Chapter Text
He gasped, then began coughing. Someone slapped him on the back. There were voices in the background, conversations, laughter and the clinking of cutlery and dishware.
“Slow, Jim. I don' know what kinda mess you brought us into, but breathe!” someone whispered.
“Bones?”
“The one and only” he opened his eyes. He was sitting at a table, a very familiar table. The customary Starfleet issued table every ship had.
“I know the table is interestin’ but can you tell me what the last thin’ you remember is?”
He turned his head, next to him sat Bones, but he looked different.
“You look different.”
“Of course I do idiot, we are at the academy!” Bones whisper yelled.
“But… we graduated years ago!” he whispered back.
“That’s why I’m asking you what you did!”
“I was in my quarters, playing chess with Spock, suddenly bam. I’m here. Wait, do you think Spock is here too?”
“Maybe-” Bones tried to say but was interrupted by an accented voice.
“Excuse me, are you zhe Captain?”. Jim recognized that voice.
“Chekov, what is the last thing you remember?”
“It is you, Captain!” The kid looked like a stone fell off his heart. God, he looked so young. He must be what, fourteen?
“I vas at my quarters, suddenly I am back in zhe academy!”.
“Do you know if anyone else is here? We can’t exclude the possibility of this being a trap. Can you try to locate other members of the crew?” He used his Captain Voice, the one that everyone listened to. Except for Bones, the motherhen.
“Already ahead of you, Captain” Another voice joined the fray.
“Uhura!” He exclaimed, relieved. She too looked different, younger at foremost.
“Not so loud, Captain. We are still in the cafeteria.” came her calm counter.
“Right, do you know if anyone else is here?” he asked, already serious again.
“I have met Sulu and seven Crewmen since waking up.”
“Waking up? What is the last thing you remember before ending up here?”
“I went to sleep in my quarters, suddenly I woke up and I’m sitting next to someone who died years ago.”. she replied, looking slightly shaken.
He began looking around again, a few students were looking at them, few with a shocked expression, some just curious as to who the famous James T. Kirk was talking with. He recognised a few, several of them were dead.
“Could you try to find out who else is here Lieutenant?” He asked.
“Of course Captain.” with those words she turned and left.
“Should I search for ozher crevmen too, Captain?” asked Chekov.
“You will sit down here and eat somethin’ kid. You look as pale as a ghost.” Bones drawled.
Chekov obediently sat down. “ I do not ‘ave any food vizh me…” he began, but Jim had already shoved his half full plate with replicated mashed potatoes in front of him.
“Hope you don’t mind using my spoon” he said with a grin while handing it to a wide eyed Chekov.
Bones gave him a look. “I already ate like, half of this and I’m not really hungry anymore.” He tried to defend himself. Bones just muttered something about insubordination and dimwitted captains. Jim smiled, he may be in a simulation but Bones was probably real, because nobody could replicate his best friend's motherhenning and simultaneous grumbling.
“Sooo… do any of you have an idea what happened?” Jim asked in a hushed voice. “Because I don’t.”
“I was in the medbay, someone from engineering just came in with a burn. While I was treatin’ it, I blinked and all of a sudden I see Jim choking on his food.”
“Did you notice anything unusual at all?” he asked, making sure to emphasize the word anything.
Bones appeared to think “I mean, the lights were flickerin’ a bit, but other than that. Nothin’.”
“Did you see anything unusual, Chekov?” He waited politely while the kid swallowed his food. “Nozhing,Captain. Except I zhink the lights vere flickering in my quarters also.”.
“Well, the only thing I realised was that Spock seemed to win our round of chess.”.
“So nothin’ important.” Bones drawled.
“Hey!” Jim said, pretending to be indignant. He looked around again, nearly no one was looking at them anymore, just the usual gossipers he remembered from his cadet years.
Jim looked at Chekov, he seemed done with his food. Taking the plate and spoon he stood up. “I’m just gonna get those taken care of, we could all meet in Bones and I’s dorm later.” With a smile he ushered Chekov away from the table. Bones followed behind him.
He leaned into him and pretended to wipe something off Jim’s cadet uniform. “Do you really think someone is listenin’ in to everythin’ we say?” He asked Jim quietly.
“I don’t know, but what better place to get us relaxed in, then the academy?” Jim whispered.
Bones leaned back again. Pretending to dust off his uniform, he whispered “I dunno, it all feels very real. Way too real.” .