Captain Archer entered the Bridge. "Good morning." He smiled at
them all, and Ensign Hoshi Sato was glad to see that he had returned to his
old self. In response, good mornings echoed from the Bridge crew of Alpha
shift. "Report."
"Security reports normal, sir," came the reply from Malcolm Reed.
Likewise, all systems reported normal that morning.
"Sir, we have picked up a system of planets nearby. All are uninhabited, and have not been explored by Vulcan."
"Thank you, Sub-Commander. Travis, adjust heading and pursue course at warp 3."
"Aye, sir."
"I'll be in my ready-room. T'Pol, you have the bridge." She nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In his ready-room, Jonathan sank down into his chair. He felt exhausted these days, depressed. 'Pull yourself together, Jon. She doesn't have feelings for you, and it was stupid to believe that she would.' Ever since T'Pol needed him to alleviate her Pon Farr and told him they couldn't continue their relationship, he had been having these conversations with himself. Seeing her everyday, pretending that nothing had happened between them. it wore him down. Whenever they were alone together, he felt a tingle in his hands that longed to touch her, and in his lips that longed to kiss her. Jon sighed. 'Oh well. Better get to work, stop thinking about her.'
But even in his duties he was distracted. He couldn't stop replaying in his head her rejection. He told her he loved her.twice, and she had stated clearly that they had to go back to being friends. And yet, somehow this made him want her even more. Somehow the fact that he couldn't have her made her all the more desirable. 'God, Jon, you really are hopeless. The best thing I can do is be the best Captain I can be, then I won't have to worry about my feelings for T'Pol, because I'll have so many other problems to think about.'
This seemed to settle him, and he was able to finish his tedious work. T'Pol informed him 2 hours later when they reached the system of planets.
"Here we go," Jonathan told himself aloud as he straightened his uniform and walked out onto the Bridge.
* * *
"On-screen," Jonathan commanded his communications officer. A large, jolly-looking alien took up most of the view screen. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer, of the Earth vessel Enterprise. My crew and I are on a peaceful mission of exploration."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I am the commander of this vessel; my name is Tidarius, from the planet Krapp. In my language, it means 'musical'." He frowned when he noticed the crew trying to hide their smiles and giggles and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Not at all. It's just that in our language, that word has a different meaning." Jonathan straightened. "Would you be interested in meeting? My crew and I would be happy to share some our music and our stories with you, if you'd like."
The jovial fellow laughed and replied, "That would be wonderful, Captain. Since your ship is much larger than mine, I suggest we meet on your vessel, if you'll have us."
Jonathan smiled at the image of Santa Claus that popped into his head. "Absolutely; my helmsman will send over docking directions. We'll meet in Docking Bay 1." He paused, and smiled again. "Archer out." When the view screen showed once again the stars, he turned to T'Pol and nodded his head in the direction of the 'lift. Once they were alone and headed for the docking bay, he broke the silence. "Well, they seemed nice enough."
Softly, "You have only met one of them."
"Well, yeah, but, if we assume they are all like Tidarius, then." he trailed off, and T'Pol nodded.
"Assuming that, it appears this first contact will be beneficial to both species." It was Jonathan's turn to nod. They rode in comfortable silence for the rest of the ride, and then exited the 'lift at Docking Bay1, which was located very near to Decon. There they met Tidarius and the crewmen he had brought along. There was an exchange of formalities and names, and then the Krappians were escorted to Decon. Phlox quickly revealed that there was no reason for decontamination, and the small group of newly made friends left on the direction of the Mess.
* * * Okay, I promise, this will go somewhere, not like the other ones. More to come, I know its short, I'm sorry!!
"Security reports normal, sir," came the reply from Malcolm Reed.
Likewise, all systems reported normal that morning.
"Sir, we have picked up a system of planets nearby. All are uninhabited, and have not been explored by Vulcan."
"Thank you, Sub-Commander. Travis, adjust heading and pursue course at warp 3."
"Aye, sir."
"I'll be in my ready-room. T'Pol, you have the bridge." She nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In his ready-room, Jonathan sank down into his chair. He felt exhausted these days, depressed. 'Pull yourself together, Jon. She doesn't have feelings for you, and it was stupid to believe that she would.' Ever since T'Pol needed him to alleviate her Pon Farr and told him they couldn't continue their relationship, he had been having these conversations with himself. Seeing her everyday, pretending that nothing had happened between them. it wore him down. Whenever they were alone together, he felt a tingle in his hands that longed to touch her, and in his lips that longed to kiss her. Jon sighed. 'Oh well. Better get to work, stop thinking about her.'
But even in his duties he was distracted. He couldn't stop replaying in his head her rejection. He told her he loved her.twice, and she had stated clearly that they had to go back to being friends. And yet, somehow this made him want her even more. Somehow the fact that he couldn't have her made her all the more desirable. 'God, Jon, you really are hopeless. The best thing I can do is be the best Captain I can be, then I won't have to worry about my feelings for T'Pol, because I'll have so many other problems to think about.'
This seemed to settle him, and he was able to finish his tedious work. T'Pol informed him 2 hours later when they reached the system of planets.
"Here we go," Jonathan told himself aloud as he straightened his uniform and walked out onto the Bridge.
* * *
"On-screen," Jonathan commanded his communications officer. A large, jolly-looking alien took up most of the view screen. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer, of the Earth vessel Enterprise. My crew and I are on a peaceful mission of exploration."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I am the commander of this vessel; my name is Tidarius, from the planet Krapp. In my language, it means 'musical'." He frowned when he noticed the crew trying to hide their smiles and giggles and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Not at all. It's just that in our language, that word has a different meaning." Jonathan straightened. "Would you be interested in meeting? My crew and I would be happy to share some our music and our stories with you, if you'd like."
The jovial fellow laughed and replied, "That would be wonderful, Captain. Since your ship is much larger than mine, I suggest we meet on your vessel, if you'll have us."
Jonathan smiled at the image of Santa Claus that popped into his head. "Absolutely; my helmsman will send over docking directions. We'll meet in Docking Bay 1." He paused, and smiled again. "Archer out." When the view screen showed once again the stars, he turned to T'Pol and nodded his head in the direction of the 'lift. Once they were alone and headed for the docking bay, he broke the silence. "Well, they seemed nice enough."
Softly, "You have only met one of them."
"Well, yeah, but, if we assume they are all like Tidarius, then." he trailed off, and T'Pol nodded.
"Assuming that, it appears this first contact will be beneficial to both species." It was Jonathan's turn to nod. They rode in comfortable silence for the rest of the ride, and then exited the 'lift at Docking Bay1, which was located very near to Decon. There they met Tidarius and the crewmen he had brought along. There was an exchange of formalities and names, and then the Krappians were escorted to Decon. Phlox quickly revealed that there was no reason for decontamination, and the small group of newly made friends left on the direction of the Mess.
* * * Okay, I promise, this will go somewhere, not like the other ones. More to come, I know its short, I'm sorry!!