Academy Life: The Story of Jackson Porter's Early Career
trumpetmaster29
Member
Introduction
Jackson Porter was born on July 14, 2371 at Starbase 103 to Henry Francis Jackson and Alicia Mae Porter (nee Fisher). Her father was a career Starfighter pilot, and his mother was a chef in a Vulcan-Human fusion restaurant on the station’s Promenade. Growing up, he loved flying with his father and frequently watched recordings of the training exercises.
When the time came in high school to start thinking about a career path, Jackson knew he wanted to go to Starfleet Academy and become a pilot like his father, though he also acquired some good cooking skills from his mom.
Today, just as he left school, he got a message from his mom that Starfleet had sent a response to his entry application…
==========
“MOOOM, DAAAD! LET ME SEE IT!”
Jackson ran up the path to his house, eager to open his letter from Starfleet that came while he was at school. He threw open the door and ran into the kitchen where his parents were standing around the island counter.
“Well, well, well, it’s about time you got home,” his father said.
Alicia nodded in agreement. “We were starting to think you’d never get here.”
Jackson was trying to catch his breath. “I’m…I’m sorry, I-I got caught up with Jeremy and-”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Henry interjected, “I know friends are good, but if you’re going to be in Starfleet, you better learn to prioritize and to be on time, Cadet!”
“I…” Jackson paused to process what his dad said. A huge smile crept across his face. “Wait, am I…does that mean!?”
“Congratulations, Cadet!” Henry and Alicia said together. Alicia tightly hugged her son in happiness, and Henry came over and hugged them both.
“That’s my boy!”
“Thank you, oh, thank you both!” Jackson thanked them both, then stepped back to stand at attention and render a salute. “Sir!”
Henry returned the salute. “That needs a little polishing, Mister Porter.” He then smiled. “But don’t worry, you’ll get a lot of practice at it.”
Jackson was still smiling from ear to ear. “I need to go tell Jeremy, and everyone else!” He ran out of the kitchen and up to his room, grabbing the PADD that had his official acceptance letter on it. The door had barely swung fully open before Jackson pushed it shut and jumped on his bed. “Computer, call contact: Jeremy.”
The computer beeped a few times while it called his best friend. A few seconds later, the image of a tan Hispanic teen came up on the viewscreen. “Hey JP, so what’s the news?”
Jackson held up the PADD close to the camera. “I got in! I’m going to Starfleet Academy!”
“THAT MAKES TWO OF US!” Jeremy also held up his PADD with his acceptance letter, and the two teens started jumping up and down in celebration. “I can’t wait to become a chief of security! Maybe someday I’ll get stations on the Enterprise!”
“Maybe, but not until after I make CAG on a carriership somewhere! Look out Rommies, here I come! Pew pew pew!” Jackson pretended that he was flying a fighter.
“Is that Jackson I hear?”
A woman’s voice came over the audio and was quickly followed by a female face joining Jeremy on the screen. “Yes, Misses Ortiz, it’s me! Jeremy and I are going to Starfleet!”
Jeremy’s mom placed her hands on her cheeks and screamed. “Ahhhh, I knew it, I knew you’d both get in together! Oh, I’m so happy for both of you!” She gently pushed Jeremy to the side and took his place on the call. “Do your parents know yet?”
“Yes, we do!”
Another female voice, this time from behind. Jackson turned around and saw that his mom had, likewise, come up to join the call. Alicia stepped in front of Jackson. “Hey Mariana, can you believe that our boys will be joining Starfleet together!?”
“Uhh, mom-” Jackson started.
“Dios mio, I’m so proud of them!” Mariana replied.
“Mom, can Jackson and I-”
Mariana waved her hand back at Jeremy. “Hush, son, let me talk to Alicia!”
Jackson chuckled. “I’ll talk to you after dinner, Germ,” he managed to say before Alicia scooted closer to the screen.
“Gotcha, JP!” Jeremy flashed a dual thumbs-up before their mothers completely took over the call. It was all good, though. After all, the boys would be spending much of the next four years together.
Comments
Welcome to the Academy
“Get in line! Move it!”
The Andorian officer yelled out orders as Jackson and Jeremy rushed to toss their duffle bags onto the pile with all the others. After doing so, they took their places in the formation among the other incoming cadets. There were cadets from countless different species amongst the formation of approximately 160 cadets.
“Man, this is so exciting!” Jackson whispered to Jeremy.
“I know, dude…we’re really here!”
“LOCK IT UP!”
Jackson and Jeremy straightened up a little bit as the officer focused his order at them. He stopped at the end of the row to glare at them, then continued to walk around the formation as the last cadets arrived.
“Welcome to San Francisco, new cadets. I am Lieutenant Solen, Alpha Company Commander for Freshman Class. From now on, you will respond only when given orders to speak, and your responses will always end with ‘sir’, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!” the cadets answered.
“Please tell me that isn’t as loud as you can get. I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
Jackson took a big breath and yelled along with the others. “YES, SIR!”
Solen shook his head. “Dear me, I thought last year’s freshman class was weak, but you all make that class look like the Order of Kahless. Why don’t you all get on the ground and start doing some pushups while you think about how to sound off properly.” Most from the class took a second too long to process the order. “I SAID START PUSHING!” The cadets all started doing pushups, or the best that some of the species were able to do.
“You have all made the brave decision to join Starfleet, and for that I compliment you…but you have not joined a glee club, you have joined the military. You will all learn to follow orders and work together as a team.” Solen paused as he walked to the front of the formation. “If you can’t learn to work together, you will learn to love this position. On your feet!” Everyone snapped back to the position of attention, most of them breathing heavily. “Do you get me?”
“YES, SIR!”
Solen smiled. “Ahh, that’s more like it! Alpha Company has won the distinction of Top Freshman Company. Each of the four platoons in this company will also be competing for the distinctions of Company Top Platoon and Class Top Platoon.” Solen looked back and forth between the platoons from his spot in front of the whole company. “Last year, Third Platoon won for both the Company and Class. Needless to say, you have a lot to live up to.” He paused again. “Orders from your enlisted platoon leaders WILL be obeyed as if they came straight from me, because they do. Do you all understand me?”
“YES, SIR!”
“I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
“YES, SIR!!!!!!”
Solen smiled. “Good. The shuttles to Starfleet Academy will be her momentarily. They will drop you off at the Entry Station on the campus grounds. Once you get there, you will grab your duffle bag and report directly to your rooms. You will have the rest of today to get to know your roommates and prepare for your first full day tomorrow. Your weekly schedule will be sent to your desk computers by dinnertime. Any questions?”
“NO, SIR!”
“Very well then.” Shadows flowed over them as the Academy transport shuttles arrived. “Get into the shuttles in platoon order. That is all.” Solen stepped back and walked away from the group.
“Alright, kids,” the platoon leader said, “I am Senior Chief Petty Officer Amanda Kim, your platoon leader. You will refer to me as Chief, and only as Chief, do you understand?”
“YES, CHIEF!”
“Good! Up and into the shuttles. Your bags will be waiting for you at your room when we get to the barracks.” Behind her, two shuttles landed in front of the platoon. “First and Second Squads in the first shuttle, Third and Fourth in the other. Move!”
The two groups of cadets each went to their respective shuttles and got seated for takeoff. The ride from the reception field to Starfleet Academy was short in one direction, but since they were first-year cadets, the pilots took their time flying over the entirety of the bay area and the whole of the Starfleet Academy campus. Some of the cadets leaned close to the windows to get a better look.
Jackson was stuck in the middle seat between Jeremy and a Vulcan who didn’t seem to care about anything going on around her. He leaned over in front of Jeremy to look out the window just in time to see a squad of training fighters fly by the shuttles. “Oh man, I can’t wait for that to be me!” he exclaimed.
“I hope you’re ready for them,” Jeremy replied. “You’ve definitely got some big shoes to fill.”
“Yeah, I do, but I know I won’t fail.”
Jeremy sat back in his seat and turned his head back to Jackson. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I want it more than anyone else. Plus, my dad gave me this.” Jackson pulled out a large coin from his pocket and showed it to Jeremy.
“Woah, is that a challenge coin?”
Jackson handed it to Jeremy to let him look it over. “Yup, it’s the coin from General T’Ko, the former Commander of the Starfleet Starfighter Corps. My dad flew under him for a number of years, and the general coined him for doing an exceptional job flying shuttles on evacuation missions during the Andorian flu outbreak on a colony in the Hermes Sector.”
“Hermes Three, to be exact.”
The two looked over at the Vulcan woman who, until then, hadn’t said a word. “Yes, that’s correct, cadet?” Jackson led on to try and get her name.
“Doctor T’shaar,” she replied. “I was a nurse aboard a medical ship that was part of the joint Vulcan-Starfleet task force that aided the people of Hermes Three.”
“Vulcan Medical is a really good place to be a part of, what made you join Starfleet?” Jeremy asked.
“I saw how well the Starfleet personnel did in their medical research and evacuation missions and decided that I wanted to be a part of something much bigger than just the Vulcan fleet.” T’shaar gestured at the coin. “Besides, there are many Vulcans such as General T’Ko that I aspire to be like.”
Jackson smiled. “Having a role model definitely helps out. By the way, I’m Jackson Porter and this is Jeremy Ortiz. Looks like we’ll be seeing more of each other for the foreseeable future.”
As they exchanged greetings, the pilot’s voice came over the comm. “Prepare for landing.” The shuttle slowly came to a soft landing. The doors on both sides of the shuttle opened and SCPO Kim came in through the starboard one.
“Everyone on your feet.” All the cadets stood up. “On my command, exit the shuttle, head into the barracks on the right, and up to the rooms you’ve been assigned to. If you forgot what room it is, it’s on the main page of your reception orders. You have the rest of the night toyou’re your rooms in proper order. Since we haven’t taught you how to eat like a cadet, you will make a meal choice that will be delivered to you, as a ‘welcome to the Academy’ meal, so to speak. This can all be done through your desk computer. Selections must be made by 1600 hours. Any questions? None? Good…MOVE IT!”
The cadets all jogged out of the shuttle and towards the barracks building marked with the company insignias of Alpha and Bravo companies. Jackson looked down at the mini PADD bracelet on his wrist and saw that his room was 2-05, meaning second floor, room 5. As the cadets split off between the different floors, Jackson and Jeremy made it to their room. Jackson noticed that T’shaar and another Human female cadet entered the room right next to theirs. When they got inside, their bags were already placed next to the two beds.
Jackson threw himself on his bed and caught his breath. “Whew, we made it! I wonder what’s on the menu.”
Jeremy chuckled while also catching his breath. “Less than a minute in our room and you’re already thinking about food?”
“Hey,” Jackson replied, “might as well get the order in before everyone else.” He glanced over at the clock on the wall which read 1341 hours. Something told him that he would be looking at that clock a whole lot for the next few years.
Friends in High Places
The beginning time at the Academy was jam-packed. Everything they did was scrutinized: learning to make the bed properly, eating in a timely manner, learning customs and courtesies, and taking the introductory courses. Jackson and Jeremy had all the same classes together. In fact, most of their company had the same classes together.
It had been just over 4 weeks since everyone first arrived at their rooms, and Jackson had made friends with several other cadets, but some of the cadets had little to no interest in making friends with anyone.
Unless they screwed up somewhere in the week, Sundays were usually a day off for the cadets. Since they were both caught up on classwork and didn’t have much else to do, Jackson and Jeremy decided to take some time to enjoy some time away from the stresses of the Academy. Along with a few other classmates, they headed down to the beach.
Quite a few cadets from all four class years had the same idea. When they got there, much of the good parts of the beach had already been claimed.
“Hey, there’s a spot.” Jeremy pointed over to a spot of open beach on the far end of the beach.
Jackson looked over where he was pointing and led the small group of freshmen towards the spot that Jeremy had pointed out. As they stepped around a larger group of sunbathers, Jackson suddenly found his path blocked by a tall figure.
“And just where do you think YOU’RE going?” the male figure said, putting his arms up in the group’s way.
“We’re just going over to that empty beach over there,” Jackson replied.
The man laughed. “That’s funny, you guys don’t look like senior cadets to me!”
“Excuse me?” Jeremy stated.
“You heard me, kid. This part of the beach is for senior cadets only.” Jackson noticed that the person standing in their way was wearing a yellow bathing suit with four cadet rank pips and the Red Squad logo. He also took note that the cadet was much older than the typical Human cadet. “Why don’t you kids go head back to your barracks and practice your courtesies, since you clearly don’t recognize a superior officer!”
Jackson chuckled and looked back and forth across the beach. “Funny, I don’t see any officers here, all I see is one old man with a big head that matches his fat ass.”
Jeremy and the others laughed as the Red Squad cadet stepped forward to tower over Jackson. “You’ve got a big mouth, kid. Then again, it must be good knowing that ‘daddy’ got you into the Academy.”
That bothered Jackson. Yes, being the son of a decorated career officer made his application packet look a little better than the average application; however, Jackson knew that his own work that he had done throughout his high school career was more than enough to get in. “At least I didn’t need to get an age waiver for my bad hips, gramps.”
The cadet scowled and shoved Jackson, sending him tripping backwards over some beachgoers. Sand went everywhere as Jeremy went to pull him up and the cadets that he landed on tried to push him off them.
“Get off me!”
“Hey, watch it!”
The Red Squad was laughing at him. “Awww, did daddy’s boy fall down?” he said, mockingly.
Just as Jackson was getting ready to throw a punch, another cadet with a red, similarly patterned bathing suit stepped up between them.
“Ok, ok, that’s enough.”
Jackson and the group stopped to figure out who this was. “Who are you?”
“Senior Cadet Terik Mitchell. I’m Micha’s squad leader…” The cadet turned his head to address his squad mate. “…and he also needs to stand down.” Both Jackson and Micha eased their stances, their friends standing behind each of them. “Good. Micha, go back to your spot.”
“Terik, you KNOW the beach is divided by-”
“Yes, I do,” Terik interrupted, “but these new cadets probably didn’t know that, and acting like this doesn’t help them learn…and it CERTAINLY doesn’t look good coming from a member of Red Squad!”
Micha lowered his head. “No, it doesn’t.”
Terik pointed over Micha’s shoulder. “Now go back to your spot before I put you on report for harassing another cadet.” Micha scowled a bit at Jackson before turning around and going back to where his towel was. Terik turned back to Jackson and the crew. “I’m sorry about that. Micha tends to get a little aggressive when it comes to doing things his way.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Jeremy replied as Jackson moved his focus from Micha to Terik.
“We didn’t realize that there was a hierarchy to the beach,” Jackson added.
Terik spread out his arms. “Well, there really isn’t, but as you can see, most cadets tend to stick with their own years. But while that’s true, it’s basically ‘first come, first serve’ at this beach.”
“Thank you,” Jackson replied. He looked around the nearly full beach. “I guess, I guess we’ll go look for a spot over…somewhere.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
The group all turned their heads around to see Terik gesturing for them to follow him. “You can all come stay with us.”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “I…um, ok, sure. I’m Jackson Porter.”
“Yes, I know who you are. My dad is a pilot and he had your dad as instructor. He mentioned that you’d be a new cadet this year.” Terik held out his hand. “Senior Cadet Terik Mitchell, Red Squad Leader and soon-to-be new pilot.”
Jackson shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. And thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, but don’t expect this treatment all the time,” Terik chuckled. “I remember what it was like having everything thrown at me at once.” As the group walked through the senior cadets lying down, they got more than a few dirty looks. “Don’t worry about them. As long as you’re with me, you’re good.”
When they got to the empty spot, the cadets put their towels down and enjoyed their time. Jackson found out that his dad not only was an instructor for Terik’s dad, but he was also his commander after he went from flight school instructor back to a traditional fighter wing. He also got some good advice about some of the classes he was taking and will be taking in his Academy path as a pilot.
As the day turned to evening, the beach slowly emptied as students decided to head back to their barracks. Glancing at a chrono, Jackson noticed that the mess hall would only be open for another hour. He and his friend all gathered their items and said their goodbyes.
“Thank you again for everything,” Jackson said to Terik.
“Anytime, JP. I’m sure our paths will cross again, but until then, good luck with everything,” Terik replied.
The group started walking away and walked past Micha and the couple friends that he was still with. Micha watched them as they walked by but didn’t give any bad vibes off. Being the last one to walk by, Jackson gave a slight nod in Micha’s direction. Micha initially didn’t reply, but then gave a slight facial nod.
When Jackson and company got to the mess hall, it was almost completely empty since it was only going to be open for a short while longer. Jackson and Jeremy decided to get their food to go and head back to their rooms. Once they got back, they each sat down at their desk and opened the to-go containers.
“So, you and Terik spent a lot of time talking,” Jeremy said.
Jackson took a bite of his sandwich. “Yeah, we talked about fighter stuff. He’s also in the Starfighter Corps path and gave me some tips for working my way through classes and trainings.”
“Nice! It certainly never hurts to have friends in high places,” Jeremy replied as he took a sip of his drink. “Of course, once I’m an admiral, you’ll have another friend in a high place.”
Jackson chuckled. “Just an admiral? You don’t want to be C-in-C?”
“Nah. Something tells me mad-man Micha will probably climb up to that position, leaving a path of destruction behind him.”
“Hmm,” Jackson mumbled, “well maybe I just have to beat him to the top.”
Family Matter
The first semester had come and gone, and Jackson was on a shuttle back to his hometown for the Christmas and New Year break. It had been a busy semester and he was eager to get home to see his family in-person for the first time since he left. He was sure the 10 days of break would go by quickly, but nonetheless, being home would still feel great.
As he walked up the sidewalk to his house, he noticed the lovely Christmas lights and the decorated tree through the front window. This time of the year was always his favorite. While his dad was stationed in the Sol System, he and his mom lived mostly in upstate New York, so he learned to appreciate the cold.
Jackson pulled on the handle and the front door opened. He entered quickly and shut the door behind him, shutting out the cold wind and snow. “Mom? Dad?” he yelled as he kicked off his boots.
“Ahhhh!” Alicia’s head poked from around the kitchen. She placed the serving spoon and bowl down to run to hug her son. “Welcome home, son!”
Jackson dropped his jacket on top of his duffel bag and hugged his mom tightly. “Mom! I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too, JP!”
“Is that cadet I see down there my son?” The voice of Jackson’s dad was shortly followed by his body frame as Henry walked down the stairs from the second floor to hug his son.
“Hey dad!” Jackson hugged his dad tightly. “It’s great to see both of you!” He sniffed the air. “Is that steak I smell?”
Alicia chuckled. “And mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls…all of your favorites!”
The group walked into the kitchen where the food was mostly spread out. Alicia picked up the bowl full of mashed potatoes and serving spoon she was previously holding and handed them to Jackson. “Dig in!”
“I bet you’re dying for something other than whatever they’ve been serving you in the mess hall,” Henry added. “I remember what they had during my first year. I’m fairly sure even the roaches would’ve had a problem digesting some of it.”
Jackson chuckled. “The mess hall food actually isn’t that bad. I try to save my replicator credits for the weekly dinners a group of us try to have together, so I eat there most of the time.”
“So, tell us everything!” Alicia said. “How are your classes? And have you made many friends of the other cadets?”
Jackson swallowed a mouthful of food. “Classes are going well. I passed all of my finals for this semester pretty easily.” He took another bite of steak. “As for friends, I’ve made a bunch of friends, mostly in my year. Jeremy and I have all the same classes together.”
“Nothing wrong with a familiar face to help things seem better,” Henry replied. “What about the other cadets? From your letters to us, it sounds like you’ve made many new friends.”
“Yeah, I’ve made a few new friends. Mostly ones that I see more often, but a couple of them I only have one class with. Of course, there are also plenty of those who aren’t there to make friends, and they’ve made their intentions quite clear.” He paused. “But to be fair, none of us joined up to be part of a social club. We joined up to become Starfleet officers, and to serve the people of the Federation.”
Henry nodded and tapped the table a couple times. “Well said. Sounds like you’re taking in what the instructors are teaching quite well.”
Jackson also nodded. “That, and I’ve gotten some good tips here and there from a really cool Senior Cadet I met. His name is Terik Mitchell, and he’s in Red Squad!”
“Red Squad? You’ve made friends with members of Red Squad?” The surprise in Henry’s voice made both Alicia and Jackson stop eating to look at him.
“Is that a bad thing? What is Red Squad?” Alicia asked.
Jackson turned to address his mom. “It’s an elite group of cadets. They are considered the best of the best, and it’s the goal of just about every cadet to become a part of Red Squad-”
“-and it should be at the top of your list,” Henry butted in.
“Henry,” Alicia softly stated, “you promised to not push anything while he’s home.”
“I know, I know…but it’s just…like he said, Red Squad is the best of the best.” Henry gestured back to Jackson. “Sorry. Continue.”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about Red Squad. You were in it, right? What was it like?”
Henry glanced over at Alicia as if to say ‘I told you so’, and was met with ‘fine, go ahead’ eyes from his wife. “Actually…I wasn’t in Red Squad.”
“Wh-what? Why not?”
“Umm,” Alicia started, “maybe right now isn’t the best time to ask that.”
“No. He has the right to know.” Henry wiped his mouth and placed his napkin on the table. “Son, I’ve told you how your mother and I met, right?”
“Yeah, you met while you were at the Academy. You mean you DIDN’T meet there?” Jackson curiously asked.
Henry shook his head. “Oh, we did. We met at the Spring Formal during my Sophomore year. We went out on a few dates during the short summer break and kept dating throughout my time at the Academy. Eventually, I asked her to marry me, and the rest is history.” Henry took Alicia’s hand from across the table and the two exchanged smiles.
Jackson’s eyes darted back and forth between his parents. “Soooo then what’s the big deal?”
“Well, you see,” Alicia started, “at that fateful Spring Formal, I was there as the date of another cadet…one Derek Marmillo.
“Why do I recognize that name?” Jackson said. There was a pause as his parents waited for it to click. “Wait a minute! Isn’t Vice Admiral Marmillo the commander of the whole Third Fleet?”
Henry nodded. “Yup, the same Derek Marmillo. He was a senior when I was a sophomore, and he wasn’t too keen on the fact that I took his girl, especially given how he was so in love with you.”
Alicia sighed. “Yeah, well the feelings weren’t totally mutual. He was nice, and successful at the Academy, but it wasn’t long into us dating that I realized that it wasn’t going to work out for us. That was around the time we went to the Spring Formal.”
“That was when we first met,” Henry chimed in. “I went with another cadet in my company who had no one else to go with. Hell, neither of us really wanted to go. When I went over to the punch bowl for the fifth time, I saw Alicia standing there looking like she wanted to be anywhere except at the dance. We started talking and decided to meet up sometime afterwards.”
Jackson chuckled. “I imagine that Marmillo wasn’t too thrilled about that.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Henry took a ship of his drink. “And that, son, is why I never made it into Red Squad. Derek made sure that I didn’t make it into Red Squad, and his friends that he influenced that came after him made sure of it as well, even though I was more than qualified for it.”
Jackson shook his head hard. “What? That’s a terrible reason for you to have not gotten into Red Squad! Makes me wonder how many others he screwed over on his way up to admiral. Man, if I ever see him, I’m going to make sure he knows who my dad is.”
“Jackson!” Alicia stated.
He turned his head to face his mom. “What? I’m not going to be rude or do anything unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. I’m just going to make sure he knows that I’m as bold and hard-working as dad.”
“I’m sure he already knows,” Henry said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s been checking in on my career and life all along. That’s the kind of petty he is.” Henry put his cup down and stared at Jackson. “But that’s not how petty WE are.”
Jackson lowered his head. “Yes, dad.”
Henry started eating again. “Now…you mentioned this Red Squad senior, does he seem like someone you can trust?”
“Yes, I’ve talked to him a few times,” Jackson replied. “He’s a nice guy, and he’s even kept the more-abrasive older cadets at bay.”
“Well,” Henry slowly started, “I think it would be wise to try and quietly make yourself known to the rest of Red Squad. It never hurts to get a foot in the door early.”
Alicia nodded in agreement. “Yes, but for your sake, I would try to stay away from any of their girlfriends.”
A Formal Proposal
Jackson sat at his desk studying up on Xenobiology. Though it was only the beginning of February and they had been back for a couple weeks, some of the professors were giving out pop quizzes and sciences like Xenobiology were Jackson’s weaker subjects. Behind him, Jeremy was reviewing Astrophysics when the message notification popped up on their screens.
Spring Formal Dance
The advertisement for the yearly dance flashed up on the computer consoles on Jackson and Jeremy’s desks.
“A dance?” Jeremy said out loud.
Jackson sighed. “Yeah, my parents told me about it. It’s where they first met.”
“Oh, nice! Maybe we’ll find love at the dance.”
Jackson rocked his head back and forth slowly. “Eh, I’m not sure if I’m going to go.”
“What?” Jeremy replied. “Why not? Dude, have you already forgotten how much fun the dances in high school were?”
“No,” Jackson answered. “It’s just…I don’t know, I’m just not feeling it.”
Jeremy stood up and walked over to sit on Jackson’s bed, which was right next to his desk. “Alright, want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“C’mon, bud, I know you pretty well. Why don’t you want to go to the Formal?” Jeremy shifted himself on the bed. “Are you afraid you won’t find someone to go with? The dance isn’t until the end of April, so you have two months!”
Porter swung around in his chair to face Jeremy. “I know, I know…over the break, my parents told me about how they met. Well, I already knew that they met here at the Academy, but I didn’t know that my dad basically stole my mom from the person she went to the formal with during his sophomore year. Oh, and by the way, her date was Vice Admiral Derek Marmillo!”
Jeremy’s jaw dropped. “What!? The same Admiral Marmillo that led the Third Fleet to victory against the mass Breen fleet a decade ago?”
Jackson nodded. “Yup, same admiral.”
“Wow, crazy…but what does that have to do with you?
“Well…I guess nothing…but…” Jackson tried to think of a reason to get out of going to the dance, but he realized that he was going to have to go. “Fine, I’ll go! I just hope I can find someone to go with.”
“Awesome!” Jeremy exclaimed as he got off Jackson’s bed and went back to his desk. “You’ve got plenty of time to find someone.”
Jackson had turned back to his computer but paused and turned back to face Jeremy. “Actually, there is someone I could ask.”
==========
A few days after deciding to attend the Spring Formal, Jackson and Jeremy were heading to the mess hall after class. As they were rounding the corner to enter the dining hall, Jackson bumped into another cadet, sending him falling to the side and sending her and her open backpack of PADDs scattering across the ground.
Jackson picked himself up and went to help the cadet. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
“No, it was my fault,” the cadet replied in a thick Scottish accent, “I was reading a PADD and not watching where I was going.” She reached down to take the stack of PADDs from Jackson’s hands and the two caught each other’s eyes. “I, uh…I’m Kayla. I mean, Cadet MacIntyre, from Echo Company.”
Jackson smiled. “Nice to meet you. Cadet Porter, er, Jackson Porter, Bravo Company.” The two looked at each other like embarrassed school kids for a moment before Jackson cleared his throat. “So, uhhh, what are you reading up on?”
Kayla finished throwing them back in her bag and pulled the bag back over her shoulder. “A little bit of everything. I seem to be good at remembering the right amount of everything to pass my exams, but not enough to get better grades. At this rate, I’ll end up being assigned to Ops on a cargo ship somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Jackson replied. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded to Jeremy to let him know to go on without him, then faced back at Kayla. “Is there something I might be able to help you with?”
“Besides everything?” Kayla chuckled.
“Oh, come on, everyone’s got some things they’re good at and some things they need some help with.” Jackson thought for a second. “How about a favorite class?”
Kayla gave a small nod. “I actually really like Starship Design. Like, I think I might end up making Engineering my division of choice.”
“And how are you doing in that class?”
“I, uh…well, it’s actually my best class. I have a nearly perfect grade in it.”
Jackson smiled. “Well there you go! See? It’s not all bad. You just need some help in some of the other subjects, and I’d be happy to help…I mean, if you’d like.”
Kayla smiled and blushed a little bit. “Sure, it’s a date! I mean, a study date…well, not a date, but…you know what I mean.”
“Sure, sounds good. Let me know when you want to meet up and we’ll figure out a time.” Jackson glanced over to Jeremy and saw that he was standing at the tray dispenser with a smile a mile wide. “I, uh, better get some dinner before chow time is over.
“Ok.”
“Ok.”
Awkward pause…
“Yo, let’s get in line, bud!” Jeremy’s voice snapped Jackson and Kayla out of their staring trances.
“Ok, see ya!” Kayla adjusted her bag and left the mess hall as Jackson turned and headed over to meet Jeremy. With a smile bigger than one any Denobulan could wear, he picked up a tray and got in line ahead of Jeremy. “Shut up, don’t say a thing,” he said before Jeremy could say anything.
==========
Jackson and Kayla sat outside in the freshman quad looking over study guides. It turns out that Kayla wasn’t kidding when she said that she was struggling in several classes, but she was making progress overall.
Kayla put her hands on her temples and rubbed them. “Oy, I need a break. We’ve been at this for a couple hours now.”
Jackson glanced at his chrono and put down the PADD he was holding. “Wow, so we have! A break sounds good.” He stretched his arms upward and took in a big breath. Kayla took a deep breath and tossed her PADD to the side.
“So, tell me, Mister Porter, what’s it like having a full-bird colonel for a father?” she randomly asked.
As many times as he had been asked that, it was a bit of a surprise coming from Kayla. Nevertheless, he chuckled. “Honestly, it wasn’t what most people think it was. He had a steady position at Earth, so we never had to move. There definitely was a Starfleet feel to home life, but he knew how to differentiate between the two. I mean, I definitely had to have my bed made to specs, but it’s not like he made me do pushups when it wasn’t made right.”
“Ha,” Kayla exclaimed, “my folks were the opposite. Not that they didn’t care about things like that, but more that they knew that my free-spirit life was what made me happy. I didn’t have many friends, so I usually just did my own thing.”
“Really? You’re a really cheery and friendly person, I doubt you had NO friends,” Jackson replied in slight surprise.
Kayla shrugged and smiled. “I guess it’s just my cheerful smile that gives off that vibe.”
“It’s a very good vibe,” Jackson replied.
Kayla smiled and the two caught themselves staring at each other for a few moments before she picked up a PADD. “You know, I think we’ve studied long enough for today. Any longer and my brain will probably turn into a PADD.” Kayla picked up the other PADDs, put them in her bag, and stood up. “Thank you so much for helping me out, JP.”
Jackson stood up and smiled. He hadn’t been called that nickname in a while. “Anytime. I’m glad we got to spend some time together…to study, I mean…”
Kayla blushed a little bit, and without thinking about it, she reached out and hugged Jackson. “I hope to see you again soon.”
As Kayla started to slowly walk away, Jackson took a deep breath. “Kayla.”
Kayla stopped and turned around. “Yes?”
“Would you…I was wondering if you would like to go to the spring formal with me.”
The question took Kayla by surprise, but it was a good surprise. “I would love that.” Kayla smiled again and headed back in the direction she was originally going. “I’ll see you later, JP.”
Jackson picked up his PADD and headed back to his dorm, suddenly excited for the formal.
So You Think You Can Dance?
The Spring Formal was three days away. Jackson and Kayla both picked out their outfits for the dance a few days ago. In the short couple months since they met back in February, they also found time to hang out several times. At one point, they even went out on their first official date on a weekend when they both had some time away from everything.
After a long day of studying, Jackson walked back up to his dorm room where Jeremy was lying on his bed.
“Hey bud,” Jeremy said without looking up from his game on his PADD.
“Hey! Working hard, I see,” Jackson replied.
Jeremy sighed. “Well, I USED to spend some extra time with my best friend, but he seems to be busy with hearts in his eyes.”
Jackson dropped his backpack on his bed and sat down on it. He faced Jeremy and cocked his head sideways. “Dude, really? I see you more than anyone else.”
“Yeah, really,” Jeremy replied as he sat up. “I’m super happy for you that you found a new girlfriend, but I only see you in classes and when we’re back here.” He sighed again. “I miss hanging out, bro.”
Jackson hung his head and put his hands up. “Ok, ok, I admit it, it’s been a couple weeks since we’ve hung out, but needed a lot of help with midterms, and you know that our exams were pretty tough.”
“Yeah, true…” A somewhat-awkward pause followed. “Listen, I really am happy for you two, bud. Just promise me that you won’t forget about your ol’ boy too much longer.” Jeremy lay back down and threw his arm over his head. “I…I just can’t do it anymore, laddie!” he continued using his best Montgomery Scott impression.
Jackson chuckled. “For God’s sake, man, I’m a Cadet, not a doctor,” he said in a Doctor McCoy-like voice.
The two got a good laugh out of their impersonations. “Well, I am happy that you seem to have found yourself a girlfriend. And when you two eventually get married and have lots of kids, I can’t wait to tell you ‘I told you so’ about going to this dance. Plus, Jeremy is a good name for a boy.”
Jackson rolled his eyes and pulled out a PADD with some study material on it. As the two got to their respective tasks, the doorbell chimed. “Come in,” Jackson said. In walked T’Shaar, “Hey, T’Shaar.”
T’Shaar nodded towards Jackson. “Good evening, gentlemen. I see that you two are hard at work, like always.”
Without looking up from his game, Jeremy replied, “I see you’ve been working on your sense of humor. Well, you know what they say: all work and no play makes Jeremy a dull boy.”
There was a pause while T’Shaar processed what he just said. “I was not attempting to be humorous, and I fail to see how studying for exams will make you less sharp in any way.”
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Please tell me that was a joke.”
“It was, and a good one, if I may say so,” T’Shaar replied.
“It’s good enough for me,” Jackson answered. “So, what brings you here tonight, T’Shaar?”
T’Shaar placed her hands behind her back. “I require some assistance with the upcoming formal.” She took a deep breath. “It has come to my attention that I do not know how to dance.”
Both Jackson and Jeremy looked away from what they were doing and over to T’Shaar. “I’m sorry, what?” Jackson replied.
T’Shaar nodded. “While there are some dance styles on Vulcan, I never had the time to learn them. However, it appears that I may have to learn some…‘moves’, as you call them.”
Jeremy tossed his PADD aside and sat straight up. “So, you’re not joking? You really want to learn to dance?” T’Shaar didn’t reply, she simply kept looking at Jeremy with her usual calm demeanor. “Well, you have come to the right place to learn. Back in high school, the only people who danced better than me and my boyfriend were Jackson and whatever girl he was dating at the time.”
T’Shaar sighed. “Your dating patterns aside, I still require your assistance.”
Jeremy got up from the bed. “Alright, well let’s get to this. Computer, play some light jazz…something to dance to.” The computer beeped and started playing some music. Immediately, Jeremy started moving to the music. “So, the key to dancing is to just let your body move to the music.”
While Jackson watched Jeremy start dancing, he looked over and saw T’Shaar watching the dancing movements intently. If anyone walked in at this moment, one would think that T’Shaar was just being a creeper. As the music kept going, Jeremy kept trying to do keep it to the basic moves.
“Well?” Jeremy finally said, “give it a try!”
T’Shaar let out a sigh. She lifted her hands up to try and mimic the way Jeremy’s were, and started swaying back and forth in place. T’Shaar tried her best to copy Jeremy, using her Vulcan focus to pay attention to each little movement. This, combined with her stone-still face, was very humorous to Jackson, who let out a laugh.
“Is there something you find funny?” T’Shaar asked, not breaking her concentration.
Jackson put his hand over his mouth and tried to stop laughing. “I’m sorry, it’s just…you just look so stiff!” Jeremy started laughing as well, breaking his own dance moves.
T’Shaar stopped and sighed. “Computer, pause music. If you are going to laugh at my attempts to try something new, perhaps I should go find someone else who can teach me this.”
“Ok, ok, we’re sorry. It’s just not often that we see a Vulcan dancing.” Jeremy sat on his bed to take a quick rest. “How about we try slow dancing instead?”
“That’s a good idea! How about a waltz?” Jackson replied. He stood up, took one of T’Shaar’s hands and held it up in place, then placed his other hand around her waist. “Ok, so here’s the basics of a waltz. It’s a slow partner dance with steps based on a three count. It goes like this. One, two, three, one, two, three…” While he counted off, Jackson pulled T’Shaar along with the steps. For T’Shaar, it was odd at first, but she slowly started to understand the pattern more.
“Yeah, there you go,” Jeremy said. “See? It’s too easy!”
“This is certainly easier than the dancing that Cadet Ortiz was trying to show me,” T’Shaar replied, keeping her attention on Jackson’s movements.
Jackson nodded. “Looks good. Computer, play a waltz…uh, “The Blue Danube”, please.” The music started and the two started dancing as if T’Shaar had been dancing a waltz for years. “From what I’ve heard, there will be several slow dances, so this will help you for at least some of the Formal.”
“Now if we could only get you to be able to move around for the rest of the dancing.” After Jeremy said that, the clock chimed to signal that dinner hours for the Freshman class were starting. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but all this dancing has made me hungry. Shall we head to dinner?”
T’Shaar and Jackson stopped dancing and stepped back from each other. “Sounds good to me,” Jackson replied. “Care to join us T’Shaar?”
“I have some classwork to do before I eat my final meal today. I thank both of you for showing me some…dance moves.” T’Shaar emphasized the last words as only a Vulcan can.
“Our pleasure, see you later.” Jackson nodded to T’Shaar as she nodded and left the room. When the door closed, the two men looked at each other with huge smiles. “Well, that was surely something special,” Jackson stated.
“Dancing Vulcans…now I can die happy,” Jeremy replied, “but I’ll be even happier getting dinner, so let’s go!”