Chapter Two:
Hoshi and Trip were standing by their bed, they moved in together earlier that week. They were discussing the away teams and what exactly they would be doing.
"So, we're going on one of the teams together," Trip teased Hoshi, who gave him a short peck on the cheek.
"Maybe we can get married and have our honeymoon while we're here," Hoshi said playfully, waving her ringed finger around.
They had only been engaged for a week and were already discussing plans of marriage, prompted by Archer asking if they planned on a short or long engagement. They had decided on a short one, but hadn't gotten past that decision.
Trip pulled his fiancée close to him and gently kissed her face. Her eyes fluttered. She wanted more.
"We have to get going, we're on Ream A, darlin'," Trip said.
He pulled her onto their bed and ran his hands through her dark hair.
"I love you, Hoshi Sato," he breathed quietly.
She let out a short giggled and repeated the sentiment. "I love you too, Charles Tucker. Now let's get going before this goes any farther."
Trip chuckled and lifted her off of the bed. She gave him a short kiss and they walked hand-in-hand to the shuttlebay.
Travis rolled his eyes and then smiled. They were two of his best friends and he'd never seen someone, other than his parents, so much in love. They were meant for each other. Crewman Cutler poked Travis in the side, telling him to get into the shuttlepod. They both climbed into the pod and strapped in.
Travis got permission to leave through the now open bay doors and headed to the planet's surface.
***
Once they landed on the outskirts of the town, they began to scan around the outskirts of the town where they had landed. The plant they were looking for had thick, spiny leaves with budding pink flowers at the tips. After a few scans, Travis pointed behind them to where there was a high concentrate of the plants.
Reaching the area, Trip blurted, "Those are some strange lookin' plants."
"Doctor Phlox said not to touch them with our bare hands," Cutler replied, handing out leather gloves. "Especially the buds, they have poisons that harm skin."
Trip looked bewildered and put the gloves on. "Do we pull them from the roots or take the leaves?"
"Phlox said he wants the roots and all. Apparently the roots have the best medical qualities," the crewman explained.
Nodding, the engineer pulled the plant out carefully and placed it in the plastic box. Hoshi and Travis soon followed, while Cutler continued to scan the area.
There were many other patches of the plant all around the cracked desert area. This patch would be the one their team would harvest.
When the patch was bare, the away team stood and took a look around the area. Hoshi glanced down at the patch just as new plants appeared in the just-cleared area. She hit Trip's arm.
"They're back!" Hoshi exclaimed.
"Holy …"
Travis and Cutler looked at the newly grown patch. Cutler smiled.
"What?" Travis asked her, watching her smile grow.
"Phlox said that they grow back in a matter of moments."
Trip wrinkled his brow. "Let's head back, ya'll."
Hoshi shook her head and pushed her fiancée to lead the way back to the shuttle. The plants they had pulled had been some of the strangest she'd ever seen.
***
"Ah, thank you for the plants," Doctor Phlox replied as he immediately began his scan.
"You're welcome, doctor," Hoshi replied.
"They will most likely cure some sort of disease within the next ten years," the Denobulan said excited.
"Wow," Hoshi said, amazed as she looked back down at the strange-looking plant.
Phlox looked at Sato and smiled. She had changed somewhat since she had been engaged to Mr. Tucker. She seemed more happy, more pleased about being aboard Enterprise.
"How is your relationship with the commander going?" he asked.
She nodded and smiled. "Oh, great. I think he's asking the captain if we can get married on the planet, if the government will allow it."
"The cities are quiet beautiful, I took a group of scientists there earlier. They're nothing like the desert where these plants are from."
"Really?"
"It's a natural paradise, unlike Risa. There are white beaches, and the natives are quite peculiarly beautiful," Phlox added.
Hoshi laughed, "It sounds beautiful. It would be nice for a honeymoon."
"Quite so. Their beliefs on marriage are similar to humans and they go on honeymoon for an entire year."
The linguist loved the idea of a yearlong honeymoon, but knew that would not be possible. Archer had been kind enough to tell them they could take a week-and-a-half off after they were married. Either way, it wouldn't matter to her. She was marrying for love, not time off from work.
She was walking to her post when the Tactical Alert came on; the noise loud enough to almost make her jump out of her skin. She ran to the bridge, to see what was going on.
Hoshi and Trip were standing by their bed, they moved in together earlier that week. They were discussing the away teams and what exactly they would be doing.
"So, we're going on one of the teams together," Trip teased Hoshi, who gave him a short peck on the cheek.
"Maybe we can get married and have our honeymoon while we're here," Hoshi said playfully, waving her ringed finger around.
They had only been engaged for a week and were already discussing plans of marriage, prompted by Archer asking if they planned on a short or long engagement. They had decided on a short one, but hadn't gotten past that decision.
Trip pulled his fiancée close to him and gently kissed her face. Her eyes fluttered. She wanted more.
"We have to get going, we're on Ream A, darlin'," Trip said.
He pulled her onto their bed and ran his hands through her dark hair.
"I love you, Hoshi Sato," he breathed quietly.
She let out a short giggled and repeated the sentiment. "I love you too, Charles Tucker. Now let's get going before this goes any farther."
Trip chuckled and lifted her off of the bed. She gave him a short kiss and they walked hand-in-hand to the shuttlebay.
Travis rolled his eyes and then smiled. They were two of his best friends and he'd never seen someone, other than his parents, so much in love. They were meant for each other. Crewman Cutler poked Travis in the side, telling him to get into the shuttlepod. They both climbed into the pod and strapped in.
Travis got permission to leave through the now open bay doors and headed to the planet's surface.
***
Once they landed on the outskirts of the town, they began to scan around the outskirts of the town where they had landed. The plant they were looking for had thick, spiny leaves with budding pink flowers at the tips. After a few scans, Travis pointed behind them to where there was a high concentrate of the plants.
Reaching the area, Trip blurted, "Those are some strange lookin' plants."
"Doctor Phlox said not to touch them with our bare hands," Cutler replied, handing out leather gloves. "Especially the buds, they have poisons that harm skin."
Trip looked bewildered and put the gloves on. "Do we pull them from the roots or take the leaves?"
"Phlox said he wants the roots and all. Apparently the roots have the best medical qualities," the crewman explained.
Nodding, the engineer pulled the plant out carefully and placed it in the plastic box. Hoshi and Travis soon followed, while Cutler continued to scan the area.
There were many other patches of the plant all around the cracked desert area. This patch would be the one their team would harvest.
When the patch was bare, the away team stood and took a look around the area. Hoshi glanced down at the patch just as new plants appeared in the just-cleared area. She hit Trip's arm.
"They're back!" Hoshi exclaimed.
"Holy …"
Travis and Cutler looked at the newly grown patch. Cutler smiled.
"What?" Travis asked her, watching her smile grow.
"Phlox said that they grow back in a matter of moments."
Trip wrinkled his brow. "Let's head back, ya'll."
Hoshi shook her head and pushed her fiancée to lead the way back to the shuttle. The plants they had pulled had been some of the strangest she'd ever seen.
***
"Ah, thank you for the plants," Doctor Phlox replied as he immediately began his scan.
"You're welcome, doctor," Hoshi replied.
"They will most likely cure some sort of disease within the next ten years," the Denobulan said excited.
"Wow," Hoshi said, amazed as she looked back down at the strange-looking plant.
Phlox looked at Sato and smiled. She had changed somewhat since she had been engaged to Mr. Tucker. She seemed more happy, more pleased about being aboard Enterprise.
"How is your relationship with the commander going?" he asked.
She nodded and smiled. "Oh, great. I think he's asking the captain if we can get married on the planet, if the government will allow it."
"The cities are quiet beautiful, I took a group of scientists there earlier. They're nothing like the desert where these plants are from."
"Really?"
"It's a natural paradise, unlike Risa. There are white beaches, and the natives are quite peculiarly beautiful," Phlox added.
Hoshi laughed, "It sounds beautiful. It would be nice for a honeymoon."
"Quite so. Their beliefs on marriage are similar to humans and they go on honeymoon for an entire year."
The linguist loved the idea of a yearlong honeymoon, but knew that would not be possible. Archer had been kind enough to tell them they could take a week-and-a-half off after they were married. Either way, it wouldn't matter to her. She was marrying for love, not time off from work.
She was walking to her post when the Tactical Alert came on; the noise loud enough to almost make her jump out of her skin. She ran to the bridge, to see what was going on.
