Amanda was more than happy to collapse into bed that night. Her anger had banked, but it was still present, like the hot coals of a dying fire. She tried to remember Ataur's advice about controlling her emotions as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. It took her longer than usual to calm herself and fall asleep, and the next morning she felt harassed and cranky as she dressed and went down to breakfast. T'Iva had made another interesting, delicious Vulcan meal, which had a cheering effect on Amanda. When she arrived at the Principle Building an hour later, she was further pleased to find that she had something important to do that day.
T'Sana was waiting for her with a warm greeting - warm, of course, for a Vulcan. "Good Morning, Miss Grayson. I have good news for you. H'Saile Ahror has arranged for you to make a visitation to one of the most accomplished elementary schools in the city: The Children's Education Institute of Shi'Khar."
Amanda's heart leapt with excitement, but she managed to show no expression upon receiving the news. "Excellent, I am grateful to him." She said, feeling her spirit lift out of the gloom Sarek had put her in. "What will I be doing there?"
T'Sana explained to her as she escorted Amanda to where the car was awaiting her. "You will be observing classes and meeting with the educators," She said, handing Amanda a PADD information chip. "Here is all the information on the history of the school and the curriculi of the classes you will be attending. It would be best if you were very attentive during your observations; I believe that Starfleet will be wanting a report from you in the near future."
Amanda blinked, tucking the information chip away in her pocket. "Oh, of course - thank you." She said. She'd completely forgotten that Starfleet would want anything of her from this program. She'd been so wrapped up in the new experience that she'd forgotten that she was here on Vulcan to do work! Feeling sheepish, Amanda bid T'Sana goodbye and climbed into the hovercar. The drive was not very long. Amanda supposed that this school must be one of the more important ones in the area. This theory was solidified in her when she saw the building. It was almost as tall as the Principle Building, and looked nearly as official and important.
She was a little nervous when she stepped out of the car and approached the entrance, but she had little time to worry. An attendant immediately swept her up - a young man who spoke quickly and quietly as he ushered her through the main hall of the institution. Amanda had a little trouble keeping up with his quick speech at first, but she managed to adjust as they walked down the neat hallways, passing small rooms that couldn't possibly be classrooms. "Are we going to see a class?" She asked, pausing her talkative guide.
"Of course, Miss Grayson. I am taking you to the Central Education Hall."
That sounded slightly foreboding to Amanda, but she nodded and followed after him. They saw few others in the hallways, and even though Amanda had been there for almost half an hour, she had seen not seen hide nor hair of a Vulcan child or adolescent. She was beginning to wonder if Vulcans kept any children at all in their elementary schools when her guide paused her before a huge set of double doors. "This is the Central Education Hall," He said. "I must ask you to remain silent while you observe the class. The acoustics of the hall pick up very slight sounds."
Feeling even more puzzled, Amanda nodded. "Of course." She had to withold her gasp, however, when the attendant opened the doors for her. The room was vast and dark, so much so that Amanda could not see the far walls or ceiling. The only sources of light were what looked at first to be flat circular disks on the floor, about 5 feet across. It was only after Amanda's sight adjusted that she realized they were little pits sunk into the floor. The attendant gestured politely for her to go inside. Amanda swallowed and entered the hall, staring around her. Class had apparently just begun, but it took Amanda a moment to realize this, as there was no one speaking. Amanda wandered in, skirting the edge of the closest pit. It was empty, its sloped walls aglow with a bluish light. As she walked farther in, she finally spotted a Vulcan child. He was standing in the center of one of the pits as letters, numbers and pictures flowed around him. He watched them carefully, and Amanda heard him reciting a complicated mathematical formula as the numbers hovered in front of him. Amanda stared openly, she had never seen anything like it in any sort of school. When the child finished, he glanced up at her curiously, but only for a moment, as another question was directed at him, apparently from a hidden speaker in the pit. He returned to his work without another look at Amanda.
Every single one of the lighted pits had a little Vulcan inside it, speaking quickly and quietly as the glowing images swirled around them. Amanda was transfixed, so much so that she almost collided with another adult. Amanda ducked her head in apology. The Vulcan regarded her coolly, but said nothing. After a moment, Amanda stepped aside, realizing that she had been blocking his passage between two of the pits. He inclined his head to her and proceeded on his way. Amanda watched him, wondering who he could be. Was he a teacher? Did the children need teachers with the pits asking all the questions? Her question was answered when she noticed the rotation of one of the pits halt. A brighter glow appeared around the edges of the pit, and Amanda could see the child standing inside looking expectantly at the adult Vulcan, who approached her sedately. The little Vulcan girl seemed to pose a question - Amanda couldn't hear exactly from her distance away. The adult spoke to her for a short while, and when he finished the little girl nodded and turned back to her work. The images began to float around her once again. Oh, Amanda thought. He must be here to supervise and answer questions when the kids had them. So the children had to pause whenever they ran across a problem and seek help themselves. The teachers were only there to correct their path when they strayed. Such a system could never work in a Terran school - no Human child would be able to recognize when they needed help. How different Vulcans and Humans were! It was almost embarrassing to realize that the Vulcan children were handling a teaching style that had only been introduced to Amanda herself when she'd entered her undergraduate years.
As Amanda wandered, she saw more teachers, both men and women. The children appeared to be of all ages. Amanda had to hide the little spark of delight she felt when she spotted a little Vulcan girl who couldn't have been more than five years old. The serious on her little round face was, Amanda had to admit to herself, unbearably cute. She bit her lip to hide her smile and turned away. After all, the little girl had been working on a very complicated piece of scientific theory. She would not have appreciated any comments from Amanda on how dear she looked.
Amanda wasn't sure how long she spent adrift in the huge, dark hall. At one point, she'd turned to find one of the Vulcan children staring at her, his console paused. When she walked closer, his expression changed very slightly and he turned back to the console. He thought I was one of his teachers, Amanda thought, and blushed. But maybe I can still answer his question.
"Yes?" She asked, trying to look as composed as possible.
The boy hesitated, and Amanda noticed his eyes flicked around the hall for a moment, perhaps seeking out another teacher. Nevertheless, he voiced his question - and Amanda was surprised at it. "Are you the Human woman? Amanda Grayson?" He asked, in a quiet voice that only she could hear.
"Yes." She replied, bending down so that she was closer to his level. "Did you want to ask me something?"
The boy looked hesitant, and he kept looking to his right and left. She wondered if he would get in trouble for speaking to her. She tried to project compassion without actually showing any facial expression. Vulcans really did have it rough when it came to communication. When the boy continued to remain silent, but didn't turn back to his console, Amanda tried again. "What's your name?" She asked in a quiet tone.
"Selek," He said, just as quietly. This seemed to alleviate some of his misgivings. "My uncle told me about you. He is Councilman Skon. I said I wanted to meet you, but my parents did not-"
"Selek," A stern Vulcan voice said. Amanda looked up into the face of one of the severe teachers. "You are not to pause in your studies unless you have a query. Please leave our visitor in peace." Selek immediately turned from Amanda, his console whirring back into life. The colorful images blurred his face from Amanda's view as they rotated around him. She suppressed a sigh and stood up, bowing slightly to the Vulcan instructor.
"My apologies," She said, meaning to move off again.
"It is of no matter. Please do not speak to the students again, however. They must preserve their concentration."
Amanda nodded and flitted away. It seemed as if she were meeting all of the Councilman's relatives these days. Selek hadn't been more than 12. She wondered why his parents wouldn't want him to meet her - perhaps they thought her Human-ness would be a bad influence on him. She had gathered, from speaking with T'Sana and T'Rea, that Vulcan children were less predictable than their parents. They were in the process of learning their emotional controls, just as Amanda was. Amanda felt a little wistful. She would have liked to speak with someone who wasn't as closed off as the other Vulcans, especially since she'd exchanged words with Sarek. Thinking of him made another little shock of anger blaze within her. She didn't have time to dwell on him or his acerbic words, however, because her attendant and guide of the morning was suddenly at her elbow.
"I will escort you to see some other study spaces, Miss Grayson." He said. Amanda blinked - his sudden appearance had surprised her.
"Yes, thank you." She said. She was more than willing to leave this big dark space. It felt eerie to her, like the vastness of space - the lighted pits like planets, the centers of civilization and culture, while the teachers moved about like orbiting ships, spreading information between them. She wondered if the Vulcans had kept that idea in mind when designing the space. In any case, it felt very nice to be back in the light of the corridor outside, although she had to take a moment or two to adjust her eyes to the brightness.
The attendant led her around the rest of the school, giving her information on each of the spaces they observed. Amanda was pleased and excited to see students of all ages working in small greenhouses with strange Vulcan plants, examining the world's tiny things under microscopes, writing industriously on large screens, and even sitting in open forum discussions. The school seemed to be devoted to teaching all aspects of Vulcan knowledge and culture. Amanda privately wished she could attend some of the classes. It would be wonderful to learn everything in such a structured manner, instead of running about from place to place, trying to absorb a vastness of information from only everyday experiences. She smiled on the inside at that thought - how like an aspiring teacher, to want to spend more time in a classroom.
Amanda was particularly interested to see a large, open room, much brighter than the Central Education Hall (or Hall of the Pits, as she was referring to it in her mind). Inside, older students sat in deep concentration, running styli over screens or paper. When she asked her guide about it, he gave an almost apathetic sort of gesture. "This is the hall for artistic study," He said. "The program at our institution is not very large. We prefer to have our students concentrate on academics rather than arts."
"But surely some of the students are more suited to art than to the other curriculi." Amanda said, watching as a teenage girl swept a brush gracefully across her paper. She seemed to be perfectly at peace, for which Amanda envied her.
"Yes, a few." Her guide said. "There is a school for the arts on the outer edge of Shi'Kahr. It is the best of its kind on Vulcan. Some of our students go on to study there."
"I would like to see it, while I'm here." Amanda said, her eyes still on the painting girl.
The rest of the day was spent moving from class to class, studying each carefully before moving on. Amanda took only a brief pause to get something to eat. Her guide was very thorough, explaining each class and study space in his quiet, quick voice. Amanda didn't mind, in fact she was engrossed in the tour. She was continually fascinated by how Vulcans taught their children. There were some classes, like the Hall of the Pits, where the students worked with consoles and computers rather than actual teachers. In others, the students sat in simple rooms with no equipment, speaking to their teachers as if they were in an official meeting.
Amanda even glimpsed a few students relaxing while she had her lunch. They were older students, also eating lunch, talking in quiet voices which Amanda could not hear. Even though Amanda could discern no emotion or expression from any of them, she got the feeling that they were enjoying each other's company, enjoying the discussion. The scene was the most companionable and Human-like she had yet seen on Vulcan. It made her feel first pleased, then a little homesick. Although it had only been a few days, she longed for a companion to confess her worries to. T'Rea or T'Sana would listen politely to her official concerns, but she had no confidante. If only there were another human, not Prais or Everard, that she could really talk to. Ataur was more open than the other Vulcans, but Amanda had not felt on equal ground with him. She resolved to call her parents and Georgia that night, even though she knew it would only make her feel more homesick.
Finally, the day was over. Amanda felt weary from walking about all day, but she was excited about what she had seen. She'd started taking notes after her lunch break, and now her PADD was full of her insights on the Vulcan school. She had a lot to think about, certainly. She was thus lost in her thoughts as she waited in the entrance hall for her car to arrive. It was far too hot to wait outside at this point in the afternoon. Amanda could see heat shimmering off the ground outside. It distorted the sunlight coming in through the large windows, casting strange dancing patterns on the shining marble-like floor of the hall. The noise of quiet talking reached her ears, and she turned to see a great number of students walking down the hallway, some carrying bags and PADDs. Apparently their day was over as well.
Amanda watched them go past, thinking how strange it was to see their faces so soft and open, not yet conformed to the stoicity of their parents and elders. It was while she was doing this that she recognized Selek in the crowd. He caught her eye, and seemed intent to walk over to her, when someone called out his name. Amanda turned to see who it was, and her heart sank. Sarek, dressed in a light gray tunic, was striding across the hall. Selek turned to him, greeting him with familiarity. Amanda stared openly as the two of them fell into step together, Sarek standing much more rigidly than his companion. They walked straight past Amanda on their way out, and although Selek glanced at her, and gave her a little nod, Sarek stared directly ahead of him, not deigning to look her way. Amanda's jaw clenched. He must have seen her - she was standing right there, and in a brightly colored dress at that.
Her annoyance followed her all the way back to her little home like a buzzing black cloud. It did not leave her until she climbed into a hot bath that T'Iva had drawn for her. The relaxation awarded by the steaming water allowed her to shoo it away, dispersing its angry humming. Who cared about that rude, block headed Vulcan snob, she thought as she scrubbed languidly at her foot. It was not for her to worry about the opinions of a stiff-necked acid spitter like him.
After she had eaten, Amanda found that she had another message on the console in her bedroom. Absently towelling her wet hair, she opened it and read.
Miss Grayson,
I would like to schedule another lesson with you tomorrow, at the same time as before. If you will permit me, I will bring some materials to enhance your studies.
Sincerely,
Ataur
Amanda had forgotten that she was to have continuing lessons with Ataur. She found that she was eager to speak with him again. After her encounter with Sarek, she wanted to make sure she could keep an iron clamp down on her emotions. It would not do to slip up in front of any Vulcans who shared his opinions. She wrote back to Ataur, confirming that she would be available at that time, and closed the message interface. She had time now to call her parents.
Amanda opened the communication with her home address, waiting for her parents to respond. Within a few moments her mother's face appeared, and Amanda allowed herself her first actual smile in days.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updates! I've been writing a lot, but the editing process is a lot slower obviously, since it's not as fun. I hope to have another chapter or two done soon! Also, for those people who gave me factual corrections, thanks! I'm a totally new to the Star Trek fandom, so my vocabulary is not always accurate. I'll try to make the necessary edits soon.