Enterprise Fables
By Hildwyn
Flight Test
Rated: G
"It's amazing that the stars don't twinkle out here," Crewman Jenkins said as she looked out the main viewport of the shuttle.
T'Pol looked up from her controls.
"That would be illogical, Crewman. What effect you are referring to is the product of observing light traveling through your planets atmosphere," T'Pol responded.
Trip turned in his chair and winked back at Jenkins.
"Don't let her get to you; she likes to suck the wonder and amazement out of everything."
"I was merely pointing out that-"
"We know, we know," Trip said cutting her off. T'Pol raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back to the controls.
Silence reigned in the shuttlepod for a few minutes.
"Karen, you were cleared to fly a shuttlepod before we left spacedock, right?" he asked Jenkins.
"Well," Jenkins paused, "sort of. I received the training but I never passed the test," she said, deliberately avoiding mentioning that she did fail the test. But then that was why she carefully choose how she said it, 'never passed the test' didn't actually meant that she failed it, it could be taken to mean that she never did take the test.
"I see," Trip said thoughtfully, "hey, T'Pol, how long do we have before Enterprise will rendezvous with us?"
"Nearly three hours and twenty minutes. That will give us plenty of time," Trip said grinning.
"For what?" Jenkins asked, beating T'Pol to the same question.
"To give you the test," he answered.
"Here? Now?" Jenkins asked aghast. It had been nearly a year since Enterprise's launch, and she had not spent a single second of that time anywhere near a simulator. She was not even close to being prepared.
"Yeah, you'll do fine."
"Commander, I must question your reasons for doing this now of all times," T'Pol said.
"Well, we're out here, aren't we? Besides, most of the crew should be cleared to fly and land the shuttlepods, in case all the other people are incapacitated or unable to. Besides, why wait to do it? It would just require another trip by all of us to do it," Trip said.
"There is some logic in what you say, however the overriding force here would be whether or not Crewman Jenkins is prepared to fly the shuttle at this moment."
"Well, are you?" Trip asked, glancing back at Jenkins.
"Uh," Jenkins said, worried, "sure, why not?"
Trip smiled, "Thatta girl!"
Trip got up from the pilot's seat and moved out of the way so that Jenkins could take it. Jenkins could not help but glance over at T'Pol as she took the pilot's chair- and though she showed no sign of emotion, Jenkins could not help but guess that there was probably some anxiety that the Vulcan was feeling- if they really did just hide their feelings and really have them. Not that she could blame her if she did have that feeling- right now she would swear that there were a couple dozen butterflies in her stomach moving around.
"Is there some pre-set course that you intend to have Jenkins take?" T'Pol asked.
"You don't have to talk over me," Jenkins said, "I am here."
"That was never my intention. I apologize if it came across that way to you," T'Pol responded.
"I was thinking we would head somewhere off to starboard- where there are no asteroid fields or anything to interfere- we could try a few banks and rolls, and then try landing on Enterprise when she comes," Trip said.
"If you believe you are capable," T'Pol said, direction the statement to Jenkins.
Jenkins gave a half-hearted smile, "I think I can manage the first part."
"Good," Trip said, "let's go."
Half an hour later, after practicing a few rolls, even T'Pol could find no fault with Jenkins' piloting.
"Commander," T'Pol said, "do you see those reading on heading 34.5 degrees?"
Trip leaned over his station.
"Yeah, I see it."
"We are altering course to investigate; we still have two hours and forty-eight minutes until the rendezvous," she said, then glancing at Trip, "unless you have any objections, Commander?"
Trip shook his head.
"Set course," T'Pol ordered Jenkins.
"What's that?" Trip asked, as a loud screeching sound came over communications.
"Patching it through the UT," Jenkins said, "It sounds like it might be some form of communications."
"It is coming from that buoy," T'Pol said, "which is 40 meters off the port bow."
A couple of minutes later the screeching changed into English.
'Warning, do not cross! This is area claimed by the Government of' screeeeech scraaaaape. 'This is your final warning! Do not cross!'
"Get us out of here, Crewman!" T'Pol ordered, just before two ships jumped out of warp next to them.
"How long 'til we cross the border?" Trip asked.
"Five seconds, sir," Jenkins responded.
The shuttle pod crossed the invisible boundary just moments before phasors blasted through the area it had been.
"The two vessels appear to be breaking their pursuit, and are holding position," T'Pol said.
"Good thing. You figure they might make a 'do not enter' sign a bit more prominent," Trip said, joking.
Jenkins nodded.
This time, the three Enterprise crewmembers were lucky, but luck isn't always good in space.
The lesson this time: Don't cross and buoys, or 'space signs' unless you know what they are saying.
Note: This story and its moral, was, errr, roughly inspired by my recent road test. Better luck next time, eh?