Chapter Eight
Last Known Whereabouts
-Over Ten Years Ago-
A young blond human boy sat alone on a metal bench, surrounded by grass, trees, and various flora and fauna.
His posture was guarded; his arms were crossed in front of him, elbows resting on his knees and he leaned forward, head tilted forward as he stared at the spot in the grass in front of him.
He had fair skin and blue eyes. The boy appeared to be of thirteen or fourteen years of age.
The expression on the boy's face was despondent.
One hand held a small object, a Starfleet pin that was clutched tightly.
The view around him many would consider it to be an impressive sight. He was in a well-constructed arboretum, featuring a wide variety of plant life native to Earth. It might almost fool one to believe it was actually botanical garden on earth, were it not for the smooth metallic walls that rose high above the trees, creating a domed ceiling. Large windows embedded in the walls all around revealed the view of stars and starships all around.
Many starships were docked to or hovering around the greater structure to which the arboretum belonged to. It was a popular star base, used by Starfleet, various other Federation vessels, as well as other types of freighters, trade ships and etc.
A voice called out for the boy, causing him straighten up and adopt a more confident appearance. The Starfleet pin was slipped into his pocket and a normal and neutral face took over.
"Jim! There you are. We have been looking everywhere for you." Thomas called out.
Thomas was a boy about the boy's on the benches, Jim's, age. Actually he appeared a year or two older and a few inches taller. He had dark hair and a gangly looking body due to recent growth spurts. His hair was dark, and made his ivory skin look especially pale. His most outstanding feature was an eye patch over his left eye. The skin directly around it was pink, signifying that it was a recent injury.
It made Thomas uncomfortable, especially as his hand seemed to rise to touch it unconsciously as he felt Jim's gaze upon him.
"Why are you in the arboretum?" Said yet another boy. He was noticeably younger than the other two, his voice still high and childish for a boy. He was rather short, and gravitated closely to Thomas as they walked, but once the pair was close enough to Jim he left Thomas and practically ran to Jim.
He seemed a bit nervous, but calmer the closer he was to the two elder boys.
"I find it to be peaceful. One of the only quiet places here to think." Jim responded.
"Quiet is boring." The youngest complained.
"Hush Kevin." Thomas scolded.
"Quiet is sometimes necessary." Jim countered.
Kevin frown, not understanding, but Jim knew why. The youngest boy seemed to have an aversion to quiet ever since… that event. He filled all silences with words, chattering endlessly, or music. He preferred noisy areas like the engineering section on the ship or the rec center and the mess hall. Places like here and the observation deck, where people sat in silence like Jim, he avoided like the plague, unless he followed Jim and Thomas into them like a lost puppy.
It was a bit annoying but no one tried to stop him. It was too soon, too touchy of a subject, and if they had to address that then they would have to address their own problems.
Jim knew Thomas had to face his every day when he looked in the mirror, as there were just some things modern medicine could not heal. They shared a room, and Jim had heard him cry at night once or twice, but he never said anything about it.
"The Kelvin departs in less than half hour. We have to board now." Thomas informed.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up."
"But Jim…" started Kevin.
"I want to spend a few more minutes here. I won't be long."
"I will wait for you…."
"No. Go get on the ship without me. I want to be alone. Besides, if you are too close to the deadline you will get chastised, like I probably will end up be."
"I don't care." Kevin stated, looking indignant but he quickly drooped to a pouty face when Thomas put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Kevin, let's get back to the ship. We can start a game of chess and force Jim to watch when he gets onboard. Does that sound fun?"
"Yeah…" Kevin said, still pouting.
The two bid Jim farewell and walked away, the younger clumping along in a grumpy manner. The blonde watched the two as they went, keeping his upright posture and apparent calm demeanor, though his hand twitched in need to hold the Starfleet pin once again.
Just before they left, Thomas looked back at Jim and they shared a gaze for a brief moment before Thomas turned away and left with Kevin in tow.
In the brief moment that they had locked eyes Jim knew that Thomas knew. Ever since Jim stayed strong whenever he could around Thom and the others. He thought he had fooled them all, but he should have been so full of it to think he had fooled Thomas. He had been there when Jim cried over his bloody body, thinking that he had lost him too. He saw behind the strength Jim pretended he had. He knew what really await Jim back on Earth, from their time together before, when they had been carefree and whole.
He knew what Jim was thinking of doing, and he knew, though Jim had refused to admit it, what Jim had decided, and with that gaze he had shown Jim he knew and accepted it, for if he didn't he would have refused to let Jim out of his sight and used Kevin to pressure Jim back onto the ship out of guilt of abandonment.
But he had just met Jim's gaze and looked away.
So as soon as the two were out of sight Jim got up as well and left the bench. When he exited the arboretum he went through a different exit and went to the opposite side of the starbase.
There he talked himself onto one of many trade ships that departed that day as an unrecorded passenger. There was no way to track him, no way to be sure which ship he had boarded, and what system he had gotten himself to. There he left a course of life behind, a reality that was altered.
That was the day James T. Kirk was declared missing.
End of Chapter
"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."
George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones