Juliette didn't have to hunt for Danek the next night, nor did he get to make repairs. He was with the rest of his residential wing along the great corridor, dressed in robe and scapular, as was Juliette, who stood with her wing on the other side.
"It will be good for you," Master Surot had said, "to see further down the path that every novice, initiate, Attendant and myself seek to follow. The Kolinahr Masters show us all what is possible. You should take advantage of their move to the lower levels."
That move had been heralded by a shudder that had gone through the entire mountain, heavy enough to draw novices out of their cells and stare at the ceiling in wonderment. After some moments T'Kyn reported the air filters for the upper levels had shut down, which meant those on the upper levels would have to move to lower ones - those that maintained the summit and the Kolinahr Masters.
Juliette looked up and down the row of Vulcans lined up along the walls of the hallway. If they were excited, they made every effort not to show it, and it would have been very offensive to imply. Still, the anticipation they felt buzzed across Juliette's senses.
"Do not fidget so," T'Mar murmured at her side.
"I will refrain from doing so, Novice T'Mar," Juliette said, emphasizing her title to remind T'Mar she wasn't an initiate yet.
"At least make the attempt, Novice Sri."
Juliette leaned slightly back against the wall. "I will. I would not wish to annoy the Masters."
"The Masters exist in a plane of consciousness beyond mere annoyances."
"I would not wish to anger them, then."
"The Masters exist in a space beyond anger beyond anger."
"Disturbing?" Juliette asked.
"You should know as well as I that they would not. Please stop."
The other novices stared at them. Juliette glared wide-eyed back at them. Each in turn averted their gaze. It felt good to needle T'Mar - especially when T'Mar played Matron over her at every opportunity. Unlike the Kolinahr Masters, she was annoyed, but at least T'Mar didn't completely ignore her like the others did.
"T'Mar, I am grateful that you decided to stand next to me. I will do my best not to keep still." And really did her best to be quiet in both mind and body, which seemed to mollify T'Mar.
As the Masters glided down the middle of the hall in a single line. Their robes were white, edged with a double line of ochre, their cowls were drawn forward so only the face of the first Master could be seen looking down toward her steepled fingers.
All sound seemed to evaporate in the hall as the masters filed by with silent grace, as if the hall were empty. Their combined presence confirmed a sensation Juliette had around Master Surot - a vacuum of emotion, as if something was missing, the opera without its chorus. She closed her eyes and tried to listen to a deeper mental sensation that occasionally chose to be sound. The world softened as the rumble of the monastery faded. She opened her eyes. The hallway was veiled twilight and haze. The novices were no longer forms, but shimmers of presence that cast form around the insubstantial Masters. She felt each master in front as a ripple between her and the novices on the opposite side of the hallway.
One of the shades shifted, just enough to let those behind pass undisturbed, this one became more substantial as she felt their curiosity. They took form. Almost a person, but that which made them, the most important part, was gone. Presence without soul. In the oldest Passion Operas called them demons.
Juliette's shriek sliced through the assembled presences, the Vulcan's astonishment and pain rebounded, stabbing into her mind. But the thing reached for her, all the same.
I will NEVER be one of you! I will not lose my soul. NEVER!
#
Master Surot offered tea. Juliette cradled the cup in her trembling fingers as she knelt on the mat staring into the pale green liquid. Her head hurt far worse than her neck; every nerve felt stripped raw.
"The tea will help with inflammation. We do not enjoy being forced to nerve-pinch you, just, as I am quite certain you take no pleasure in the discomfort you cause to others. Thankfully, no one was injured this time."
Juliette said nothing. She hated hurting those around her, hated how that terrible sensation of a living presence stripped of emotion dug into her mind. Without emotion, there was no kindness, only a life of calculation and cruelty.
Master Surot sat across from her. "Juliette Sri, you can look up." She forced herself to look up, and thanked Fortunate Gods that she only saw a Vulcan.
"Better, though your eyes are never going to be clear as long as you exert yourself. As it is, I am at a loss as to what happened."
Master Surot paused, an offer to explain. Juliette did not fill the silence. How could she, when he was the same soulless thing, if she only dared to look?
He continued. "I had thought that when you saw the Masters, you would better understand the Way."
"Master Surot, I do not think I can walk that path." She almost added I won't.
"I believe you can walk the path, though perhaps not as far as a Vulcan could. Morso, I believe you have to if you wish to keep your abilities, you will have to."
Live without emotion or live without telepathy? Was that really her choice? Even if it was, who would give up either? Vulcans, of course, but how could they understand without empathy? Juliette stood and tried to keep her tone diplomatic. "I would like to speak with my parents."
"And you will when the storm grants us leave to do so. This storm has lasted far longer than expected, but will end. In the meantime, you should focus on your meditation. It will help with your dreams, and your experience with the Masters."
Juliette stopped at the door. "Master Surot, I do not wish to live without compassion."
"Juliette Sri, if we live without compassion, why are you here?"
#
Danek was in a hurry when she found him. "I will be with Initiates Tormon and Slor to open up another wing for the Masters."
Juliette rolled her eyes. Like she wouldn't have known. "Far away from my wing, I'm sure."
"Quite far, yes. What happened with the Masters?"
I saw that you become monsters. "It-it is difficult to explain."
"I hope another time. I know you wanted to talk to my mother, but I regret that she and father left during a break in the storm."
"Do you think she'll be back?"
"Probably not before the storm ends. The forecast has it going for a few more days yet. If the dust extractors fail on the mid-levels, we and the Masters will have to get used to closer accommodations. Maybe now Vulcan High Command will take our request for new scrubbers seriously.
"Is there nothing I can do to help?"
"It is a kind offer. Even if we do not get new scrubbers, I'm sure that more novices will volunteer to help with maintenance. But without training - I would not want to see you injured."
Again with kindness. Juliette fought off a smile "I would not want to see you injured as well. Be careful."
"I shall. Here." He offered a thick PADD. A rough scratch ran down the center of the screen. "There are instructions on how to use a link from the Monastery to ShiKahr City."
Juliette stared at him until he explained in a measured tone. "Once you have a link to ShiKahr City, you can use their subspace link to communicate to Betazed."
Her voice was thick with emotion. "I am...most grateful, but-" Why hadn't Master Surot thought of this?
"But will have to be later, unfortunately," Danek said, and with a nod, hurried down the hallway.
Juliette hugged the PADD because she couldn't hug Danek, and hurried to the projection room. The console was non-intuitive, and behaved nothing like the modern consoles she was used to. Where was the assistant? Every command had to be exact. Danek's instructions were excruciatingly precise, and in minutes, a connection to ShiKahr City was completed. Accomplishing the subspace interchange to Betazed was far worse, and she found that the interchange already had holographic messages waiting to be delivered. Messages from Master Surot, maybe? They were addressed to House Sri.
Juliette was House Sri, technically. She played the message.
The Juliette that appeared in the projection ring was fresh-faced and clear-eyed.
"Father, Mother," the holographic Juliette said. "My studies are difficult, but Master Surot is pleased with my progress."
Juliette ran through the hologram. Her hair, not in a Vulcan bowl, but the robes, her stance, her manners, all were right.
"I regret that I am not able to communicate directly, but seeing you makes me so emotional, that it is difficult to focus on my studies, and I know that you want me to get well. Master Surot says this situation will not be for long, and he will send regular updates along with my messages."
The projector room became hot and cramped. She ran to the control console, where could she erase the message, and maybe record her own - a message from the real Juliette.
"I will continue to provide these updates, though so that you can track my progress. I miss you and miss Lara and Kanara very much. I love you all and hope-"
The hologram flickered to darkness as the transmission back to the monastery ended. Juliette tried to restart the recording, but she couldn't find it in the buffer. Then connection to ShiKahr City ended; her attempts at reconnection were denied several times before the whole console shutdown. Danek's instructions didn't include how to start it again. Juliette slid down to sit alongside it, glaring at the dim glow of the projection rings.
Master Surot had promised she'd speak to her family. But would she? Would the sand storm just go on and on? Or would she be allowed to hear a recording from her parents. The Passion Operas were full of villains using holograms to lie, since there was no presence to feel. They even could be programmed to act like real people - but if you put the hologram into a situation it wasn't expecting…
Juliette wanted nothing more than to hide in her cell and just cry. But there was no time. She had to find a way to outwit the smartest beings in the galaxy.