CHAPTER 3
"You pinched it?!" yelled Leonard while he was huffing from running.
"Yes, I had done the Vulcan Nerve Pinch," answered Spock who was still not breaking a sweat of getting tired.
"Whoa, wait up!" exclaimed Jimmy who was not used to flat out running for two miles. His knees buckled and gave way as he fell forward. He lay there breathing heavily. Leonard went back to pick him up and lean him up against tree.
"Don't you think that we're far enough away?" asked Leonard, who was still huffing and puffing.
"No, we are still not far enough," answered Spock who was ready to run again but saw that his two human companions couldn't keep running like this. He walked over to them and sighed internally and said, "You do know that we will have to sleep in the trees?" They stared at the trees.
"Luckily, I've slept in trees before," said Jimmy.
"I do not believe in luck," said Spock, "although it is fortunate that you have such experience. Because I do not know how to climb or sleep in a tree."
"Why?" asked Jimmy.
"Because on Vulcan there are no trees."
"What do you mean there aren't any trees in Vulcan?" asked Leonard.
"Technically there are trees, but none upon which you can climb on," answered Spock.
"Well, you're going to have to learn how to climb a tree," said Jimmy. "Good thing there's a lot of trees with branches way low to the ground," he added.
"If we are to be safer from the beast, assuming it could climb, we should climb trees that are tall and do not have low branches," concluded Spock.
"Well, you're gonna hafta learn climbing branches first," said Leonard, eyeing Spock's slender body. "I suppose that you do a lot of travelin'."
"I have," said Spock.
"Well, let's start practicing. It's like climbing ladders, if there's a lot of branches like this," he pointed at a tree with many branches, "but if there's big gaps you have to find notches and rough spots to cling on to." Jimmy demonstrated by climbing on one such tree.
"You just shimmy up 'em," added Leonard.
Spock studied Jimmy while he climbed the tree higher and higher, until he got to the most furthest to the top while being on the edge of safe.
Spock chose a tree with a few gaps between each branch to practice on.
"I think he's got the hang of it," whispered Leonard to Jimmy as they watched Spock go higher up the tree.
"Why don't you try climbing this tree now." Jimmy indicated a tree with no branches at the bottom. Spock slid down the tree and stopped at each branch, then he got to the ground. He walked over to the tree Jimmy was pointing at and climbed that one with ease.
"I guess you got it now," said Leonard.
* * *
The three of them had gathered a lot of dead brush and branches for a fire when night fell. Spock started the fire with a piece of flint and steel he kept in his pockets for whenever he ran away from home. There were plenty of berries around but they didn't dare eat one because of the risk it might be poisonous.
It became night and the air cooled down. The blaze and crackle of the fire had a hypnotic effect combined with the eternal chirping of alien insects. Spock decided this moment to meditate. He stared at the continuous flickering of the campfire. This was also the time Leonard thought he should start up a conversation.
"So how is it on a red hell-like orb you call a planet?" asked Leonard easily.
Spock ignored the question, which made Leonard ready to lecture the Vulcan on how it was rude to ignore queries. Jimmy saw it coming and, before Leonard could say anything, he asked Leonard, "So, what does your dad work as?"
This diverted Leonard's attention from Spock, who silently gave gratitude to young Kirk.
"My father's a doctor," answered Leonard with pride. "He fixes patients up traditionally and I'm gonna be a doctor, too, when I'm old enough. How about you?"
"Well, my dad's in Starfleet and he's on a mission right now. When I'm seventeen I'm going to join Starfleet Academy and become a captain of a starship and explore unknown space," Jimmy beamed at the thought. "What interests you, Spock?"
Spock looked up from the fire and studied the two humans. Finally he spoke.
"I would want to be a scientist."
Jimmy and Leonard looked at Spock and accepted that. Spock had a solemn look to him; no smiles came from Spock at the prospect of achieving that dream, as the other two had.
"What does your dad do?"
"He's a diplomat."
"I don't suppose you talk more than one sentence at a time, do you?" asked Leonard.
Spock ignored the question.
"What does your mother do?" asked Jimmy.
"She is a teacher and a student of an Adept," replied Spock.
"What's an Adept?" asked Leonard.
"Those who can speak to the Katras of Vulcans who have passed."
"What's a Katra?"
"A Katra is the essence of our being, all the knowledge and experience of a person, a soul, if you will."
"You're pullin' my leg!" exclaimed Leonard.
"I am not aware of such action. Perhaps you are hallucinating and need some rest to ease your fatigue and make your legs feel better. I assure you, I have not extended my arm to grasp you leg. What purpose would it serve?"
Jimmy started laughing and Leonard shook his head and said, "It was an idiom, for 'are you joking?'"
"I do not 'joke,' as you put it," said Spock seriously.
Leonard and Jimmy dropped off to sleep after they sluggishly climbed into trees. Spock remained by the fire transfixed by the dying flames, thinking of the strange aliens who called themselves humans. He then thought of his own mother, a human who cared for him and who would have brought him up as a human had he not proclaimed himself to be a Vulcan at the age of six.