Chapter Seventeen
When You Wish Upon A Star
Hello Mother…
Spock remained in his meditation robes and entered his mother's code into his unit. There were several distinct connecting sounds and at last his mother's face appeared.
"Hello Mother,"
"Spock, sweetheart, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure."
Instead of correcting his mother on her term of endearment, Spock said,
"Mother, I am in need of your sage advise…"
"Would I be wrong to assume that a certain young cadet is involved with this degree of angst?"
"Mother, you would be correct."
"My son, do you want to fill me in on recent events?"
"Well, my assignment to create a special qualifying program for the command track required that I interview cadets that had expressed a desire to reach out to achieve this level of military control.. Because Nyota had expressed such a desire she was included in this study. Upon being faced with certain situations that could or would be faced by a ship captain, she determined that this position would require making decisions that could not be carried out by her. She has since changed her focus to the one you immersed yourself in, Xenoliquistics, with secondary studies in diplomacy. She is very settled in her mind about the wisdom of this change in focus.
"As much as you know I desired such a decision on her part, I did not personally contribute to it. All the cadets who will be interviewed will be required to answer the same questions."
"Are you at liberty to reveal these questions?"
"Not the exact questions, but let it suffice that what was propounded were life and death decisions that a captain might face. She found these daunting and in one instance was reduced to tears. She came to the realization that to be 'captain' required more than a clinical knowledge of how to run a ship."
Amanda nodded and said,
"Her decision was not something that troubled you ,as a matter if fact, if you were human, you would have celebrated it as a victory. So tell me Spock, what is the heart of the real issue?"
Spock's eyes were lowered. Green tinged his cheeks and ear as he said,
"Today after our session Nyota requested that I accompany her to the beach. Since she had indicated that such an activity would bring her pleasure I agreed to do so, she disrobed and presented herself in a bathing suit.'
"Spock you are skirting the issue. You have been to beaches on many planets. Have seen persons in bathing attire on said occasions. So…"
"Mother, I almost lost…con…control when she disrobed. She is even more astatically pleasing with fewer articles of clothing on her person. I have had to meditate at the beach and spent ten hours in deep meditation here in my room. The picture of her will not leave my mind."
"Does the word torment come to mind, my son?"
"I did consider your choice of words when I was questioning myself."
Amanda was attempting to trample down her mirth-the expression, 'I told you so.' kept coming to her mind, but before her was a teen-age Vulcan/Human hybrid attempting to integrate his two halves.
"Spoke, honey, perhaps we can lessen the pain. Does that end result sound logical to you.?"
"Yes mother, but you are aware she will be serving as my teaching assistant the next semester."
"Yes Spock."
Amanda turned away from the so the humor of the situation would not observed on her face. Her dear son did not a clue as to how to deal with these new felt urges and the beautiful, sheltered Nyota, was unaware of the dangers lurking even at the supposedly safe Star Fleet Academy. She was sure that Nyota's parents had faced the usual dilemmas of parents with brilliant children-expose them to the more experienced classmates in the upper grades or hold them back.
Of course she approved of their pairing, but the time was not right. As could be deduced from his recent experience, there is still quite a bit of growing up to do. Nyota doesn't even have a clue as to the affect her flawless beauty has on members of the opposite sex. She cannot fathom that mind set coming from her sheltered environment. Her mother probably had given her counsel, but with every male in her immediate neighborhood was probably a cousin or uncle, in Nyota's mind males only occupied the space that equated protection and support. Amanda would have to attempt to school the child herself. She would ask permission to contact her parents and then she would groom her for exposure to the predatory male. For the time being Spock would have to interact with her in the role of the protective brother.
"Spock you always said your wanted a sibling, allow me to introduce you to your sister, Nyota Uhura. If you apply yourself to that role, there would be no slip ups. Allow yourself time to train her, protect her, but you must not ever touch her. Are you able to follow through on that arrangement?"
"Yes mother. I will continue in that role until her graduation. I will have to ward off many suitors I am sure."
"I will be attempt to make that situation moot."
"Goodbye mother. Please let father know, 'I am fine.'"
"Yes my dear, please give Nyota my regards."
"I shall."
`0`0`0`0`0`0`
Spock changed into his sleeping garments, and lay on his bed, his hands behind his head, feet crossed at the ankles and Nyota form appeared to him again.
"Nyota, my little sister, you will be protected…and loved from afar.
`0`0`0`0`0`0`
Amanda waited until Sarek came home and revealed the situation. If a human, perhaps Sarek would have smirked a his son's selection, but more was involved here and Amanda, as always had gotten to the heart of the matter.
Amanda was aware that Sarek knew Nyota father well. They had enjoyed a close friendship for a number of years. The problem was, with Sarek heavy work load, their contacts had been sporadic at best. The questions was, how to contact him, bring up the subject of his only daughter without raising fear or anxiety. Finally, the answer came to his mind, Nyota was now a Xenolinquistic major, his wife had a PhD in said subject. Who would be in a better position to guide Benjamin's daughter? With this as the basis for the contact, Sarek put in the corporation guide for Benjamin Uhura, Kenya USA and within minutes saw his old friend's face before him with a smile playing around his mouth.
"Yes, I did win the last 3D chess game with you fair and square."
With one eyebrow raised, Sarek simply said,
"Indeed."
Laughing out load and then trying to mimic the eyebrow gesture Benjamin continued,
"To what do I owe this extremely welcome visit?"
Sarek replied,
"To touch base with you after such a long while gives me great pleasure. We now have something else in common, my son is your daughter's instructor. He has advised us that Captain Pike has recommended her as his Teaching Assistant. Highly irregular, but as Pike explained, no other of Spock's student reaches her level of competence. I presume she has been in touch with you recently."
"Yes, she informed us that she is changing her focus. She is now majoring in Xenolinquistics and diplomacy. This gave her mother great joy.
Sarek nodded as he remembered what an emotional female Benjamin's wife is
"I understand she has tested off the charts in this area of study. You probably know that my wife has a Phd in that very focus.. She was wondering if there would be a problem if she worked along with your daughter in her studies. Only good could possibly come from such an arrangement."
"I wholeheartedly would wish Amanda's acting as tutor for Nyota. She did inform me that she had met Amanda and they had contacted each other after Amanda returned to Vulcan. It appears that it is what Terrans call 'a win, win situation."
Amanda will be in touch with you periodically to advise you of how they are progressing. Please give my best to your family."
"You likewise and let Spock know not to let Nyota overwhelm him. She is a force to be reckoned with in a very small, fragile package. Ask him to look out for her, she comes from a very sheltered environment."
"I shall. And I will make sure that our visits become more regular."
"That will be most welcome."
"Good bye Sarek, Live Long and Prosper."
"Peace and Long Life to You, Benjamin."
Amada had been listening and once transmission was terminated she came toward Serak and said,
'Study in Base Human Nature 101 begins.