7. The Turbulent Sea
That evening Ambassador Soval returned to his residence in Shi'Kahr. Though he maintained a permanent residence on Earth he often returned to his ancestral home whenever he was back on Vulcan. He entered his meditation room which adjoined his sleeping quarters. Lighting a candle he sat down to meditate. His thoughts wandered to Officer Corcoran and their last encounter. He had never met a human, besides Captain Archer on occasion, who could so easily incite an emotional response from him. He needed to meditate on why she of all people was affecting him. As he stared into the flame of the candle as he felt his thoughts transported to his place of meditation in his mind.
It was all wrong. He was floating in water. He instantly felt panic clutch his chest. As he bobbed, he felt his body rise and fall as a wave rolled under him. He was in an ocean. Salty sea water splashed into his mouth and he coughed and gagged. I am going to drown, he thought. Looking around he saw endless blue sky and sea birds flying by above him. He followed their flight and saw that there was a beach in the distance. He tried to swim toward it, but the current was pulling him further out into the sea. The more he fought, the further it seemed to pull him out.
"You shouldn't be here." He heard a voice say. He looked around. Officer Corcoran was treading water next to him. She wore a look of confusion. Her long dark hair was wet and lay coiled against her face and neck. She seemed to have no trouble staying afloat.
"Don't fight it. We are in a rip current," she said. He noticed she seemed to be more relaxed than he felt. Humans were naturally more comfortable being submerged in water as nearly seventy-two percent of their world was covered in it. He was becoming fatigued; his clothes were weighting him down in the water. She seemed to sense this and swam closer to him. She linked her arm around his torso and began swimming parallel with the beach.
"It's okay. I've got you," she said her tone softening. It was illogical, as she was far smaller than him, but he found her words oddly comforting. Her face was very close to his. He noticed she had olive green eyes. He could feel her trying to swim for the both of them. Though she was small and slim she was surprisingly strong. Pushing aside his unease, he held on to her as they swam together toward the beach. They were out of the current. When they made it to shore she helped him out of the water, but did not let go of him. He gently pushed himself away from her as he tried to remove his outer robe. She was standing very close to him. He noticed she was wearing some sort of water apparel that clung to her wet skin in an almost sensual manner. He averted his eyes, but not before he felt something primal unfurl inside him.
"What is happening? Why are you here?" Officer Corcoran asked. Her face was full of worry. He felt her emotions roll over him when he suddenly knew. He felt sick. With every effort he could manage he ripped himself out of meditation.
He was back in his home on Vulcan. He was still sitting in his meditative posture, breathing hard. The flame of the candle danced in front of him. He focused on breathing. It was as though he had had an epiphany. He had immediately realized what happened the moment he felt her emotions as clearly as his own. He recognized the very roots of an empathic bond that had formed between Officer Corcoran and himself. It seemed impossible, but as he searched his mind he could feel the tenuous threads of their connection. It was fragile, but, undoubtingly, there it was.
Suddenly everything seemed to make sense, falling into place like pieces of a puzzle. It explained the possessiveness he felt when he watched her spar. And it explained the turbulence of Officer Corcoran's recent emotions. It was why she was appearing in his meditations. He assumed the same anomaly was occurring in her dreams. It was clear that the bond was reciprocal though he was not sure she was consciously aware of it. He remembered their accidental contact. When they had brushed hands all those months ago. It must have triggered a psychic connection. He was shocked that it could happen with a human. It was unsettling, but he knew what he must do. The bond was in its infancy and he was determined to sever it before she became aware of it.
The following week Ambassador Soval was on his way back to Earth to meet with Starfleet and negotiate the prompt disposal of the pieces of the Xindi Probe that had been recovered by a Vulcan ship in Asia. The High Command suspected that the Andorians had assisted the Enterprise in the Expanse as a ruse to obtain the Xindi technology. They suspected that the Andorians would not be above trying to steal the portions of the probe they had recovered from the Xindi attack on Earth. It was logical to dispose of the pieces before the Andorians were even aware of their existence. Ambassador Soval was now tasked with convincing Starfleet to move the pieces from storage and destroy them.
When he arrived on Earth he was immediately escorted to Starfleet Headquarters under heavy guard. It appeared that the xenophobic Earth group known as Terra Prime was beginning to gain a following and attacks on non-Humans were increasing. Admiral Forrest met him in the lobby and escorted him to the Starfleet Command. As they walked Admiral Forrest spoke.
"Ambassador Soval, it is good to see you again. I believe that the last time we met it was under less than pleasant circumstances. I want to apologize for Officer Corcoran's behavior," he said. Soval glanced at him as they walked.
"There is no need Admiral, I took no offense, as I believe I should not have said what I said either," he said simply.
"Constance is more than competent in her posting. In fact, the work is well beneath her capabilities. I assigned her to it because I trust her, however I believe monitoring the transmissions is taking its toll. It is a heavy burden. Nearly every day they are learning firsthand the casualties of our mission. I just received word that Major Hayes was killed," Forrest stated. He looked stricken. Soval was quiet.
"I understand Officer Corcoran worked closely with him during her last posting," Soval remarked. It struck him that he should have not known that fact. The bond, he thought.
"Yes, I believe his death is affecting her though she would never admit it," Admiral Forrest said not noticing his slip. "People on Earth are starting to become desperate. They believe we are on the verge of an apocalypse," said Admiral Forrest shaking his head. "The sooner Enterprise finds the Xindi weapon the better." They reached the council chambers and Admiral Forrest opened the door for him. He entered with Admiral Forrest close behind.
The negotiations regarding the Vulcan High Command's desire for the destruction of the remaining pieces of the probe went extremely well. It appeared that Starfleet Command was in full agreement that no one should be in possession of the pieces including themselves. With the increased xenophobia on Earth they felt it would be better for everyone to destroy the pieces immediately. Ambassador Soval assigned two of his aides to oversee and assist in the destruction which was scheduled for the following day. He was being recalled to Vulcan to brief the High Command on the success of the negotiations. The Vulcan Convoy ship was scheduled to leave the following day after the destruction. He had expected resistance to High Command's counsel in regards to the destruction of the probe, and was surprised when Starfleet agreed almost immediately. It appeared that even the humans could embrace logic in the face of adversity. In truth, Humans were an enigma Vulcans could not yet decipher. They displayed a confusing array of qualities that were often paradoxical. They were often governed by emotion in one moment and by reason and logic in the next. Sometimes he was not sure what to make of them. And yet they were able to achieve so much in so little time.
It was the fourth night of his return trip to Vulcan aboard the Vulcan Convoy ship. Soval made his way to his quarters. He had just come from dining with his aides. He needed to mediate before his return to Vulcan in the morning. He walked over to the corner of the room where he kept the candles and picked one up to light it. As he settled onto a cushion on the floor he focused on the flame. In the back of his mind he could feel a deep sorrow overcome him. He tried to assuage it, but it was becoming more pronounced. A feeling of loneliness coupled with it. It was coming from the threads of the bond. He knew the emotions did not belong to him. They were Officer Corcoran's. He knew he should not yield to the connection if he wished to sever it, but a part of him could not help but reach out. He touched the bond in his mind. He could feel her anguish, and it pained him. He tried to project calm. He wanted to relieve her of her discomfort, but he knew there was nothing he could do.
