Rollerskating 14

Kobayashi trial and getting onto the enterprise.

Jim and Bones were sitting together in their room, working on respective essays when the blonde heard his PADD chime from under various books and pages. The doctor dug it out from underneath everything and handed it to Jim.

Bones had stopped writing, waiting to see what the message said. Jim opened it quickly and scanned the few sentences of text.

Cadet James Tiberius Kirk,

A meeting of the council of cadets and senior staff has been called for 3:00pm tomorrow in the main atrium in the C block. It is required that you attend; not doing so will be met with further punishment.

Admiral Komack.

Jim read it aloud to his friend, who shrugged, wondering why he hadn't received the same message.

"What do you think it's about?" Jim asked with a little quiver in his voice.

"As you got it and it sounded kind of huffy and urgent I'm guessing it's about the Kobayashi Maru thing. But that's just a guess. Just feign ignorance, or say you wanted to show initiative, that 'no-win scenarios are lame' argument will work in your favour. Besides they can't kick out the son of George Kirk; the best thing at this academy since sliced bread." Bones said, not a hint of mockery in his voice. Jim's heart swelled at the compliment and he vaulted across the room to hug his friend, scattering paper everywhere as he did so.

"Thanks Bones! You always know what to say to make me feel better." Jim trilled, disentangling himself from the hug and moving back to his own bed to finish the chemistry essay he had been working on.

"That's alright kid. That thing you did to the Kobayashi was genius; they should give you some credit for it, even if it was technically cheating." The usually surly doctor muttered, smiling but not looking up from his report.

"I don't think they'll give me any credit for screwing with their defeatist little test, but thanks anyway. You want coffee?" Jim asked standing and stretching his tan arms above his head, walking towards the small kitchen.

"Love some." Bones replied rolling his shoulders as he sat up straighter.

Both men stayed up late finishing their work, not going to bed until early morning. Jim did that most nights anyway, especially during the kobayashi hacking period. So he was used to going to bed at 2am and getting back up at 8am. He'd complain the next day about being like a zombie and dragging his feet and slumping into his lectures with the energy of a worn out three year old, but he was used to it all the same.

Jim found himself in a chemistry lecture, Seb sitting to his left and a few of his other science buddies sitting on his right.

"Did any of you guys get a message like this?" Jim asked, pulling his PADD out of his bag and handing it around. They all told him that they hadn't. Jim started to worry when he heard that.

"Don't worry, babe. I'm sure it's just some professor you fucked wanting a second round with you. 'Further punishment' hmm, you been getting up to some kinky stuff with any Profs lately?" Seb asked in a whispered leer as their lecturer passed by their desk.

Jim turned his head, a fake-wounded expression on his face.

"I haven't fucked any professors, thanks very much. Well not ones from Starfleet anyway." The blonde replied indignantly. Of course Jim had fucked a professor, but he wasn't going to admit to that. Besides he hadn't done any kinky stuff with Spock, he wasn't really into teacher/student role play or any of that weird stuff. Seb gave him a look and smirked.

"What about that super cute blonde guy that was in your chemistry seminar? I'm pretty sure you fucked him sideways solidly for a week or so." Seb reminded him, talking about Dan Wilkins.

"Well, yeah I did. But he wasn't actually a professor so that doesn't count, and anyway I really don't think this is about the kinky spanking punishment you're talking about. I think I'm in some deep shit." Jim said back, trying not to think about being punished by Dan Wilkins, damn that guy was hot, and Jim really should try to focus on the lecture.

The day passed by slowly, Jim's nerves starting to shred thinking about the meeting at three pm. All of the people in his classes were talking about it, but they hadn't received an ambiguous message about it promising punishment. What if he got kicked out of Starfleet? What the hell would he do with his life? Go back to Iowa and be miserable forever?

As the bell rang at the end of his physics lecture at 2:45 he and Chekov walked towards the C block, talking about the two essays they had just been set, Jim keeping the topic as far away from the meeting and his fate as he possibly could. They met Bones on the way and took their seats in the large room.

As the noise died down the admiral cleared his throat calling everyone's attention to him.

"This session has been called to resolve a troubling matter, James T Kirk, step forward." The older man said in a commanding voice, Jim gulped but walked down the stairs to stand at the podium. The admiral levelled him with a stare and continued talking into the silent room.

"Cadet Kirk, evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to regulation 17.43 of the Starfleet code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin, sir?" Komack's voice carried around the atrium and the tension ramped up a few percent at the accusation. Jim didn't turn around to look at any of the cadets, he could practically feel bones' sympathy burning a hole through him, and he was sure uhura was up there somewhere smirking like a bitch. It was probably her that ratted him out. Jim tried to project bravado and confidence even though his insides had turned to jelly.

"Yes, I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly." Jim said looking into the admiral's face as he frowned a little but nodded towards the crowd. Jim turned to watch the last person he would have thought of stand up. Spock adjusted his black cadet uniform top and avoided Jim's eyes.

"Step forward, please." Komack said looking between Jim and Spock.

Jim's heart felt like it had stopped, he tried not to show the shock on his face, although he wanted to shout and scream and throw something at the pretty Vulcan. Before Jim could let his thoughts run away with him the admiral's deep voice distracted him.

"This is Commander Spock. He is one of our most distinguished cadets. He had programmed the kobayashi maru exam for the last year. Commander?"

Jim nodded slightly, pretending that he didn't know Spock and hadn't slept with him and kissed him and seen him naked. Within his mind Jim was reeling from the information that it was Spock that had created the kobayashi maru test. The test that had been driving him crazy trying to pass it, the defeatist test that he had to hack and change just to be able to beat it. And Spock had created it? What the fuck. Spock knew what it was like to be trapped in something you didn't want, trapped by decisions of other people, and he knew how crappy it was being in the middle of a no-win scenario. So how could the Vulcan have made a test that pretty much centred on the fake crew of the kobayashi getting defeated and the cadets taking it had to just sit there and watch it happen without being able to do anything about it.

If Jim hadn't given him that Starfleet application Spock would have been snared by a marriage he didn't want, in an education system that treated him like an abomination. It just didn't make any sense.

"Cadet Kirk, you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine in the programming code, thereby changing the conditions of the test." Spock said in a monotone voice that had a shiver driving down Jim's spine. Spock had never spoken to him like that before. 'Come on Kirk, get your game face on; if he wants to fight then be ready for him' was what Jim was thinking as he turned and looked at Spock.

"Your point being?" Jim countered, raising a blonde eyebrow and narrowing his eyes a little. He wanted the accusation to come from Spock; if he was going to go as far as reporting him to the Starfleet brass he at least wanted Spock to have the bottle to accuse him properly.

"In academic vernacular, you cheated." The admiral confirmed, as Jim flicked his blue eyes to the older man.

"Let me ask you something I think we all know the answer to. The test itself is a cheat, isn't it? I mean, you programmed it to be unwinnable" Jim replied, turning back to Spock and glaring at him a little. It was easy to drag up his angry feelings towards Spock. After Spock had cheated on him with uhura it was all that he had felt for a long time. It was pretty difficult to shove all of the good memories of him and spock aside though, every time e looked at spock all he could see was him stretched out on the bed in his Iowan farm house, or baking cookies covered in flour at Amanda's brother's house, or him kissing Jim hard on the mouth in the roller rink. So to see him now, glaring daggers and accusing him of cheating was a little more than painful.

"Your argument precludes the possibility of a no win scenario" Spock said icily, staring into Jim's eyes for the first time since they had entered the room.

"I don't believe in no won scenarios." Jim replied trying to convey that Spock knew that about him. And Jim thought that Spock might just be able to understand that.

"Then not only did you violate the rules, you also failed to understand the principal lesson." Spock drawled, waiting for Jim to take the bait; which the blonde did immediately.

"Please, enlighten me." Jim asked a second later. It was as if it was their own argument and none of the other people there mattered at all. The silence was engulfing as Spock thought over his response. The next thing Spock said was like a dagger through Jim's heart. It was like Spock had dug around in his head and found the thing that would hurt him the most.

"You of all people should know, cadet Kirk, that a captain cannot cheat death." The Vulcan said coolly, not noticing how the cadets in the room started to whisper as a ripple of shock filtered through the crowd.

Did Spock really care about him so little that he could bring that up as an argument, as a weapon against him? He had told him over and over that the death of his and Sam's father had been really painful for the Kirk family. That the perfect image of his father hung over his head all through his time in Starfleet and how George Kirk's memory followed him like a ghost. Maybe he didn't mean anything to Spock anymore. Maybe Jim didn't have the right to take the high ground on ex-boyfriend behaviour; he had been sleeping around a lot and not thinking about how Spock might feel.

Jim took a breath and glared across the room at Spock, the whispers still moving around the room like a wind in the trees.

"I of all people?" Jim replied through gritted teeth as he watched uncertainty flicker in Spock's dark eyes for a second before he spoke again.

"Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action, did he not?" Spock said in a clear voice free of any emotion. Quite the low blow, even for an argument, bringing up dead relatives was a no-go area. Even though Jim had never known his father, he had heard stories from his mother and Sam, and from a lot of the professors at Starfleet, and a lot of people in Iowa could wax lyrical about the fabulous George Kirk. Jim brought the bravado back up, painting a shit-eating grin on his young face and flashing his baby blues at Spock. Who ever said a defence mechanism was a bad thing?

"I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test?" Jim replied with a hint of humour in his voice, looking back down at the wooden podium, running a nail along the patterns there. Spock continued as if Jim had never interrupted him.

"Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test." The Vulcan said pursing his lips and blinking rapidly.

"Enlighten me again." Jim said trying to keep his voice free of the nervousness that was coursing through him. This hardly mattered as a trial for cheating anymore, this was Spock being petty and snobbish and hurtful just to prove his pompous point. Jim didn't really care about the kobayashi maru test, or what the professors and admirals thought of him. What was causing him to feel weird was the way Spock knew how to pick a fight with him and hurt him with just a few well chosen memories and smart words.

"The purpose is to experience fear. Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself and one's crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain." Spock spieled out as if he had learnt it from a test book. As Jim opened his mouth to respond a messenger ran into the room offering a PADD to the admirals. Looks of fear crossed the superiors' faces and Jim's words were lost in his throat. Spock looked at him expectantly, wanting to hear his response but he never got his wish as the admiral announced the message to the cadets.

"We've received a distress call from Vulcan. With our primary fleet engaged in the Laurentian system I hereby order all cadets to report to hangar one immediately. Dismissed." The older man said, looking around the room seriously.

As Jim let out a sigh of relief at the trial being over and being free from spock's dark accusing glare, bones walked down the stairs and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, kid? That pointy-eared bastard was way out of line with some of the things he said. Especially after you and him…well yeah. Come on let's get to the hangar, Jim." The doctor said a note of comfort in his voice that Jim always relished.

"Yeah I'm okay Bonesy, still reeling a bit but okay." Jim replied walking out of the atrium towards the hangar in question. Spock had left the room before Jim even had a chance to say anything to him, though to be fair his home planet, and by extension his family, was in danger so he could hardly be blamed for freaking out a little bit.

Jim and Bones arrived at the hangar and waited for their names to be called. Bones was on the enterprise as medical officer, Jim swelled with pride at hearing this information. He waited for his name but it never came and he frowned deeply. Inquiring as to why his name wasn't called out Jim found out that he was on academic suspension until the trial thing is resolved. Fuck his life.

McCoy came dashing over to him, looking worried. Jim told him about the suspension and his friend looked stricken, then Jim watches as he can almost hear the cogs in bones' brain moving and then a look of revelation shows in the older man's face.

"This adventure ain't complete without James T Kirk; come with me, kid." Bones says, taking hold of Jim's elbow and dragging him into a medical room of sorts.

Meanwhile uhura was talking to Spock in a low voice.

"I've wanted to be on the enterprise ever since I've joined Starfleet. You said I was a good student, with aural sensitivity and I quote "unparalleled ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmission tests". You have to let me on the enterprise, please spock." The woman gushed and pleaded. The Vulcan regarded her seriously and made the relevant change on the PADD he was holding. She nodded triumphantly and watched as Spock turned to address another cadet.

Gaila strolled up to her, laughing quietly.

"Oral sensitivity, huh? Way to use sex to get ahead. A few well placed blow jobs could get you on the command track if you wanted." The green-skinned alien replied, winking. Uhura rolled her eyes at her friend and shook her head. Gaila chuckled again when she saw the Vulcan's ears turn green as he had obviously heard their conversation. Uhura turned to him and watched him walk across the hangar and to a shuttle craft.

"Aural sensitivity; with my ears not my mouth." The brunette replied tapping her ear in emphasis.

"I can't believe that worked though, you just spiel back his own whispered sweet nothings and he changes the schedules. All you had to do was bone him a few times and you've already got him wrapped around your little finger. Genius!" Gaila added, apparently ignoring Uhura's comment and continuing on-topic.

"I didn't 'bone' him; we kissed once that was all. He was vehemently not interested." Uhura explained, rolling her eyes again and sighing slightly. Gaila's eyes bugged at hearing this, as if to say 'you seriously didn't hit that?'

"That's a shame. I'd have liked to have seen the glorious bod that I'm sure is hidden beneath that uniform sprawled across your bed after you've run out to one of your andorian lectures at what-the-fuck-o-clock in the morning." The red head commented, a dreamy smile coming across her face while she obviously fantasised about Spock's body all spread out on a bed.

"Gaila, keep your brain out of the gutter there's a serious situation going on here, and your sex pheromones are pretty stifling when the pornographic part of your brain starts working." Uhura placed a hand on her friend's shoulder to try to bring her back to reality, it seemed to work as the alien tossed her ginger curls and her eyes became focused again.

"Sorry Ny. Yeah, there's not a lot of chance because I think that pointy-eared friend of yours is a raging homosexual anyway, and as hot as that is, we lack the appendage needed to keep him satisfied. Although a strap-on might-

Gaila seemed to be unable to get off of the topic of Spock, which was almost ironic seeing as getting on Spock was what was going through her mind at that moment

"Seriously, stop Gaila. No talking about sex until we at least get onto the enterprise and are on duty after our first shift, okay?" Uhura chided, looping their arms together and dragging Gaila towards the shuttle for the Enterprise. Uhura couldn't shake the image of Gaila with a strap on and Spock sprawled over her bed out of her mind; it was a rather horrifying thing to think about, if not the smallest bit hot.

Elsewhere Bones was searching for something in the medical room while Jim watched him with interest. He rarely got to watch his friend at work so stood back and enjoyed it for a second.

"Take a seat." Bones said, retrieving a small vial of liquid and inserting it into a hypo, Jim frowned at said hypo and felt the familiar sting in his neck before it was even administered.

"I'm gonna give you a vaccine against viral infection from melvaran mud fleas." The doctor explained, ignoring Jim's wince and recoil as he injected the blonde.

"What for?" Jim asked in a pained voice as he glared at his friend.

"To give you the symptoms." The doctor countered immediately moving around the room looking for something.

"what are you talking about?" Jim asked, more than a little confused about why he was being injected with some weird virus vaccine.

"You'll start to lose vision in your left eye." He heard bones say from across the room.

As he said this his left vision did start to blur and mist up.

"Yeah, I already have." Jim noted as Bones moved towards him, helping him stand from the bed.

"And you'll get a really bad headache and a flop sweat." Bones reeled off the symptoms easily, not paying attention to his frowning friend. He placed a hand tentatively in the small of Jim's back pushing him along hoping the kid didn't have some awful reaction to it that left him in a gelatinous pile on the ground, kind of hard to transport something without bones or a functioning brain.

They walked the short distance to the shuttlecraft that would be flying out to the enterprise, and the attendant there scanned the list for Jim's name and reported it wasn't down for duty on board the ship.

"medical code states the treatment and transport of a patient is to be determined at the discretion of his attending physician, which is me, so I'm taking Mr. Kirk aboard, or would you like to explain to Captain Pike why the Enterprise warped into a crisis without one of its senior medical officers?" Bones said, anger and impatience edging his words as he held up his heavily-breathing friend whose cheeks were already tinted red and his pupils blown wide.

"As you were." The officer replied, sighing minutely. Bones rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath before replying.

"As you were." Were the only words the grumpy doctor said before dragging Jim onto the shuttlecraft and buckling his friend into a seat next to him then he buckled his own belt and watched the scenery drift and swim by as they made their way to the flag ship. Bones felt the familiar unease at being on something that flew, so he turned away from the window to check Jim over. His temperature was elevated and he looked a little green.

"I might throw up on you." Fell from Jim's pursed lips as he began to shiver lightly.

"We're nearly there; once we get onto the ship and down into med bay I can fix you up good and proper. But until then you're gonna have to stick it out I'm afraid." Bones said in a comforting tone, Jim just closed his eyes against the multitude of weird symptoms and nodded vaguely.

Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter done, a lot of stuff has been happening. Exams and revision, and then my old laptop died so the beginning of this chapter that I had written was lost :( so I had to re-write it, and then I got distracted by the freedom of summer.

But here's another chapter to go along with. It's going to getting into star trek xi (2009) movie stuff from now onwards, so hopefully it won't be too boring/familiar. I'm going to switch up a few things so they apply to my story rather than the spock/uhura storyline (like wtf?) and gaila dying (I had to save her because she's too awesome).

Hope this is ok. Sorry for the delay