Student Captains
Disclaimer: NO I do not in fact own these characters. But I can always write about them. Hah! In your face Roddenberry!
"StarFleet command to Enterprise, lieutenant Bothrin reporting." The guy's head came up on the screen of the bridge.
"Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk here." Jim replied nonchalantly. They were going to go out from the star base after scheduled maintenance, this was probably just a call saying they were ready to go. How wrong the previous statement was.
"Captain, the graduating class of Starfleet 2268 as you know, there will be some of the kids picked for controlling the U.S.S. Linear."
"And?" Kirk said, bored with the re-orientation of things he was already aware of, and took a sip of the coffee in a little paper cup.
"Well, we've already chosen the ones who are going to have certain positions. They are gifted kids, captain. And since the Enterprise is at the top of the fleet, we're going to have them beam aboard and observe for a week or so." Kirk spit out his coffee, a little splattering on to an unfortunate Pavel Chekov.
Chekov exchanged a glance to Sulu, who looked half laughing at it, and half very sorry for him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bothrin, but we cannot have…" he searched for the word, "rookies on the ship. We have very important matters on Gamma 2…we don't have time-"
"It says here, you were just in for maintenance and you currently have nothing on your agenda."
"But-" Kirk objected, trying to sound as in control of the situation as possible, but he came out more like a little kid not getting what he wanted.
"No buts captain. They're going to beam up in a half an hour. I'm sending onscreen a list of the positions they'll be shadowing. Lieutenant Bothrin out." Jim sighed and looked around the bridge, each one of his bridge members. Spock kept his normal, emotionless face, but he raised an eyebrow just a little as a sign almost to say, 'I don't want them here, Jim.' Also, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and Scotty all exchanged glances. As if on queue, McCoy stepped in as the list showed up on screen.
"What's going on guys?" Bones said casually, totally unaware they were going to have kids following them like puppies.
Kirk scanned the list. "Bones, are you ready to have a trainee stalk you?"
"What?"
"You heard me. We're going to have some kids who are already chosen to be on the Linear and they want us to tutor them."
"You're kidding." McCoy spat in disbelief. "And you let this happen?"
"You think I wanted this?" Bones pondered this a moment. "Starbase's orders."
"Aw, captain, ya cannae!" Scotty objected. Even Spock seemed to keep his brows furrowed.
"Well, they're just kids. How hard can it be?" Uhura suggested. "I took a class on babysitting in junior high." She said proudly.
"Well we're not all brat watchers." McCoy pouted under his breath.
"It's happening whether or not we want it. I know that we don't want it already."
"Keptin, do we know how old they will be sir?" Pavel chimed in.
"No, but he said they were gifted so they're probably younger than most if they're shadowing." He replied, feeling sorry for himself and the rest of the crew.
"Captain, it would seem logical to stop pouting about the situation and resume current occupations. Or at least to think of what to do." Spock added. Even if he was totally against the idea, he was a Vulcan, so, dwelling was completely out of the question.
"Listen hobgoblin, we all know you don't want them here either, so let us at least complain while we still have some peace and quiet!" Bones yelled at Spock from his perch by the captain's chair.
"I was merely suggesting we stop ranting and make progress with our current positions."
"Come on guys. We don't have time for this. I s'pose I should make the announcement." He hit the button for entire ship communication. "Attention crewmen of all decks, there has been a recent order from star fleet and some of you are to show Starfleet students around and teach them things of your job. The crewmen are as follows." Then came a list of around nine people who did not work on the bridge, but with various jobs like engine maintenance, target sensors, torpedo phaser engineer and other things. Then came all Kirk's friends.
"Doctor McCoy, Lt. Uhura, Engineer Scott, Mr. Spock, Ensign Chekov, and Helmsman Sulu. At 1700 hours you are to meet in the assessment room. Kirk out."
"Now I guess all we can do…is wait here. Resume occupations until further notice." James Kirk commanded, and so did everyone.
XXXXXXX
The sound of the doors in to the Assessment room was extremely annoying and not to good to ease the annoyance that the Captain and other crewmembers were obviously feeling. Once everyone appeared to be filed in, with the exception of a few stragglers, Kirk began to speak.
"We are to have students follow us around for around a week. You are to show them the basics of your occupation as well as the instruments you work with. These students are 'gifted' and are to someday be working in the U.S.S. Linear, a ship almost identical to the enterprise. There will be plenty of time to get acquainted," he wanted to say too much time, "and you are to show them evasive maneuvers, the various codes and signals and help them find their way around the enterprise."
"They will be beaming up and going to the Orientation hall where you will meet your assistant. A federation representative will give you further instruction. Please find your way to there now. Dismissed." He said, as he walked off the small stage in the front of the room as people with various colored shirts got up and left, but Scotty, Bones and Spock came over to him to talk about the situation a little more.
"Aye, they're not going to be sleeping in our quarters are they?" Scotty said with a smile, trying to make the dreary captain laugh. He won at that game.
"No, they're going to be in the excess cabins for guests and ambassadors. I got more info. They're really young."
"Like…how young?" McCoy asked hesitantly.
"These kids have been classified geniuses for they're age. They're way younger then even Pavel." Bones slapped his head.
"I knew it."
"From a range of eight to fourteen." They all stared wide eyed at Jim. "Yes way." Spock had remained silent for most of it.
"It seems odd they are sending such under aged minors above on to the enterprise, Captain."
"Yes it does, but the Linear is going for an extremely long term mission. Eleven years. And they need all of them to be good and trained by the launch date, especially so they won't age in space much."
"Logical." He said, trying to at least find one way to make the situation better in his own fast paced, Vulcan brain.
They made their way down the hallway as some people way shorter then them could be seen down the hall. Some of them were very bulky, some chubby, some very tall actually. "Come on." He motioned his officers in. "ladies first." He said to McCoy who slapped his arm rather hard as a response.
They all got settled in the large room and Kirk and Spock were invited up to the stage. "Hello everybody. I am Federation Ambassador Cornelius Baron. As you already know, you have been called upon to show or shadow on the enterprise. The expedition will be for both scientific and tutorial studies. Everyone is to record, each day, a log of their opinion and information on how the study is going. This experiment is going to be for nine days. I am going to do a role call now of who is to be paired up with who." Mr. Baron informed as he took out a sheet of paper from his pocket.
He named some different people who Kirk had distant or no relations with, and then came the bridge.
"Head Surgeon Dr. Leonard Bones McCoy, you are paired with Ginger Broughton." As for the rest of them, the two stood up. Bones's eyes met an older girl with brownish red hair. She had a little nose piercing, a little black eye makeup and a look that reminded him of his daughter. Crap.
For about five seconds they made eye contact before the federation man began talking again. "Engineer Montgomery Scott, you are to be paired with Arnold Welton." Across the room was a kid about eleven, maybe a little older that locked eyes with Scotty. He was a big kid, not fat, just big. He had some good tanning, and looked very smart with his sandy hair.
Once again they sat down. "Communications Lt. Nyota Uhura, you are paired with Carrie Soren." And stood a slim, quiet looking girl with a brown pony tail. No older then nine so she looked. Uhura smiled at her across the room, and Carrie exchanged a sheepish look with her.
"Ensign Pavel Chekov, you are assigned to Melissa Bates." A girl who could easily be in fourth grade stood up. She had braided black pigtails with bright highlights with a flaring dress. Pavel was immediately scared.
"Helmsman Hikaru Sulu, you are assigned to George Conner." A kid with black hair, a little gelled and spikey stood up. He had an intense stare and you could tell he was a little bit rebellious. He seemed to be on the older end.
"Science Officer and First officer Spock, you are to be assigned to Kenneth Woodrow." Spock raised his eyebrows and head just a little to show he was to be the one the kid would be dealing with. A boy with wild blond hair stood up. Freckles dotted his face. Wild eyes and excited face, Spock knew this was not going to be easy.
"And Finally, Captain James Kirk, you are to be assigned to Jay Loquin." A boy with bright blue eyes and an arrogant stature stood up. His hair was chocolate brown, in a regular cut. A little tiny bit pointed, but handsome none the less. He was probably at the younger point. This kid had way to much charisma. He put his chin up a little and back down as if to say, yea, you're my buddy. I'm not yours. The mighty captain wanted to cry.