Chapter 10

by Starsinger

Jim and Admiral Marcus meet. Don't own them.

"Jim," Gary said with a sigh. "Marcus wants a reception, and he wants you to be there, physically so to speak."

Jim's sigh was audible, and loud, almost as if the ship's brain had turned up the volume, "Do I have to?"

"No one can obviously make you, Jim. Bones will be there," Gary told him buttoning up his dress jacket. "At least you'll never have to wear one of these."

Jim laughed, "But I can make it appear that I am wearing one. Does he understand that I'm not going to call him Admiral?"

"I hope so," Gary muttered. He walked out into the corridor. The good thing about being on the ship was that he could forgo the hat in dress uniform. Bones fell in step with him on the way to the turbolift. They also picked up Sulu and Chekov. "Deck 8," Gary said. "Glad you're going to be there, Bones. It'll give Jim a little more impetus to be there."

"Not leave his brawn stranded?" Bones asked. Gary nodded as they stepped out onto Deck 8 and headed to the Rec Room where the reception was being held. Spock, Uhura, and Scotty were already present talking to the Federation President. Jim was putting in an appearance and was talking to Elissa. Admiral Marcus was talking to Scotty. Chris was watching Jim avoiding Marcus with some amusement, and not a little concern.

"How's he doing?" Gary asked Chris.

"Jim is charming and managing to fool everyone into thinking he's not a hologram. Well, until Daniel ran through him, anyway," Chris said laughing. Elissa's tiny Pekinese was making a general nuisance of himself and completely disregarding his mistress' commands. "Marcus hates small dogs," Chris said with a laugh.

"What does Jim think?" Bones asked with an echoing laugh.

"I like him!" Jim said wandering over. He was wearing the full dress uniform of a Starfleet Lieutenant. "Yes, Gary, I've talked to Alexander. He's not used to being called by his first name by a mere Lieutenant, but he can't object. Jon doesn't see anything wrong with it, and he outranks Alexander."

Laidine, resplendent in blue and not decorated with a dog walked over. She completely ignored Jim. "So, Captain Mitchell, can you introduce me to your companions?"

"Admiral Christopher Pike, Dr. Leonard McCoy, CMO and Ship's Brawn, and Lieutenant James Kirk, Ship's Brain," Gary said.

"Doctor, Admiral, it's a pleasure. CMO means you're the doctor, right?" Laidine asked.

"Yes, I'm also Jim's mobile partner," Bones responded. This woman was beginning to irritate him. Elissa soon proved why she was the President's wife.

"I've never met a ship with a brain before, Jim. Where exactly are you located?" she asked wandering over.

"In Engineering, I'm sure Scotty would be more than happy to show you where on the ship's tour," Jim responded.

"You're literally everywhere?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I'm aware of all ship's operations, 21/7," Jim said with a smile. Laidine's smile furrowed into a slight frown before clearing. Azmaiad joined them as well with Marcus at his elbow. "Azmaiad, Alexander, how are you finding the reception?"

"Your galley crew were well prepared," Azmaiad replied. "They found my favorite planetary food, steak!"

Chris laughed. "Let me guess, you're a meat and potatoes man!" he exclaimed.

"Got it in one," Azmaiad responded. "Seriously, Jim, why can't we attract more brains into Starfleet?" he asked. Marcus went rigid.

"We're not computers, Mr. President, we can't be programmed and then stuck into a Starship. I had years of intensive training both from the Academy and the Institute once I decided this was what I wanted to do. My family was very supportive, not that they had much of a choice. My Dad was a Brawn," Jim said.

"Really? How ironic," Azmaiad said. "Never sell yourself short, Jim," he told Jim. Proving why he was the President as well. He held his arm out to Elissa and escorted them all into the dining room. Jim disappeared. He would join them later. "So Admiral Marcus, how's the fleet?"

"Oh, exploring, patrolling, guarding, the usual," Marcus said. "The Romulans have been quiet since the Nero incident."

"Well, as he was a 'future' Romulan and had nothing to do with the present day Romulan Empire, I'm not entirely surprised," Gary said. "Do you think someone will cause trouble?"

"The Klingons are always trying to start a war. I'm afraid it will come, one day," Marcus said.

"That's odd," Jim whispered into the link on Bones' ear. "The Klingons haven't so much as crossed into the Neutral Zone in the past twenty years. What is Marcus up to?"

Bones looked up at the Admiral, thinking about what Jim had just said. Jim had a keen mind and one did not take Jim's observations lightly. "Are any more ships being built?" Bones asked curiously.

"We have three science ships, four exploratory vessel, and two heavy cruisers currently in various stages of construction at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards. The heavy cruisers are nearing completion," Marcus told him.

"Warships in time of peace?" Azmaiad queried. "I would think that the science and exploration vessels would take priority."

"The Enterprise is well-equipped to defend herself, sorry Jim, as well as explore. We even have a five-year mission that will be assigned to some lucky ship's captain by the end of the year," Marcus said.

Gary didn't hear the rest of what Marcus said. He just knew that he wanted that mission.