Chapter 3 - Calculation
"He knows."
"He knows nothing," T'Pol assured him.
"There is one thing Malcolm isn't and that's stupid," Trip
replied. "And I know he's not going to let this drop. He's like
a bulldog with a bone. He won't stop gnawing at this until he
has answers."
"You should not worry," the Vulcan said confidently. "The
Captain believes what you have told him. Remember what I told
you. Remember, what you need to do." Slyly, T'Pol reached
behind the engineer's neck and injected him with a substance.
Tucker didn't even flinch.
"I remember." Trip's eyes glazed over as the liquid T'Pol
injected him with flowed through his system.
"This problem will be resolved quickly."
"Quickly," he repeated.
"The problem must be eliminated." She spoke each word clearly
and precisely.
"Eliminated."
She opened a drawer and withdrew a phase pistol. "Do not fail
me." She passed it to him, satisfied that he would accomplish
his task.
"I won't fail."
T'Pol nodded.
* * * * * * * *
Hoshi quickly made her way through the ship. Reaching the
armory, she paused just inside the door. Looking across the
room, she spotted Malcolm Reed at work, shirt sleeves pushed up
past his elbows. He was instructing one of his junior officers
how out to disassemble a torpedo relay. When he finally looked
up, he saw her waiting anxiously by the doorway.
"Carry on, Crewman. Looks like you should be fine now," Malcolm
encouraged. "If you run into any further problems, see me."
"Aye, Sir."
Hoshi tilted her head in the direction of Malcolm's office.
Malcolm followed her inside.
With the door safely shut behind them, he finally spoke. "What
did you find?"
Hoshi looked over to him, her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Is it that bad?" he asked with concern as he approached her.
"It's worse," she admitted. wiping her eyes with the heel of her
hand. "It's Trip...Commander Tucker..." she amended. It no
longer seemed right to refer to him by his nickname.
Malcolm sighed. "I suspected that much, but I needed you to
confirm it."
"It looks like he's...he's...providing information to
someone...information about Enterprise." She stumbled over the
words.
"What kind of information?"
"Everything. Weapons information, engine capabilities, the crew
complement, course projections," Hoshi related.
Malcolm exhaled sharply and looked down to gather his thoughts.
"This is worse than I imagined. Do you know who is receiving
this information?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. The nearest translation I can come up with is
some race called the Lammarins. What would Commander Tucker be
doing talking with them?"
"I don't know. I never would have pegged him as a traitor." He
looked away from her focusing on nothing in particular.
"Maybe there is some other explanation?" she asked hopefully.
He looked back at her and noted the fear in her dark eyes.
"Perhaps, but I can't figure out what that might be."
Malcolm rose to his feet.
"Do me a favour, Hoshi. Keep this information to yourself for
now." He didn't need Hoshi placed in harm's way because of
something he had uncovered.
"I'm going to do some more investigating. After my last talk
with the Captain, he's going to demand more substantial proof
than just a communications log. I'm going to have to be very
sure it is Commander Tucker who initiated contact, and not
someone pretending to be him. The information, which you have
uncovered, will be critical to this investigation. So be quiet,
and if you suspect anything, come see me."
"I will."
He turned to leave.
"And, Malcolm?"
He paused, his hand on the door as he turned back towards her.
"Be careful. Be very careful."
"I will," he promised.
* * * * * * * *
End Chapter Three
"He knows."
"He knows nothing," T'Pol assured him.
"There is one thing Malcolm isn't and that's stupid," Trip
replied. "And I know he's not going to let this drop. He's like
a bulldog with a bone. He won't stop gnawing at this until he
has answers."
"You should not worry," the Vulcan said confidently. "The
Captain believes what you have told him. Remember what I told
you. Remember, what you need to do." Slyly, T'Pol reached
behind the engineer's neck and injected him with a substance.
Tucker didn't even flinch.
"I remember." Trip's eyes glazed over as the liquid T'Pol
injected him with flowed through his system.
"This problem will be resolved quickly."
"Quickly," he repeated.
"The problem must be eliminated." She spoke each word clearly
and precisely.
"Eliminated."
She opened a drawer and withdrew a phase pistol. "Do not fail
me." She passed it to him, satisfied that he would accomplish
his task.
"I won't fail."
T'Pol nodded.
* * * * * * * *
Hoshi quickly made her way through the ship. Reaching the
armory, she paused just inside the door. Looking across the
room, she spotted Malcolm Reed at work, shirt sleeves pushed up
past his elbows. He was instructing one of his junior officers
how out to disassemble a torpedo relay. When he finally looked
up, he saw her waiting anxiously by the doorway.
"Carry on, Crewman. Looks like you should be fine now," Malcolm
encouraged. "If you run into any further problems, see me."
"Aye, Sir."
Hoshi tilted her head in the direction of Malcolm's office.
Malcolm followed her inside.
With the door safely shut behind them, he finally spoke. "What
did you find?"
Hoshi looked over to him, her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Is it that bad?" he asked with concern as he approached her.
"It's worse," she admitted. wiping her eyes with the heel of her
hand. "It's Trip...Commander Tucker..." she amended. It no
longer seemed right to refer to him by his nickname.
Malcolm sighed. "I suspected that much, but I needed you to
confirm it."
"It looks like he's...he's...providing information to
someone...information about Enterprise." She stumbled over the
words.
"What kind of information?"
"Everything. Weapons information, engine capabilities, the crew
complement, course projections," Hoshi related.
Malcolm exhaled sharply and looked down to gather his thoughts.
"This is worse than I imagined. Do you know who is receiving
this information?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. The nearest translation I can come up with is
some race called the Lammarins. What would Commander Tucker be
doing talking with them?"
"I don't know. I never would have pegged him as a traitor." He
looked away from her focusing on nothing in particular.
"Maybe there is some other explanation?" she asked hopefully.
He looked back at her and noted the fear in her dark eyes.
"Perhaps, but I can't figure out what that might be."
Malcolm rose to his feet.
"Do me a favour, Hoshi. Keep this information to yourself for
now." He didn't need Hoshi placed in harm's way because of
something he had uncovered.
"I'm going to do some more investigating. After my last talk
with the Captain, he's going to demand more substantial proof
than just a communications log. I'm going to have to be very
sure it is Commander Tucker who initiated contact, and not
someone pretending to be him. The information, which you have
uncovered, will be critical to this investigation. So be quiet,
and if you suspect anything, come see me."
"I will."
He turned to leave.
"And, Malcolm?"
He paused, his hand on the door as he turned back towards her.
"Be careful. Be very careful."
"I will," he promised.
* * * * * * * *
End Chapter Three