Kirk snatched back his arm once the technicians had halfway completed the task. He tapped on the button making a very special mode activate. He went over to the cure being made in progress. He opened a compartment to the titanium arm sliding in a drop. Once it landed in the fuel supply the de-accelerator should replicate. The young man looked in the direction of Spock and then to Bones coming to a decision.

The cure was halfway done.

This had to work.

Kirk returned to the environmental room seeing a machine hooked into the panels and the other parts of the system. Pike did not seem to be pleased. Ensign Sarah, had on her dark matching outfit without the red shirt. Her hands were interlaced in the much larger hands of Fran. Kirk knew the risks of his plan. He knew this would cost in the loss of his prosthetic arm and that it was a very stupid move, as Bones would say.

"You see, we are doing it for the safety of our race." Rael said.

"What about ours?" Pike asked. "Do we not have a say? If you want our help you could have specified. We could have created a cure for you, one stable, better than the one you have created that has so far failed."

"Rael," Kirk said. "You have few people who are willing to stay, why not let the others live their lives instead of being stuck here?"

"We need them." Rael said.

"No, you don't," Pike said. "We are stubborn and we refuse to be treated as lab rats."

"You are not lab rats." Rael said

"Using us to procreate your kind is exactly lab rats." Pike said.

"We will be bringing the others on here for them to choose." Rael said.

Pike looked over toward Sarah.

"And you agreed to this?" Pike asked.

"I wouldn't be happy if I said no." Sarah asked.

"Captain, may we speak in private?" Kirk asked.

The two went out of the room into a private part of the hall.

"Lieutenant, do you have a better idea?"

"Affirmative," Kirk said. "I can stop them."

Pike raised an eyebrow.

"You? Against twenty plus people?" Pike asked.

"Captain, my plan is going to bring them down to our level . . ." Kirk paused. "I don't think I will walk away from this. If Spock or the doctor comes with the cure, tell them I died, due to accidental phaser firing." He took out a vile. "I replicated the cure faster than they could." He handed it to the captain. "I will take care of it. Just make sure to get the machine out of the binds."

"Lieutenant, how long have you been planning this?" Pike asked.

"Three hours ago," Kirk said. "Please. Don't. I need to do this. I have to face my Kobyashi Maru."

Pike's face became pale as he nodded.

"Go." Pike said.

Kirk went down the hallway until he vanished. Pike returned into the room. If he knew Spock, the logical Vulcan, then he would be headed this way to the environmental room. Pike entered the room where the door closed behind him. His hand clenched up into a fist. He had to give it a shot even without the Vulcan. He approached the machine only to be caught into a confrontation that became a fight. Ensign Sarah couldn't stand to see her superior without any defense. She let of Fren's hand and got in the way only to be knocked down forcefully to the floor knocking her head on a sharp object. She landed on her side bleeding.

"NO!" Fran shouted.

"She was so young," Pike said, looking down toward the body that was aging rapidly. "Why is she aging?"

"If she got a injury, she would have died anyway." Rael said.

Fran lunged in the direction of Rael.

"YOU BASTARD!" Fran shouted.

Pike stepped out of the way to let the two fight it out and quite possibly killing each other. Rael smacked Fran against the wall, "You can get another!" to which the Scalosian replied, "I can never get another of her! Never!" Rael sneered, and then he did what was mostly the most deadly move. He snapped Fran's neck. Fran collasped near the Ensign's body that was becoming dust and her uniform was left behind.

The doors opened.

"Captain," Came Spock into the room. "Do you need any assistance?

"Don't you even think about it." Rael said.

Pike looked over toward Spock then shared a grim nod and turned his head toward Rael. The two made their move. Rael, for being strong, was the one who had the upper hand. The two worked together to force the man out of the room. Rael staggered back with a annoyed expression rubbing his forehead. Spock stepped eyed at the Scalosian.

"Deela to Rael, come here, immediately!" Came a cracky voice. "There is important matters!"

"I am coming, my queen." Rael said.

"Now, let's get rid of that machine." Pike said.

"Captain, where is the Lieutenant?" Spock asked.

"He is dead." Pike lied.

Eventually they cleared up the environmental machine, Pike handed Spock something into his hands. Spock raised an eyebrow at the human and then Pike took a sip of the vile that Spock had handed him, he at first made a disgusted look, then said, "Mr Spock, a drink to the Enterprise." He held up the empty vile. Spock raised an eyebrow then he opened his hand to see a vile that was the cure then he clunked his vile with the empty one. And then Spock was gone.

Pike excited the room first and headed in the direction that Jim had gone.

Shortly afterwards Spock came following.

"Captain," Spock said. "How long were you in the room?"

"It was Kirk who got it," Pike said. "Before he was killed by a injury."

And then there was a shake, a large tremor, a explosion of the kind. Spock and Pike went in the source of the explosion. Bones was there equally as fast as they were. Bones was there first with his hands on the window, banging on it shouting expletives, and there only English words Spock could hear was "DAMN IT, JIM!" Pike looked over to see several burned individuals leaned over on their sides curled up who were in unusual attire and the dead center was a slumped over body lacking a right arm on a stair case. His face was covered in burns. His eyes eyes slowly opened to reveal the baby blue eyes that were bright than anything in the room. Spock froze recognizing those eyes.

"Captain. . ." Spock said, emotionless and detached.

"The lieutenant knew what he was doing. His Kobyashi Maru," Pike drew Bones away as Nurses came to the sight. Spock was unable to form a reply as he looked over toward the unrecognizable face. "Doctor . . ."

"You knew what he was going to do?" Bones asked.

"I did." Pike said.

Kirk found it amusing: he was in a state similar to Anakin Skywalker left out on the ground of lava burning ashes headed down toward the lava with a severely burned body and one arm remaining. It was eerily similar. Kirk had a smile watching Bones be furious at the captain. The doors came to a gentle open and his eyes briefly closed. He could hear the sounds of coughing, the sounds of feet moving, the sounds of orders being sent around the room, and panic. He could smell the smoke all about the room mostly from himself. For once he was in control of his fate. For once he felt that he had done the right thing. For once he believed his life was going back on track. Everything felt right. He didn't have the hero complex. He was just trying to find his path, his life, and what he was meant to do. He felt like he had been tossed off his road of destiny starting from his birth.

Would he get awards for such a stupid act?

Not likely.

Kirk felt happy in the darkness as he felt a hand place itself on the side of his face. His eyes forced themselves open where he heard a voice requesting to rest. He heard Bones voice, and a "You, I'll deal with you later, I have patients to get to and you look fine!" Probably the captain. He didn't feel regrets. He was transported to the moment that he had been given the news. The news that made him faint.

"Cadet James T. Kirk," The first Admiral leaned forward with his hands together frowning at the young man. The Vulcan was staring at Kirk's direction, curiously. "It has come to our attention that you have cheated," Kirk cleared his throat, bracing himself, for the news. This time he would be prepared. "And due to your original thinking, you have passed, and you will take command of the USS Enterprise. . . You may now relieve Captain Pike."

There was a man in a wheelchair, Captain Pike, with grayed hair.

"No." Kirk said.

The scenery changed back to the room where he was given the bad news.

"This is right." Kirk said, hands behind his back.

The scenery was getting lighter and there were people in the background. He looked over to see the Vulcan was well pleased with himself and he wanted to sucker punch him. Kirk sighed, shaking his head. Dontyoudaredothattoavulcanyouknowbetter you know better, Kirk reminded himself. He lifted his chin up toward the judges of the panel who looked cross. He wanted to hear their answer.

"Cadet James T. Kirk," The first Admiral leaned forward with his hands together frowning at the young man. The Vulcan was staring at Kirk's direction, curiously. "It has come to our attention that you have cheated," Kirk cleared his throat, bracing himself, for the news. This time he would be prepared. "And due to your original thinking, you have passed the Kobyashi Maru."

A sigh of relief escaped the cadet lips.

"Do you have any words to say?" The first admiral asked,.

"I don't believe in a no-scenario," Kirk said. "In defense of the simulation, sirs,how we face death is at least as important as how we face life."

The words echoed back at him.

Familiar, more appropriate words.

"I am proud of you, son." Came a familiar voice.

Kirk looked over to see his father, clad in the 2233 uniform, smiling proudly.

A lone tear escaped down Kirk's face.

"Dad," Kirk said. "I am sorry."

"Don't be," George said. "You just got yourself out of the gutters!" He patted his son's back. "Now go back."

"But I am done." Kirk said.

"No, you are not," George said. "You need a couple more decades under your belt and then we can talk about crossing over."

"Crossing. . . over?" Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"You're on the bridge, Tiberius."

Kirk looked around.

"This is a memory . . ." Kirk said. "Of the bridge."

He was on the bridge where everyone was frozen rolling the video.

"A memory that you have chosen to live in the last moments of your life," George said. "Kid, going out there and making your prosthetic arm a explosive device was genius and dangerous at the same time!" He had a sigh. "But I do have to say, you have turned out better than your brother. You saved people by risking your life. It took me eleven minutes. It took you an hour."

"Dad . . ." Kirk said.

"Do me a favor and stay." George said.

Kirk's eyes were swelling into tears and he grabbed the man about his height into a hug.

"I never knew you, this is not fair thisisnotfair thisisnotfair THISISNOTFAIR!" Kirk said, inbetween his tears.

"Life is not fair." George said, breaking the hug. "The world is not done with Lieutenant James Tiberius Kirk. You are too young to leave. Now go back to the Vulcan."

That mostly stunned the phooy out of Kirk to hear that about a Vulcan FROM HIS FATHER.

"Why go to him?" Kirk asked. "We don't have anything in common and I barely know him!"

"There is something you have to learn," George said. "Not even the universe can separate you two. Your friendship, well, it is very powerful." He smiled and patted on his son's shoulder. "I will be waiting for you."

Kirk reached his hand out seeing the man vanishing before his eyes.

"DAD!" Kirk shouted.

"I love you, son." George said.

Spock took his hand off Kirk's face once he had believed the man's life had ended. Unexpectedly, his chest started to raise up and down. Spock was bewildered by it. His arched eyebrows raised up and he turned around, appearing to be unfazed by the recent miracle. Bones came into the room with a gurney and Nurse Chapel, "Doctor, the Lieutenant just came back from the dead."

And Kirk's eyes were closed.