Chapter Six
"Damn it's hot."
Hoshi grunted in response, helping Trip pull off an access panel from the outside of the shuttle pod. Sticking his head inside, he tinkered for a while.
"T' hell with this." Trip stripped off the top of his uniform, tying the arms around his waist. He peeled off the henley next, now down to his undershirt. "That's better."
Ten minutes later Hoshi had done the same, sacrificing modesty for comfort. She found some slender twigs and stripped off the bark, using them to put up her hair. "Anything I can do?"
Trip's muffled replay came drifting out. "You can go mess with communications, see if you can get that t' work."
Hoshi nodded, climbing back into the shuttle.
Fifty minutes later she was no closer to fixing what ever was wrong with it. Hoshi eyed it with disgust. I suppose it would help if I actually knew how the thing worked . She looked up as an equally disgusted Trip sat next to her.
"Any luck?"
Hoshi quelled an urge to kick the console. "No. You?"
"Nope. I can't understand what's wrong. There's no power whatsoever."
"Scanners work." She pointed one at him and it beeped. "Elevated temperature."
"And bothered. Hopefully the Cap'n will find us soon."
"It'll be hard to locate us in this jungle."
"I've been in worse." Hoshi knew he was thinking of the time he and Malcolm almost froze to death.
"We're warm, we have food, and I'm sure there's water around here somewhere." She smiled at him. "We'll be fine."
Trip smiled back. "What happened t' that scared Ensign that wanted t' go back home?"
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" They began to put the communications console back together, stuffing wires in any which way.
"Nope. I'm goin' t' take great delight in tellin' our grandkids all about it."
Grandkids? Hoshi shot him a look, but Trip didn't see it. Or ignored it, she wasn't sure. Opening her mouth for a retort, Hoshi soon closed it, not sure how she felt about the comment.
"Malcolm's been helping me with my analytical thinking ."
Trip forced out a casual 'Oh?'
"The scanners and all the hand held stuff works, but not the shuttle. Why?"
Relaxing a bit, Trip looked off into the jungle. "Different power source maybe. We could strip the auxiliary batteries out of the shuttle, and hook them up t' the communication array."
Hoshi wearily smiled at his enthusiasm. "But why isn't the shuttle using the batteries right now?"
"The batteries are a back up for when the shuttle is actually up and runnin', right now there's no way t' tap into them when the shuttle's cold. But you can bet I'm gonna change that as soon as we get back." Trip lifted up another panel and dove head first into the guts of the pod.
A few minutes later he popped back up, grinning. "It just might work, darlin'." Trip looked at Hoshi's flushed form. "Hosh? You ok?"
"Hot . and thirsty."
"Drink up. As soon as I get the beacon hooked up, we'll find some more water."
Hoshi watched as he efficiently hot-wired the beacon, and the reassuring beeps of the homing device each shuttle had filled the room. "Ok, darlin', let's go."
Trip walked around the pod, scanner in front of him as he searched for signs of water. "I'd have better luck with a divinin' rod," he muttered, smacking the scanner against his palm. He looked over at Hoshi. "This way. I hope."
Not too far from the shuttle they came across what might be called a stream, if you were feeling generous that particular day. Which Hoshi was not. "That's it?"
"Keep yer shirt on, Hosh. I think there's more this way." They followed the stream down as it grew, until it came to a good-sized pool. Hoshi was about to jump in when Trip stopped her.
"Hoshi, we have no idea what lives here, wait until I scan it. Talk about a role reversal," he finished under his breath.
"I don't see anything." Hoshi leaned forward, looking through the clear water to the bottom.
"You're not supposed t'. I may have wrestled alligators in Florida, but I'm not going t' take my chances with any alien beasts on this world." Trip concentrated on the scanner.
"You wrestled alligators? You're kidding me." Hoshi looked at Trip like he had grown two heads.
"Nope. Tourists loved it. Put me through undergraduate school." He finally smiled at her. "Go ahead. It looks fine."
Hoshi frowned, backing up from the pond. "You first."
"Same time?"
She nodded, then looked away as he began to strip. "You're not going to ."
"Skinny dip?" Trip's hands paused at the waist of his boxers. "Not if you don't want me t', darlin'." He grinned at her slight blush.
"I don't think that's considered an appropriate activity for a third date," Hoshi answered primly, kicking off her boots and peeling off her jumpsuit. They had seen each other in their boxers before, in the decon chamber; but that was before he had held her hand, and the blue room was rather clinical while this was . lush and primeval. Hoshi took a deep breath. "Shall we?"
Still grinning, Trip grabbed her by the hand as they walked down the shingle. Hoshi winced slightly at the stones along the bottom, and gasped at the chill of the water.
"I thought it would be warm!" She hung back as Trip tugged her further in.
"Must be comin' from those mountains we saw." He splashed her some and laughed at her squeals.
"Trip!" Hoshi danced away from the spray, getting herself wet in the process. "Stop it!" She began to laugh too, then screamed as Trip tackled her, driving them both underwater.
"It's best just t' jump right in," he said as they came up.
"B . b . brute," Hoshi managed to get out, clinging to Trip in the deep water, shivering at the temperature.
Trip's smile faded as he felt her soft curves pressed up against him, her arms wrapped around his neck. No matter how he had fantasized about being marooned on a deserted planet with Hoshi, the reality didn't allow him to follow through with his desires. Besides, with any luck . who's side are you on? . Enterprise would pick them up soon.
With a sigh, he let Hoshi go. "Move around a bit. It'll help you warm up." With that he dove under the water.
Hoshi watched his form beneath the surface, frowning slightly. With her own sigh, she started swimming.
"Damn it's hot."
Hoshi grunted in response, helping Trip pull off an access panel from the outside of the shuttle pod. Sticking his head inside, he tinkered for a while.
"T' hell with this." Trip stripped off the top of his uniform, tying the arms around his waist. He peeled off the henley next, now down to his undershirt. "That's better."
Ten minutes later Hoshi had done the same, sacrificing modesty for comfort. She found some slender twigs and stripped off the bark, using them to put up her hair. "Anything I can do?"
Trip's muffled replay came drifting out. "You can go mess with communications, see if you can get that t' work."
Hoshi nodded, climbing back into the shuttle.
Fifty minutes later she was no closer to fixing what ever was wrong with it. Hoshi eyed it with disgust. I suppose it would help if I actually knew how the thing worked . She looked up as an equally disgusted Trip sat next to her.
"Any luck?"
Hoshi quelled an urge to kick the console. "No. You?"
"Nope. I can't understand what's wrong. There's no power whatsoever."
"Scanners work." She pointed one at him and it beeped. "Elevated temperature."
"And bothered. Hopefully the Cap'n will find us soon."
"It'll be hard to locate us in this jungle."
"I've been in worse." Hoshi knew he was thinking of the time he and Malcolm almost froze to death.
"We're warm, we have food, and I'm sure there's water around here somewhere." She smiled at him. "We'll be fine."
Trip smiled back. "What happened t' that scared Ensign that wanted t' go back home?"
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" They began to put the communications console back together, stuffing wires in any which way.
"Nope. I'm goin' t' take great delight in tellin' our grandkids all about it."
Grandkids? Hoshi shot him a look, but Trip didn't see it. Or ignored it, she wasn't sure. Opening her mouth for a retort, Hoshi soon closed it, not sure how she felt about the comment.
"Malcolm's been helping me with my analytical thinking ."
Trip forced out a casual 'Oh?'
"The scanners and all the hand held stuff works, but not the shuttle. Why?"
Relaxing a bit, Trip looked off into the jungle. "Different power source maybe. We could strip the auxiliary batteries out of the shuttle, and hook them up t' the communication array."
Hoshi wearily smiled at his enthusiasm. "But why isn't the shuttle using the batteries right now?"
"The batteries are a back up for when the shuttle is actually up and runnin', right now there's no way t' tap into them when the shuttle's cold. But you can bet I'm gonna change that as soon as we get back." Trip lifted up another panel and dove head first into the guts of the pod.
A few minutes later he popped back up, grinning. "It just might work, darlin'." Trip looked at Hoshi's flushed form. "Hosh? You ok?"
"Hot . and thirsty."
"Drink up. As soon as I get the beacon hooked up, we'll find some more water."
Hoshi watched as he efficiently hot-wired the beacon, and the reassuring beeps of the homing device each shuttle had filled the room. "Ok, darlin', let's go."
Trip walked around the pod, scanner in front of him as he searched for signs of water. "I'd have better luck with a divinin' rod," he muttered, smacking the scanner against his palm. He looked over at Hoshi. "This way. I hope."
Not too far from the shuttle they came across what might be called a stream, if you were feeling generous that particular day. Which Hoshi was not. "That's it?"
"Keep yer shirt on, Hosh. I think there's more this way." They followed the stream down as it grew, until it came to a good-sized pool. Hoshi was about to jump in when Trip stopped her.
"Hoshi, we have no idea what lives here, wait until I scan it. Talk about a role reversal," he finished under his breath.
"I don't see anything." Hoshi leaned forward, looking through the clear water to the bottom.
"You're not supposed t'. I may have wrestled alligators in Florida, but I'm not going t' take my chances with any alien beasts on this world." Trip concentrated on the scanner.
"You wrestled alligators? You're kidding me." Hoshi looked at Trip like he had grown two heads.
"Nope. Tourists loved it. Put me through undergraduate school." He finally smiled at her. "Go ahead. It looks fine."
Hoshi frowned, backing up from the pond. "You first."
"Same time?"
She nodded, then looked away as he began to strip. "You're not going to ."
"Skinny dip?" Trip's hands paused at the waist of his boxers. "Not if you don't want me t', darlin'." He grinned at her slight blush.
"I don't think that's considered an appropriate activity for a third date," Hoshi answered primly, kicking off her boots and peeling off her jumpsuit. They had seen each other in their boxers before, in the decon chamber; but that was before he had held her hand, and the blue room was rather clinical while this was . lush and primeval. Hoshi took a deep breath. "Shall we?"
Still grinning, Trip grabbed her by the hand as they walked down the shingle. Hoshi winced slightly at the stones along the bottom, and gasped at the chill of the water.
"I thought it would be warm!" She hung back as Trip tugged her further in.
"Must be comin' from those mountains we saw." He splashed her some and laughed at her squeals.
"Trip!" Hoshi danced away from the spray, getting herself wet in the process. "Stop it!" She began to laugh too, then screamed as Trip tackled her, driving them both underwater.
"It's best just t' jump right in," he said as they came up.
"B . b . brute," Hoshi managed to get out, clinging to Trip in the deep water, shivering at the temperature.
Trip's smile faded as he felt her soft curves pressed up against him, her arms wrapped around his neck. No matter how he had fantasized about being marooned on a deserted planet with Hoshi, the reality didn't allow him to follow through with his desires. Besides, with any luck . who's side are you on? . Enterprise would pick them up soon.
With a sigh, he let Hoshi go. "Move around a bit. It'll help you warm up." With that he dove under the water.
Hoshi watched his form beneath the surface, frowning slightly. With her own sigh, she started swimming.
