Chapter 2
After the post-lunch frivolity, activity on the bridge settled down, and Hoshi went back to her translation. But, the longer she worked, the more she began to question her abilities. She checked over it twice, consulting several Rigelian texts. No, the words said exactly what she thought they did.
Although what she learned seemed absurd, she knew this situation was serious enough to demand the captain's attention.
Hoshi downloaded her report on a PADD along with some holographic illustrations She touched the intercom to the captain's ready room. "It's Hoshi, sir," she said. "I finished those translations and I think you need to see them."
After a few beats he answered, "Come in."
The captain sat behind his desk looking intently at a large screen. "I'll be all yours in just a minute ensign."
Hoshi suppressed a giggle thinking that Megan would probably faint dead on the floor if he said that to her.
Archer made a few punctuated taps on his keyboard. "I'm ready...now," he said, then looked up. She handed him the PADD. He glanced down, squinted, and handed it back. He'd been staring at screens all day and this made his head hurt.
"Hoshi, why don't you just summarize for me."
She took a deep breath. "Well, captain. It seems a northern logging colony is being threatened by another species."
"Klingons, Andorians, Vulcans?" he said the last one with a small smirk.
"Beavers, sir," she stared down at the carpet trying not to laugh.
"Pardon?" he said.
"Beavers-large teeth, flat tail, build dams…" she started.
"Yes ensign, I know what a beaver is." he frowned.
Hoshi placed the PADD on his desk and activated the hologram she had prepared. A three-dimensional image of the formidable beast appeared. Indeed, it did look like a North American beaver, albeit one that mated with a T. Rex.
Archer stared incredulously at the figure. "Can you make it actual size?"
Hoshi nodded and the image grew to an impressive 1.6 meters tall. It had 15-centimeter incisors; a wide, flat tail about a half a meter long; and covered by what appeared to be scaly armor. It stood on its hind legs and held a large log in its massive paws with opposable thumbs.
"Let's move this meeting to the conference room," he said
Ten minutes later, Trip, T'Pol, Cutler, and Dr. Phlox were staring at the same hologram with Hoshi and Archer.
"They call it the Guarchip, which translated loosely means ''hide the children,'" Hoshi said.
Trip whistled. "That-is one bad-ass beaver."
"These animals are destroying their forests and damming up all the water sources," Archer said.
"Not to mention all the missing pets," Trip said.
"Actually, they're vegetarians," Hoshi said. "But, they will attack if cornered."
"So, why contact us now?" said. "Haven't these been around a while?"
"Well apparently they are not indigenous to this region. A few of the same gender were brought in to clear brush, which they do very effectively. However, they began to mate with a similar animal that produced this new creature. They have no predators in this area and have multiplied quickly," she said.
"This is a delicate diplomatic matter. The colonists are much like humans when the Vulcans contacted us-disorganized, tribal, and skeptical of outsiders," Archer said.
"But, still they contacted us for help," Hoshi said.
"So," Archer continued, "This could be a sign of trust."
"Or desperation," Hoshi added.