Chapter 1: What a Catch!
Summary: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. But what about the people who just aren't meant to be great? Chekok/OC, and maybe slight mention of Kirk/Spock
Rating: T for Teens
Disclaimer: Do you think if I owned Star Trek this shit would be on Fanfiction? I own nothing, not even the very computer I type with. Except Amelia Scott, I own her.
A/N: I must warn you guys beforehand I have limited almost no knowledge of Star Trek, in fact I have only recently watched the two newest reboot movies (2009 & 2013) and have watched most of the first season. And yes this chapter of this fanfic was based on episode 19: Tomorrow is Yesterday. If I ever get out of character or if something doesn't make sense do not be hesitant to tell me, in fact anything that would help me with any part of this story I would accept them with open arms and take it out to dinner. Thank you and read on!
WHEN the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
- Kipling "The Female of the Species"
August 2014
Everyone's dream is to be great; to change someone's life; to make a difference in someone –anyone's- life. I think that roots from the fact that everyone's fear is to be like each other; that they were no less unique or different than the person beside them on the bus; that the world didn't or never will revolve around them. That is because everyone fears death, that when that day comes that they would have not made an impact in the world and they'd truly be dead, leaving nothing for people to remember them by. Every dream, every ambition is just an extension of being great – being known. No one wants to be a no one. I was no exception to this rule so when I graduated from High School unemployed and was going to SFSU as an undecided major I knew I needed to think over my life. Like 87% of all teenagers going to college (hell even the ones not going) know what they what they want to do in life, at least vaguely. Me, I think not.
Truthfully speaking I was lucky to get into college with my 3.2 GPA and barely the minimum done to keep my parents off my back (for the most part). I knew better than anybody on how quick my Father lost his temper and the "I'm not angry I'm disappointed" lecture from my Mother was very affective but eventually lost its sentiment after about the 500th time. It wasn't like I didn't try to get good grades it's just that once I found out in 7th grade that nothing of consequence would happen to me if I didn't try my hardest why try my best? It wasn't like my parents were rewarding me for bringing home the bacon (or A's in my case). They let the B's slide and eventually the C's and so that's where I ranged, in a desolate land of unachievement. It wasn't horrible though, in fact I was quite content I managed to pass every class without very little effort on my part leaving me time to do as I pleased which now that I think about it wasn't much.
Living this way had very little consequence to me until that summer. My inactivity out of school left me without friends to hang out with, while I could say I had many friends those were under the pretenses I was actually at school with them. Instead of a UC like my parents would have wished I was "stuck at a State" thus quoted from my Dad. To each their own I guessed, I was pretty proud of myself to say the least though I had to admit my life came up pretty lack lustered.
I might as well have major in being a hermit at this rate. I got up from my bed – which was still unmade – to pace around my room. Random pieces of clothes scattered across the floor leaving me to wonder which ones were clean or dirty (or even mine for that matter since I lived in a dorm with one other girl by the name of Jennifer….or was it Jackie?) and when was the last time I did laundry. My guitar lay in its open case; brown and overused.
I had accumulated no hobbies during my 4 years of high school or interests or talents the only thing I knew was that I was good at the guitar (which actually didn't even start in high school but in middle) and that I wanted to be important; I wanted to help people. I always thought about starting a band or a music career of some sort (I mean there were a million of people who thanked music for saving their life so it fit in my mind and an even bigger plus side was that I always wanted to travel) but the more I thought about it the less appealing it had. I was good at the guitar and I was always told I had a pleasant enough voice but I knew for a fact that those two elements wouldn't constipate for my looks. I wasn't hideous or anything but I wasn't something. The thing I noticed about celebrities was that they were either really good looking or really talented not really average like let's say me. With short copper hair, bluish gray eyes, extremely round features accompanying my round face and pointed chin I wasn't exactly star born and plus I always guessed that would never go well with my parents. As far as talents go I was at a loss.
My parents always tried to push me to work with computers or something of that nature since they thought I was good at using it but I never thought so. Since they were my parents they were obliged to say I was good at something like having a face only a mother could love (though I had one of those too) except speaking talent wise.
Yes, that took 3 months of my time to explore about myself and still coming out of that I had no idea what to major in. As a Freshman I only needed to take 4 classes (5 if I was up to the challenge but come on) so I took classes most likely to help me help people: Human Bio, Philosophy and Religion, Holistic Approach, and Oral Communications. The key to knowing is understanding a wise once told me…. Or did I just find that little piece of advice on a fortune cookie?
Thankfully Jennifer/Jackie had classes earlier than I did and already took off so I knew the bathroom was all mine. I quickly got ready for my first class and took off with hair straightened, booty clean, and an apple from the mini refrigerator that Jennifer/Jackie brought in (bless her soul).
When I walked into my Human Bio class I might as well have not have rushed and did my makeup because practically no one was there – not even the teacher from what I see. There was a couple making out in the back, a girl with a sharp pixie hair cut a few seats horizontal to them, a group of three chatting to the side, a singular person shifting uncomfortably in the front and instructions on the board saying "Get a piece of paper and answer the following: What is more powerful than the human body? Why?"
I looked around the room; I could have any seat I wanted. I didn't even need to be here and the teacher wouldn't even care. My breath caught in my throat, I could do whatever I wanted. I pinpointed my seat in the back of the class a few seats away from pixie hair and set down my things. I read once in a college advice book that I should sit in the front to get I into the good graces of my teacher (which that book was sure that all college professors got their diplomas from the University of Hell so appeasing them was a necessity) but I digressed. No one else seemed to be doing the assignment but then again seven people wasn't exactly a good gauge on whether or not I should get my work done. I got out a pen and pencil and tapped the end to the table. What was more powerful than the human body? A lot of things. The more I thought about it the more confused I got. Was this question supposed to be this easy? Or was it a trick question to get you to think or maybe it was a trick question on a trick question making you think it wasn't a trick question…
Urgh, I thought to myself. It was only the first day and I was already overthinking this.
Knives, bullets, explosives, big animals, or even something as small as freaking bacteria could kill us. I mean come on, the black plague anyone?
From the corner of my eye I could see pixie stand up and scoot to the chair right next to mine. I instantly tensed, she was already seated why did she move? I forced my body to relax (which probably make me look even more tense) and seem natural though I looked far from it. I slowly looked over to her and caught her smiling to me through her bangs. I nearly choked on my own spit, what the heck did she want? I wanted to say hello or something that seemed cool to break the ice only to say, "I don't have any extra pencils, sorry."
She shook her hand and laughed, "I don't need a pencil….. Or any school supplies for that matter, or gum if that was your next question. I just came by to say hi."
My mouth went dry; I instantly want to run out the door screaming at the top of my lungs or at the very least bash my head against the nearest wall. But I was pretty sure that wouldn't help my case and would quickly prompt my parents to send me to the nearest mental institution.
"Oh, well," I couldn't sound more awkward if I tried. Why couldn't she just bother the guy in front? "Hey."
She stuck out her hand, "Alisa Gunin."
I took her hand, Please God, don't make my palms sweaty, "Amelia Scott, but everyone just calls me Lia."
"Interesting," Alisa nodded. "I would have imaged it to have been Amy as a nickname not Lia."
I shrugged, "What can I say, I digress."
She laughed, which I almost got down and cried for thanking every deity known to man. She looked over at my paper, "Already got the assignment down?"
I tried to subtlety get my paper out of her line of sight. I once got in trouble by my sophomore math teacher for sharing my answers with my desk mate. It wasn't like it was a test or quiz or something, I mentally hissed. It was just a stupid bell work. Nevertheless that memory popped up and I was in no mood to get in trouble with the teacher in my first period – of my first day. "Ummm, yeah. The question was pretty simple."
Alisa raised an eyebrow, "Of course. What are you majoring in?"
"I'm still undecided," I lowered my voice for the second part. Since I'm already talking to her might as well try to be her friend and what better way to make friends than to confined in each other? "Actually I just took this class because I had nothing else to do and I needed a class. Might as well do a class that serves as a science and get that out of the way, right?"
She raised her eyebrow some more, "…Right."
We fell into an awkward silence as more kids began to fill the room. I checked the clock; it was 9:15 when class was supposed to start. Where was the teacher? I grabbed for my bag and pulled out my schedule. Yup, first class on Monday was Human Bio at 9:15. The professor was…
Oh.
Shit.
This shit better be kidding me, this time I was sure I wanted to run out screaming, the mental hospital be damned. The professors' name was Alisa Gunin. How could I be so dumb, so unprepared to not even look at my teachers name before coming into her godforsaken class? I basically told her I was just taking her class for shizzle and credit. Before I could get my word in to her she got up and clapped her hands for everyone's attention. Everyone seemed to turn around at once, God, get me out of here. "Hello, everyone. I am your Human Biology teacher my name is Alisa Gunin or Mrs. Gunin to you guys if you wish and as you can all see I have written a question up on the board. Now I would like to discuss our answers," She had made her way to the bottom of the class room and getting a board marker. "Starting with Ms. Lia Scott."
Urgh, why? Did a teacher seriously just use my nickname? It was like my parents giving me a pet name or my friends called me my full name, it sent chills to the back of my spine. It didn't feel right damnit! I sighed, there was nothing I could do about it now. "Um, I just got down a few things… Like knives, guns, earthquakes….. and um stuff."
"And what about earthquakes?"
Everyone was staring at me, "Like buildings falling on you?"
"So it seems your answer would be other humans? Humans build buildings, humans use knives, and humans use guns. So your saying is we are what we are weak against?"
What? "I guess, but then there's bacteria and disease which is beyond our control?"
She smiled, "Is it?"
I was taken aback. I don't know, I wanted to yell, tell me that's why I'm taking your class. Before I could make more of a fool of myself she took her attendance sheet and called on another victim leaving me to think what the hell just happened.
A month passed and in typical San Francisco fashion got warmer. I clung to my camera as if it was made of gold and it might as well have been with what I took on it. Every first Tuesday of the month the Legion of Honor Museum admission was free so I made it a point that I would try to make it this month hoping for some nice pictures and that not a lot of tourists decided to come when I did. But what I got was so much more interesting to say the least. Thankfully I had only two classes today and one I already got done with and the other didn't start until 6 at night. Even with that in mind and that it was only 3 I was scrambling to get back to my dorm. Did I dare to take a peek at my camera again? I slowly tried to move it away from my body but the guy next to me on the public transport looked me up and down for me to snap the camera back to my body. No, not here, I decided. I knew what paranoia was but I was pretty sure I had a reason to be paranoid, in my hands could set me up for life!
I was just outside the Legion of Honor Museum when I saw it. If I hadn't taken a picture of it I still wouldn't have believed it. I was taking a picture of the front – yeah I do that sort of thing, so what? – When after a couple of pictures of the gate a flash of light on my camera caught my attention. I took a sharp breath in when I looked through them having to go over them three – NO FOUR – time to make sure what I was seeing was right. I looked around and the crowd seemed oblivious to what just happened though the ones closest to me seemed confused almost befuzzled looking up at the sky questionably or rubbing their eyes.
What was on my camera was… I didn't even know. An airplane? It was way too big for that despite its size of my camera. The best way I could describe it was a UFO.
Back on public transport my head spun. Only an hour ago I would have scuffed at anyone me that UFO's or aliens existed. But how else was I to explain this? If this was an – should I say it? – Earth spaceship it had no need to take of like that, right? Right? A million questions popped in my head. Aside from the obvious what was it (that I took upon myself to promptly answer that it was in fact a UFO) I wanted to know who was on it. Were they aggressive? Was this just a mishap? Was I seriously the only one to have seen this thing?
When I finally got to my dorm I might have as well eaten a moist absorbing sponge, my throat my as dry as my social life, which by the way was pretty damn dry. I knew it was only the first month of the school year but come on I was from San Francisco and my roommate was from freaking Indiana and she had more friends than me.
I shook my head, enough of that. I had business to do, intergalactic business. I took a good look at my pictures again. Yes, it was definitely not of this world. I haven't even seen something like this in the movies.
I opened my prehistoric computer as quickly as it possibly could. I thanked whatever deity was up there that I was relatively good with what I had to work with and tapped my foot impatiently. I needed to back this up on something. When I heard the purr of my computer finally awaking from its slumber I almost jumped in joy that I almost forgot I needed to find my connected. Shoot, I thought to myself. Did I even bring that?
I was so wrapped up in my own dilemma and the pounding of my head that I almost didn't hear the knocking of the door. Almost.
I stashed my camera in my small cabinet next to my bed and went to the door. Did Jennifer forget her keys again? I looked through the peephole and I was for sure neither was Jennifer. You had to be kidding me? Could someone have seen me? Of course, I scolded myself. This was San Francisco.
The two men outside my door could not have been college students. Well not college students that lived in dorms that's for sure. One was an Asian wearing a yellow shirt and black paints the other taller, blonde man was wearing the exact same thing. They couldn't have been the police either. Maybe it wasn't what I thought….
I peeped open the door. If it weren't me who was speaking I would have thought no one had spoken, "Yes?"
The taller guy who had WOAH the bluest eyes this side of the west coast I've ever seen smiled warmly, "I think you have seen something of ours."
I gulped; it was as bad as I thought. My eyes rolled back into its socket and the last thing I remember was falling over the carpet.
