When One Door Closes ((Winter Storm event))

[losthunter]

It is another normal day waking up on the USS Enterprise. Hunter spends some time with Jim, before the Captain goes to report in for his duties.

Then he attempts to use his PINpoint to return to his apartment, to shower and change. That is when the normal day becomes unusual -- he is unable to get a portal open back to his Nexus apartment.

He at first figures it just be a glitch, and after checking to make sure Jim's shared bathroom is free -- showers there.

After his shower and a quick change to extra clothes he keeps at Jim's quarters, he tries the PINpoint again. Still nothing.

So he has to remain in Jim's quarters. This is quite strange.

Comments

[boldygoing]

Fortunately, Hunter doesn't have to wait alone. Zunar is quick to jump up on his lap, purring soothingly at him. There's no danger but something is clearly wrong. The kneazle keeps him company and sends out little insistent mental tugs to the captain on the bridge, enough that when his lunch break rolls around, Jim comes back to his quarters instead of heading to the officer's mess.

"All right, all right, what is your prob-" He stops, surprised, when he sees Hunter's still in his cabin. "Did something happen?"

[losthunter]

Hunter runs his fingers through Zunar's fur. He tries a couple times to contact a few of his Nexus friends. But the message never goes through...

He glances up when Jim comes back to his quarters at the lunch break.

"I can't open a portal to my Nexus apartment." Hunter holds out the PINpoint. He is not sure if maybe it is just his PINpoint. "Nor can I send any messages to some of our friends in the Nexus itself."

[boldygoing]

Jim frowns, taking Hunter's PINpoint and looking it over. "Wait, so you've been here all morning?" And he's been up on the bridge the whole time, oblivious.

Never mind that. He hands the device back and pulls out his own, scrolling to the first name in his contacts and trying to send a text, which bounces back immediately. So do the next few, although once he gets to Hunter's, it goes through right away. Baffled, Jim scratches at the back of his neck. "So... we're cut off from anyone in the Nexus, but the same universe is fine?"

[losthunter]

"I couldn't really go looking for you..." Hunter shrugged. He had Zunar for company.

He glances down at his PINpoint when Jim's message comes through. He never thought of sending Jim a message.

"What the hell is happening in the Nexus?" A question they won't be able to answer.

"Does this mean I could PINpoint to a location in your universe?"

[boldygoing]

"I guess not." Still, it bothers Jim to know that Hunter's basically been trapped in the captain's quarters - still could be, if he can't get home. Jim rubs at the back of his neck, uneasy. This could be something temporary, but... what if it's not? Having Hunter as a regular visitor is one thing, but having him here twenty-four hours a day runs a much greater risk of him being caught.

Hunter's suggestion has merit, and Jim's PINpoint has coordinates that'd fit the bill. He frowns, looking down at his communicator. "Worth a shot. If I can get you to my apartment in San Francisco..."

[losthunter]

Hunter nods. It is at least something.

He doesn't want to ask this... but it weighs on his mind. "What happens if this is more than just a... weird occurrence? What happens if I can't go back for weeks? Months?"

[boldygoing]

That is the question, isn't it. "I don't know. I mean... out of everywhere in my universe, Earth is gonna be the safest spot I can send you. You could stay at my place, or if you want to go sightseeing... or..." Jim trails off as a thought occurs to him, a discussion from months before, and he turns toward Hunter, an uncertain look in his eye.

"Were you still thinking about the Academy?"

[losthunter]

Hunter takes a moment to reflect. And nod slightly.

"I would like to still take that opportunity."

"It would be nice to learn again. And be in a social context for that learning... without people staring at me, because of the tattoos."

"But we would need a good backstory. I am sure I just can't show up without any record of where I came from."

[boldygoing]

"Yeah, fuck." Jim scrubs a hand through his hair, pacing the floor a little as he thinks. "Paper trail takes time to make, and it's gotta be tight. No loose ends. If... if we said you're from a colony, maybe one of those technophobe communes..." He keeps muttering, half to himself, thinking out loud as he runs through the possibilities. "Wouldn't be records, but there'd have to be something... but then we'd need to... has to be legit..."

After several moment, he seems to remember he has an audience, and gives Hunter a half-apologetic look. "It's not gonna be easy to throw something together this fast, but you don't gotta have it all straight to enlist, just to graduate. If we say you're from someplace they're still keeping paper records, instead of digital, that could buy us some time. It'd be a good excuse why you're not familiar with all the modern tech, too."

[losthunter]

Hunter watches as Jim paces, and mostly mutters to himself. He is the stranger in Jim's universe. And the knows this is asking a lot right now.

"I don't think I could fake knowing a lot of modern tech. So that works for me."

"What do I need to enlist? Is it like the military in my world?"

[boldygoing]

After two years together, Jim's gotten used to stumbling into situations where his frame of reference is out of sync with Hunter's. Though it doesn't necessarily make it any less awkward, really. "I mean, I got on the recruitment shuttle the morning it left for San Francisco without even doing any paperwork first, but I had to fill out forms once I got there, and take some aptitude tests to see if I could skip any courses. And a basic medical exam, although that might've been more because my nose was still broken as hell."

By now, Jim's told Hunter some of the story of how he signed up for Starfleet. Drunkenly picking a fight with a handful of cadets so he could at least feel something when he got his ass beat, only to have Christopher Pike waltz in and break it up, and dare him to put his skills to better use. To do better than his dead dad ever did. Jim had rejected it outright, but gave it greater thought overnight as he sobered up, and sunrise found him in the shipyards, stepping onboard the shuttle with nothing more than the clothes on his back, still stained with his own blood.

That was almost six years ago, and now here he is, captain of the flagship of the fleet. Not that his career path has been normal or anything.

"Why, what d'you have to do to join your military?"

[losthunter]

Hunter smiles a little, at the thought of a younger Jim taking that chance to start a whole new life for himself.

"You have to be a U.S. citizen. You have to be at least 17 years of age. You should have a high school diploma. And you have to pass a medical exam."

"Sounds to me Starfleet is a little bit more open about citizenship... since different alien species can join. Not sure about the age thing, but that is not a concern. And not sure about the high school diploma thing."

[boldygoing]

Requiring citizenship for a military sort of makes sense, as does the med exam, but the rest? Jim shakes his head in mild wonder at the thought of living somewhere that age and education could be something standardized. "With all the different species in the Federation, putting a blanket age requirement down'd be impossible, you've just gotta be legally old enough by your planet's laws to make your own decisions. Formal education matters less than what you know, or how fast you learn. And there's catch-up courses for newcomers, like the K'da and Shontine."

[losthunter]

The mention of the K'da and Shontine makes Hunter smile slightly. "Maybe I would be in a class with Faris or Chanath."

Hunter reaches out to take Jim's hands in his own. "I don't know what is going on in the Nexus. But this might be a good time for me start this. To enlist."

"To embrace a new opportunity for myself."

[boldygoing]

"Maybe," Jim agrees easily. "If everything's going according to plan, they should be starting classes this semester."

He absently rubs his thumbs against Hunter's hands, looking the other man in the eye, a little guilty that they're rushing something this important. Even though he knows damn well that Hunter can still back out before he graduates, it's still a serious commitment. And not just in terms of what this means to Jim. "You're sure you know what you're getting into?" he asks, needing to be sure. Even so, he knows that Hunter's already seen a glimpse of the dangers already, when Jim had died and a warship had buried itself in the middle of downtown San Francisco.

[losthunter]

"I do not consider this a flight of fancy, Jim." Hunter studies the other man's face for a moment. "I want to take it very seriously. I want this to be part of my life."

"And I know there will be danger..." He reaches up to caress a hand over Jim's face. He has seen his Captain boyfriend in trouble enough times to know it comes with the territory.

"But to be able to serve a community again... gives me hope."

[boldygoing]

Sometimes, Jim still has to stop and wonder how he's ever deserved having Hunter in his life. Someone who apparently loves him enough to give up his universe and sign up with an organization that's brought them both a ridiculous amount of misery in only two short years, with no guarantee whatsoever that this'll end well. It's gutsy as hell, and Hunter doesn't even have the excuse of spiting a dead hero to motivate him to do it.

"If that's what you want," he says, and leans in to kiss his boyfriend, gratitude and worry both urging him to hold Hunter close. They might not have this, once Starfleet demands both their attentions. Not for a little while, at least.

[losthunter]

"It is..." Hunter reassures Jim. He is still worried about what may be happening in the Nexus... but this gives him a purpose. He is glad that they talked about it.

"Thank you." He runs his fingers through Jim's hair.