Captain James T. Kirk

abaxrpg: Application

captaincocksure — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:26:13 GMT

player information.

name: Lisa
are you over 18?: Yes.
personal lj: sleevewornheart
email/msn/aim/plurk/etc: AIM: anotherminutebuy, Plurk: eyeofthetiger, email: iwouldfallfromgrace@gmail.com
characters in abax: N/A

in character information.

series: Star Trek XI / 2009 reboot film
name: Captain James T. Kirk
sex: male
age: 25 (based on Stardates given in the movie)
height: 6'1"
weight: 190
canon point: From after the movie; my headcanon is about six months following the events of the movie. He and his crew will have had time to get a couple of small missions under their belt--one humanitarian mission, some exploration, and a supply run/personnel changeover at a Federation science outpost--before he winds up in the game.
previous cr: I am not bringing any previous CR.

history: http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk_%28alternate_reality%29

personality: At first glance, Jim Kirk can easily be mistaken for a self-absorbed jerk. He’s brash, he’s outspoken, he’s opinionated (and many of those opinions seem to center around his own perceived awesomeness), and he doesn’t seem to know how to take "no" for an answer. He leaps without looking, rushing headlong into every situation with so much confidence it borders on arrogance. It rarely occurs to him he could be wrong about a subject or an approach; he’s fearless and he prefers to act first and sort it all out later.

He’s more than just fists and flirting, drinking and dissing, however. There’s a shrewd mind and a well-developed intellect behind that frat-boy exterior. Captain Pike described him as "the only genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest," and noted that his aptitude scores for Starfleet admissions were "off the scale". He excelled at tactical and survival training at the Academy. He was able to swiftly connect events leading up to the Narada’s arrival at Vulcan, determining that the Federation ships sent to help would arrive at an attack and not a rescue mission. He beat the allegedly unbeatable Kobayashi Maru exam by changing its parameters so it was no longer a no-win situation.

He’s driven and determined, but not in ways that most people would recognize at first. He’s made a life out of not doing what’s expected of him. As a kid, he dumped his stepfather’s car over a cliff rather than listen to the admonishments of his stepfather or the police officer in pursuit of the car. His father was a loyal Starfleet officer, a hero, but Jim at first refused to enlist in Starfleet. He showed a lot of promise but he chose to squander it and spend his time hanging out in bars and getting in trouble with the law. He cheated the Kobayashi Maru rather than accept it was unwinnable. Even once aboard the Enterprise, he continued to flaunt or ignore regulations and accepted codes of conduct in pursuit of getting information across or getting the job done.

While he puts a lot of effort into casting off what’s expected of him, one thing he cannot resist is a direct challenge. He blew off Pike’s initial attempts at recruiting him to Starfleet when Pike tried to appeal to his family tradition and his skills, but when Pike challenged him to do better than his father had during his father’s short command, Jim not only enlisted but informed Pike he’d complete officer training in three years instead of four. He kept up his flirtatious pursuit of Uhura for three years because her refusal to give even her first name elevated a pick-up attempt to a crusade.

Inwardly, he’s haunted by his father’s death. He carries a lot of anger and a little guilt, which manifested in his acting out and getting in trouble before he enlisted in Starfleet, and which help fuel his supreme self-confidence. He’s mad at the universe for taking his father from him, so as a younger man he thumbed his nose at many things and rebelled all over the place. He refuses to be seen as weak or lacking for not having a father, so he’s bold and direct and doesn’t back down. He also felt he had to rely on himself from an early age, to be a man on his own since he had no male guidance, and that too helped mold his unshakable faith in himself. He avoided Starfleet at first so as to avoid comparison with his father, which would have meant confronting his own feelings about his father.

When he and Spock Prime were marooned on Delta Vega, and he learned about the universe from whence Spock Prime hailed, he could have asked any of a million questions about the Jim Kirk this Spock knew. But the single question he chose to ask about himself was whether or not, in that timeline, he had known his father. That question shows how much the loss still weighed on him and what a large figure his father was in his life despite not being present in it. Learning from Spock Prime that he had had a good relationship with his father in that life, and that his father had been proud of him, was a moment of growth for Jim. That knowledge gave him the drive to follow his father’s example, to live up to being a man and a captain his father would have been proud of. It’s a subtle difference but before Delta Vega, Jim wanted to pursue the course of action he thought best because he was right; after Delta Vega, he wanted to pursue the course of action he thought best because it was what was right to save everyone. He’s gained a maturity and sense of responsibility and duty he was lacking earlier in the film, and he is finally ready to command.

He also grew as a leader through his relationships with McCoy and Spock. Jim and Spock are two opposite ends of a spectrum, with Jim representing the extreme of action and emotion while Spock stands for reason and restraint. McCoy is the moral ground they both need, to temper their opposing views and values, the one who goes after each of them to do what’s right morally rather than acting out without thought or wielding logic without compassion. Their combined influence tempers some of his impulses, reining him in when he needs it. They also challenge him, which he both needs and loves. Through them he has a broader view of the universe and the ability and the space to take a step back and consider things when he needs to.

Relationships have become important to him by the time he assumes command. His friendship with McCoy was already an important factor in his life at the Academy; when he is given the Enterprise he keeps the crew that was built around their conflict with Nero. Certainly he retains those people because of their skills, training, and performance, but there’s also a sense of loyalty to them. He wants to reward them for helping him in the ways they did, he wants to inspire the same loyalty in them that he feels for them, and he wants to build something that’s larger than himself. They’ve been through a lot together and he wants to keep them close.

By the time he enters the game, Jim is still a cocky, outspoken man of action, but one who is starting to learn to balance that with forethought, with consideration, and with reason. He’s growing from a rowdy, rebellious kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of the planet into a leader who inspires confidence and loyalty in others, and from someone who was ready to take the whole universe on all by himself into someone who has learned to rely on and trust in the counsel and guidance of others. He’s learned to shoulder duty and responsibility but he hasn’t lost his drive to do what isn’t expected of him or to rise to challenges.

abilities/powers: Jim has been through officer training at Starfleet Academy, where he was ranked at the top of his class in tactical analysis and survival training. He was also the assistant instructor in advanced hand-to-hand combat. He has some computer programming/hacking skills (put to use in his last run at the Kobabyashi Maru simulation), and he is also reasonably capable with repairing or repurposing electronic hardware on a small scale.

He received space jump training. He is a very good shot with a phaser and other weapons, which is a skill I assume he would be able to translate to other firearms available in this setting.

Jim has no superhuman or supernatural abilities or powers. He is in excellent physical shape due to Starfleet but he is no more immune to physical attack or injury, supernatural influence, or psychic reading/influence than any other human.

first person sample:
http://multiversal.livejournal.com/32033.html (mostly dialogue)
http://multiversal.livejournal.com/37658.html?thread=1852442#t1852442 (dialogue and some action)

third person sample:
http://carryonmy.livejournal.com/3999.html (mostly dialogue)
http://carryonmy.livejournal.com/4859.html#comments (dialogue and some action)

case no: If it isn't already taken, I would like Jim to have case number 22-33-04 (the stardate of his father's death).

[multiversal]

captaincocksure — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:57:30 GMT

He knows he’s dreaming.

He’s had this dream a thousand times before, every little detail filled in from his memory. Not the memory of someone who lived it, who was there, but the memory of someone who pored over every technical schematic he could lay hands on, who studied the visual logs archived from the medical shuttle where he was born, and who even, one night when his weary mother’s guard was down, questioned her about that day. He knows every bit of this bridge from his studies. He hears very syllable of his father’s voice from the logs. And he sees every detail of his father’s face from holos, remembering with perfect clarity a face he never once actually laid eyes on himself.

He’s been here so many times, as he sleeps, watching this scene unfold time and time again with that odd, weightless mix of from a distance and in the thick of things that dreaming affords. He’s relived and re-examined every moment, at once grieving and dispassionate, picking apart each tactical decision even as he longs for his father to see him, to notice, to touch him. But always he’s been satisfied, both in the choices his father made--however heartbreaking--and in his own confidence that he could do the same if called upon to make the sacrifice himself.

But this time feels different. Wrong. Harder, crushing, there’s no distance, there’s no time, but he could do it, he can do it, he’d have to do it--

...Be forced to do it, be afraid to do it, be scared, back down, lose everything--

No, he could do it.

...Couldn’t he?

This isn’t right, this isn’t the way it’s supposed to go, he can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t focus, can’t pull himself away, can’t pull himself above the doubt that smothers him now, can’t get out, can’t act, can’t live up to his father’s legacy, can’t do this, can’t do it, can’t win can’t live can’t give can’t be that man can’t succeed

...can’t avoid his father’s eyes.

He looks into that face, and sees his own looking back. He can’t bear the disappointment he sees there, the sense of seeing his father utterly let down.

"I knew you couldn’t."

The words crush him in ways the cloying atmosphere and the clawing panic can’t even aspire to. He goes cold inside, all the blood stilling in his body, his knees giving way and coming to rest on the deck.

"I should’ve let you die here instead of me."

He’s vaguely aware of movement from somewhere above him.

"Thankfully, that’s a mistake I can still fix."

For the first time in his life, Jim feels his father’s touch. His father’s hand warms his skin, closing around his throat, crushing the life right out of him.

Jim wakes screaming, gasping, clawing at his throat for a hand that isn’t there, was never there, but that he can still feel. He fights against the covers that seem to be complicit in smothering him. He feels something warm and wet against his cheek and he flails out on instinct, the back of his hand connecting with fur, a wet nose. It’s only the whimper and the scurry of scared feet away from him that snaps him back to reality, to wakefulness.

"Savannah." He slides out of bed, afraid for a moment his legs won’t hold him, that his knees will buckle like they just did--no , that was a dream, he’s awake, that wasn’t real... "Savannah. Come here, girl, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to."

He’s got to find the dog before Bones wakes up and realizes he’s hit her, for Christ’s sake. "Savannah."

He finds her cowering behind the armchair he dragged up here from the marketplace last week. She’s low to the ground, eyes watchful, but her tail wags when he says her name. "Come on," he urges softly, holding out a hand as he crouches on the floor. "I’m sorry, okay?"

And of course she forgives him, running to tackle him--or maybe it’s thank God she forgives him because Jim might not be able to bear not being forgiven by a dog, that might be the only thing worse, at this moment, than his father’s words still ringing in his ears.

But that was a dream.

...Wasn’t it?

"I’m sorry," he repeats dully, slumped on the bare floor of his bedroom, arms wrapped around the dog like she’s the only thing anchoring him to the world right now.

multiversal: Application

captaincocksure — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:14:36 GMT

In Character Information
Basics
Character Name: James T. Kirk
Username: captaincocksure
Fandom: Star Trek (XI)
Played By: Chris Pine
Icon: http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/111849130/39641090

Canon Character Section

Physical Description: 25 years old, 6’1”, blue eyes, brownish-blond hair, athletic build. He’s fit and strong, youthful, and full of confidence (some might call it swagger). He carries himself with the air of someone who has learned to wear authority and responsibility (but who still might engage in the odd bar brawl if it comes to it, look, a dude’s gotta do what a dude’s gotta do). He has an expressive face and an easy smile.

He will arrive in his Starfleet uniform, and would likely don that again as circumstances warrant (if he’s leading something or otherwise feels it useful to give an air of authority), but he will tend to favor comfortable, utilitarian clothing—jeans and pullovers, boots, nothing terribly flashy or complicated, things he can move easily in.

Sexuality: Jim Kirk loves women.

He loves the thrill of the chase, he loves the back and forth of flirting, he loves winning them over (even if he doesn’t always know what to do with them long-term once he’s landed them). He’s direct and open about his attraction to a woman and his desire to be with her, pushy and tenacious while remaining on the right side of respectful and just a few hairs short of the cheesier pickup lines. When he first met Uhura in the bar, he came on very strong and laid out his case directly, trying everything from ham-handed pickup lines to cajoling to offering a drink to impressing her with his intelligence to jokes, but the decision was still hers to make.

Sex is fun. It’s a good release, good exercise, a great way to pass the time. It’s also good for showing affection. Jim’s not quite at the point in his life where settling down has crossed his mind; he’s still young and he’s just assumed command of a starship. Duty has started to come first over personal concerns. Duty has also tempered his pursuit of women, as his time is now more occupied and there’s proper conduct to be considered, no hitting on the women who serve with you and so on.

That’s not to say that women are just convenient objects to him. He has a lot of respect for them and he enjoys having them as friends and serving with them as colleagues. They’re equals, not people he immediately assumes are in need of his protection or not as capable in their jobs. He sure does love women but underneath it all he’s a decent guy who wouldn’t change his opinion of a woman or look down on her if for some reason she doesn’t agree that he’s as awesome as he thinks he is. He also wouldn’t leverage any advantage he had at all, especially not his rank, because it’s no fun if it isn’t an equal involvement, with equal enthusiasm and participation. His confidence and his openness about loving women may make him come off as a cad at first glance, but there’s an underlying respect that helps temper the parts of him that are like that whistling cartoon wolf with throbbing hearts for eyes.

We only see him pursuing women in canon, and I think he strongly prefers them, but I wouldn’t preclude him being involved with a man. He tends to form very deep, strong emotional bonds with his male friends. I think 23rd-century society wouldn’t be as hung up on sexuality and preferences and so-called propriety as we are today, so there wouldn’t be any social pressure to identify one way or another or to find homosexual attraction or sex wrong. I think it’s possible, if he was involved and interested enough, he could develop an attraction to another man, but it’s not as likely as with a woman.

History: http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk_%28alternate_reality%29

Jim will enter Baedal a couple of months following the events of the movie. He and his crew will have had time to get a couple of small missions under their belt—one humanitarian mission, some exploration, and a supply run/personnel changeover at a Federation science outpost--before he winds up in the city.

Powers: None.

Talents/Abilities:: Jim has been through officer training at Starfleet Academy, where he was ranked at the top of his class in tactical analysis and survival training. He was also the assistant instructor in advanced hand-to-hand combat. He has some computer programming/hacking skills (put to use in his last run at the Kobabyashi Maru simulation).

He received space jump training. He is a very good shot with a phaser and other weapons, which is a skill I assume he would be able to translate to other firearms available in Baedal.

Personality: At first glance, Jim Kirk can easily be mistaken for a self-absorbed jerk. He’s brash, he’s outspoken, he’s opinionated (and many of those opinions seem to center around his own perceived awesomeness), and he doesn’t seem to know how to take “no” for an answer. He leaps without looking, rushing headlong into every situation with so much confidence it borders on arrogance. It rarely occurs to him he could be wrong about a subject or an approach; he’s fearless and he prefers to act first and sort it all out later.

He’s more than just fists and flirting, drinking and dissing, however. There’s a shrewd mind and a well-developed intellect behind that frat-boy exterior. Captain Pike described him as “the only genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest,” and noted that his aptitude scores for Starfleet admissions were “off the scale”. He excelled at tactical and survival training at the Academy. He was able to swiftly connect events leading up to the Narada’s arrival at Vulcan, determining that the Federation ships sent to help would arrive at an attack and not a rescue mission. He beat the allegedly unbeatable Kobayashi Maru exam by changing its parameters so it was no longer a no-win situation.

He’s driven and determined, but not in ways that most people would recognize at first. He’s made a life out of not doing what’s expected of him. As a kid, he dumped his stepfather’s car over a cliff rather than listen to the admonishments of his stepfather or the police officer in pursuit of the car. His father was a loyal Starfleet officer, a hero, but Jim at first refused to enlist in Starfleet. He showed a lot of promise but he chose to squander it and spend his time hanging out in bars and getting in trouble with the law. He cheated the Kobayashi Maru rather than accept it was unwinnable. Even once aboard the Enterprise, he continued to flaunt or ignore regulations and accepted codes of conduct in pursuit of getting information across or getting the job done.

While he puts a lot of effort into casting off what’s expected of him, one thing he cannot resist is a direct challenge. He blew off Pike’s initial attempts at recruiting him to Starfleet when Pike tried to appeal to his family tradition and his skills, but when Pike challenged him to do better than his father had during his father’s short command, Jim not only enlisted but informed Pike he’d complete officer training in three years instead of four. He kept up his flirtatious pursuit of Uhura for three years because her refusal to give even her first name elevated a pick-up attempt to a crusade.

Inwardly, he’s haunted by his father’s death. He carries a lot of anger and a little guilt, which manifested in his acting out and getting in trouble before he enlisted in Starfleet, and which help fuel his supreme self-confidence. He’s mad at the universe for taking his father from him, so as a younger man he thumbed his nose at many things and rebelled all over the place. He refuses to be seen as weak or lacking for not having a father, so he’s bold and direct and doesn’t back down. He also felt he had to rely on himself from an early age, to be a man on his own since he had no male guidance, and that too helped mold his unshakable faith in himself. He avoided Starfleet at first so as to avoid comparison with his father, which would have meant confronting his own feelings about his father.

When he and Spock Prime were marooned on Delta Vega, and he learned about the universe from whence Spock Prime hailed, he could have asked any of a million questions about the Jim Kirk this Spock knew. But the single question he chose to ask about himself was whether or not, in that timeline, he had known his father. That question shows how much the loss still weighed on him and what a large figure his father was in his life despite not being present in it. Learning from Spock Prime that he had had a good relationship with his father in that life, and that his father had been proud of him, was a moment of growth for Jim. That knowledge gave him the drive to follow his father’s example, to live up to being a man and a captain his father would have been proud of. It’s a subtle difference but before Delta Vega, Jim wanted to pursue the course of action he thought best because he was right; after Delta Vega, he wanted to pursue the course of action he thought best because it was what was right to save everyone. He’s gained a maturity and sense of responsibility and duty he was lacking earlier in the film, and he is finally ready to command.

He also grew as a leader through his relationships with McCoy and Spock. Jim and Spock are two opposite ends of a spectrum, with Jim representing the extreme of action and emotion while Spock stands for reason and restraint. McCoy is the moral ground they both need, to temper their opposing views and values, the one who goes after each of them to do what’s right morally rather than acting out without thought or wielding logic without compassion. Their combined influence tempers some of his impulses, reining him in when he needs it. They also challenge him, which he both needs and loves. Through them he has a broader view of the universe and the ability and the space to take a step back and consider things when he needs to.

Relationships have become important to him by the time he assumes command. His friendship with McCoy was already an important factor in his life at the Academy; when he is given the Enterprise he keeps the crew that was built around their conflict with Nero. Certainly he retains those people because of their skills, training, and performance, but there’s also a sense of loyalty to them. He wants to reward them for helping him in the ways they did, he wants to inspire the same loyalty in them that he feels for them, and he wants to build something that’s larger than himself. They’ve been through a lot together and he wants to keep them close.

By the time he arrives in the city, Jim is still a cocky, outspoken man of action, but one who is starting to learn to balance that with forethought, with consideration, and with reason. He’s growing from a rowdy, rebellious kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of the planet into a leader who inspires confidence and loyalty in others, and from someone who was ready to take the whole universe on all by himself into someone who has learned to rely on and trust in the counsel and guidance of others. He’s learned to shoulder duty and responsibility but he hasn’t lost his drive to do what isn’t expected of him or to rise to challenges.

Object: Jim will arrive with a PADD from the Enterprise. Since it is cut off from the ship he will not be able to use it to access any of the databases to which it is normally connected; he will use it instead to keep his Captain’s Logs and to store his notes on the city.

Reason for playing: I’ve loved Star Trek since I was a kid. I used to watch it most every day after school and I’ll still sit down if it comes on TV randomly. I used to goof around on SWS with a TOS!Kirk, a few years back when I was playing there regularly. I sort of rediscovered my love over the last few weeks via RP, movies, and geeking out with friends, and I decided I wanted to play Kirk again.

I went with reboot!Kirk over TOS!Kirk because I think the younger Kirk, still growing into the more assured and experienced leader he is at a decade older in TOS, offers more possibilities for character development. A younger leader who’s still figuring things out and may be more prone to error or to making less than perfect choices in his inexperience is an interesting character to play. I also think taking him from that point leaves more open to the influence of the setting and the CR he builds; I’m interested in seeing if he sticks to Starfleet-level conduct or if he eventually slides back into being more of the dude he was early on in the movie without his ship, his command, and his crew.

I think he’s going to meet the city head-on, like he does most everything. He won’t be content to sit back and just accept that this is done and he can’t get out; he’ll refuse to accept that it’s a no-win situation for him. He’s likely to try to go directly to the powers that be for answers, and to try to negotiate a way out. When that leads nowhere, he’ll involve himself in learning all he can about the city and the people in it. In times of crisis he’ll probably step up and take charge, even if it’s of a tiny group of people that he can protect and deliver from what’s happening at the time. He’s a man of action and he won’t sit around waiting for things to happen or people or information to come to him. This may make him a really awesome asset to the cohort, or this may make him a thorn in the city’s side. I’m open to seeing where his “bash and talk first, sort it out later” approach takes him.

Gods: Gediron. Definitely. Gediron favors those who don’t know how to quit—that fits Jim, to a T. Also as a Starfleet officer he’s a diligent and loyal soldier. Jim’s a fighter, a scrapper, a skilled tactician, and he tends to win, and these are all things Gediron looks favorably upon.

Writing Samples

First-Person Network Post: http://captaincocksure.livejournal.com/689.html

First-Person Journal Post: http://captaincocksure.livejournal.com/1007.html

Third-Person Action Post: http://captaincocksure.livejournal.com/1245.html

Misc

Writing Sample: Third-Person Prose

captaincocksure — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:37:19 GMT

"Starfleet Command has received a distress signal from the USS Kobayashi Maru. The ship lost power and is stranded near the Neutral Zone. We have orders to rescue them."

Jim, perched in the captain's chair on the simulation deck, nods. "Helmsman, set a course. Best speed."

"Course set, sir."

"Engage warp. ETA?"

"Three minutes, sir."

Jim nods again, one hand gripping the arm of the chair. He's ready, this time. Last time he failed miserably but he's studied the conditions of the test and strategies others have tried, and considered all the possible tactics. He's got it this time.

He'll just ignore the roar of his blood in his ears, the pounding of his heart. He will not show the examiners how much last time's failure still stings.

"When we drop out of warp I want you to set an intercept course to the Kobayashi Maru, full impulse power--"

"Sir! The Kobayashi Maru reports two Klingon Birds of Prey have entered the Neutral Zone and have opened fire on their ship."

"--I want you to get right up close to the Kobayashi Maru, close as you can. Communications, status report of the ship?"

"They can't raise their shields, sir. Direct hit, decks 54-67. Casualty reports to follow momentarily."

Dammit. He isn't going to lose this before they even get there. "Red alert." The klaxon starts sounding. "Phasers to full."

"Phasers to full, aye, sir."

Jim swallows hard, forcing himself to inhale slowly. No sign that this is bothering him, he refuses to give anyone that satisfaction. "How much longer?"

"30 seconds until we drop out of warp, sir."

"As soon as you acquire a target you fire at will."

"Aye, Captain."

He counts down the seconds in his head. His head, he swears, not the heavy thump, thump of his heart. They drop out of warp and the two officers in front of him call out nearly in unison:

"Intercept course laid in, sir, full impulse power engaged."

"Target acquired, Captain, firing phasers."

In the half-second it takes him to untangle those reports another one is shouted. "Captain! Sensors report three additional Birds of Prey decloaking. They've locked phasers onto us."

"Evasive action, Helmsman, then resume intercept course--"

"Sir, we're being fired on--"

"Captain! The Kobayashi Maru has taken another hit! Six more decks report extensive damage--"

"Direct hit! Shields are holding but shield integrity has dropped to seventy-one percent--"

"Hold intercept course! Divert power to forward shields!"

"They have another phaser lock on us, sir--"

Jim grits his teeth a moment. "Return fire. Communications, alert Transporter Room and Shuttle Bay to prepare for transport and alert Sickbay to be prepared to receive transported crew."

"Aye, sir. Transporter Room, this is the Bridge--"

"One Bird of Prey disabled, sir, holding intercept course."

He registers pain in the tips of his fingers, forces himself to loosen his grip on the chair.

"Sickbay, this is the bridge--"

"Sensors report another phaser lock, sir, they're--"

The Communications and Science stations explode in a shower of sparks as the entire Bridge lurches. "Damage report!" Kirk barks, swiveling the chair to scan the Bridge.

"Direct hit, sir. Shields at twenty percent. We can't take another hit like that."

No. "Divert all available power to shields." No. No, no, no, I won't lose this.

"Sir, two more ships have decloaked."

No.

"They've locked phasers onto the Kobayashi Maru."

No. "Fire at will."

"They're firing, sir--"

"Direct hits--"

"...Sensors report the Kobabayashi Maru has been destroyed. Ships are replotting course to intercept us, sir."

No...

He's as stoic as can be as the simulation ends, reports are given and taken. Then he excuses himself and finds the nearest restroom.

It takes a full two minutes, six seconds for his hands to stop shaking enough for him to turn on the water. He splashes his face, studying his pale reflection in the mirror.

The afternoon sunshine bouncing off the building's white exterior seems extra harsh as he steps outside. A cleared throat and movement near one of the columns gets his attention. "Jim."

"Bones."

"I was just passing by." Like hell he was. "How'd it go?"

Jim just gives a terse shake of his head. McCoy frowns. "Look, you're supposed to fail it. We all fail it. I failed it. I just wasn't crazy enough to go back for seconds. Dunno what the hell got into you..."

Jim doesn't say anything. McCoy's expression softens, just a little. "C'mon," he drawled. "Let's go get a drink. Doctor's orders--you look like you need one."

Jim knows his friend is reading his silence as sadness, frustration, disappointment. He doesn't correct Bones, but he's feeling none of those things.

He's seething. Defeat the first time around stung--the repeat burns, devouring his insides.

There's no such thing as a situation that can't be won. He's going to beat this damn test, he decides as they set off across the quad.

Whatever it takes.

Writing Sample: First-Person Journal Post

captaincocksure — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:23:48 GMT

Captain's Log, Stardate 2011.201

...Seriously. Stardate two zero one one.

I have unexpectedly found myself in the city of Baedal. The means of my abduction and transport remain unclear, as do my prospects for return to the Enterprise. The helpful pamphlet that was in the room when I arrived tells me there's no going home and I should just accept my fate and wait for my ambition to be rewarded.

I don't agree.

I have requested a meeting with a representative of the local government and/or the Twelve Point Divinity--the city's pantheon, if I read the pamphlet right. So far my request has not been met, but I will continue making it.

All attempts to contact the Enterprise or to access its computers via the PADD that made the trip with me have failed.

[There's a pause. Then a small sigh.]

...Kirk out.

Personal Log, Stardate 2011.201

...I hoped I'd get to enjoy my ship for more than two months.

I have a bad feeling about this. According to the people who answered my communication, I'm far from the first person this has happened to and I won't be the last. They have a pamphlet. Too professional for my liking.

Spock, I hope you're working on a way to get me back from that end.

Kirk out.

Writing Sample: First-Person Network Post

captaincocksure — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:07:48 GMT

[A face appears on the video display, wearing a serious, authoritative expression that belies its youth. His chin is up, his face perfectly framed, and he looks directly into the camera when he speaks--clearly he's done this before.]

This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise. I respectfully request a meeting, whether via this communication network or in person, with a member of the government or of the Twelve Point Divinity, or their designated representative.

I've read the pamphlet that was helpfully provided when I arrived in this room. I'm grateful for the information but I have further questions about the circumstances of my abduction. And I would like to negotiate the terms of my return.

[A pause. His expression softens by just a couple of degrees.]

If there's someone on the other side of this door who would oblige me by opening it, I'd appreciate that.