Chapter 5: Hangar's On
Star-date 2258. 246
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"For the last time Jim I'm fine" Layla snapped as she ran a hand over her head before adding in a mumble. "But I'm still pissed off at you"
"Huh?" Jim Kirk quickly pulled his hand back and exchanged a glance quickly with Leonard as the doctor frowned concernedly.
Layla seeing their discomfort sighed heavily.
"Sorry…it's just… I'm just feeling a little low. I'll be fine once I eat"
"Or drink in your case" Leonard grumbled darkly as he placed a bowl of chicken soup before the young girl in the Infirmary bio bed.
"Oh don't give me that face kid." He snorted as she pulled a face "It's just for this morning. If you can keep this down then I'll discharge you and you can have normal food"
"Fine" Layla huffed taking the spoon and taking a cautious sip of the watery soup.
As she ate Leonard ushered Jim over towards him.
"What's up Bones? You look like you've seen a ghost" the younger man frowned but Leonard just shook his head.
"To be quite honest Jim I'm not sure what I'm seeing"
"What do you mean?" Jim blinked.
"What I mean, is that normally after ingesting so much of such a stimulant, a person should be lying in that bed strapped up to all the machines money could buy and fighting for their lives. But look!"
Leonard gulped as he quickly chanced a glance over his shoulder. Layla was still eating quietly, though she was already halfway through her soup.
"Layla's all fine" Jim breathed before quickly snapping his attention back to the doctor who nodded sternly.
"yes"
"And that's a bad thing?" Jim tried to smirk but it faltered under the doctor's withering gaze.
"Look Jim…the world is made up of many kinds of species. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, microscopic bacterium, giant flesh eating bugs etcetera etcetera. But I have never, and I mean never, seen anyone completely human be able to self-heal their bodies, nor metabolise a dangerous overdose of drugs in one night. Now listen I'm not saying that I don't like Layla anymore" he added when Jim opened his mouth to retort "No she's still our friend no matter what but still I'm just worried…if someone else finds out about this…"
He trailed off and Jim's face paled at once.
"If someone else finds out about this then what?"
But Leonard shook his head and gruffly grumbled.
"Do I honestly have to spell out what some crazy lunatic would do with such information?"
"NO!" Jim spluttered and then coughed quickly to hide his mistake "no…I get it. I-"
But then just at that moment a loud announcement called over the mostly empty infirmary.
"All third year cadets please report to the assembly hall for an emergency session"
"Emergency session?" Jim frowned just as Leonard groaned.
"Ah great!"
"What?" Jim turned to see where the doctor was looking at and rolled his eyes.
"Crap"
Layla's bio bed was empty.
"God we turn our backs for two seconds-"
"Tell me about it" Jim grumbled and Leonard face-palmed.
"You're one to talk. Come on let's get a move on"
They eventually found Layla sitting in the Assembly Hall, in the fourth row from the front just two empty seats down from the aisle. She was dressed fully in her red cadet uniform that made her icy eyes pop even as they glared straight ahead.
"After this young lady, you are headed straight back to the med bay" Leonard growled gruffly as he and Jim sidled into their spots beside her.
"Please take a seat" she responded dryly though she made no further move to acknowledge their presences.
Jim followed her gaze and noticed that she was eyeing the Admiral's benches that sat on the ground level of the amphitheatre like room with curious intrigue.
"A full panel?" he breathed and she nodded quietly, putting a finger up to her lips as Admiral Barnette, who sat in the centremost seat of the panel opposite, made to speak.
"This session has been called to resolve a troubling matter. James T. Kirk step forward"
Jim froze in his seat his eyes wide as not just the admiral's, but the entire room's eyes all swivelled around to look at him in shock. Only Layla was calm as she reached out to nudge him with her elbow.
He quickly glanced sidelong at her as she murmured under her breath.
"Remember the rulebook"
He nodded dumbly as he made to stand to his feet and walk down to the podiums set on the ground facing the admiral's bench.
As soon as he was in place, Admiral Barnett spoke again.
"Cadet Kirk evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to Regulation 1-7.4-3 of the Starfleet Code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin sir?"
"Yes" Jim coughed in an attempt to soothe his already shaken nerves as he adopted a calm relaxed mask "I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly"
There was the shuffling of material and everyone (including Jim) all turned to see a senior officer decked out in a dark grey dress uniform stand to his feet.
Layla felt her gut sink as she recognised the figure. He was tall and lean with short dark hair cut in a neat bowl cut on his head that framed his pointed ears and his pale face. His expression was strangely blank even as he made to straighten out the hem of his already immaculate jacket before stiffly walking down to join Jim on the floor, only he was standing at the other podium.
"This is Commander Spock" Admiral Barnett announced to the room at large "he is one of our most distinguished graduates. He's programmed the Kobayashi Maru exam for the last four years. Commander" he gestured to the floor and Spock nodded in acknowledgement before turning to address Jim.
"Cadet Kirk, you somehow managed to hack through Cadet Layla Pike's firewall and install and activate a subroutine in the programming code, thereby changing the conditions of the test"
Oh crap…no wonder she's pissed…
Jim gulped as he felt a familiar prickling on the back of his neck which he was sure was being made by two laser like icy eyes glaring down at him from a certain young woman's seat.
But he was quick to toss that into the back of his mind as he turned to face Spock with raised eyebrows.
"Your point being?"
Admiral Barnett frowned at him sternly.
"In academic vernacular you cheated"
There were murmurs from amongst most of the cadets. Layla indeed could hear Leonard grumbling under his breath beside her.
"Godammit man"
But Jim was not deterred as he bristled stiffly in his spot, his eyes blazing with affronted determination.
"Let me ask you something I think we all know the answer to. The test itself is a cheat isn't it? I mean you programmed it to be unwinnable"
At this Spock quirked an eyebrow.
"Your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario"
"Yeah well I don't believe in no-win scenarios"
"Then not only did you violate the rules but you also failed to understand the principle lesson."
"Please enlighten me" Jim smirked derisively and the vulcan's eyebrows now both rose.
"You of all people should know Cadet Kirk. A Captain cannot cheat death"
Ouch…
Again more mumbling from the other cadets in the room. Even the admiral's were looking uncomfortable. Layla and Leonard both exchanged worried looks as they saw Jim's back stiffen and his eyes suddenly grow cold as he clipped.
"I of all people?"
At this Spock nodded, his expression still neutral. However if one were close enough to him they would've been able to see the smallest traces of triumph glimmer in his dark eyes as he made to continue his point.
"Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action did he not?"
"I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test-" Jim started to say but Spock just steamrolled over him.
"Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test"
"Please enlighten me again" Jim snapped with a glower and grit teeth.
"The purpose is to experience fear" Spock eyed the cadet before him calmly and impassively "Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear and maintain control of oneself and one's crew. This is a quality expected of every Starfleet Captain."
There was silence in the entire hall as everyone digested the commander's words.
Jim himself had to admit that for all his stiff rules and regulations attitude…the Vulcan had a very point. Not that it helped with his now rather pissed off angry mood.
He opened his mouth to speak but at that precise moment a senior security officer stepped in through a side door to Spock's left.
"Excuse me sir." He mumbled as he crossed quickly over to Admiral Barnett, a PADD held out tightly in his hands.
The admiral took it calmly but as soon as he saw the message on the device his face paled ominously. After taking a quick cough he once more addressed the room at large.
"We've received a distress call from Vulcan. With our primary fleet engaged in the Laurentian system, I hereby order all cadets to report to Hangar One immediately. Dismissed"
There was the scraping of boots on wood and the quick shuffling of material as all people in the assembly hall, admirals, senior officers and cadets all made to spring to their feet and dash out of the room as quickly as possible.
Even Commander Spock was in a rush to leave, not even sparing a moments glance back to Jim who glowered hard at the back of his neat dark head of hair.
"Who was that pointy eared bastard?" he grunted as Leonard came up to his side.
"I don't know, but I like him" the old doctor spoke with faint admiration. Though Jim was his friend he did have to admit that it was difficult for many people (himself included) to keep verbally on par with the younger man when he was on a roll. For a complete stranger to do it in two seconds flat was extremely uncanny…like Layla Pike's almost supernatural ability to disappear from sight in less than two seconds flat.
Had Jim not been so pissed off he could've cracked up at the aggravated curse his friend had just released.
"Ah Goddamnit. She was just behind me a second a go!"
Oh shit! Oh shit-shit-shit-shit-shit! We're actually doing this! we're actually going to go on a real first assignment! Ahg! God am I still feeling the effects of that drug? No of course not or else you wouldn't' be here dunderhead! Oh-my-god! Oh-my-god! Oh-my-god!
Layla Serena Pike was so excited as she made to stand in line alongside her dorm mate Kenina Brand, that she was barely managing to restrain herself from literally bouncing up and down in her spot where she stood.
She glanced around at her other fellow cadets as a grey suited commander made to step before the group of twenty with a PADD in his hands.
"Avery, U.S.S Hood, Brand, U.S.S. Enterprise…"
Layla bit her lip as the alphabetically arranged list was sifted though finally landing on the M section.
OH man…almost there…please be Enterprise! Please be Enterprise!
"McCoy U.S.S Enterprise."
Oh crap…
Layla gulped as she quickly turned her head and saw to her horror Leonard and Jim both standing right behind her, the former giving her a very hard very irritable glare.
"Sorry" she mouthed sheepishly trying her best to give her most innocent puppy eyes but the doctor was not moved for one instant.
"I swear you little tiger-shrimp if we get through this alive, I will lock you down to the bio bed for a week with only lousy soup to eat"
"I'd stun your ass before you'd even be able to try" Layla rolled her eyes, all pretence at innocence gone. She was surprised to find that Jim was silent at the exchange. However before she could open her mouth to speak to him her name was called.
"Pike-" her head whipped about as she held her breath "-U.S.S. Enterprise"
"Yes!" she hissed victoriously and gave a wide grin back to her two friends. Leonard, rolled his eyes but still smirked with amusement. Jim on the other hand was doing his best to hold his nerves together as he listened and waited for the next name…but…
"Rader, U.S.S. Hood. Welcome to Starfleet and Godspeed"
There was a loud clack as the commanding officer before them gave a small salute before striding off to check a console.
"He didn't call my name" Jim growled as the other cadets about him, Leonard and Layla suddenly strode off to their designated shuttles.
"Maybe you're on another list" Layla suggested hopefully but already the young cadet was striding over to the senior officer that had just left them.
"Commander! Sir, you didn't call my name. Kirk, James T. ?"
"Kirk you're on academic suspension." The commander didn't even look up from his work at the console as he spoke in a strict, almost robotic manner "That means you're grounded until the Academy Board rules."
Layla's heart sank in her chest as she saw the light in the blue eyes of Jim Kirk suddenly dim down to a dead blank look.
Leonard too noticed this and quickly stepped forwards to mutter.
"Jim the board will rule in your favour…most likely."
But Jim only nodded down at his shoes.
"Jim…" Layla bit her lip but Jim just shrugged her off with a very wide, very fake smile.
"Yeah, yeah I know….You should both get going before they…" he trailed off as he gestured to the shuttles about them.
"but-" Layla started, but Jim just put his hand on her shoulder.
"Lay, I'll be fine. You just stay safe ok? And come back and tell me all about it" and before she could say another word he strode off down the length of the hangar bay.
Layla sighed heavily as she watched his blonde head slowly but surely meander its way amongst the crowd. What was once a confident swagger slash strut was now just a small broken shuffle.
Leonard also noticed this but his face was set in a frown.
"Leo?" Layla gulped as the doctor quickly looked down on her with a quizzical look.
"Layla…what was the Starfleet medical code, Regulation 120"
"Regulation 120? But that's just: The transport of a patient is to be performed at the discretion of the attending physici-"
She paused and looked up at Leonard with wide eyes.
"Leo…"
"What?!" the doctor bristled. "You and Jim aren't the only ones who can bend the rules. Besides would you rather leave him behind like a kicked puppy?"
Layla's face split into a wide smile.
"Leonard McCoy you are one sneaky old dog!"
Well this is it guys! we're right about there at the real starting line for this story!
hope you enjoyed and keep R&Ring for more :)