Chapter Six

            The next week passed without incident. I was on time to my classes, did my schoolwork, no one looked at me oddly. In fact, it was like no one even knew who I was. The trial happened exactly a week after the incident-very efficient. Cadet Robertson was charged with assault, sexual harassment, and kicked out of the academy. The trial sucked, but I managed to get through it, with a bit of emotional stabilization from Spock anyway. I knew he was doing it, it upset me a bit, but I was also thankful. I didn’t break down, I wasn’t overwhelmed with past memories of a similar situation, and most importantly, I didn’t feel weak.

            During the third week of classes was the next time I was confronted by Spock.

            “Time is over for the test. Please press complete on your PADDs and turn them in at my desk.” He didn’t stand up to speak, didn’t even look up.

            Everyone rushed to get up and turn in their PADDs. I stayed seated, knowing the line to turn them in would dissipate soon enough. Within five minutes there were only three more people in line so I decided to get up and head down to his desk to turn in the test. I was pretty sure I aced it, but you never know, mistakes are made.

            Just as I put my test PADD down and was about to turn around I heard his voice.

            “Cadet Mor, I would like a word with you.” He said coldly, looking up into my eyes. I knew something was up, something not fun. I knew I wasn’t in trouble, and I knew it wasn’t about my grades. I just didn’t know exactly what it was.

            “Hey, Aila, I’ll catch ya later.” I heard Tasha say behind me, she had been waiting for me to turn in my test so we could walk back to the dorm together, change, and then grab some food. After which, I knew she was going to go meet with Dr. McCoy, she didn’t say so, but I knew it. She turned around without waiting for a reply and headed out of the classroom

            “Follow me to my office.” Spock stood up and I followed close behind him.

            When we got to his office he motioned a hand towards a chair for me to sit down as he went to his own behind a desk. I noticed his personal office was very clean, impeccable really. If it hadn’t been for the file cabinet and stack of PADDs he placed on his desk it would have looked as if he never worked in it at all. I knew that wasn’t the case, however. I knew he worked far too much. Far more than any other professor at the academy.

            “So, what did you need to tell me, sir?” I asked, having waited a couple minutes already in silence. I just wanted to get this over with.

            “Have you been gaining any memories the past couple weeks?” He asked. I knew he meant memories trickling in from the wall. And I had. They were terrible, most of them. Some good ones too. I finally realized I did have a mother, and a father, but they were both dead. They have been dead for a long time.

            “Yes. I don’t really understand them though. They’re just fragments, and they don’t feel like they belong to me.” They didn’t They felt like fragments of dreams from another person’s life. A weird life, certainly not mine. I didn’t believe I wasn’t human, I had never shown any inhuman characteristics, some extraordinary human attributes, sure, but not inhuman abilities like the ones that were being shown by my supposed parents in my unlocked memories. 

            “They may feel like that for quite some time or they may stay that way permanently. I cannot tell you for sure, because, as a rule, Vulcans do not use memory blocks such as the one I found in your mind.” He paused, seemingly thoughtful about what he was going to say next and I waited. “Your case was…special. The information I have gathered since processing your memories leads to an extraordinary tale. Would you care to hear it?”

            “If it’s important.” I answered, not really sure if I wanted to know, but too curious for my own good.

            “It is indeed important. Listen carefully.” He paused for a moment waiting for my acknowledgement of the conditions. I just nodded in acceptance, knowing that such a nod would suffice.

            “You are the last of a people known as the Sealtag, or the Star people. The Sealtag were an ancient race which lived in a parallel dimension. The had knowledge of and abilities to travel to other parallel dimensions. One of the parallel dimensions your ancestors traveled to was this one, to Vulcan, during the time of Surak.” I paused, noticing she already wanted to ask a question. “What is it you would like to say?”

             “Wait, the time of Surak? I mean that’s like the 3^rd century on Earth! No wonder these Sealtag didn’t want to talk to humans then…they still believed in gods.” I couldn’t help myself from saying that out loud. He looked at me, almost glared at me, willing me into silence once more. “Sorry, no more interruptions, promise.” I added in a whisper.

“Realizing that humans in this dimension were less than primitive they moved on to other worlds within this dimension, eventually reaching Vulcan.” He paused for a moment, allowing this to sink in.

“No, you will not be taught this during Vulcan studies. The Vulcans do not approve of this ‘legend’ and as a result even most Vulcans are not taught this part of our history. I only came to know of it two weeks ago when speaking to my father.”

            “The history of Vulcan is not important to this tale at present. A great many years later, much time after the passing of Surak, the Sealtag returned to Vulcan seeking aid and were refused. Vulcan did not want to involve themselves in a war not their own. There was more than one occurrence of both seeking aid and being refused before they gave up entirely”

            “So where were these Sealtag people living then? I mean, couldn’t they have just traveled to another dimension to get away from this unknown enemy if Vulcan did not want to assist?” Yet, somehow, I knew what he was saying to be true. It rang true in my very bones.

“The Sealtag had colonized a planet, the planet is now known as Tarsus IV. The tale does not give an accurate timeline, but at some point between the refusal of aid from Vulcan and your rescue this enemy had eradicated the Sealtag for their abilities and the resources that could be found on Tarsus IV. During your time, the very last of the Sealtag were eradicated-the last of the royal house-your parents. You were held captive for two years by this enemy while they gathered what resources remained on Tarsus, they then used your power to travel back to their own dimension, supposedly, and left you behind, alone.”

“I obviously wasn’t alone on the planet…I know what happened there.” I added, a bit sarcastically, but not too much.

 “No, you were not the only living being on Tarsus IV. At the same time, on the other half of the planet, Kodos, who my father believes to actually be one member of the Sealtag’s enemy, was governor of Tarsus and the human colony that existed there.”

“Sorry, but this just seems like some fanciful tale. I mean, I’m no princess. And what I have been remembering, it sucks, I’m not going to lie, but seriously? An unknown race devoted to wiping out my supposed ancestors after using them to travel worlds and dimensions. That sounds INSANE!” I couldn’t believe what he was telling me, it seemed, illogical, and coming from Spock it was extremely strange that anything he said could be considered illogical. At the same time though, somewhere deep within me, his words rang true, yet again, true within my very bones. I didn’t know what to listen to-my head-or my heart.

“Whether or not you believe it to be true is of little consequence at the moment. You are in danger. You will begin to exhibit abilities-“ I cut him off I had to. Danger?

“You say I am in danger, yet you waited TWO WEEKS to tell me?” I retorted, annoyed.

“I have been keeping a close eye on you, if at any time I sensed there was a danger I would have alerted you.” Spock replied simply. “It was not logical for me to inform you of anything without knowing all I could on the relevant information.”

“Oh, so it wasn’t logical? That makes all the difference, commander.” I responded sarcastically. Great, now I had to deal with his sense of logic. “I would have liked to been alerted to my person being in danger, regardless of how complete the facts were.” I added softly, realizing that he was a Vulcan and didn’t really get human concepts all the time.

“Would your knowing have helped you in any way? Would you have changed your daily routine?” He asked pointedly.

“Probably not, but I would have been more on guard.” I said, knowing full well I was still very much on guard due to recent events.

“Have you not been alert during the past two weeks?” He must be reading my mind, even without touching me, I swear. “I will take your silence to mean the affirmative.” I guess he did have a point after all. Still doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed. I WOULD have liked to know.

“So…what now?” I asked lamely.

“If you are referring to what you should do I would say remain alert and bring to my attention anything you notice to be out of the ordinary. That would also include anything about yourself you notice to also not be normal for you.” What was he getting at? Wait, didn’t he say something about abilities when I cut him off?

“I feel like there is something you are not telling me, commander.” I said, because honestly I knew there was. I didn’t know how, but I just KNEW he was hiding something from me.

“All information will be revealed to you as it becomes relevant.” He replied. Yep, he was hiding something. Vulcans can’t lie, so they hide behind words and evade answering questions when they can.

“Is there anything specific I need to be watching out for?” I guess the only way to get this information out of him was to keep asking questions, and keep asking questions until he decides to either just tell me the truth or dismiss me.

“I do not know.” He admitted, and I knew THAT was difficult for him to say. Great. Just fantastic, so nope, that wasn’t the right question and now no more information is going to be given. “You are dismissed, Ms. Mor.” He finished.

I got up out of the chair, gathering my stuff to leave and turned around.

“Sir, I know you are hiding something else, I don’t know what it is, but I know you aren’t telling me everything. And whatever you’re keeping from me, it’s pretty important.” I looked him straight in the eyes saying this then quickly turned around and exited his office, not giving him a chance to respond.