Academy Mother
Chapter 36
'March'
Walking out of the Kobyashi Maru chamber, having just taken it for the second time, Jim was fuming. She'd thought her plan had been flawless this time… but she'd failed again.
"This is why nobody ever comes back for Seconds," Bones said, having agreed to be her second again.
"There has to be a way. I don't believe in No-Win Situations. I wouldn't be here if there was," she told Bones who flinched but she ignored that. She was too focused. She had to admit… this time she'd gotten close. They'd almost made it out of there with the survivors and what she thought was all of the ships disarmed. But one of them still had a bit of power and did one move that she hadn't foreseen, ending the simulation. "I was almost there. If… damn it. I should have foreseen that maneuver. It was so… just outside the rules, not breaking them but not following them to the letter. Whoever designed this thing… I want to meet them," she admitted.
"To compliment or to give them a piece of your mind?" Bones asked and she snorted.
"Both," she admitted. Then she headed to the empty… she couldn't say stairwell since it was slim and only a ladder was in the opening. It was made like on starships. She shook her head as she climbed down.
"You really are psychotic, you know that right," he called as he followed her down to the first floor. She remembered Bones never used to be that fast in the tunnel. Now he had experience and was just as fast as her.
"How long have we known each other and you're just now figuring that out?" she asked and he snorted before following her into the crowd that was walking in and out of that building. She walked toward the doors.
"No. Just stating a fact," he called.
"Right," she said, feeling a little better thanks to the banter. They walked bantering to the apartment. Arriving Gaila was already there, pacing outside the door.
"Where have you been? I've got news… why is the door locked… you never lock it," Gaila asked quickly, her red hair moving as she bounced on her toes. It looked like the Orion had one too many energy drinks as she was wound up.
"I had my test today… and Pavel, as well as the twins, are in their lessons," Jamie T. Kirk told her best friend. "Now, what has you wound so tightly?"
"Inside, then I'll tell you," Gaila said and she had the look Jim recognized that said she had a plan. Doing as she said Gaila entered. Once the door was closed Gaila began talking. "I've been offered a place working as a computer technician and programmer… wait for it… the Kobyashi Maru."
"What?" Jim asked, moving her to sit on the couch across from Gaila.
"And I have an idea about how you could beat the test. Remember, when we were doing that combat scenarios game two months ago…"
"Oh," Jim said, her mind instantly recognized what she meant. "Send a letter to the ship with a code to drop the shields so you could disarm them." She smiled.
"Exactly…" Gaila said and they began working together. They started to plan while Bones disappeared, not wanting to be involved.
~Academy Mother~
Spock was walking down the hall from the meeting. Spock was on a PADD. A student had just taken the Kobyashi Maru for the second time. He was curious about who a student would be.
He should have been paying attention. As he was downloading the files he felt himself collide with someone, knocking his PADD from his hands. It shattered as the edge hit. Looking up he found himself facing Cadet Uhura who was bending over to grab her dropped bag and PADD.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking," Cadet Uhura apologized. He spoke to her as they picked up their PADDS. He told himself that, if he was still curious later, he would look up the information.