Chapter Four.

"So,"Captain Archer, gave the crewman a serious look, "let me get this straight. Crewman Williams brought one tribble back from a visit to a planet recently, and it gave birth to ten babies. She gave these ten away to other crewmen and now they are having babies. The young animals appear to be able to reproduce within a day, and they have litters of anything from seven to twelve. Have I got this right so far?"

"Yes, Sir," Crewman Colleen MacArthur whispered.

"And these animals are being passed to any crewman willing to take one on. Yes?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you realise that the rate at which they are reproducing, there will be hundreds of them in very short order?"

"I realise that now, Sir, but at the time I didn't see any harm in it."

"No, of course you didn't. And neither did Williams, but she should never have brought one on board in the first place. You're dismissed, crewman. I'll consider what disciplinary action to take later."

MacArthur was very glad to leave the Captain's presence.

"Williams seems to have been the instigator of all this, Malcolm, so I think I'd better talk to her."

"Would you like me to bring her here, Sir?" Malcolm asked. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to make an arrest and bring the guilty party in front of the Captain. The 'crime' rate on the ship was almost non-existent.

"Yes, Malcolm." Archer sighed. He didn't like the way this was going. How were they going to cope with countless tribbles? He had no idea.

If MacArthur had it bad, Williams had it ten times worse. She was in tears when she got back to her quarters, and she, as yet, had no idea what punishment she would get.

Archer called a meeting of the Command Staff. He told his officers, in detail, everything he had learned about the creatures. Then asked for anything they could add.

There was silence for a moment, then Hoshi suggested that they might not be the problem he envisaged.

"Perhaps they won't reproduce much more," she offered. "Some animals have a definite breeding period, and then they go into a kind of hibernation. These could be like that. They have a breeding frenzy, and then nothing for months – even years."

"I, too, have heard of such animals, Captain," T'Pol said. "There are some in various planetary systems which the Vulcans have charted. It is feasible."

"Well, what do you suggest we do about them?" He looked at his security officer.

"I think we need to know exactly how many of them there are, and which crewmembers have them." Malcolm was thinking of the ship's security. "I don't like the idea of them getting loose and running round the ship. You never know where they might get to."

"I agree with you there, Malcolm." Archer seemed more cheerful now something was about to happen. "I want you all to talk to your subordinates and get this information. How many, and who has them. Report to Malcolm as soon as possible. OK? Dismiss."

They all left for their various departments to interrogate their staff.

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