STARDATE 57898.2
Sonal was an unusual resident of Vulcan. He found it difficult to keep his emotions in check. His father was half-Vulcan and half-human while his mother was a Romulan. His father taught him to embrace his Vulcan heritage and to suppress emotions and embrace logic. He always wondered why his Vulcan grandfather would marry a human woman.
"It was the logical thing to do at the time."
"Grandfather…" Sonal smiled at watching the recording of his grandfather, the late Sarek. Upon realizing that he was displaying human emotions, he suddenly shut off the recording. "Cursed human emotions," he said out loud.
"Son." A woman with pointed ears came to the promenade. "My son, do not be so hard on yourself." She hugged her pointed ear son. "Emotions are not necessarily a bad thing. It was because of emotions that your father and I made you."
"Mother," Sonal said, "Emotions nearly destroyed this planet over 2,000 years ago. Surak the Wise brought us out of our past barbaric ways and showed us the path to true enlightenment."
"So are you going to partake in the trials of Kolinahr?"
"Kolinahr is unattainable for somebody of my bloodline. I realized that from the days when I was capable of rational thought. No. My destiny lies elsewhere." Sonal looked at his mother. "Do not get ne wrong, Saavik of Romulus. I am proud to be your son."
"And are you proud to be the son of Spock, asked Saavik.
"I am. But I am not sure that Spock holds the same pride in me."
Saavik noticed that Sonal had a large backpack. "Your departure for Starfleat is imminent. Where are you going?"
"To commune with rhe Vulcan gods. I need their guidance. They must help me seek out my destiny. That is why I am going to the...Forbidden Zone."
"Sonal," said Saavik in a voice tinged with worry, "you know that entrance to the Forbidden Zone is prohibited without permission from the Vulcan elders. What would Vulcan high priestess T'Pan say if she knew?"
"She will not know, mother," said Sonal is a cold voice that was typical of a Vulcan who was raised to be logical. "There are mysteries of Vulcan that our people have sought for over 2,000 years. It is the ancient land where Surak sought pure logic."
"And it is where Surak died," said Saavik, sounding increasingly worried. Maternal instinct kicked in. "Sonal, please be safe. The answers which you seek, you may not like what you discover."
"We shall see, mother." Sonal raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, Saavik, wife of Spock, and my dear mother."
Saavik raised her hand in return and returned her own Vulcan salute, even though she were Romulan. "Peace and long life, my son."
Sonal departed the House of Spock and ventured through the desert. The twin suns of Vulcan bore down a heat which many non-Vulcans - human in particular- found to be overbearing. However the years of living on Vulcan - coupled with Sonal's copper-based blood and Vulcan physiology- made it seem easy to Sonal.
After a long trek through the desert, Sonal arrived at a cave entrance. At the top of the entrance was a set of ancient Vulcan hieroglyphics which translated to:
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
Sonal entered the cave and ventured deep inside the labyrinth. Upon arriving at a sealed door, he heard a strange gravelly voice in his head:
"LONG HAVE I AWAITED FOR YOU."
Sonal dismissed the voice as imagination. He pressed on the door, and it opened with ease. Upon entering, he noticed that he was in what looked like an ancient burial chamber. He noticed a lone sarcophagus and opened it. He was impressed at what he saw.
He looked down on what looked like a hollow pyramid with the most particular etchings he had ever seen. He gazed down on the object and touched it.
All at once, he had visions of ancient Vulcan as it was almost destroyed by nuclear conflict. These visions suddenly morphed into visions of an even further past. He saw swords made out of light. He saw the largest spaceships he had ever seen. And then he saw a man dressed in full black armor standing beside a short elderly man with the most hauntingly sickly yellow eyes he had ever seen. As the vision came to a head, he saw the yellow-eyed man's lips move, and Sonal heard the same gravelly voice:
"AT LAST…."
A deep shudder surged through Sonal, and he suddenly dropped the mysterious object. There was no doubt that Sonal was not a full- blood Vulcan. He experienced a fear far greater than all the fears he had experienced in his lifetime. "What is this," he asked quizzically.
"A past best forgotten," said a voice from behind. Sonal turned around, and before him was Vulcan high priestess T'Pan. And she was not alone. She was accompanied by two members of Vulcan High Security. Sonal knew the penalty for trespassing in the Forbidden Zone without permission from the high priestess. Knowing what was to come, Sonal extended his arms to the High Security and said, "I…surrender."
