T'Lar appeared almost soundlessly in front of a kneeling Spock in the great hall.

It was not uncommon for the masters to suddenly appear before the acolytes. At times they were tested on their knowledge of Surak's writings, at other times they were brought to meditate with the Masters of Kolinahr in the Great Hall.

Those that had been at Gol the longest were also assigned tasks in addition to their meditations.

It was logical to utilize the great talents and resources at their disposal to continue the maintenance of the educational institution. Each of the acolyte's skills were recorded and drawn upon as the needs of Gol arose.

On this day the needs of Gol had been assessed and Spock had been summoned.

Spock rose in T'Lar's presence. She turned and he followed her out of the hall.

Once in the silence of the cool dark hallway she spoke, "Thy skill has improved greatly, thy control is strong. It is time to move to the next level of training. Vulcan Space Command has requested a controller. It is thy assignment. Maintaining the control of Kolinahru in the midst of the undisciplined shall be thy next task to master."

Spock only nodded his head in acceptance and turned down the path that led to his cell.

On a wooden peg inside his cell now hung a duty robe.

One of the acolytes must have brought it while he was in the Great Hall. It was a simple garment made of thick cream-colored fabric.

He pulled it on over his daily wear and turned back out to the hall.

He did not question where he should go there were very few places to go in Gol, but the path out of the sanctuary was well known.

As he moved up the path to the surface, others joined him each dressed in the same type of robes as his.

At the door to the outside stood one of the Masters awaiting the workers.

They were led out into the early morning across the damp desert sand to a transport vehicle. Spock did not allow his surprise rise to his face, but watched detachedly from his seat at the window as Gol grew smaller.

The time in the transport passed as all time does in the training of the mind. Spock spent the time centering himself and reinforcing the walls of his mind against the onslaught of chaotic thought he was anticipating.

As touch telepaths, most Vulcans do not experience the mental battering of others thoughts in day-to-day life.

However the Kolinahr disciples in their effort to root out emotion often lay open their own minds and left them vulnerable to the emotions of others. It was a common exercise for the masters to send the acolytes out into the world. A final test of their control.

The control station was a large but efficient complex, staffed with a wide variety of beings from various planets in the Federation.

Spock was neither questioned nor stopped.

Presumably all security questions were handled by the tall peacekeeper at the door. Spock recognized him as the same man who had attended his failed Kun-ut-Kalifee just 3 years earlier.

The control panel that he was assigned to was a simplified version of the same communications panel used on the Enterprise.

An incoming tracking system identified all approaching vessels. Due to the volume of traffic each position was assigned a portion of the task. The most inexperienced were tasked with the city level traffic.

And so it was that Spock became acquainted with the commerce path that fed Shikhar. He worked in a small team for 10-hour shifts directing cleared vessels to the main spaceport. It was tedious work and he did it with control and ease.

If his coworkers did not call him particularly friendly neither would they call him inefficient. He was just another Vulcan from the monastery and they left him alone.