Spock watched the door close behind the young cadet. He grabbed his files and headed out the door, and down the hallway to the meeting room. A few professors had already gathered and were sitting around the large oval table. The wall length window faced the glistening bay. Spock sat in a chair across from it. The fantastic view was the only thing that got him through these monotonous episodes their department head passed off as meetings.
Dr. Robinson, a large pear shaped man sat across from him eating a jelly doughnut. He had been on tenure at the academy for thirty-five years, twenty years too long in Spock's opinion. His nasally voice paired with his incessant need to over explain the simplest idea, made Spock want to rip his pointy half-vulcan ears off.
He could not explain why this man, more than any others bothered him so much. It was rare for someone to get under his skin like that, but never the less, this particular colleague excelled at it. Perhaps it was his delicate ego he required professors with lower rank to pad, and puff up. Spock refused to engage in that sort of nonsense. Spock hated talking to the man, and tried to avoid it wherever possible. It was a difficult task considering that when spotted by Professor Robinson, he was always summoned over to hear some boring and usually false anecdote about Vulcan lore he had researched. Maybe that was it. Spock detested it when Professor Robinson assumed that he knew more about Vulcan culture from his research, and even worse, assumed that Spock should be delighted and enthralled at being regaled with his findings. Naturally this old pretentious blowhard, who had never studied under a Vulcan, let alone been to the planet, would know more about Vulcan society, than the son of its Ambassador. Just thinking about it was getting Spock slightly worked up. He noticed the physiological effects. His heart rate had increased slightly, and his brow had crumpled in aversion. He breathed in deeply, knowing that additional meditation would be needed by the end of the day.
A few more professors entered, and Dr. Robinson licked the tips of his fingers as he finished the last of his doughnut. Spock watched in disgust as he mentally calculated the ratio exchange of germs. Dr. Robinson, caught his gaze,
"Ahh. Professor Spock," Spock cringed inwardly, "I just found out the most delicious bit of information pertaining to Vulcan culture." Spock braced himself. "I was reading through the teachings of Sarak…"
"Its pronounced, Surak." Spock interjected coolly.
"Oh? Are you sure?" Professor Robinson asked doubtfully. Spock clenched his right fist. It was an involuntary reaction he was not used to.
"Quite."
"Spock!" He turned to see who had called. Standing in the doorway a burly man, reminiscent of a stereotypical sea captain strode through the door. Spock recognized him at once as, Admiral Paink. Why he ever took a job as a linguistics professor, instead of embracing retirement from the force, Spock was unsure. A large scar stretched across his left cheek coming to a stop just beneath his large hook nose. Spock had never been addressed before by the Admiral, and turned giving him his full attention glad to turn his back to Robinson. "Was that Cadet Uhura I saw leaving your office?" he grumbled.
"It was." Spock replied.
"Did she give you hell today? She's a spit fire that one. Too smart for her own good." He ended with a throaty cough.
"She did not give me…hell. Quite the opposite. It was revitalizing to see a student take such and active interest in the material." Spock replied.
"Is that what you call it," Robinson replied disapprovingly. Spock threw him an icy glare. Again, an impulsive reaction. "I think she is nothing more than an attention greedy, show off." Spock was reminded of the human phrase, a pot calling a kettle black.
"I did not perceive her intentions as such. She may be a bit outspoken, but her request for clarification was more than valid." Spock defended.
"I quite agree," A female professor at the end of the table chimed in. She was older, and her glasses sat squarely on the tip of her nose. Spock tried to remember her name. "I have had the opportunity to speak at length with the young cadet. She's very intelligent and passionate about her studies. It is refreshing. I think she shows much promise."
"You're a true feminist Nancy, naturally you'd be all for a woman asserting her dominance over her superiors who happen to be men." Robinson's tone took on that human quality of passing off an insult as humor. Spock watched as the woman's eye brows raised in surprise and furry. Spock felt it necessary to interject.
"I found her criticisms to be quite within the bounds of proper decorum. And for what it is worth, I do not think her motives where driven by her ego. I'm quite certain her motives for speaking in class are governed solely by her passionate curiosity and convictions. Assertion of some sort of perceived dominance is less a concern for the cadet, than I think it may be for an affronted professor." Spock shot at Robinson.
"Human motive analysis from a Vulcan, how quaint." Robinson smiled patronizingly. "Please professor Spock, do continue to amuse us with your ill- examined observations of humanistic customs, you, more than the rest of us humans, are clearly an expert."
That was it. Right there. Spock's resolution dissolved. It evaporated as if a mist. His heart rate increased instantly, a light sweat broke out at his palms, and a tightness across his chest spread like liquid heat. He knew he would regret what he was about to say, but he couldn't stop himself,
"Right, because listening politely to your asinine, and usually incorrect observations of Vulcan's is such a treat for me." Spock wasn't accustomed to using sarcasm, but he found it enhanced his purpose of inciting anger in Dr. Robinson, so he pressed further, "Naturally I relish the chance to hear my native tongue butchered by such a practiced linguist such as yourself. And in regards to Cadet Uhura, by all means, let us stifle the only interested voice from the student body. Why should we desire a student that actually cares about the class we spend our lives and careers perfecting. How irritating to actually have to engage in an even discord with an intelligent student that grasps complex concepts easily. In fact, why not revoke the core value to uphold the free flow of ideas that Starfleet is founded on. Who needs it when we have such benevolent dictators of education to tell the students exactly what to think."
The room was silent, with every wide eye on Professor Spock. Robinson had apparently stopped breathing somewhere in the middle of Spock's rant, because his face was taking on a distinctive shade of red. If Robinson's eyes could shoot lasers, Spock's brains would be splattered against the wall behind him. He was momentarily grateful that they could not. Looking into the shocked and traumatized faces of his co-workers, Spock's anger deserted him. Never had he spoken that way to his colleagues. Taking in a deep breath. Spock folded one hand over the other, and replied softly.
"I apologize. I could have presented my point in much less satirical method." The admiral broke the stillness in the room with a hefty chuckle.
"Point received Spock." His voice came out as a cheerful snarl as he began to release deep bellows of laughter. Everyone else in the room looked at each other nervously, unsure of how to respond. Just then, the chair of the department entered the room.
"Sorry I'm late everyone, I got tied up." He looked at the Admiral who was laughing so hard little tears began to roll from the corners of his eyes and smiled, "Did I miss a good joke?"
At this the Admiral burst out into an even more fanatical fit of laughter. The Department head continued to smile, "Easy Paink, you'll give yourself another heart attack." He slapped the Admiral on the back, who covered his mouth in an attempt to gain control of himself. " Lets get started."
To be continued.
Sorry no Uhura in this chap. She'll be in the next.
Thanks for the kind reviews of the last chap. They are appreciated.