The Pon T'Keshtan

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

"I'm releasing Spock for duty with the caveat he attends daily sessions with me for at least three weeks, and then proceeds with the therapeutic process at a less rigid pace after that," Dr. Surrey announced to Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy the next morning in his office. He had expected them to be pleased with the news, and was taken aback when McCoy grinned, but Kirk frowned and looked down at the floor.

"That's great news, isn't it, Jim?" McCoy clapped Kirk's shoulder before the captain sat in the tartan plaid chair. McCoy looked to Surrey. "The tests checked out okay? He passed everything?"

"Therapeutic tests aren't set up for pass-fail grades, but, yes... The Bleeker Memory Test, the Federation Verbal Learning Test, the Bendii Syndrome Analysis Evaluation, the Sillan-T'Perka Neuropsychological Series, the Vulcan Multiphasic Personality Register, the Starfleet Global Assessment of Functioning test, the Somatoform Disorders Evaluation, the Psychotronic Stability Examination(1)... Spock got through each of them handily. We have a lot of work to do, sure, but at this point, his prognosis is good. Spock is a lot more stable than I thought he'd be, considering everything he's been through. He's either one tough cookie, or whatever Sa'aat did helped him more than we'll ever understand."

"Spock just went through brain-melting hell and had people walking around inside his skull," Kirk said grimly. "Are you sure he's ready to go back to work? His memory is still pretty twitchy, isn't it?"

"Whatever he's lost hasn't affected his long-term memory; he can function perfectly well as the ship's First Officer. And he's working hard to fill in the stuff he's missing on the short-term side."

"I told you before, Jim," McCoy added. "He knows how all the equipment works; he knows who all the crewmembers are and what they're supposed to do; and he remembers all the regulations - probably better than you do. He'll do fine."

The captain wasn't convinced. "What about his detachment? It's like he doesn't feel anything," he shot a glance at McCoy. "I know Spock isn't the real expressive type, but…" he looked back to Surrey, "he just seems so different, you know?"

"Well, there are a couple factors figuring into that," Surrey said. He shoved some PADDs aside, and sat on the edge of his desk. "It's not unusual for patients who have been through severe emotional trauma to withdraw from others, even their closest loved ones, while they try to sort out what's happened to them and how to deal with it; it's especially true of patients with PTSD and RTS (2). The detachment and withdrawal you sense in Spock is most likely associated with that.

"In Spock's case, you also have to take into account he's been walking around with his mother's katra inside of him since the destruction of Vulcan. While I don't fully understand how the whole katra thing works, I believe his mother's spirit had a softening effect on Spock; making him more congenial, more approachable, more accepting of his emotions and more openly expressive. Now that she's gone, Spock has returned to his normal self. It's not that he doesn't care about those he cared about before; it just means he's back to being more Vulcan in his expression. I also believe he's denying and compartmentalizing to some degree. This isn't uncommon, given that he knows about what happened to him on New Vulcan."

"Crap," Kirk snorted. "How did he accomplish that so fast? We didn't have time to talk to him. He's been out of the Klaatu Fart thing for less than a day!"

"He is a very determined Vulcan."

"But how did he manage it?"

Dr. McCoy put his hands up when Kirk's questioning look grazed him. "Don't look at me," he said.

"Through an ingenious mixture of accessing the ship's logs, his personal medical charts and journals, and talking to people," Surrey answered.

"What people? He didn't talk to me."

"Well, Sa'aat, for one..."

"Sa'aat?" Kirk flashed McCoy a worried look. "Bones, you don't think Sa'aat told him about the vip nei, do you?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

Dr. Surrey put up a calming hand, "At ease, gentlemen. Let's not get down on Sa'aat. He might not be the most candid person we know, and he might have the bedside manner of a Cardassian vole, but Spock turns to him again and again when he wants a straight answer to a question. Spock trusts him to be honest even when that honesty is brutal. While it may be upsetting that he would go to Sa'aat for the truth before either of you, as my daddy used to say, put on your big girl panties and get over it."

"Hey!" McCoy snapped.

"That sounded close to insubordination to me," the captain warned.

Surrey crossed his arms and gave Kirk a reproving look. "Excuse me? Jim 'Kobayashi Maru' Kirk is complaining to me about 'insubordination'. Didn't you invent that?"

Kirk shrugged and gave Surrey a begrudging nod of assent. "Yeah... okay."

Surrey's posture softened a bit. "Captain, Spock took the initiative to pursue the causes of his mental health issues and brought the information he'd found and his conclusions to me, his psychiatrist. From a therapist's point of view, that's fantastic. We live for patients who are this proactive in their therapeutic process. So, whatever Sa'aat told him - or didn't tell him - he did Spock some good; and regardless of how you feel about him, Sa'aat is obviously a respected touch-point for Spock, and you just have to accept that."

"Okay, okay." Kirk paused, then remembered, "You said something about Spock denying and compartmentalizing?"

"They're normal coping mechanisms for someone in Spock's situation," Surrey answered. "It's not unusual for battered individuals to go through a period where they refuse to believe or acknowledge they've been brutalized, denying the battery and everything associated with it. Spock knows he was attacked, but emotionally, he can't deal with it at the moment, and so he's stuffing down his reactions, while gathering as much factual data as he can to try to make sense of what happened to him. That, along with Vulcans' normal capacity for compartmentalizing and repressing their reactions, is leaving Spock somewhat at odds with, and disconnected from, himself; which, in turn, leaves you feeling disconnected from him."

Captain Kirk was silent for a few minutes before venturing a hopeful, "So Spock really is... normal again?"

"Normal is a relative term, Captain; but, yes. I believe he'll do fine. Spock recognizes his need for therapeutic intervention and has already specified a couple of crucial issues he'd like to tackle first. I'm feeling positive about the whole thing - and you should, too."

"How do I help him?"

"Well, one stressor that appeared in some evaluations was connected to Spock's proclivity to equate his value as an individual with his job performance. Since he hasn't been allowed to do his job for the past week, his sense of self-worth has taken a bit of a beating. Getting him back on the duty roster as soon as possible will alleviate that particular stressor."

"Okay." The captain looked to Dr. McCoy, "I take it you're in agreement, Bones?"

"Absolutely. Anything that gets that sulking Vulcan out of his head and back into action is fine by me. And if it will stop you from moping too, that's just gravy."(3)

"I haven't been moping." McCoy rolled his eyes at him, and Kirk admitted, "Fine, okay, maybe a little…"

"Another physical exam would also be a good idea," Surrey suggested. "I know you're swamped with the New Vulcan mission, Doctor McCoy, and I'm not saying Spock needs a physical this minute, but it'll help us to see if there have been any physiological changes in him since the removal of his mother's katra."

"I can squeeze it into my schedule before we reach New Vulcan."

"Okay," Kirk repeated. "I agree to allow Spock to return to duty."

Surrey clapped his hands, "Yes! Thank you, Captain. As I mentioned before, putting him back to work comes with the provision he attend daily sessions with me for a while, so I need you to add some flexibility into his schedule to allow for those sessions. I want Lieutenant Uhura involved in some of the sessions, too. Spock asked that she be there for a few of them; there are a couple of things that impact her, and his relationship with her, so..."

Kirk nodded and finally relaxed in the chair. With a relieved smile he said, "Sure, whatever he needs, Doc. Thanks."


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When the Haulat arrived at New Vulcan, Sa'aat had no difficulty maneuvering his cloaked ship through the planet's defensive grid; a fact that bristled at the back of his mind. Even in the aftermath of their homeworld's destruction, the transitional government had only taken moderate steps to protect their new planet from invasion. He had warned Semuk and the previously ensconced military leaders that more needed to be done to safeguard New Vulcan's fragile population, but his advice had apparently been ignored. Although the grid could detect larger, uncloaked vessels at a distance, if his small ship could evade detection so could others; therefore, the planet was vulnerable, if not to large-scale attacks then to hit-and-run guerilla tactics, which could include anything from assassinations to chemical and biological contamination of the atmosphere, food chain and water supply systems. Such an oversight was inexcusable.

As the Haulat skimmed across the planet's surface to within a handful of kilometers from the outskirts of Svitan'Kahr, the main city, Sa'aat said to Sionak, "When you join the others, I want you to discuss the hollows in the planet's defensive grid. Prepare as many options to repair the gaps as possible, so I can present them to Sarek and the Fonn Vuhlkansu before the Transitional Council meeting."

"Yes, osu."

The ship then touched down for a few moments so Sionak could disembark. Sa'aat could have transported him into the city from any vantage point once he was within range, but he wanted to continue covertly for as long as possible, and transporters generated detectible energy fields. If T'Pau got wind of his presence, she might flee or take measures to defend herself. Sa'aat hoped to surprise her.

"Keep safe," Sa'aat said as Sionak exited the vessel.

Sionak bowed low. "And you as well, osu."

The Haulat closed and waited, lifting up to hover slightly above the ground, until Sionak signaled he was safe within the city walls. It was then continued toward the Mazhiv Solai, a stretch of desert over one-hundred twenty kilometers wide at its broadest point and nearly three-hundred forty-three kilometers long. (4) Svitan'Kahr was situated at one end of the desert, and to the northeast, along the desert's flanks was a chain of volcanic mountains known as the Knunel-zehl T'Ni'rch. Near the far end, west of the mountain range, was a solitary cinder cone called Kt'a'vre Feh. (5) Sa'aat's intelligence had reported that T'Pau's hiding place was located within a lava tube (6) buried near the foot of the cone. He arrived near those coordinates just before dawn.

Dressed in eshikh sai-vel (7) that matched the color of the native rocks - so he blended into the desert as easily as did the cloaked Haulat - and armed with a microcorder (8), personal phaser and his lipitah, the small blade he trusted more than any energy-based weapon to defend him, Sa'aat slipped quickly toward the base of the Kt'a'vre Feh. After being cooped up on ships for so long, he relished the scent of fresh air, the feel of the sand beneath his boots and the open canopy of sky above him. The glittering star field overhead, unobscured by city lights, was brilliant and stunningly beautiful - but still looked alien to him.

It was dark and the air was cool and bracing when he stepped from the still cloaked Haulat. Two moons shone on the southern horizon, but because of their distance from the planet, neither reflected much light, and the long shadows on the desert floor were pale and indistinct. This new world had a sister planet as well, Uzh T'Kuht, but it was a sliver along the eastern horizon behind the mountains. This world presently held no memories or emotional keepsakes for Sa'aat, but a few things struck an oddly familiar chord within him. The planet's pull on his body was hard and enduring, its gravimetric field measurable to within a few microgals of Vulcan's (9); and the air had a vague scent of frankincense similar to his birthworld's.

For a moment, the loss of Vulcan struck at his mind and core again. He went down slowly onto one knee, and put his hand against the sand, attempting to feel this new world's center, its tam'a (10), but it was, as yet, unreachable. He could, nonetheless, sense the force of the planet: its magnetism, its heat, the movement of its molten core and tectonic plates, the growling of the nearby volcanoes, the flow of subterranean water streams, the babbling and skirmishes of native life-forms all around him, unseen but there.

Sa'aat slipped his hand into the sand up to his elbow, and drew out a large fo-kelek-tor (11). Within its closed-hinged shell it laid, still and protected, on the flat of his palm for several seconds before slowly poking out its head. "Ne'shauik, kevet-dutar," (12) his mind said to it. Three bright yellow eyes blinked at him in response, but the tortoise was silent. The planet and its creatures hadn't accepted the new settlers yet; they shielded themselves from the Vulcans, and remained incommunicative, apprehensive. He set the fo-kelek-tor back down on the sand and watched it wriggle and shimmy until it was hidden from view.

He wondered if the lesser planets and suns, directly within range of the black hole that was now Vulcan, would remain as they had always been during his childhood, or if they would be deformed and disfigured the singularity. The artificial black hole there was a rotating one; any object, therefore, that came within reach of its ergosphere would tend to move toward its rotation. Stellar material, cosmic radiation, light, gas, all would be drawn in, feeding the singularity, making it larger and more powerful, before its inevitable collapse. (13) What effects would the protons and radiation issuing from the singularity have on neighboring planets like T'Kuht and Delta Vega? And if katras survived the devastation of the homeworld, to where did they retreat? How long would they be viable? Would they be retrievable from the black hole? Or were they already swept away into the space-time continuum? Were they aware of their surroundings? Did they comprehend what had happened? Could they somehow join one another and form a coalescence of thought and experience?

These reminations occupied a portion of Sa'aat's mind as he jogged along the desert, and finally came to a stop, near enough to the lava tube to see its dark, ragged maw gaping in the coming light of dawn. He squatted down on the sand - looking like little more than a small outcropping of stone - and used his microcorder to search the area.

Natural veins of kelbonite(14) and other refractory ores in the strata interfered with his scans, even when the power and range were boosted through a link with the Haulat. The three-point-seven kilometer(15), multi-armed, undulating tube under the surface was easily readable, as was a small power source located at its far end where the kelbonite deposits were less dense, but the instrument told him little of what awaited him underground. Sa'aat surmised this was how T'Pau had evaded them for so long. Until she had activated the power source, she was invisible to conventional scanning equipment; and even after the generator had powered up, its emanations could be mistaken for extraneous thermodynamic "noise" from the nearby mountain range. Only with the boost from the Haulat did his instruments pick up the generator's pulse. "Klon nemut," Sa'aat admitted as he headed toward the mouth of the tube.(16)

Before entering, he paused, closed his eyes, and set his mind out into the tunnel, searching. It revealed little; a smattering of impressions, most of them fading, like the energy of memories, and few that felt like little more than the precursors of instinct. That was unusual, he thought, as he pulled back into himself. Either T'Pau was gone, and he was picking up on a small animal or other unformed intellect, or she had been severely injured and left with only the most primitive brain stem activity still intact. Whatever the answer, it lay within.


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Nyota headed toward the bridge for the start of her shift, smoothing her hair while she walked. Spock hadn't come to see her during the evening, and all morning she'd battled between the impulse to give him whatever space and time he needed to recover from the Katau Fa'ark, and her desire to find him and caress away his pain and confusion. Dr. Surrey had warned her against mollycoddling Spock, to let him stand on his own two feet, but it was hard to see Spock in so much distress and anguish and not do anything. She was an active woman, and passivity was difficult for her.

As she waited for the turbolift, she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and deliberately. The door opened and she was astonished to see Spock standing there in his Science Blues with his hands clasped loosely behind his back. Grinning, she stepped into the elevator beside him, and said, "Hey, gorgeous! How are you?"

As the door closed, Spock replied, "I am quite well, thank you, Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant. We're being formal this morning, are we?"

"Yes, as is warranted when in the performance of one's duties."

Nyota stepped in front of him in order to look into his eyes. He had worn his uniform yesterday, but hadn't been on duty, so she hadn't taken it as a clue, in and of itself, that he had been reinstated. "You're not teasing me, are you?" He cocked his head, as if he didn't understand, so she clarified, "You've been returned to active duty?"

"Hah, k'diwa." (17)

"Oh my God, Spock!" Nyota threw her arms around his neck, giving him a congratulatory smattering of sharp kisses on the cheek, chin and mouth. "I'm so happy for you!"

At first, he held his body rigid against hers, defensively noncompliant. When she didn't stop hugging him, however, Spock relaxed a bit, leaning in against her and letting her support him for a few seconds. As she held him, Nyota repeated, "I'm so glad, I'm so glad..."

"I, too, am grateful to be able to resume my station." Spock used his hands at her waist to set her a step away from him, so he could focus on her, and it struck Nyota that even as he held her, he was also pushing her away. She had felt this same push-pull during their conversation yesterday; it pained and bewildered her.

"Do you need anything?" she asked, offering her support without implying he required it, which was her way when dealing with the dichotomy of his Vulcan-Human nature. "Can I help you with anything?"

Although expressionless, his touch went warm and faintly communicative. His emotional shields were up, but Nyota felt hints of sincerity, relief, confusion and affection filter through his fingertips. Spock murmured, "I require only that you remain patient with me, k'diwa. I know I have not, as of late, been an entirely affable or attentive mate and I intend to make rectifying that deficiency a priority during my recuperation."

He had mentioned this self-perceived defect to her nearly a week ago, and she had told him not to worry about it, but, apparently, he still thought he was failing her in some way. She assured him with, "Rai vravshaya pakashogau nash-veh svi'tu, k'diwa,"(18) as she put a soothing, supportive hand to his cheek so he could read her touch if he wanted. Spock closed his eyes, allowing some of his emotional shields to drop.

At first, Nyota experienced the periphery of his feelings: cold, hollow areas made up of Spock's unspoken uncertainty and trepidation and impenetrable walls. However, from deep below those, affection poured into her like a liquid rainbow, spreading from the center of her body to the tips of her fingers and toes and to the end of each strand of her hair: perennial greens, fiery reds, temperate blues, and regal purples. Her eyes smiled at him and he nodded slightly, accepting her silent joy.

The turbolift opened onto the bridge and Spock immediately withdrew his hands; the colors flicked off as if by a switch. The emotions, however, lingered with Nyota, and when she stepped on the bridge ahead of Spock, she couldn't help radiating happiness. Spock followed, acutely aware of everyone else's eyes upon him.

Kirk had not yet arrived, so Spock was the commanding officer on deck, but he didn't sit in the captain's chair. Instead, he slipped into his seat at the Science Station and began running the first daily routine diagnostics on the ship's computer system. When, after eleven-point-four-five seconds, he realized he was still being watched, he turned his chair slowly to face the other crewmembers. "Is there some difficulty, gentlemen?" he asked. (19)

"No, Commander," Mr. Sulu grinned from his seat at the helm. "We're just glad you're back, sir."

Smiles and nods of agreement went around the bridge, before Mr. Chekhov, seated beside Sulu at the Navigation Station, began clapping, setting off a round of applause from everyone. Nyota laughed with delight as she joined in. Spock, expressionless, took in the noise for several minutes, and when it abated, tilted his head in grateful acknowledgement and returned his attention to the diagnostics. Behind his back, Sulu and Chekhov both gave Nyota a thumbs-up and smiled broadly at her, making her chuckle again.

Turning his head to look at Nyota, while keeping the helms crew in the corner of his eye, Spock said, "If we may now dispense with the jocularity, and proceed with our duties -"

"Aye, Commander," said Sulu, as Chekhov said, "Sorry, Commander," but they were both smiling.

"Lieutenant Uhura."

"Yes, Commander?" Nyota answered crisply.

"Please hail the New Vulcan Council apprising them of our ETA. Also, apprise the medical fleet of our progress and ascertain their status. I want to know if any further prep work needs to be completed before we reach the planet."(20)

"Yes, Commander," Nyota put the silvery communications bud into her ear to listen to the transmissions. Back to normal, she thought, and sighed in relief.


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The lava tube was cool and dark. Sa'aat used his natural night vision, supplemented with light from the microcorder, to make his way down its meandering, rugged path. The floor was uneven, the curved walls pitted and ridged with flow-lines. The ceiling, jagged with volcanic splash and shark-tooth-like lavacicles, was low enough in some places for him to reach up and touch, so he was careful not to move too quickly; a tumble could result in serious injury. In some areas, little antechambers, like fistulas, jutted from the main tube but led nowhere. He kept the microcorder scanning and his own senses primed for any hint of sound, movement or thought around him.

The artificial wall sealing off the tunnel near the far end of the lava tube was the first indication of habitation. A large oval door, like the mouth of a sea urchin, stood shut in the middle of it. Sa'aat searched for a way to open it, and eventually located a control panel hidden in the floor. His lipitah in one hand and the microcorder in the other, he used his foot to activate the control. When the door opened, he slipped silently into the chamber.


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Captain Kirk arrived on the bridge, taking his seat in the command chair, and Spock waited for the other bridge personnel to give the captain their status updates before handing Kirk a PADD with the morning's diagnostic readouts. He had already signed off on the report, but it required two command signatures before it could be entered into the logs.

Kirk pretended to peruse the document; things like this were little more than boring busywork for him. He trusted his personnel and didn't feel the need to add his two cents to anything they produced; but he also understood the necessity for the internal controls set forth by Starfleet protocols, so he signed the report without comment or complaint. "Mister Spock. How are you feeling?" he asked with a smile as he handed the PADD back.

Spock, inexpressive, answered with an abbreviated, "Adequately recovered. Thank you, Captain."

Kirk leaned in toward him. "How's your mom?"

Spock flinched, almost but not quite, imperceptibly. He recalled the incident when Kirk had mentioned his mother and things had not gone well.(21) It was difficult for him to separate the emotions of that day from the present, so his answer wasn't immediate. "She is... grateful to be herself once more."

"She didn't like being inside you?"

Spock glanced around the bridge; others were eavesdropping on a conversation, which, for Spock, felt far too personal to be conducted in a group setting. "It is not a matter of liking or disliking the container, Captain. She is simply gratified to, once again, have some semblance of privacy and individuality." He then deliberately changed the subject, "We will be arriving at New Vulcan in forty-nine hours, seventeen-minutes. Mister Scott confirms the engineering teams will be ready to begin constructing the medical bivouacs as soon as we arrive. Once the structures are completed, medical supplies and personnel can be beamed to the surface. Doctors McCoy, M'Benga and Deerfoot estimate we should be able to begin providing services to the plak-tau females less than twenty hours after our arrival on the surface."

"Sounds good," Kirk said, sitting up straight in his chair, wordlessly acknowledging that Spock was finished with the personal chitchat he had initiated. As Spock headed back toward his station, the captain added a heartfelt, "It's nice to have you back on the bridge, Mister Spock."

Spock nodded once and said, "Thank you, Captain," before returning to his duties.


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"Vitorau ha'gel,"(22) Sa'aat said as he pocketed the microcorder and snapped the lipitah into the sheath on his belt; and the lava tube chamber was flooded with illumination from a broad bank of overhead lights. Since there were no obvious light switches along the walls, he had presumed the system was voice-activated. The fact that it wasn't attuned only to T'Pau's voice meant she'd had other people there who, at various times, were left alone. The system would therefore respond to any voice it heard.

The chamber was longer than it was wide and partitioned with low, four-foot walls that separated the living, working, eating and sanitation spaces. Near the far end of the chamber was an incongruous decorative room divider, a tall four-panel screen made of Vulcan silk, hand-painted with images of swooping and diving teresh-kah.(23) It was an old token of extreme wealth among the paltry furnishings and other trappings of poverty in the place. To the right of the door was the larger of two generators: a compact, efficient, and quiet unit that not only supplied electricity, but also managed to circulate the air and warm the space. A stack of large containers along the wall to the left indicated T'Pau had had fresh water brought in for her, rather than opting for conventional plumbing.

T'Pau herself was not there, however. Sa'aat had missed her, but his senses told him she had not been gone for more than a day, and that she'd left abruptly.

There were still active PADDs on a table; fruit was ripening in the food preparation area; and some bloodied towels on the floor in the sanitation space were still somewhat damp. A perusal of the PADDs indicated T'Pau had been extensively researching placental abruption and placenta previa, cesarean sections, and premature births; and a scan of the blood on the towels indicated it was T'Pau's: vaginal blood mixed with other secretions. It would take a more powerful medical scanner to tell him any more than that. Nevertheless, Sa'aat surmised she was suffering the same prenatal conditions as the majority of the plak-tau women, and since Semuk and T'Pau had never consummated their relationship, Sa'aat suspected the child she carried was Spock's.

The fact that she could carry a child at her age was remarkable; but, since her offspring was a product of rape, Sa'aat was averse to being impressed by its existence. He did admit, however, that as long as she carried Spock's child, she was safe from his blade. If nothing else, the pregnancy bought her a little time. He delved more deeply into the information on the PADDs but could fine nothing about her fetus. There had been scans, but they had been expertly erased - recently. Someone must have told her he was coming, and she had tried to expunge the evidence of her sin from the PADDs before he arrived. The towels were proof she was not as careful as she would have liked to have been.

Sa'aat set aside the PADDs, and walked over to the silk room divider, thinking how it must have galled her to leave the thing behind. He tipped it over, activated his phaser, and obliterated the divider.

When he looked up from the black scar left on the floor he was momentarily stunned by what he found. The second, smaller generator, which the microcorder's earlier readings had told him was there, was attached to a tube-like machine, suspended from the ceiling by heavy cables, seven feet long by three feet wide. Its undercarriage and sides, constructed of medical-grade steel, were solid, but its top was clear. Its faintly illuminated interior was filled with fine green vapor. Small screens attached to its foot were alight with readings. Sa'aat recognized the device immediately.

It was a has-vitau-kebi, a medical stasis chamber.

Sa'aat's skin prickled with distaste as he considered possible reasons for the presence of the device. T'Pau could have retreated into the tube when it became apparent she could not bring her fetus to term without assistance; the fetus may have been born prematurely, and T'Pau could have put it there until she found an alternative treatment for it; or it could hold Semuk's missing body, preserved by T'Pau out of some grotesque display of affection. Or it could be…

Inside the tube was the body of T'Cloo.

Naked, her eyes shut, her broken neck still crooked at an odd angle, the woman floated in a gravity free environment inside the tube, surrounded by potun-tor vapors(24) that preserved and nourished her cells. Clear tubes of varying sizes, connected to different points on her body, fed her intravenously, circulated her blood, filled her lungs with air and maintained her temperature. According to the displays, everything was within normal parameters. Yet it was clear none of this mechanical effort was for her benefit. T'Cloo exhibited no brainwave activity and the readings indicated her heart and lungs could not function independent of the machine. She was dead.

Her fetus, however, was very much alive.

Sa'aat's fingers slid along the stasis chamber's warm surface as his mind touched the child developing inside T'Cloo's body. Its unformed thoughts sifted to him through a haze of primal sensations that ebbed and flowed quickly to the bird-like rhythm of its heartbeat. This was the primitive activity he had sensed before he entered the tunnel.

As he slowly withdrew his hand, he could not imagine what had compelled T'Pau's actions. T'Cloo, an unremarkable female from her dead paramour's maat, had meant nothing to her. They shared no affections, no friendship, and no professional contacts. Apparently, it was the unborn child alone who had mattered to T'Pau; the fact she had gone to such lengths to secure the fetus's well-being, rather than trying to resuscitate the mother, said as much. But what significance could the fetus hold for her? Sa'aat scanned for the fetus's gender and genetic signature with the microcorder, and was not surprised by the results.

Male.

Organ placement, skin type, physiological systems: all Vulcan.

Scant traces of Human elements in the blood.

It was definitely Spock's child.

Sa'aat shook his head; the situation seemed morbid and incomprehensible. What did T'Pau gain by allowing Spock's seed to germinate within a dead woman's body? Did she intend to ransom the child to Spock; using it as a blood price for her own survival and safety? Did she plan on raising it and turning it against its father? Or did she have something more twisted and nefarious in mind? Sa'aat could not begin to guess. What was clear, however, was that he had to get the machine and its viable contents out of the cave somehow.

In her haste to escape, T'Pau had abandoned the thing, which indicated that removing it was most likely very problematic. And so it was.

Since the kelbonite in the lava tube's walls prevented him from contacting the Haulat, or using the ship's transporter, he considered moving the device himself. If he could somehow get it to the mouth of the lava tube, the Haulat could snatch it up from there; but, if he detached the chamber from its overhead moorings, he'd also have to disconnect it from the generator and life-support systems sustaining T'Cloo's body. He didn't know how long the fetus could survive without those systems. Besides, between T'Cloo and the machine itself, the whole mechanism weighed over one-hundred and eighty-one kilos (25). Even with his Vulcan strength, he couldn't shove it down the entire length of the tunnel by himself.

Removing the fetus from T'Cloo's body with his knife, and carrying it out would be easy enough, but again, the child would be without exterior support, and at two months premature, he couldn't guarantee it would survive long enough for him to reach the Haulat.

After several minutes of indecision, Sa'aat stepped away from the machine. The kelbonite kept him from using the Haulat's transporter and communications systems, but it could not contain his mind. He sent his thoughts to the ship, willing it to join him. As Sa'aat carefully jogged back down the length of the lava tube, the still cloaked Haulat, an invisible thing casting a shadow on the sand, drifted along the desert to meet him at the tunnel's entrance. Once inside the ship, he sent a veiled distress signal to Sionak and the others in their group.


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Nyota turned from her station, announcing to Kirk, "Sir, we have an incoming transmission from New Vulcan."

"On screen."

The image of three Vulcans the captain had never seen before, a male and two females, filled the large view screen. The females were graceful-looking twins, an extreme rarity among Vulcan families.

Still young by Vulcan standards, they stood tall and poised with their hands cupped on top of their enlarged abdomens. Both wore their hair up under loose fitting scarves, the ends of which trailed to the floor, and both were dressed in impeccable full-length maternity gowns with decorative straps cradling their mid-sections. The male was much older, and was dressed in a suit made of dark green chapped cloth with three Vulcan symbols embroidered down one side of his asymmetrical coat. On his otherwise bald head was a gleaming, seamless skullcap made of what looked like polished gold.

Spock, in his seat at his station, looked at the screen, and then on a facial cue from the captain, stepped toward the command chair. "Do you know them, Spock?" Kirk asked under his breath.

"No, Captain. They do not seem familiar," he answered just as quietly. Then frowning slightly, he asked, "Should I know them?"

"No. Not necessarily," the captain assured him. Turning his attention back to the view screen he said, "Greetings from the U.S.S. Enterprise. I am Captain James T. Kirk, and this is my First Officer, Commander Spock."

"We know who you are, Captain Kirk," the male said in a rich baritone voice. "Your reputation, and that of your First Officer, precedes you. I am Stenn, of the Triumvirate, the supplementary Council of Ministers of New Vulcan. These are my co-council, T'Lale and T'Yelas."

Spock's eyebrows tightened in the middle of his forehead; the women's names seemed familiar to him, but he could not immediately recall where he'd heard them before. Stenn continued, "We are gratified by the Federation's willingness to assist the Vulcan people with our current emergency, and thank you for your prompt response to our calls for relief."

"We're glad to be of assistance, Triumvirate Member Stenn. We should be arriving at your planet in -"

"Forty-seven hours, thirteen minutes," said Spock.

"My engineers can start setting up medical units as soon as you clear us through your security grid. If you could provide us with the coordinates in advance, along with the topography of the area, it would help a lot."

"We can provide you with whatever data you require," Stenn answered. "We understand your medical chiefs also requested samples of the plak-tau drug used in compliance with the Ek'tevan Prerogative."

"Yes, they did."

"Samples have been procured, and will be available to you upon your arrival. We will make ourselves, our agents and our staff available to you throughout this crisis, should you need us."

"Thank you, sir. We won't be dealing with the former Ministers at all, then?"

"No, Captain. Former Ministers T'Pessmar, Ne'Milk and Teylon have stepped down from office. And as you may be aware, former Ministers Semuk and T'Pau are presently unaccounted for. The Triumvirate, although a temporary fixture, is the current ruling body on our planet."

"Okay," said Kirk. "If it's not too impolite to ask, could you... could you tell me if the Ek'tevan Prerogative is still in effect? Quite frankly, I don't want my First Officer beaming down there if things are still kind of... squinty."

"Squinty, Captain?"

"A Human colloquialism, referring to confusion or uncertainty," Spock explained.

"Ah. In answer to the question: no, the edict has not yet been revoked."

Kirk shook his head, unsatisfied with that bit of information, and in response to his disapproval, T'Lale spoke up. "We are postponing any action on that subject, Captain, until the new Council of Ministers is formed and its members can vote on the matter. It is our hope the issue will be settled at that time. In the meanwhile, the edict is not being enforced in any way."

"We're relieved to hear that, ma'am. I know the edict is outside the scope of the Federation's jurisdiction, and whatever laws the Vulcans enact are their own, but... Off the record, on a personal note, I appreciate the fact that you're reconsidering that particular statute."

"Many on New Vulcan reflect your viewpoint, Captain."

"Is there anything else you need; anything we can do for you before we arrive?"

"No, Captain. Your presence, and the presence of the medical frigates, is more than sufficient," said T'Lale. Her dark eyes shifted to Spock. "Shar nam-tor du Zhel-lan Spahk, kuv istau fun-tor du tor panu t'dular sular." (You are secure, Commander Spock, if you wish to return to the world of your people.) [26]

It was Kirk's turn to look confused; he didn't understand what that last sentence meant, and looked to Spock for a translation. Spock was impassive. He tilted his head toward the view screen, in a partial but polite bow to T'Lale and answered her, "Nemaiyo, T'Rehsu Kisau T'Lale. Hi dungi-fun nash-veh goh lu snem nam-tor Ek'tevan to-gav heh fun nam-tor kanashivaya yehtlar t'elik salar t'Uzh T'Kashi." (Thank you, Triumvirate Member T'Lale. However, I will return only when the Ek'tevan edict is revoked and reproductive rights are returned to the free males of New Vulcan.)

"Kent-tor etwel. Gish Sa'aat du dungi-kesau nash-kro'el." (We understand. Sa'aat suggested you would respond this way.)

"Ah," Spock said as realization struck him. Files Sa'aat had transmitted from the Haulat had mentioned T'Lale and T'Yelas - along with the names of Sarek's plak-tau women, and Spock's own. Names, but little else. "Sa'aat t'dular plak-tau sa ne'Ek'tevan to-gav, hah? Lesh dular ish-veh kanlar." (Sa'aat was your plak-tau male under the Ek'tevan edict. You carry his children.)

"Hah. On t'nash-veh ko-kai eh nash-veh." (Yes. Both my sister and I.)

"Istau nash-veh dular heh t'dular ko-kai sochya eh dif." (I wish you both and your off-spring peace and long life.)

Both women bowed low and replied in tandem, "Dif-tor heh smusma, Spahk - sa-fu t'Amanda." (Live long and prosper, Spock - son of Amanda.)

The screen went black and Kirk looked to Spock and then to Nyota. "Okay. Is somebody going to tell me what that was all about?"


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Removing T'Cloo's body from the underground bunker was complicated, but doable. A dozen ex-military personnel, including Sionak, who were still loyal to Sa'aat and still regarded him as their Kahr-Lan joined him, bringing as many anti-gravity pallets as they could muster. Between them, they lowered the heavy stasis tube onto five pallets and used a sixth to carry the generator. After detaching the cables and wires from the overhead conduits and reconnecting them directly to the generator to maintain the environment in the tube, the group carefully walked the stasis chamber from the tunnel and into the Haulat.

Since the Enterprise would be in orbit around the planet within two days, Sa'aat made the decision, for good or for ill, to keep the unit aboard the Hau lat, rather than taking T'Cloo's body to the Medical Facility in the city, where it would doubtlessly cause an uproar. "The child is Spock's; its disposition is for him alone to decide," Sa'aat explained to the others. "Our duty is to keep it safe until he arrives."

Looking at the tube, Sionak uttered, "I am amazed that such an intelligent and powerful woman as T'Pau could fall so quickly into the oblivion of madness. Her pervasive insanity reaches out even to the dead."

"Kum'i veh tor-fam k'gad-keshtan ek'rasahkos stislak. Pavesh-tor mesuvulaya k'leh-the pi-nehkaya svi'mu-yor t'katra." (27)

"Surak?"

"No. The words of the Coh'Lie philosopher, Growleet... translated into Vulcan, of course."(28) Sa'aat rarely mentioned the Coh'Lie, and Sionak longed to ask him about them, but Sa'aat had already moved onto other topics: the security measures they already had in place; where they would position themselves in and around the Cathedral during the meeting of the new Transitional Council; how T'Pau may have escaped.

The consensus was she may have used clothing or a small vehicle sheathed in kelbonite to hide from their scans. Questions about T'Pau's present location, and the identity of whomever had alerted her Sa'aat was coming, were met with silence. Sa'aat dismissed the guards' awkward bows of shame over having failed him by saying simply, "Talal ko-veh."(29)


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As the day shift ended, and the night crew started filtering onto the bridge, Kirk rubbed his face and took in a deep breath. Spock had made it through the day without a single upset - at least that Kirk could see - and had performed his duties flawlessly, just as he normally would. Spock's incapacity had lasted little more than a week, but to the captain it had seemed like months. Now, Kirk felt he could relax, let go of his worries about his First Officer, and they could get back to their lives, friendships, and jobs.

"Captain," Nyota said from her station. "I have an in-coming call from New Vulcan."

Kirk gave her a questioning glance and said, "On screen, Lieutenant."

Four Vulcan women appeared on the view screen; one standing in the foreground, the other three lined up behind her. Nyota and Kirk immediately recognized them as four of the women who had participated in Spock's plak-tau; and they both turned to Spock, trying to gauge his reaction.


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(1) The Psych Exams: Most of the exams listed are those I made up, based on current psychoanalysis testing models; the Psychotronic Stability Examination (PSE), however, is one that has been used in Trek canon. Bleeker Memory Test (BMT): this was based on a currently existing evaluative test called the Sternberg Memory Test. Federation Verbal Learning Test (FVLT): this was based on a currently existing evaluative test called the California Verbal Learning Test. Bendaii Syndrome Analysis Evaluation (BSAE): This one I totally made up; Bendaii Syndrome is a disease which renders Vulcans incapable of suppressing their emotions; so I felt Dr. Surrey should test Spock for that. Sillan-T'Perka Neuropsychological Series: this was based on a currently existing evaluative test called the Halsted-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery; I renamed it using Vulcan names so it would be applicable to Spock. Vulcan Multiphasic Personality Register (VMPR): this was based on a currently existing evaluative test called the Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Starfleet Global Assessment of Functioning Test (SGAFT): this was based on a currently existing evaluative test called the GAF or Global Assessment of Functioning. Somatoform Disorders Evaluation (SDE): I made this one up to evaluate Spock's pelvic pain (a "somatoform" disorder in which mental dysfunction manifests as a physical injury or illness that cannot be confirmed through conventional medical tests). Psychotronic Stability Examination (PSE): this is the Trek canon one. According to the Memory Alpha Site: "A psychotronic stability examination is a test used to gauge an individuals psychological reaction of the images the computer projects. It is a required test for all Starfleet cadets prior to graduation from Starfleet Academy. In 2365, Counselor Troi conducted a psychotronic stability exam on Data, following a series of insubordinate acts he had committed. The outcome of the exam determined that there were two distinct personalities contained within Data, the dominant of which was that of Dr. Ira Graves."

(2) PTDS and RTS: these are acronyms for "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" and "Rape Trauma Syndrome"

(3) A quick acknowledgement and thank you to FarStraider for this line. :-)

(4) The size of the Mazhiv Solai: 213 miles long (or 342.79 kilometers) and 75 miles wide at its widest point (120.70 kilometers)

(5) Landmarks on New Vulcan: Svitan'Kahr (Center City), the original settlement on New Vulcan which acts for the time being as the planet's capitol and port of call; Knunel-zehl T'Ni'rch (Mountain Range of Fire) the volcanic mountain range northeast of Svitan 'Kahr; and Kt'a'vre Feh (Glass Peak) a solitary cinder cone to the west of the Knunel-zehl T'Ni'rch. Author's note: none of these are Trek canon.

(6) Lava tube: a lava tube is a kind of tunnel or cave left underground after a stream of lava has burned through the ground and then retreated again. In Northern California, where I live, there are lava tubes all around Mt. Lassen; and one, called the "Subway Cave" is open to the public. My description of the lava tube in this chapter is based on that.

(7) Eshikh sai-vel: The Vulcan term for "desert clothing" or "desert gear".

(8) Microcorder: a handheld instrument along the lines of a Federation tricorder, but much smaller in overall size. (This is NOT Trek canon; I made the device up.)

(9) Microgals: gravimetric pull is measured in units called "gals" or "microgals" (mGal). On Earth, gravity decreases 0.3 mGal for every meter of height.

(10) Tam'a: this is the Vulcan word for "spirit", or as the (Vulcan Language Dictionary) VLD explains: "the vital principle or animating force within living beings; incorporeal consciousness; a being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon". Not all Vulcans accept that planets and other places can possess or embody a spirit that is unique to them, but Sa'aat does; it's part of his religious beliefs.

(11) Fo-kelek-tor: a kind of desert tortoise; it's name literally translates from the Vulcan as "shell dweller". (This is NOT canon; I made these creatures up myself.)

(12)Ne'shauik, kevet-dutar: translated from the Vulcan this means, "Greetings, Ambassador."

(13) Black Holes 101: The following information was derived from various sources, most notably the Astronomy Café, NASA, and Wikipedia: The popular notion of a black hole "sucking in everything" in its surroundings is only correct near the black hole horizon; far away, the external gravitational field is identical to that of any other body of the same mass... Rotating black holes are surrounded by a region of spacetime in which it is impossible to stand still, called the ergosphere. This is the result of a process known as frame-dragging; general relativity predicts that any rotating mass will tend to slightly "drag" along the spacetime immediately surrounding it. Any object near the rotating mass will tend to start moving in the direction of rotation...Once a black hole has formed, it can continue to grow by absorbing additional matter. Any black hole will continually absorb interstellar dust from its direct surroundings and omnipresent cosmic background radiation, but neither of these processes should significantly affect the mass of a stellar black hole. More significant contributions can occur when the black hole is formed in a binary star system. After formation the black hole can then leech significant amounts of matter from its companion... As an object approaches the event horizon, the horizon near the object bulges up and swallows the object. Shortly thereafter the increase in radius (due to the extra mass) is distributed evenly around the hole... As a black hole radiates energy, it shrinks and the more it shrinks, the more it radiates (this is the nature of the radiative process) and so finally it will completely evaporate... There is the also the phenomenon in some black holes of "gushing" out a stream of radiation, x-rays, and compact protons which can impact directly on any neighboring planetary bodies. [[Thank you, again to my beta FarStrider for encouraging me to look into the phenomenon more carefully. ]]

(14) Kelbonite: this kind of ore has been used in several Star Trek stories to defeat scanners, energy beams and transporters. According to the Memory Alpha site, it "is a refractory metal capable of deflecting or interfering with certain types of scans and energy beams, including the transporter. It can be found naturally within caverns and tunnels on many planets."

(15) 3.7 kilometers = 2.3 miles.

(16) Klon nemut: from the Vulcan this translates as "Intelligent enemy."

(17) Hah, k'diwa: from the Vulcan this translates as "Yes, beloved."

(18) Rai vravshaya pakashogau nash-veh svi'tu, k'diwa: from the Vulcan this translates as "I perceive no failings in you, beloved."

(19) Gentlemen: the term is a generic one used when addressing ALL crewmembers, regardless of their gender.

(20) ETA: short for "Estimated Time of Arrival". (You all know this, but I thought I should put in a footnote anyway.)

(21) This in reference to the scene in the 2009 "Star Trek" movie when Kirk baited Spock into an emotional display by commenting that Spock never really loved his mother because he didn't display his feelings for her after her death. Spock reacted by beating Kirk into the computer panels.

(22) Vitorau ha'gel: from the Vulcan this translates as "Activate lights".

(23) Teresh-kah: Vulcan "silver-birds"; bird-like predators native to the planet Vulcan.

(24) Potun-tor vapors: gases that help sustain and preserve biological tissue. (This is NOT canon; I made this up myself.); Potun-tor is the Vulcan word for "sustain", or, as the VLD puts it: "to keep in existence; maintain; to supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for"

(25) 181 kilos = 398.2, or almost 400, pounds

(26) Conversation: Again, I don't usually give in-line translation, but this conversation included a lot of long sentences, so I thought an immediate translation would be helpful. I apologize if the in-line translations are distracting.

(27) Kum'i veh tor-fam k'gad-keshtan ek'rasahkos stislak. Pavesh-tor mesuvulaya k'leh-the pi-nehkaya svi'mu-yor t'katra: from the Vulcan this translates as, "One does not awaken with the dawn an evil monster. The transformation happens with a thousand small submissions in the night of the soul." This is actually the "Vulcanized" version of the quote by the Human, Robert Brault, "You do not wake up one morning a bad person. It happens by a thousand tiny surrenders of self-respect to self-interest."

(28) Coh'Lie quote: In my back-story for the Coh'Lie race, Growleet was sort of like the Coh'Lie version of Surak. He lead his people out of their predatory ways and established them as a self-sufficient, self-governing race. When Sa'aat was among the Coh'Lie people, he learned the ways of Growleet, and taught the Coh'Lie the ways of Surak.

(29) Talal ko-veh: from the Vulcan this tanslates as "Find her."