There was a dull thud as the Enterprise docked at Jupiter Station. Archer and Fizadelt stood in the ready-room, staring out the window at the giant, swirling planet. Fizadelt's jaw hung like a door hanging off its hinges.
"What did you call this planet?" He asked.
"Jupiter. It's called Jupiter. The fifth planet in the Sol System." Archer responded. There was a pause as they gazed at Jupiter some more. "I've already contacted Captain Trisha and told her to select some hosts for you. She thinks you'll like them."
"Really? Are you trying to fool me? You have been too generous." He sighed. "Are there Andorian females?" He asked hopefully.
"There's a good selection." Archer answered. "Are you ready?"
With a last look at Jupiter, Fizadelt nodded. The two men turned from the window, and exited the ready room.
Along the way to the docking port, Reed and Hoshi joined Archer and Fizadelt. Reed carried a medium-sized chest tucked under one arm.
"What's that?" Fizadelt asked.
"A farewell present." Reed smiled.
"I cannot believe this! Do you not think I'm a dangerous soul-stealing cloud that will come to take over you in the late hours of the night?!" Fiz asked, confused at the hospitality of the crew. Suspicion began to blossom in his mind.
Reed chuckled, and Hoshi smiled. "You've certainly sparked up our mission a bit, and given a new meaning to 'seek out new life and new civilizations.'" She said. Fiz smiled as well.
"Here." Archer said. He opened the docking port door, then the door to Jupiter Station.
Fiz whistled at what he saw. Captain Trisha waited for them, her arms folded behind her back. A gentle smile raised the corners of her soft pink lips, and her dark, ruby hair was styled neatly in as a disk on the back of her head. Dark freckles were scattered over her nose and cheeks. "Captain Archer." She greeted, her voice full of command and authority. "It's good to see you again."
Archer stepped up beside her, Fiz, Reed, and Hoshi following. "You too! Trisha, this is Fizadelt. He's the one you have prepared some of your crewmen for."
Trisha nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Fiz saw this and shook his head. "I'm sorry to have to make you choose hosts like this. I know it has to be challenging."
"No problem." Trisha answered. "Let's get down to business. Follow me." She turned, and brought her arms down to her side.
The group of five traveled down the well lit halls. Fiz inspected the people that passed, but they didn't stop to stare. They had work to do, and if they didn't do it…. Captain Trisha had her ways. The constant turning and twisting down multiple corridors made Fiz begin to lose his sense of direction.
"This Station is large." He commented.
Trisha nodded, and stopped beside a bulky, dull grey door. "In here. They're waiting for you." She pressed the button beside the door, and it slowly whooshed open.
Inside, there were a few pieces of furniture: Two couches, four stools, three chairs, and a table. From the ceiling hung an unshaded light bulb.
"This section of the station is rather new, so we haven't had the time to furnish it properly yet." Trisha said.
"It's not the furniture that matters." Fiz answered. He stared at each person in the room: A few men dressed in the Station uniform along with a few women, and a few aliens dressed in clothes of their culture. He spotted a Ferengi, a Klingon, a few Vulcans… and two Andorians. There was a male, his antennae low to his head, dark eyes staring blankly back at Fizadelt, and a woman, her star-white hair tied back in a pony-tail behind her head. Her coal dark eyes seemed to burn from within. Fiz caught her eye, and smiled. Dangerous! He thought, and winked at her.
A weird look came across his face. A blank look, unreadable, as if Fiz was still in Trip's body but not yet connected to him. Reed set the chest on the ground and opened the lid a little bit. The lively look came back on Trip's face, his eyes still twinkling at the Andorian.
"May the warp engines hum in your favour." Hoshi said half reluctantly. It was the best techno babble farewell she could think of.
Fiz nodded. "Yes. In my favour." And suddenly the wisp burst out of Trip's body and dived straight for the Andorian. Reed threw the lid off the chest, and Trip's yellow wisp came out of it. He went back into his body, which had fallen limp into Hoshi's arms. But before 'Yellow-Trip' had moved an inch, Reed pulled a phaser from the bottom of the chest and aimed it into the holodeck. With the setting already set to stun, and with some minor adjustments Reed had made to enhance the fire-power, he shot into the room.
The yellow beam cut through the room, chasing after Fizadelt. At the same time, Captain Trisha fumbled with the holodeck control pad beside the door, and hastily shut off the program. The people, furniture, and bulb disappeared. The only objects in the room were Fiz and the phaser beam.
It was a direct hit. Fiz was caught by the beam, and seemed unaffected at first. But he didn't move. The wisp changed colour from blue, to green, to purple, and finally to red. After a moment, the wisp seemed to dissolve into the air. Reed stopped firing.
Trip groaned from where he lay on the deck. Hoshi soothed him, trying to help him up. He stumbled at first, but Hoshi's firm grip kept him up. Trip stared into the empty holodeck, then at Reed, Archer, Hoshi, and finally Captain Trisha. He looked back at Archer.
"Remind me to never make first contact again." He said breathlessly.
"Are you alright, Trip?" Archer asked.
Trip nodded. He looked back at Captain Trisha, and she smiled slightly. "How long ago did you install the holodeck?" He asked curiously, remembering his first experience in a holodeck.
"Around three months ago. The Vulcans explained to Starfleet what a holodeck is and how it functions after Captain Archer sent the report about your experience in the alien holodeck four years ago. People began to experiment, trying to piece together a basic holodeck. Finally someone succeeded, and the technology was presented to Starfleet and they improved upon it." Captain Trisha shook her head. "Didn't you know? I guess you don't know these things, when you're flying around in space over the speed limit." She joked. There was a hint of longing in her eyes, the long to explore. She promised herself, mentally, that one day she would become Captain of a Starship….
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Hoshi sat in at the desk in her quarters. It was 1000 hours; it had been a while since her shift ended. The lights in her room were off. The only light to guide her was the light of stars soaring past the window. "Computer, begin recording."
Personal Log, April 21st, 2156
We finally got rid of Fizadelt, one of the "wisps" that take over other people's bodies. I didn't think they could be killed, but then again Mr. Reed is a miracle worker when it comes to blowing something up
I don't know what I'm going to do with my Techno Babble Dictionary, now that everyone can understand what Commander Tucker is talking about. Maybe I should send it with the Captain's report to Admiral Forrest. I would like to keep a copy for myself, though, too. Some of the things Tri – Fizadelt talked about ,like star dates, warp cores, and bio-neural gel pack might be interesting for me, Commander Tucker, or anyone else to study. Or I could keep it all to myself, try and invent these things, and become rich. Then I would marry Reed.
"Archer to Ensign Sato." Archer's voice came over the comm.
"Computer, pause recording." She commanded, and the computer beeped in response. She noticed that they had dropped out of warp as she quickly fumbled for the lights. She pressed the comm. on the wall above her bed. "Sato here."
"Sorry to call you back on duty, Ensign, but the Xindi have unexpectedly dropped by for a visit." There was happiness in his voice, Hoshi could tell.
"Xindi?" She said, temporarily blinded by the lights.
"Yes, Xindi. The Aquatics and Insectoid are here with the Arboreals and Humanoids." He said, as if explaining to a child.
Hoshi smiled. "Of course, sir. Sato out." She turned the lights out again, and her vision came back to her suddenly, almost blinding her again. She looked out the window, and could see the Aquatic vessel approaching.
She pressed the button beside the door, and it opened. Dim light from the corridor spilled into her quarters. As she made her way down the corridor, she thought to herself: 67 dialects of Insectoid is better than Techno Babble any day….
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Long time no post on this story. It took me a while to think how to end it. I had a great idea, and then as suddenly as it came I lost it. So I had to think it over again. And, finally, here it is. :)