Chapter 2
The next morning found Marley and Nyota sat beside one another in the shuttle craft, readying for take off. The two seats on Marley's right were currently unoccupied. She was equal parts nervous and excited, Nyota couldn't help the smile on her face. The redhead was practically bouncing in her seat, and her eyes never stayed still, looking at anything and everything. Before Nyota could say anything, a familiar figure sat down next to Marley.
"Hey Little Red," Jim said with a smile, Marley flashes a smile. As Jim clicks his seatbelt in place, he says, "Never did get that first name."
"Not sure you ever will," Marley said honestly. Jim let loose a light hearted chuckle. Before he could make another comment, a small commotion captured their attention.
"You need a doctor," a female flight officer said to a man. The man was about Jim's height, hard dark brown hair, a light tan, and a stern expression.
"I told you people I don't need a doctor, I am a doctor," the man said in response.
"You need to return to your seat."
"I had one in the bathroom with no windows."
"You need to get back to your seat, now!"
"I suffer from aviophobia. It means fear of dying in something that flies."
"Sir, sit down, or I'll make you sir down."
"Fine," he huffed in annoyance and plopped down next to Jim.
"Thank-you," the officer said with a nod.
"This is Captain Pike, we've been cleared for take off," was heard across the ship, coming from a nearby comm unit.
The man looked at Jim and said, "I may throw up on you," very seriously.
"I think these things are pretty safe," Jim responded.
"Don't pander me kid," the man started. "One tiny crack in the hull, and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might pop up and cook us in our seats. And wait 'til you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles. See if you're so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger after darkness and silence." A small squeak was heard at the end of his mini speech. Both men looked over to see green eyes wide with fright.
"Good job! You scared her!" Nyota said, wrapping her arm around Marly in comfort, glaring at the man.
"Good! She should be scared, space is terrifying."
"I hate to break it to you," Jim started, feeling bad for the redhead. "But Starfleet operates in space."
"Yeah, well got nowhere else to go. The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I've got left is my bones."
"Jim Kirk."
"McCoy, Leonard McCoy."
About a week later, Jim found out Marley's name, and still insist on calling her Red/Little Red. Part of the reason he found out is they shared classes. Jim's classes wear more specialized, training to become captain, while Marley's classes were all over the place, training as a battle strategist. Leonard earned the nickname Bones from both Jim and Marley.
Jim, Bones, and Marley formed a bond similar to siblings, both men easily slipping into the role of big brother. Nyota and Marley stayed friends, were even roommates. Nyota was constantly kicking Jim out of the dorm room. Him and Marley were practically inseparable, their energies bouncing off the other, making the two a mini whirlwind when excited/planning something.
Roughly Three Years Later
Bones, Jim and Marley were walking across the Academy courtyard. Marley and Jim had wide smiles across their faces, a plan forming in their thoughts.
Bones knew they were cooking something up, and that it was all going on telepathically by the way Marley was stumbled every so often.
"Why are you so happy?" he asked them, pulling the smile of Marley's face as she focused on him and not 'her' thoughts.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jim said, still smiling.
"I'm always happy," Marley replied, smile coming back.
"I know," Bone said with an eyeroll towards the redhead. "I'm sure you don't know what I mean Jim."
"Hello ladies," Jim said turning to follow them with eyes. "I'm taking the test again," he said to Bones.
"You got to be kidding me," Bones said in exasperation.
"Nope," Marley said, adding a small bounce to her step when answering.
"Yeah," said Jim, "Tomorrow morning, and I want you there."
"You know, I've got better things to do-"
"Like what?" Marley interrupted, not trying to be mean.
"Marley!" Bones shouted as Jim burst out laughing. "As I was saying," he started when Jim calmed down. "I don't need to watch you embarrass yourself for a third time. I'm a doctor, I'm busy."
"Bones, doesn't it bother that no one's ever passed the test?"
"Jim, it's the Kobayashi Maru. No one passes the test, and no one goes back for seconds, let alone thirds."
"Nothing's unbeatable Bones," Marley chimed in. "There's an answer to everything, it just depends on how determined you are to find it."
"We've got to study," said Jim, throwing his arm around Marley's shoulders.
"Study my ass," replied Bones.
Later that night finds Jim and Marley in her dorm room. Both sitting on Marley's bed, a padd in Jim's lap, with Marley leaning on him. The duo was mapping out their plan for Kobayashi Maru, adding and taking things out, and discussing the pros and cons.
"I need to update the systems on our padds, don't let me forget that," Marley told Jim absently. Jim smirked in response, knowing the newest updates weren't available yet, he had learned early on that Marley was quite the hacker.
"Will do," he replied. The next few minutes of silence were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
"Quick, get under the bed!" Marley whispered frantically, trying to push Jim off her bed.
"I thought you said she'd be gone for the night," Jim whispered back.
"Well obviously she's not, just get under the bed Jim." Said person just stared at Marley like she was crazy. "She can't know you're here."
"Why not?" he questioned with an eyeroll, already knowing the answer.
"Because you're a bad influence," he mouthed as Marley said it. After getting a pout from the redhead, Jim as told. Right in the nick of time too.
"Hey Marley," Nyota said with a smile.
"Hey," Marley said a little too innocently. She received a weird look from the other girl, but otherwise it was ignored. "How'd your thing go?"
"Good, but the strangest thing happened. I was in the long range sensor lab…"
"Right," Marley said with a nod, moving her blanket onto the floor when she Jim's arm.
"I was tracking solar systems and I picked up an emergency transmission."
"From who?" Any concern for being caught was instantly forgotten.
"From a Klingon prison planet."
"You should do something, like report it," Marley suggested, trying to get Nyota to leave as she remembered where Jim was. Nyota stared the redhead down, trying to figure out why she wasn't more concerned.
"Where is he?" Nyota asked, annoyance clear in her tone.
"Where's who?" Marley asked, blinking her brown eyes, playing innocent. Nyota glanced around the room, spotting the slight movement from the blanket under the bed. Before anything else could be said, she ripped the blanket out from under Marley, toppling the girl over, and revealing Jim.
"Big day tomorrow," Jim said with a smirk as he crawled out.
"You're gonna fail," Nyota stated. Jim kissed Marley on the top of her head and walked out of the dorm room. Nyota cocked an eyebrow at eyebrow, waiting for an explanation from the sheepish redhead.
Once Marley was sure Nyota was asleep, she snuck out of their room. Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, black and red plaid sleeping pants and a black cami. She just needed to hurry and meet up with Jim. Despite him being a bit of a genius, she wasn't sure he'd be able to get past all the firewalls and coding involved.
The Kobayashi Maru was invented by a Vulcan after all.
Marley practically ran, barefoot, down the halls, her mind searching for any others that would be out this late. Her telepathy really came in handy sometimes. A smile appeared on her face when she Jim waiting for by the program room. He stayed quiet until slowed to a stop in front of him.
"You ready?" he asked her, excitement clear in his tone.
"Definately," she said nodding.