Big Reveals [for losthunter]

[boldygoing]

Jim has been in Starfleet Medical for eight weeks before he's finally released. Which is not to say he's been cleared for duty, mind you. But he's recovered enough not to need that kind of constant medical supervision, able to take the rest of his treatment as outpatient. He has physical therapy three times a week, exercises to do at home, and of course Doctor McCoy is still keeping an eagle eye on his diet, something that annoys Jim to no end.

Of course, that's nothing compared to finding out that his Starfleet-assigned apartment is buried under the crashed bulk of the USS Vengeance.

Jim doesn't really give a shit about the apartment itself. Yeah, it was kind of nice to have his own place, but it's never been home. It was just a place to stay whenever the Enterprise was in port. And though it was more decorated than his quarters onboard the ship, it was all meaningless knickknacks, nothing with any real sentimental value.

No, he's more pissed about the fact that nobody told him until a month after he woke up from the coma.

He understands why, of course. McCoy gave him the whole spiel about stress being bad for his recovery, about not needing to worry himself about things he couldn't do anything about, that by the time this happened Jim was already dead, but it's a heavy blow to realize that the loss of life was far, far greater than he'd realized. Tens of thousands died or lost their homes. Yet Jim Kirk lives, when he has no right to be breathing, let alone leaving the hospital.

And it's hard not to be in a foul mood when he realizes that the only place he has to stay on Earth is in Iowa, at the old neglected Kirk homestead. At least it's not likely to be bugged by Section 31, and Jim spends two entire days sweeping the place for surveillance devices, and another three to get the house in order, before he's reassured enough to have visitors.


[OOC: Image links to replace broken ones below:
23rd century Iowa
Mind meld position]

Comments

[losthunter]

"I would enjoy that..." Hunter admits softly. He takes advantage of the opportunity to caress lightly against Jim's cheek when he kisses his hand.

"How are you feeling about what we are about to tell them?"

[boldygoing]

Jim considers that. "You know how some people rehearse what they're gonna say over and over, and then when the time comes, they screw it up? I've never been good at the whole 'planning it out' part," he admits.

"I didn't tell Spock any details, but I did tell him he's probably gonna call bullshit on the story, so he should be ready for a mind meld. Are you ready for that?"

[losthunter]

"I am not quite sure what I should be ready for." Hunter admits softly. "I think the thing that scares me more... is having your protective crew want me out of your life."

[boldygoing]

Jim may be only passingly familiar with tact on some days, but he's aware enough not to outright dismiss Hunter's concern. "Why do you think they would they do that?"

[losthunter]

"I have never been in a situation like this before. I am not sure what to think." Hunter realizes he is being a little foolish.

"They might think it is against time protocols or something stupid..."

[boldygoing]

"Starfleet does take the Temporal Prime Directive pretty seriously. If our Earths were the same, just separated by a few centuries, it'd definitely be a problem. But we both know by now that they're not. The Department of Temporal Investigations would've been on my ass about it months ago. And at this point, I'm pretty sure any damage would be done already."

[losthunter]

Hunter breathes a slight sigh of relief when Jim tells him that. "I guess that is true."

[boldygoing]

"They're more likely to just think that we're both nuts," Jim admits, grinning a little. "It's one thing to say that I met a future Spock who fell through a black hole, because at least that's got science to back it up. It's a whole other thing to try to convince them that I fell through a magical hole in the multiverse that happens to also be the doorway to Conference Room One on the Enterprise. Which is why the mind meld is probably gonna be necessary."

[losthunter]

"You are very much an Alice in your own Wonderland, aren't you." Hunter playfully ruffles Jim's hair.

"Well, I am as ready as I will get."

[boldygoing]

"'But I don't want to go among mad people,'" Jim quotes, smiling a little.

Jim's not sure anyone can truly be ready for a mind meld if they've never had one before, but he also has to admit that his own first experience was not a typical one, and he can't take it as the standard. "Then I guess we'd better head back downstairs."

[losthunter]

"I think we are about done here." The bookshelf is set up with the books now. It is something for Jim to enjoy, while he has to live in his old place.

"Lead the way..."

[boldygoing]

They have decent timing, as Jim can hear the distant rumble of a hovercar engine approaching from the direction of Riverside's tiny shuttle terminal. It'll be a minute or two before it arrives, however, so Jim busies himself with the food synthesizer, creating a lemonade for himself with the push of a button. "You want anything to drink?" he asks Hunter.

[losthunter]

"Um... sure..." Hunter tilts his head again. "How does that work?"

[boldygoing]

Jim debates giving the full technical explanation, but there's a lot of technological background knowledge needed to completely understand it, so he settles on a more simplified version that'll make sense to someone without that kind of knowledge. "It's kind of similar to transporters, except it's not moving anything from one place to another. It converts energy into matter, based on preprogrammed recipes. There's a lot of stuff it can't do right, like fresh fruit, and it can't make anything where it doesn't know the formula, so nothing too exotic."

[losthunter]

"It is a little weird." Strange how this is how the future might be, some day.

[boldygoing]

"Kind of, I guess." Jim has a hard time seeing it that way, himself. Food synthesizers have done a lot to help prevent the kind of famine that once wiped out entire populations, and that's getting too deep into personal territory for today, so he doesn't say a word about it.

Instead he looks over at Hunter and smiles slightly. "What can I make you? Can't do alcohol yet though, sorry. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, fruit juice..." There's more, of course, but those seem fairly standard options.

[losthunter]

Hunter sort of wishes he could bring a little of this technology back with him. To help the hungering masses. But that is not possible.

"Orange juice?"

[boldygoing]

Jim scrolls a little further down in the digital display and selects one of the options. The little alcove in the wall lights up briefly with swirling white light, and when it fades, there's a glass of orange juice waiting inside. Jim hands it over to Hunter. "Your wish is my command."

[losthunter]

"I didn't know that I had rubbed your lamp..." Hunter has to get one more flirtatious jab at Jim, before his friends enter the farmhouse.

[boldygoing]

Jim already knows what his senior crew are likely to want, so he starts creating drinks for them too, as the hovercar finally pulls up in the driveway outside. "You wanna get the door for them?" he asks.

[losthunter]

Hunter heads to the door, opening so that the crew members are welcomed inside. He greets each of them with a smile, and a "Hello."

[boldygoing]

Jim hasn't invited the entire bridge crew, of course. This is going to be a weird enough conversation with just a few of them. So for now, at least, it's only Uhura, Spock, and McCoy.

Uhura is first inside, and she greets Hunter warmly. "Oh, I didn't realize you were here already. Did you beam over?" There is, of course, no vehicle in the driveway to indicate his arrival.

[losthunter]

He is at least glad the few who were all invited are people he had gotten to know, while Jim was in his coma. And he has a smile for Uhura, when she arrives.

"You asking me to reveal all my tricks?" He laughs softly. Not answering. But not lying either.

[boldygoing]

"Didn't realize you were a damn magician," McCoy grumbles, though Hunter will know by now that it's his default mood and not any kind of actual annoyance.

Spock regards Hunter with calm thoughtfulness, also reflecting on the lack of a second hovercar on Kirk family property. But he says nothing about it, inclining his head slightly. "Greetings, Hunter."

With Uhura's help, Jim brings the drinks out into the living room, still decorated with rather outdated furniture but at least it's clean. The strong scent of McCoy's black coffee mingles with the spicier scent of Spock's tea, and Uhura herself has some kind of yellow fruit punch. Jim takes a seat on one of the couches, not truly comfortable on the ancient padding, but drawing his comfort from the company instead.

[losthunter]

Hunter has to only laugh at McCoy's grumbling. If he only knew that actual magic did still linger in Hunter's blood.

He can also see the Vulcan's mind slowly trying to piece together the puzzle, and knows it might not take him long.

Hunter takes note of the drinks that Jim serves to everyone. And takes a seat beside Jim, after grabbing his orange drink.

He feels a little jittery still. And part of him wants to do a 'so you are all wondering why I have brought you here today', as they did in the good old mystery movies. But he instead takes a sip of his drink.