Outdoor Amphitheater – Starfleet Academy – 0500
The sun's rays glistened over the Pacific Ocean as the sun began to rise towards its place in the sky.
From where she was standing on the amphitheater platform, Arianne thought the sight was absolutely breathtaking, as was the warm weather. Even so, she wore a long jacket over her cadet reds that day.
Her father hadn't left until nearly the end of August, Arianne reflected as she gazed out at the bay, as he wanted to help her move into her new dorm in Boyce Hall. When they had brought her things over, Christine and Marla had both been there, but had steered clear of them for the most part.
After her father had gone, however, Christine had come forward and welcomed her into the dorm, promising that they would be great friends. Marla, however, had remained buried in the endless historical PADDs that she constantly borrowed from the Academy library, as per her major.
Arianne had left while Christine and Marla were still asleep; she hadn't gone for a long walk across the campus since that rainstorm in August and she needed alone time. The last few weeks in August had been quiet and she hadn't heard from Jim at all; he must have been taking his time to recuperate.
Letting out a sigh, Arianne pulled out her stylus and reviewed the day's schedule; her first class wasn't until eight and that was 'Command Fitness I' with some teacher known to everyone as J. Harriman. That was her only class in the morning, as it went for two hours; in the afternoon was 'Starship Medical Simulations I' from 1300 to 1500 and 'Kobyashi Maru Preparation' from 1600 to 1700.
Arianne sighed; she thought the evening would be free for resting and studying, but her schedule listed 'The Finer Points of Survival' with a Professor Khan that ran from 1800 to 2100. All of the classes were required for her to graduate both tracks in three years and secretly, Arianne enjoyed the challenge.
Closing the window that held her daily schedule, Arianne tapped the stylus again and brought up the list of classes for the semester along with their respective days and times. She began to study the list.
Pike, Arianne C.
Rank: Ensign
Track: Command & Medical
Semester: Fall 2256
Classes:
'Command Fitness I (Annual Bridge Qualification Prep)' – M, W, F – J. Harriman - 0800 to 1000
'Xenolingustics' – M, T, W, TH – Commander Spock – 1100 to 1200
'Starship Medical Simulations I' – Dr. Puri/Dr. Phlox- M, W – 1300 to 1500
'Kobyashi Maru Prep' – M, T, W, TH, F – J. Archer - 1600 to 1700
'Finer Points of Survival' – M, F – Assembly Hall - Professor Khan - 1800 to 2100
'Counseling Services'
'Physical Fitness' – M, T, W, TH, F, SA – Time Pending – See Dr. Puri or Dr. Phlox.
Biting her lip, Arianne sighed; she had taken most of the basic Command courses in her first year and it had no less than exhausted her to near tears some nights. She had been starting the basic medical courses in the summer when the cancer had suddenly come up. Instead of failing her, however, Puri had graciously adjusted the course assignments so that she could do essays from bed instead of simulations.
Other than that, Arianne had been on medical restriction all summer and knew she was a bit rusty.
Slipping the stylus into her coat pocket, Arianne hugged herself briefly before turning and walking down the amphitheater's steps. She still had to visit the campus store and get some things needed for class.
As Arianne began walking down the footpath that led to the Academy supply store, she was unaware of a pair of eyes watching her from behind a tree near one of the few running fountains on campus.
From behind the tree, Leonard sighed and ducked out of sight; he had promised Jim that he would see how Arianne was doing, as Jim was still a little sluggish and had chosen to sleep a little longer that day.
Leonard couldn't help but think about how beautiful Arianne was; yet, she seemed so lonely now.
A sudden beep caused Leonard to yank his stylus from his pocket; there was a message for him.
Hey Sexy McCoy, wanna hook up after Kobyashi Maru prep today? There's a bar in Sausalito that I want to go to and after we get plastered, we can go back to Cochrane Hall for a sleepover.
E. Dehner (you can call me Lizzie!)
Rolling his eyes, Leonard quickly typed out a message that he was unavailable all day and that he did not want any further contact from her. His days were full of classes, hospital work, and looking after Jim.
As Leonard returned the stylus to his pocket, a small alarm buzzed on his watch and he realized that it was time to go back to the dorm and help Jim get ready for the day. Admiral Archer had 'fired' Jim as a teacher's aide and had offered the recovering Jim the chance to room with Leonard again.
Hoping that the only dramatic point in his day would be that creepy message from Elizabeth Dehner, who had been pursuing him since last spring, Leonard sighed and hightailed it back to his dormitory.
Briefing Hall – Bridge/Mission Simulation Complex - 0800
"…It is my job to bring you all up to snuff as far as taking a command role goes," Commander Harriman said in a strict voice as he stood at the head of the table and stared at the 100 cadets who had chosen to take his class that semester. "I am tough, but very fair about how I teach and I do not play favorites."
When he was met with silence, Commander Harriman grabbed a stack of stylus notes from his spot at the table and walked around the room, passing out a stylus to every tenth person until he had no more in his hand. Arianne sighed as she read hers; they were being given a baseline qualification exam.
"To see where people are at in terms of their present abilities to command, there will be what I call a baseline Bridge exam today," Commander Harriman stated, nothing but seriousness coming across in his rugged facial features as he returned to the front. "I have passed out information to ten individuals who I wish to serve in a leadership capacity for this class. The objective of your 'mission' and the individuals who will make up your crew is included in the information, as is the sim room you will be using."
Arianne sighed and looked over the information that Commander Harriman had given her; she would be in charge of a group that included Leonard, Jim, Gaila, Nyota, Elizabeth Dehner, Christine, and Hikaru Sulu. Their 'mission' was to initiate First Contact with a civilization that only had pre-warp technology.
"All right, Captains, gather your crews and go to your assigned room," Commander Harriman stated in a firm tone as he gazed at his class. "I'll be monitoring all the simulations from here."
Swallowing hard, Arianne rose from her seat and turned to see that Gaila, Nyota, Elizabeth, Christine, and Hikaru had gathered near the exit door and were waiting for her. She looked around the room and saw that Leonard was helping Jim, who was in his reds, stand and move to join the rest of the group.
The group moved out of the briefing room in silence and into Simulation Room One very quickly.
Upon entering the 'Bridge' portion of the room, Arianne immediately moved over to the Command chair and took a seat. "Kirk, navigation," she said in a no-nonsense voice as she read the stylus over. "McCoy, tactical and shields; Uhura, Communications; Gaila, Engineering; Dehner, Science; Sulu, helm and Security; Chapel, Medical; Johnson, Auxiliary; Hannity, Operations; and Kennady, Enviro and Mission Ops. Everyone please take your stations and listen up. Our mission is to make First Contact with-"
"Ensign Pike, do you have any words of wisdom for us?" Elizabeth Dehner suddenly asked, remaining near the sim room door while everyone else moved to take their stations. "It would help us to be sure about you."
Silence settled over the Bridge and Arianne immediately felt all eyes on her, "Do you mind adding some clarity to that comment, Miss Dehner?" she asked as she stood up and turned to face Elizabeth.
"Well, it's not a secret around here that you've got some mental deficiencies," Elizabeth stated in a concerned tone as she walked over to the Command chair. "Commander Harriman obviously only chose you to lead this group because Captain Pike is your father. Are you really capable of a Captaincy?"
Jim scowled and made to move to Arianne's aid, but Leonard grabbed him. "Miss Dehner, if you have nothing remotely useful to say, please take your station," Arianne stated in a firm tone. "Now, as I was saying, our mission is to make First Contact with a pre-warp civilization that we know little about. Please gather as much information on this species as possible and report to me when you have it gathered."
"I would rather kiss a Klingon," Elizabeth replied frostily. "You have no place at this Academy with your mental defects, let alone on this Bridge. Go to a mental hospital where you can actually be useful."
Leonard's eyes widened, but before he could go forward and defend Arianne's honor, a loud alarm sounded over the intercom. "Participants in Simulation Room Four, please report to the briefing room immediately," the voice of Commander Harriman stated in a stern voice. "All others, keep working."
As everyone else headed towards the door, Elizabeth smirked at Arianne and then smiled flirtatiously at Leonard as he and Jim passed them. Leonard, however, ignored her gaze and whispered to Jim instead.
Once everyone else was out of the room, Arianne placed a hand on an arm of the command chair and caressed it silently; everyone had probably failed the exam because of Elizabeth's sudden outburst and Commander Harriman was probably going to personally ream her out for not maintaining order.
Even if they had failed, Arianne would not let it reflect badly on anyone else; she had been placed in charge of the group and she would take the responsibility for their deficits as their 'Captain.'
Mustering up her courage, Arianne moved out of the simulation room and into the briefing room; she saw that everyone was seated around the table and that Commander Harriman was near the door.
"Ah, Ensign Pike, welcome," Commander Harriman said in an official tone. "Please have a seat."
Arianne nodded and, ignoring the concerned looks of everyone else but Elizabeth, she quietly took a seat next to Christine. "All right, care to explain what happened in there?" Commander Harriman asked as he gazed at the group with an utter look of disdain on his face. "I have never seen such a-"
"Sir, the blame lies with me," Arianne spoke up as she got to her feet. "I was placed in charge."
Commander Harriman suddenly looked very surprised, but remained silent as he gazed at the rest of the group. "With all due respect, Commander Harriman, Ensign Pike was not given the respect she should have been given during the exercise," Jim suddenly said before Leonard could stop him. "I regret that."
"Do you, Cadet Kirk?" Commander Harriman asked in a skeptical tone. "Caring for someone includes intervening on their behalf when the opportunity to do so arises. I was watching the entire scenario from here, remember? It looked like Ensign Pike was very much alone with an insubordinate crew member in her company and left alone to deal with it instead of receiving support from the others."
Swallowing hard, Jim went silent and stared at the table; Commander Harriman had a good point.
"Confrontations like that will not be tolerated during the actual Bridge simulation exam," Commander Harriman stated in a firm tone as he took a seat at the head of the table. "Should such a thing happen during the exam, the initiator will be removed from the simulation and automatically fail the class."
When nobody spoke, Commander Harriman briefly looked at the screens that showed the progress the other groups were making. "Consider this a lesson you had better keep in mind when you do another practice simulation," he said as he looked up at the group. "All of you are dismissed but Ensign Pike."
"Washout," Elizabeth Dehner whispered as she passed by Arianne. "Go be useful somewhere else."
Arianne stared at the table as everyone else filed towards the door, not even looking up when she felt Jim give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Soon enough, the room was silent again.
"Sir, I know I could have handled that better—" Arianne began as she raised her head, only to be cut off by Commander Harriman who held up a hand to silence her; he gave her a concerned look.
Commander Harriman gave Arianne a look, "May I see your semester schedule, please?" he asked in a patient tone, enjoying the confused look that Arianne gave him as she took it out and handed it over.
"Hmm, it seems you're quite busy this semester," Commander Harriman stated as he studied Arianne's schedule. "Rumor among the other professors, however, is that you took 13 classes per semester last year and a summer medical class. I think it's quite ambitious that you would choose to pursue both a Command and a Medical track of classes. I am just concerned that you don't know how to relax."
Arianne sighed, "I get that trait from my father, sir," she replied, determined to be truthful.
"Well, I'm going to recommend that you take the 'Inner Fitness' class that is being taught by a Professor Guinan this semester," Commander Harriman stated as he tapped on Arianne's stylus several times before returning it to her. "It will help you learn how to achieve and maintain a healthy balance.
Arianne nodded and pocketed the stylus, "On a more personal note, Ensign Pike, I was wondering if I might recruit you to help me with my wife?" Commander Harriman asked in a worried voice. "Lara served on the Kelvin when she was younger. When we met just a few years ago in Florida during a spring break holiday, she told me that and assured me that she had sought counseling for PTSD. Anyway, we dated for several years and ended up getting married in 2253. I don't know what happened that triggered a relapse, but just last spring, Lara suffered a severe mental breakdown that left her unable to function in mainstream society. In desperation to help my wife, I got a job as an instructor here and admitted Lara to the Starfleet Medical Psychiatric Center for ongoing treatment. I was hoping that you would come and visit with her; perhaps show her that life isn't such a scary experience."
"I don't know much about what the whole Kelvin incident could have done to people, I'm afraid," Arianne replied in a worried voice. "The only person I know who has any idea about that is –"
Commander Harriman sighed, "I know about James Kirk already," he replied worriedly. "He is widely known to EVERYONE in Starfleet as the Kelvin baby and I'm sure it gets to him. If you wish to ask him to help you with Lara, feel free to. However, I'm not so sure he'll be so open to addressing that issue."
Arianne remained silent at that; she had only known Jim as a teenager and had never thought to ask him about his childhood and its woes. Then again, she had yet to tell him the big secret about her own life.
"I'll help your wife however I can," Arianne promised as she stood up. "Thank you for asking me."
Commander Harriman nodded, "Don't let idiots get you down about your limitations," he stated in a gruff tone as he looked back at the monitors. "Use your strengths to make weaknesses endurable."
Arianne nodded, "Anyway, I'll get back to you on when it's a good time to go see Lara," Commander Harriman said in a gruff tone. "Enjoy the rest of your day and don't let any teasing get to you."
Understanding herself to be dismissed, Arianne silently left the room, determined to be happy despite having the odds stacked against her socially.
Academy Canteen – 0900
"…For the LAST TIME, Elizabeth, I WILL NOT go out with you," Leonard snapped in a grouchy tone as he glared at Elizabeth from the table he and Jim were having a snack at; they were trying to eat and Elizabeth kept lingering at their table, giving him puppy eyes and lewd suggestions.
Elizabeth pouted, well aware that there were several people in the cafeteria catching a late breakfast or a snack between classes who were paying attention to her. "Aw, come on, McCoy" she said in a seductive manner as she whipped off her jacket and revealed a low cut top. "You gotta live a little."
"Even if I was interested in dating, I wouldn't go for a girl like you in a million years," Leonard replied, unaware that Arianne had just come into the canteen and was headed for the food line. "A girl who makes an obvious effort to publicly humiliate someone who is different isn't the type of girl I want."
Snarling, Elizabeth turned away from Leonard and saw that Arianne was getting some food. "Hey Pike, did you forget to eat again?" Elizabeth hissed, smirking at Arianne. "What a poor, stupid Daddy's girl."
Giving Arianne another smug look, Elizabeth walked over to the table where Nyota, Gaila, Christine, Hikaru, and Kennady were sitting. She sat and began an animated conversation with the group.
"Jim, I need to talk to you later," Arianne said to Jim in a hushed voice as she approached their table.
Jim nodded, "Have a seat," he said in a tired voice. "I'm just killing time until the Kobyashi Maru prep this afternoon. I'm taking a bunch of online classes, but Bones made it so I'm not allowed to do anything more strenuous than physical fitness this semester. I did a LOT of work in the first year, though."
Arianne sat across from Jim and nibbled at the breakfast sandwich she had ordered. "I'm in seven classes this semester," she said in a toneless voice. "I decided to take an easy semester after doing 26 classes last year and a summer of class. In my spare time, I'll be seeing clients again."
"Doctor Puri's been after me to go see a counselor this semester," Jim stated in an offbeat tone. "I'd rather not, though, and I told him that. I'm not comfortable talking to counselors at all. No offense."
Leonard mumbled something incoherent and then took a sip of water, "I hate to run, Jim, but I need to make tracks if I'm going to be on time for Xenolinguistics," Arianne stated as she stood up. "I figured that knowing how to speak alien languages will help me if I ever counsel people of another species."
"Yeah, text me when you're able to talk," Jim replied in a tired voice, well aware that the group across the cafeteria was talking about Arianne and wanted her to leave. "See you at Kobyashi Maru prep."
Arianne nodded and quietly left the cafeteria, knowing full well that she wasn't welcome there.
"Bones, I'm so worried about Arianne," Jim said in a quiet voice, ignoring the chicken broth that Leonard had gotten him and had insisted that he eat. "I feel so bad that I haven't been a better friend, but I've felt like crap since I woke up at Starfleet Medical. All I want to do is go back to our dorm and sleep, but I feel like I'm being a bad friend if I do that."
Before Leonard could reply, there was a beep and Jim sighed, "Great, probably another abusive email," Jim said in a tired voice as he pulled his stylus from his pocket and scanned it.
Leonard quickly snatched the stylus away, "You can read it LATER," he hissed. "Take it easy for now. It's not your fault that the media seems to get a kick out of spotlighting all the trouble you've had in your life."
"When are people gonna get that I'm not putting myself in the dangerous situations I somehow end up in?" Jim groaned as he took a sip of the soup and nearly gagged. "This soup sucks, Bones. I don't know why you made me eat it. I think I might be allergic to it."
Leonard sighed, "You aren't," he replied in a 'big brother' tone. "Just be quiet and eat, okay?"
Jim nodded and began to eat in silence, his eyes on the crowd that was gathered around the table near the food dispensary. Every once in a while, he would hear some disparaging remark about Arianne and each one cut him to the core. Arianne was like his sister.
"How did Elizabeth Dehner find out about Arianne's disabilities, anyway?" Leonard suddenly hissed in an agitated voice. "That stuff is only in her classified medical file; nobody outside of the proper medical authorities and Ensign Pike should be able to access her file."
Kirk shrugged, "Uhura was her roommate last year, maybe Arianne told her about it because she thought there was no reason to distrust her roommate," he replied as he quickly finished the soup and drank the remnants from the bowl. "Why would Uhura-"
"...I can't believe it when she told me about her problems," Jim suddenly heard Uhura say in an amused tone from the crowded table. "I thought she was kidding, but when I saw her stay up late working on simple homework or in the resource center, I knew..."
Gritting his teeth, Jim stood up, "Bones, let's get out of here before I'm tempted to get in a brawl that I'll regret later," he said in a tired voice. "I need to do some homework anyway."
Leonard nodded and shot a disgusted look in Uhura's direction as he left with Jim.
Academy Classroom - 1145
"...The time for completing the quiz has passed," Spock stated, his expression remaining neutral as he moved around the classroom gathering up the exam PADDs. "Be advised that this does not affect your overall academic grade. It will merely show me where each student is at in terms of their current skill with xenolinguistics and where they can improve."
Arianne sighed and fought the urge to cry; she had come early to think about how the day had gone so far and she was grateful for the privacy, causing her to hope that the class would be small and short. However, when over 50 students arrived, her hopes were crushed.
To add further stress to her already bad day, Commander Spock had arrived promptly at 1100 and without even bothering to introduce himself, he had passed out a mandatory quiz.
Although it was not unusual for Arianne to experience quizzes on the first day of a class, she had not taken a communications class since her first semester and was a bit rusty.
Some of the dialects were hard to recognize and she had never even heard of some of the languages involved in the exam. However, as per her duty, she did her best and didn't complain. A little quiz was nothing compared to what she had already been through.
"...If you refer to your academic material for this class, I have outlined the post-class work that requires completion by the commencement of next class," Arianne suddenly heard Spock say, causing her to mentally kick herself for not paying attention. "The consequence for not making a fair attempt at the work will be automatic dismissal from the next class."
Arianne heard a few muttered complaints and grumbles about that, but she kept her eyes and her focus on Spock. "If there are no further inquiries on the class and what work will be required whilst taking it, I dismiss you to other endeavors," he stated in a toneless voice.
There was a flurry of activity as most of the class got up and filed from the classroom, but Arianne stayed in her seat and began looking over the homework. She was so engrossed in trying to figure it out that she failed to realize that Spock was silently hovering over her.
"Ensign Pike," Spock stated in a slightly concerned voice. "Ensign Pike, are you well?"
Startled, Arianne looked up, "Oh, Commander Spock, you startled me," she said in a worried tone, suddenly seeing a touch of concern in his eyes. "I was just reviewing the homework."
"Fascinating," Spock replied tonelessly. "My observation is that you are quite studious."
Arianne nodded and pocketed the PADD, "Yes, I wish to finish the Command and Medical tracks in three years and then serve on the Enterprise under my father," she replied as she stood up. "I see no clear cut reason for me to remain on Earth after Academy graduation."
"Seeing as graduation is not in the immediate future, I find it illogical for you to obsess over it," Spock replied in a thoughtful tone. "You should focus on what you can do here and now."
Arianne allowed herself a tiny smile, "You're right," she stated in a soft tone. "Thank you."
"Arianne, while you are here, I wish to pass on my mother's well wishes for you during this academic period," Spock stated in a sincere tone. "She also expresses regret that she could not remain on Earth longer, but my father desired her presence at his side on Vulcan."
Again, Arianne nodded, "Thank you, Spock," she replied gently. "May I be dismissed now?"
Spock raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "If you require assistance with your out of class homework, please do not hesitate to contact me," he stated. "Have a productive day k'war'ma'khon."
Gratified that Spock was referring to her as family, Arianne nodded and quickly left the room.
Unknown to Arianne, however, Nyota had returned to ask Spock a question about tutoring and she had seen the entire exchange between Spock and Arianne; her blood was now boiling with jealousy.
Not wanting Spock to see that she had eavesdropped, Nyota slipped back outside with a plan in mind of how to make sure Arianne couldn't seduce any more professors; she would need help on it, though.
Medical Simulation Lab – 1230
Relieved to have peace and quiet, Arianne took a seat in one of the chairs at the briefing table that was just outside the 'Med-Bay' and bit into a sandwich that she had gotten from the lab replicator.
Although she was hungry, Arianne knew that another visit to the canteen was out of the question that day because of the ugly confrontation that morning; she would have to make do with replicator food.
As she ate, Arianne pulled out her stylus and accessed the outline for 'Starship Medical Simulations I' from the database and skimmed over it; the readings would be simple enough to do, but the practical that dealt with triaging and treating mass casualties in a crisis situation seemed a little overwhelming.
Setting the sandwich down on her plate, Arianne sighed and put the stylus on her lap; she slouched and closed her eyes to have a brief nap before class. Her day was only half over, yet she was exhausted.
"I wonder if anyone would care if I just blew off this class and slept until Kobyashi Maru Prep?" Arianne mumbled sleepily as she sat there. "It's not like Puri's gonna care if I miss one class to get some rest."
Unknown to Arianne, Leonard had entered the briefing room on his way to look over the simulation area and had overheard Arianne's little comment. "If you're too tired to stay for class, you might as well just drop this class and focus on just ONE track," he said in a firm tone. "You're doing too much, Ensign Pike."
"Starfleet is all I have, Doctor McCoy," Arianne replied as she opened her eyes and saw Leonard standing near where she was sitting. "I tried civilian life for a while as a child, but being different in the civilian world is very difficult and it almost got me killed. My father thought that I would be better off in a place where the ranks of civilian and officer didn't exist. I was that place until I was 16 years old."
Leonard nodded, "You and Jim seem really close," he replied. "Did you meet him around that time?"
"I really can't talk about that unless Jim says it's okay," Arianne stated firmly. "Now that we're alone, Doctor McCoy, I wanted to talk to you about scheduling your sessions. If we find some common times when we're both not in classes, I can schedule you during one of those times for more of my track."
Swallowing hard, Leonard took a seat, "Are you going to strap me into a shuttle seat again?" he asked, secretly hoping that he would be able to avoid having to fly in an actual shuttle. "That seems easy."
"Nope, I've rented a shuttle and I'll take you on a flight as soon as we can arrange it," Arianne replied in a reassuring tone as she patted his hand. "I was second in the Basic Flight class next to Hikaru Sulu."
Suddenly remembering that Arianne had been on a date with Hikaru Sulu then night she had bailed him and Jim out of jail, Leonard sighed. "Are you still dating that Sulu kid?" he asked in a curious tone.
"No, Hikaru didn't find any potential for a romantic relationship with me," Arianne replied in a semi-amused voice. "He's too obsessed with his double major in Command and Operations right now."
Leonard nodded and sighed, but before he could reply, a loud klaxon went off twice; it was class time.
The door slid open and Phlox came into the room with a stack of PADD's in his arms and he was followed by a small group of cadets, including Christine, all of who were engaged in conversations.
"Doctor McCoy, if you could pass these out to the class, I'll get the class started," Phlox stated in a hurried tone, relieved to see the students quickly taking their seats. "Hello there, Ensign Pike."
Suddenly realizing that Phlox didn't recognize her from before, as she had been much older, Arianne nodded politely and offered Phlox a smile; he would think her crazy if she revealed the truth.
"Good afternoon, students," Phlox stated in a cheerful tone as Leonard took the PADDs from his hands and began passing them out to all of the class. "My name is Doctor Phlox and I will be team teaching this class with Doctor Puri. Today we will not be initiating a crisis simulation, unfortunately, as Doctor Puri insists that you all pass physical and mental assessments before engaging in class work. On the PADDs that Doctor McCoy is passing out is the written portion of these assessments that you will all use the duration of this class to complete. Once you are finished, hand it in to Doctor McCoy or myself and report to Doctor Puri for the remainder of the exam. Are there any questions or concerns?"
Silence filled the room, "All right, you may begin," Phlox stated in a gentle tone as he sat on a stool.
"What's the point of these exams?" one student suddenly whined. "I'm healthy!"
Phlox let out a patient sigh, "Most of you have been gone for the summer and Doctor Puri wants to ensure that physical and mental fitness has been properly maintained," he stated. "If there's a problem, you will just be assigned counseling or physical fitness classes to help you get up to the standard."
Arianne sighed and quickly filled it out; she was already scheduled to take physical fitness by order of Dr. Puri because of the cancer and she was not looking forward to it. She had started back on the progesterone at the end of August and she felt tired and slightly nauseous from taking it, but food helped to ease the side effects. However, Arianne wondered that if it would actually help at all.
"Ah, thank you Ensign Pike," Phlox stated as Arianne handed over her completed assessment; he was concerned by her sudden pallor and the side effects he knew were from the progesterone. "You are dismissed for the day. Doctor McCoy, might I have a word with you in private?"
As Leonard moved to the corner of room with Phlox, Arianne gathered the remnants of lunch and her stylus and stood up. Her next class wasn't until 1600, so there was time for sleep and some studying.
With a sigh, Arianne left the room, relieved to have an opportunity at actual privacy at long last.
Classroom - Starfleet Academy Command Building – 1555
How could Arianne not tell me herself that she had survived that accident and had been de-aged? Jonathan thought angrily as he sat at his desk, watching as students began to file into the classroom.
"Admeeral Archer, sir, here's yer coffee," Monty Scott, a 2nd year Engineering major and Admiral Archer's current educational assistant said as he placed a large mug of coffee on the desk.
Letting out a sigh, Jonathan looked up at Monty with a smile plastered on his face, "Thank you, Cadet Scott," he stated in a reassuring tone. "Now, if you could please pass out the course outline styluses?"
Monty nodded, grabbed the stack of styluses on the edge of the desk and moved over to the seats.
Jonathan winced as Arianne suddenly entered the classroom accompanied by Cadet Kirk. She was and looked so young, but traces of HIS Arianne were very obvious in her face, hair, and stunning blue eyes.
The chronometer on his desk suddenly switched to 1600 and Jonathan quickly got to his feet.
"Welcome to Kobyashi Maru Prep," Jonathan stated in a stern voice, glaring at the entire class as he paced back and forth in front of his desk. "This class will consist of a series of written and practical Bridge Officer lectures and examinations that will help you prepare for the Kobyashi Maru. You cannot take the Kobyashi Maru unless you pass all of the preliminary exams, so I suggest you study hard. My assistant, Cadet Monty Scott, is providing you with a stylus of effective study materials and the outline."
Jim looked at Arianne, "This stuff will be a breeze," he whispered, unaware that Jonathan had seen him talking in class. Arianne nodded, but didn't take her focus away from the front of the room.
"Ensign Pike!" Jonathan shouted, severely irritated that he wasn't being given the respect he deserved and even more irritated that Arianne was a student in his class when they were once lovers. "Stand up!"
Swallowing hard, Arianne stood up, "I do NOT tolerate anyone engaging in conversation while I am talking!" Jonathan snapped, anger in his voice. "You will stay after class today and write lines."
"Sir, with all due respect, I—" Jim spoke up, surprised when Jonathan held up a hand to silence him.
Jonathan glared at Jim, "I suggest you keep your comments to yourself, Cadet Kirk," he stated in a very stern voice. "Ensign Pike is set to a higher standard and must serve as an example to other students around her, both in good times and bad. Even if she is not guilty of misbehavior, Ensign Pike is going to be taking responsibility for those who ARE guilty of misbehavior and accept the punishment for it."
A flurry of murmuring rose up, but Jonathan's glare quickly silenced it. "Now, before I decide to make all of you stay after class and write lines, open the first lesson on your styluses," he stated. "We'll start by discussing what the Kobyashi Maru is and why it is important that all must take it before graduation."
As Jonathan began to read off the notes, Arianne couldn't help but think that Admiral Archer looked very familiar to her in a way she didn't quite understand. Perhaps another visit with Spock and another mind meld would help her to understand what memories she was missing…when there was time.
Assembly Hall – 1800
By the time Arianne had finished her lines and listened to an extensive lecture from Admiral Archer about being a responsible adult, it was after 1730 and she found herself bolting across campus.
When she arrived at the Assembly Hall, Arianne was shocked to see nearly every cadet currently attending the Academy jammed into any unoccupied space in which they could sit or stand.
"Greetings students, I am Professor Khan," an accented voice suddenly filtered up the stairs near the door where Arianne was forced to linger due to lack of room. "Welcome to my class and I hope that we can learn valuable things from each other. Before we begin, I will introduce my educational assistant."
Wanting a better look at Professor Khan, Arianne edged her way through the crowd and down the stairs until she saw Jim and Leonard seated in the first row. Neither of them saw her there, however.
Professor Khan looked all right with his dark hair, dark skin, and unusual red uniform, Arianne mused, as she watched him walk over to a door at the far end of the room. However, as calming as Professor Khan looked, Arianne couldn't help but be a little afraid of him. His eyes and voice were so full of intensity.
"Allow me to introduce my assistant," Khan stated as a youthful looking man with dark hair and pointed ears entered the room dressed in a black pantsuit and boots with his arms full of small PADDs. "This is Serij and he has kindly agreed to assist me in my teaching while working at the Vulcan Embassy."
Serij, as he had been instructed to by T'Pol, gave the class a studious look; he immediately noticed and recognized Jim, Arianne, and Leonard; however, he made no movement to approach any of them.
Remaining quiet, Serij moved forward and began placing one PADD on each desk. "Serij is passing out a list of what will be covered in this academic semester," Khan stated in a smooth tone. "We will be travelling a great deal to places that symbolize survival and endurance while I am your teacher. There will also be opportunities to display your many skills as unique individuals in a variety of settings. I am very much looking forward to seeing what capabilities you all have and can eventually master."
As Serij passed by Leonard and Jim, Arianne suddenly saw Leonard's face go whiteand as she looked at Serij a little more closely, she suddenly understood why. He was their captor from the ice world.
"Young lady, please have a seat," Khan suddenly told her, noticing that she was standing; he pointed to an empty chair at the very front of the class and smiled at her, indicating that she would be all right.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Arianne nodded and silently moved to the empty seat. As she sat down, Serij came over to her and handed her a PADD. Their eyes met briefly and then she looked at the desk.
After what seemed like an eternity, Serij moved away and back to the front of the class. Arianne breathed a small sigh of relief and listened closely as Professor Khan began to tell more about the class.
Little did she know however, that both Jim and Leonard were watching her with intensely concerned expressions on their faces. They had seen Jeris invade her space and hadn't liked it one bit.
Dormitory – Boyce Hall – 2130
Silence greeted Arianne as she entered the dormitory that she shared with Christine and Marla.
Professor Khan's class had been long, but certainly not dull. However, Arianne was glad for it to be over because it meant she could go back to her dorm, go to bed, and sleep before she had to get up early in the morning to do some studying. Tomorrow wasn't as busy for her, so she could rest a little more.
Of course, it would only get harder as the days progressed and Arianne knew that; she had yet to get an email about the time and location of her physical and mental fitness classes and Commander Harriman would no doubt email her soon about a good time to start visiting Lara. Why was her life so crazy?
Taking a seat on the couch, Arianne sighed; she hadn't told Jim about her big life secret yet because there had been NO time to talk that day. Besides, a letter might be a better way to properly explain it.
Arianne pulled her stylus from her pocket and quickly accessed the Academy's email database; she set Jim as the recipient and encoded it in such a way that only he would be able to read what she wrote.
As she wrote the letter, Arianne silently prayed that Jim would understand and still want to be there for her.
Can I please have some reviews about how the story is being received? I know people are reading it, but I am saddened by the fact that nobody will tell me their thoughts on it. Please review and make me happy?