"DOWNTIME"

A Star Trek: Enterprise Story

“Captain’s Log, July 17, 2156. The Enterprise has arrived at the newly established Star Fleet Forward Supply Base One at the New Paris colony in the 55 Cancri system for crew rotation. We have also been asked to contribute our insights into the new Daedelus Class development project.”

“Malcolm?”

Malcolm Reed’s head snapped up, surprised, at the sound of Jonathan Archer’s voice interrupting his task. “Sir?”

“Problem, lieutenant?” Archer asked with a smile as he stepped into the armory.

“No, sir. I was just working on a computer program.”

Archer stepped closer to the workstation Malcolm was seated at. “What kind of program?”

Reed crossed his arms and smiled. “Well, sir, after we encountered that Axanar ship, I began thinking about how Hoshi used the Universal Translator to allow us to call for help. I began to wonder about a way to automate the process. This program carries UT programming to enter an alien computer, translate its data, and transmit it back to us.”

“That’s very interesting, lieutenant. Get with Hoshi later and see if she can help you with implementation.”

Reed nodded and started to turn back to the console. “Aye, sir.”

“But, right now,” Archer said, “we have an appointment planetside.”

Reed sighed with realization. “The design meeting.”

Archer nodded. “The design meeting. Trip and T’Pol are waiting for us in the shuttlebay. Let’s go.”

T’pol, the Vulcan science officer, and Charles “Trip” Tucker, the chief engineer, stood in the comparatively cavernous shuttle bay waiting for Archer and Reed. The two were a contrast is moods. Tucker stood with his arms crossed, his fingers beating a tattoo on his arm as he shifted from foot to foot his eyes darting from the pod to the door of the shuttlebay. T’Pol stood almost perfectly still, her hands clasped behind her back, with her gaze focused on the chief engineer.

“Agitation is unproductive, Commander,” T’Pol said.

“I am not agitated,” Tucker countered. “We’re going to be late for our meeting with the designers.”

“They requested the meeting,” T’Pol replied, “I doubt they will cancel it.”

“Every minute we spend waiting, Sub-commander, is a minute we can’t spend designing the next Warp-Five ship,”
Tucker said, spinning to face the Vulcan, his hands on his hips.

“Advising, Commander. We are not designing the next ship.” The bay doors hissed open.

“Finally,” Trip said as Archer entered the shuttlebay.

“Forgive my tardiness, Commander,” Archer said with a smile.

“Sorry, sir.” Tucker said, embarrassed. “I guess I’m a little anxious. It’s not everyday that you’re asked to contribute to the next starship design.”

“Well, then, let’s not keep you waiting any longer,” Archer said as he started climbing into the shuttlepod. He stopped in mid step when a voice shouted from the doorway. “Captain!”

Archer looked up as Hoshi Sato walked quickly across the room. “Problem, Ensign?”

“No, sir. Permission to accompany you to the surface, sir?”

“Any particular reason, Hoshi?”

“One of my old professors settled in Butler City a few years ago. I thought I might pay her a visit,” Hoshi said with a shrug.

“Welcome aboard, Ensign. The more the merrier. Right, Trip?” Archer asked with a smile.

“As long as we get to leave now,” Tucker replied as he followed the captain into the shuttlepod.

“Captain Archer! Welcome to Forward Supply Base One. I’m the Manager, Charles Fowler.” Fowler was tall and dark-haired, and wore a light green jumpsuit. He pumped Archer’s hand enthusiastically. “It’s an honor to meet you, captain. We’ve been following your progress since you left Earth.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fowler. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Archer introduced his staff, and Fowler shook everyone’s hand, except T’Pol. To her, Fowler raised his hand in the Vulcan Salute. “Live long and prosper, sub-commander.”

“Live long and prosper, Mr. Fowler,” T’Pol replied.

“I wasn’t expecting Ensign Sato,” Fowler said as he smiled at the communications officer.

“Actually,” Hoshi said, “I just hitched a ride. I have a friend in Butler City.”

“Would you like transport into town?”

“Hoshi!” a woman’s voice cried across the reception area. “Hoshi!”

“Actually,” Hoshi said as a smile spread across her face, “I think I already have one.” Hoshi broke into a run to embrace an older woman wearing a lavender outfit. Her hair was salt and pepper gray. “Dr. Perez! It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s Ruth, now Hoshi,” Perez said as she held her young friend where she could look at her. “It’s been ages, and you are so beautiful!”

“Ruth,” Hoshi whined as she blushed. “Come meet the captain.” She grabbed the older woman by the hand and led her over to the Enterprise staff. After the greetings, Hoshi excused herself and followed her mentor towards the transport tube station.

“Well, captain,” Fowler said, “if you’ll follow me, we can get our discussions underway.”

“She’s no Enterprise,” Tucker commented as he examined the proposed designs of the new starship on a padd.

“True, commander, but then, there is only one of her,” Fowler agreed.

“What’s the timeline, Commander Fitzsimmons?” Archer asked.

Commander Ashley Fitzsimmons was a medium sized woman with brown hair pulled tightly into a bun. She stood beside a large viewscreen at on end of Fowler’s office, a padd in her hand. She consulted her padd, then said, “Design approval is expected in six months. Within ten months, the final design should be completed, and we can have the keel laid by late 2157. We expect a building time of 36 months.”

“That is an ambitious plan,” T’Pol commented. “If I am not mistaken, construction of Enterprise took five years.”

“We were also building a new engine, sub-commander,” Archer reminded her. “Before long, we’ll be spitting starships out of Spacedock one a month.”

“And with your input, Captain Archer, and your crew’s, of course, we will be able to make even better time.”

Fowler’s face darkened. “If we can keep our computers up.”

“Is there a problem, Mr. Fowler?” Archer asked.

“It’s probably nothing, captain, but it is certainly annoying.” Fowler leaned back in his chair, tossing his padd onto his desk. “When Star Fleet decided to have you stop by and consult on the designs, they transferred the design task force here. It was a bit spur of the moment, but we got them set up and they even had their own dedicated computer system. Brand new. But we keep losing the memory.”

“The memory is erased?” T’Pol asked.

“Every bit of it. Fortunately we have had back ups on hand, but it is still annoying to have to keep restoring our data.”

T’Pol and Archer exchanged glances. “Would you like our science officer to have a look. She knows her way around a computer.”

“If it wouldn’t be an imposition,” Fitzsimmons said.

“None at all,” T’Pol assured her.

“Is there any evidence of sabotage, Mr. Fowler?” Reed asked.

“No one but authorized personnel have been in the design offices,” Fowler said. “First thing we checked.”

Fitzsimmons interrupted. “But let’s not forget why you and your crew is here, Captain Archer. I have some questionnaires and forms for each of you to help me fill out.”

“While Lieutenant Reed and Sub-Commander T’Pol take a look around, Trip and I will be glad to answer your questions.”

Tucker, whose attention had never wavered from the padd in front of him, said, “Whose idea was it to put the engine room next to shuttle bay. Let me tell you, Cap’n, this one’s a firecracker.”

Hoshi Sato stood by a large bay window that overlooked Butler City. A few slender spires pierced the blue sky, and a few hover cars flitted around the city. Far in the background, a large mountain, turned blue by the distance loomed over the city. “That’s Mt. Marcy,” Perez said as she laid a tea set down on a small table between two armchairs.

Hoshi turned back to her host and once again admired the house. Hoshi’s taste leaned more towards the modern, but she detected several older pieces—a Louis XIV settee, and, hanging on the wall, a black disk Hohsi recognized as a record. She remembered that plaque, a record from Zephram Cochrane’s jukebox in Montana. “You have a wonderful home,” Hoshi said as she sat down.

“Thank you. When Roger surprised me with his plan to move to New Paris, I was afraid we’d live in a hovel. But Roger had signed on as chief engineer, and was able to get his pick of the properties available.” Perez sat and poured tea for the two of them.

“I will admit, it was a bit of a surprise to hear that you had moved out here. I thought you would stay in San Francisco forever.”

Perez laughed. “I did too. But Roger’s enthusiasm was contagious. And before long, I was a eager to get her as he was.” She sipped her tea. “It took us three years to get here. Butler City was only an administration building and a few offices, surrounded by hundreds of farms and fabrication facilities. Now it’s a thriving city. One of eight on the planet. Once Star Fleet began building their “Star Base,” people poured into the area.”

“Roger must have been proud.”

Perez beamed. “He was Giddy, Hoshi, like a child with a new toy.” Perez fell silent.

Hoshi cleared her throat softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Perez wiped away a tear, and reached across the table to pat Hoshi on the knee. “You didn’t upset me, Hoshi. It’s only been eight months. Although I am almost over his passing, every time I look out that window, I see what Roger touched.” She took a sip of tea. “I am thinking about drapes,” she said in an effort to defuse the mood.

“It is an awe-inspiring view.” Hoshi said.

Perez sat back in her chair. ”So tell me, Hoshi, what’s it like to be on the Enterprise?”

Hoshi took a sip of her tea and began to compose her thoughts. Where could she begin?

Six hours later, Hoshi wandered into the Enterprise mess hall for dinner. She chose a simple salad and mint tea, and found an empty table in the corner. She ate without thinking, staring at the bulkhead in front of her.

“You seem rather absorbed, Ensign.”

Hoshi jumped at the sound of Dr. Phlox’s voice.

“I am sorry, Ensign. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s all right, Doctor. I was just thinking.”

Phlox settled opposite Hoshi and placed his tray, heaping with food, in front of him. “How did your visit with your friend go?”

Hoshi smiled. “Amazingly well. She has gotten along very well since her husband died. And she seems quite happy on New Paris. And she has a beautiful home.”

“That’s wonderful,” Phlox said.

Hoshi’s smile faded. “I guess it is.”

“If everything went so well, Ensign, why are you so deep in thought?” Phlox asked as he ate.

“She invited the staff down for dinner tomorrow night.”

Phlox nodded. “I can see why you are troubled. I will try to be on my best behavior.”

Hoshi did a double take. Then she smiled. “That’s not the problem,” she said. “I don’t know how to approach the Captain. He is so busy with the Daedelus project, that I don’t know if he’ll have the time . . .”

“I think the Captain would be amenable to the invitation,” Phlox said. “Everyone needs to relax once in a while.”

Hoshi looked at him.

“I’ll meet you at the shuttlepod at 1700 hours tomorrow,” he said.

The bridge was fairly quiet as Hoshi walked onto the bridge. Archer was in his command chair, and Travis Mayweather sat at the helm, trying to look busy. “Captain, do you have a minute?”

“Sure, Hoshi. The Ready Room?”

“No, here will be fine.” Hoshi squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “My friend, Ruth Perez . . .”

“We met her at the terminal, right?”

Hoshi nodded. “Yes, sir. She asked me to invite you, and Ensign Mayweather, to dinner this evening, 1700 hours ship time.”

Archer smiled. But before he could say anything, Hoshi interrupted, “I told her you were busy with the Daedelus project, but she is very excited to meet all of you.”

“Tell Dr. Perez we would be honored to join her for dinner.”

A smile spread across Hoshi’s face. “Thank you, Captain.”

“No problem, Ensign.”

When Hoshi left the bridge there was a renewed spring in her step. All she had to do see Commander Tucker in engineering, and contact T’Pol and Reed on the surface.

As the door closed behind her, Mayweather noticed something on his instruments. “Captain?”

“Yes, Ensign?”

“I am getting an unusual energy reading near the second planet.”

Archer quickly crossed to the navigator’s station. “Unusual how, Ensign?”

“There was an EM spike in the theta band. It could be natural . . .”

“And it could be a ship. Keep an eye on it, Travis.”

“Aye, sir.”

Malcolm Reed blinked in surprise. “I beg your pardon?” he asked into his communicator.

“I asked you if the two of you would come to dinner at Dr. Perez’s home this evening,” Hoshi’s voice said from the tiny speaker. “Please?”

Reed exchanged looks with T’Pol. The Vulcan just raised her eyebrow. “We’d be happy to, Hoshi,” he said with a shrug.

“Great!” he heard Hoshi say. “I transmit directions to her home later. Hoshi out.”

Reed closed his communicator and put it away. “We have dinner plans.”

“May we resume our duties now?” T’Pol asked icily.

“Sorry, sub-commander. Where were we?”

“You’ve ruled out computer problems,” Fowler said.

“Actually, sir,” Malcolm began, “I think we have learned what is responsible. What do you think, sub-commander?”

T’pol studied the screen Malcolm showed her. “Interesting.”

Fowler leaned over the top of the console. “What? What have you found?”

“It appears to be a fragment of a log file,” T’Pol answered. “It would appear that the data was not erased, but actually moved from the computer.”

“By who?” Fitzsimmons asked.

“It is only a fragment, commander,” T’pol replied as her fingers danced over the controls. “All I can determine at this point it that the files were moved.”

“Sub-commander,” Reed interrupted. “Why don’t we store some data on the system, and we introduce this worm I designed?”

“You designed a computer worm? For what reason?”

“Let me contact the ship and have Hoshi transmit the worm to us, and I’ll explain.”

“You want to infect the base computers?” Fowler asked.

“Just this one, sir,” Reed said. “The sub-commander and I could erect protective barriers around this unit to keep the worm confined.”

“What good would the worm do us?” Fitzsimmons asked.

“We could program it to have the infected computer try to contact Enterprise. Then we could work out where the computer is.”

Fitzsimmons and Fowler exchanged looks. “What do you think, Commander?”

“We’ve got nothing to lose.”

“All right. Let’s do it.”

The command staff of the Enterprise sat around a huge oak table in a cavernous formal dining room inside Dr. Perez’s home. Dirty plates and silverware were strewn across the table, signs of a wonderful meal recently completed. Archer, to the right of the empty chair at the head of the table, draped his napkin across his lap, looked around the room. “That was delicious.”

“You think she’ll give Chef the recipe for the roast turkey, or whatever it was?” Tucker asked from beside Archer.

Across the table from the two of them, Hoshi laughed. “First we’d have to get him a few of them to cook.”

“I don’t think Chef would mind if we replenished the ship’s stores,” Archer said. “I don’t know how he would react to a four-legged turkey, though.”

Tucker grinned. “I don’t think Chef ever reacts to anything. He just cooks it.”

Archer smiled broadly.

“Captain,” Hoshi interrupted, “Thanks again for coming. And that goes for everyone.”

“Relax, Ensign. We’re having a great time. Dr. Perez is a wonderful host.”

“A host who prefers to be called Ruth, Captain Archer,” Perez said from the doorway leading into the kitchen, carrying a large covered tray.

“Sorry,” Archer said as Perez set the tray on the table, “Ruth is a wonderful host.”

“Thank you, Captain Archer. I am pleased you are here.” Ruth sat at the head of the table. She leaned closer to Archer. “I will admit that I had ulterior motives. There is quite a bit of prestige of having the staff of Enterprise in one’s home. You people have become quite the celebrities, you know.”

Tucker beamed. “Really? Imagine that, Cap’n, we’re famous.”

“I don’t feel famous,” Archer said. “In fact, a lot of the time I feel like I’m in over my head.”

“It certainly doesn’t show, Captain.” Perez said. “And in your honor, I have taken the liberty of a special dessert.

“You may not know this, but I was involved with the development of the transporter several years ago.” When she saw everyone’s faces darken, she amended, “But I had another idea for its application.” She stood up. “Imagine storing your food as molecules of, say, hydrogen. Then imagine a place where a small, low-powered transporter takes those molecules and rearranges them into a pre-programmed meal.”

T’Pol raised an eyebrow. “An ambitious idea, Doctor. Some of the space currently used for food stores could be converted to other uses.”

“And space is at a premium on Enterprise,” Reed said.

“I have been working on this food dispenser for a few years now. To be honest, it has been difficult to get the device to function properly. At such low power settings, it is difficult to align the molecules correctly.”

“Then why use such low power?” Phlox asked.

Tucker answered the question for his host. “Because a high power dispenser might drain too much of the ship’s power. The main transporter uses a lot of power right now. If all eighty of us tried to use a similarly powered dispenser at the same time, we could crash the system.”

“Exactly, Commander. I believe that I have worked out most of the kinks. I have used the dispenser once or twice, and while the food is acceptable, it may not be up to the level of your Chef.” She smiled at Archer. “So I apologize in advance, Captain. Would you like a chocolate cake?”

“Please,” Archer replied.

Perez nodded and with a flourish, lifted the silver lid off of the rectangular pan. She held the lid in one hand and gestured towards the cake, smiling proudly. When Archer and Hoshi leaned away from the table, Perez looked at her dessert.

On the tray, instead of a chocolate sheet cake, was a quivering mass of purple goo.

Perez glanced around the table. All the humans were eyeing the substance suspiciously, and T’Pol had raised an eyebrow and was scanning the pan with her sensor.. Phlox said, “That doesn’t resemble the chocolate cakes I have eaten before.”

“It is not chocolate cake, Doctor. In fact, it is not even edible. Dr. Perez’s food dispenser has created a toxic petrochemical suspension.”

“Killer gelatin,” Tucker translated.

Hoshi looked up at her mentor. Dr. Perez stood over the table looking at the cake pan in horror, he mouth moving soundlessly. After a moment or two, she said, “I don’t understand it. It worked perfectly yesterday afternoon. The same program created a chocolate sheet cake with frosting.” She looked around the room. “Please forgive me. But this should have been a chocolate cake.”

“Did the dispenser create the lid today?”

“Both days, sub-commander. Everything is the same.”

T’Pol looked across the table to Reed. “Then there is something wrong with the program.”

“The worm!” he said and stood up. “Where is the computer that controls your dispenser?” he asked Perez.

“The dispenser is in the kitchen, but the computer controls the entire house. The core of the computer is in my husband’s lab.”

“Please, show us,” Archer said rising.

A few moments later, Perez, Hoshi, Reed, T’Pol, and Tucker stood beside a console in an office on the other side of the house. Reed scrolled through several lines of data. “The worm has infected this computer, Captain. But I don’t see how. I only transmitted the worm to the core in the design offices on the base.”

Archer took his communicator from his sleeve pocket. “Archer to Fitzsimmons. Could you inspect the design computer for us?”

“Aye, sir. Standby.”

Archer turned a dial on his communicator. “Archer to Enterprise. Travis, are you detecting the signal Mr. Reed created?”

“Two, sir. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess. Two signals?”

“Yes, sir. We were just about to contact you. We have triangulated the sources. One is at your location. The other is coming from that energy source near the second planet.”

“Captain Archer,” Fitzsimmons’ voice interrupted.

“Go ahead, Commander.”

“The computer files are gone. All of the bogus data has been erased.”

“Thank you, Commander. Travis, take the ship to yellow alert. I’ll be aboard in a few moments. Archer Out.” Archer replaced his communicator in his sleeve pocket, “Malcolm, get back to the base and see if we can determine what just happened. T’Pol you work from this end. Everyone else, we’re going back to the ship to look out that energy disturbance.” As everyone but T’Pol headed for the surface vehicle that would take them back to the base, Hoshi asked, “Captain, Permission to remain and assist T’Pol?”

Archer turned to look at Hoshi. The ensign tilted her head in Perez’s direction. Archer nodded. “Granted. We’ll contact as soon as we learn anything, Sub-commander.” Then they were gone.

Hoshi wrapped an arm around her mentor as T’Pol began examining the computer.

Two hours later, Archer, Reed, T’Pol, Hoshi and Perez were in Mr. Fowler’s office. Fowler leaned on his desk. “So that energy spike was actually a cloaked ship?”

“Yes, Mr. Fowler,” Archer said. “As soon as we powered up and headed towards the ship to investigate, they dropped their cloak and took off. We weren’t able to catch them.”

“Your description matches ships that my people have encountered near the Orion Nebula. We have had similar experiences. Before we can investigate, the ships flee.”

“But what were they doing here?” Fowler asked.

“Spying,” Reed answered. “We have determined that the data from the design computers was transmitted from the base, to Dr. Perez’s home, and then retransmitted to the alien ship.”

“How did they get to Roger’s computer?” Dr. Perez asked. “We’ve never had intruders.”

“They did not access your computer,” T’Pol answered. “Your husband did.” She turned back to Fowler. “Roger Perez had been transmitting data to the aliens for three years. In return, he was given dilithium, which he has stored in a warehouse near downtown.”

“I can’t believe it! After all those years, I barely knew him!”

Hoshi wrapped her arms around her mentor. “I guess no one did.”

“So will these aliens be back?” Fowler asked.

“Probably,” Archer replied. “But Lieutenant Reed and Sub-commander T’Pol discovered and erased the transmission sub-routines on the Perez household computer, and they disabled the transmitter it used. They won’t be getting any more information from New Paris.”

Fowler frowned. “One of the founders of this colony, a spy. I thought we were above that.”

“Up until the Daedalus project arrived, most of the data transmitted was fairly harmless. Crop yields, population statistics, and the like. However, after Dr. Perez died, the project used his computers, which had never been deprogrammed. I doubt Earth and Star Fleet would hold him responsible for those leaks,” T’Pol said.

“Well, I have Earth send a transport for the dilithium. Captain Archer, thanks to you and your crew for your help.” Fowler stood up and extended his hand.

“My pleasure, Mr. Fowler. It’s time we were on our way.” Archer said as he shook his hand.

“Goodbye.”

Outside Fowler’s office, Hoshi stopped Archer. “I’ll meet you at the shuttle pod, sir.”

Archer nodded sympathetically. “Take your time, Ensign.” Then he led the rest of his crew away.

Ruth smiled. “In spite of everything, it’s been good to see you again, Hoshi.”

Hoshi smiled broadly. “I just realized how much I’ll miss you.” A lump formed in her throat and her eyes filled with tears.

“I’ll miss you, too, dear.” Ruth wrapped Hoshi in a tight embrace.

The two women stood like that in the corridor for a few moments. Finally Hoshi broke the older woman’s hug. “I’ve got to get back to the ship,” she said as she wiped away a tear. “Write me?”

“Of course, Hoshi. Every day.” Ruth smiled and asked, “Will I see you again?”

Hoshi shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s a lot to see out there and we’ve only just started. Captain Archer doesn’t like to turn around and come back.”

“Then, I’ll wish you Godspeed. Be careful, Hoshi.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Hoshi said with a laugh. “Goodbye, Ruth.” Hoshi kissed Ruth on the cheek and walked down the corridor. Halfway down she turned and waved. Ruth waved back, and Hoshi disappeared around a corner.

Ruth dropped her hand. “Good sailing, Hoshi.”