The spaceport of Shi'Kahr was the biggest of all of Vulcan and positioned on the outskirts of the city. It spanned all the way from the base of the L-lagoons to the edge of the Southern Desert. It was gigantic to anyone, but especially to every four-year-old ever in existence. Spock stood as close to the room-high window as possible without physically pressing his face to it.
He watched a smallish green shuttle leave the ground and climb to the sky where it would eventually arrive at a bigger transport ship. The shuttles, merchant cruisers and private space yachts came from all corners of federation space. Spock could spot some marked in Vulcan, Terran and Andorian script, as well as the occasional Tellarite transport vessel. It was a colorful assortment of almost antique and fresh out of the factory vehicles, including everything in between. It would have been painfully loud if it weren't for the well-engineered windows of the visitor's lounge.
As many ships as Spock saw, there was not even a glimpse of the one they had come for. The shuttle which belonged to the ambassadorial space cruiser was silvery and rather elegantly shaped. It was supposed to transport his father along other diplomatic personnel. Exhausted from trying to comprehend the port's size and annoyed of waiting, he turned to his family again. They were equally bored respectively showed ostentatiously neutral expressions.
Amanda decided that she needed to do something to distract her children. She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Let's have a look at what else we can see here.", she decided. Michael, who was more interested in alien species than their ships, was enthusiastic. Spock didn't mind and Sybok simply hoped that nobody he knew would see him with two Humans.
They left the visitor's lounge which was the negative of crowded and entered a corridor which was the positive of crowded.
Many of the people in the crowd were travellers and merchants who let their baggage respectively their wares be carried by automated platforms rolling silently behind them. Although they had an inbuilt system insuring that nobody would be hit by a platform, their sensors were often overwhelmed by too many obstacles and accident were sometimes unavoidable.
Spock was especially prone to this incidents due to his size. Once a platform carrying Tellarite cloth came speeding towards him. It was obviously rigged. He could only save himself by holding to the rail that was screwed to the wall and lifting himself up. His "If lost, please call:"-badge hit him in the face. Amanda gave the merchant a dirty look which he seemingly ignored.
Aimlessly, they left the main corridor and entered a less crowded area. There were none the less some people who were talking to each other and stocking shuttles which could be entered via airlocks. All of the Humans and the very occasional people of different worlds wore the same outfit, varying only in the blue, red and yellow accents. Spock had neither seen such, and was quite amused by it. "Starfleet", Michael murmured. "But why are they all wearing the same?", Spock asked incredulously. "It is called an uniform.", Amanda entered the conversation with. "What are they doing, Mother?", Spock asked while looking up to her. "Packing equitment, I suppose.", she answered. "I can see that. I was wondering what they need the equitment for."
Amanda understood the problem now. Had both she and Sarek missed out on telling him of Starfleet? How strange! "They travel the universe in order to study it. New planets, new lifeforms, that kind of things." Spock's eyes were positively glowing at that point. "Indeed?", he asked in that one way that made Sybok let himself fall behind the group by a few meters. "Yes.", Michael said, an equal gleaming to her eyes.
A woman with yellow details on her uniform shot them a knowing glance and gave a tiny smile. Spock stared back blankly which made her look away a little scared.
At that point, Amanda's personal transmitter chirped and she took it out of her pocket. "Sarek has arrived." , she remarked.
They turned back to the main corridor. It only took them a few minutes and almost-accidents to get to corridor 43. A conveyor belt carried them from there on. Automated platforms were not allowed in this part of the spaceport, they had to drive a level under the pedestrian's belt. After standing on three different belts, they arrived at a group of diplomats.
Sarek stepped out of the crowd and stood by his family. "Tonk'peh.", he said to them. "Hello darling.", Amanda answered like she hadn't seen him in years. It had in fact not been more than a week. Sarek did this thing were he seemed to smile without actually doing so.
The moment was over when Spock yawned silently. Sarek looked down at him. "It is rather late.", he remarked.
This was how it came that Sybok carried his father's bag, Sarek carried Spock and Michael used the time to ask Amanda more questions about Starfleet. Sarek glimpsed over a few times, but didn't say anything.
After dinner, Amanda and Sarek sat together in Sarek's office. "Why do the children suddenly show such a remarkable interest in Starfleet? As I put a blanket over Spock, he asked me what I think about this organization." Amanda huddled closer to him before answering. "We have seen some Starfleet officers at the spaceport. They must have made an impression on them. What did you answer?" "I told him that it was commendable to risk one's life in the name of science." "Now he surely wants to join them.", Amanda said with a smile. "Indeed, but I do not particularly enjoy this idea.", Sarek uttered sternly before laying an arm around his mate.