DISCLAIMER: I own it all! And with my army of fictional characters and evil
flying monkeys, I shall conquer the WORLD!! (Sarcasm - I own squat!)
NOTE: Some mild swearing in this - I warned you................. I also have realised that they're a little out of character, and that they would just kick the door in or whatever......... see chapter one for comment on 'poetic licence'.
THE ENGINEER'S UNION - Chapter Two.
Archer rounded the corner of D deck and found himself outside Main Engineering. He saw Malcolm and T'Pol, and another security officer whose name he couldn't remember. "Anything happened?"
"Not yet, Sir, no." Malcolm replied.
"Where's Lieutenant Cage?" Archer asked. The Lieutenant was supposed to be covering the night shift.
"He was excused from duty by Doctor Phlox," T'Pol explained. "He is suffering from flu."
"Can't we just go in there and, I don't know.........." Archer waved his hand as if to explain what he was suggesting.
"They have overridden the lock," T'Pol said, "We cannot open the door."
"Sir," Malcolm said, "They're ready to talk."
"OK," Archer said. He walked to the comm. panel. "This is Captain Archer."
"Captain," replied the voice. Archer didn't recognise it. He looked over at Malcolm and shrugged. Malcolm mouthed back the name 'Easton'.
"I understand you're holding Commander Tucker hostage. Can I ask you why?"
"It's perfectly simple, Captain." Easton said. "We want a Union."
"A Union?" Archer asked, looking at T'Pol and Malcolm. "You can set up a Union." He said, turning back to the comm. "It really wasn't necessary to kidnap Commander Tucker."
The comm. went quiet for a few minutes. Archer assumed they must have been talking between themselves. "That's not all," Easton continued. "We want a little respect."
Archer heard who he thought was Trip say something it the background, followed by a woman saying something that sounded a lot like swearing. "I'd like to speak to Mr Tucker, please."
More silence. "OK," Easton said.
Archer could hear the Crewmen talking amongst themselves. There were a few more minutes of silence.
"Cap'n," Trip's voice came over the comm.
"Trip, are you OK?" Archer asked.
"That kinda depends on ya definition of OK,"
Archer heard who he thought was Easton saying something to Trip. "What's going on in there?" He asked.
"Well," Trip said, "They sellotaped me to the chair, and won't let me go 'til ya do what ever the hell it is they want ya to do."
"Sellotaped?" Malcolm asked.
"Yes," Trip replied.
"They've sellotaped you to the chair?" Malcolm asked again.
"Yes." Trip repeated. He could hear Malcolm sniggering in the background. "It's not funny, Malcolm!"
"OK," Archer said, giving Malcolm a 'shut up' look, "Can I speak with Crewman Easton again?"
"Captain?" Easton's voice said over the comm.
"What is it you want, Crewman?" He asked.
"A union."
"We can arrange that," Archer said, "Just let Commander Tucker go, and we'll see what we can do."
There was silence while Easton consulted the rest of the group. "OK," he said finally, "But that's only one demand met. We have another."
Archer waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, he took it upon himself to ask. "Which is?"
"Respect." Easton said.
Archer didn't particularly like the tone in the younger man's voice. "I'm sorry," he asked, not quite understanding. "Respect?"
"Yeah," Easton replied, curtly. "You know, a 'Thank you' here, a 'You're welcome there'. Not being treated like a piece if crap on the sole of your shoe!"
"You are respected," Archer said. He wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. In his whole Starfleet career, he'd never - never - heard of anything like this happening. "You've got the respect of the whole crew," he continued. "Being an engineer isn't easy, especially when you're being watched by the Starfleet and the Vulcan's. One little slip up, and, well, it's a hard job. I couldn't do it, I'm sure even sub-commander T'Pol would find it a little difficult."
T'Pol stepped forwards to say something, but was stopped by Malcolm. She looked quizzically at her Captain, then at the Lieutenant, before stepping back.
There was more silence on the comm. "Give us a minute." Easton said. The comm. link went dead.
"How longs it been?" Archer asked Malcolm.
"Just over an hour." Malcolm replied.
"Great," Archer said. "Just great. It's three-thirty in the morning, and the Chief of Engineering is, for some bizarre and unfathomable reason, behing held hostage," he gave up, not knowing how to explain what it was he was trying to say.
"It seems to me that Commander Tucker is perfectly safe," T'Pol said after a moment's silence. "The Crewmen are simply suffering the effects of the D3DL leak. Within a few hours, they shall return to normal and release the Commander."
"Captain."
It took a minute for Archer to realise the voice had come from the comm. panel. He walked over to it. "Archer here. Go ahead." The voice had changed. Archer was pretty sure he was now talking to Crewman Harris.
"We've thought about what you said," Harris said, sounding a bit too callous for Archer liking. "With all due respect, Captain, don't bull-shit us."
"Pardon?" Archer asked. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'bull-shit' you." He was loosing his temper now, and that wasn't good. He was tired, and the five crazy people holding his friend hostage weren't helping his mood.
"You don't have to patronise us, either."
Archer could have sworn he heard the man curse under his breath, but let it go. "I'm not doing either," he said, calmly. "I just want you to let Commander Tucker go so we can talk."
"You think we're playing around?" Harris asked. Before Archer could answer, he continued his rant. "Think this is just some kind of game? Do you Captain? You just sit in your big chair all day telling others what to do. Do you actually know what its like? It's easy for you. Everybody thinks about the poor Captain. Boo-hoo. Nobody thinks about us poor Engineers. And do you wanna know something, Captain?"
"What?" Archer asked. It was all he could manage to say; he was still in shock after Harris' speech.
"Without us, you God damned ship wouldn't even work." Harris said. "You think this is a game?" he asked again.
"No, I don't. I think.................."
"I can prove it's not a game," Harris interrupted. "Do it."
Archer assumed the last part of the sentence wasn't directed at him, but rather somebody in the room. He shot a worried look at Malcolm, who looked equally as panicked as Archer. He looked at T'Pol, who simply had one eyebrow raised. Even the security officer whose name he still couldn't remember looked concerned.
Archer was about to say something when they heard a scream from inside Engineering. Archer froze. He recognised the voice. It was Trip. Trip was screaming and he couldn't help...................
A/N: Chapter two completed.
Still can't decide what the hell this story should be categorised under - drama, parody, humour (although there's less of that than I originally though they're be.....never mind!).
Don't go worrying either - they haven't killed Trip or anything. I'd never do that ;).
Anyway, LYL, Jen.
NOTE: Some mild swearing in this - I warned you................. I also have realised that they're a little out of character, and that they would just kick the door in or whatever......... see chapter one for comment on 'poetic licence'.
THE ENGINEER'S UNION - Chapter Two.
Archer rounded the corner of D deck and found himself outside Main Engineering. He saw Malcolm and T'Pol, and another security officer whose name he couldn't remember. "Anything happened?"
"Not yet, Sir, no." Malcolm replied.
"Where's Lieutenant Cage?" Archer asked. The Lieutenant was supposed to be covering the night shift.
"He was excused from duty by Doctor Phlox," T'Pol explained. "He is suffering from flu."
"Can't we just go in there and, I don't know.........." Archer waved his hand as if to explain what he was suggesting.
"They have overridden the lock," T'Pol said, "We cannot open the door."
"Sir," Malcolm said, "They're ready to talk."
"OK," Archer said. He walked to the comm. panel. "This is Captain Archer."
"Captain," replied the voice. Archer didn't recognise it. He looked over at Malcolm and shrugged. Malcolm mouthed back the name 'Easton'.
"I understand you're holding Commander Tucker hostage. Can I ask you why?"
"It's perfectly simple, Captain." Easton said. "We want a Union."
"A Union?" Archer asked, looking at T'Pol and Malcolm. "You can set up a Union." He said, turning back to the comm. "It really wasn't necessary to kidnap Commander Tucker."
The comm. went quiet for a few minutes. Archer assumed they must have been talking between themselves. "That's not all," Easton continued. "We want a little respect."
Archer heard who he thought was Trip say something it the background, followed by a woman saying something that sounded a lot like swearing. "I'd like to speak to Mr Tucker, please."
More silence. "OK," Easton said.
Archer could hear the Crewmen talking amongst themselves. There were a few more minutes of silence.
"Cap'n," Trip's voice came over the comm.
"Trip, are you OK?" Archer asked.
"That kinda depends on ya definition of OK,"
Archer heard who he thought was Easton saying something to Trip. "What's going on in there?" He asked.
"Well," Trip said, "They sellotaped me to the chair, and won't let me go 'til ya do what ever the hell it is they want ya to do."
"Sellotaped?" Malcolm asked.
"Yes," Trip replied.
"They've sellotaped you to the chair?" Malcolm asked again.
"Yes." Trip repeated. He could hear Malcolm sniggering in the background. "It's not funny, Malcolm!"
"OK," Archer said, giving Malcolm a 'shut up' look, "Can I speak with Crewman Easton again?"
"Captain?" Easton's voice said over the comm.
"What is it you want, Crewman?" He asked.
"A union."
"We can arrange that," Archer said, "Just let Commander Tucker go, and we'll see what we can do."
There was silence while Easton consulted the rest of the group. "OK," he said finally, "But that's only one demand met. We have another."
Archer waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, he took it upon himself to ask. "Which is?"
"Respect." Easton said.
Archer didn't particularly like the tone in the younger man's voice. "I'm sorry," he asked, not quite understanding. "Respect?"
"Yeah," Easton replied, curtly. "You know, a 'Thank you' here, a 'You're welcome there'. Not being treated like a piece if crap on the sole of your shoe!"
"You are respected," Archer said. He wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. In his whole Starfleet career, he'd never - never - heard of anything like this happening. "You've got the respect of the whole crew," he continued. "Being an engineer isn't easy, especially when you're being watched by the Starfleet and the Vulcan's. One little slip up, and, well, it's a hard job. I couldn't do it, I'm sure even sub-commander T'Pol would find it a little difficult."
T'Pol stepped forwards to say something, but was stopped by Malcolm. She looked quizzically at her Captain, then at the Lieutenant, before stepping back.
There was more silence on the comm. "Give us a minute." Easton said. The comm. link went dead.
"How longs it been?" Archer asked Malcolm.
"Just over an hour." Malcolm replied.
"Great," Archer said. "Just great. It's three-thirty in the morning, and the Chief of Engineering is, for some bizarre and unfathomable reason, behing held hostage," he gave up, not knowing how to explain what it was he was trying to say.
"It seems to me that Commander Tucker is perfectly safe," T'Pol said after a moment's silence. "The Crewmen are simply suffering the effects of the D3DL leak. Within a few hours, they shall return to normal and release the Commander."
"Captain."
It took a minute for Archer to realise the voice had come from the comm. panel. He walked over to it. "Archer here. Go ahead." The voice had changed. Archer was pretty sure he was now talking to Crewman Harris.
"We've thought about what you said," Harris said, sounding a bit too callous for Archer liking. "With all due respect, Captain, don't bull-shit us."
"Pardon?" Archer asked. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'bull-shit' you." He was loosing his temper now, and that wasn't good. He was tired, and the five crazy people holding his friend hostage weren't helping his mood.
"You don't have to patronise us, either."
Archer could have sworn he heard the man curse under his breath, but let it go. "I'm not doing either," he said, calmly. "I just want you to let Commander Tucker go so we can talk."
"You think we're playing around?" Harris asked. Before Archer could answer, he continued his rant. "Think this is just some kind of game? Do you Captain? You just sit in your big chair all day telling others what to do. Do you actually know what its like? It's easy for you. Everybody thinks about the poor Captain. Boo-hoo. Nobody thinks about us poor Engineers. And do you wanna know something, Captain?"
"What?" Archer asked. It was all he could manage to say; he was still in shock after Harris' speech.
"Without us, you God damned ship wouldn't even work." Harris said. "You think this is a game?" he asked again.
"No, I don't. I think.................."
"I can prove it's not a game," Harris interrupted. "Do it."
Archer assumed the last part of the sentence wasn't directed at him, but rather somebody in the room. He shot a worried look at Malcolm, who looked equally as panicked as Archer. He looked at T'Pol, who simply had one eyebrow raised. Even the security officer whose name he still couldn't remember looked concerned.
Archer was about to say something when they heard a scream from inside Engineering. Archer froze. He recognised the voice. It was Trip. Trip was screaming and he couldn't help...................
A/N: Chapter two completed.
Still can't decide what the hell this story should be categorised under - drama, parody, humour (although there's less of that than I originally though they're be.....never mind!).
Don't go worrying either - they haven't killed Trip or anything. I'd never do that ;).
Anyway, LYL, Jen.