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They’ve been playing chess in the ship’s bar for three months before Jim can work up the courage to ask, “are you angry that I, er, stole the captaincy from you?”
Spock, who was just leaning over to move a piece, freezes for a moment before smoothly continuing his movement. “No, I have no desire for captaincy.”
“Really?” Jim can’t help but blurt out. “Why? You’d be an amazing Captain.”
Spock concedes the point with an elegant lean of his head, “it is true that I have often measured as an above-average Commanding Officer.”
Jim bites back a chuckle at Spock’s bland awareness of his abilities. “So?”
“I joined Starfleet largely to eventually achieve the rank of Chief Science Officer aboard a flagship to allow me to most directly study the most novel space anomalies. I only began taking Command track courses after Admiral Pike insisted that I could be both First Officer and Chief Science Officer on a ship one day after I voiced this concern. He was my advisor at the Academy at that time.”
“Well, sure,” Jim says, studying the board before moving a piece. “You like discovering new things, and you like your labs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be Captain. Especially since you can clearly be First Officer and Chief Science Officer.”
Spock shakes his head, “it does mean that. Aside from this, I find a majority of the work a captain is expected to conduct daily to have an inefficient focus on my interests.”
Jim lets that sentence marinate in his head when he suddenly realizes, “you think being a Captain is boring!”
“I did not precisely say that,” Spock says, which is damning enough evidence.
“Oh my god,” Jim says, eyes wide with amazement and amusement.
“Additionally, I appreciate flexibility. I am not expected to spend the duration of my shift on the bridge, which allows me to personally conduct several experiments and ensure my input on command decisions.” Spock continues as if this may help soothe Jim’s amusement.
“Hm,” Jim replies.
“I have found that I have a significant capacity to ensure strong courses of action as First Officer, and it allows me to maintain a close eye on my primary area of interest. Therefore it is illogical for me to seek out any other command position.”
Jim jerks again in realization, “oh my god. You don’t want to be Captain because you’re pretty sure you can just bully your Commanding Officers into doing what you want!”
“Again, not what I said,” Spock replies long-sufferingly before finally making his move.
“Unbelievable. What do you find so boring-- or, I’m sorry, what duties does the captain conduct that you find inefficiently focus on your interests?”
Spock is silent for a moment as he completes his move. Jim looks around the board and decides to move his Bishop. Spock is quiet long enough Jim thinks he won’t answer.
“A majority of your duties involve the safety and management of this ship,” Spock says slowly, studying the board. “This involves discussions with maintenance, security, and sanitation. A significant portion of a Captain’s working day, while not in a crisis or engaging in diplomacy, is often spent reviewing these concerns, specifically regarding the essential details of life aboard a starship.”
Jim blinks at him, “you don’t like the nitty-gritty details of life on a starship.”
“I am perfectly capable of managing such details efficiently,” Spock replies crisply, making his move. “However, should I spend a majority of my shift on said work, I would have little time to conduct my experiments. Aside from this, Captains are expected to spend the duration of their shift on the bridge itself, which can become tedious during periods of relative calm. Also, Check.”
“And what about when those things do arise, Spock? Don’t you want to be in the center of it all?” Jim asks incredulously, moving his King to the left.
“How often, Jim,” Spock says with a twinkle in his eye, before turning to study the board, “am I not at the locus of important decision making? Additionally, how often is my advice heeded? I have found that I have been present for nearly 99.98% of essential bridge decisions, and my recommendations utilized 87.564% of the time.”
“Wow,” Jim sits back and considers what Spock has said. Essentially, Spock has managed to position himself to conduct all of the exciting experiments he wants during slow periods while still having control over the ship itself. Without any of the responsibility of the tedious minutia. Though of course, Spock does handle scheduling, which Jim reminds himself of with vicious glee.
“You really are a genius,” Jim says eventually.
Spock turns his eyes up at him again, sparkling brown filled with barely repressed mischief and a sly smirk, “as you say. Additionally, checkmate.”
Jim looks down at the board, then back up at Spock’s full lips and bright brown eyes. At that moment can’t help but reply, while tipping his king over in defeat, “you definitely got me.”