Title: "Gateway" 21/45
Author: Quills
Contact:the_quill_pen@yahoo.com
Series: ENT
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Startrek and I derive no financial
gain from this story.
Codes: A, T/Tu, Ma, S, R, P angst, drama, romance, humor,
action/adventure
Summary: Captain Archer is relieved of command for a secret mission
into the 24th Century . To find and stop the Suliban renegade Silik.
While he is gone, a Vulcan Starfleet Captain from the future is given
temporary command of the Enterprise NX-01 with his own orders to to
investigate the 'Temporal Cold War'.
chapter 21
Captain Soma made his way through the winding corridors of the ship he once called home. He knew the layout as well as any Enterprise crewmember...better in fact...for none of them had served much more than a year aboard her while he had spent an appreciable part of his life exploring the nooks and crannies of the starship.
The Captain approached the main entranceway to the ship's engineering section. Stopping, he paused at the opening gazing into the expanse where he could see the main warp drive conduit travel back into the bowels of the ship. Men and women hurried about, some with data PADDS, others with sonic
screwdrivers, plasma coolant casings, electro spanners ....he smiled to himself, it was exactly as his mind's eye pictured it.
Straightening himself, Soma took a deep breath and entered the engine room making his way towards the Chief Engineer's main work area. There, he saw a young blond woman bent over what look like a field coil. She was welding it with a micro laser.
Soma stopped behind the young woman...a Lieutenant he thought, but he couldn't be sure. "Excuse me."
"Take a number" the woman replied as she continued working on the field coil.
Soma suppressed the urge to laugh and assumed a serious tone "I'm looking for Commander Tucker."
"Trip's busy." replied the woman not looking up from her work "He was given standing orders to get the replacement warp core installed and online. So he
can't be interupted."
Soma gave a slight smile "I know. I gave the order."
The young woman's eyes looked up and she straightened herself suddenly. Hesitantly, she turned around to see that it had been her new Captain she had been so cavalier with.
Coming to attention she straightened herself. "Captain! Sir, I didn't know it was you sir."
Soma put up his hand "At ease Lieutenant. You look like your about to sprain something."
"Yes sir, sorry sir." stammered the woman
"Where can I find Mr. Tucker?" asked Soma again
The woman pointed down the corridor "He's in the maintenance cubicle at the end of the corridor...on your left, sir."
The 'Workshop' Soma smiled to himself "Thank you...Lieutenant..?"
"Biggs, sir" she replied
"Lieutenant Biggs" he nodded "Don't let me keep you from your work."
"No sir, thank you sir." responded Biggs as the Captain made his way down the narrow corridor. Once he was out of site she leaned against the work table and breathed a sigh of relief.
Soma made his way to the end of the corridor. He could see an open room where light was filtering into the corridor. A flood of memories suddenly invaded his mind. Memories from an earlier part of his life,..a pleasant time when he spent hours in the 'workshop'...his nickname for the secluded workroom the Enterprise's Chief Engineer could always be found in.
He stopped at the entrance and looked in. On an oversized work table sat the sectional components of a ship's warp core. He noticed the segments had been 'surgically' separated so the core could be transported aboard the Enterprise. Standing over the core sections were two men. One, the Captain had already met, Ensign Travis Mayweather. The Ensign was running a scanner over a section of the core and inputting the results into a nearby data PADD. The other man...was crouched down in front of another core segment further down the table. Soma's eyes focused on the other man. He studied the man's face, making out the lines and contours that made up Charles Tucker.
"You know Travis" the said Tucker "I think we might actually be able to pull this off...with a little luck."
"Let's hope so Commander." replied the Ensign "I don't feel like spending five years getting back home."
"I hear ya." replied Tucker as he picked up a scanner and started running it over the segment.. "I stopped by sickbay earlier and spoke to Lieutenant Reed. Malcolm says our new Captain is somthin' else."
"He's definitely that." agreed Travis "He's not like Captain Archer."
Trip looked up and gave Mayweather a hard look.
The Ensign looked back sheepishly "I...I didn't mean.."
"It's ok Travis." said Trip shaking his head "I heard he saved the landing part."
Travis nodded his head "We would have been finished if it wasn't for Captain Soma."
Trip laid down his scanner and leaned on the work table. "I don't know. I guess I'm just havin trouble not havin Cap'n Archer
here. I know the Cap'n wouldn't let someone else take command unless he was sure about em...Starfleet orders or not...and
Cap'n Soma seems like a pretty good guy...for a Vulcan."
The two officers started laughing.
Soma grinned "I hope you won't hold that against me Chief."
Trip Tucker spun around towards the entrance, as Captain Soma entered the room.
"Cap'n!" shouted Tucker as he and Mayweather came to attention.
Soma looked over at Mayweather "Could you excuse us for a minute Ensign.
I'd like to speak to the Chief for a minute."
"Of course sir " said Travis as he put his scanner down and headed for the exit.
Once Tucker was sure Mayweather had gone he spoke "Sorry for shoutin, sir. You startled me. I didn't know you were there."
"Yes" said Soma "I gathered that."
The engineer winced "Oh...you...uh...heard."
"I heard you." said Soma smiling slightly.
Tucker let a deep breath "I'm sorry sir. I got no right questioning yer ability or ...or yer background."
Soma stared at the engineer. Trip Tucker met the man's gaze and the two men momentarily studied one another.He wasn't sure what to expect from Soma. He knew he was half Vulcan and most of the Vulcans he had ever met
did a good job of concealing not only their emotions, but their intentions. Soma appeared to be doing both, but there was something in the Captain's face. Trip couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he was certain that whatever the Captain was thinking it wasn't malicious.
"It's alright Chief." said Soma "I understand how you feel. You've served with Captain Archer a long time."
Tucker nodded "Yes sir."
Soma stepped closer to the engineer "By making you his Chief engineer, Captain Archer put his trust in you Mr. Tucker."
Tucker shook his head "I'd like to think I earned it sir."
Soma nodded "I'm also putting MY trust in you Chief...that you will make sure this ship is ready for whatever we might encounter. I hope that I can count on you as Captain Archer has. "
The engineer straightened slightly. "She'll be ready sir, you have my word on it."
"Good" smiled Soma "and you have my word Chief...we will complete this mission... and I will bring this crew back in one piece."
Tucker gave the Vulcan a slight smile.
"One more thing Chief..." said Soma hesitantly "I realize that this is an Earth vessel and that...the general feelings
of the crew towards having a Vulcan Captain are...uncomfortable."
Trip Tucker was about to speak, but Soma raised his hand "The Vulcan's of this era mean well Mr. Tucker...but many of them have tended to be a collective 'pain in the ass' for this crew and her mission."
Tucker suppressed the urge to laugh "Yes sir, that about sums it up."
"Like you...I'm a Starfleet officer." said Soma "My interests and loyalty lie with Starfleet and the Federation. The crew may not be in a position to appreciate that. Particularly since the background they have been given on me
is a fabricated one. To many of the them...I'm just another 'interfering' Vulcan'. Worse yet, I've replaced Captain Archer.
A man they respect and are loyal to."
Tucker felt a sudden twinge of guilt. He regretted the comment he had made earlier and realized that he had said what many of the crew were thinking. He had only been concerned with how he felt about Captain Archer being replaced. It never occurred to him how Captain Soma might feel. Maybe he just didn't think about it because Soma was a Vulcan, but he was only half Vulcan. Also, he wasn't exactly your typical Vulcan. For one thing, he smiled.
Maybe he could give lessons to T'Pol.
"You are this ship's barometer Chief." said Soma "Your fellow crewmembers look to you to set the tone and mood."
Tucker looked at Soma quizzically. He had never really thought of himself that way, but the Captain always seemed
to ask him how the crew was doing. He always thought Archer was just bouncing the question off him. What was odder
though was how Soma could know something about him that he himself didn't know. He hadn't even met Soma before
today. Had John talked to him?
"I would appreciate you setting a tone of trust and friendship, Chief." said Soma extended his hand to the engineer.
Tucker looked down at the open hand being extended towards him and then looked up at Soma.
Tucker smiled and grasped Soma's hand "Charles Tucker III"
"Jonathan Soma" responded the Captain with a smile.
Trip Tucker smiled at the Vulcan "Just in case nobodies gotten around to it, sir...Welcome aboard."
TBC....
Author: Quills
Contact:the_quill_pen@yahoo.com
Series: ENT
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Startrek and I derive no financial
gain from this story.
Codes: A, T/Tu, Ma, S, R, P angst, drama, romance, humor,
action/adventure
Summary: Captain Archer is relieved of command for a secret mission
into the 24th Century . To find and stop the Suliban renegade Silik.
While he is gone, a Vulcan Starfleet Captain from the future is given
temporary command of the Enterprise NX-01 with his own orders to to
investigate the 'Temporal Cold War'.
chapter 21
Captain Soma made his way through the winding corridors of the ship he once called home. He knew the layout as well as any Enterprise crewmember...better in fact...for none of them had served much more than a year aboard her while he had spent an appreciable part of his life exploring the nooks and crannies of the starship.
The Captain approached the main entranceway to the ship's engineering section. Stopping, he paused at the opening gazing into the expanse where he could see the main warp drive conduit travel back into the bowels of the ship. Men and women hurried about, some with data PADDS, others with sonic
screwdrivers, plasma coolant casings, electro spanners ....he smiled to himself, it was exactly as his mind's eye pictured it.
Straightening himself, Soma took a deep breath and entered the engine room making his way towards the Chief Engineer's main work area. There, he saw a young blond woman bent over what look like a field coil. She was welding it with a micro laser.
Soma stopped behind the young woman...a Lieutenant he thought, but he couldn't be sure. "Excuse me."
"Take a number" the woman replied as she continued working on the field coil.
Soma suppressed the urge to laugh and assumed a serious tone "I'm looking for Commander Tucker."
"Trip's busy." replied the woman not looking up from her work "He was given standing orders to get the replacement warp core installed and online. So he
can't be interupted."
Soma gave a slight smile "I know. I gave the order."
The young woman's eyes looked up and she straightened herself suddenly. Hesitantly, she turned around to see that it had been her new Captain she had been so cavalier with.
Coming to attention she straightened herself. "Captain! Sir, I didn't know it was you sir."
Soma put up his hand "At ease Lieutenant. You look like your about to sprain something."
"Yes sir, sorry sir." stammered the woman
"Where can I find Mr. Tucker?" asked Soma again
The woman pointed down the corridor "He's in the maintenance cubicle at the end of the corridor...on your left, sir."
The 'Workshop' Soma smiled to himself "Thank you...Lieutenant..?"
"Biggs, sir" she replied
"Lieutenant Biggs" he nodded "Don't let me keep you from your work."
"No sir, thank you sir." responded Biggs as the Captain made his way down the narrow corridor. Once he was out of site she leaned against the work table and breathed a sigh of relief.
Soma made his way to the end of the corridor. He could see an open room where light was filtering into the corridor. A flood of memories suddenly invaded his mind. Memories from an earlier part of his life,..a pleasant time when he spent hours in the 'workshop'...his nickname for the secluded workroom the Enterprise's Chief Engineer could always be found in.
He stopped at the entrance and looked in. On an oversized work table sat the sectional components of a ship's warp core. He noticed the segments had been 'surgically' separated so the core could be transported aboard the Enterprise. Standing over the core sections were two men. One, the Captain had already met, Ensign Travis Mayweather. The Ensign was running a scanner over a section of the core and inputting the results into a nearby data PADD. The other man...was crouched down in front of another core segment further down the table. Soma's eyes focused on the other man. He studied the man's face, making out the lines and contours that made up Charles Tucker.
"You know Travis" the said Tucker "I think we might actually be able to pull this off...with a little luck."
"Let's hope so Commander." replied the Ensign "I don't feel like spending five years getting back home."
"I hear ya." replied Tucker as he picked up a scanner and started running it over the segment.. "I stopped by sickbay earlier and spoke to Lieutenant Reed. Malcolm says our new Captain is somthin' else."
"He's definitely that." agreed Travis "He's not like Captain Archer."
Trip looked up and gave Mayweather a hard look.
The Ensign looked back sheepishly "I...I didn't mean.."
"It's ok Travis." said Trip shaking his head "I heard he saved the landing part."
Travis nodded his head "We would have been finished if it wasn't for Captain Soma."
Trip laid down his scanner and leaned on the work table. "I don't know. I guess I'm just havin trouble not havin Cap'n Archer
here. I know the Cap'n wouldn't let someone else take command unless he was sure about em...Starfleet orders or not...and
Cap'n Soma seems like a pretty good guy...for a Vulcan."
The two officers started laughing.
Soma grinned "I hope you won't hold that against me Chief."
Trip Tucker spun around towards the entrance, as Captain Soma entered the room.
"Cap'n!" shouted Tucker as he and Mayweather came to attention.
Soma looked over at Mayweather "Could you excuse us for a minute Ensign.
I'd like to speak to the Chief for a minute."
"Of course sir " said Travis as he put his scanner down and headed for the exit.
Once Tucker was sure Mayweather had gone he spoke "Sorry for shoutin, sir. You startled me. I didn't know you were there."
"Yes" said Soma "I gathered that."
The engineer winced "Oh...you...uh...heard."
"I heard you." said Soma smiling slightly.
Tucker let a deep breath "I'm sorry sir. I got no right questioning yer ability or ...or yer background."
Soma stared at the engineer. Trip Tucker met the man's gaze and the two men momentarily studied one another.He wasn't sure what to expect from Soma. He knew he was half Vulcan and most of the Vulcans he had ever met
did a good job of concealing not only their emotions, but their intentions. Soma appeared to be doing both, but there was something in the Captain's face. Trip couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he was certain that whatever the Captain was thinking it wasn't malicious.
"It's alright Chief." said Soma "I understand how you feel. You've served with Captain Archer a long time."
Tucker nodded "Yes sir."
Soma stepped closer to the engineer "By making you his Chief engineer, Captain Archer put his trust in you Mr. Tucker."
Tucker shook his head "I'd like to think I earned it sir."
Soma nodded "I'm also putting MY trust in you Chief...that you will make sure this ship is ready for whatever we might encounter. I hope that I can count on you as Captain Archer has. "
The engineer straightened slightly. "She'll be ready sir, you have my word on it."
"Good" smiled Soma "and you have my word Chief...we will complete this mission... and I will bring this crew back in one piece."
Tucker gave the Vulcan a slight smile.
"One more thing Chief..." said Soma hesitantly "I realize that this is an Earth vessel and that...the general feelings
of the crew towards having a Vulcan Captain are...uncomfortable."
Trip Tucker was about to speak, but Soma raised his hand "The Vulcan's of this era mean well Mr. Tucker...but many of them have tended to be a collective 'pain in the ass' for this crew and her mission."
Tucker suppressed the urge to laugh "Yes sir, that about sums it up."
"Like you...I'm a Starfleet officer." said Soma "My interests and loyalty lie with Starfleet and the Federation. The crew may not be in a position to appreciate that. Particularly since the background they have been given on me
is a fabricated one. To many of the them...I'm just another 'interfering' Vulcan'. Worse yet, I've replaced Captain Archer.
A man they respect and are loyal to."
Tucker felt a sudden twinge of guilt. He regretted the comment he had made earlier and realized that he had said what many of the crew were thinking. He had only been concerned with how he felt about Captain Archer being replaced. It never occurred to him how Captain Soma might feel. Maybe he just didn't think about it because Soma was a Vulcan, but he was only half Vulcan. Also, he wasn't exactly your typical Vulcan. For one thing, he smiled.
Maybe he could give lessons to T'Pol.
"You are this ship's barometer Chief." said Soma "Your fellow crewmembers look to you to set the tone and mood."
Tucker looked at Soma quizzically. He had never really thought of himself that way, but the Captain always seemed
to ask him how the crew was doing. He always thought Archer was just bouncing the question off him. What was odder
though was how Soma could know something about him that he himself didn't know. He hadn't even met Soma before
today. Had John talked to him?
"I would appreciate you setting a tone of trust and friendship, Chief." said Soma extended his hand to the engineer.
Tucker looked down at the open hand being extended towards him and then looked up at Soma.
Tucker smiled and grasped Soma's hand "Charles Tucker III"
"Jonathan Soma" responded the Captain with a smile.
Trip Tucker smiled at the Vulcan "Just in case nobodies gotten around to it, sir...Welcome aboard."
TBC....