By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch Read Free Book Online Page B

impassive. Without meaning to, Hoshi had insulted T'Pol. It wasn't the challenge to her assumption that was the insult; rather, it was the implication that T'Pol had extrapolated from a narrow perspective instead of the open one she subscribed to.
    "I'll grant you innate structure," Archer said. "But how can we be sure these people have it?"
    "Their language," Hoshi said. "It tells me that everything about them is structured. It would then make sense that such structure would carry over into their world building, even if grown into."
    "But why have such structure in the first place?" Archer asked.
    No one suggested an answer to him, which told him clearly that no one even had the foggiest clue.
    "All right," he said, taking a different tack, "is there any obvious reason why the Fazi are not on the southern continent with that other race?"
    "The two races are incompatible." T'Pol keyed in something on her board and nodded toward the main screen. It showed a high-level shot of one of the alien villages. "It would seem the residents of this village are able to live both on land and in the water."
    "The images that I have studied of the creatures of the southern continent show them to be crab-or spiderlike." Reed seemed to be pausing for effect. "However, they are the size of cows."
    In spite of himself, Archer shuddered. "Spiders the size of cows?"
    Reed shrugged.
    "I'll volunteer to stay behind when you go on that away mission," Trip said.
    "I would suggest that no contact with such a primitive race be made at this time," T'Pol said.
    "Fine by me." Archer didn't like the idea of having to talk with a spider that big. He paced for a moment behind his chair, then stopped and faced T'Pol. "I assume you have objections to making first contact with the Fazi?"
    "I do," she said. "This is a complex culture that needs more study."
    "How much more?" Archer asked.
    "If we continue working as intensely as we have these past twenty-two hours, nine minutes, and seven seconds," T'Pol said, "it would take at least six days, perhaps longer."
    "Perhaps longer," Archer repeated, wondering how she even came to her figures. Maybe she was just using the Vulcan template.
    "There are nuances in this language that may take me months to figure out," Hoshi said.
    Archer smiled. "You've worried about the nuances in all the new languages you've been learning. You haven't harmed us yet."
    Hoshi did not smile back. "I have not come across a language this detailed before."
    "I don't plan on having us sit here in orbit for a week or more." The very idea of it gave Archer the shivers. He turned to Hoshi. "Ensign, can you program the translators with this language well enough to be understood?"
    "Well enough to be understood, yes, but-"
    "Do you have the translators programmed?"
    "As much as I can, sir," Hoshi said.
    Archer nodded. His mind had been made up before he came on the bridge and he knew it. Nothing T'Pol or Hoshi or Reed had shown him had convinced him otherwise.
    "Okay, Trip, get a shuttlepod prepped and ready to go. Hoshi, I want you and Reed and Trip on this one. Mayweather, you're driving. T'Pol, you have the bridge. We go in two hours."
    "Sir," Hoshi said, "I'm going to need a little time to prepare you for this language and the structure involved."
    Archer laughed. "You can always bail me out if I stumble or stutter."
    "No, sir, I can't," Hoshi said. "Having an inferior speak out of turn at such an event as this would cause serious harm and might be a fatal breach of protocol for the Fazi. There is no telling what might happen."
    Archer looked at her. She was clearly serious and worried. "All right, Ensign, you can prepare me, but in the captain's mess. I need something to eat."
    "Sir," T'Pol said, "I would suggest one more thing."
    Archer stopped and looked at the Vulcan subcommander. "Yes?"
    "I would send the Fazi a message, stating your intention of landing at a certain point, at a certain exact time, and then request an audience with their