Chapter Two: First Encounter
Enterprise arrived at their destination. Suddenly, the entire bridge crew almost flew from their stations when an asteroid hit the ship. Then another asteroid. And another. From the screen, Hoshi could see whirring chunks of big rocks fast approaching the ship for collision. She clutched her console for support.
"There's too many of them, sir!" Travis exclaimed. "I can't pilot the ship around."
"Lieutenant!" shouted Archer to Reed.
"I'm preparing to shoot the asteroids, sir," replied Reed, as another violent hit shook the ship.
"Captain!" Trip's voice sounded through the comm. "What the hell's going on? Malcolm's 'Reed Alert' is blaring down here and I think we've got some damages."
"We're taking care of it, Trip!" Archer bellowed through the comm.
Malcolm fired the ship's beams and destroyed some asteroids before they neared the ship. With the path semi-cleared, Travis steered the ship around the other asteroids.
The bridge crew cheered while T'Pol looked on and Archer grinned.
"Captain," Malcolm said.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Sensors are showing another ship half a mile away. There's also a black hole within that region. The ship seems to be struggling, as if going in circles."
"What do you suggest we do, Lieutenant?" asked Archer. "If we get too close to them, we'll risk getting sucked into the black hole. But we can't leave them there, either."
"First, we need to get within a relatively safe distance from them, sir," replied Reed.
"Alright. Ensign Mayweather, please navigate us, and be careful not to get too close."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Travis grinned.
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"Hoshi, I want you to hail them."
"But…this is a species we haven't encountered yet. The UT isn't picking up their words." She looked up from her console. "But…if, like other languages, I change the syntax of the sentence, maybe, at least, I'll be able to get them to understand that we're here to help."
"Try it, Hoshi," Archer said.
A few seconds later, the screen showed an alien with dark purple skin and brown spots, long black hair, and grey eyes. He had ridges on his small nose and on his high cheekbones.
"This is Captain Jonathan Archer, of the NX-01 Enterprise. We have received your distress call and have come here to help."
"Gralisma oftec mie sumios!" the alien replied, frantically.
"I'm programming the UT to record the language, Captain," Hoshi said.
"Gralisma oftec mie sumios!" the alien repeated.
"Hoshi?" Archer turned to her.
"Here goes nothing," Hoshi muttered. "Itfa bakarif moafwat." Hoshi repeated twice.
The alien paused and blinked; then laughed, a hysterical laugh. Everyone on the bridge looked at each other in confusion.
Hoshi looked at Archer. "Was it something I said?"