Note from Author - The basic idea for this story came from a very old
episode from a very old series I saw once (The Crucible written by John T.
Dugan). Of course, the characters of Enterprise are not mine but I do
enjoy them immensely. Constructive criticism is most welcomed and
appreciated.
**********
TRIP INTO DARKNESS
Captain Jonathan Archer, commanding officer of the starship Enterprise, stood outside his friend's quarters. He hesitated only briefly before he raised his hand to press the door chime. Silence was his only response. He tried one more time but again, he was met only with silence. This time he pushed another button and the door slid open. There across the room he could see the outline of Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker silouetted against the window. The light that poured into the dim room from the corridor revealed a tray of untouched food sitting on Trip's desk. Jon stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. His engineer didn't move. The captain walked slowly to stand next to his friend. He could see that Trip's eyes were looking out at the passing stars but he didn't really seem to be seeing them. He noticed that the bruising around his right eye had faded considerably and that his split lip had begun to heal. Jon could feel the tightness in his friend without even touching him.
"Are you ready to tell me about it, Trip?" Archer asked softly.
Trip took a deep breath but still didn't look at his captain. "I don't know, sir." he responded quietly.
"There's no rank, not right now. It's just Trip and Jon, two friends who have seen each other through thick and thin," Jon placed his hand on his engineer's shoulder. He could feel Trip begin to tremble. The starlight caught on the few tears that slowly made their way down the commander's face. He shook his head.
"I'm so ashamed," he whispered.
********** EIGHT DAYS EARLIER **********
"Tucker to Enterprise."
"Go ahead, Trip," Captain Archer's voice crackled through Trip's communicator. The Chief Engineer surveyed his surroundings then looked at Ensign Thomas Crandall who stood next to the drill. He and the young engineer had just arrived that morning in Shuttlepod One on the small planet referred to only as M4 in the Vulcan database.
"There's no dieuterium deposits down here, Cap'n," Trip responded, unable to hide the frustration from his voice. "That Trileerian trader was lyin' through the few teeth he had left."
"Well, we didn't really need it anyway. Consider it shore leave, Commander," Archer chuckled.
Trip looked at Ensign Crandall and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, sir, this isn't the place you'd want to come on a vacation! We'll load up our equipment and head on back. See you in an hour. Tucker out." Trip shoved his communicator in his hip pocket then walked over to Ensign Crandall. "I'm sorry your first away mission wasn't a little more excitin', Tom. If our sensors could have penetrated all the magnetic deposits on this rock, we'd have known that trader was pullin' the Cap'n's leg. We'd be sitting down to a late lunch in the mess hall right now!"
"No regrets, Commander!" Crandall replied easily. "It's just been nice to have some fresh air."
The young ensign worked on disassembling the drilling unit while Trip started loading the storage cases into the shuttlepod. He was just stepping out to retrieve another load when he heard Crandall yell for him. As he rounded the pod, he stopped cold. Crandall was standing with his hands up, face to face with a reptilian looking alien holding a weapon. The alien appeared to be a male and by his posture, one of considerable age. The gun he held looked archaic. He was speaking what sounded like gibberish until Trip's universal translator finally kicked in.
"We don't want any trouble here," Trip warned. His right hand dropped to his side but found nothing. He silently cursed himself for leaving his phase pistol in the pod. He saw that Crandall was unarmed as well. Trip put his hands up and took a few cautious steps toward the alien.
"Come any closer and I'll kill this one where he stands!"
"Alright, alright. What do you want?" Trip asked evenly, immediately stopping. The alien just laughed.
"What makes you think I want anything?"
"Listen. I'm Commander Tucker and this is Ensign Crandall. Like I said before, we don't....."
The alien fired his weapon at point blank range. Trip watched in horror as Crandall stumbled backwards, blood soaking the front of his uniform.
"No!" Trip cried, running the few meters that separated him from the young man. He managed to catch Crandall and lower him carefully to the ground. He was frantically searching the ensign's neck for a pulse when everything went completely black.
**********
Continued....
**********
TRIP INTO DARKNESS
Captain Jonathan Archer, commanding officer of the starship Enterprise, stood outside his friend's quarters. He hesitated only briefly before he raised his hand to press the door chime. Silence was his only response. He tried one more time but again, he was met only with silence. This time he pushed another button and the door slid open. There across the room he could see the outline of Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker silouetted against the window. The light that poured into the dim room from the corridor revealed a tray of untouched food sitting on Trip's desk. Jon stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. His engineer didn't move. The captain walked slowly to stand next to his friend. He could see that Trip's eyes were looking out at the passing stars but he didn't really seem to be seeing them. He noticed that the bruising around his right eye had faded considerably and that his split lip had begun to heal. Jon could feel the tightness in his friend without even touching him.
"Are you ready to tell me about it, Trip?" Archer asked softly.
Trip took a deep breath but still didn't look at his captain. "I don't know, sir." he responded quietly.
"There's no rank, not right now. It's just Trip and Jon, two friends who have seen each other through thick and thin," Jon placed his hand on his engineer's shoulder. He could feel Trip begin to tremble. The starlight caught on the few tears that slowly made their way down the commander's face. He shook his head.
"I'm so ashamed," he whispered.
********** EIGHT DAYS EARLIER **********
"Tucker to Enterprise."
"Go ahead, Trip," Captain Archer's voice crackled through Trip's communicator. The Chief Engineer surveyed his surroundings then looked at Ensign Thomas Crandall who stood next to the drill. He and the young engineer had just arrived that morning in Shuttlepod One on the small planet referred to only as M4 in the Vulcan database.
"There's no dieuterium deposits down here, Cap'n," Trip responded, unable to hide the frustration from his voice. "That Trileerian trader was lyin' through the few teeth he had left."
"Well, we didn't really need it anyway. Consider it shore leave, Commander," Archer chuckled.
Trip looked at Ensign Crandall and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, sir, this isn't the place you'd want to come on a vacation! We'll load up our equipment and head on back. See you in an hour. Tucker out." Trip shoved his communicator in his hip pocket then walked over to Ensign Crandall. "I'm sorry your first away mission wasn't a little more excitin', Tom. If our sensors could have penetrated all the magnetic deposits on this rock, we'd have known that trader was pullin' the Cap'n's leg. We'd be sitting down to a late lunch in the mess hall right now!"
"No regrets, Commander!" Crandall replied easily. "It's just been nice to have some fresh air."
The young ensign worked on disassembling the drilling unit while Trip started loading the storage cases into the shuttlepod. He was just stepping out to retrieve another load when he heard Crandall yell for him. As he rounded the pod, he stopped cold. Crandall was standing with his hands up, face to face with a reptilian looking alien holding a weapon. The alien appeared to be a male and by his posture, one of considerable age. The gun he held looked archaic. He was speaking what sounded like gibberish until Trip's universal translator finally kicked in.
"We don't want any trouble here," Trip warned. His right hand dropped to his side but found nothing. He silently cursed himself for leaving his phase pistol in the pod. He saw that Crandall was unarmed as well. Trip put his hands up and took a few cautious steps toward the alien.
"Come any closer and I'll kill this one where he stands!"
"Alright, alright. What do you want?" Trip asked evenly, immediately stopping. The alien just laughed.
"What makes you think I want anything?"
"Listen. I'm Commander Tucker and this is Ensign Crandall. Like I said before, we don't....."
The alien fired his weapon at point blank range. Trip watched in horror as Crandall stumbled backwards, blood soaking the front of his uniform.
"No!" Trip cried, running the few meters that separated him from the young man. He managed to catch Crandall and lower him carefully to the ground. He was frantically searching the ensign's neck for a pulse when everything went completely black.
**********
Continued....