This Chapter will focus on Spock, the next will be back to Selar.
STSTSTSTST
Alpha shift had just ended and Spock was standing in the 'lift. He turned the knob to go to deck two where his quarters were. The Turbolift hissed as it made its decent into the lower levels of the ship. Spock was alone in the 'lift, to this he allowed himself to sigh. The man leaned against the back of the 'lift, his eyes focused upon the door before him. His hands were placed in front of him, they were folded as his mind wandered, of which rarely happened.
The 'lift door hissed open snapping him from his thoughts. The Half-Vulcan noted this and headed out of the 'lift, taking long strides for his quarter. He needed to think, to meditate, to have some time to himself. He had seemed out-of-zone today, something was off and he wasn't quite sure what it was. He noted that his productivity rate had gone down eight point nine percent over the course of the day, he was not fond of this fact.
The door of his quarters hissed open after he punched in the code. Quickly he changed from his Starfleet issued uniform into his Vulcan meditation robes. He went over silently for his mat, sitting down he allowed his mind to wander for a moment before abruptly calling it back to begin the meditation process. He inhaled slowly and exhaled, slowing his heart-rate as to calm himself.
After a few minutes of this, he found himself in a meditative state. His mind was beginning to clear allowing him to think clearly for a moment. What was bothering him today? He thought of this for quite some time before drawing a conclusion. Today was the day Spock left Vulcan in order to join Starfleet, the day that had begun his seventeen year long hiatus of speaking with his father until his last trip to Babel in which he had slowly attempted to repair their relationship.
Though it was also something more.
It was his daughter's birthday. He knew it was illogical to celebrate the day of one's birth. However it was a human custom, and to this Selar was indeed half Human. The Vulcan opened his eyes slowly. Should he send a transmission to her? Should he send a comm? Should he even endeavor to wish her a happy celebration of one's birth. For she was trained Vulcan, to this it was only logical she did not mind the day. Also, wouldn't it seem suspicious in some form that he indeed knew?
Spock decided against it and did nothing, he would perhaps send on next year, hopefully by then the truth was to be told. Yet he was unsure of if Selar would even become aware of the true between the two Vulcans, or if she had even begun to suspect that Stann or T'Mai truly wasn't her parent for the human in her blood seemed to contradict the relation to one of them.
Spock gave an audible, a buzz came to his door. "Come." He stated stoically.
The door hissed open to reveal his captain, his friend, Jim standing behind it. "May I come in, is this a bad time?"
"Indeed you may, Captain. No, the time is adequate."
The man stepped in and sat down at Spock's desk while Spock cleaned his meditation space, pretty much just straightening everything, before joining him at the desk.
"Well, Captain?"
"Please, we're off duty, it is Jim."
"Jim."
"Yes?"
"May I inquire as to why you are here?"
"Oh, yes. Well?"
"Well..?"
"You have been acting, off, if that is even possible for you, today."
"Off?"
"Ya, weird, almost distant. Is something bothering you, Spock?"
"No, T'hy'la."
The man gave him a skeptical look. "Spock, I know you better than you think. The truth."
"That is the truth, for Vulcans are incapable of lying."
"Bull."
"Excuse me?"
"Forget it, Spock, tell me."
Spock gave a sigh, or close to one. "Today.."
"Today?"
"Is the day I left Vulcan to go to the Academy. The day that began my seventeen year hiatus of speaking with my father."
"Ambassador Sarek."
"Indeed."
"Is that all?"
"No, I suppose not." The Vulcan shifted slightly in his seat.
"Continue, I am listening Spock." Jim reached over and placed his hand over Spock's, the Vulcan did not recoil.
"Today, is also the day.."
"The day?"
"The day Selar was born."
"So it is her birthday."
"Indeed."
"What is so unhappy about that?" James looked confused, his hazel eyes were perplexed.
"I left her with T'Mai on this day, and didn't see her until she was nearly Seven Years old. It was the day I walked out of her life, as you humans say."
"And that is painful?"
"No."
"Spock." His voice was firm and knowing towards Spock.
"Yes, it is painful. Yet I have meditated, all is alright."
"Somehow I do not believe that to be true."
"Of course not, Jim."
The opposing man to him gave a cheerful smile, had got up and rested his hand on Spock's shoulder. Spock could feel emotion sparking from his touch, compassion, sympathy and love. This pleased Spock to a certain extent. "Spock, maybe a game of chess will clear your mind."
"Perhaps."
"I'll get the board."
The Captain disappeared for a moment before returning with a chess set, he placed it on the Desk and sat down once again. "White or Black?"
"I do not mind."
"Okay, I will play black."
Spock merely nodded as the game began, within the first few minutes Spock had already won the first game. "You may win this time, though next time I shall win. Again?"
"Indeed." The man has an almost competitive stance upon his eyes, challenging.
STSTSTSTSTSTSTS
A few days had passed and the burden of the previous days had cleared from Spock. He had returned to his normal, logical and productive self. He had not forgotten about his daughter's celebration of birth, yet he had pushed it to the far reaches of his mind.
He was currently sitting on the bridge reviewing the Science compartment's weekly reports, for he was Chief Science Officer next to First Officer, signing off on them he continued his work at his station. He looked up to see what was on the Viewscreen, he caught sight of Captain Kirk speaking with Dr. McCoy on some unknown manner. Out of privacy, he did not comment and instead turned once again to his station.
Something came up into the sensor's range, he studied and found it to be most compelling. "Captain, Sensors picking up a form roughly one parsec from us."
"Location and time-distance from us."
"Direction is north, location is roughly on parsec, time-distance: it is not closing it remains on the edge of our sensors."
"I see, continue to monitor it, tell me if anything comes up."
"Yes, sir."
James gave a smile, as Spock gave his own eyebrow raise.
He continued to monitor the anomaly for the next few hours, while he worked on other projects. He occasionally reported its statue to the Captain. Though the anomaly seemed to be doing nothing of importance to them, it was more so a shadow than anything else. After about six hours and thirty-nine minutes, the reading disappeared completely.
"Captain."
"Yes?"
"Something most illogical has occurred, the readings upon the anomaly have all-of-a-sudden vanished."
"Odd, take another reading."
A moment of silence.
"Nothing, Captain. Whatever it could have been, it is nowhere in sensor range."
"Weird."
"Indeed."
"Alright, Mr. Spock. Take a note on it, monitor the readings for a while, if nothing shows up, it could have just been a blip of some sort."
"Perhaps, sir."
STSTSTSTTS
The shift passed without further sight or reading of the Anomaly. To this Spock simply placed the idea to the pack of his mind, it was most likely and asteroid or nearby comet of some sort. He was unsure, yet he pondered it no longer.
As shift ended, Spock got to his feet when relief came. He explained the current status of activity, before leaving for the mess hall. As the Turbolift doors hissed open revealing the appropriate deck, he stepped out and headed for the mess hall. There he replicated a helping of Plomeek soup before sitting down alone at once of the many tables.
Silently he ate and thought to himself upon the matters of the past few stardates. He thought about what the next mission from Starfleet command will be. Currently they were mapping uncharted space, once this was finished they had nothing planned. Perhaps Starfleet was going to grant shoreleave, much to Spock's displeasure. Or perhaps other plans have been made and yet not revealed to the Enterprise and her command crew.
Spock was not sure upon the subject he pondered, yet they kept his mind occupied and that was all that mattered at the moment. He had not realized that someone had joined him at the table. He glanced upon to see Jim before him, he was staring at him.
"Hello, Captain."
"Jim."
"Hello, Jim."
"Hey Spock."
Spock almost smiled at the sound of his T'hy'la's soft voice compared to his 'captain's' voice.
"Y'know Spock, I wonder what Starfleet has in store for us after this mission."
"I was pondering the same idea."
For the rest of their meal and farther into the night, the two sat discussing random subjects ranging from sciences, to command all the way of Vulcan and Earth. It was these moments Spock treasured most, these moments he would remember when Jim was gone. Mentally Spock was smiling brightly, his heart filled with warmth as he spoke with his Captain.
And even though danger invited them wherever they went, the fear of death clung to them as they continued on, and the certain knowing of what could be around the bend could be hostile. Even though they were not ensured to survive the next night, and even though they were truly never safe from the vastness of space. Spock had Jim, and Spock would have it no other way.
