Use Somebody

Fight or Flight

Humans have a tendency to hide when they are afraid. It is a natural instinct, one of self preservation, an aspect of the "fight or flight" impulse when adrenaline begins coursing through the veins. Perhaps that was the intention of the young cadet when she sprinted across the Academy grounds, trying to outrun inevitability, which is always a fearsome predator. The inevitable close of her and Spock's relationship, the inevitable end of her career in Starfleet, the inevitable realization that she was a fool for ever believing there were secrets that could be kept.

He had told her to go, and so she went. She wasn't sure if she could refuse him if she tried, and so she ran.

For a brief moment, as her boots slapped along the pavement, Nyota contemplated throwing a look over her shoulder to see what Inevitability looked like. Would it be like death wearing a black cloak, calmly walking to collect? Or perhaps more like the legendary beasts of her Africa that rivaled the wind in their speedy attacks. However the tragedy of Eurydice and Orpheus taught a great lesson in looking back, so Nyota kept her pace and sped as fast as she could to a spot where she could hide in peace.

She flung herself into her dormitory, a fleeting exultation mentally thrown to the heavens that Gaila was nowhere to be seen. With nowhere else to run, Nyota fell beside her bed and brought her knees up to her chest, her breathing heavy from the run.

"You're ruined," she thought. "He's ruined. You played with fire, and you spilt the gasoline."

Pressing a hand to her mouth, Nyota tried to calm herself, taking a steady breath that shook on its exhalation. A million thoughts raced through her mind, all conflicting voices, all her own.

"No, You don't know that. There are always loopholes…stay calm…"

"You screwed up this time, Nyota Uhura."

"Just wait for Spock…Don't jump to conclusions…"

"Spock? Logical Spock…who's logic would tell you that this would be a time to panic…"

"How could we have been so stupid?"

Their reputations would be destroyed, and your reputation was the greatest thing of value in Starfleet. She'd be labeled a whore for sleeping with a professor, a woman who'd could get nowhere if not for a man to help her up the ladder a bit. He'd be the perverted, manipulative green blooded monster that took advantage of his power, because you can't ever really trust an outworlder. Where would she go? How many years of her life had she spent building to this specific career path? And what about Spock? This kind of embarrassment brought on Spock's shoulders would be exactly the kind of disappointment the half-Vulcan had been running from his entire life.

"He's not running from disappointment. He's running from inevitability too," she thought. His Vulcan fellows had only ever expected him to fail; this would hardly be a disappointment—when the humanity within finally negated his logic.

In mid-thought, Nyota heard the whirl of a new message on her computer. She rose stiffly, prepared to accept the inevitable standing, not cowering on the floor like a child afraid of the boogieman.

The trip to Commander's Thompson's office felt like the walk of death. When she entered, he was there at his desk looking over a PADD with an air of indifference. Upon realizing she was there, Thompson grinned wide like a Cheshire cat at straightened out tall in his seat.

"Ah…Cadet Uhura. Thank you for arriving in such a timely fashion. I was worried you were going to ignore the message," Thompson paused, and smirked. "And then, well, I'd have to come find you."

Uhura swallowed hard. "Commander…I wouldn't ever ignore a ranking officer's message."

"That's good. That's good. Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Yes, sir."

Uhura sat down in the chair opposite his desk. Thompson rose from his seat and began mulling casually around the room as though bored. He picked up a small trinket from his shelf, a strange stone, and rolled it around in his hands before speaking.

"Now, after that little scene earlier with my boy Spock, I do have to say I have some worries."

"Sir--"

He turned on the spot and held a finger up to his lips, a small grin forming on his face.

"Shh, Uhura. Let the adults speak. So…Did you trip, slip, or fall onto the Commander's lap this evening?"

Nyota blushed. "No, sir."

Commander Thompson shrugged, putting the stone back on the shelf. "Well that's good. I was concerned about your inner ear. Tricky little thing, causes all types of motor function issues. Don't want you getting sloppy, falling all over the academy."

Traipsing lightly back over to the desk, Thompson settled on the edge of it. He loomed over her with a cheeky expression, grey hair falling into his face. Uhura thought he looked like an old school principal about to dish some bit of punishment that didn't fit the crime, just for the hell of it.

"Now…Did you perhaps find yourself under a spell, some sort of magic or voodoo, or perhaps even hoodoo? A little different than voodoo, of course."

"Sir, this is not an amusing discussion to me," She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly grateful her uniform wasn't low cut. He was devouring her with his eyes.

"It's not amusing to me either, Cadet." Thompson smiled. He took her chin in one hand and tilted her face as if to examine her under the light better. This action caused the Nyota's heart to sink straight to the bottom of her stomach.

"I am merely trying to figure out just how a pretty girl like you found herself wrapped around a Vulcan like a Space blanket. The Commander didn't complain of being cold, did he?"

"No, sir." She pulled her face out of his hand. All of her muscles were tensing like that had earlier in the night when she'd first felt the "fight or flight impulse". However, this time she was not preparing to run.

"So you weren't trying to warm him up. Fair enough. Well then I guess I'll just have to assume that the half-Vulcan with his naughty alien mind tricks forced himself on you…Well, forced you on him." He smirked at his wording as if it were all a joke. Nyota took offense at the Commander's indications about Spock moreso than his unwanted attentions.

"Of course not. Never."

Thompson leaned back on the desk a little. "Then, this little late night rendezvous was consensual? That is, of course, very good to know. Sexual harassment is such a tricky, nasty business. Lots of paperwork."

Finally, they weren't beating around the bush. She could do truth, she could do honesty.

"Consensual. Yes, sir."

The commander crossed his arms, and for the first time during the entire interrogation, Thompson looked irritated.

"For some reason that's even sadder. I thought women were supposed to be respectable and powerful in their own skin…They didn't need a man to get to the top these days…"

"Sir, this has nothing to do with grades or career advancement."

"Oh of course not" Thompson rolled his eyes. "I guess the only other option is that the green demon isn't quite as logical as we all thought…Vulcans are supposed to be logical, of course. I would call Commander Spock false advertising."

"You are trying to back me into a corner, Commander."

It was a small laugh, a dark curse. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

Her muscles clenched again. There was something in his eyes. "What?"

"Do you want to be the slut of the fleet? See that robot elf of yours humiliated?"

"No."

This time the commander leaned down over her, putting both of his arms on either side of her chair. He was only inches away from her face now. The smell of spearmint hit her nose, and Nyota could see a mint rolling around inside the commander's mouth. When he spoke again, it was low and menacing.

"See, I'm an instant gratification kind of guy, Miss Uhura…I thought I'd let Spock think he was going to get away with this little tryst and then spring a little extortion on him in a month or so, but…frankly…that's boring."

"Please, take a step back away from me."

He shook his head and actually leaned closer to her. "I see a pretty easy way to keep this out of the limelight and let everyone keep their reputations intact."

"And…" Her voice was small, weak; a whisper when she needed fire.

"Does the Vulcan mind sharing?" He practically purred.

"Commander…"

The moment hung in the air as if laced with a poison gas. Nyota felt like if she even took a breath it would mean her death. He was too close, much too close. Thompson's eyes were green, she realized, when she'd believed them to be blue before.

"I'll ruin you, Cadet. It's your choice."

"Spock will--"

"Spock's not here, doll. It's just you and me and good old blackmail."

Nyota spat in the commander's face, experiencing a moment of true joy that she could make him as disgusted as he had made her feel. He wiped off the spitting with fury.

"I'd rather be the rumored slut of the fleet than the confirmed one, sir."

Thompson's eyes flashed. "I'm not giving you options, Cadet."

And then he was there, on her, over her, everywhere.

Author's note. Cliffhanger, YAY. Anyways, thanks for reading, sorry I had a trip of a week and didn't get to reply as many as I usually do. If you get a chance, check out my other fics: The Boldly Go series and my new fic Pride of the Fleet.