Kirk prowled the streets of Sam Francisco. The sun had completely disappeared underneath the horizon and the only natural source of light left was the moonlight. With Bones holed up at the laboratory, Kirk had plenty of time before curfew to do as he pleased. Tense with the drama and stress from the past week, Kirk headed to the best place he knew he could loosen up and forget his troubles, if only briefly – Chestnut Street. Filled with clubs, holo-karaoke bars and pulsating neon lights, Chestnut Street was the express ticket to forgetting unwanted memories. Returning to his dorm, he had discarded his uniform and donned civilian clothing before leaving campus. Kirk kept his eyes peeled until he sighted a reasonably empty bar. Normally he would have headed directly for the crowded, louder nightclubs but they were usually places where Starfleet cadets flocked to and therefore highly notorious – the last thing Kirk wanted was a repeat of yesterday's chaos in the cafeteria. Keeping his head down, he attempted to appear inconspicuous as he entered the bar and sought out a barstool.
'5 shots,' he told the expectant bartender, gesturing with his splayed fingers to reinforce the number.
Should be enough hoped Kirk. He shrugged inwardly; if 5 shots didn't do the job he could always buy a bottle. The bartender wordlessly dropped 5 shot glasses in front of Kirk and deftly filled them with alcohol before walking away to attend to another drinker. Draining his first shot, Kirk sighed in appreciation. He quickly consumed the next three, using his elbows to lean onto the bar top as he finally felt the affects of the alcohol begin to kick in. Closing his eyes slightly, he reached out for his last shot as Jim Kirk faded away and a stranger replaced him.
'Kirk? Cadet Kirk?'
Jerking his head upwards, Kirk frowned slightly as he tried to grasp the strands of reality. The dying spark that had been Jim Kirk now sparked with renewed energy, overpowering the numbing effects of the alcohol. A lumbering form staggered towards him, easily identified as a Starfleet cadet from his stained uniform. Kirk twisted his head towards the figure as he reached the bar. The cadet looked like he had similar goals to Kirk. His eyes were bloodshot and his uniform reeked of vomit. When he talked Kirk was forced to lean sideways in his seat to escape the blast of stale breath that emanated from the cadet's mouth. Judging by the severity of the stench, the cadet had abandoned cleaning his teeth even though he'd obviously consumed a massive amount of alcohol.
'It... it is you!' cackled the cadet, pointing a shaking finger at Kirk.
Kirk eyed the unstable cadet cautiously. In his peripheral vision, he could make out the blurred forms of the bartender and other drinkers turning curiously to listen to the cadets accusations.
'My-my brother... my little brother... he was on Tarsus... he was on...' The cadet sniffled loudly.
Kirk slowly inched his way off the bar stool, his eyes alternating between the blubbering cadet and the bar exit.
'He was only nine... just a kid... red hair, brown eyes... you were on Tarsus, you knew him right? You know what happened to him?'
The cadet leaned in dangerously close to Kirk, desperation clouding his eyes and judgment.
'You knew him... I know you knew him... because-because you were there!'
Kirk stumbled off the stool and quickly backed away from the rapidly approaching cadet. The other inhabitants of the bar simply stared at him and made no move to intervene the drunken cadet.
'Please... Please you-you knew him... you know what happened to-to my brother,' wailed the cadet.
He reached out a hand to halt Kirk's retreat but Kirk noticed the gesture and doubled his pace for the door.
'Please! No! Don't go! I want to know what happened!'
Kirk eyed the cadet wearily; if he continued his silence and retreat, the cadet would most likely tackle him out of desperation. Trouble was, he had no idea who his brother was - he's known dozens of kids with red hair and brown eyes. He wasn't sure how the cadet would react to his answer but then again, it couldn't be any worse than the alternative.
'Look, I'm sorry I don't know your brother ok? I don't know what happened to him,' Kirk tried to keep his voice soothing but failed miserably.
The cadet's face contorted in rage.
'No! You're-you're lying! I want to know!' he yelled.
Great, whatever path you choose, they all lead to the same scenario though Kirk sarcastically. Turning his back to the cadet, he ran full sprint for the exit. Thankfully, the cadet's drunken state had lowered his reaction time considerably and Kirk was able to reach the door long before the cadet processed what had happened.
'Hey! Wa-wait!' the cadet yelled after Kirk.
Sorry kid. Kirk knew how badly the cadet must have been feeling. He melded into the shadows and walked close to the wall. When the cadet finally managed to burst his way out of the pub, Kirk was just another indistinct shadow to him. Turning into the more civilized streets, he pulled up abruptly and jerked his head at a name that caught his eye. A micro-skin screen protected by the glass of the storefront he had just walked past was broadcasting the news. Subtitles flashed at the bottom instead of audio to avoid complaint from the neighboring stores.
... Latest reports from our informants hint that the recently discovered Tarsus IV survivor James T. Kirk could possibly be the true identity of the pseudonym 'J.T'...
Kirk stared as a picture of a small boy in a medical tent appeared in the corner of the screen. His body was covered in lacerations and half-healed injuries. Kirk could barely recognize himself but he remembered the tent well enough. It was the same one he had been brought to after he'd been rescued.
...J.T was the alias used by a thirteen-year-old boy whom was responsible for the survival of several other children. His true identity was never revealed – along with many of the other survivors – due to privacy concerns. Intel from various anonymous sources state that J.T was confirmed to be one of the few people who could identify the tyrant Kodos and many individuals are arguing to exploit this knowledge...
Kirk glared at the reporter, like hell they will.
...These individuals allege that the former governor is still alive and protestors – many from the families of those who were murdered in the infamous Tarsus IV massacre – are rallying against Starfleet for solid evidence to prove that Kodos truly has been irradiated. A brief interview with a protestor revealed that their collective group wishes that Jim Kirk – if he be the child hero – step forward and use his knowledge to help their cause. When we asked Starfleet about this matter, they refused to release any evidence claiming that they 'wished not to dwell on the past but instead concentrate on the future'. As of now, investigations are currently underway to determine what really happened to Kodos after his reign of terror. So is the tyrant really dead? Or is he in fact, alive? ...
That much I want to know Kirk mentally told the screen. He himself never really saw a body or even any concrete evidence of the tyrants alleged death. If Kodos really was alive, Kirk would make sure he made his life hell. He contemplated over whether to contact these 'protestors'. If he did he could give them valuable information that might lead to Kodos' capture but then again Kirk wasn't so sure that Kodos was still alive. Even though he yearned for revenge, deep down Kirk was scared. He decided to wait until more solid evidence surfaced, after all, if he helped he would be admitting to the fact that he was J.T and he wasn't completely sure he could handle the extra attention on top of what he was already receiving. Tearing his eyes off the screen, which had begun a commercial break he stuck to the shadows and headed back to the academy.
