Chapter 65:
We launched a colonization fleet to Eta Cassiopeiae, which is 19.4 light years away. This was the location of the Terra Nova colony in the canon episode of Star Trek Enterprise, Terra Nova. In canon that colony was mostly destroyed by a radioactive asteroid sometime in the late 21st century. The standard colonization defense that our colonies have would have prevented the asteroid from doing damage to the planet, even without foreknowledge about it.
The other difficulty that canon Terra Nova had was the first colonization wave built initial infrastructure with great difficulty and resented a second wave arriving to benefit from it. After expressing their disputes with Earth, they said they would fire on any additional colonists. They thought that the asteroid was an attack by Earth. Our Starfleet culture is so different from the canon culture, that this should not even be remotely possible.
Since the existence of the canon became widely known, it was no longer logical to keep it completely secret. All who considered being colonists on Terra Nova watched the episode.
Another colonization fleet was sent to Beta Canum Venaticorum, also called Chara, 27.6 light years from Earth. All that was known from canon was that it was inhabited at some point, and at some point in the 24th century was controlled by the Romulans. The goal of this mission is to be the first to that system. If it turns out to be controlled by the Romulans or others now, then the fleet will make contact only if necessary, avoiding it if possible, and then divert to a secondary destination.
While Vulcan seems like a place where secrets are kept, that is far from true. While information is much more kept on a need to know basis than on Earth, Vulcans want to know, about events, likely future developments that can effect them, almost anything else. There are informal networks sharing information. This gives an opening for foreign intelligence, since Vulcan merchants want information and are willing to give information. None of that includes military secrets, but everything else becomes widespread knowledge.
We learned that there are many elements of instability on Vulcan:
There was general unease about what was looking like a tight alliance of Starfleet, Tellar and Andoria. That alliance nominally included Vulcan, but could be interpreted as a mutual defense treaty against Vulcan.
There was the knowledge of Surak's teaching being spread by Luna. She even had the equivalent to a podcast being sent by subspace to Vulcan, and answered questions, which were quite varied. Much of what she taught was different from official positions of the Vulcan High Command. They hadn't shut down the broadcasts due to not wanting the negative effects on relations with Starfleet that such a move would result in.
An Andorian was talking to us about their intelligence on Vulcan about Luna. They said that the Vulcans were too afraid of the future power of Earth based Starfleet to act against Luna. That they weren't ready now to fight the three other powers, and would never be ready the way the current trends point. They probably never would have decided to even if they did hold the advantage. They also considered and rejected the idea of allying with the Romulans.
Andorian intelligence on the Vulcans needed to be heard in the context of them being afraid of the Vulcans, so we didn't accept whatever they said uncritically. The Andorian also said that they owe Starfleet for stopping the potential for Vulcan attacks while Andoria has a chance to build up its strength, also that they were significantly helped by our technology exchange. We reminded them that our end goal is also a full alliance between all of us and the Vulcans.
Continuing with elements of instability on Vulcan:
There were now different interpretations of Surak's teaching on Vulcan, with many refusing to believe in the validity of Luna's knowledge and suspicious of her motives.
There was disagreement about Earth based knowledge of timelines and futures. The official position of the Vulcan High Command was that there was not sufficient evidence for knowledge of the future, or time travel, or alternate realities. Many on Vulcan did not agree with those conclusions.
There were even elements on Vulcan that wanted to experience emotions, while most suppressed emotions.
There were those who wanted to use Vulcan mind arts abilities, while the official position was that it was not proper or allowed, to use those.
There were those who believed that Vulcans, or at least some of them, could have magical abilities similar to humans, if Vulcan allowed humans to help them. Knowledge of what Dumbledore told Sorek became widely known, even though his offer to help find if some Vulcans have magic was not followed up on.
There was debate if Vulcans should ask for additional information from Earth to find the Katra of Surak or the Kir'Shara which would contain his teachings, and be provably ancient.
Starfleet had already decided how it would handle Vulcan's magical abilities. It would help them without reservation, but in the context of full technological exchange. Developing a magical population on Vulcan would negate one of Earth's main advantages, versus the Vulcans.
Dumbledore already had plans on how to include Vulcans that show magical ability in Hogwarts. More likely they would want instructors for schools on Vulcan. We still didn't know if their inborn abilities meant that some of them also had full magical potential. The same question existed for the Aenar of Andoria. We weren't aware of anything like accidental magic on Vulcan. However, given the usual secrecy of the Vulcans they might hide it if it were to happen, even from each other. It is also possible that the supression of emotions that they teach from a very young age would also supress accidental magic. Starfleet School for 5 to 11 year-olds has been teaching exactly that to control accidental magic. The Vulcan suppression of emotions was remarkably similar to the wizarding practice of occlumency.
At Luna's next lesson for Vulcans she answered the question, "Why should we believe you when you say that what you are saying is the teaching of Surak?"
Luna said, "Your skepticism is logical. There are alternative explanations for my knowledge that would be consistent with evidence. I know my knowledge is true, but have no evidence that I can present. If you found the Kir'Shara you would have independent evidence of the teachings of Surak. As well, the Katra of Surak will be verifiable by Vulcans using their mind meld capabilities. Meanwhile, I will continue teaching what I know. Accept it or not, on its own or by belief that it is actually from Surak.
This lesson will be about the basis of knowledge and of the use of logic. Logic is not the reason for logic. Logic is not the reason to follow the teachings of Surak. The teaching of Surak is the reason to use logic.
Surak had determined that the Vulcan people were on a self-destructive path of violence fueled by the volatile nature of Vulcan emotions when not controlled by logic. He convinced the then warring Vulcan people of this goal. At that time, Vulcan unified under his goals, and the means of using logic to reform the Vulcan people. Some left Vulcan, becoming the peoples called the Debrune and the Romulans. I have no knowledge of the Debrune still existing. The Romulans do, and have a thriving, although brutal society, keeping emotions from destroying them with intense discipline. On a tactical level, as an empire, they tend to study enemies before attacking, and prefer subversion to direct attack. In another timeline, they made attempts to take over Vulcan.
Another question I'll answer is, why should you an out-worlder be the voice of Surak or have any influence over Vulcan? Are you not just following the interests of Earth in what you tell Vulcans?
I'll answer the second part first. I have not altered my message to support Earth's interests, despite being part of Starfleet's leadership. I was given this role and I fulfill it with honesty. I have no evidence to present to support my claims of honesty.
The first part of the question, I cannot answer fully. The source of my knowledge is not from Earth, nor Vulcan, nor from any civilization at or below the capability level of any civilization known. I do not know the goal in imparting to me this knowledge, and therefore indirectly in what appears to be an interference in Vulcan societal development. My own goal is specifically to impart knowledge that belongs to Vulcan to Vulcan, without regard of what the effect that knowledge will have. I trust the intentions of who was responsible for me having this knowledge, although I will not reveal further details."
After internal consultations we told the Andorians all we knew about the Aenar, a pacifist telepathic people on their home world that, while related to the Andorians, have lived separately and uncontacted. The Andorians made a surprisingly respectful approach to where the Aenar lived, and established contact. The Aenar made it clear that they are pacifists and would not be serving on Andorian warships. The Andorians relayed the offer from Earth to test for, and if suitable, help them develop their magical abilities. They declined this offer. The Andorians provided a better protective shield around where the Aenar live, to prevent the seizure of Aenar by the Romulans that happened in canon, to make use of their ability to control drones from light years away.
The Tellarites demanded to be tested for magic. A fairly thorough sampling of Tellarites was done, and no magical ability was found. The Andorians also asked to be tested, and again no magical ability. Apparently only the Aenar on their planet had magical abilities.
On October 4th 2019 our fleet arrived at Chara. It was unoccupied. A full colonization effort started on Chara 10 and a Starbase orbiting it was being started. Mining surveys were sent out to the other planets.
With our new strategy, Chara would become the base for a large fleet of starships. Part of the fleet would be dispatched when needed to other systems, while Chara itself would always be well defended.
A month earlier, our fleet arrived at what we called again, Terra Nova. Everyone was familiar to the canon story of that planet, so each habitation had close by a deep underground shelter that would protect from radiation, in case the disaster that struck the planet in canon could not be stopped. Since the planet has its own plant and animal life, great care was taken to not introduce life from other planets, such as Earth, that could unknown effects on the ecosystem of Terra Nova. Special greenhouses were being setup as were plants that require seed development and will not grow on their own. Terra Nova also was getting a Starbase and fleet.
Meanwhile exploration fleets were exploring every system in the region, and any promising mining areas would be mined, and favorable planets would be colonized. Each star system would get automated stations which would send subspace messages to any arriving fleets, and also notify Starfleet of any detected ships.
