VULCAN-

Sonja opened her eyes, slowly regaining her consciousness. Her face was still sticky from an old flow of tears that she had bawled earlier. Remembering the face of her terrified mother and her father's order to run- the screams as they were captured by men- she raised herself off the floor to her hands and knees. The returning fear made her body shudder, and the hot tears continued to flow.

A hand gripped her shoulder, "Calm, young one. Now is not the time."

Sonja peered over her shoulder to the stranger behind her. The hot tears began to sting and cloud her eyes, making it difficult to see his face, though, his voice seemed trustworthy.

Sudden noises. Aggressive voices.

Sonja turned alert to the threatening tones that sounded so familiar to her capturers. She felt an anger climb from her gut. Though still disoriented and weak, she felt a strong vengeance. Before any impulse, the man grabbed her forcibly, pulling her away from the voices through the dark, damp tunnels ahead.

Sonja's mind struggled, vying her reluctant body to do the same. She wanted to go back. She had to go back to find a face to the voice, but she wasn't allowed. She hated the man pulling her down deeper into the darkness. As if hope and her family were drifting away for good.

Sonja's feet suddenly felt the rocks touching her toes beginning to resemble steps and she could make out dim lights ahead. The man pulled her past one light, two. She looked up at the tall, lean man that gripped her so tightly. His face was strange, appearing human but with differences. A face from a humanities book from school, perhaps? In which, many alien and humanoid species discovered throughout the past century had been recorded. He must be humanoid. Five, six, at the seventh light the man stopped and opened a door that had to be forced shut.

Sonja staggered, regaining her own mobility and looked around. It was dark, damp. It smelled of iron, mildew, and lead shavings. It was a confusing but irritating scent. There was a sheet of metal propped above the ground, acting as a bed, and clothes on the bed acted as bedding. A bucket in the corner emitted its own purpose by its rancid, fecal scent. Sonja turned to her guide, as she heard his last struggles with the heavy door.

He went to the wall and rubbed it with his hand. Light suddenly appeared. It was weak but there. Sonja noticed that the light was actually made of tiny lights that moved. She'd have to investigate later to satisfy curiosity. She didn't pay too much attention now but focused on the man now standing over her. His face was old and wise. His eyebrows angled and his ears unmistakably pointed. Sonja surmised the man must be Vulcan from the pictures in her humanities book. He was too clean to be Romulan even in this dank place.

"You have landed on a dangerous path, young one. These Sulvarian mine traders do not react kindly to any member of the human race. A long history of personalized hatred has swelled deeply in the Sulvarians against all humans of earth for a long period of time."

The man sighed, eyeing Sonja, "I am Nardok. A representative species of Vulcan. I was torn away from my home planet, when I was enslaved by the Sulvarians. Their ship attacked the vessel on which I and other Vulcan peacekeepers were journeying on a mission to assist a sister planet in our system. They captured the crew and I, banishing us to waste away as slaves in these darkened mines."

Nardok sat on his bed and pulled Sonja closer towards him. Entranced by his calming voice, Sonja continued listening attentively.

"Now, I have been on this planet for several years and have seen several captured species come and go. One that has never survived was human. They continue and will continue to do unspeakable and monstrous deeds to you and your kind. It would be most unwise to flaunt your race in this place. As human, death is certain. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Sonja."

"You must no longer go by nor remember that name. To forget and surrender all your human ties is necessary, if you wish to pursue life."

"I won't forget my mom! I won't forget my dad!" Fresh tears melded with the falls on her face.

"You must purge this anger. You must rid this hate. If you wish to live, you must accept a new life."

"I can't forget," Sonja shook her head, bumbling, "I won't forget."

"It is the only way. It is necessary. It is a heavy burden for one so young and being of an emotional and impulsive race, but it must be done. It must. Look at me."

Sonja obeyed and wiped her tears on her sleeve.

"You will always be a human, but in order to secure your survival for the time, I beseech you to accept a new life. A life I am willing to provide and to teach in order to secure your well being. It is the only logical thing."

The sadness in her eyes, offered a spirit of surrender and emptiness. She had no where else to go. She had no other options. She nodded in acceptance, before asking how.

Nardok stood again, staring down at her, "You shall become a Vulcan, as Vulcan as you can be. It is not a guarantee for esteemed existence but it is a guarantee for survival. I shall teach you our ways and give you our appearances according to our customs. You must no longer carry the name Sonja, nor any other human ties that bond you. You will be given new memories and customs and shall be given a new name, a Vulcan name of Kaidae."