Prologue

Since his first star gazing exhibition to the Kuznetsk Alatau Mountains with his father as an 8-year-old boy, Pavel Andrevich Chekov had anticipated this special occasion. His first day as an ensign aboard a Starfleet Starship had finally dawned! Pavel was woken up from a dim light that was slowly filling his yet to be decorated quarters and he realised that on the Enterprise dawn was actually a rather fake and sterile event. This artificial 'sunrise' was so very different to the real thing and he remembered how he once witnessed the Sun raising above the Peak Of Fools. Cradled in his father's arms and wearing protective goggles, little Pavel had gazed in wonder at the star that slowly turned night on Earth into day.

Pavel remained under the thin but warm blanket for just a moment longer, a soft smile on his face. But never one to dwell on the past for too long, his childhood memories soon had to make way for more pressing considerations of the here and now. The fact that nothing was left to coincidence on the Enterprise was reassuring to the young Russian. Indeed, the artificial 24-hour cycle was logical given the predominantly human crew aboard the ship. The lighting of most interiors on the Enterprise, including the quarters (unless they were otherwise adjusted by the individual crew member) followed Earth's 24-hour solar rhythm of night and day, sunrise and sunset. Consequently the 3 main 8 hour shifts most personnel were assigned to were accordingly structured into the popular day shift Alpha from 0800 hours to 1600 hours, the quite popular day and evening shift Beta from 1600 hours to 2400; and the night and morning shift Gamma from 2400-0800 (only attractive to those crew members with a nocturnal streak).

Pavel slowly rose from his bed and placed his feet on the comfortably warm floor. He had to smile as he remembered how Lieutenant Sulu had related the shift rota and other helpful information to him in unique fashion. Pavel was still on his practical assignment on Toluna 7 when he personally had heard from the helmsman the first time.

Pavel was completing his Starfleet training with a practical geological assignment on Toluna 7. The young cadet had enjoyed his 12 weeks on the beautiful world immensely, as he liked to be out and about in wide, open spaces. The countryside, however alien it might be, always reminded him of his school holidays which he used to spend in a particularly beautiful part of South Siberia. But despite the joy of working outdoors, he had counted the days until he would leave for Starbase 2 where a medical awaited him before he would finally board the Enterprise.

That day couldn't have come soon enough.

Four days ago, Pavel bid farewell to Toluna 7 as he was picked up by a Starfleet shuttle craft. He found himself amongst a large group of cadets that had been picked up from all over the planet where they had undergone practical training. Pavel knew most of them from the Academy. The young recruits were also scheduled to undergo their medicals on Starbase 2. Then they would all be deployed on various science or medical vessels on their first tours of duty.

All but one.

Envied by his peers, the best cadet in his year Pavel Andrevich Chekov would start his career as a Starfleet Officer on the Federation's flagship: the USS Enterprise. Never too bothered about what others thought of him, Pavel endured the envious looks and mocking remarks of his comrades during the one-day journey with a brave face. Those people just reminded him why he preferred to be a loner.

As Pavel sat up with a yawn and stretched his tired limps, his thoughts travelled back to the events of the previous day and beyond. Lieutenant Sulu, helmsman of the Enterprise and the man he would share his new workstation with, the ship's navigational console, had greeted him in the transporter room. When Pavel materialised on the transporter platform he saw Sulu for the first time, yet the man wasn't unfamiliar at all.

Pavel had known for two months that he would be assigned to theEnterprise. When it came to applying for various available Starfleet positions, the Enterprise had been his first choice due to Captain Kirk's impressive track record and the vessel's positive reputation regarding its facilities and crew. Pavel openly admired Captain Kirk and had read every paper or mission report Kirk had ever published or shared with the Academy. Furthermore, the ship was the most modern and best equipped in the fleet. Only one year into its 5-year mission under Captain Kirk, the crew was already known all throughout Federation Space for its professionalism and loyalty. Pavel had earned many frowns and envious looks from his fellow students at the Academy when they asked him for which position he had applied. They wouldn't have dared to apply to the Enterprise themselves but as Pavel was top of the class, they refrained from further commentary and kept quiet.

But the reality had been somewhat more complicated.

Even though Pavel played cool in front of his classmates and pretended to have already sent off his application to Captain Kirk, he actually didn't dare to do so until the very last opportunity before the deadline. The truth was, Pavel had been tormented with self-doubts. Would he really be good enough for the Enterprise? Just out of the Academy, would his practical excursions on Toluna 7 and on a Starfleet science vessel provide him with enough experience for duty on a starship? Would the brilliant Captain Kirk accept such a young navigator?

The great reputation of Captain Kirk and his ship aside, there had been one decisive factor that finally gave Pavel the strength to submit his application. During his four years at the Academy, to say he had only heard good things about the Enterprise's Science Officer was an understatement. The tutors had made it a fashion to rave about him and regularly used his research findings in their lectures. Consequently, Mr. Spock had attained a somewhat legendary status among the cadets. The ambitious strove to learn as much about his working patterns, his research and his findings as possible. The cynical dismissed the Vulcan as some kind of Starfleet myth, an unrealistic benchmark they could never reach, consciously set up by their tutors to make them work harder and aim higher. Pavel privately shared both notions and what's more, he didn't believe them to be actually in conflict with one another. He was well aware that he would never be able to come even close to the Vulcan's scientific achievements. But Pavel's stubborn nature dictated him to seek the opportunity to learn as much as he could from the man. And reading and analysing Mr. Spock's papers just wouldn't suffice. Pavel dreamed about assisting this 'myth' with groundbreaking and challenging scientific tasks- on the Bridge of the Enterprise.

An application had to be sent off.

So this is my first story and it's going to be quiet a long one (around 10 Chapters probably). The Prologue and First Chapter are expositional, in the 2nd Chapter the conflicts are established and then the s* starts to hit the fan as they say. I've already got the first 4 or 5 chapters outlined so this story will be finished! But I'm already working on an even longer one (an EPIC!) but probably I'll write shorter ones in between because if and when that one will see the light of day-who knows, it's written in the stars!

Feedback, comments, thoughts are very welcome! I very much look forward to them but please bare with me as my venture into fan fiction has just begun :) I also don't have a Beta Reader yet and don't really know how to go about it (remember, I'm a FF newbie). If anyone's interested, just let me know. I'm happy to provide feedback in return.