Frosted But Not Frozen ( Star Trek Spock Romance)

Part 3

3 years later

Three long years of working up to being a officer. Studying, training, and memorising in my own kind of way. I did a lot of that work with my now best friend Dr.McCoy or as I liked to call him, Bones. Even with all his weird phobias and odd metaphors we worked pretty well together. I made some extra friends on the way like a an engineer named Laurie who was a Pycae and my roommate, who was human and named Nyota Uhura. Nyota was in xenolinguistics which is very difficult in the translations area. Something that never quite interested me but she loved it.

I strolled out after a lecture in my red cadet uniform that was the male version seeing as the short dresses really weren't my style. At first I was apprehended for my lack of following dress code. But I just told them I had a really big hairy birthmark on my lower thigh and they actually believed it. And thankfully Pike, who was something of a father figure to me pulled a few strings to help me out as well.

I smiled brightly as I walked down the steps with a little bit of a girlish hop. Today was going to be a good day. " What's got you in such a good mood" A southern accent that could only belong to my best friend Bones asked as he walked with me. I shrugged but maintained my grin " I'm bout to nail my next test" I replied walking lively on the grounds that were freshly spruced and the Los Angeles sun shown bright.

Bones rolled his eyes at this as we walked down a paved pathway past numerous other cadets and the occasional professor in grey. I was talking about the Kobayashi Maru test. A test specifically for Captains in training. It was a test everyone had to take and no one ever was able to pass it. Unwinnable. If I was finally able to pass the test it would practically ensure a spot as a captain. However, I planned on getting a little bit of help with it this time. Technically it was cheating but I was really just making it fair with a little help from my friend Laurie. She was one of the smartest engineers and computer worker.

" Why are you even bothering in taking that test again" Bone asked sounding slightly confused at my determination. " Because I have failed it twice" I replied as we stopped underneath a large oak that provided us shade. I absently messed with my wrist watch as we conversed.

"And you're determined to make it three. We've all failed it-- everyone has, and that's the point! No one goes back for seconds, let alone thirds. You are already smart enough and it's not like you need to pass it to graduated" Bone pointed out and I knew that. " Don't worry about it Bones, I've got it figured out. It's just something I need to do" I said quickly and he rose a thick eyebrow as I tied up my blond hair into a ponytail.

" Need to do huh? Sure" Bone said a little suspiciously but I just fixed him with a bright smile. " See ya there Bones" I ordered and he snorted.

" Stop calling me that"

--Two hours later--

I now sat in a false depiction of that of U.S.S. ship bridge. The captain chair was where I currently resided with my legs crossed casually. Around me, several other cadets sat at their primary stations just like they would be on a normal ship. Bones and Uhura were among them. Supposedly, they made the test seem more like a real life scenario. However, I knew this would pretty much be a breeze.

I had insured that Laurie would hack into the system during my test at exactly 3 o'clock. I hoped she would be on time but I trusted her enough. I twisted absently in the chair as I watched the flash screens and monitors all around. My eyes scanned over them a little intently but I knew I didn't need to put that much effort into it.

The test parameters were basically the task of saving the Kobayashi Maru ship. But no two tests were ever the same. Sometimes the Kobayashi Maru could be stuck in a solar flare outage and be stranded or being attack by Arkillian death rays. I sat twirling my blonde hair absently as if I couldn't be bothered as the test soon commenced. I looked down at my father's wrist watch that read 2:56.

" Captain we are being fired at by Klingon warbirds in the neutral zone" Bone spoke up as the large glass window in front showed up with visual of three Klingon ships. I shrugged " That's ok" I replied twirling a little in my Captain's chair, making sure to get a good feel for it.

Several of the people working with me on the fake bride turned to me with a matching look of utter confusion. " That's ok?" Bones asked and I nodded lazily. " Yeah don't worry about it" I replied waving it off and heard a few whispers around the room as the confusion built even further.

" Four Klingon bird decloaking and taking aim, but I suppose that's not a problem either?" Bones asked sarcastically and I smirked. " Nah" I said back and saw Bones turn to Uhura who shared a look of "WTF is up" between each other.

"They're firing captain" A weapons officer announced and I watched it on screen as the fake warbirds began to shoot at us. " Alert medical bay to prepare to receive all crew members from the damaged ship" I ordered blandly and examined red my nails that I had painted just a day ago. My thumb nail was already beginning to chip off. Dang it!

" And how do you expect us to rescue them when we're surrounded by Klingons?" Uhura asked looking at me a tad suspiciously. I turned to her in my chair with a sardonic smile " Alert medical" I instead further and she flicked a few switches in response.

" Captain our shields are at 60 percent" Bones claimed as the warbirds continued their programmed assault. I shrugged and absently scratched my chin " Typical" I said back.

" Well maybe we should I don't know fireback?" Bones suggest and I shook my head. I looked up in fake train of thought " Mmmmm no" I answered vacantly and this caused Bones to roll his eyes. " Of course not".

I looked down at my watch that ticked ever so slowly towards the 3 o'clock mark. Just a few more seconds until boom. The entire room went kind of dark as all the screen shut off and the system was rebooted. And also recalibrated to my benefit. Everyone on that faux bridge was really befuddled now as they looked at their returning screens.

"The Kobayashi Maru is still in distress... but... the Klingons have stopped firing" Announced looking at her monitor looking perplexed. I smirked, thank god I had Laurie.

I sat up in my seat now looking a bit more intently at the scene in front of me. "Arm photons. Prepare to fire on the Klingon warbirds" I ordered. Bones hesitated " Jailee, their shields are still up" Bones protested.

" Are they?" I asked furrowing my brow and Bones bewilderedly shook his head as he looked down at his monitor. " No...... they're not" He said and I could sense that his eye was probably twitching in confusion.

"Fire on all enemy ships -- one photon each should do -- let's not waste ammunition" I ordered and the weapons officer immediately responded. " Looking on to all Klingon warbirds and--firing!" The weapons officer announced as the main bridge screen now gave a us a view of seven Klingon ships blowing up in plumes of sparks.

I smirked triumphantly. I just passed the unpassable test.

Sort of.

But you can still pass a test by cheating. As long as you don't get caught.

"Begin rescue of the stranded crew. So.We've eliminated all enemy ships, no one onboard was injured and the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew is underway" I said lastly and stood up. Bones fixed me with a dubious look. I just winked.

Then sauntered out.