Tale of the Last Clans: Chapter 2
Jim had once read a couple of articles for an Interspecies Ethics class about how genders at the bottom of power hierarchies in several Federation species-Human, Rigelian, Andorian, and Tellarite included-unconsciously displayed their understanding of that subordinate status in their standing and seated postures. Rigelian Zami females kept their gaze down, their neck bent, and their shoulders relaxed while the Jelna males made consistent eye contact, kept their neck vertical, and held their shoulders to a firm "T". Andorian females kept a more consistent calm while stretching their antenna out wide, a gesture that mirrored their vigilance for new threats, while the males were regularly hostile but kept their antenna closer together, a sign they felt more safe in normal circumstances. Tellarite women insulted others with wide, expansive hand gestures, which kept their arms in front of them constantly fending off an attack, where Tellarite men kept their arms at the side and often shrugged with their insults, less worried about a physical threat. Human women sat and stood with their arms and legs tucked close while human males stretched their arms and legs out, literally taking up more room. Manspreading, he thought, for a moment tickled by the 21st century moniker.
He was reminded of all that now as he ran his eyes around the Briefing Room table, taking in each of his Command Team as they pieced through the details of their next mission. Spock was straight-backed and his posture perfect, which would seem to be normal for Vulcans except that Jim knew Spock slouched when he was relaxed. McCoy had once called him on it, and while Spock had brushed it off Kirk noticed that he bounced right back into a sharper stance. Lt. Uhura had perfect vertical posture, as always, and moved with the grace of a ballerina. It was the one thing about her that made it clear when he was remembering the real her as opposed to when Spock Prime's memories were creeping in on him. The Uhura of the other universe sat at her station and in briefings in a more relaxed curve. To her left McCoy was all eyes. Ever since his meld on the ice planet all Jim could notice were McCoy's eyes, always open, half the time wide like he were some sort of madman. The other doctor was just as cantankerous, but his eyes were softer, more closed, and when he was deep in thought he would just let them drift down. His McCoy was wide-eyed, always ready for a red alert.
His head turned to Scotty, whose posture morphed just in this reality based on his status via Starfleet. Now he was straight-backed, professional, and while he was just as likely to couch his commentary in a joke as not, his entire bearing reflected his responsibility. It was as if his body understood that watching over these engines was a most important duty, one every other person on this boat relied upon. Every now and then Kirk would get a flash of what he had began calling "the other Scotty", who was just as professional but came off a little more unwound. He spoke slower and his emotions-whether happy or angry-were slow to take his whole face. His Scotty was fast, almost jumpy, as quick to laugh as to anger. And every inch of the rebellious posture and speech from his stint on Delta Vega was gone. It Kirk didn't know how much Scotty valued three square meals he might mistake all that to mean the engineer was happier there than here. Chekov was the most interesting of all. His body language practically screamed his emotions, letting everyone know when he was excited, worried, scared, uncomfortable, or amused. Kirk thought it would calm down as the boy got used to the ship, and to his position of power relative to his age. While that must be in part the case, the navigator's body language only grew more communicative and transparent over time, not less.
"It does not seem logical, but it is," Spock's voice broke him out of his own musings, and brought him back to the matter at hand. Spock was explaining the reason why all Vulcans, wherever they were, must be contacted and urged to New Vulcan. Everyone's nervous because they think I don't understand. The order had been handed down by Admiral Komack, and in his usual contemptuous tone. They all knew how difficult it was for Kirk to keep his mouth shut when faced with blatant power play like that. He couldn't decide on whether he was touched or insulted. He was way too young and inexperienced to be making these decisions, and whenever an order came down that the entire Command Team deemed important, they had a meeting before the briefing to coordinate how they were going to explain it to him. They thought he didn't know, but it was obvious to anyone who knew body language as well as he did.
"All biologically-compatible Vulcans must be prepared to relocate to New Vulcan when the new location is disclosed. As jarring as that action might seem in light of recent events, in this instance putting everyone on one planet is necessary. Vulcan's population as a species is low, Captain," he said, turning to address his remarks directly to his superior, "and all living Vulcans, wherever they may be, are necessary if we are to survive as a people."
"Plus," Uhura chimed in, "it is unusual for Vulcans to travel or live alone. Staying in physical proximity to spouses and children is a characteristic that crosses cultures and is truly a data supported norm for everyone with Vulcanoid physiology. In the last four instances where Vulcan-like communities were discovered on other worlds, all of the discovered species that were compatible enough with Vulcans to reproduce without assistance shared this proximal need as well."
"So," and McCoy rounded the room and finished the thought, "if there are reports of one Vulcan there are almost certainly others."
"And!" Chekov chimed in with an enthusiasm that was once shocking in this space, but now was starting to feel normal, and even infectious, "We are wery far away, so they might not know that a new homeworld has been acqwired and that they are supposed to go! Or they might need a ride. Or,"
"Yes yes yes, very practical," Kirk assured the energetic ensign with a genuine smile, which smoothed out as he turned to the rest of the Bridge crew. Beside Chekov, Sulu practically bounced. Kirk had only really just met the helmsman, and even in his other memories it didn't seem like Sulu had really connected with his other self while they were on the Enterprise together. He wondered if that meant his other self hadn't been close to other Sulu, or that other Spock and other Sulu weren't close. His strongest memories of other Sulu were as an older man, a Captain himself. And Sulu always seemed relaxed, and never afraid. That might have put Jim off, except that his Sulu was just fun. No doubt Sulu was told by the others to wait until it was obvious he was on board with the mission before telling him the best part.
"*And*" Sulu began, his face reflecting the enthusiasm he reserved for a hobby, of which he had many, "we're going into a sector of space known for Space Whales." He stopped there, like that was all he needed to know. When Kirk didn't reflect the same manic glee, he continued. "You know I do biology on the side, so I get why no one here knows about the space whales, but-"
"The Caelus Orca," Spock began, in a tone that Kirk would challenge anyone not to call haughty, "is a space-dwelling species which, in all but size is remarkably similar to the Terran Orcinus Orca. The Orcinus Orca, more often called by humans the Killer Whale, all but went extinct in the 21st century, only saved by the Zombie Apocalypse, the human and very emotionally colorful referent to the cataclysm caused by the Augments that resulted in the dead rising and pausing Earth civilization for 82 years."
"And we've never even seen one moving before, Captain," Sulu continued, still trying to rope him into the excitement. "We've only found their corpses, which are so massive that thousands of other space-dwelling life forms use them as a habitats."
"...the first discovery of which is referred to as the 'Vacuum Life Discovery' and occurred over four centuries ago when the Coridans discovered their first Orca body and habitat." Kirk nodded as they continued, running through what he knew. That part of space was avoided by trade routes, both out of fear about what the whale-which was comparable to the Enterprise in size-would do and acknowledging that the area was a complex ecosystem that they did not yet understand.
"I take it that everyone is excited about our mission to find some far-flung Vulcan colonists and hunt for Space Whales?" Kirk summarized slowly, wondering if today was going to be an easy day, or a difficult one. A room full of nods, punctuated by a pair of raised, pointed eyebrows let him know he was getting off easy.
"Good!" He rose with his typical energy, "Let's get to work!"
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