The BLTS Archive - Strange Relationship:
#5: Factors 2
by Kalita Kasar (kalitafic@hotmail.com)

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Spoiler Warning: Shuttlepod 1 (by reference)

Archive: Those with previous permissions Yes! All others please ask
first.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. They were born in other creative minds,
but they keep intruding into mine, so what's a girl to do? I don't
make any money from this, tis but a labour fraught with love...theirs
and mine.

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After showering and changing into a fresh uniform, Trip shaved and
went to the mess hall where he ate a light breakfast. As he ate his
thoughts were occupied with the encounter with Malcolm when he'd left
the captain's quarters.

That Malcolm had assumed the worst was obvious from the way the
lieutenant reacted, and Trip pondered how best to explain exactly what
had happened. A part of his mind also wondered why he should even
bother. He still smarted under the knowledge that Malcolm had applied
to return to Earth and had not even bothered to let him know.

He sighed, mopping up egg yolk from his plate with the last remnant of
a slice of toast. He was going to have to face Malcolm about this and
other issues. The probability of maintaining a professional working
relationship otherwise looked grim.

Trip pushed the last bite of toast into his mouth and picked up his
coffee, downing the last mouthful before he got up, wiping his mouth
with a napkin and headed for the launch bay. He was not looking
forward to this mission; if he could have convincingly pulled off a
sudden illness he may have been tempted to do so. That was not an
option though; the captain would know he was malingering and would
kick his ass for it as well. He steeled his nerves and stepped into
the lift.

Malcolm was already aboard the shuttlepod, running pre-flight checks
when Trip arrived. He glanced up briefly as Trip climbed aboard and
sealed the hatch. Catching a glimpse of the steely look in those grey
eyes, Trip winced; this was going to be one hell of a mission, he
could sense it already.

He moved to the back of the pod, occupying himself with the impulse
drive. They launched the pod and set course.

Trip turned from his console once they were underway and looked at
Malcolm who hovered over the nav console, tacitly ignoring him. He let
out a breath and moved forward. "Malcolm?"

"Sir?" Malcolm didn't look up from what he was doing.

Trip gave a slight shake of his head and sat on a chair behind the one
Malcolm occupied. "Malcolm, about this morning, I...I think you
deserve an explanation."

"Why?" Malcolm shot him a brief glance before he returned to his
console. "I don't think it is at all necessary."

"Well, I do." Trip rubbed a hand through his hair. "Look, Malcolm, I
know what you saw must've looked bad. I don't blame you for
thinkin'..."

"I don't think anything, Commander. It's really none of my business."
The lieutenant ran his hands across the console, conducting
meaningless simulations and diagnostics and Trip's patience finally
deserted him.

"Turn around here and look at me, Malcolm!"

Cold, blue-grey eyes met Trip's as the lieutenant turned to look at
him. "If you insist, sir."

"If you call me 'sir' one more time, I'm gonna..." A raised eyebrow
was the only response. Trip found himself thinking that Malcolm was
spending too much time with T'Pol.

"Whether ya wanna hear it or not, you're gonna listen to what I have
to say, Malcolm." Trip leaned forward, resting his elbows on his
thighs. "What you saw this morning looked bad. But, Malcolm, you gotta
know there was nothing going on there. I ... I had a few drinks last
night; I was drunk, the cap'n..."

"Commander, really I don't think..."

"Shut up, Malcolm! Just shut up and listen will ya?" Trip watched the
armoury officer for a moment, and then went on. "The cap'n let me
sleep it off in his cabin."

"How very civil of him."

"It's the truth, Malcolm. That's all it was," Trip said and turned
away, moving back to the aft of the pod. "You can think what you want,
but Jon and I have never been anythin' more'n friends." He glanced
back at the lieutenant to find him watching him with those steel grey
eyes.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Malcolm
looked away. Trip frowned and sat down next to the engine, leaning his
head against the wall and closing his eyes. His head still ached a
little from the hangover effects of his binge the night before.

Silence stretched between them for several minutes; each man alone
with his own thoughts.

"The cap'n told me you've applied to ship back home," Trip said at
last.

Malcolm stilled for a moment at his station. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons," Malcolm said flatly.

"Right." Trip shifted in his seat, seeking a more comfortable
position. "Were you plannin' on lettin' me know?"

Silence.

"Malcolm?"

"I...don't know." Malcolm swivelled the chair to face Trip, and met
his eyes directly for the first time since they'd launched the
shuttle. "I don't know what, if anything we have," he said quietly.

"You don't know?" Trip sat upright, "_you_ don't know? What about me?
I haven't known where I am with you once, Malcolm! You want me with ya
an' then y'don't, I never know what's goin' on with you."

"That's not entirely fair," Malcolm protested. "You've done your share
of oscillating."

"Yeah, maybe you're right, maybe I _have_ messed you around a
little..." Trip took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "But
you're the one who made all the noise about not usin' people. I feel
like you've been playin' with me, Malcolm." Trip looked away, staring
blindly at a computer console.

"I'm sorry..."

The apology was spoken very softly and Trip turned to look at the
lieutenant, meeting the other man's eyes and noting that the veiled
and wary look had softened. He sighed. "Me too," he murmured.

Malcolm nodded and turned to his console, tapping a control and then
glanced over his shoulder at Trip. "We're far enough from Enterprise
to start those tests," he said.

Trip moved to another console and tapped in a few commands. "Okay, I'm
good to go whenever you're ready."

"I'm scanning for a suitable target," Malcolm said, his voice all duty
as they turned their attention to the task they'd come out here to
complete. "There is a small field of meteorites not far from here;
we're within range." He tapped commands into the targeting console as
he spoke. "Target acquired; weapons locked." Malcolm hit a control to
fire the plasma weapons.

"Well?" Trip half turned in his seat, waiting for Malcolm's report.

The armoury officer nodded. "Direct hit."

"Nice."

"Yes. I think we should try it a few more times, just to be sure."

"Sure, I don't have anythin' else to do." Trip suppressed a grin at
the lieutenant's obvious enthusiasm.

A second test was as successful as the first and Malcolm's face was
alive with satisfaction in their success.

"One more for good luck?" Trip asked and Malcolm nodded, priming the
weapons for a third trial.

"Target acquired. Weapons loc..." Malcolm's voice was obscured as the
shuttlepod suddenly lurched to port, her engine racing as the system
fought to right the vessel and remain on course. Malcolm grabbed the
sides of his console to avoid being thrown from his seat.

Trip was not as fast and the sharp jolt to the craft had him tossed
like a rag doll to the floor. He lay there for a moment, gasping for
breath, the wind knocked out of him until Malcolm moved to help him
up. "What the hell was that?"

Malcolm returned to his station, tapping at the controls. "I wish I
could tell you, sir," he said softly, "but our sensors are offline."

Trip frowned, rubbing at his side as he made his way to Malcolm's
side. He stared at the readings on the console for a moment. "Whatever
it was, it seems to have knocked out one of the relays." He turned and
headed aft, pulling a toolkit from a locker and moving to remove an
access panel. "I should be able to get it back online," he said. "In
the meantime, you'd better hail Enterprise. Looks like we'll be
heading home earlier than we thought."

With a slight nod, Reed reached for the comm. panel and then hesitated
as a blinking light caught his eye. "Communications are out too," he
murmured.

"Oh great," Trip replied, taking a seat on the floor and pulling a
relay from the sensor grid. "Just what I needed to hear."

"I'll set course for the asteroid field they were going to map,"
Malcolm said, "At least we still have navigational control."

"Always a silver linin'," Trip remarked, busying himself with a laster
probe.

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The End