to be a good guy in this scenario.

And Mr Reed let the touch of insult drift into the darkness where they'd just arrived back from.

"We'll have to meet again in a few hours, Mr Ambrose. Tell your companion. It's about two kilometres from here. Simply type Headquarter Hagia Eiréne into your navigator. It's easy to find. Will eight hours of rest be enough for you?"

"Yeah, I think so. Just one last question before you go, Mr Reed," Dean said.

"Go ahead."

"What does that mean, Hagia Eiréne?"

"It's Greek and means holy peace."

"That's something."

"I know; my idea," Mr Reed laughed. Then he closed the visor of his helmet and stepped into the tube that connected the inner door with the outer one. Dean closed the inner door, waited until the green diode went on, then opened the outer door. And off Mr Reed went.

Dean was still standing there for as long as their visitor was seen driving away in his armoured car. Then he turned his eyes up to the stars. Sky looked so different from the one visible on Earth.

At home, there was hardly any place left where the air wasn't polluted from light and metal and dust.

Here everything looked clear and clean and, simply put, hardly to believe.

Dean was almost lost in his thoughts back on Earth when he heard William shifting about his bed behind him. And that movement brought him back to Pluto. They both went through a lot to get here. It was peaceful; it was quite. And in a few hours, they would have to explain to Mr Reed and hope they were allowed to stay.

But right now, Dean finally wanted to follow William's example to enjoy this peace and quietness to get some rest. After all, he kind of deserved it.

That's the end of Chapter One. Any thoughts? I'm happy enough to read them. Let's go!