Spock

I just wrote this to mark the passing of Leonard Nimoy last month. I relish the fact that Mr Nimoy got to "pass on the reigns" of Mr Spock to Mr Quinto, who has done an excellent job in the role. Mr Nimoy's inclusion in the first two new Star Trek films allows me to write this. As always, I don't own anything. This takes place sometime after Star Trek: Into Darkness, and as such there are spoilers for TAS: Yesteryear, TNG: Unification, Star Trek, and Star Trek: Into Darkness

Leonard Nimoy (26 March 1931-27 February 2015) He lived long and he prospered

\\/ LLAP

Spock was on the bridge of the Enterprise with Lieutenants Uhura, Sulu, and Ensign Chekov. Dr McCoy was in Sickbay, and Mr Scott was in engineering. The captain was taking care of something elsewhere on the ship.

"Commander," said Uhura. "I am receiving a message from New Vulcan. I think that you'll want to hear."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said Spock, making his way over to the console. He looked at the readout and almost immediately deflated. At least, that was what a similar reaction would be called—if he were human.

If he were human, were words that Spock had heard many times over the years. He was discriminated against on two worlds—on Earth for being half-Human, and on Vulcan for being half-Vulcan.

"Lieutenant, you have the conn." Spock said in his strongest voice as he walked to the turbolift.

"Aye, sir," said Sulu as the doors shut. "What was that about?"

"It's not my place to say, Hikaru," replied the communications officer.

\\/

Spock entered his quarters and went to meditate. The message he'd received was making it difficult for him. It was at times like this that he cursed the emotions that ran deep in Vulcans, and that were on the surface of humans.

Logic offers a serenity that humans seldom experience. We have emotions, but we don't let them control us. Spock recalled the words of both his cousin and his father. Did Father know about the Other Spock—he must have.

The doorbell rang. This is not good, thought Spock. I should not allow the crew to see me in an emotionally compromised state. It's cost me the Command a time or two.

"Spock, if you don't open the door, I'll barge in myself," called the voice of Captain Kirk. Spock got up and opened the door. His friend immediately noticed Spock's state.

"What's wrong, Spock?" asked Kirk.

"I just received a message from Vulcan" said Spock. "Read this." He handed a PADD to the Capitan. "Ambassador Spock has, as humans put it, passed away peacefully on Vulcan."

"Do you want me to get Uhura? Is there anything that I can do?"

"Thank you, captain, but I do not think that there is anything that you can do," said Spock. "As he was me, or a different version of me, he became a mentor as he set up the new Vulcan colonies. He was rather close to me. He reminded me of a cousin I met as a youth."

"A cousin?" Kirk had never heard Spock talk about any other family members except for his mother and father.

"Yes," said Spock. "The man, a Vulcan a couple of years older than I am now, requested to stay at my father's house for a couple of days, as he was passing through. I was rather unsure of myself at the time, and was about to pre-emptively make an attempt at the Vulcan Maturity test, the kahs'wan. He saved me."

"You were unsure of yourself?"

"It was a recurring problem when I was young," said Spock, returning to his normal logical tone. "I was neither human nor Vulcan, and some thought that I didn't belong in either world."

Spock went to the replicator unit in the wall, and got a tea. He motioned to the captain, asking if he wanted a cup as well. The captain shook his head, so Spock retrieved his tea, sat down and resumed his story.

"My cousin, Selek, was staying with us, and I sneaked out of the house during the night. My pet sehlat followed me. We entered the mountains. Fortunately, my cousin noticed my absence, and followed me. He fought off a le-matya, a poisonous animal that inhibits the region. Unfortunately, my sehlat sacrificed himself to save both of us. I had to run to get a healer from the closest town. Unfortunately, I had to let the animal go. It was the logical decision."

"Why are you telling me this, Spock?" asked Kirk. "I mean, it is fascinating, but why tell me now?"

"The ambassador reminded me of my cousin, Jim," said Spock. "I find it illogical that the …resemblance… between the two is coincidental. I think that sometime in the near future, I will find a device that will allow me to access the past, and become my 'cousin'. My cousin, after the death of the pet, reminded me that 'Every life comes to an end when Time demands it. Loss of life is to be mourned, but only if the life was wasted.' I think that logically, the same saying applies here. The Ambassador's life should not be mourned, for he was a great man. To quote my usual saying, 'He lived long and he prospered.' I find it hard, though, that he is gone."

"Humans have intense emotions when it comes to loss, Spock," said Kirk. "I think I witnessed a similar reaction after Nero killed your mother. The wish to minimise loss has caused humans to do terrible things to each other, but to also do great good. Wars have been started, in revenge for loss, but new techniques of counselling were developed, new medicines. If I remember correctly, Vulcans had a period of their history that was similar."

"Yes, we did." said Spock. "I've experienced the emotions that revolve around death before: my mother, Admiral Pike, you. There is part of me that wishes I melded with the Ambassador."

"I can offer you that chance, Spock," said Kirk in a manner consistent with another captain, talking to another Spock, in a different time-line. "He mind-melded with me. There may be a hint of his personality there."

"Thank you, captain," said Spock as he reached to grip Kirk's face. Spock put his hands in the familiar position. "My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts" he said, as he started to probe his captain's mind for the residue of the Mind-Meld.

\ \/ / LLAP

I realise how great a man the Ambassador was. Humans tend to mourn things that aren't meant to be mourned, they fixate on loss in a very profound way. They believe that all life is to be mourned, even a life that was not wasted. I believe it has to do with their emotions—with the emotions of fear, of pain, which affect Humans much deeper than in Vulcans.

Despite the fact that I am Vulcan, I must say that I will miss him. His contributions to our society will never be forgotten.

To the person that is reading this, I wish you a long and prosperous life, and may peace always guide you.

A/N: I don't think that I wrote the characters well. Despite him being my favourite character, other things are causing me to be more emotionally compromised than usual, causing me not to be able to write the character well. Sorry if this story sort of rambled.

Uhura gets a message and shows it to Spock

Spock goes to his quarters, and Kirk comes to comfort him

Spock tells the story of the Kahs-wan ritual

Kirk offers words of comfort

Spock offers a personal reflection on Human emotions