Chapter 5

Flat, featureless and largely empty save for the Starfleet installation, Iowa was boring day in and day out.

Kirk thought this as he sped along, excelling the speed limit just to add a bit of thrill to his journey. Endless fields of corn and the occasional farm and grain tower, dominated the stretches of land, further then the eye could see.

Kirk mused as he leant forward on the spokeless motorcycle: he'd grown up with this scenery.

He wondered if there was much left for him here. The bar fight last night had shaken him up. Did he really want to live a life of crawling around every pub, waking up boozy and disorientated every morning? Did he really like playing out complicated mathematical equations just for the entertainment of others just to prove he was smart?

His trademark sarcasm could only get him so far and so far ended with a good beating, which didn't sound so amusing as it once had.

Pike had made him consider these factors. He's clouded his head with stories of his father: heroism and accomplishment.

The bike cruised on through and suddenly the wrapped spider web of metal loomed in the distance showing the scaffolding and the star ship that was under construction.

Starfleet obviously chose Iowa as a prime place to construct such ships due to the lack of residence and the vast expanses of flat land.

His bike idling almost silently, Kirk gazed up at the great ship. It would be another few year before it was complete but it was still enormous and the pieces of metal being lugged about were bigger still. Kirk spotted one with massive black letters stencilled on it: U.S.S. Enterprise.

She was the newest model, Kirk observed, and represented Starfleets latest design.

Kirk knew that he was drawn to what would be the physical beauty of the ship with its natural charm, stance and grace . . .

Was he comparing a ship to a person?

He shook himself and was about to turn the bike away, reconsidering his decision but feeling the ever great pull of the challenge the ship sparked.

Pike stood at the door of the shuttlecraft, in the heart of the construction and assembly complex. He kept his gaze focused on the main gate of the yard though . . . waiting.

Kez walked up and handed over a small touch tablet, "Gunna be a beauty of a ship when she's done Captain, bet you're very proud." She smiled widely.

Pike nodded, "She doesn't look like it yet though, does she?" He gestured to the looming framework and semi complete ship.

Kez laughed, "Rome wasn't built in a day sir." Then she paused and looked in the direction of the main gate, "Has he come yet?"

Pike shook his head, "No, best get aboard Cadet." He gestured behind him as Kez sighed and wondered onto the craft, but probably not to her seat.

Pike was about to give up when the rumble of a motorcycle forced him to turn back.

Weaving through the crowd was a motorcycle and when it stopped Jim Kirk dismounted. Pike knew he shouldn't have doubted Kez's assumptions. Of cause she was right.

Jim walked towards the craft before throwing his keys to a worker who commented on the bike.

Pike waved him onto the shuttle and Kirk boarded with a grin. Pike proceeded to the cockpit.

Kirk looked around the inner of the shuttle before turning.

His head smashed into one of the metal beams. He recovered awkwardly and flashed a grin to anyone who might have seen.

He noticed Uhura and walked past her, "Still need that first name."

She shrugged him off with a casual smile.

He also passed the cadet who'd fought him in the bar, he growled lowly when he saw Kirk.

"At ease, gentlemen." He said saluting lazily before falling into an empty seat with two others around it. He began pulling at the harness just as Kez walked along the row tapping at a touch pad, an officer following closely behind her.

" . . . actually it needs to be a manual engine override or else engineering personnel won't be able to get a restart." Kez finished her sentence before tapping the pad for another time and passing it back to the timid looking officer.

"Thanks Stibbons," The officer said before wondering off.

Kez turned to what would have been her seat had it not been occupied.

Kirk looked up at her and offered a lollipy smile, "Hey."

Kez regarded him carefully before smiling and sitting down next to him, buckling in.

"Thought you weren't going to show." She said coolly to him.

He watched her carefully then said, "I like late, dramatic entrances."

Kez chuckled, "We'll have to knock that out of you, unless that's how you plan to save lives once you have your own ship."

Kirk laughed at the cadet, "Captain Kirk - I like the sound of that. You want to be my first officer?" He asked with another dazzling smile.

Kez sussed out what he was doing and faced him with a soft smile, "I'm not telling you her name."

Kirk sat back and laughed, "Damn and I thought if I was nice to you you'd give in."

But Kirk realised that Kez wasn't listening to him, she was focused on something further down towards the rear of the craft.

One of the shuttle crew was wrestling a flush faced man from the bathroom. He looked about thirty and everything about him said origins of southeastern North America. The expression he wore was more than pissed off.

"Are you people deaf?" He demanded loudly, "I told you I don't need a doctor, dammit! I am a Doctor!"

The shuttle crew member pushed him forwards then said sternly, "You need to find a seat, Sir, for your own safety. Sit down or I will make you sit down!"

"I had a seat!" The man continued loudly, "In the bathroom, with no ports! I suffer from aviaphobia which, in case you didn't know, means a 'fear of flying'!"

The man was forcefully pushed into the vacant seat on the other side of Kirk, Kez leaning forward to get a better view.

Realising his defeat the man strapped himself down and clutched the seats armrests so tight that his knuckles went white.

"You okay, sir?" Kez asked gently, across Kirk.

The man looked at her then at Kirk before responding.

"I may throw up on you."

Kez frowned and looked up at Kirk who raised an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you, too. And it wouldn't be the first time someone's thrown up on me. Might be her's though." Kirk thumbed in the direction of Kez.

"Actually I have been thrown up on many-a-times." Kez mumbled to herself.

Kirk smiled at her then turned back to the man, "I think these things are pretty safe. I mean Starfleet uses this model of craft all the time."

The man beside him growled, "Don't let them fool you kid. One crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Unpredicted solar flare might suddenly strike and we all cook in our seats. Hell, look around you, some of these damn passengers are blue. Wait till you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still relaxed when you're bleeding from your eye sockets. Tell me if you're still feeling good when your gravity fails and your intestines start wrapping themselves around your stomach, ask yourself-,"

"Okay! Jeeze," Kez said putting a stop to the physicians ramblings after she'd heard enough, "Man, aren't you a barrel of laughs, god, bet they couldn't wait to get rid of you back home, life and soul of the party and all."

Kirk patted the guys shoulder, "Hate to break it to you but Starfleet operates in space."

The guy considered this then sat back in his seat, "Yeah well, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. Only thing I got left's my bones."

Kirk smiled at this, "Jim Kirk," he extended his hand.

The doctor looked at his then took it firmly, "Leonard McCoy."

Kez moved round and smiled, "Kez Stibbons."

McCoy regarded her with a weirdly warming smile after his depressing speech of the interesting ways to die in space.

The whine of the shuttle signalled that take-off had been initiated.

"Home again." Kez said sighing, leaning back.

Kirk looked at her, eyebrow raised, "And I'm leaving everything behind,"

Kez lolled her head to the side to look into his crystal blue eyes, "Feel good?"

"Better. Good riddance to the lot." Kirk said contently with a smile back at the cadet.

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Plz plz plz comment what you think so far! Nothing too hurtful :) like I said if I upload this one and it does kk then ill upload an into darkness one by Christmas but I'm still going to use the back story if Kestrel Stibbons so it's better if you know it all so I don't have to repeat it :D thanks guys!!! (Votes too please ;) I don't ask for much haha)