See Disclaimer in Part 1
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PART 20:
Archer walked into engineering. Alarms were going off and crewmen were running around.
Trip was nowhere insight. Archer saw Driscoll running to the top of the warp reactor as a small explosion went off to the side of it. The ship shook and the alarms continued ringing.
Archer grabbed one of the crewmen by the arm. "Where's Commander Tucker?" The ship shook again.
"I don't know, sir," was his answer and he took off to take care of a fire that broke out.
Archer made his was up to the top of warp reactor.
"Where the hell is Commander Tucker?" he asked Driscoll as the ship shook again.
"I don't know, sir," Driscoll said trying to get the situation with the reactor under control. "This is what I was talking about before."
He punched some buttons and the alarms finally stopped. Smoke rose from the areas the fires broke out in.
Archer looked around engineering. He spotted Trip running in and climbed down from top the warp reactor.
Trip ran further into the room. He looked around at all the smoke as Archer walked up to him.
"Where the hell were you, Trip?" Archer demanded.
Trip was taken back a little bit by Archer's anger. "I went to my quarters to get my tricorder."
"That was over three hours ago," Driscoll lied.
Trip looked up at Driscoll and then back at Archer. He couldn't believe he was gone for that long; it only seemed like it was for a few minutes.
Archer saw the confusions in Trip's face. "What were you doing Trip?"
"I just went to get my tricorder," Trip insisted.
"For three hours, Trip," Archer said.
"It wasn't three hours, sir," Trip said. "I got stuck in the turbolift after the second time the ship shook."
He looked at his crew who were watching him.
"I was trying to get back here," he said.
Archer noticed Trip had broken out into a sweat, and that his hands were shaking. He wanted to believe him but he just couldn't. Too much was happening and Trip was making too many mistakes.
"You don't believe me," Trip said, swallowing hard.
"I wish I could, Trip," Archer said, instantly regretting the words as soon as he said them. He saw the hurt in Trip's eyes. "Too much has happened this past week."
"Captain, I've never lied to you," Trip said. "Not once since I've known you."
Archer hated what he was about to do but he had no choice. "Commander Tucker," he started. "I'm relieving you of your duties as Chief Engineer."
"What?!" Trip said in disbelief.
"You're relieved of your duties, Commander," Archer repeated. "Please leave Engineering."
"No," Trip said. "You have to believe me, Jon, and I'm not leaving here until you do."
"Don't make this any worse than it is, Trip."
"I'm not leaving, Captain," Trip said.
Archer closed his eyes and sighed. He went over to the wall and hit a button.
"Archer to Lieutenant Reed," he said. "I need you and two security officers in engineering."
Trip couldn't believe this was happening. His best friend was betraying him by not believing him.
At that moment Reed and two of his security guards walked into engineering and over to Archer.
"Captain," Reed said.
"I need you to escort Commander Tucker to his quarters," Archer said. "And make sure that he stays there."
Reed looked at Archer like he was crazy.
"Do you have a problem with that, Lieutenant?" Archer asked.
"No, sir," Reed said and walked over to Trip. "Commander."
Trip threw his tricorder to the floor and it smashed into pieces.
"I excepted more from you Captain," Trip said angrily. "I excepted you to believe one of your senior officers over and ensign."
Archer felt horrible for what he was doing to Trip. But he knew it was for the good of the ship to get him away from Engineering until everything was sorted out.
"Get him out of here," was all Archer said.
Reed and his guards escorted Trip out of Engineering.
"Let me know when the warp engines are on line, Ensign," Archer said and he walked out.
Driscoll stood there with a smile on his face. His had plan worked and he couldn't be happier.
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PART 20:
Archer walked into engineering. Alarms were going off and crewmen were running around.
Trip was nowhere insight. Archer saw Driscoll running to the top of the warp reactor as a small explosion went off to the side of it. The ship shook and the alarms continued ringing.
Archer grabbed one of the crewmen by the arm. "Where's Commander Tucker?" The ship shook again.
"I don't know, sir," was his answer and he took off to take care of a fire that broke out.
Archer made his was up to the top of warp reactor.
"Where the hell is Commander Tucker?" he asked Driscoll as the ship shook again.
"I don't know, sir," Driscoll said trying to get the situation with the reactor under control. "This is what I was talking about before."
He punched some buttons and the alarms finally stopped. Smoke rose from the areas the fires broke out in.
Archer looked around engineering. He spotted Trip running in and climbed down from top the warp reactor.
Trip ran further into the room. He looked around at all the smoke as Archer walked up to him.
"Where the hell were you, Trip?" Archer demanded.
Trip was taken back a little bit by Archer's anger. "I went to my quarters to get my tricorder."
"That was over three hours ago," Driscoll lied.
Trip looked up at Driscoll and then back at Archer. He couldn't believe he was gone for that long; it only seemed like it was for a few minutes.
Archer saw the confusions in Trip's face. "What were you doing Trip?"
"I just went to get my tricorder," Trip insisted.
"For three hours, Trip," Archer said.
"It wasn't three hours, sir," Trip said. "I got stuck in the turbolift after the second time the ship shook."
He looked at his crew who were watching him.
"I was trying to get back here," he said.
Archer noticed Trip had broken out into a sweat, and that his hands were shaking. He wanted to believe him but he just couldn't. Too much was happening and Trip was making too many mistakes.
"You don't believe me," Trip said, swallowing hard.
"I wish I could, Trip," Archer said, instantly regretting the words as soon as he said them. He saw the hurt in Trip's eyes. "Too much has happened this past week."
"Captain, I've never lied to you," Trip said. "Not once since I've known you."
Archer hated what he was about to do but he had no choice. "Commander Tucker," he started. "I'm relieving you of your duties as Chief Engineer."
"What?!" Trip said in disbelief.
"You're relieved of your duties, Commander," Archer repeated. "Please leave Engineering."
"No," Trip said. "You have to believe me, Jon, and I'm not leaving here until you do."
"Don't make this any worse than it is, Trip."
"I'm not leaving, Captain," Trip said.
Archer closed his eyes and sighed. He went over to the wall and hit a button.
"Archer to Lieutenant Reed," he said. "I need you and two security officers in engineering."
Trip couldn't believe this was happening. His best friend was betraying him by not believing him.
At that moment Reed and two of his security guards walked into engineering and over to Archer.
"Captain," Reed said.
"I need you to escort Commander Tucker to his quarters," Archer said. "And make sure that he stays there."
Reed looked at Archer like he was crazy.
"Do you have a problem with that, Lieutenant?" Archer asked.
"No, sir," Reed said and walked over to Trip. "Commander."
Trip threw his tricorder to the floor and it smashed into pieces.
"I excepted more from you Captain," Trip said angrily. "I excepted you to believe one of your senior officers over and ensign."
Archer felt horrible for what he was doing to Trip. But he knew it was for the good of the ship to get him away from Engineering until everything was sorted out.
"Get him out of here," was all Archer said.
Reed and his guards escorted Trip out of Engineering.
"Let me know when the warp engines are on line, Ensign," Archer said and he walked out.
Driscoll stood there with a smile on his face. His had plan worked and he couldn't be happier.