a_mused | (no subject)

The room was a wash of color so bright and sudden that Jane missed half of what the bastard was saying. She gripped her podium until her knuckles bled white, mouth going dry as she tried to process, just, any of it. The red was brighter than the sun in that moment and the only reason she knew what red was, was because her mother used to spend time looking at old pictures with her of her days in the 'Fleet, describing the colors Jane couldn't yet perceive amidst the grey and white, and Jesus Fuck. She was in the middle of an academic hearing that might get her booted out of Starfleet, and her life would begin spiraling out of her tenuous control, and she was struck dumb and frozen in front of what was, ostensibly the entirety of her graduating class and this asshole, this goddamn black and grey dressed asshole was her-

"Your point being?" she bites out, aggravated in every conceivable way that her FUCKING SOULMATE, JESUS CHRIST, was trying to get her expelled for cheating.

It wasn't cheating.

It wasn't!

She literally looked this up. There is no rule in any official capacity to prevent her from adding a subroutine to that test. Or there wasn't the day she took the stupid test. And sure, she hasn't been able to look Gaila in the eye for a week, but that isn't what she's being brought up on here. That she actually put the work in before doing something that might tank her entire future, but that wasn't the point.

She didn't even know what the point was, because for all the emotion/awareness on the Vulcan's face, nothing life-altering had just happened.

Bones was going to laugh himself sick when she finally tells him.

She was going to be sick before this ended.

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The point was it was not regulation or allowed for extra subroutines to be added to a test it was a test of skill not wit or ability to over ride the testing system.

He stood there with all the emotion of a turnip regarding her. " The point is quite simply the fact that you manipulated the test in order to pass." the fact this infuriating woman was his soul mate was extra salt. He was embarrassed for the fact that this woman who took nothing seriously was attached to him. He shouldn't have to be standing here trying to get her expelled, she should have followed protocol. The fact he was in this position...was her fault.

Jane tries to relax her hands, but they just won't budge and every word from his stupid pinched mouth makes her want to punch him square in it.

It'd be the first bruise she'd see in full color.

"I think the point here is you're upset someone beat your stupid test in the first place."

It probably wouldn't be the last.

This woman. This woman who really makes him want to dredge up those human curse words and use all of them in her direction.

" Like an irrational being, you defend your improper actions that are most certainly unfitting of a Star Fleet officer. It is clear with a mentality such as that allowing you to continue into Star Fleet will not doubt end in disaster. These tests are a test not only of your ability to over come them but to effectively follow well defined instructions. Outside of this facility it is not only your life on the line but the life of others. It is risk we simply can not afford to take."

"There is nothing irrational about wanting to save lives by any means necessary." Jane finally pulls her hands from that podium, takes a moment to marvel at the rush of color going back to her skin and points directly at him. "If you're in a life or death situation, you better hope like hell someone comes up with plan D when A-C fall apart."

Also when did this hearing become about her maturity when he's the one basically pointing and crying 'teacher, she's cheating!' Jane struggles for a moment and glances at the Admiral's who seem content to let this arrogant dickweed insult her when one of the Admiral's stands abruptly and cuts them both off at the knees.

Jane is still staring after Commander Spock long after he's exited the room.

Who the hell was that guy?

He'd been ready to go in with another round of 'I'm right , you're wrong' with her when he was cut off and escorted out into the hallway. People were talking to him big wigs and he looked no more annoyed than he had this entire time. Which was a serious understatement of how he really felt.

Finally, his eyes cut to Jane as he nodded. This was so unorthodox, but apparently the undertones and things they hadn't actually said were still heard. Another test, for both himself and for Kirk. He waited in the hallway while the others told Jane the hearing was to be suspended and she was to report to Spock for a special mission.

"Bones, I can't do this. They can't make us do this. Stop laughing!"

"Darlin', you've been here long enough to know they can and will make you do this and I'll stop laughing when I'm good and ready."

Jane gave him an immensely pained look as she stepped onto the shuttle pad.

"Why do you hate me like this?"

"Only your luck would get you stuck like this."

Jane scowled, "Thanks for the support."

Bones waves her off with a laugh and a gentle slap to the shoulder before he exits the hangar, leaving Jane to her thoughts which was really never pretty. She groans and twists the ends of her blond hair between her fingers, only straightening when the hangar door opens once again. Report to Commander Spock.

She never believed in any deity before but clearly someone, somewhere was laughing at her.

"Commander Spock."

As unhappy as she was about it, he was as well. She was rash, irrational, disrespectful, and a cheater. Really there had to be a better way to this than what the were being tasked with. He was holding something in his arms, something small.

" Cadette." and that small thing started crying, really crying and he held the screaming blanket to her. " Your mission."

Jane stares, like, really hard at the wiggling blanket that had a decent set of lungs. She's really hoping it's a mad cat and not what she thinks it is.

"Our mission," she corrects, bracing herself as she takes the wailing bundle that's just too heavy to be a cat and draws the cloth off the things face. Because like hell is she going to let this Spock guy forget for ten seconds his ass is in this fire with hers. She is not the only one being made fun of here.

The baby blinks at the sudden brightness, which, hey, actually causes it to stop crying for five seconds before he? she? it? takes it up a decibel and starts to hard core flail in Jane's arms.

"Shit."

'Our Mission' His green blooded ass it was. " Incorrect." spoken louder than the screaming small human he had handed to her. " It is your fault, you are the one that has to prove you can defend the helpless and make mature choices to ensure lives remain in tact."

That whole saying shit rolls down hill. He was rolling this shit for sure. It is but a second more of the infant crying before he reaches over taking the baby from her, fixing the blanket so that the child stops caterwauling like a deranged cat in heat and although annoyed as hell he does bring the child up over his shoulder. He was whisper shouting, " Which I can already tell you're not competent enough to do so."

"Which is the whole damn point of Starfleet," she hisses back. Jane crosses her arms the minute the baby is gone and glares. If he think she was going to back down from her point, her very truthful and salient point, he was dead wrong.

"And why you're here as well."

They aren't only punishing her, which, understandably, probably pisses Spock off a great deal and should be giving Jane much more enjoyment than it currently does.

"Tell me it's an Android and not human." Please tell her they robbed a local high school of a high end android infant that has synthetic skin and heat sensors because fuck what dipshit, what kind of fucking monster, would just willingly hand over their child to people they don't know and expect them to get the kid to thrive?

Apparently Spock is a secret baby whisperer. Or knows where the mute button is. She's really not picky about which as long as the kid isn't screaming it's tiny fragile head off.