The Day the World Stood Still
Malcolm Reed awoke that morning just like every morning before, ready to take on his duties as Chief of Security. He stretched his aging limbs and winced at the cracks and pops that accompanied his morning calisthenics. Breakfast was as it had always been: scrambled eggs, toast, black coffee, one sugar, and a side of mixed fruit. Same thing for breakfast every day for the last twenty years. He couldn't believe it had been over twenty years but as he moved out of the way of two running children he knew it was true. He emerged on the Bridge to see Charlotte at his post. She had begun taking shifts on the Bridge and training as his 2IC shortly after Trip had died. That thought still brought a sharp pain to his chest but he pushed it down and made his way to his neice.
"Anything exciting happen while I slept?" She looked up at his voice, brown curls brushed back into a pony tail, pointed ears sticking out under the locks.
"Nothing. Not even an asteroid." She sighed dramatically, making Malcolm smile. "I guess all of this weapons and security training is wasted. You've rid the universe of all crime and excitement." He chuckled and she smiled at him. "Any chance I have some more trainin' coming my way?" The unusual mix of Trip's laid back and often shortened language and T'Pol's stilted and proper Vulcan equivalent of Earth Standard gave Charlotte an unusual accent and speech pattern. It was completely Tucker, even Lorian spoke that way. Colouful metaphors and slurs mixed in with logic and propriety.
Malcolm mentally checked his training schedule. Charlotte was just about done with her training. She was a quick learner and had reflexes that would put even the fastest Human to shame. She once raced against him in a maneuver and finished a whole three seconds before him. He would have been embarrassed if he wasn't so damn proud. He just wished Trip was there to see it.
"I think you're done with training Charlotte. I want to put in full rotation as a security and tactical officer. I just need the Captain to sign off on it."
She smiled at him and Malcolm was once again reminded of how much she looked like her mother. It was a strange poetry really that Lorian looked so much like his father but acted like his mother while Charlotte was the exact opposite. "I just hope my ko-mekh won't put up a stink about it." She got a faraway look in her eyes, making her look older and wiser than her nineteen years. "I just can't go back to Engineerin'. It- it hurts too much." Malcolm laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"Don't worry Lotty, I won't make you do anything you can't handle and your mom understands. She just needs some time. Why don't you get some food and some sleep? I'll put in the request with the captain today and we'll get the whole thing settled this week."
She smiled again and relinquished her post to Malcolm. She turned back when she reached the turbolift. "Thanks Uncle Mal."
Malcolm hit the submit button on his console and sent a silent prayer to the Universe that T'Pol really wouldn't get in the way of Lotty joining the Security Team. Lately she'd been hypercritical of everything that Lotty did. Her grief over the loss of Trip was causing her to damage her relationship with her daughter. Malcolm was sure it was because Lotty reminded everyone so much of Trip. Sometimes it hurt to see how distant the two were growing. The Tucker's used to be a tight knit group. He used to joke with Trip saying that he was living in a sitcom. Trip would just smile and remind Malcolm of his own long-term not-quite marriage relationship with Hoshi.
Malcolm glanced over at the Lieutenant and shook his head. After her husband had died Malcolm had stepped in as de facto spouse and father to Yoshiko and Toru. The fact that Hoshi just wasn't ready to get married again didn't really bother Malcolm. He knew that Hoshi loved him, he knew that Yoshiko and Toru saw him as their father. He had his family, even if it wasn't on any file. Did that really matter? No.
Hoshi felt like someone was staring at her and turned to look at Malcolm. She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow in question. He just winked at her and smirked. She shook her head in amusement.
Malcolm really did love that woman.
The shuddering of the ship woke Charlotte with a start. Even at her young age she could recognize weapons fire. She was out of bed and into her uniform in a matter of moments. She quickly ran for the turbolift, her mother already waiting at its door. They rode up in silence and exited onto the Bridge. Lotty took her position at the Tactical Console. The ship was hit once again with enemy weapons. "One ship sir, moderate weaponry, no shielding. They have hull plating. I don't recognize the configuration."
T'Pol interjected once Lotty had finished her report. "T'Mir is correct. They pose little threat to us. Their ship appears to be related in configuration to the L'Ralian traders we encounter three months ago."
Malcolm entered the Bridge then and Lotty moved over to the Damage Control Board. Jon nodded and directed his attention to the front of the Bridge. "Evasive maneuvers Travis. Keep us moving. Hoshi hail that ship."
Travis took the Enterprise into a barrel roll and kept them just out of weapons range. Hoshi quickly worked the buttons on her console. "Sir, they aren't answering our hails."
The enemy ship came in close again and fired at the saucer section. The whole ship rocked violently. "I thought you said they didn't pose a threat."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "I said they posed little threat. They have apparently modified their weapons, increasing their effectiveness."
The Bridge seemed to buckle and the deck plating rolled beneath their feet. Lotty grabbed hold of her console but Malcolm reacted belatedly and fell to the deck. Sparks and paneling flew through the air reeking havoc on the occupants of the Bridge. Lotty made her way to her fallen uncle but saw that he was pinned under a support beam. She stood at the Weapons Console, directing weapons fire at the enemy ship. One well placed torpedo disabled their engines and two more volleys took out their weapons.
"Sir, the enemy vessel has been disabled." Charlotte let a puff of air pass through her lips in relief. She looked down to where her uncle lay and fought back the choking sob that threatened to escape. She knelt down next to him and put the first two fingers of her right hand to his neck. When she didn't find a pulse she grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him. "Uncle Malcolm! Mal! Wake up! Please wake up!" She could feel the tears running down her cheeks now. "Please! You can't do this to me too! Please... please... please..."
She could feel the darkness trying to claim her. Everything stilled, as if time had stopped. She could only fight it off long enough to see Hoshi rush over and pull Malcolm into her lap, her own grief apparent on her face. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and soothed her like when she was a small child. The world around her darkened and she drifted off to the comforting words of her mother. "Ka'i ko-fu. Ka'i pi'svai."
**Note on Vulcan language: all of my Vulcan translations come from /vld/.
The translation of what T'Pol whispered to Charlotte: "I'm here daughter. I'm here little flower."