Amanda who had been quietly watching from the shadows of the living area moved out with a somber look. "Sarek, are you sure the boys will be safe out there? It is after all the season for the electrical storms." Though Vulcan storms contained no precipitation they did have violent bolts of lighting and hurricane force winds that could make navigating the desert impossible.

"The nearest atmospheric disturbance is more than 200 Km to the west." Sarek assured her.

Together they watched the horizon until the boys were nothing more than small specs in the desert landscaping. Amanda couldn't help but to feel concern for the cadets on this simple trek across the desert.

After twenty minutes of walking, 40 Eridani hung low in the morning sky, peaking over the now visible mountain. Even at day break it seemed to take up 30% of the horizon. A fact that didn't help since the boys had to walk directly into it. The normal reddish glow was a near purple. Jim and a few of the other cadets stopped a moment in awe of the wondrous coloration of the sun. "What causes that?"

"It is the same affect that causes Earth's sun to appear a bright red when it 'drops' into the ocean. The blue scattered light in the atmosphere." Spock explained as he stood in watch of the rising sun. He too was in awe, but for a different reason. It had been so long since he had seen the purple coloration of his sun. If now it looked deeper purple then he had seen in 18 years of life on the planet.

"But Vulcan sky looks orange not blue like ours does," another cadet replied.

"Earth's sky carries the blue appearance because of two factors: one—blue light is trapped in the atmosphere, two-Earth is made up of 76% water which because of this blue light affect is itself blue. The light that is bounced off the ocean (like sonic waves) is then reflected back upon the Earth. It is a very similar process to the global warming theory and the greenhouse effect," Cadet Barrymore offered. He was the geologist of the group in any event.

"What are you talking about?" Cadet Stephens came to the front of the pack. "The greenhouse effect was a myth."

"No, I am afraid it was not. The effect produced as greenhouse gases allow incoming solar radiation to pass through the atmosphere, but prevent most of the outgoing infrared radiation from the surface and lower atmosphere from escaping into outer space. This process occurs naturally and has kept the temperature about 16-25 degrees Celsius warmer than it would otherwise be. Current life on Earth could not be sustained without the natural greenhouse effect." Barrymore retorted, he was clearly agitated that someone could get into Starfleet and be such a bone head.

"Speaking of temperatures it is starting to get somewhat hot." An addition cadet commented with sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

"It will only get hotter as the day progresses. I would prefer to be within the city when Vulcan is at its hottest," Spock said as he moved ahead. He was not too sure humans could endure the long periods of higher temperatures that Vulcan offered.

"Perhaps you're right Spock, er… chief," Jim said as he too returned to his walking. The sooner they reached the city, the sooner they would find some relief from the heat.

"When we reach the mountain the climb up will block some of the effects of the heat with the natural shadowing effect," Cadet Barrymore offered. It was naturally cooler on the side that faced away from the sun than the other side that was directly in the suns glare.

"Indeed, at the foot of the mountain on the other side lays a river that feeds water to Shir'Kar. On the way back we will be able to cool off there. Once we reach the stream we will only have 1.54 Km to walk." Spock explained for the benefit of all the cadets. "Once we reach the mountain there will be a set of stairs carved into the rock, alongside it is a smoothed surface that runs down the mountain. It is, I would suggest, similar to a slide." It had been dug out by non-Vulcans (with permission of the Vulcan government) who could not handle the tiring climb up and down the mountain.

The other cadets chuckled slightly.