Chapter 29

For Amanda's next lesson from Svelda, she was taken to a special room in the upper levels of the residence. Adorning each wall were magnificent tapestries that fell to the floor. Vulcan script embroidered each tapestry in pairs. It wasn't long before she realised that they were family trees of some sort. Curious, she peered closer. Generations were listed for centuries in tiny Vulcan script, with each tapestry detailing the ancestry of each clan.

Amanda found Sarek's clan and traced the many names down to his and Svelda's at the very bottom. Svelda was paired with Varok and Taro lay below them. Sarek was paired with no one, but it appeared that some script had been delicately unpicked next to his name. Probably his previous wife, she thought. She wondered if she herself would be added to their ancestry.

Svelda allowed her to peruse the tapestries freely. Amanda wouldn't have been surprised if she herself had embroidered some of the names. The intricate stitches were so small that the tapestries appeared to glitter in the light.

For some reason, all the tapestries did not go back further than a certain point.

"Svelda… why are there no names from before the fourth century?" she asked.

Svelda stood beside her to peruse the tapestry before them.

"Our discussions of Vulcan history have mostly been of Surak's teachings and the more recent centuries," Svelda paused.

"The time prior to the fourth century was a dark time where Vulcans were ruled by passion and paranoia," she said solemnly. "It was a violent time. Mates often changed and due to low fertility rates, children were often kidnapped."

She turned to face Amanda.

"The time of awakening was the end of this period, where logic was accepted by all. Thus allowing for stable relationships to be formed and a more harmonious way of life. Hence the ancestry was formed," she gestured.

Wow, Amanda thought. Who knew that Vulcans could be violent? She had supposed that Vulcans had always been in possession of logic. She couldn't imagine a Vulcan without it. But the fourth century was a long time ago. The more Amanda learned about Vulcan history, the more she understood why they enshrouded themselves in such mystery.

"Svelda… Is it possible for a Vulcan to lose their logic? To be susceptible again to passion and paranoia?"

Svelda remained silent for a moment. Svelda's answer to this question would tell her just how much they really trusted her with the secrets of Vulcan.

"It is rare for a Vulcan to lose their control. It is possible that certain intoxicants can temporarily affect them. However Vulcans can adjust to these toxins over time. Also as Vulcans age there is a rare condition that can affect the elderly called Bendii syndrome. In this syndrome a Vulcan slowly loses their control. It could be considered to be similar to Alzheimer's disease. However as I said before, these conditions are rare," she concluded.

"Is the syndrome hereditary?" Amanda asked.

"The cause is unknown. Research is ongoing," she stated.

Well that was kindof reassuring, Amanda thought. Not that she thought Sarek would ever harm her. Chances were that she may never see Sarek without his logical side. But that didn't bother her too much. There were always ways to work around logic…


That evening Amanda received the first of her Vulcan clothing. The material seemed lightweight as she held it in her hands. The texture was like Egyptian cotton but it shimmered like satin. She hoped it wouldn't feel too rough against her skin. Unfolding it before her, she admired its plum colour. It was nice to see a colour that wasn't red or metallic for a change.

Undressing herself, she slipped the robe on like it was a thin dressing gown. The long sleeves reached to her wrists and the collar fit snugly about her neck. I couldn't possibly be considered immodest wearing this, she thought. Folding it across her body, she did the buttons on her shoulder and her waist, smoothed out the long skirt and considered herself in the mirror.

It looked …strange. The dress fitted snugly over her form and no skin was shown apart from her head and hands yet she still felt a little… bold. The high neckline and tailored waist did wonders for her figure. But that made her feel rather self-conscious. She preferred the loose blouses and trousers she was used to wearing. She supposed they made her feel more masculine and empowered. This dress made her feel empowered too, just in a different way. She wasn't used to showing off her figure. Work colleagues could get a little too distracted that way.

"Amanda?"

She heard Svelda calling for her. She was supposed to be meeting with Sarek soon. It was best to not keep them waiting.

Taking a deep breath she gathered up her courage before stepping out from behind the curtain. She looked at the faces of Svelda and the tailor but as you would expect, no reaction.

"Does it look ok?" she asked anxiously.

Svelda walked around her studiously. Amanda tried not to fidget under her gaze.

"It is satisfactory. We should continue to your meeting," she said authoritatively.

Without a second glance, Svelda paced off into the corridor. Amanda quickly thanked the tailor and hurried after her.

As she came in step behind Svelda she began to notice the loud rustling sound that accompanied her walk. It was all the fabric in her skirt swirling about her legs. She was going to have to get used to rustle rustle.

"You walk like a soldier. Shorten your stride and use your hips," svelda instructed.

Amanda tried to follow her instructions. At first she felt ridiculous, swinging her hips about like a Hawaiian hula girl. But gradually the movement became less obvious and the rustling abated a little. Who knew there were so many different ways of walking?

As soon as Svelda left her in the meeting room, she slumped into a nearby chair. Keeping up the Vulcan act was harder than it looked.

After a few moments of solitude Sarek appeared. He entered the room perusing something on his PADD. Amanda stood up nervously. Sarek stopped from his perusal and studied her with interest. His eyes wandered over her form before meeting her gaze.

"It is suitable," he stated.

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down again. His word was as good as any.

Sarek sat across from her as had become customary in their meetings. It hadn't taken them long to relax in each other's presence. Sometimes they conversed for the whole hour and other times they sat in companionable silence.

Tonight Amanda would have liked to sit quietly and relax, but she had questions she needed answers to.

"Sarek… Tell me about your ex-wife," she asked boldly.

Sarek glanced up from his work momentarily.

"What is it you wish to know about her?"

Amanda shifted position in her chair.

"Well… what was she like?"

Sarek entered some text on his PADD as he answered her.

"She is 5'9" tall. She has brown eyes, black hair…"

"No Sarek," she sighed.

He considered her carefully. Amanda stood up slowly and sat in the space beside him. Gently taking his PADD, she put it on sleep and placed it on her lap. He didn't attempt to stop her.

"I want to know how she was as your wife. Was she stubborn? Caring? Did she have goals she wished to achieve? Did you like her?" she asked curiously.

"The human concept of liking someone has always been difficult to understand. Vulcans do not favour other Vulcans for illogical reasons," Sarek explained.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at him.

"However, in answer to your question, she was…" He thought quietly for a moment. "She was busy," he decided.

"Busy?"

"Yes. She was to be the next matriarch of her clan and as such she had many duties. We did not see each other often," he explained.

"I see," Amanda said uncertainly.

Amanda looked thoughtfully at her hands.

"Why was your bond dissolved?" she asked cautiously.

"She wished to become a master of Gol; an adept in kolinahr: the mastery of emotion. I could not deny her the right."

She wondered if she could almost detect a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I'm so sorry Sarek," she said, squeezing his hand gently.

His brow furrowed as he considered her.

"Why do you apologise for events that you played no part in?" he asked.

"Because it must have hurt, losing her," she said softly.

Sarek was thoughtful for a moment.

"The dissolving of our bond was not a pleasant experience," he admitted.

His hand twitched a little at the admission. She wanted to hold him closer but she dared not.

"However it was logical for our paths to separate. She is now the High Master of Gol. Not many have the ability to achieve that rank."

Not sure what to say, Amanda simply held his hand and smiled at him supportively.

Noting that her questions had ceased, Sarek took his PADD back and resumed his studies. Amanda took that as a sign that he did not want to talk further about the subject. Nestling her head against his shoulder she watched him work in silence. They sat like this for some time. All the while, he didn't let go of her hand.


REPLACE CARTRIDGE

The printer flashed angrily at her. Amanda rolled her eyes. Her last day at work and it still wouldn't behave properly. She had fixed this machine more times than she could remember. She thought about just leaving it but she needed that document in hard copy.

Sighing, she rolled up her sleeves and pulled off the outer panel. Really a technician should be doing this but if Amanda had waited for technicians all of her life she would never have gotten anything done. So she'd learnt the hard way.

Finding the offending component she disconnected it from the machine and gave it a good look. It appeared to be fine on the outside. Giving it a good shake she heard the tell-tale rattle of a loose wire.

Returning to her desk she pulled out a driver pen. Unscrewing the outside screws Amanda peered inside to find the wire.

Se'tek returned from the Ambassador's office.

"Amanda." He froze as he saw what she was doing. "What are you doing?" he asked. "That is a job for a technician."

Amanda carefully slotted the wire back into place and fused it with a heat rod. The smell of molten metal flared in her nostrils. All finished, she put it back together and gave it a vigorous shake. Still in one piece, she considered her work done.

"It's ok I've fixed it now. What do you need me to do Se'tek?"

She stood up from her desk and walked to the printer. Se'tek followed in her wake.

"Ambassador Sarek will need you to transcribe his meeting with Ambassador Ovina in five minutes. Do you have the relevant documentation?" he queried.

Amanda slotted the cartridge into place and closed the outer panel. She held her breath as it recalibrated. To her relief it continued to print.

"On its way now," she said. "Will the Ambassador require anything else?"

"No."

He looked as if he might say something more but instead he turned around and returned to his desk.

As soon as the document was printed, Sarek exited his office. Amanda grabbed her bag with documentation in hand and followed closely behind.


Ambassador Ovina greeted them warmly as they entered her office.

"Amanda! What a pleasant surprise. I've become so used to seeing Daniel I'd almost forgotten what you looked like," she joked.

Amanda smiled as she settled in her chair.

"Daniel has called in sick today so I'm here in his stead," she explained.

She didn't mention the fact that he was a miserable coward but she thought that was probably best left unsaid.

They soon found themselves settling into the normal routine. Amanda took notes as the meeting progressed and the Ambassadors continued with their political mind games. Part of her was glad that she wouldn't have to deal with this so much in the future. Politics could be horrendously complicated.

As the meeting drew to a close, Ambassador Ovina expressed her regret at her departure.

"It's a shame we have to lose you Amanda. You've been a great asset to the Vulcan embassy. Although he may never admit it," she winked merrily at her.

Sarek's stony gaze ignored them both.

"I know a smart girl like you will probably have a job lined up already, but I'd be happy to provide a good reference for you in the future. If you ever wanted to get back into politics just let me know." She smiled. "There's always room for another aide."

Amanda found herself blushing at her praise. She also wondered if Ovina was calculating plans to try and extract information from her once she left. But she would be out of her reach by then.

"It's been a pleasure working with you," she said, shaking Ovina's hand.

"Keep in touch," Ovina replied.

Her grip was firm. Yes… She wondered how she would react when she learned of their engagement. She allowed herself a small smile as she imagined her surprise.

As they returned to the office it was approaching the end of her last office day. She started to gather all her things together as it drew to a close. Finishing her final report she sorted through a few more emails until her time was up.

Clearing her desk, she pulled on her coat and picked up her bag. Just as she was about to leave, Sarek and Se'tek approached her from the office.

"I believe it is customary on Earth to express gratitude for your time serving us. Thank you," Sarek said stoically.

Amanda smiled at his formality.

"It was an honour to serve," she said, bowing her head respectfully. "Thank you for the opportunity. I've learnt a lot from my time working here."

She gave Sarek a small smile.

As silence began to brew between them she decided it was time to leave.

"I'll see you around," she said, waving.

And then she left. She didn't look back. She figured she would be returning there soon enough.

Exiting the Vulcan Embassy she approached the headquarters main reception and handed over her security tag. The next time she came here she would be a visitor.

Stepping out of the entrance for the last time as an aide, Amanda paused and took a deep breath. Tomorrow, everything will change for me, she thought. No… Tomorrow, the world will change.

Let's hope it's for the better.