Chapter Eight - Training
McCoy watched over Steve's shoulder as the teen looked over a PADD. "You're learning pretty quick," he commented. "That shouldn't be possible for someone from your time. Most of this stuff should be way over your head."
"Yeah, well...I've seen enough Star Trek to know most of this already," Steve said, putting down the PADD. "You know, I really like your technology. It's so much better than the sort of things I'm used to."
"I can imagine so." McCoy glanced at the PADD and whistled. "Wow, you're on that one already? I'm not sure if I can keep up with you. There's not much left to go."
"And then what happens, after I finish learning all this?" Steve asked, leaning back in the chair. The two were alone in Sickbay, and the ship was relatively quiet. A somewhat bad sign, when it came to the Enterprise. But Steve knew nothing major would happen, or he would have heard about it.
"Well, if you pass with flying colors, I guess you can start working as a member of my staff down here," McCoy said. "Really no reason why you shouldn't. Besides, taking into account the routine missions we happen to be assigned to, I think I could use an extra hand."
Steve grinned. "Cool. Where's the next PADD?"
McCoy sighed and went off to find the next data file sequence, grumbling about time travel and 'them damn alien kidnappers.' A few minutes later, he returned with a new data disk and flipped it through the air at Steve. The teenager caught it without looking, and McCoy sighed in mock annoyance.
"If you need me, which I doubt, I'll be up on the bridge," McCoy said before striding out the doors. Steve watched him go, grinning.
"Boy, he's in a mood, ain't he?"
~~~~~~~
Kristian studied his adversary closely for a moment. He scratched a pointed ear as he thought hard. Seeing an opening, he lunged forward and made his move.
"Hah! Check," he told the computer.
The 3-D chessboard hadn't been too hard to master, and the ship's computer made a great opponent. In between science lessons with Spock, he took the liberty of playing a few friendly games. He had lost two games, but the other three had ended in a stalemate. Of course, since Spock himself had programmed the chess computer, it was very hard to defeat.
The computer moved its white queen three squares from Kristian's black king, also conventiently eliminating Kristian's knight, releasing its own king from check. "Checkmate," the computer announced in monotone.
Kristian cursed and leaned back, studying the board. "I think I need a living opponent. You're too hard," he told the computer. It didn't reply.
From the next table over, May snickered. "Having a bit of trouble over there?"
"Hey, don't knock it 'till you've tried it."
The Recreation Room was mostly empty, with some of the junior officers hanging around. A group of five blue shirts were playing poker in the corner, a red shirt was reading a PADD, and a few yellow shirts were having a gossip session a few tables away.
Lia entered the room and sat down at the same table as May. "So, when's the next science lesson with Commander Spock? I wanna learn all this stuff and get working for real." She grumbled a little. "I hear Allison starts work on the bridge tomorrow. Lucky her."
Kristian's sharp Vulcan hearing picked up that last part easily. "She WHAT? Already?"
"Yeah. Evidently there's a certain officer who's taken a liking to her company," Lia said, winking. "You know, tall, dark, handsome, pointed ears..."
"Be realistic. Spock's married, remember?" May reminded her. "Besides, even if he wasn't, don't you think she's a bit young for him?"
"Hey, at least it isn't Kirk who's got an eye out for her."
"True, true..."
Kristian rolled his eyes and reset the chessboard. "Your move first," he told the computer.
"Acknowledged," came the familiar voice, and the game continued.
~~~~~~~
Spock stood in his quarters, next to his desk, pondering. His study of the alien kidnappers was a fascinating project, but it was quite obvious that the children should be his top priority. The Vulcan ones, in any case. It was clear that they had no experience in controlling emotions and Vulcan instincts. He had called Allison, so he could begin to teach her the Kolinahr disciplines. She was the most at risk from emotional rages, being the only fully-changed child in the group. He also wanted to mind meld with her, to see how exactly the aliens had transformed her. Verbal descriptions were vague at best, and sensation of change was much more preferable.
His door signaled, and he turned around to face it. "Come."
The orange-red door swooshed open and the young Vulcan walked in, looking a bit disturbed. "You requested my presence, sir?" she asked.
"Yes, Ensign. Please be seated." He gestured toward a chair next to the wall, and she took it. He stood in front of her and began to speak. "I am sure you are aware that Vulcan instincts are highly emotional, irrational, and violent. We Vulcans have learned logic and peace, but the animal nature of our species still exists. You were not raised as a Vulcan. Rather, you were raised in the typical human manner of your time. Therefore you do not have control over your instictive emotional reactions to various stimuli."
He noted with interest that Allison's face flushed a light olive shade. A blushing Vulcan certainly made an odd sight. "That is most certainly true, sir."
"I have reached the conlcusion that you, as well as the other Vulcan children, must be taught the Kolinahr disciplines," Spock continued, and watched her react with familiarity. Interesting. "Let us drop the formalities for now, Allison. Right now, I am merely a teacher."
Allison nodded. "About those instinctual reactions you talked about...I'd already figured that part out on my own." Her blush deepened, matching her eyes almost exactly. "Jessie and I...well, we sort of got into a fight. Almost," she hurried to add, before Spock said anything. "We yelled at each other, but never actually threw any punches. The weird part was the fact that we both spoke in languages we don't know. Jessie, in Klingon; and I, in Old High Vulcan."
Spock's eyebrow almost reached his hairline, betraying his surprise. "Fascinating."
"Indeed."
"What did you say to her?" Spock asked, curious.
Allison took a deep breath before replying. "I issued the ancient challange of Toriatal."
THAT succeeded in surprising Spock. "YOU issued the ancient Toriatal challange? With no prior knowledge of the Vulcan language? Most peculiar." He hesitated. "Allison...I am about to ask a very personal favor. You may refuse it if you wish, it is not very important..."
"Spock, I'm all ears." Then she giggled a little after realizing what she had said.
Spock ignored the unintentional pun. "I request that you allow a mind meld. I am aware you have never melded before, and know nothing of the process..."
Allison raised an eyebrow, indicating amusement. "Really, Spock?" She shook her head. "All right. I'll agree to the meld, but with one condition."
"Name it."
"If you start to see ANYTHING that may reveal the future to you, terminate the meld. Under no circumstances must you continue to corrupt the future. Past events should be okay, but anything else must not be tampered with." She was deadly serious. "The temporal investigators will be after me as it is."
"Agreed. You may want to remain seated. First Melds are often...overwhelming." And with that, he reached over to her, finger splayed, seeking out the katra points of her face.
~~~~~~~
Jessie entered the Rec Room a few minutes after Lia. She sat down at the table, only glancing briefly at the PADD in her hand before putting it face-down on the table and folding her arms. "So, what's the latest?" she asked. "And does anyone know why Spock called Allison to his quarters?"
Lia erupted into giggles at that, and May was hiding a smile. Kristian sighed from the next table over, losing yet another chess match against the computer.
Jessie frowned. "What'd I say?"