Eriecho - Star Trek Kelvin Timeline fanfiction

Across the Universe - 2 - I Saw Her Standing There

Well she looked at me, and I, I could see
That before too long I'd fall in love with her
She wouldn't dance with another (whoo)
When I saw her standing there

At the Martian sanctuary, a fairly young Vulcan woman with blonde hair was kneeling in the red dust and weeding a garden. Next to her, an even younger woman was standing and holding a basket and staring at the ground. "I do not see the point in all of this weeding," the standing woman declared. "It will all return again shortly. And did not the humans eliminate all of the weeds when they terraformed this world? Or at least they should have. The importation of weeds is highly illogical."

"Valeris," explained the kneeling woman, "what I have been referring to as weeds are generally other useful plants. They have merely strayed to incorrect and improper places."

"Then perhaps you could cultivate those misplaced plants, Eriecho," suggested Valeris. "It would be far less labor."

"I enjoy being busy. And Sollastek enjoys the peas and yellow peppers. It would be a waste of time to cultivate cabbage when he does not prefer it." She straightened up. "That is, it would be illogical."

"Your lessons," Valeris commented, "how are they coming along?"

"As well as anything, I suppose," Eriecho admitted. "It is difficult to learn to suppress emotions and be overly committed to logic, when I have not been for so very long."

"Is this a requirement of Sollastek's? You need not change that much in order to secure a mate."

"I know," Eriecho said, "it is more that I am attempting to create comfort and a familiar home for him. When we have wed, we will be together even more. And he will need for me to be more like a regular Vulcan, I believe."

"Are you certain?" Valeris asked. She had big, doe-like eyes, and peered into Eriecho's face as she spoke. "Sollastek seems quite taken with you, despite your less than perfect embrace of logic and emotional suppressions. I do not believe he would be gratified to learn that you are attempting to alter yourself. He has not asked for this, I suspect."

"He has not," Eriecho admitted, "yet I wish to please him all the same. Being shunned is not easy."

"I am of the opinion," Valeris said, "that your desire to suppress emotions does not come from any desire to please Sollastek." She paused and then added, "I believe you are attempting, yourself, to fit in."

Eriecho hurried away, not wanting to deal with Valeris, who was proving to be all too perceptive.

=/\=

On the USS Enterprise, Nyota Uhura looked up when there was a door chime at her quarters. A glance at the wall chronometer confirmed that, on the ship, it was late. "Come in."

It was Spock. "I apologize for the lateness of the hour," he said, "but I was unable to rest."

"Come in." She allowed the door to close before kissing him. "This is a good surprise. And you know, you don't need an invitation, and you don't have to provide a reason for coming over."

"I understand that. But it is that I am having trouble relaxing."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I have contacted my father."

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yes, and it was about a matter that I believe is of some contention."

She patted a spot on the bed. "Come and sit down, and tell me what's troubling you. What's this contentious topic?"

"The family," he began, "it is – may I begin from the outset?" She nodded, so he continued, "A few years before my father met my mother, he was involved with a different woman. I do not quite know how to describe her."

"I'm not so sure I understand what that means, Spock. Was she a human?"

"No, she was Vulcan. Our people, long ago, there was a monarchy. And there are remnants of the royal family who remain. She was one of them."

"Was?"

"Yes. Her name was T'Moona. She was a princess. But she was also damaged, apparently."

"What kind of damage are we talking about?"

"She and my father, they," he paused, "I was originally told that she had seduced him, yet that seems unlikely."

"Maybe it was mutual."

"That possibility did occur to me. She had his child. They never wed."

"What happened to her? And to your older, uh, sister?"

"Brother." Spock took a breath. "She took her own life. I am not sure why. Her family claimed Sybok – my brother – and they disappeared. My father searched for his son for a while. It is, actually, how he met my mother, as she was living on Kaldra IV, one of the places where he searched. She was working as a teacher; he entered her classroom and inquired about all of her charges. My father did this with any person he met who worked with children. Mother was no exception. But he spent additional time there, and they spoke more than they perhaps needed to."

"You never told me that story before. But let's get to the heart of the matter. Why are you thinking about this now? And why are you thinking about it so much that you can't get any sleep?"

"I spoke with Spock Prime, and he asked whether Sybok lived. It brought a memory to the surface. Sybok visited us once, when I was about three years of age. I have the slightest of memories of him. Father says that Sybok only visited that one time. And Father also says that he believes Sybok remains among the living. Nyota, he may be a living Vulcan who has not yet been accounted for."

"Wait, whoa, wait a second," she asked, "What happened during this visit?"

"I recall Sybok telling me to remain as a child as long as possible."

"What I mean is; what happened with your father, Spock? I mean, Sybok returns after your father had been looking for him for years. But he only came back once, and even that was years ago. So tell me, Spock, what happened that made him leave again?"

"I do not know."

"You should have another talk with your father, I think," she suggested. "And," she added, "I bet you're right. Let's talk to the captain in the morning. Maybe we can go back to Kaldra IV or its neighborhood or wherever, and find Sybok." She kissed him again. "Because I get the feeling you won't sleep too much until he's accounted for."

=/\=

As Eriecho strode away from the community garden, she saw the human director of the Martian sanctuary, Colonel Jack Shaw. With him was a human MACO she had befriended, Theo Carter.

"I hear we'll dance at y'all's wedding," Shaw said to her.

"Dance?" Eriecho asked.

"Yes," Carter confirmed, dark eyes sparkling, "and with the bride and everything."

"I do not imagine that Vulcan weddings are like that."

"Not too much," Shaw confirmed, "and not all human ones are, either. Still, seeing as you've embraced more of the human end of things, people like us can't help but to think that maybe you'll follow those traditions, as well."

"I do not know yet," Eriecho admitted, "although I do wish for a mix of Vulcan, Suliban and human traditions." The two men nodded at her.

"I did want to ask you something," Carter mentioned.

"Yes, Theo?"

"How come you stopped playing ball with us?"

"Private," Colonel Shaw turned to the younger man, "maybe Eriecho here wants to do something more, I dunno, feminine with her time than play touch football with the enlisted personnel."

"I do," Eriecho stated, "I need to try to be more Vulcan, I feel." She hurried away as Shaw and Carter looked at each other, wondering what they'd said to upset her.