Chapter Sixteen
"What are you doing, father?"
"I am using the remnant magnetic field in these igneous rock crystallizes to determine the amount of polar wandering that has occurred over the past eight point seven million years by calculating the angle of the field in the rock as opposed to the planet itself."
"Why?"
"I do not have time to explain 'why', Salen." Salen's father replied sternly.
"I am sorry. May I assist you?"
"No. Go help your mother."
"Yes, Sir."
Seven years old Salen left his father's side and made his way through the lush jungle of Venti-8. On his way to find his mother he came across a beautiful purple flower growing next to the path. Smiling brightly Salen bent down and picked the delicate flower and brought his prize along with him.
Salen found his mother not too far away in a small clearing. Sitting on the mossy ground she was tapping on her catalogue tablet as she inspected the plant life before her. Salen stepped up to her side and knelt down. His mother glanced up from her work, tucking her straight black hair behind her pointed ear. He offered her the flower with a shy smile. When she raised a disapproving slanted eyebrow he removed the smile from his lips.
"I brought this for you, mother."
"Cypripediens apostialanii...common in this area. I already have this one catalogued. Do not pick the flowers without permission, Salen. This part of the plant is now dead."
"I did not mean to cause harm. I simply wished you to have it."
"It is not logical to bring me a common flower."
"I am sorry."
"Go help your father."
"Yes, Ma'am."
With directions from each parent to go to the other Salen was unsure of what to do. Going back towards his father Salen returned to the place where he had picked the flower. He had finished his studies for the day, and had nothing constructive to do. Sitting down in the middle of the path he passed the time by rearranging the pebbles in front of him in a geometric pattern. Hours passed before he heard his mother approaching.
"Salen?"
"Yes, mother?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was told by father to help you and you instructed me to help him. Since I am not needed in either place I am waiting here until someone needs my assistance."
"You have nothing better to do than sit in the dirt and arrange stones?"
"I am sure I could find a most industrious use of my free time."
"Then why have you not done so?"
"I do not know. It is hard to explain."
"Do you lack the desire to do anything more?"
"I believe that is accurate. Sometimes I wish..." Salen trailed off.
"What do you wish?" Salen's mother pressed.
"Nothing." Salen whispered. "It is not important."
"Why not?"
"Because my wish is not logical."
Salen's mother looked down on him, a brief look of sadness passed over her stoic face. She offered her hand to Salen to help him stand. Once on his feet his mother lead him to where his father was still hard at work.
"Talan, I am concerned about our son."
"Has he not been completing his studies?"
"It is not his education that worries me. He is excelling in his studies."
"Then what is the concern, Llandris?"
"He is lonely."
"That is an emotion he must learn to control." Talan answered icily.
"Talan...I do not believe that it is right to be raising our son so far from Vulcan. He has no peers with which to interact with."
"The sub-space allows him to communicate with his cohort."
"It is not the same." Llandris replied. "We should return to Vulcan."
"No." Talan said firmly. "Our work on other worlds is too important."
"More important than our son?"
"More important than his illogical need to be with others." Talan said seriously. "Salen still does not have full control of his emotions, he is better off here."
"Where he can not embarrass you?" Llandris asked.
"Embarrassment is illogical, I simply meant that isolation gives him more time to learn to Vulcan ways without distraction."
"How can he learn Vulcan ways if he is not among them?"
"He has you and I, that is all he needs."
"I disagree."
"Salen," Talan turned on his son "do you wish to disrupt our work here and return to Vulcan?"
"N...no, Sir."
"Then there is no issue." Talan stated as he returned to his work.
"Salen...are you sure?" Llandris asked.
"He is a Vulcan, Llandris, he can not lie."
Salen jerked awake from his dream of the past. In the years he had spent in Wilson's prison he had tried not to think of that first lie he had told his father. Sometimes he had felt that the torment he had been going through was punishment for that lie. If he had admitted to his father that he wanted to return to Vulcan, one of his greatest desires at the time, he would have had the privilege to die along side the rest of his race.
Feeling sick to his stomach Salen sat up and looked over at the bars that were keeping him here. It was impossible to keep his heart from racing painfully at the sight of being imprisoned. Beckett had offered him an escape, he had offered him freedom, but he still wasn't sure that he could accept.
"I would have to do is lie to my father...although, is it still lying if you are simply keeping a secret?"
Salen shook his head at the mere thought of entertaining Beckett's offer. Getting to his feet he wandered over to one of the solid walls and pressed his hand against it. He wondered if the Vulcans would keep him underground until he was needed or if they would allow him a cage with a window. He didn't like the color of the Natalian sky, he preferred the deep blue of Earth's, however any sunlight was better than darkness.
"I may live two hundred years, what am I going to do with all that time within the confines of a cell? Perhaps I will be allowed to chose death."
Despite being unable to hear his own words he still spoke them aloud. Feeling like his heart may actually stop right now Salen closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the stone wall. Still locked in a silent world Salen did not know that Beckett had arrive. When Salen finally opened his eyes and turned around he gasped sharply. He pressed his back against the wall and stared apprehensively at Beckett. Beckett smiled sadly and said something.
"I still can not hear you." Salen informed.
'Of course, here you go.' Beckett handed Salen a translator. 'Time is running short for me to be able to get you out of here. If you are going to accept my help I need your answer now.'
"I have an answer for you. I appreciate all that you have offered to do for me. However, I have made the decision to speak with my father and tell him the truth. I did not kill Langin, I will trust that a jury will see that."
'The only thing a jury is going to see are those pointed ears of yours.'
"I do not believe that is true. I have lived among the humans for many years now, very few of them have judged me based on my Vulcan appearance."
'You're deaf and blind, Salen.' Beckett rolled his eyes. 'Humans look at you and they see an alien, and now they will see a dangerous alien, a terrifyingly intelligent, destructively strong, out of control Vulcan who has every reason to hate humans.'
"I do not hate humans."
'No one is going to believe that.' Beckett laced his arms through the bars, resting on the cross bar. 'Salen, you know that your past is going to get dragged into any trial you're put through.'
"My past has nothing to do with this."
'Oh really? You don't think that it's important that the victim happens to be the son of the man who murdered your parents and sold you to captivity? The court is going to ask you to detail everything that has happened to you, the media is going to have a field day. I can already see the headlines now 'The First Cold-blooded Killer to Actually have Cold Blood.'."
"Vulcan blood is only a few degrees cooler than human."
'That's not the point. They are going to tear you apart. I would hate to see you put through all of that, and risk losing your freedom...not to mention what it would do to Admiral Pike.'
"Why are you doing this to me?" Salen demanded with a sudden flash of anger.
'Me? I'm not doing anything to you. I want to help you.'
"I can not help but feel that your 'help' comes with a large price tag."
'Have I asked anything of you so far?' Beckett crossed his arms over his chest. 'Have I asked *once* for you to reconsider my offer to you to join my team?'
"No." Salen admitted. "I just do not see why you should care about me."
'I care for a few reasons, however, the main reason is that I feel that this whole situation is my fault.'
"How is it your fault?"
'Langin was allowed into Starfleet Academy on my recommendation.' Beckett admitted.
"Your recommendation?"
'When he applied to the Academy Starfleet was a little hesitant. I recommended him.'
"Why?"
'Because I thought he'd make a good Dog. It didn't take me long to realize that I'd made a mistake, but by then it was too late. I'm sorry, Salen, it it hadn't been for my recommendation you would have never even known that Langin had a son.'
Salen wasn't sure how to take this new news. On the one hand it gave Beckett some motivation to help him, on the other it showed that he'd been involved all along. Salen read the conversation they'd just had on the translator again. Pacing back and forth he eventually stepped up to the bars and handed Beckett the translator back.
"I want to talk to Admiral Pike." Salen said firmly.
Beckett looked disappointed, however he nodded without further argument. Salen relaxed slightly, he had feared that no matter how many times he said he wanted to talk to his father that he would be denied. Beckett turned to leave, but before he could even take a step another man approached.
Salen wished he could hear what the man had said because Beckett had a strong reaction to it. He looked shocked at first and then angry. To Salen it looked like Beckett was demanding more information, but the other man did not seem to have it. Becoming anxious again Salen stepped closer to the bars.
"Beckett? What is happening?"
Beckett turned his attention to Salen and looked as though he was heaving a heavy sigh. He muttered something, but Salen had returned the translator tablet to him.
"I do not know what you are saying."
Beckett pulled the translator back out and spoke directly to it before handing it back over to Salen. Reading Beckett's words Salen gasped sharply.
'Joanna McCoy has been arrested.' The type coldly informed Salen.
"No, no, please, please let her go." Salen begged.
'Salen, you act as though I arrested her. I don't know if I can help either of you now that she's involved.'
"Please, she has nothing to do with this."
'Yes she does. Salen, I can't just set her free.'
"You have the power to release me, but not her?"
'It's not as simple as that. I could probably get her out of here no problems, except for the fact that Joanna McCoy is Joanna McCoy.'
"I do not understand."
'She is too much like her father, there is no way that she'll stay quiet about suddenly finding herself free of all charges. If I help her and not you she's going to be a consistent thorn in my side. She'll want answers, she'll use her connections to figure out which palms got greased to spring her and yet leave you still rotting in prison. In fact she'll probably just get herself arrested again or worse.'
"Worse?"
'No one likes it when they get exposed for not playing by the rules, and as I mentioned before rules will need to be broken.' Beckett shrugged. 'However, if she had what she wanted... Well in that case, I doubt she'd cause any trouble.'
"What does she want?"
'You.'
Salen took a step away from Beckett, suddenly fearful of him. It all seemed too good to be true that this man would want so desperately to help him. Beckett watched Salen for a moment before calling one of the Officers over. They spoke too quietly for the translator to pick up on their conversation. The Officer looked argumentative at first, but eventually nodded and turned to unlock the door. Salen backed himself into the corner.
"What are you doing?"
'I want you to see Joanna.'
"W...why?"
'Because your decision affects her as well.'
Salen felt a knot twisting in his stomach as Beckett stepped to the side to allow him to step out of the cell. Swallowing hard Salen nodded and joined Beckett in the hallway. Beckett took the translator away and placed his hand on Salen's shoulder in a paternal manner that didn't make Salen feel any more at ease.
As he was lead down the hall and through several doors Salen began to becoming increasingly fearful. He felt more like he was being taken away to be tormented rather than to see the woman he had fallen in love with. Salen wondered if she was going to be angry with him. When the Officer indicated a particular cell Salen froze, unwilling to step closer.
Beckett nudged him gently to encourage him to keep moving. Reminded of other times in his life when he had no choice other than following orders Salen stepped in front of the cell. Joanna was sitting on the bed in the back corner with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her crossed arms. Seeing her caged was more than he could handle and he started shaking.
"Joanna?" Salen whispered.
Hearing her name Joanna snapped her head up. Her eyes were rimmed in red from tears, however when she saw Salen her face lit up with a radiant smile. Salen could see her lips cry his name, but in his muted world he could only imagine her voice. She rushed up to the bars and reached through them to card her fingers into his hair.
Joanna started talking at a hundred mile an hour, but Salen couldn't understand any of it. Suddenly realizing that Salen wasn't getting a word of what she was saying she stopped and forced a smile. Joanna used her hold on his hair to bring his face to the bars. Pushing herself up on her tiptoes Joanna kissed him. When she released him she glared at Beckett defiantly for a moment before bring her eyes back to Salen with fear sparkling in their blue depths.
"It is alright, Joanna, he is here to help us..."
