The Fear Factor

The Fear Factor

By The Watch Stander

Paramount Owns Enterprise and all of its crew. The wonderful interpretation of these characters is owned by the cast of Enterprise. The fun of writing this
story about these characters is owned by me and is in no way intended to infringe on any of these rights and is done without payment or profit on my part.

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Trip waited in engineering with his heart pounding in his chest as if it wanted to burst.

Too much coffee, six cups are just way too much first thing in the morning, he told himself.

It was too late now to realize that the coffee had caused him to be edgy and nervous. What was about to arrive in engineering would have done that all by itself without the aid of six cups of stimulant that he had consumed while working down here.

Just get a hold of yourself, Trip, he told himself once again.

You can do this. Everyone in here is counting on you as well as the Captain and Malcolm.

Inside though, he knew he was terrified.

Trip didn’t want to screw it up, after all their very existence was riding on how he handled this and if they even survived this attack. He kept reminding himself that he had survived the Ossirian pirate raid, using just a pipe to fend them off and had even managed to capture one of them single handed. Even so, Maj. Hayes had been concerned that Trip was the only one left standing to defend engineering. Thereafter he made everyone on the ship take lessons in defense from the Macos.

It seemed that now the defense training would come in handy, for at any moment a group of alien boarders were expected to arrive down here.

Rostov was strategically hidden in a jeffries tube, Trip positioned him there as a last line of defense while he, Kelly, Lt. Nelson and two others remained in engineering on the two levels of scaffolding surrounding the warp engine.

It would be great if the attackers didn’t come here and instead went somewhere else.

He knew better though. The bridge was a main target as well as engineering. Taking over a cargo hold or the ship’s galley was highly unlikely.

No, they would come here first to the heart of Enterprise and he and his engineers better be ready to fight them off and protect engineering.

His heart kept pounding, then his comm beeped.

“ Archer to engineering.” Jon’s voice sounded nervous.

“Tucker here, Capt’n,” Trip practically whispered, his voice so dried out from nerves and coffee.

“There are six of them heading your way, Trip. Malcolm will be there as soon as he can,” his voice paused, full of concern, “Good luck, Trip.”

Trip smiled weakly to himself, “You too , Capt’n,... and Thanks.”

He took a deep breath as he closed the comm and sighed

It looks like we’re on our own, at least till the calvary arrives.

He knew the bridge would be attacked as well, so Malcolm would have his hands full defending that and wouldn't come down here till that area was secured. Trip and his engineers would be considered expendable if need be.

He didn't much like being treated as cannon fodder, but that was they way it had to be.

All hell broke loose then as a stun grenade rolled into engineering and one of Trip’s engineers was right in its path when it went off. The engineer went down and lay still on the floor as the alien attackers made their way into engineering stepping over his body. The lighting was low and reflected off their pale alien faces giving them an even more sinister look.

Trip drew his weapon and remained hidden. He signaled Nelson who was just across from him on the scaffolding above. Trip counted six attackers all heavily armed and used his hand to signal that info to Nelson, who nodded and passed it on to another engineer on the upper level. Timing would be everything since they were equally numbered, but as Trip had pointed out to Malcolm, his men were engineers not combat troops. They had no business fighting armed invaders. This really was a job for security men or Macos.

One of the attackers spotted Lt Nelson above and fired. Trip took aim and reluctantly fired as well. He hadn’t wanted to give away his position so soon, but
it was necessary. The alien looked surprised as Trip’s shot hit him square in the chest and red blossomed there. He fell to the floor with a look of surprise as he realized too late where the shot had come from.

Another of the attackers fired at Trip’s cover and he was forced to abandon it. Lt Nelson and the others gave him covering fire from above as he made a dash for safety alongside the warp core engine. Shots flew over his head bringing back memories of the attack from the Ossirian pirates that still gave him nightmares. He had barely survived.

Kelly was well hidden and firing at will trying to cover Trip as he came down the corridor toward her. One of the attackers somehow outflanked Kelly and came up behind her. He was taking aim when Trip spotted him. Trip yelled at Kelly to duck and she dropped as Trip fired over her head. Again red blossomed on the front of the attackers uniform, but it wasn’t a lethal hit and Trip fired again as the attacker’s return shot went wild and just missed Trip. This time Trip’s shot caught the attacker full torso and he slowly collapsed.

There wasn’t time to gloat for the other attackers were bearing down on the engineers, firing continuously and Trip watched in despair when Kelly was hit and fell to the floor. He had to move again as shots went flying by his head barely missing him. He wiped the blood from a near miss off his face and headed into a maintenance corridor behind the wall.

One of the attackers followed him as two others made their way up the scaffolding to try and out maneuver the defenders up there.

When one of the engineers was hit, Lt Nelson took out his attacker before he too was shot and went down.

There were only two aliens left. Trip and Rostov were the only remaining engineers.

When there was no more firing coming from behind him and his comm didn’t beep, Trip knew they were in trouble and it was now up to him and Rostov.

There was one thing about defending an area that you worked in every day, you knew where everything was and where you could hide.

Heart racing Trip quickly opened a side panel door and crawled inside quickly closing it behind him. The attacker following him would have difficulty seeing it in the low lighting of the maintenance shaft.

As he lay there his heart once more threatened to jump out of his chest. Trip swore anyone that came near would hear it beating it sounded so loud to his ears.

He wondered where Lt Reed was with his men and if they would arrive in time.

Footsteps went slowly by his hiding spot, then stopped ,making Trip wonder if the attacker could see his hiding spot after all. Trips’ hand holding his weapon shook and he closed his eyes trying to calm his nerves.

Just go by, Damn you!

As he lay there holding his breath, he tried to decide if he should just kick out the panel and take his best shot at his pursuer, but was relieved when the footsteps once more started down the shaft way hall.

A shot from afar told Trip that Rostov had been discovered and it was now or never. Trip slowly made his way out of the panel and seeing the back of his attacker called out to him as he took aim. He wouldn’t shoot him in the back.

“Hey!”

Trip took a sinister glee in shooting his pursuer square in the chest just as the alien turned in surprise. Trip watched as the alien looked at his torso where the red blood covered him and slowly crumpled to the floor. Trip spun suddenly when he heard a noise behind him, but was too late to fire. He felt the shot hit his firing arm and a large red spot appeared forcing him to swap hands as he tried to run for cover. Fortunately engineers were ambidextrous, they had to
be in order to work in small areas.

Trip frantically looked for cover as he returned fire, but his pursuer slowly followed as his wounded prey went before him. The attacker took aim again and fired. There was no cover in here and Trip felt the shot hit his leg. Once more he saw red blossom there. He knew he couldn’t stand and slowly fell. His pursuer quickly kicked the weapon from his hand and Trip now lay helpless on the floor. The alien stood there and slowly raised his weapon knowing he’d won the battle and he was about to administer the final shot.

Trip found his courage in that last few moments and was able to stare directly up at the alien face. He swallowed knowing he’d failed and the aliens were now in command of engineering. He just hoped the bridge had faired better for there was nothing else he could do to save them. His biggest regret was letting Jon down and also his crew.

Trip watched in shock as the alien suddenly fell backwards as two shots rang out. One hit him from behind and one from the front.

Malcolm was suddenly there with his team and he stood above Trip looking down at the him with a smirk on his face.

“I see we got here just in time, you were almost toasted there, Commander.”

Trip was glad to see him, but was also glad when Rostov appeared suddenly as well. The latter’s shot had been the first one to hit Trip’s attacker and Malcolm’s had followed an instant later. Trip’s plan had worked after all, and he smiled happily up at them both.

“I think it’s a win for engineering,” he said as Malcolm gave him a hand up.

“Rostov was my ace in the hole.” Trip clapped Rostov on the back proudly. Glad to see that there were no spots of blood on him anywhere so he had come out of
this unscathed.

Trip on the other hand hadn’t fared as well with two wounds that were evident by the red stains on his leg and arm neither of which would be considered fatal.

His eyebrows went together in a quizzical look as he inspected his jumpsuit.

“Hope this stuff washes out.” He looked up at Reed, “Did Phlox say whether it would stain?”

Malcolm smiled, he was glad that Trip had survived the game and was proud of him and his engineers. Major Hayes would be pleased and so would the Captain who had feared Trip and engineering would fall quickly and all of them would be killed off.

Other players in the war game were gathering around them. The MACOS who had played the role of aliens, were peeling off their rubber alien masks that Phlox had made for them. They all looked embarrassed that an engineering crew had taken them all out one by one. It was mortifying to say the least, but it was also a good sign. It showed that everyone onboard could pull together and fight if necessary as a team.

Reed put his hand on Trip’s shoulder,“Let’s get you a shower. You smell a little gamey. I don’t know what Phlox put in his fake blood, but it certainly smells
vile!”

Trip smiled back as they walked out of engineering. Everyone of his engineers had lined up as he and Reed passed by. They saluted Trip and he started to laugh at the gesture, smiling back at them as they congratulated him with,

“Well done, Sir!”

His fear was gone now and it was becoming just another day in engineering....



End :)

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Seven people have made comments

When I began to read this story I had the feeling that it was no real attack. It's long ago that you posted a story. I always liked them and I like this one too.

me too... then it got real and very exciting.

well done!

Love the ending.

i thought he was gonna die :(

a game, just a game?

totally suckered me. Nice job!

Had me going until the last... Good job!

I had a sneaking suspician that it was a war game but I wasn't sure. Great story. Nice job.

Very nice indeed! That would make a fun episode! Thanks!