Chapter 55. Tini passed the exam
The alarm clock rang mercilessly, waking Tini up from her deep sleep. She groped in the dark, found the alarm clock, and turned it off. She could barely keep her eyes open, looking at the glowing numbers and couldn't believe it was already six in the morning. She just fell asleep. She sighed and sank into the pillow again. She didn't want to get up. She just wanted to go back to sleep and not think about the day ahead.
She had to appear before the college's examination committee by ten in the morning. There she will learn the results of her graduation exams. That is, what her future will be like. She felt very uncomfortable about this conversation. She stayed awake all night long, dreaming about what might happen. She tossed and turned restlessly, trying to sleep. But it didn't work. Her racing thoughts kept her awake. Every time she thought she could finally fall asleep, another terrifying thought jolted her awake. So she only slept for five minutes before the alarm went off.
She closed her eyes for just a moment. Then she immediately felt like she was falling into a trance again. She struggled to stand up. Shoulders slumped, feeling like an eighty-year-old man, Tiny walked toward the bathroom. She still lives in a small apartment on the college campus. Since she didn't know the results of the exam, she hadn't even packed her bags yet, even though the Republic was sailing tomorrow afternoon. So if she passes, she's going to be in pure stress. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was impossible.
She finished her last exam yesterday. From then on, she became a nasty bundle of nerves who tormented those around her. Nilf tried to comfort her. He is really cute. He even cracked his usually very stiff Martian side and treated her with tender care and even gave her a smile or two. But this isn't of much use. Tiny could hardly calm down. So on the one hand, she would be happy if she could find out her results today. Then the uncertainty will end. On the other hand, she was also afraid of the consequences.
The harsh light in the bathroom dazzled her. She turned her head and closed her eyes. Why is it so difficult to get up in the morning? She squinted at the mirror. The short nights and short nights of the past few days have left their mark. She thought about how much makeup she would need to look like today.
After enjoying an exhaustive shower, she ended up sitting at the table in her dressing gown with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She wrapped her wet hair in a towel. The world seems a lot friendlier now.
As she sipped her coffee, she thought about her future, something she thought about a lot these days. What if she had to stay on Earth? Will it be as bad as she fears? It was definitely going to be scary at first, but she'd been through worse. She will definitely adapt better over time. She will make new friends. Maybe she'll still date boys. Although this may still take some time. While imprisoned by the Demon Flame, she was deeply hurt by the betrayal of her boyfriend Pike. He did not hesitate to trade her for his freedom. Hogan and Felic save her from fate at the last minute, but at the cost of their lives. Even if she realizes that she can't defeat all men with one fell swoop, it will take some time until she feels confident enough in a relationship again. But it might have been faster if she'd stayed on Earth. After all, there are more attractive men of the right age here. But precisely because of her experience, she doesn't want to trade a man for the endless universe.
Surprised at herself and her thoughts, she shook her head slightly and drank the last of her coffee in one gulp. Now it's time to put on your makeup and get rid of the bags under your eyes.
After a few brush applications, she was pretty happy with the results. She took a hard look at herself in the mirror. It probably won't get any better. Her eyes slowly moved downward until they rested on her abdomen. She frowned. Her right hand slid across her belly. Then she pinched it, her eyes more critical. She has to be more disciplined. The stress of exams had left her hips and belly a little flabby. She has eaten too many sweets in recent days and has been lacking in physical exercise. Now I have to lose two to three kilograms. However, she must keep this secret. Others might just shake their heads and ask where else she can lose weight. She had been through this many times. Most people think she has a perfect figure, only she herself is dissatisfied with certain areas.
Eventually, she managed to get ready and prepared to leave the room. Just in time, because then the doorbell rang. She took one last look at the mirror hanging by the door, then grabbed the doorknob and left her apartment.
Downstairs, Nilf is already waiting. Like her, he was dressed in casual clothes. After passing the exam, they are no longer cadets, and for them, pride prevents them from wearing school uniforms. But you have to wait until you pass the exam before you can wear the regular uniform. So during these days of waiting for the results, the candidates wore casual clothes.
Nilf's dark gray suit perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders. In fact, he almost looked too good to be true. His long hair also blends well into the overall look. It’s just that the corners of his Klingon forehead make people feel a little uncomfortable. But it's part of who he is, and he still looks majestic in his suit. Moreover, prejudice against appearances is a thing of the past.
Tiny is wearing a suit that you feel is tailor-made. It accentuated her perfect waist and the loose blouse neckline exposed the outline of her breasts. Her bronze skin creates a special contrast with her white shirt. As she stepped into the sunlight, her thick black hair was surrounded by a special glow. Some passers-by looked at her enviously.
Nilf also greeted her with a compliment, but Tiny brushed it off. "Maybe I can convince the examiners this way," she said with a nervous smile.
"There's no need for that," Nilf tried to convince her. "Believe me."
"We'll see." She said, holding his arm. Together they walked across the academy's campus toward the main building. She turned her face towards the sun, closed her eyes and let Nilf guide her. She herself felt as if she were heading to her own execution ground. She tried to calm herself down with steady breathing. No matter how she does in the exam, she will try her best to cope with it, she tries to comfort herself.
She opened her eyes and looked nervously at the door as the shadow of the building fell over them. "Let's get it over with," she murmured to herself, walking into the conference hall with Nilf.
Outside the conference room, where they will receive their transcripts, they are received by the Dean of the College, Admiral Brunan.
"Good morning," he greeted the two men with a firm handshake. "Are you ready to accept your results?" He looked at them with an encouraging smile. This was not the first time that he handed over the results to the candidates, so he knew very well how they felt. Especially Tiny. And Nilf was as calm as ever.
Tiny nodded bravely, but she couldn't say a word. Her heart was beating so hard that it almost jumped out of her throat.
"Then let's put it off no more. Which one of you wants to start first?"
Tiny looked at her companion. Although she was terrified of the outcome, she never wanted to wait any longer. She couldn't stand the tension for much longer.
Nilf seemed to have guessed what she was thinking, because he nodded slightly.
So Brunan invited her into the room, while Nilf had to wait. In the conference room, Tini was waited by two other teachers. Ms. Linda teaches lectures on advancing technology, while Mr. Dana teaches federal ethics. Both welcomed her with smiles, but Tiny was so nervous that she could barely respond. She sat down, and three teachers sat across from her. Mr. Dana said, "I wanted to ask you if you slept well, and it looks like I can skip that question."
Tiny couldn't help but ask herself, does this look like this to me? Maybe this is what his experience tells him. So she just responded, "Yeah, I'm a little nervous."
"Don't be nervous," Linda said with a friendly smile. "We are not judging your life after all."
To a certain extent, it can be regarded as ruling, Tini thought to herself, but she just nodded. She was in no mood for small talk at this time.
Brunan seemed to notice, for he spoke seriously. "Ms. Tiny, how would you evaluate yourself? How do you think you performed on the exam?"
Tiny swallowed. She didn't expect to be asked this question. Couldn't she get the results directly? How should she answer? That she felt bad? Obviously not. She had to give a more secure answer. "I think the grade was probably a passing grade," she said cautiously.
The Admiral glanced at his colleague, then turned again to the young Indian girl. "We won't keep you waiting anymore." He said with a smile. "Your grades weren't as marginal as you thought. You passed. And your overall grades were pretty good."
When she heard these words, she couldn't help but cheer. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her body and she could breathe freely for the first time in a year. She will be able to fly with the Republic. She could hardly believe her luck. Then she was too happy to listen to what Mr. Brunner said. But now begins another kind of stress. She had to move her stuff onto the Republic ship in one day.
"Since you're leaving tomorrow, there's definitely a lot to take care of, and we don't want to keep you waiting too long," Brunner finally said. He handed her the certificate and congratulated her with a handshake. Two others also congratulated her.
Holding the certificate, Tiny left the room in disbelief but also with joy. Nilf was already waiting outside. Before he could say anything, Tini threw herself into his arms and kissed him. "I passed," she cheered, unable to help showing happiness.
Nilf smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you before?" He couldn't help but say this.
Tiny poked him in the ribs cheerfully. Mr. Brunner then lets in the half-Klingon.
"It's just a formality for you," Tiny teased. "Don't be angry if I didn't wait for you. But I can't sit still now. I have to get out. There's a lot to deal with."
Nilf just nodded. Whether he thought she wasn't waiting for him or not, his face didn't show it.
Filled with joy, Tiny left the building. She felt like she could embrace the whole world.
At London's Heathrow spaceport, huge buildings towered in front of Mi Zhiwa as she got off the glider. The huge glass curtain wall shines like thousands of diamonds in the rising sun. Even though it was still early, the plaza and entrance area were already packed. Most people are Earthlings. Most of them must have only been on Earth or braved the Moon or Mars once. And most of them seemed to be on a business trip, attending a conference, a client meeting, or just commuting to work. Mi Zhiwa also discovered a group of Denobran people. Based on their clothing and gaze, she guessed they were traveling. There are also some Earthlings who carry larger luggage. Apparently, they were going on vacation.
For Mi Zhiwa, she is heading to San Francisco. There she will begin work in Starfleet. Within hours of arrival, her ship will set sail and become her home for the coming months. She was a little scared. Now that she's here, it becomes even more real. Even though she'd been preparing for this for the past few months, now it was getting more serious and her heart was pounding.
A few years ago, Mi Zhiwa had no idea about her future. She graduated from college with honors and faced the question of what to do next. Her father, a teacher at Cambridge University, encouraged her to also study education. He thought she had a talent for it. And her ability to get along with people is also very good. Maybe she would have followed his advice, especially since she didn't know what she wanted. But the news that one of her friends had committed suicide shocked her. She kept asking herself if there had been any signs, if she could have stopped this. From that moment on, she had a strong desire to help others. She decided to study psychology. Her father fully supported her, although he still believed that pedagogy would be a better fit for her.
Therefore, Mi Zhiwa studied for ten semesters. Graduating with honors again. These excellent results aroused the interest of Starfleet. They realized that long periods of space travel and the constant dangers required a permanent presence of psychologists on board the ships. Therefore, they recruited the best candidates from around the world in Mi Zhiwa's grade. Mi Zhiwa was also invited and agreed to the job. Although she wasn't too keen on space travel, the demands of the job attracted her. So, she studied in Starfleet for another year. To do this, she moved to San Francisco. This was her first time away from home, and to another city, even half a world away. Although modern technology has made the distance no longer as far as it used to be, for Mi Zhiwa, it is still too far. She misses her family, her friends, and her motherland. Her homesickness almost led her to give up her studies in Starfleet. But over time, she successfully adapted to the environment. Soon her homesickness abated. She persevered, and now she's one of the first to be trained in Starfleet psychology.
Four weeks ago, Mi Zhiwa was assigned to the Republic. There's no doubt that this will be a huge challenge for her, considering the events the crew went through. But she has confidence in herself. It was originally expected that there would be a meeting next week to get to know each other with the fleet commanders. But suddenly the sailing date was moved forward, so she would not meet the crew until she boarded the ship.
She was given a day off to see her family again in the UK. The day passed quickly, and I shed tears when we parted. That's really terrible. At this moment, what she wants most is to resign and return to her family immediately. But she told herself that she had to stand on her own feet. So she took a deep breath and looked forward.
A man accidentally bumped into her, startling her. "I'm sorry," he whispered, then hurried away. Clearly, he was in a hurry.
"It's okay," Mi Zhiwa said softly, although he might not have been able to hear her.
"Hey, sister!" a voice came from the glider behind her.
