The Vulcan Changeling Project

Meditation Cycles

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom Kirk noticed that weapons adorned the walls. Kirk recognized some of them as the weapons Spock had tried to kill him with when Spock had gone through Pon Farr. Others Kirk could only guess at their uses by their blunt evil looking endings. As Kirk walked around the courtyard he noticed that the weapons became more ornate. At the end of the weapons display was a scroll.

A voice spoke in the darkness. "The scroll of logic written by Sarek himself."

Kirk turned around to see a young Vulcan standing behind him. The Vulcan gestured toward a dark hallway. "Come the mystics await."

Kirk looked around to see evidence of a trap and then slowly followed the young Vulcan to where the mystics awaited. Musical chimes and incense only enhanced the eerie atmosphere as Kirk approached the Vulcans. The four mystics sat crossed legged and the nearest one motioned for Kirk to step forward. When Kirk was directly in front of the mystic he reached out and touched Kirk's temples. "James Tiberius Kirk, why have you come?"

Kirk closed his eyes and knowing that he couldn't lie answered the mystic answered in an uncharacteristically small voice. "I am not sure." Then a dizziness overcame Kirk as the mind meld between the young Vulcan and himself began.

***

Muriah woke up screaming from yet another violent nightmare. Sweat poured down her body and her limbs shook. Spock quietly came in the room and knelt beside her, placing his fingers on her temples. "I am here," he whispered. Muriah's eyes fluttered open for an instant and then closed. Her body relaxed as she fell into a deep sleep. Spock removed his fingers from her temple and then left the room. His limbs ached with fatigue as he made his way to a chair in the courtyard. Spock gazed up at the stars above. They always appeared brighter on Vulcan. Their brightness making up for the fact that Vulcan had no moon. A meditation lamp lit up part of the courtyard. An orange lizard slithered into view, flicked its greenish tongue at Spock and then disappeared into the darkness. Spock knelt in front of the meditation lamp. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift through the meditation cycles. Though other Vulcans were meditating as well their minds never touched. They were all concentrated on the same goal-peace and logic. The causes and reasons were different but no Vulcan sought to violate each other's privacy.

Spock went deeper and deeper. It had been a long time since he had achieved this level of meditation. Suddenly Spock sensed an alien mind among the cycles. Though alien minds had achieved this level of Vulcan meditation, it was rare. Curious Spock reached out to trace the source. Spock opened his eyes and frowned for not only had he lost the connection but the cycle had appeared to be assisted by a mind meld. He should have felt relaxed after his meditative session but Spock only felt uneasy as if he were being watched. There was something about the alien mind that felt familiar. Yet Vulcan law forbid any individual to pursue any meditator in the cycle. Spock knew it was time for him to rest, even though he knew his sleep would not be peaceful.

When Spock awoke the next morning he still felt a sense of unease from the previous night's meditation. After a visit to Muriah, Spock noted with relief that she appeared to be stronger. With Spock's assistance Muriah had ventured a few steps out into the courtyard. They sat side by side in silence, watching as dozens of orange lizards darted back and forth in the blazing mid-morning sun. Muriah smiled. "Spock, have you ever tried to contact any of these small creatures?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I hardly think a mind-meld with a lizard would be logical."

Muriah laughed which was in stark contrast to the sadness in her eyes. "I used to have a mental rapport with a cat on Babylon 2. We knew each other's thoughts. I miss her. I guess that's not very logical is it?"

Spock inched one bare foot out of the shade, testing the heat of the stones. "Not everything on Vulcan is logical."

Muriah folded her hands in her lap. "I know," she whispered. For a moment neither Spock nor Muriah spoke, each lost in a painful memory. Muriah was the first to break the silence. "Spock, as you know my memory is returning. This morning I remembered that I used to play the cello."

Spock turned towards her but said nothing as a distant memory of a small child running through a courtyard came flooding back.