Jumpin' Out of an Airplane
by Starsinger
This is dedicated to the memory my friend and fellow Trekkie Margie "Mom" Acree, who, at the age of 85 did just that. She joined the Great Bird and many others on the final Trek just a few days ago well into her nineties. Don't own them.
Jim stood by Bones and a nervous Lieutenant Commander Melissa Solomon, who was biting her nails. Melissa's mother, Margie, was due to land nearby after a tandem jump out of an airplane at the age of 85. Not to be outdone, Admiral Jonathan Archer, at 145, was joining her. Spock had also joined them, ostensibly to take pictures. Jim was still sure he'd never hear the end of that from Uhura. He was just glad he wouldn't be on the receiving end of that lecture.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Bones muttered.
"Wasn't my idea," Jim mumbled.
"This from the man who dove from the upper atmosphere two weeks ago?" Melissa retorted. "Where do you think she got the idea?" Jim flushed, two weeks before the Enterprise was set to go, and he had to take a daredevil trip and break the sound barrier while he was at it. It wasn't like he was the first to do it.
"Did he ever tell Uhura?" Bones asked.
"Did he get on the plane?" Jim asked. Bones didn't utter another word. He held the leash of the Admiral's dog, Porthos, as they waited.
It seemed forever before they saw the parachutes gliding toward them. The only one who was tandem diving was Spock, who could do it himself, much to everyone's surprise. Margie was small, five feet, one hundred pounds soaking wet, and nearly blind. None of this deterred the smile as she set her feet on the ground after her partner stopped running. She pulled off her goggles and helmet and turned around after she was unbuckled from the man behind her. Archer was the next on the ground and his grin was just as big. "Now I know why people did this for fun!" he exclaimed. "Why did I wait so long?" Jim grinned as Porthos started to bay at his master.
Spock came in for a perfect landing by himself, recorder safely tucked into the jumpsuit he wore. He glanced around, as if to make sure Uhura was still not around, before making his way to the group. He pulled the images up to show both the Admiral and Margie falling out of the plane before him. The shot of the other chutes opening up just before he did himself was inspiring.
"So, Margie, what are you going to do for your ninetieth birthday," Jim asked with a grin.
"An atmospheric jump, just like you did, young man," she replied. Everyone laughed. It was a good day.