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Starfleet Academy Desert Survival Course
Jan. 8th, 2014 05:01 pmIt isn't actually an academy course, of course. No member of faculty would be present, there would be no grade or credit given at the end, and there wouldn't even be a record of who ran the 17-mile-long course through the Mojave desert, but none of that stops any of the first year cadets that show up for it. It's still the first week of the Academy, before classes have started and the orientations and mixers are still in swing, and Jamie can't think of a better mixer than to put cadet against cadet simply because.
That's why she's here, at least. It's her first and best chance to prove that she can breeze through this whole Academy thing and that no one's got a thing on her. She's definitely used to that feeling and has no reason yet to expect the Academy to be any different. The competition so far isn't much: it's mostly humans so far, including a tiny little kid who's barely more than a stick with curly hair on top, but there's a Rigelian, an Orion or two (and doesn't that get Jamie's attention) - and Uhura.
Jamie grins and saunters on up to her. "So, when we win this thing, care to tell me your name over a drink?"
Uhura keeps her head down, concentrating on her warm-ups, but Jamie can hear the grin. "First round's on you."
"How about the first round's on me?" A tall, bulky Andorian male says, squeezing himself in between them.
Uhura rolls her eyes, but Jamie takes a different tack. She eyes him up and down and looks mildly interested. He clearly doesn't need much encouragement, so why bother putting in much effort?
"Find us at the finish line, then we'll talk. Now, if you'll excuse us." Jamie grabs Uhura's hand and drags her to the opposite end of the starting line.
"Tell me you did not just agree to a date with him," Uhura insists.
"Please. He'll have completely forgotten us by then. If he manages to finish at all. I bet you half the people on this starting line don't make it."
"Does that half include yourself?" She teases, taking her place as everyone lines up to start.
Jamie just grins back. "I'll be the one winning this whole thing."
"Only if I let you, Kirk."
A shot rings out, and the runners take off.
Things go swimmingly for the first couple hours. Sand dunes, fine. Open stretches of mesa and scorching heat? No problem. Even the free climb down a cliff face isn't that bad - until Jamie jumps off a little higher from the bottom than she thinks and more crashes than lands. She immediately gets back up, not wanting to admit defeat, but she can tell something's not right anymore. It's not going to slow her down, not when she's this close to the finish line, so close to winning, and no matter how many worried looks Uhura sends her way, she's not giving up.
But then the finish line approaches. Uhura leaves Jamie in the dust (not that Jamie can blame her, she'd have done the same thing if the positions were reversed), and when Jamie finally crosses that line, she's far from first place. Fuck. And to make matters worse, that goddamn Andorian is standing there, having won the whole fucking thing and preening.
"So, pick you up at eight?"
She's tired, she's in pain, and her ego is busted about as well as her ankle. She is not in the mood for his shit. "Here I thought you'd be drowning in potential dates for tonight and didn't need little ol' me to keep you company."
"Oh, that's where you're wrong, sugar. Sure, I've got everyone lining up to get a piece of me, but I thought I'd let you take the first bite." He leers at her, his antennae twitching closer, and wraps an arm around her waist.
"Get your hand off me before I break it."
But if the Andorian hears her, he ignores it. "The name's Thanas. You know, for when you're screaming it later."
The only thing that keeps Jamie's flying fist from connecting Thanas' smirk is Uhura's last minute catch. "I'll be taking her from here," she says, spinning Jamie around and throwing her arm over Uhura's shoulder.
"I could have taken him, you know," Jamie insists, leaning on her friend a bit more than she'd like to admit.
"Test that theory out another time."
"What, don't want me all bloodied and bruised when you tell me your name?"
Another eyeroll. "Take a shower first."
That's why she's here, at least. It's her first and best chance to prove that she can breeze through this whole Academy thing and that no one's got a thing on her. She's definitely used to that feeling and has no reason yet to expect the Academy to be any different. The competition so far isn't much: it's mostly humans so far, including a tiny little kid who's barely more than a stick with curly hair on top, but there's a Rigelian, an Orion or two (and doesn't that get Jamie's attention) - and Uhura.
Jamie grins and saunters on up to her. "So, when we win this thing, care to tell me your name over a drink?"
Uhura keeps her head down, concentrating on her warm-ups, but Jamie can hear the grin. "First round's on you."
"How about the first round's on me?" A tall, bulky Andorian male says, squeezing himself in between them.
Uhura rolls her eyes, but Jamie takes a different tack. She eyes him up and down and looks mildly interested. He clearly doesn't need much encouragement, so why bother putting in much effort?
"Find us at the finish line, then we'll talk. Now, if you'll excuse us." Jamie grabs Uhura's hand and drags her to the opposite end of the starting line.
"Tell me you did not just agree to a date with him," Uhura insists.
"Please. He'll have completely forgotten us by then. If he manages to finish at all. I bet you half the people on this starting line don't make it."
"Does that half include yourself?" She teases, taking her place as everyone lines up to start.
Jamie just grins back. "I'll be the one winning this whole thing."
"Only if I let you, Kirk."
A shot rings out, and the runners take off.
Things go swimmingly for the first couple hours. Sand dunes, fine. Open stretches of mesa and scorching heat? No problem. Even the free climb down a cliff face isn't that bad - until Jamie jumps off a little higher from the bottom than she thinks and more crashes than lands. She immediately gets back up, not wanting to admit defeat, but she can tell something's not right anymore. It's not going to slow her down, not when she's this close to the finish line, so close to winning, and no matter how many worried looks Uhura sends her way, she's not giving up.
But then the finish line approaches. Uhura leaves Jamie in the dust (not that Jamie can blame her, she'd have done the same thing if the positions were reversed), and when Jamie finally crosses that line, she's far from first place. Fuck. And to make matters worse, that goddamn Andorian is standing there, having won the whole fucking thing and preening.
"So, pick you up at eight?"
She's tired, she's in pain, and her ego is busted about as well as her ankle. She is not in the mood for his shit. "Here I thought you'd be drowning in potential dates for tonight and didn't need little ol' me to keep you company."
"Oh, that's where you're wrong, sugar. Sure, I've got everyone lining up to get a piece of me, but I thought I'd let you take the first bite." He leers at her, his antennae twitching closer, and wraps an arm around her waist.
"Get your hand off me before I break it."
But if the Andorian hears her, he ignores it. "The name's Thanas. You know, for when you're screaming it later."
The only thing that keeps Jamie's flying fist from connecting Thanas' smirk is Uhura's last minute catch. "I'll be taking her from here," she says, spinning Jamie around and throwing her arm over Uhura's shoulder.
"I could have taken him, you know," Jamie insists, leaning on her friend a bit more than she'd like to admit.
"Test that theory out another time."
"What, don't want me all bloodied and bruised when you tell me your name?"
Another eyeroll. "Take a shower first."
