Humans looked at Xon oddly, and they were much as puzzled as him as he was about them. Xon tried to bring forth his inner emotions just for the sake of doing a good job in a human environment unlike his counterpart who tried to suppress them. It had been a week since they embarked into deep space. Xon was in the rec room playing ping pong with McCoy. Around them were people counting the points.
"Fourteen points for the captain!"
"Zero points for the lieutenant!"
"Fifteen points for the captain!"
Garica had her arms folded appearing to be puzzled.
"Why is a Vulcan losing the easiest game there could ever be?" Garcia asked.
Alongside Garcia stood Tree.
"He is a strange for a Vulcan." Tree added.
"Xon, slow your gears down!" McCoy said.
Xon flipped the ball then hit it back.
"My joints are properly working in order, McCoy." Xon said.
McCoy hit the ball that shortly hit the Vulcan at the face knocking him over but Xon stood up as though nothing had happened then tossed it back in the direction of the captain. McCoy hit the ball with the paddle. And this time the Xon hit the ball. The ball hit the surface of McCoy's goal.
"ONE POINT FOR VULCANS!" A high pitched man shouted followed by a cheer.
McCoy hit the ball back.
"Why you sneaky bastard!" McCoy said.
Xon struck the ball, making it go over McCoy's head.
"My parents had me when they were bonded." Xon said.
"I GOT IT!" A Ensign at the back declared, then tossed the back in the direction of the game.
Xon gently hit the ball in the direction of the captain.
"For a Vulcan who operates on speed and logic," McCoy said. "You keep missin'."
Xon leaped in the direction of the ball only to miss with what seemed to be an unforgettable priceless expression on his face that was "OH CRAP" as it flew in the air where it hit someone with a thud. McCoy ran over to the person who had collapsed on the floor. It was Commander Raven. On the other side of Raven's forehead was a long red bleeding scar. McCoy applied pressure onto the injury and called the match over. McCoy helped Raven up. Xon put down the paddle on the table as the small group headed out of the rec room leaving Xon alone.
"I won't miss, again." Xon said.
True, Vulcan's did not get easily hurt as humans did. There were little emotions that had long been suppressed since his childhood. One of the many emotions he experienced twelve years ago was the loss of the home planet. He was fortunate his family and his arranged mates family were able to evacuate. He could remember seeing the planet crush itself in, piece by piece, until it was not there anymore almost like there was a suction cup. He could hear the screams of those who were not able to get off the planet. The cries of the children as the ground gave out below their feet. He could feel great emotions from all over as though there was a heavy telepathic assault being inflicted upon him. Still and steady he kept his ten year old small body soaking in horror. Some of the passengers aboard the starship were not as fortunate and faced unimaginable hardship. Xon could feel the most basic, but suppressed emotion, of guilt. He had asked what he was experiencing to a older Vulcan when he was younger on the planet that would be later colonized as New Vulcan.
"Hello." Young Xon greeted one of the older Vulcans.
The older Vulcan had a familiar face, almost reminiscent of Captain Spock, but older. He was speaking with a older Vulcan woman who seemed to be wearing a emotionless mask. He was in Ambassador robes. When the older Vulcan looked off into Xon's direction there was a small smile that grew on the elder's face. There was a look of recognition in the elder's eyes.
"Hello, Xon, my name is Selek." Selek said.
"I have a question that I believe my parents are unable to answer." Xon said.
"What is that?" Selek asked.
"It feels like I am being eaten by the inside and I feel my heart sinking," Xon said. "What is that called?"
"Guilt." Selek said.
"Interesting." Xon said.
"Indeed." Selek said.
"How do you know my name?" Xon asked.
"I know your father." Selek said.
Xon bowed his head.
"You are wise." Xon said.
Now, Xon, twenty-two years old, walked out of the rec room with hands behind his back. He saw Roddenberry sticking to the side of the hall appearing to be startled by what had went past him. The young man looked off into the direction of Xon. Xon had to admit he needed some training in ping-pong. He did not have wishes to hurt anyone because of his flawed superiority.
"What happened?" Roddenberry asked.
"Commander Raven has been the victim of a foul ball." Fowl said.
"Poor man." Roddenberry said.
Xon did not reply.
"So who hit the ball?" Roddenberry said.
"I missed." Xon said.
"Who's paddle hit the ball?" Roddenberry asked, again.
"The captain's. And I missed," Xon stressed. "It is primarily my fault and I will endeavor to improve my ping-pong skills."
"Mind if I join you?" Roddenberry asked.
"You may." Xon said.
"Let's take it to the holodeck so you don't hit other people." Roddenberry said.
"That is a preferable way of playing." Xon said.
"It is." Roddeberry agreed, as they went down the hall.
One hour and thirty-two minutes later, Xon was called to the bridge. The young Vulcan made his way to the bridge. The session he had with Roddenberry was sufficient. He and Roddenberry decided to practice this game on convenient days for fun, or, as the human term goes 'whenever you like'. Xon decided to pass playing ping-pong in the recreation room until he has successfully accomplished hitting the ball. He had a green bruise growing on the left side of his forehead from earlier.
"What do you reckon this is,Mr Xon?" McCoy asked.
Xon looked at the screen then looked back in the direction of McCoy with a raised eyebrow.
"Earth." Xon said.
"No." McCoy said
"But it is Earth." Xon said.
"That is not Earth." McCoy said.
"I do not understand," Xon said. "It has a moon and apparently a neighboring red planet. It looks exactly like Earth."
"What the captain is saying, Mr Xon, is that we just found a twin solar system." Decker said. "Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,Neptune and so on. There is even the ninth planet in this orbit."
Xon went to his science station with an intriguing and fascinating argument that he had been told. He checked the atmosphere conditions. Xon checked the previous planets they had passed. Most of which were gas giants. There was a dwarf planet in the line of planets. Xon seemed to be stunned by what he was witnessing.
"Captain," Xon said. "This is groundbreaking in the world of science. Finding a solar system exactly like ours is astronautical."
"We are calling this solar system the Solar System II." McCoy said.
"Logically," Xon started. "Since this is a twin earth there is a good chance there could be doubles of everyone on that planet but they could be younger than everyone on this ship. They can show the choices we could have made or how our society would have been different. If we been born to different families. This is a subject for study but I believe this is not appropriate. If we are to land on the planet then we are to expect running across a child like version of the captain, the commander, and the counselor including everyone on this ship. There is a eighty-five point twenty-three percent chance of meeting them as children. Fourteen point seventy-seven chance of meeting them as adults. They may not have warp drive."
"I advise not to send a landing party, captain." Decker said.
"Advice noted." McCoy said.
Sienfield's eyes were widening.
"Captain, I am getting a message from the planet side!" Sienfield said.
"The planet is capable of making ship to ship communication?" McCoy said.
"It appears so," Sienfield said. "Audio only."
"Turn on the audio." McCoy said.
Sienfield nodded then pressed a option on the screen.
"-THIS IS NYOTA UHURA OF THE CADILLAC ENTERPRISE,WE ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. WE HAVE A CHILD OPERATIVE DOWN, REPEAT-"
"HIKARU TURN LEFT! NO, THAT IS RIGHT! THERE IS A STOP SIGN IN THE WAY!"
They heard a loud screech belonging to what sounded like a wheel frictioning against the pavement.
"HANG ON, Y-YO-YO-YOU GREEN BLOODED ELF! DON'T DIE ON US, RIGHT NOW!"
There was a sob from the static.
"OH NAE, THE ENGINES ARE BURNIN'!"
"DON'T SAY THAT, SCOTTY!"
"THIS IS NYOTA UHURA OF THE CADILLAC ENTERPRISE, WE ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. I REPEAT. WE HAVE A CHILD OPERATIVE DOWN."
"WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE ENGINE? PAVEL!"
"DON'T LOOK, HIKARU!"
"BROTHER? BROTHER? BROTHER! PLEASE H-HOL-HOLD ON!"
"HE IS NOT BREATHIN'!"
"WE HAVE A CHILD DOWN. THE DIGGER ALIENS HAVE TAKEN OVER ANTI-DIGGER ALIENS RIVERSIDE HEADQUARTERS. I REPEAT. RIVERSIDE, IOWA HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. RIVERSIDE, IOWA HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. THE BROTHER OF THE LEADER OF OUR GROUP HAS BEEN INJURED. WE NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION. ANY KIND FOR THE ELF!-"
The bridge was silent once the sound was cut off.
They could not have sounded more than ten to thirteen years old.
"Neferit, lock in on their energy signatures and prepare for emergency beamin'," McCoy said, then he pressed a button on the arm rest of the chair. "Doctor Stone, please report to Transporter room 1 with Counselor Ilia. McCoy out." He looked over toward the two men who were seemingly worried. "Mr Decker and Mr Xon, with me."
Decker and Xon followed McCoy to the turbolift.