EDIT: This chapter has been edited and updated as of 3/24/18
Chapter One
"Reach for the stars, Kate," her father would say to her when she tried figuring out what she wanted in life. "You were meant for them. You were meant for so much more.
Those words were what had kept her going throughout her life. She lived by them. She hoped to one day make her father proud of what she had accomplished in life. Even if it meant doing things she never would have dreamed of doing.
She could still remember the nights when he would take her out to observe the stars. He'd bought a telescope for them, and they would spend countless hours looking through it. She would often point out each and every constellation she could see. When she did that, her father would explain to her what each constellation meant. They all had a story that involved the adventure of an explorer eager to see what lay beyond their world.
It had been nearly ten years since the accident that took his life. He along with thirty crew members had been killed in a freak accident on an Engineering vessel. Nothing could have prepared her for the day she received the news that a malfunction occurred on said vessel. Kate's life had quickly begun to spiral out of control when he died. Her mother had passed away giving birth to her due to complications, and she only just began to realize how alone she was.
The only reason she kept going was because of what her father told her. She knew giving up wasn't an option. To quit meant she would lose everything. Yet, that hadn't stopped her reluctance to move forward in life. She'd spent a few months coping with the fact that her father was gone. It wasn't until Admiral Christopher Pike had approached her that she finally changed her mind.
"You have the potential to live up to your father's reputation," he told her when they met for coffee. Kate hadn't been expecting to run into him when she did. She was thankful he stopped her, though. As reluctant as she was to enlist in Starfleet, Pike gave her a valid reason to do so. "I could easily see you becoming a Lieutenant within four or five years after going through the Academy."
"What makes you think I have the quality to become a Starfleet Officer?" she'd retorted with a snort of amusement. "It isn't as if I have anything to offer."
Pike wasn't deterred by her insistence that she wasn't worthy to follow in her father's footsteps. He kept pushing until she finally gave in. He of all people gave her the encouragement she needed to continue her father's legacy. Despite the terrified knot forming in her stomach at the thought of what that meant, she was willing to at least try.
Once she enlisted in Starfleet, Kate moved quickly through her ranks. She planned on becoming a Security Officer, with some background in Engineering. Her father had been a Security Officer and Engineer on the vessel he worked aboard. If she wanted to make a name for herself, she would do so by committing to the same field.
Of course, there were the rumors that red-shirts were cursed. Her father's death had only strengthened the knot of fear she felt each time she thought about where her path led. Some of the Cadets would often joke about the fact that there were bets placed on who would go first. It took everything she had to ignore their quips, especially when she knew that half of the time, they were wrong.
Four years had gone by before she finally graduated and was assigned to her first ship. The whole class was assigned to different ships that were based off of their ranking and scores. To Kate's surprise, and chagrin, she discovered that she was assigned to the USS Enterprise.
Kate had heard just about everything regarding the Enterprise. She recalled tales of how Captain Kirk had boldly rescued Admiral Pike, despite First Officer Spock's orders. The unlikely pair had eventually begun seeing eye to eye after that incident. But, it was after Pike's death that she really began taking interest in the ship and her crew. Despite a madman on the loose, and the betrayal of a Starfleet Admiral, Kirk managed to pull through and save the entire ship.
A shiver swept through her as she thought of Pike and everything he did for her. His death hit her harder than she would ever admit out loud. It was only because of his convincing that she enlisted in the first place. Now, she wasn't sure if she was ready for what lay ahead.
She was terrified of going into space. The familiar knot in the pit of her stomach came rushing back as she stared blankly at the shuttle looming ahead of her. She tried thinking of a million excuses to get away and leave before the shuttle departed. Those who were also assigned to the Enterprise for the five-year mission were already climbing into the shuttle. To Kate, it looked as if they were headed straight for their doom.
Swallowing hard as she studied the data PADD in her trembling hands, she knew there was no backing down. The Council had assigned her to this ship because she was qualified for the task. The small voice in her head kept telling her that that wasn't true. She wanted to run. She tried to run. Kate realized with a start that her feet were glued to the floor. Panic began to seep through as she realized that she couldn't move even if she wanted to.
"Standing there all day and gawking at the shuttle ain't gonna get you anywhere, Ensign."
Kate was shaken from her thoughts at the southern drawl of Doctor McCoy. Finally, she was able to spin around in time to see the good doctor eyeing her curiously up and down. Her heart began racing faster than she thought possible as she noticed a familiar face standing beside him.
"Relax, Bones. If you're gonna scare all of my Officers on their first day, they may quit their jobs," the blond replied with a cheeky grin.
"Bones?" Kate winced at the sound of her own voice. It was shaky, resulting in a terrified squeak.
She recognized the blond just about anywhere as Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Rumors flew around about the Captain of the Enterprise. He was impulsive, bold, and one of the bravest Captains in the Fleet. Though she didn't know if those rumors were true, she knew for a fact that he was brave.
"Yep. That's what everyone calls him when he's in this mood." Kirk was undeterred by the fear in her voice. It was enough to make her blink in surprise as McCoy rolled his eyes and brushed his hand off his shoulder.
"The only idiot that gets away with it is you, Kirk," the doctor snapped irritably. "Anyone else learns the hard way I won't tolerate childlike behavior."
He added the last part with a rather loud snort, pushing his way past an amused Kirk. Kate flinched when she noticed Kirk was eyeing her curiously. She hated meeting new people for multiple reasons. The one downfall to her social anxiety had become a major handicap over the years, and she had a feeling it wouldn't get any better on the ship.
"So, just who might you be?" he asked after an uncomfortable silence fell between them.
More crew members were walking past them. Kate hadn't missed that a few of them had stopped when they noticed who she was staring at. Heat rose to her cheeks as her mouth fell open and closed a few times. She suddenly felt like a deer caught in the headlights as words failed to produce.
"E-Ensign Anderson, sir," she replied, wincing once again when she stammered, "K-Kate Anderson."
She hated the fear in her voice. It made her sound like a timid mouse facing a cat. And the cat in question was just grinning like an idiot. That only made her feel worse when she realized he probably didn't know how to respond to her lame response.
"There's no need for formality, Anderson," he finally cut through the awkward silence that followed. He added the last part with a charming smile. Kate had to bite her tongue to keep herself from responding with something that would make things worse.
"R-Right… sorry, sir," she quickly apologized.
She averted her eyes, hoping to look at anything but him. Most of all, she hated herself for being so terrified of speaking to new people. She realized with a start that Kirk was probably waiting for some kind of explanation to her odd, evasive behavior. Instead of saying anything, she quickly excused herself and scurried away faster than she thought possible.
Kate sucked in a breath of relief when she managed to reach the shuttle without meeting anyone else. She couldn't help but shrink into her seat, desperately hoping no one would speak to her during the ride. As the shuttle took off, she couldn't help but glance out the window curiously.
The windows themselves were tiny, but she was able to make out a view of the Enterprise. Kate's eyes widened with awe at the sight before her.
The Enterprise itself was a massive ship. What made her stand out was that the Enterprise happened to be the flagship of the Fleet. Kate knew from experience that a ship that huge would always endure some kind of adventure along the way. A small part of her was looking forward to it, while another part of her felt terrified. One way or another, she was in for a wild ride.
…
Captain Kirk was generous enough to give everyone a chance to settle in and get to know their roommates before the ship officially launched. It was a kind gesture that Kate wasn't expecting. After all, most of the crew was already familiar with itself. The five-year mission meant that at least a hundred new crew members had been assigned to the ship. Yet, there were still those who had been around since the Battle of Vulcan.
So, it was with that notion that Kate arrived in her room on Deck Four. She sucked in a heavy breath when the familiar knot formed in her stomach. She glanced around warily. Her eyes tried taking in everything at once.
The sleeping quarters were exactly what she expected. Small. Cramped. She hadn't missed the fact that two beds were placed on either side of the small room. A closet where their uniforms and possibly extra clothing was placed on one end of the room. On the other was a bathroom that looked as if it barely fit one person, let alone two.
Kate blinked in surprise when she noticed a suitcase perched on one of the beds. Sitting on said bed was a young looking, petite woman with reddish brown hair.
"Hi. You must be Kate Anderson, right?" the woman asked in a pleasant voice.
She simply nodded anxiously in response. The grip on her own suitcase handles had tightened.
"Rose Conrad." the woman suddenly introduced herself after an awkward silence hung in the air, "I'm working as an Engineering Officer under Mr. Scott."
For a moment, all Kate could do was stare at the other woman. Her mouth fell open before she closed it again and took another deep breath. If she was going to talk to someone she didn't know, she wanted to keep herself from getting overwhelmed with anxiety.
"I'm working as a Security Officer, though I'm also qualified to work in Engineering as well," she explained once she found her voice. She offered a small smile, and Rose finally returned the gesture. "I guess that means we're both red shirts."
Rose's face fell the moment she mentioned the 'red shirts'. By now, she'd heard just about every rumor that revolved around those wearing a red shirted uniform. Quite a few Cadets had been terrified of the prospect when they heard said rumors. The head instructor of her class had informed everyone that if they didn't make impulsive decisions or pull off risky stunts like most people did, they would be fine. Though, Kate couldn't help but wonder how right he had been.
"Tell me you don't believe that rumor?" she groaned in a voice full of disdain. "I've heard my entire family complaining over the fact that I not only abandoned them, but chose a 'failed' position as well."
Kate couldn't help but look back in embarrassment after realizing too late what she implied. The last thing she wanted was for them to start off on the wrong foot. Rose had been friendly enough, but she didn't want to push her luck. Especially since it meant they would spend the next five years together as roommates.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered as she tried apologizing. "I've never believed those rumors, but everyone tried talking about them during classes… I always assumed the rumors were false because the instructor kept telling us they weren't, and—"
"Kate, relax," Rose cut her off before she could continue rambling. "I was only joking; everyone knows about that rumor."
That didn't make her feel any better. Kate had to take a deep breath to ease her already frayed nerves. Rose watched curiously as she finally calmed down enough that they could talk without her rambling on and on. She had a tendency to do just that when she was nervous, or stammer constantly over what she wanted to say.
I hate not being able to tell everyone what I need to say, she thought bitterly. It was a side-effect from her nervous reaction. The doctors had insisted that there was medicine for those side-effects, but each prescription had ended in miserable failure on their part as well as hers.
"So, where are you from, exactly?" she finally asked once she calmed down enough.
Rose gestured for her to take a seat on the bed, and she did just that.
"Would you believe me if I said I was raised on a colony?" she asked shyly. Kate rose an eyebrow in surprise, and Rose gestured for her to take a seat, "My mother and father were part of a science division on Radia, a small planet not far from New Vulcan. They've been working on developing a new method for Vulcan Hybrids, since it's becoming more common. I was given a chance to enlist in Starfleet, and I jumped on the opportunity."
For a moment, Kate was taken aback at Rose's story. She'd heard of stories about families from Earth living in different colonies across the galaxies. Quite a few of them had lived in family groups and eked out a living on what little rations they had in distant colonies. Kate couldn't imagine what her life would have been like had she grown up in a similar setting.
"They must have been proud that you enlisted in Starfleet," she murmured thoughtfully.
"I don't know… we haven't exactly been in contact with each other since I chose to enlist," she explained with a small shrug. "My parents worked closely with Vulcans, and I think they were hoping I would somehow get involved with the VSA. The problem is, the odds of humans getting excepted are so slim that I knew I wouldn't stand a chance. I enlisted in Starfleet and got accepted within a few weeks, and left without warning them."
Not for the first time, Kate found herself biting her tongue as realization dawned on her. Throughout her lifetime, she'd taught herself not to get nosy and try to figure out someone's life story for this reason. Asking the wrong question and then implying the wrong assumption always seemed to be a problem of hers.
"I-I'm so sorry," she whispered, suddenly aware that Rose could hate her for being so nosy.
"Don't be," Rose offered a genuine smile, "I wasn't expecting their approval, when I made my choice clear. What they do in their own time is their problem, not mine." She added the last part with another shrug, though, that didn't make Kate feel any better. "So, what about you? I'm sure you have some reason for enlisting."
Kate looked down at her lap, feeling another pang of regret and grief at the thought of why she enlisted in the first place.
For so long, she kept telling herself that it was because it had been the right thing to do. Pike was the one who encouraged her to enlist. He said she had potential. Yet, that didn't stop the seed of doubt from sewing itself. The familiar flicker of fear kept returning as she thought of everything that could and would go wrong as soon as she was assigned to a ship.
"My father died in a freak accident six years ago," she explained, wincing when she felt a lump form in the back of her throat. It may have been six years ago, but it still felt fresh in the back of her mind. "He was assigned to help a ship with some engine problems when there was a malfunction. He along with thirty other crew members died, that day."
She squeezed her eyes shut. She rarely talked about her father around the few friends she had. Talking about him only brought back painful memories of that fateful day she returned from work. A Starfleet Officer dressed in a gray uniform had arrived at her apartment with the worst news she could have received. Pike had been the first to stop by and help her process the information that her father was gone. He'd helped with everything, from funeral arrangements to what her father had left behind.
"I'm so sorry," Rose exclaimed. She held a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened in disbelief. "I had no idea—"
"It's okay," Kate cut her off before she could finish. She offered a small smile of her own to show that she wasn't too effected, "The first couple of months were difficult, but I eventually learned to accept that some things can't be changed. I don't think he wanted me to dwell on what I lost and move on from it."
He would have wanted me to grow from that experience, she told herself silently.
Her father had always been a brave, kind soul. He was constantly encouraging her even after death with the stories he would tell her when he was alive.
"But, you lost your father… I can't even imagine going through something like that," Rose shook her head, "I mean, I know I don't get along with my parents, but I… I'm overreacting, aren't I?" She added the last part with a nervous chuckle as Kate returned the gesture once more, trying to make things a little easier for both of them.
"I'll move on… Besides, he's part of the reason I enlisted in Starfleet, in the first place," Kate pointed out.
By the time they tried laughing off their uneasiness over the subjects of parents, Rose had offered Kate to choose which side of the room she wanted. After getting to know Rose a little better, Kate didn't care which side she chose. So long as she had a bed to sleep on after a long day of work, she was happy.
Kate set her suitcase on the bed beside the window, happily taking it after Rose admitted she would prefer having a wall to sleep against, rather than a window. She quickly started unpacking her clothing, having only packed about a week's worth since they would be in uniform most of the time.
It wasn't until she was halfway finished with her packing when Kate finally received a message from Giotto regarding her preparation for starting her shifts. He expected her to stop by medical the next morning and get an exam done by McCoy. After that, she needed to report for duty and figure out her status among his ranks.
"Good luck with that exam," Rose muttered after Kate told her what she had to do, the next morning. "I've heard McCoy isn't the easiest person to get along with."
"You're telling me," Kate sighed in agreement once she set aside her data PADD and zipped up her suitcase, "I met the doctor this morning, and he nearly bit my head off. I swear, he would've burned a hole in my head if the Captain hadn't intervened."
Both women started laughing at that. Kate knew she was just exaggerating, but, McCoy did scare her. His gruffness and the way he seemed to get easily irritated told her she did not want to get on his bad side. Which was easier said than done.
With that thought in mind, and, an early start to the morning ahead, neither were in any hurry to do anything else that night. Kate had already gathered her necessary uniform, and gotten a meal at the mess hall. All she wanted, now, was a good night's sleep.
AN: So, this is a new story that I've come up with... updates are probably going to be slow, just a heads up. Unless people are interested in it, and would like to see a continuation, please let me know in a review! I also apologize in advance if this seems choppy... it's been a while since I've posted anything new, or, anything in general. My other Fanfiction is also slow on updates, mostly due to writer's block.
Any ideas that I come up with in regards to planets are usually made up. I try and do some research in regards of the Original Series, but, most of the time, I try and make up my own. As for the idea regarding the Vulcan Hybrids and the issues they are facing, credit goes to TomFoolery and his story, No Winter Lasts Forever.
