For those of you who read my other crappy Star Trek fanfic, I borrowed some of Rose's life story and put it in Grace's.
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Prologue
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Cadet's log: Star date 2255
Well, I just started my third year at Starfleet Academy. Surprise surprise. My family threw a party for me before the term began. I can understand a party to celebrate my acceptance to the academy, but subsequent parties every year since? LAME.
They make such a big deal out of Starfleet; it's sickening. So what that they're all officers on Starfleet vessels. Why should I care? I'm only here because they made me do it. I didn't really have any other plans for my life, but that's beside the point.
Doesn't really matter anyways. Everyone gets sucked into the Starfleet bubble of conformity. The only thing it has over the army is the different colour of uniforms. I think that's a good trade-off.
I pretty much grew up on starships, so most of my classes are just review. Too bad I can't enjoy breezing through my studies. Bleah.
All of my studies are of a command officer base. SO not my idea. Supposedly I'm "destined for greatness" or something. That's what my grandparents are always saying. Just because they're captain of their vessels, they think I have to be captain someday too.
The captain always goes down with his ship! Yeah, that sounds like fun. Not.
Maybe someday I'll be killed in action, aka. put out of my misery.
One can only dream.
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"CADET FAIRGRASS," an officer shouts down the hall. Why does he have to shout like that? It's not like there's other people in the hallway.
I get up and put away my tricorder. Hope he didn't hear me recording my cadet log. That wouldn't be very fun.
"COME THIS WAY," he shouts again when I walk up to him. Good lord! Did he lose his hearing or something?
He leads me to one of the simulation test rooms. I'm impatient to learn what this is all about. No one has clued me in on this whole test thingy. A Starfleet graduate supposedly came up with this new test for command officer cadets and lucky me, my parents signed me up as one of the test subjects. Hurrah.
This time I'm ready to be yelled at when the officer speaks again.
"PLEASE TAKE A SEAT IN THE COMMAND CHAIR, CADET FAIRGRASS!"
I can't resist yelling back, "OKAY COMMANDER!" Court marshal, here we come!
Unfortunately, he doesn't notice my sarcasm, or just doesn't care, and leaves the simulated ship deck. I walk over to the captain's chair and survey all of the other cadets in the room. I don't recognize any of them.
I can see my father now, saying one of his most famous phrases: "There is nothing more important than becoming comrades with your fellow shipmates."
Thanks, dad. I'll get right on that.
Ooo, this captain's chair is comfy. I wonder what it's made out of?
"CADET FAIRGRASS!" another officer shouts over the intercom. I jump in my seat. God, when is this shouting going to end? "THE SIMULATION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. PREPARE YOURSELF."
I scratch my nose. Prepare myself how? Do they want me to do a handstand?
All of the machines in the simulated deck light up and my "fellow shipmates" start calling off system readings.
The communications officer, a man, repeats a message after everyone else is done.
"Captain," he starts. I smile. I could get used to this. "There's a ship stranded nearby that has lost power and requires our assistance. Starfleet has ordered us to help them in any way we can."
"Oh, umm….." Shit, why am I lost for words during a test? "What's the name of the vessel, Lieutenant?"
He fumbles too (Good man.) and has to look back at his screen to check.
"The Kobayashi Maru, Captain."
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