Chapter 11

The morning after, Trip and Malcolm had breakfast together.

Malcolm was teasing Trip about Niki: "So, you cut a foolish figure yesterday."

"Next time she won't be so lucky!" he hissed.

Malcolm sniggered.

Trip changed the subject: "Is Niki making further tests with shuttle weapons today?"

"Yes, she's already in launch bay checking the instruments." Malcolm nodded "After the test she will pay the Captain a short visit."

"Really? Why?" Trip was curious.

"Mmmm ... she wants to convince him that it's time to come back."

"He's making scans of the comet, maybe he hasn't finished yet."

"He has completed the scans 24 hours ago, Trip. He's still out there because he's troubled. And Niki wants to cheer him up ..."

"Troubled? About what?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think he and T'Pol are pissed off at each other ... there has been an atmosphere of tension lately."

"I didn't notice." was Trip's comment.

"That's why you're always absorbed by your engines."

"At least my engines still need me." Trip lowered his eyes.

"You can't get T'Pol out of your head, mmm?"

"I must admit ... I miss her." he sighed "But I don't wanna talk about this, Mal ... back to the Captain, do you know why he's pissed off at her?"

Malcolm shrugged: "Not really. Someone told me they had an argue in launch bay before he left with the shuttlepod, but he couldn't hear what they were talking about ..."

"You're always well-informed." Trip said sarcastically.

"I was not investigating, Trip. I simply was told that ..."

Trip interrupted him: "Now I understand why Niki asked me to get the waterpolo finals through subspace mailbag! That's kind of her, a present for her Captain. She has a crush on him, uh?" he giggled.

"Likely. Sorry to tell you this, Trip, but I suspect she could be the reason why T'Pol argued with the Captain ..."

Trip's face fell: "What?"

"I may be wrong, but I noticed a couple of times that T'Pol was ... a little jealous ... seeing Captain Archer attracted to Niki."

"Nah! They're friends, she and Niki spend a lot of time together in meditation and reading that kind of "bible" ... sure you're wrong, Mal! And T'Pol can't be jealous of Capt. Archer, they've been friends for years." he made a gesture with his hand, as he wanted to push away that idea.

"I hope to be wrong, Trip. But Niki has almost finished tests ... 3 weeks left. I don't think Captain Archer will let her go back to Starfleet, he will ask her to stay on Enterprise ... and I suspect that Commander T'Pol won't be happy about that. Friends or not."

"Do you know you have a tortuous mind, Mal?" he bantered.

"I may guess right, Trip." he got up. "I have to go to the armory now, Niki is waiting for me to launch the fake targets for her tests."

Trip remained alone for a moment, puzzled. Then he shook his head: "Nah!" and made his way to engineering, thinking that Malcolm was just crazy.

o-o-o-o-o-

Archer heard the com: "Shuttle One to Captain Archer"

He knitted his brow.

"Captain Archer, please respond."

"Archer here."

"Happy to see you're alive, Captain." Niki joked.

"Was I supposed to be in danger, Niki?"

"Tell me how you could survive for 3 days with those lousy rations and coffee!"

He chuckled: "Where are you?"

"Look at your left Captain. I just finished some tests and thought to make a little detour and say Hello!" she said.

Archer looked outside and saw the shape of Shuttle One.

"How's the Shuttle? Good tests?" he asked.

"I'm quite satisfied, Captain." she answered "Lovely view from here."

"Yes, this comet is wonderful, don't you agree?"

Niki recited softly:

"The stars, like dust, encircle me / In living mists of light / And all of space I seem to see / In one vast burst of sight"

"Nice verses. Who's the poet?"

"He's not a poet, Captain. He's a science-fiction writer of about two centuries ago. He imagined the future in a very special way: robots, misteries, one union of people and planets named 'Foundation'. His name was Isaac Asimov."

"I didn't read his books. It sounds ... exciting."

"It is. I could tell you a lot of stories about robots and The Three Laws of Robotics."

"I look forward to." he smiled, for the first time after several days.

"What about this evening?" she suggested.

"I need to complete my job here, Niki." he didn't wish to go back to the Enterprise. He felt calm and safe, alone in his shuttlepod.

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

Archer folded his arms: "Why do I suspect you're going to speak your mind even if I don't allow you?" he asked ironically.

"As a friend, I think I have to watch over your solitude, Jonathan."

Archer remained silent for a moment, then said: "Go ahead."

"I don't wanna know what's troubling you ... even if I have a clue. I think that staying alone is not a solution. You need your friends. And you have good friends here."

"I know. But I need to make it alone." he sighed.

"You really want to stay out here to watch the cold stars forever?"

"I thought it was our job to reach and explore the "cold" stars ..." he teased her.

"Listen to me, the stars ARE beautiful ... but I'd rather watch them from Earth, together with my family."

"I thought you didn't have a family."

"Not yet, but I'd like to. I don't wanna stay in outer space for all my life. This job's great and exciting, but ... I'd like to go back to Earth one day, enjoy the sun, the sea, the sunsets. Find my soulmate, raise children. Don't you want these things for you, too?"

"Being a Starship's Captain doesn't give me time to think about building my own family."

"You won't be a Captain forever, Jonathan. One day they will hold you down and put behind a desk. And it won't be easy, if you're alone."

"Maybe you're right, Niki. I'll think about it."

"Don't think too long. Remember, Gandhi once said: 'Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.'"

"You're full of quotations, today." he chuckled.

"I would quote the Bible, if that could convince you to come back with me. I'm displaying all my learning to make a great impression on you." she laughed heartily.

"You don't give up easily, Niki, do you?"

She answered gently: "We miss you, Captain ... even Porthos, he's longing for you. And ... I miss you too."

"You're flattering me, Niki." he smiled.

"What if I make an indecent proposal?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"19:00 Captain's Mess-hall: Beer, pizza, chips and ... watch the waterpolo finals with me and Trip!"

"Sounds fun."

"So?"

"So what?"

"What the hell are we waiting for?"

He laughed: "Ok, ok ... I give up!" he started the shuttlepod engine.

All at once, solitude wasn't so attractive ... Niki was right, he needed his friends.

He drove back to Enterprise following Niki's trail.