Forgot to put this in the first chapter: Disclaimer – Don't own anybody.
This is the way the chapters work: Story, dictionary, story, dictionary, story, dictionary etc. The bold words in the story are words that are going to be included in the following dictionary chapter. Wow, I'm beginning to sound like Trip myself!
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Trip was taking a break from repairs in the mess hall. Hoshi was with him, trying to decipher his odd speech.
"Ice cream sundae, chocolate." Hoshi spoke into the replicator. The replicator whirred as it reproduced an ice cream sundae. She picked up the spoon and headed toward a table near the back of the room.
"I think this food processor is broken." Trip said. Hoshi stopped to look at him.
"What? The what?"
"Food processor. It imitates a number of varieties of nutrition and beverages by recreating its molecules and DNA strands." Trip answered.
"No, it's fine." Hoshi answered. She had become used to Trip saying that something was broken. She had no idea why he said that, when even she knew the device wasn't broken.
Trip shrugged. "Agreed. Ice cream sundae, chocolate." Trip repeated in the replicator. When it finished, he joined Hoshi at her table. She looked in surprise at his choice of food.
"Aren't you going to have Pecan pie?" She asked.
"What?" Trip asked, after spooning a giant mouthful of ice cream into his mouth. "No, I suppose not." He continued to spoon great gobs of the ice cream into his mouth.
"Gosh, Trip, slow down, you're going to make me sick!" Hoshi yelled.
"Oh, pardon." Trip said. He placed the empty dish on the table, and tossed the spoon into the dish. "I'll be back in 62 seconds." He said, getting out of his seat. He went back to replicator and replicated something that Hoshi couldn't make out. He came back, and tossed a loaf of white bread and a loaf of brown bread on the table. Hoshi choked on her ice cream.
"Trip, are you OK?"
"All bodily functions in perfect working order. Brain functions normal, heart rate normal, blood pressure normal –"
Hoshi cut Trip off. "Sir, are you ill?"
"In other word, no." Trip answered, taking his seat.
"Then what's with the bread?"
"It's delicious!" Trip replied, opening up the bag of white bread.
Hoshi raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "Well don't eat it all now, you'll make yourself sick. I want you to eat just one slice then you take those loaves to your quarters, got it?"
"I thought I was rank commander of the Starship Enterprise NX-01." Trip laughed.
"Last time I checked the commander of the Enterprise wasn't this crazy." Hoshi smiled.
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Hoshi and Trip crawled along inside the Jeffries tube, Trip holding a small case of tools. Hoshi was behind Trip, and when she stopped, Trip continued to crawl.
"Sir, the time controls are behind here." She said, pointing to a panel as Trip looked over his shoulder.
"Right. I was aware of that, my brain just chose to ignore that. I need exercise." He crawled back to where Hoshi knelt and pulled out the panel, revealing blinking lights and broken wires.
"So what did you say happened to the clock?"
"The chronometer was knocked out of alignment when that last Xindi vessel fired its photon torpedoes and hit the forward hull plating, near the O2 recycler." Trip opened the case and pulled out a pointy device. He touched it to parts of panel to stimulate the flow of electricity through them.
"Photon torpedoes?" Hoshi asked, watching Trip. "I didn't know the Xindi had those. I thought only the Klingons did. T'pol, Malcolm, and I saw the word 'photon torpedoes' on the weapons control panel on Klingon ship we found on that planet. Didn't Malcolm tell you about that?"
"Yes he did. Obviously the Xindi have similar weapons systems as the Klingons." Trip said, putting the device back in the case and taking out another one. He touched it to the end of the broken circuits, which helped to reconnect them to the main computer. "This should do the trick. The chronometer will be connected to the main computer in no time." Trip laughed. "Get it?" He turned to Hoshi.
"Har har, Trip." She responded, brushing away a strand of hair from her face. "What does the O2 recycler have to do with the chronometer?"
"The O2 recycler runs on a time counter, and this time counter is connected to the chronometer, which is also connected to the main computer because other components of this vessel run on time counters." Trip answered, leaning back against the side of the Jeffries tube. "There, that should do it." He closed his little briefcase.
"Time counter? You mean timer?"
"Affirmative." Trip answered.
"Trip, can't you just speak in simpler terms?" Hoshi asked as she and Trip crawled on towards the O2 recycler controls.
"Simpler terms? Um, no."
"Why not?"
Trip inhaled deeply. "You see, if I were to talk in simpler terms, also known as 'understandably,' --"
Hoshi cut him off again. "Forget it, Trip. I don't want to know." She rolled her eyes.
"But you said!"
"I didn't say anything, Trip." Hoshi said sternly.
"But you--" Trip stammered. He turned to look at her. She glared back at her. "You didn't say a word." He complied.
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At the end of her shift, Hoshi settled down in front of the desk in her quarters. She pulled out an unused padd from a drawer, and began typing terms into her dictionary.