Trick or Treat

Rating: PG, if you are offended by nudity.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek, I just play with the people I like.

Summary: Just a typical away mission for your favorite Starfleet engineer.

Author's Note: I thought it was time for me to try one of these challenges. So I took a break from a longer story and this is the result.

Away missions were always fraught with surprise. You never knew if good things were going to happen or if disaster was about to befall you. Enterprise had come upon a planet that showed no sentient life forms, but was particularly interesting for its great variety of geological phenomena.

A first survey team, consisting of Captain Archer, TPol, and Commander Tucker, departed in Shuttlepod 1 for the planet. Malcolm Reed objected, of course, to his exclusion and a lack of security but was over-ruled as usual. He was extremely concerned about mineral deposits that rendered communications impossible.

After an uneventful shuttle ride, the team disembarked and went their separate ways agreeing to rendezvous back at the shuttle in two hours. Depending on the value of their findings, Archer would decide whether to bring down a geologic team for a lengthy exploration.

Trip had been walking for about 45 minutes and his sample case was becoming quite heavy. He decided it was break time and sat down under a tree. Closing his eyes, Trip began to think of TPol and how close they had become of late. They seemed to have a connection he was hard pressed to explain. As his mind drifted to a relaxed almost drowsy state, he could swear he was seeing images of TPol. She had fallen into a swampy, bog-like pool of muck. Her utter disgust of her condition and the putrid smell in particular was coming through loud and clear.

Trip bolted upright and his eyes flew open. He wasnt sure if that had been a dream but he knew he wouldnt be satisfied until he saw for himself that she was okay. Stowing his samples to return and pick up later, he headed in the direction that she had taken.

Trip was walking almost by instinct. He came upon some caves and was immediately certain that TPol had gone inside. Trip was amazed at the crystal formations he was seeing. Moving slowly to keep his footing, Commander Tucker stepped into a large cavern and heard the roar of a waterfall.

Glancing up, Trip felt his breath taken away by the sight of a rainbow of colored water cascading over crystals from the ceiling. The crystal structure must have reached clear to the surface because light was passing through the multi-color formations. The resulting prism effect was the most beautiful thing Trip had ever seen. Then a nude woman stepped forward from behind the falls. She appeared to be constantly changing color as the water passed over her elegant body.

Trip came to the conclusion later that he had actually stopped breathing for an extended period of time. He was mesmerized as he watched the Vulcan woman wash the offending slime and muck from her person. After a time, Trip realized TPol was well and he was intruding, so he quietly slipped out the way he had come.

Stepping out again into the light of day, Trip took a deep breath realizing that now he had indeed seen the most beautiful sight of his life. Making his way back to pick up his samples and return to the rendezvous point, Trip was deep in thought. Captain Archer was already at the shuttle as the engineer approached.

Trip, did you see anything interesting? Archer asked.

Just a trick of the light Cap'n, but it was a treat for the eyes.

THE END