Relics - Michael Jan Friedman [35]
Scott’s attitude really pricked Geordi. Worse, the advice itself went completely against the grain of his personality.
“I told him I’d have that analysis done in an hour,” Geordi said firmly.
Scott grinned conspiratorially. “An’ how long will it really take you?”
Geordi was puzzled now-genuinely puzzled. “An hour,” he replied.
The other man seemed shocked. “Ye didnae tell him how long it was really going to take you?”
Geordi was irritated-and getting more so by the second. “Of course I did.”
Scott rolled his eyes in mock disappointment. “Laddie, laddie, laddie. Ye’ve got a lot to learn if ye want them to think of ye as a miracle worker. Take it from me, ye’ve got to-“
Every man has his threshold, a line beyond which he can tolerate no more. Geordi had just reached his. He rounded on Scott.
“Look, sir,” he said, “I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried to be polite. But I’ve got a job to do here-and you’re getting in my way.”
The last thing he expected was that Scott’s own temper would flare … but flare it did. Every engineer in the place turned and stared as his voice rose, trembling with righteous emotion.
“I’ll have ye know I was driving starships while your grandfather was still in diapers. I should think ye’d be grateful for a wee bit o’ help-“
Geordi had had enough of this. It was embarrassing. It was stupid. And it had to be stopped before it went any further.
Rather than fan the flames any higher, he turned away from Scott… just focused on his monitor and ignored the man. It was a mistake; Scott took it as an insult, and his voice waxed even louder for one last barrage.
“Then I’ll leave ye to yer work, Mr. La Forge!” With that, the man stormed out of engineering. Everyone watched him go. In his wake, there was an inescapable feeling that the whole thing could have been handled a lot better.
Geordi cursed under his breath. He was already sorry about the incident, damned sorry. But it was too late; the damage had been done.
Chapter Seven
NOT SO LONG AGO, Scott’s quarters had seemed so spacious he didn’t know what to do with them. Now they felt too small-like a cage, slowly but surely closing in on him-as he paced from one bulkhead to the other and back again.
“In the way,” he muttered, not for the first time. “He actually said I was in the way!” He harrumphed loudly. “Used to be engineers had a wee bit o’ respect for one another. Used to matter if a man spent his whole life in the bowels of a starship and never-“
Abruptly, the door chimed. Scott turned.
“What do ye want?” he demanded.
Scott wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t what he got. As the door slid aside, it revealed one of the loveliest women he’d ever had the pleasure to meet. The smile on her smooth-skinned face was so pleasant, so disarming, that he felt compelled to back away from his anger.
“Is this a bad time?” she asked, her large, dark eyes fairly dancing beneath a fringe of curly black hair.
“Uh… no,” said Scott. He extended his hand to her. “Captain Montgomery Scott at your service. What can I do for you?”
She took his hand and grasped it firmly. “Deanna Troi, ship’s counselor. And actually, I’m here to see if there’s anything I can do for you.”
Scott didn’t quite know what to make of that, but she was much too pretty to dismiss out of hand. Gesturing, he offered her a seat, then took one himself.
“I thank ye kindly for your concern, lass. But I’m set for now. The quarters are more than adequate. And the replicator is an honest-to-goodness wonder…”
Scott smiled at her. She smiled back. But he still didn’t know why she was here. And maybe, he mused, he didn’t care-as long as she stayed a while.
“I’m glad you’re comfortable,” said Troi. “But I was actually more interested in how you feel.”
For a brief moment, Scott had visions of something more than a friendly encounter. But he hadn’t even met the woman until moments ago. And though he was still a handsome man, if he did say so himself, he just couldn’t imagine