Vulcans Without Purpose

Chapter Seven

"Away team is entering the atmosphere, sir. Ten thousand meters," Chekov says, keeping his eyes on the screen. I look at Spock, who shakes his head at me. I look back at the screen as Kirk, Sulu, and Olson enter the atmosphere.

"Approaching the platform at 5,800 meters." I look down, and the thought of Spock and I's parents flood into my mind. I am quickly pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of Kirks voice. "Kirk to Enterprise. Distance to target, 5,000 meters."  A couple seconds later, Chekov speaks again. "Forty-five hundred meters to target." 

"Three thousand meters," Kirk says, and I sit forward. "Pull your chutes!" I watch as Sulu and Kirk deploy their chutes, but Olson does not.  Olsons voice comes through, "two thousand meters!" "C'mon, pull your chute Olson!" 

"No, not yet! Not yet! Fifteen hundred meters!" I stand, annoyance and anger coursing through my veins. "Olson! Pull your chute now!" I yell, becoming impatient with the humans actions. "One thousand meters!" He pulls his chute, and hits the platform, but suddenly he completely dissapears from the screen. I sign, slumping back into the Captains chair. 

"Olson is gone, sir!" I continue to keep my eyes trained on the monitor, and I feel Spocks hand on my shoulder again, sending a wave of calm through me. I look up as Chekov turns around, "Kirk has landed, sir." I look at him, not saying a word, and then back to the monitor. 

I look as Sulu shows up on the platform, and I await what will happen next.

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"The jamming signal's gone. Transport abilities are reestablished." Uhura says from behind me, and then Mr. Chekov starts talking. "Transporter control is reengaged, sir." I look up at Chekov, "Mr. Chekov, read gravitational sensors, I want to know what they are doing to the planet."

"Aye, Commander! I mean, Captain, Sorry! Captain." I watch the screen, waiting for the answer from Chekov. "Kirk to Enterprise. They just launched something at the planet. Through the hole they just drilled." I look up as the machinery that read the gravity sensors start malfunctioning. "Do you copy, Enterprise?" 

"Captain, gravitational sensors are off the scale! If my calculations are correct, they are creating a singularity which will consume the planet, " and that is when realization hits me. I look at Spock fearfully, "they're creating a black hole at the center of Vulcan?" Chekov looks at us fearfully. "Yes, sir." 

I looked away from Spock, looking back at Chekov. "How long does the planet have?" Chekov looks down in thought, then back at me and Spock. "Minutes, sir. Minutes." I launch myself from the seat and walk over to Uhura. "Alert Vulcan Command Center to signal a planet-wide evacuation, all channels, all frequencies." Spock and I walk past her and to the turbo lift, "Spock wait!"s  Uhura calls after him and follows us to the lift. 

I look at another crew member, "maintain standard orbit."  "Yes, sir." I enter the lift with Spock and Uhura looks at him, and him alone. "Where are you going?" "To evacuate the Vulcan High Council." I butt in immediately, "they are tasked with protecting our cultural history." "And our parent's will be among them."

She glares at me, and then Spock again. "Can't you beam them out?" "It would be impossible, they are in the Katrik Ark. We must get them ourselves." I speak over Spock as he and Uhura hold a stare, "Mr. Chekov, you have the conn." "Aye, Captain." 

The turbo lift doors close and I look over at Spock. "When this is over, Spock, we have something that needs to be discussed." I mutter, checking to make sure that I am fit to be beamed down to the planet. "What would this matter be?" He says, standing in front of me. "It matters not in this moment, Spock."

The turbo lift doors open and Spock and I run to the transporter where Kirk and Sulu lie on the ground. "Clear the pad, we're beaming to the surface " I mutter, kneeling down and preparing myself to see my home planet for the very last time.  Kirk gets up and walks off the pad Sulu, "the surface of what?" I do not answer, I just arm my phaser. 

"You're going down there, are you nuts? You can't do that!" I look at Chekov and nod, "Energize!" and just like that, we were on the surface of the planet. I look at Spock one last time and sprint forwards, running towards the Ark. 

We sprinted through the crumblings halls and into the Ark, where the council and our parents stand.  His mother looks up at the both us, her eyes wide. "Spock? Surna?" I shake my head, "the planet only has seconds, we must evacuate." "Mother, now!" Spock says, grabbing her hand. I grab my fathers hand and we run, rocks falling left and right, taking out some of the council members.

We make it out and I let go of my fathers hand, quickly opening up my communicator. "Surna to Enterprise. Get us out now!" "Locking volume. Don't move, stay right were you are!" I look at my father, Serek, and then Amanda. She gives me a weak smile, which I reply with a nod. Just as we start to energize, I feel the ground give out from under me, and I begin falling.

I hit the ground hard, my entire left side crunching with the impact. I look around me, seeing a Romulan shuttle. I run, quickly, getting into the shuttle and taking off. I fly off the planet just in time, but the Enterprise is already gone.

(SPOCKS POV) 

They're gone. Surna and Mother crumbled with the ledge, and had been sucked into the black hole with Vulcan. I glance at our fathers, both of them expressing pain through their eyes. I shake my head and walk away, going to log what has happened.  

I sit in the Captains chair, pain swirling deep inside my veins. "Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 2258. 42. We have no word from Captain Pike. I have therefore classified him as a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero. Nero, who has destroyed my home planet and most of its six billion inhabitants. While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who are now upon this ship,  I estimate that no more than ten thousand have survived. Commander Surna of the U.S.S. Enterprise has died in the line of duty. As we were energizing out, the ground collapsed from beneath her, taking her down. I am now part of an endangered species."

Goodbye, my love.