Title: Utoto
Author: Wildcat
Series: TOS
Rating: T
Codes: S/U, Sarek, Perrin
Summary: A young human named Perrin enrolls at the Vulcan Science Academy and becomes a student of Spock's.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Spock, Uhura, Sarek, and Perrin. I have just borrowed them for a while and will not profit from any of this.
This story takes place between Thaya and The Softest Star on my Spock/Uhura timeline, but it's set well into the future.
Thanks to my friend Jungle Kitty for beta reading.
Feedback is desired.
Utoto, prologue
Her eyes already on the massive, unadorned stone arch, she stepped off the cross-city shuttle and halted before the main entrance to the Vulcan Science Academy. She could have chosen to disembark at a location closer to her first class, but she wouldn't have dreamed of doing that today. Her first day of graduate school was much too important to do anything other than pass beneath this famous stone arch.
She could already see that this was the right place for her. It used to be that Oxford was the right place for her, but Geoffrey had ruined everything. He and she had been so good together, attending fancy parties, meeting important people, and getting the occasional mention in the London news, but now he had someone else by his side to help him advance his promising political career. Well, that was just fine. She had always thought that Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Byrne had a nice ring to it, but it was his loss. He'd realize that someday.
She ran her fingers through her hair, very aware that her honey-gold highlights would pick up the sun, and she went through the gate. Other students walked quietly toward their classes, and she nodded politely at each one she passed. Vulcan, Vulcan, Vulcan, Vulcan... Many, many Vulcans. Ah, a human. She held his eyes for just an instant longer than necessary, and she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction at the interest she saw on his face. Poor young man. He found her attractive, but she could tell just by looking at him that he was a nobody.
Finally, she entered the physics building, and she paused to appreciate the coolness. Everyone had warned her that Vulcan was hot, but she hadn't understood just how bad the heat really was. It sucked all the moisture out of her hair and her skin. She'd have to ensure that she spent as little time outside as possible, or she'd end up looking like an old woman by the time she graduated.
She climbed two flights of stairs, and then looked at the room numbers as she walked down the hallway. Her first class was on this floor, and it should be somewhere very near. There. Room 312. Introduction to Interdimensional Physics, Spock.
Of course, she'd heard of Spock. He had a reputation as a difficult but fair teacher, and one of her professors at Oxford had even used a textbook he'd written. She'd heard that he had been famous many years ago for being in the military or something, but that had all happened well before she was born. Now he lived on Vulcan and ran the physics department, teaching a few classes when he had time. She'd actually been very lucky to get this class. Another student had dropped out at the last moment, and the registrar had contacted her just yesterday about changing her schedule.
She entered the classroom and found a seat. There were already thirteen other students here—a Tellarite, a human female, a bunch of Vulcans—and four empty chairs. No, correct that. Four more Vulcans entered the class and took their seats, and a moment later an older Vulcan man entered the room and sat down at the desk at the front. That must be Spock. He didn't really look like she'd imagined. For one thing, he had quite a bit of gray in his hair for a Vulcan in his nineties.
The chronometer at the front of the class changed to 0800 with a faint ding, and Spock stood.
"Greetings," he said. "I am Spock. I will be your teacher for this course, Introduction to Interdimensional Physics. Your effort here will consist of twenty-five percent classwork and seventy-five percent laboratory work. As you can see, the emphasis is on practical experience. You will work with a laboratory partner. You are free to choose a partner, but I will assign one to you if you prefer. Do you have any questions?"
He had spoken in Vulcan, but the first thing she had done upon learning of her acceptance into the VSA was enroll in an intensive course in conversational Vulcan, so she understood what he was saying. She smiled smugly when she noticed that the other human in the class had to use a universal translator.
No one replied, so he continued.
"Very well. There is a padd on each desk, and if you will bring up the table of contents, we will begin."
As he launched into a description of the course material, Perrin decided that his gray hair suited him. It made him look very distinguished.
End prologue
Utoto, chapter 1
Her arms weighted down with bags, Uhura hurried across the front room and dumped them on the table by the kitchen. There! The last load. Boy, that was a lot of food. She couldn't remember the last time either of them had bought so much. It had been expensive, too—groceries cost a fortune these days. It would definitely be worth it, though. She didn't mind a bit.
She surveyed the bags for a moment and decided to change before unloading anything. She'd had a busy day at work, and the first thing she wanted to do was get her 82-year-old feet out of these shoes. Besides, Spock would be home any moment, and if she waited maybe he'd help.
She was in the bedroom closet when she heard his voice.
"Nyota? Are you here?"
"Oh, hi," she called out. "I'll be right with you."
Quickly fastening the front of her caftan, she slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable old sandals and headed toward the front of the house. Spock was peering into one of the bags when she walked up behind him.
"Hello," she said.
Not looking away from the bag, he leaned in her direction for the kiss that he knew she would place on his cheek.
"What is this?" He pulled a box of pastries from the bag, grimacing slightly as he did so. "They are... purple."
She grinned and took the box from him. "I know they're purple. They're for Derek."
"Ah." He reached into the bag for another item. "And what is this?"
"Stasis pizza. It's for—"
"Derek. So I assumed. It would appear that most of this is for Derek. Is he moving in with us?"
Laughing, she said, "I wish! Saavik called this afternoon and asked if he could come over tomorrow and stay with us for a while. She and Michael decided on the spur of the moment to celebrate their twentieth anniversary by taking a trip."
"Very good. I will be pleased to have the time with him. It seems that we see too little of him lately. I must add, however, that this is a great deal of food for just the three of us."
She picked up several bags and headed into the kitchen. "Saavik said that he's been eating them out of house and home recently. I think we'll need all of this."
"I have noticed that he is growing rapidly. It is nothing short of miraculous that his growth has not been stunted by his diet."
"Oh, for heavens sake. You'd think I was trying to poison him. This stuff isn't that bad. Read the labels."
Spock raised an eyebrow, clearly amused at the tartness in her voice, and began unloading the bags. "I know that you would not purchase something that would harm him. I do question the nutritional value of these 'imitation cheese puffs,' however. I would suspect that the only non-imitation substance in them is cholesterol."
"Well, he obviously isn't suffering too much. He's not just growing rapidly, he's growing like a weed! He'll be taller than me soon." She faced him with a container of ice cream in her hand. "It seems like just yesterday that he was calling us Pawpaw and Nyna because he couldn't pronounce our names. Now Saavik says that he has a girlfriend."
"A girlfriend? Is it not rather soon for that? He is only thirteen standard years old."
"Well, you know how it is at that age." Spotting the dubious expression on his face, she added, "Okay, so maybe you don't, but he probably hasn't even said five words to his so-called girlfriend since they started going steady, and it'll be someone new tomorrow. You'd better get used to it, though. He might look like a Vulcan, but you and I both know that his Vulcan hormones are completely outnumbered by his human and Romulan ones. This is just the beginning. The next thing you know, it'll be real girlfriends and dates and dances and who knows what else."
"It is the 'who knows what else' that concerns me. He is too young for that."
She walked toward the pantry and patted him on the rump as she passed. "Just because you waited until you were in your thirties doesn't mean that he should. Oh, don't look at me like that! You can bet that I'll be keeping a close eye on him to make sure nothing happens on my watch, but raging hormones are just part of that energetic, reckless, awkward, and absolutely wonderful state called utoto."
"Utoto?"
"Youth. It's Swahili. I can still remember the look on my grandfather's face whenever I would do something foolish. He'd just shake his head and say 'Utoto,' as if that explained it all."
"Interesting. That word is actually similar to the Vulcan word for youth, which is ahn'to."
"Honey, unless the idea of fun on a Vulcan Friday night is piling into a flitter and circling the local hang-out, I'd say that they're not similar at all."
"There are no Fridays on Vulcan."
"My point exactly."
"Ah. I see." He began collecting the empty bags for the recycler. "Derek is on break from school now, is he not?"
"Yes. Saavik said that he'd be fine on his own during the day, but I thought I'd take some time off from work anyway. Maybe we can find something fun to do. Do you think that you could join us, even if only for an afternoon or two?"
"I will see what I can do, but I fear it will be difficult."
"Yes, I know. You have your hands full with your students right now. When are their midterm projects due?"
"In eight days. Perhaps we can plan an activity during the evening. I will simply have to make it clear that I will be unavailable."
"You've been putting in plenty of extra time with them. I think they'll understand that you have a life."
"A life? I believe they would be shocked to learn that I have a life."
She chuckled. "You're probably right."
"Ah, speaking of that..."
"Oh, no. Do you have to go in tonight?"
"Yes, I must. I am sorry, Nyota."
"That's okay, I suppose. I can spend the evening getting Saavik's room ready for Derek. Is it that girl, er, Praline again?"
"Her name is Perrin, and yes, I will be working with her. It is not an imposition, however, for she is actually quite gifted. She was simply left in a difficult position when her lab partner dropped the class."
"I know, and I really don't mind. I'm sure she's very appreciative of the time you're giving her. Well, why don't we go ahead and get dinner started? The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be back, and I'm looking forward to a quiet evening with you."
"I am looking forward to it, as well."
She gave him one last smile, then opened the stasis unit and began selecting the ingredients for their meal.
...
Entering the computer lab, Spock was not surprised to see Perrin already deeply absorbed in her work. She was quite a dedicated student. She had successfully run her first simulation yesterday, and most students would be willing to base their project on their early results. She had suggested adding a temporal factor to the equations, however, and he could not extrapolate what the result might be, himself. It was quite a fascinating project.
"Greetings, Perrin. Have you made any progress?"
"Yes. I just tore apart the gravitational subroutine and reprogrammed it, and I've increased the efficiency by .02 percent. I think that the first three levels might run within acceptable limits now."
He sat next to her. "That is very promising."
"I hope I'm right. Would you mind taking a look at what I've done before I run it? I'm a little concerned about this part." She tapped her finger on the screen. "I've checked it and double-checked it, but something still doesn't look right. I can't decide what it is."
He leaned closer, and after a moment he said, "Trace your use of the acceleration variables. I believe that you will find an error."
She frowned, clearly surprised to learn that she had made an error, then quickly called up the trace debugger and began stepping through her equations. Although he carefully maintained a neutral expression, he was inwardly amused. Her reaction was so typical of this young human. Since the day he had first met her, she had displayed an odd mixture of confidence—one could even say arrogance—and insecurity. Of course, he recognized this as a manifestation of her immaturity, yet she always behaved with such composure and self-possession that the insecurity often surprised him when it surfaced.
Finally, she said, "There it is. I didn't increment the d-variable after the first iteration, and it would have gone into an infinite loop. Thank you. Give me a moment, and I'll take care of it."
"Very good."
He sat back in his chair while she corrected her mistake.
...
The next morning, Uhura peered out the front window before checking her wristchrono again. Where were they? She didn't have to meet any schedules today, but Spock would have to leave for the Academy soon, and he was growing anxious about being late.
She looked over to see him sitting sedately on the sofa with a padd in his hands. He might not look anxious, but she knew that he was. Or maybe she was. Well, she definitely was. How could he be so calm?
"Spock, I don't know what's keeping them."
"They will arrive soon."
"But what if you have to leave before they get here?"
"That will not happen."
"It might." She looked at her chrono again. "It's already eight minutes past the time you usually leave."
"Relax, Nyota."
"How can I relax? Derek's so busy that we haven't seen him for months. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Aren't you?"
"Excited? It will please me to see him, but 'excited' is an emotionally charged word."
He lowered the padd slightly, and she noticed that it showed the same page he'd keyed up fifteen minutes ago. She made sure he could tell that she saw it.
"Yeah, right," she smirked.
He pointed toward the front window. "You are too busy worrying about me to observe that they are here."
"Oh!" She turned quickly toward the window just as Saavik waved. "They're here! Spock!"
She had the door open before they had reached the front step, and she could feel Spock's presence at her shoulder. Saavik looked so beautiful! Uhura marveled at the fact that Saavik managed to grow prettier every time they saw her. Michael was handsome, as always. He had a little more gray in his hair and he might have put on a few pounds around the middle, but he looked every bit the distinguished doctor that he was. And there came Derek, lagging behind with his hands in his pockets. He was going to be every bit as handsome as his parents, with his father's dark coloring and tall build, and his mother's striking, well-defined features.
"Come in, come in!" she cried.
She grabbed Saavik in a quick hug and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek. She made a grab for Derek, but he adroitly avoided her grasp. She didn't know whether to be amused or sad, since it was clear that her cuddly little boy was gone for good. Sure, he'd come back around someday, since there had been a time when Saavik wouldn't accept a hug, either, but he'd be all grown up by then.
"Did you have an uneventful trip?" asked Spock.
"Except for a slight inconvenience this morning, it was quite smooth," replied Saavik.
"What happened this morning?" asked Uhura.
Saavik glanced at Derek, who avoided her eyes. "We had a layover last night at Miran Two, and we were late to the shuttleport this morning. Fortunately there was another flight soon after the one we had originally booked. Other than that, the trip was quite easy. Sol Shuttlelines has begun using the new M480 shuttles, and the trip from Earth to Vulcan is much faster than it used to be."
"That's good to hear," said Uhura. "Maybe you can come visit us more often now."
"Saavik, I think that might have been a hint." Michael grinned and placed a suitcase to the side. "I want to tell you two again how appreciative we are. It's been much too long since Saavik and I have been away together."
"It's our pleasure, Michael," said Uhura. "We'll have a great time. Won't we, Derek?"
Derek grunted and shrugged.
"Derek, answer Nyota properly," admonished Saavik.
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled.
"That's okay, Saavik," said Uhura. "I knew what he meant. Derek, why don't you take your suitcase on back to your room, then maybe you can find something on the tri-vee or a computer game while Spock and I have a cup of coffee or tea with your parents."
Uhura winked at Derek, and she was pleased to see gratitude in his eyes as he made his escape. Before she could ask what everyone wanted, though, Spock retrieved his padd and slipped it into his pocket.
"Unfortunately, I must take my leave of you. I am already overdue at school. I hope that you will forgive me for leaving so soon."
Saavik sighed loudly. "There is no need to apologize. It is not your fault that we did not arrive when originally scheduled."
Michael looked over his shoulder to ensure that Derek was gone. "We couldn't get Derek out of the hotel this morning," he said in a low voice.
Obviously less concerned about being overheard, Saavik threw both hands in the air. "He was in the shower for twenty-three minutes! It took him another ten minutes to comb his hair to his satisfaction, and just as we were rushing out the door we saw that he had left yesterday's clothes behind the bathroom door. I do not understand my son. I think that he is an alien species."
Uhura chuckled. "He's a teenager. They don't get much more alien than that."
"Indeed." Spock regarded Saavik. "I believe that I remember another young teenager who did not want to go to school because, and I quote, 'a monkey would refuse to wear that shirt.'"
"Does your memory extend to how awful that shirt was?"
Uhura interceded before it could turn into an argument. Patting him on the arm, she said, "I'm afraid that I have to side with Saavik on this one. And now, you need to be going. We don't want you to be late."
"As much as I would prefer to remain and debate the matter, you are correct. I must go." He raised his hand, palm out, for what Uhura considered the Vulcan version of a hug, and Saavik briefly pressed her hand to his. "Enjoy your trip, Saavikam. Do not be concerned about Derek. He will be fine with us."
"I know," she said. "Thank you, Spock."
Spock exchanged a farewell nod with Michael, who said, "We'll see you in five days. I hope we'll have more time to visit then."
"I will ensure that we do."
Uhura waved when he walked past the window, then turned to the others. "I want to hear about your plans, but first, who wants coffee and who wants tea?"
...
Perched on the edge of the sofa, Nyota glumly rested her cheek on her fist and stared at the wall. An array of beeps, crunching noises, and bad music could be heard coming from the office computer. Spock, also on the sofa, was attempting to read, but when she sighed heavily for the twelfth time in ten point four minutes, he finally lowered his book and turned to her.
"Perhaps if you tuned the tri-vee to something suited to a boy his age, he would join us."
"I asked him if he wanted to watch anything, but all he was interested in was something called 'Beaches of Betazed.'"
"Perhaps we could watch that, then. I find travel shows agreeable."
"Me, too, but I'm not sure that this is a travel show. He told me a little bit about it, and it didn't sound very good."
"Then we will see what else is available. Computer, activate tri-vee." A recessed panel in the wall brightened. "Recite current choices for an audience consisting of an adolescent Terran/Vulcan male, an adult Terran female, and an adult Vulcan male."
"You were a bit selective with your descriptions," said Nyota, clearly referring to Spock's human and Derek's Romulan heritage.
"I assure you that I do not wish to watch anything targeted to an adult human male, and none of us want to see the Romulan choices."
"Good point."
"Working," the computer responded. "Current choices within stated parameters are 'The Sehlat and his Prey,' 'Historic Homes on Delta,' 'Emergency Exomedicine,' 'The Smithsonian: A Retrospective,' 'Alpine Hoverboarding,' 'Cooking With Sevek,' and 'The Music of T'Pael.'"
Spock raised an eyebrow. "That is a rather short list."
"I'd say that the marketing experts completely missed the Vulcan and human adult and adolescent target audience. Imagine that." Nyota addressed the computer. "Computer, synopsis of 'Beaches of Betazed.'"
"This week's episode: Danger in the Waves," replied the computer. "The head lifeguard Lwaziana must make a life-or-death decision between preserving an endangered Great White Snidit and protecting her friend Lon. What she does not know is that her rival Doxia has genetically enhanced the Snidit and—"
"Computer, stop." She looked over at Spock. "This doesn't sound so bad. It's probably educational, since it touches on genetics, Betazoid marine biology, lifesaving, even ethical dilemmas."
"Put that way, perhaps you are correct. Very well. Computer, load 'Beaches of Betazed' and begin upon our signal."
"Hey, Derek!" called out Nyota. "Why don't you come in here with us? We're getting ready to watch 'Beaches of Betazed.'"
The noises in the office stopped, and they heard his heavy footsteps in the hall. He leaned into the doorway. "Seriously?"
"Yes," replied Spock.
A broad smile spread across his face. "Superb."
"Here. You can sit between us." Uhura slid over to make room for him, and when he was comfortable, she said, "Computer, begin."
The music swelled, and Spock was actually impressed with the effective combination of Terran strings and Betazoid chimes that accompanied a well-framed shot of a beach. Judging by the size of the waves and the flora, this would appear to be the western shore of the Green Sea, one of Betazed's best-known locations. The holocam panned to the water, and Spock placed his book to the side and relaxed. This was actually quite enjoyable. He leaned forward slightly and caught Nyota's eye, and she smiled and nodded. He turned back to the screen.
The holocam continued to move until the beach could be seen from the opposite direction, and suddenly, four scantily clad young Betazoids ran into the frame. There were three men and one woman, and because they had been filmed in slow motion, the woman's excessively large breasts seemed to float up each time her feet left the ground, then sink down when she hit the sand. Up, down, up, down. Her hair, also large, moved in tandem with her breasts.
"Ah, Nyota..." He looked over to see a fixed grin on her face.
"This is so superb," exclaimed Derek. "That's Lwaziana. She's my favorite. She's the head lifeguard, and she sizzles. Watch—she's going to dive into the water and save that little boy."
"Have you already seen this?" Nyota asked hopefully.
He gave her a look that expressed his opinion of her lack of knowledge. "These are just the opening credits. The show itself hasn't even started yet."
"Oh," she said.
"There she goes! SPLASH! I love this part."
Sure enough, Lwaziana splashed head-first into a wave, and when she came up, her swimsuit had adhered itself even more closely to her skin.
"Derek, do your parents allow you to watch this?" asked Spock.
"Everybody watches 'Beaches of Betazed.'"
Spock met Nyota's eyes again, and she nodded regretfully, so he picked up his book. Before he could begin reading, Nyota spoke up.
"Computer. Pause program."
"Hey—"
She held up a hand to forestall Derek's objection. "I'll make a deal with you. We'll watch this tonight, but tomorrow Spock and I get to pick what we do. What do you think?"
He looked at her suspiciously. "You won't make me go to the museum, will you?"
"You used to love the museum!"
"When I was five years old."
"All right. I'll try to think of something we'd all like. Maybe we can do something during the afternoon and go get dinner afterward. Spock, do you think that you could take off a little early?"
"Not tomorrow, but I could the next day."
"That works for me," she said. "Derek?"
"I guess."
"Deal. Computer, resume play."
End chapter 1