Reversal {Star Trek Enterprise Mirror Universe fan fiction}

Rings

"Roomie! Roomie! You up?" Jennifer asked.

"Huh, uh, yeah, I guess so,” Lili blinked a few times. The alarm was going off. She turned it off.

"What's, um, what's happening?"

"I got a note from Fra-ank!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Oh. The hot planetary geologist?"

"The very same."

"So, how's life on Enceladus?"

"Oh, not the same without me, he's so sweet! He said he sees Saturn's rings every morning."

"Well, I imagine he would, Jenny, seeing as Enceladus is a moon of Saturn."

"Yeah, well, it got him thinking. And he said the ring made him realize he wanted to give me a ring! Roomie, I'm engaged!"

"Ha, that's fantastic, Jenny!"

Jenny lunged at Lili to hug her. Lili had never felt that close to her, but smiled and hugged her back. "Oh, you know, I feel just a tiny bit bad,” Jenny said.

"Bad? How's that possible?"

"Well, you don't have anyone. I don't want to make you feel bad or anything."

"That's, that's kind of you. But I'm all right."

"Lili, I know you and I aren't close, but I still don't want you to be depressed. And as I plan the wedding, it might feel like I'm rubbing your nose in things."

"You're not and you won't. It's fine,” Lili started to put on her chef's whites.

"Hmm, I should fix you up with someone. Before I become Mrs. Frank Ramirez and all,” Jenny thought for a while. "How about MacKenzie? He's kinda smokin'."

"I am old enough to be his mother,” Lili said, rolling her eyes.

"And I bet you could teach him a thing or two. Really, it'll be fun, we'll go to Movie Night, and we'll sit together, and then I'll just say I have a headache or something and oops! Suddenly, you're alone with The Mad Scotsman."

"You have been planning this, I see."

"Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun. They're gonna show this movie called Gaslight. It's supposed to be about this guy trying to convince his wife that she's going crazy. It's, uh, mid-twentieth century. I think it's even in black and white."

"No. Thank you. I have to go anyway,” Lili checked messages quickly. "Ah, another dinner, I see. I have to plan this today. I can't be thinking about Scottish guys in the Tactical Department."

"Not even just one?" Jennifer teased.

"No. Besides, what if he has Mommy issues?" Lili leaped out before Jennifer could answer.

=/\=

Doug got to the Bridge right on time. Commander Tucker was talking to the Empress. "Ah, good, you can get in on this." Tucker said, by way of greeting.

"Oh?"

"We got sensor problems. Lots of 'em. I am thinkin' at least half of the ones we thought were barely passable aren't any more. We probably stressed 'em too much." Tucker said.

"Can we move them around? Make do, and just not have working sensors in some less critical part of the ship?" the Empress asked.

"We'll need them for targeting,” Doug said, “Can't have any halfway measures there."

"Agreed,” said the Empress. "Surely there's somewhere that we can borrow from?"

"Huh. We can probably get rid of a few of the redundant sensors in Life Support." Tucker said.