An: Enjoy!
Classified
(Five Days Later)
All my life, I have devoted myself to the will of the High Command, shown obedience without question, and never doubted my decision to do so. Like all Vulcans, I believed the High Command existed for the benefit of the people, to serve the people and to protect the people.
But after this experience and learning the truth behind it, I can no longer be sure.
What was the point of it all?
Was I right?
Or just brainwash to think I was?
Right now, the answers won't come to me and I am struggling with the truth.
Do I reveal it?
Or do I hide it in the dark depths of mind.
Frustrated, T'Mir abruptly ended writing her journal and crawled out of bed to stare outside her window. Captain Tavek of the Kurana provided both her and Stronn quarters shortly after rescuing them.
Stronn hadn't spoken to her since they both learned the truth and made it clear he never wanted to have anything to with her again.
(Three days before)
Captain Tavek after rescuing the two Vulcans and needing to discuss what happen invited them both to a private a dinner along with his second in command, T'Rina.
After a few hours of cleaning, resting and settling in, T'Mir and Stronn dressed in basic Vulcan military uniform sat a large table across from the captain.
The food represented the best Vulcan had to offer, but after being on Earth for so long and eating subpar food, neither T'Mir's nor Stronn's stomach could handle it.
So instead they chose not to eat.
"I can understand why you aren't hungry, it must have been a very harrowing ordeal living among such primitive creatures for so long," Captain Tavek waved away the server before preparing to eat his meal.
Stronn shifted in his seat, as did T'Mir.
"We know your captain has died but what happen to your crewmate, Mestral?" T'Rina asked.
T'Mir raised an eyebrow, "Mestral is-
"Dead," Stronn interrupted, "He died from his injuries shortly after the crash."
Captain Tavek lowered his head, "That is unfortunate because his presence on board your ship is why the High Command was so insisted on us coming to save you."
"So what you are saying if Mestral hadn't been aboard on this ship, you would have left us to die on this world?" T'Mir questioned.
Taking a sip of her drink, T'Rina corrected her, "Not not exactly, as important as Mestral is, we would have come to your aid regardless because of the seriousness of your mission."
Stronn and T'Mir both had looks of confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Now it was Captain Tavek's and T'Rina's turns to exchange confused glances.
"You don't know?" Captain Tavek asked.
"Know what?" T'Mir hadn't yet gotten her emotions under control and other two Vulcans could sense it.
"I think I should explain from the beginning so you can understand," Captain Tavek said.
"Please do," said T'Mir.
"Your captain should have informed the crew of the Koval's true mission when you first arrived. It's about the humans and their 'discovery', a discovery that the High Command needed to be taken care of at all costs."
T'Mir's eyes blinked rapidly and then she thought of Mestral discovering Davina's secret, "Initially, I worried about contamination with the humans and ordered we stayed away, but that became impossible with Stronn's injury and our need our provisions destroyed in the crash. After a few days, I decided that in order to survive we needed to integrate ourselves with the humans. We lived among them in a small town named Carbon Creek and we learned something too these humans have long since been contaminated. They had been experimenting with alien DNA and…"
Captain Tavek suddenly appeared agitated and a bit suspicious. "Yes, we are aware of this, but without Tolarius how did you know about the DNA?"
T'Mir didn't want to reveal anything about Mestral, but unable to lie she remained silent.
"You aren't going to say how you came across this information?"
"Just tell me what is going on."
"His name was Turan, a former member of the High Command and the son a powerful noble family. Much like Mestral he was destined to take his place on the council, but sometime during his education at the academy he fell under the influence of those known as V'tosh ka'tur. Under their influence, Turan and several others he managed to sway began to rebel and caused considerable damage."
"Damage?" T'Mir asked.
"Suicide bombings," said Captain Tavek. "Yes, they initially took place in smaller towns and cities, but eventually Turan and his followers made their way to the captain. A few hundred people died. Turan and his followers were caught and were going to face the death penalty, but because of their families influential status other arrangements were made."
"Other arraignments?" Stronn asked.
"Their families were very ashamed and wanted to avoid a scandal so the High Command did what it does best and suppressed any information about the Turan and his rebellion. For their actions, Turan and his followers were exiled."
T'Mir did nothing to hide the expression of both shock and disgust, why did those in power lived by a different set of rules than the rest?
"And they came to Earth? How do you know that?"
"It had been several years after their exile when we made an attempt to learn what had become of them, by then, a few scientists discovered Earth and the human species who we decided to avoid First Contact because their primitive culture, but we wanted to observe them."
T'Rina continued, "It was through our observations with humans we realized the terrible truth, Turan had come to Earth and his small crew had integrated themselves into the human population. What's worst a few of them had even mated and reproduced with the humans producing offspring." T'Rina wiped her mouth, "We didn't even know Vulcans were even sexually and biologically compatible with humans."
T'Mir and Stronn exchanged glances.
"At this time, human technology was just advanced enough that when human scientists discovered the ship they tracked down the Vulcans and imprisoned them. They extracted the Vulcans's DNA and began trying to infuse it into their own genes, but we weren't sure if they succeeded."
"So The High Command knew and didn't do anything about it?"
"What could they do? And besides the issue of contamination became sometimes of an irony, in a sense humanity had become contaminated because of Turan and his crew, but in coming to Earth we risked further damage. Not to mention, humanity was nowhere near developing warp drive and then came their war."
Captain Tavek allowed T'Rina to finish her meal, "The High Command hope the war with its destructive intensity would have destroyed any evidence including the Vulcan/Human offspring."
"But that didn't happen and so you sent us," T'Mir said.
"The war set back humanity do the point where First Contact outside of Turan mishap would never be possible, but given their prior experience with alien DNA we wanted to make sure nothing like this happen again. That is why is its disappointing to learn their government continued with using Vulcan DNA."
"The humans have no idea what they have unleashed," T'Rina added.
The Vulcans said nothing for a few minutes while they ate their meal as T'Mir and Stronn struggled to comprehend what they just heard.
T'Mir felt betrayed.
Stronn thought about Davina and Nell and fact that they were at least part Vulcan and then he thought of Mestral.
He knew never to tell anyone what happen as now knowing the truth and he was surprised when T'Mir didn't object.
Now he had to live with the knowledge of the truth and keep it secret.
(Later that night)
"Can you believe this?" T'Mir paced back in forth across from Stronn who never moved from his spot at the table.
Captain Tavek and T'Rina left to resume their duties.
"It doesn't matter anymore. We will go back to Vulcan and write up a false report leaving Mestral out of it."
"His family is going to want to know answers," T'Mir said.
Stronn kept his head down, "We won't say anything to them. You do know you forced his hand when you refused to help him."
T'Mir took a deep breath, "I know."
Stronn stood up and stood in front of T'Mir, "T'Mir, you are never going to talk about Mestral to anyone. We won't talk about him, Davina, Nell, or any of them. Do you understand? Let the High Command think whatever they want but we will say nothing."
"Understood."
"And another thing, I don't know what is going to become of you and I really don't care. I want nothing to do with you."
T'Mir was taken aback by Stronn's words, but before she had a chance to respond he walked out.
Now T'Mir was left to herself and she thought about Carbon Creek, Mestral, Davina, and little Nell.
What would become of them?
Of Earth?
Of humanity?
An: I hope you enjoyed the story. The epilogue will tie up the loose ends regarding the faiths of T'Mir and Stronn.