Homecoming

Posted on Fri Sep 7th, 2018 @ 1:10am by Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Commander Rita Paris

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: Planet Vulcan
Timeline: 2394

The entire space was dark, save for the dancing ghostly lights of the computer's holographic display, flashing three detailed projections of data and visuals almost simultaneously. It was so silent that the voice of the computer boomed, like that of some intangible goddess, passing judgment over the lone finger standing in the middle of the flashing transluscent computer images floating around him.

"Identify species," ordered the disembodied, cold female voice.

"Laboratory constructed and genetically enhanced Jem'Hadar soldier of the Gamma Quadrant Dominion," answered the lone figure in a dark robe lined with silvery cursive glyphs when the spectral grey-scaled figure appeared on his left.

"Correct," answered the computer. " Provide the Scott intermix formula for cold start of starship warp engine."

His fingers touched a terminal's keys in front of him and a long stream of letters and numbers flashed just above it.

"Correct. Identify first Starfleet vessel to explore and return from the Delta quadrant."

" USS Voyager, registry number NCC-74656, Captain Kathryn Janeway commanding."

"Correct. Identify Starfleet officer most responsible for the resolution of the first Federation-Klingon war from whose actions were established Starfleet's Rules of Engagements."

"Captain Garth of Izar."

"Correct. What is Surak's first axiom of logic?"

"Nothing can be and not be at the same time."

"Correct."

"Computer; terminate cognitive testing."

As the stern female voice spoke, it was obvious this one was not disembodied at all. Sharper light threw a rectangular beam across the dark room as the holographic displays vanished. An old, stern, willowy Vulcan woman with white hair and blue eyes stood in a doorway suddenly visible against the dark wall behind him. Her robes were like his except that they were white, with gold cursive ideograms on it's collar and a veil covered the top and back of her head.

"Sonak; come with me."

Without any further word, he followed her in a long corridor of reddish stone, so old that time itself had polished it's floor, it's walls and it's ceiling.Yet, it was dimly lit by a definitely modern glow seemingly emanating from the walls themselves. They walked until they reached a large antiquated door of wood, again so ancient it looked and felt like polished bronze. But it too showed modern influence as it slid open on it's own.

The circular chamber beyond was of shiny black stone veined with gold, a red stone-tiled floor and ancient clan banners flanking on each side a huge tapestry embroiled with the IDIC symbol. Before it stood a tall golden statue of a Vulcan holding an open scroll in one hand while raising the other in the celebrated Vulcan salute. Between the effigy of Surak and the entrance was a large crescent table of reddish metal, with a lozenge-shaped silvery gong on one end and a black brazier lit on the other. Two men sat on the other convex side of the table, as Sonak and the woman approached them to stand within it's concave side.

Standing between then and before him on his side of the table, she spoke with a solemn voice.

"Sonak; hear the words of the planetary council, Starfleet Intelligence and the Federation council. You have adequately answered all inquiries to everyone's satisfaction. You medical examination has declared you fit of mind and body and well adjusted to the quantum signature of our spatio-temporal reality. On behalf of them all, I welcome you."

He bowed his head slightly but then looked each one of them in the eye.

"I am gratified by this decision and honored by the confidence and support you, the masters of Gol, have placed in me. But I must state that the assessment of my fitness is somewhat inaccurate."

"Specify," ordered one of the men, the one with the bald head and emerald eyes.

"My psionic abilities have been... altered; which I would hypothesize to be the consequences of cerebral restructuring occurring during my transition between quantum realities and the simultaneous temporal displacement."

"We have tested your psionic capabilities," now stated the other male master, bearded with the same silvery color as his long hair framing his gaunt face and dark obsidian eyes. "They are quite whole and rather remarkable, at least comparable to any master to ever come to Gol, present company included."

Sonak shook his head slightly.

"In my universe, I was sent to the masters of Gol as soon as I was able to speak. It was imperative that I learned perfect control over my telepathic abilities which were already as powerful as those of a Betazoid; while my telekinetic abilities were comparable to those of some of our distant ancestors from before the Awakening."

Behind the female masters, the other two exchanged a glance. But it was she who spoke next.

"Pon Farr would have been a most dangerous time for you... and more so for everyone else."

This time Sonak nodded.

"Affirmative; hence why the purging of all emotions years before the onset of puberty was logically deemed imperative by my parents and the council, to which the masters agreed. Achieving Kolinahr at an early age not only cultivated the mastery of those powers, but more importantly nullified the need for me of emotional outburst of repressed emotions at the time of mating."

"So you do not experience Pon Farr. Yet, there is a stirring in you that is both physiological and... spiritual. Were you ever betrothed on your own Vulcan?" asked the woman.

There was a perceptible moment of silence before Sonak answered.

"Negative."

"And now you claim your abilities are altered," reminded the bald master.

"I can here and now, only mind meld in the established usual manner, and perform the mental projections in the conventional way. I have lost all telekinetic abilities. For all intent and purposes, I am now no more or less psionically endowed than any other Vulcan."

The woman looked intently at him.

"Yet, I sense... something."

"Something... different," agreed the bearded master.

"Something even beyond Kolinarh," added the third master. "Something we felt only once before; with Spock, son of Sarek, son of Amanda, during the time of the coming of the great artificial mind over a century ago."

The woman walked to Sonak, her hand inciting him to kneel before her.

"Your thoughts... give them to me."

Kneeling, Sonak bowed his blue-black long-haired head and closed his steely eyes. She lightly touched both sides of his skull and she too closed her eyes. her voice became soft, distant.

"My mind... to your mind..."

"My thoughts... to your thoughts," said Sonak in turn.

Their breathing became as one. And then they spoke together as if of one voice.

"You served in Starfleet..."

"... USS Intrepid... Starfleet Academy... USS Exeter... with Captain Michael Stuart... and..."

"Rita!"

Even far away on their seating stones, both masters behind the table felt it; something... something distant, different, a... connection, deep yet ephemeral, beyond the flesh, even beyond the mind. Their eyebrows shot up and they leaned forward as the voices of Sonak and the third master became whispers.

"... asked you... not to grieve..."

" The transporter... the storm... could not retrieve... could only... only sent her... away..."

" I will... remember you... always..."

"T'hy'la!"

The Master of Gol broke the contact, startled by the torrential flood of human emotions that came forth from the memory of Sonak; emotions not shared, yet shared, not felt, yet perceived and understood It stirred something so deep and primeval within the Vulcan mind as to disturb even a master of Gol.

Yet, completely and harmoniously impregnated into Sonak's katra.

There was a long moment of silence as the masters rebalanced their inner selves, after the brief outpouring of feelings they were so unaccustomed to encountering.

"This is... disturbing," the bald master confessed.

"Unexpected," said the bearded one.

"It is... fascinating," finished the woman.

Then she looked down sternly at the still kneeling Sonak.

"You have been... bethroted?"

"Not on Vulcan," reminded Sonak without any visible hint of what had transpired in his voice or in his eyes. "Less than a bethrotal... but more than one at the same time, because she is... so human."

His own inner mastery, however, had ostensibly impressed the three masters.

"You wish to return to Starfleet? To this... human female?"

"You read my mind."

Was there the slightest human sarcasm within his apparently stoic reply? Stating the obvious was not a normal Vulcan habit to be sure. But this particular kolinahr was anything but the average Vulcan; this incident alone was sufficient proof.

The woman's hand invited him to rise back to his feet.

"Your mastery of Kolinarh is without peer. You seem to have achieved a level beyond even our own understanding; something that until now could only be glimpsed through the katra of Surak himself... perhaps with Ambassador Spock, because of the unique manner which he lived, through his dual Vulcan-Human heritage. I suspect this... relationship you have with this human woman has much to do with it. Our people would greatly benefit from your wisdom."

"Masters of Gol; it would be the greatest honor to join you and bring any contribution, however small, to your guidance of our people. But whatever wisdom you graciously attribute me, is still in need of nurturing. My journey in life must continue, until I am truly ready to be worthy of the responsibility you now assume. As I have heard humans often say; the adventure is just beginning."

"We bow to your logic, Sonak, son of S'Kon, son of T'Prell. There are some answers that cannot be found here on Vulcan."

"With your leave, I will apply for reinstatement into Starfleet."

"Logic would dictate that they might not be eager to reinstate you, at least not immediately," warned the bald master. "Humans, among others, are notoriously wary when circumstances like those which brought you here are involved."

"Agreed, master; therefore I will proceed in the safest way for them to alleviate this... wariness. I will apply to Starfleet Academy."

Sonak raised his hand and extended his fingers in pairs.

"Peace and long life, masters of Gol."

The three masters returned his salute.

"Live long and prosper, Sonak of Vulcan."

They could not feel it, but those very words resonated deeply in to the mind of one who had thought he would never again walk on his homeworld, breathe it's dry, thin air and feel it's harsh, hot winds. It had been weeks now, and he had even visited the final resting place of his parents ... and of himself, of this reality. He had communed with their katras, providing them the satisfaction of knowing that a destiny left tragically unfulfilled, would now have a new opportunity to unfold.

This had been most gratifying. But as he left the temple's inner chamber, it paled with the other thought his mind now held.

One more step. One step closer... to her.