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

[boldygoing]

Spock looks lightly puzzled. "The Nexus must be a relatively small space, then?" That doesn't sound logical. A convergence of multiple universes should be an incredibly crowded hub, particularly when such universes are so numerous as to be practically infinite.

[losthunter]

"No. Quite the opposite in fact. It has endless locations and potential places to meet up."

"There is a common area where people first arrive, and ask their questions."

"And as for Verity... her world is gone. It doesn't exist anymore. So she actually resides in the Nexus."

[boldygoing]

"I see." Even Spock's hard-earned Vulcan calm isn't enough to conceal his sympathy at the loss of a world, something he knows deeply, personally.

"The funny thing is, I wasn't in that common area at the time," Jim tells Hunter. "But like you said, there could be something controlling the place, making sure certain people meet."


[ooc: Are you getting email notifs? I'm not.]

[losthunter]

"My first time there was at the park... and I definitely met the right people at the right time." Hunter agrees with that sentiment.

[[huh. strange...]]

[boldygoing]

"I dunno if I like the idea of some unseen force pushing people around," McCoy says uneasily. "Especially you, Jim."

Jim is very, very tempted to say something like 'You'd think by now I'd be tired of others deciding what's best for me, right?' But he can't make himself be that petty right now. So instead he says, "I'm going into it with both eyes open, don't worry."

[losthunter]

"And it is not like we are being pushed around... or being forced to do something that we wouldn't normally do."

"It is more of benevolent unseen force... that when a new arrival shows up to the Nexus, that the door opens in a place where there are others around to provide assistance and guidance."

"If Jim didn't want to talk to Verity, or me, or anyone else he had bumped into... he would have walked away and no one would force him to stay put. He had the choice to just turn around and go back through his door the whole time."

[boldygoing]

Jim nods in agreement, definitely glad that he and Hunter decided to do this conversation together. It's a lot easier to not sound nuts when someone else backs you up. "Besides, you want to talk about weird unseen forces pushing people together, don't forget that Ambassador Spock's Enterprise had the same bridge crew we do, and they got together under completely different circumstances."

[losthunter]

"It is a great place to make friends and new acquaintances. I even know of people who met in the Nexus, fell in love, and got married and had a family."

"One of my friends, his parents are from different dimensions. He wouldn't exist if they had not met in the Nexus."

[boldygoing]

"That's a hell of a long distance relationship," Uhura says, impressed. Her gaze also flicks briefly between Hunter and Jim, though she doesn't say anything else.

[losthunter]

Hunter noticed that brief gaze. He smiled softly.

"It is not like they jumped into anything right away. They dated for a couple years. During that time, April, my friend's mother, had lived in the Nexus. Then once they were married, April moved into her husband's dimension. That is where the family live now."

He looks around the house, smiling a little. "In a farm house in Smallville, Kansas."

[boldygoing]

"You know, for a city guy, you know a hell of a lot of country folks," Jim says, a little amused.

[losthunter]

"Much easier to wine and dine a country folk, who might be impressed by the many swanky restaurants in the big city," Hunter teases lightly.

[boldygoing]

Speaking of dining, everyone seems to be done with lunch, so Jim gathers up the few dishes and puts them in the sterilizer, a process that also only takes a minute or so. Spock inclines his head a little. "Thank you, captain. This meeting has been most enlightening."

"Duty calls?" Jim guesses, noticing that both Spock and Uhura look like they're getting ready to leave.

"Unfortunately," Uhura confirms. "Nothing urgent, but there's still a lot of paperwork that's been piling up."

[losthunter]

"Thank you for being so open-minded." Hunter stands to say his good-bye.

[boldygoing]

Spock tilts his head again, and Hunter will be able to tell he is somewhat reluctant to leave, fascinated by the implications that the Nexus's existence opens up. "One must always be open to new possibilities. To assume that we know all that exists is arrogance in its totality."

"'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,'" McCoy drawls. He, too, is getting ready to leave, as they all came together, and the doctor is less than eager for Jim to have to give him a lift to the shuttleport on his bike, so he can't miss his ride.

[losthunter]

"And the three of you are more than welcome to come by my Nexus apartment, the next thing we get together." They will get a small taste of what the Nexus offers from his place.

"I will make supper." He grins.

[boldygoing]

"I'm sure we can schedule something," Uhura agrees, smiling.

"A gracious offer," Spock agrees. Of course, he's now more aware than before that Hunter has had almost no contact with Vulcans before. And just because someone eats one vegetarian meal does not necessarily mean they always eat that way, so it is logical to inform a potential dinner host of his culture's dietary restrictions long before it becomes an issue. "Please be advised, I do not consume meat."

[losthunter]

"A gracious host always finds out the dinner preferences of their guests. I will make sure to have a suitable option for you."

"And if anyone has any allergies, I will be sure to avoid those." That might be something else that is not as common in the future, as it is during Hunter's timeline.

[boldygoing]

Allergies, sadly, are still around in the twenty-third century, but those that are related to food are a bit rarer than medical allergies. "I'll getcha a list," Jim tells him with a grin, as he sees his guests to the door.

McCoy grabs Jim up in a hug before he goes, though. "Don't do anything dumb, Jim. I'm not kidding. You're on medical leave for another two weeks; try 'n act like it, all right?"

Jim rolls his eyes a little and thumps a hand against the doctor's back. "I'll take it easy, Bones."

McCoy releases him, and looks past Jim to Hunter. "I still say this all sounds crazy, but I guess now I've got somethin' to think about for a bit."

[losthunter]

"Maybe it be a nice distraction, ever now and then." Hunter grins. He is glad to see that Jim does have such a protective doctor, who is also his friend.

[boldygoing]

Jim appreciates that too, although sometimes the mother henning gets to be a bit much. "I'll see you next week, if not sooner," he promises.

And then Jim and Hunter are alone again, as the others take their leave. "Well that went better than I expected," Jim admits, his body relaxing a little as some of the tension leaves his shoulders.

[losthunter]

"Me too..." Hunter smiles. He sits back down. "I am glad we told them."

[boldygoing]

"It's gonna make taking side trips a bit easier," Jim agrees. "Like if I show up with a bag full of apples in the middle of deep space again, at least now I've got a good excuse. And co-conspirators."

[losthunter]

"I can just imagine their faces when you had done that..." Hunter chuckles.

[boldygoing]

Jim shrugs a little. "It's not the first time I've smuggled apples somewhere I'm not supposed to have them. First time it's been more than one, though. Good thing that old saying about apples warding off doctors is bullshit, right?"