Chapter Text
NEW VULCAN STARDATE 2258:
Schn T'gai Spock the elder was steadying his breath as he readied himself for the conversation he was about to have.
He had already pressed on the visitor beeper on the door he was standing outside.
"Open." Came from within.
The door opened and Spock the elder came face to face with the Sarek of the timeline he had inadvertently came to.
Both of them had been expecting to see each other at precisely that time.
"There is another whose presence at this meeting is expected to come soon." Sarek said.
"Indeed?" Spock the elder said raising an eyebrow.
"My son."
"Father I-do not..." Spock's face was lined in confusion.
"Not-...MY Spock, I mean."
Spock's face slowly settled.
"In...the decades of Nero's presence in this time line before my introduction to it..
I had of course expected differences to have occurred-"
"No." Sarek's voice was steel.
Spock's face froze.
"You...mean...?"
Sarek nodded.
"He was banished."
"Not by my will."
"He...violated the mind of a watcher."
"Yes...and I condemned it, but I never gave voice in support of his banishment."
Spock's breath seemed to get shallower.
"Is his...banishment to be...lifted?"
Sarek's face seemed drawn to the floor.
"I...would prefer to discuss the details of his...relocation with him before doing so in private from him."
"What...precisely are you hoping to come of our meeting?"
Sarek turned his attention to New Vulcan outside his window.
"Obviously our people need to prioritise our protection.
Alas we know for a fact that there are those who mean to do us serious harm: pirates, many among the Klingons, many among the Romulans clearly, many among the...renegades of civilizations.
But more concerning still we know for a fact that the technology needed to destroy whole planets and Star Fleet armadas, exists and are feasible and practical.
Undoubtedly word of such technology existing will eventually reach those who would build and use it.
I am not aware of precisely who, what or where those people are..."
Sarek turned to Spock the elder.
"But clearly you have more awareness.
MY sons are VERY valued by the current Vulcan high-council, because in their youths they were...remarkably adept at building shields.
They were even convinced that given enough time and resources shields strong enough to enable a starship to bypass the Great Barrier at the centre of the galaxy, would be built"
As Sarek said that, Spock's eyes widened.
"It is my hope that my sons would use your knowledge combined to protect the Vulcan people."
"I have encouraged my...younger alternative self to stay in Star fleet, implicitly for the purpose of strengthening ties between Star Fleet and the Vulcan people through synbolism."
"Rellying on Star Fleet alone wouldn't be advisable.
Your younger alternative self explicitly stated "it was logical to contemplate multiple options." "
"Nonetheless Star Fleet is an indispensable ally."
"So?"
"So...would it not be-" Spock hesitated.
"Spock are you suggesting that ALL Vulcans join Star Fleet?
What of the Vulcan colonising efforts?
What of the efforts to perpetuate our species?
What of the efforts to establish peace among the survivors of Vulcan's destruction?
Vulcans don't believe that peace SHOULD depend upon force...but unfortunately our...Naivety for want of a more delicate way to put it, has left us...VERY vulnerable.
We would do well to build planet-wide shields which would prevent assaults and accidents which would otherwise destroy what is left of us."
Spock's eyes found the floor.
"I personally have no objections to the construction of planet-wide shields. But there will be...displeasure at that. Planet-wide shields strong enough to defend against high-powered attacks...would imply...distrust.
Star Fleet is fundamentally built on social and scientific optimism.
Building planet-wide shields would...displease the more...sensitive among the peoples of the galaxy."
Sarek shook his head.
"To take offence at a civilization that choses to defend itself in a manner that is harmless is...most illogical."
Spock nodded "Quite."
"Still that is just another cross Vulcans have to bear, to use a human metaphor. Those with logic are often on the receiving end of the negative judgment of those without logic."
Spock almost smiled at that.
"Father in my timeline, IMMENSE proof of the validity of that statement was inescapably experienced by me and others."
"So...Will you reveal to MY sons knowledge of the future?"
Spock turned to the window.
"...Yes.
In fact, I intend to give VITAL information to the federation about the future.
Just to impress upon you the scope of my information here's a few samples:
A weapon of mass destruction, capable of destroying whole star systems, is going to be encountered heading towards a federation outpost.
A swarm of neural parasites will spread across several star systems.
A single cell of bacteria will unleash a negative energy attack which will destroy a Star system.
An entity which posses bodies to commit murder to feed on fear will appear.
A...collective of beings with advanced cybernetics will arrive and try to destroy all that they will assimilate after destroying.
An evil entity lives in the heart of the great barrier in the centre of the galaxy.
People with extra sensory perception will travel to the galactic barrier and be given the powers of Gods.
An army of androids will tempt humans with paradise to make their lives meaningless.
Whole planets of technology will artificially produce conscience and develop weapons of mass destruction and consider all life forms that are carbon based, to not be "true life forms".
A species of parasites who control the bodies of their hosts will come seeking to infiltrate Star fleet in approximately 100 years from now."
After 5 seconds of quiet Sarek spoke.
"What do you expect Star Fleet to do with the information you provided them with?"
"Prepare naturally."
"With shields?"
"...With Sybok's assistance I should expect so."
"Good."
Spock and Sarek stood for 2 minutes in silence.
"I...am unaware as to how much of this you are already aware of but...Amanda died on Vulcan during Nero's attack."
Spock the Elder's face sagged.
"Your...alternative younger self is upset that he never expressed how much he loved her."
Memories of Spock the elder being afflicted with an emotion inhibition-removing virus and collapsing on a table, rose to his mind. He had whimpered like a hurt child as he'd said to the face of Jim "My mother...I could never tell her I loved her.".
"I...would appreciate any advice you gave to your alternative younger self about how to...reconcile his emotions regarding his Amanda."
"You keep referring to her as "Amanda". Not "my wife". I only ever heard you refer to her as "Amanda" when you and her were in the same room together."
"Yes...I suppose your version of me was once asked by you why I married your mother...I am now going to give you precisely the same answer I gave to your younger alternative self after her death...I married her because I loved her.
I am not ignorant of the fact that your mother loved me and your younger alternative self...but...I must ask: did your mother know that your version of me loved her?"
Spock the Elder's face smiled at that.
"At one point when both of us were on medical beds and mother was besides us I asked "Why did you marry her?" Your response was "At the time it seemed the logical thing to do." She just smiled warmly at the response.
I have no doubt whatsoever that she knew you loved her."
"As I recalled I opposed your joining Star Fleet."
"That was in consequence of me declining to join the Vulcan science academy. You wanted me to excel, as all good fathers do, I never doubted that."
"I also opposed your joining Star Fleet because I was concerned that were you to be in Star Fleet during your...time of mating...the...illogical nature of Vulcans which our discipline seeks to tame would become...commonly known." Sarek said, hesitancy coating his voice.
Spock the elder winced.
"My...time...was thankfully kept discreet."
"Yours perhaps.
But your younger alternative self miscalculated. It wasn't 10,000 at most who survived Vulcan's destruction.
It was 50 million at least.
The evacuation begun immediately after Nero's ship began firing high powered plasma at the planet's surface.
We used the shields Sybok designed, and built in secret, with improvements, to hold off Nero's attack long enough for the planet to evacuate more Vulcans than otherwise would have escaped.
Amongst the evacues, was T'Pring. But her ship was destroyed Nero's ship.
T'Pau however did escape.
So...your younger alternative self is...uncertain."
"Yes I should imagine so. I have already advised him to "do what feels right". "
"If so then I trust that your instincts are astute."
The doorbell rang.
"Open."
As soon as the door opened a Vulcan a few inches smaller than Spock the elder, with a bushy beard, came in.
He had a tired, yet hesitant look in his face.
He Vulcan saluted, then sighed.
"Hello father."
Sarek sighed and Vulcan saluted back.
"Hello Sybok."
"I must say it is a surprise to be welcomed back to Vulcan society as a hero of sorts.
But bearing in mind that my shields saved dozens of millions of Vulcans, perhaps that is to be understood.
Is my status as Ktorr Skann revoked?"
"Yes of course.
As is your status as V'tash Katur.
On 1 condition: that under no circumstances is your...telepathic capabilities to be revealed."
Sybok let out a soft smile.
"Yes...I always suspected that the reason for my banishment and denouncement was secretly based on fear that were it to become common knowledge that even so little as some Vulcans could invade the privacy of whoever they wanted, whenever they wanted as long as they were in the same room as them, it would ferment deep distrust which would eventually produce hostility, as opposed to sincere abhorrence of my personal philosophical views."
Sybok turned to Spock the Elder and startled.
"But-! You're..."
Spock the elder smiled.
"Hello brother.
I...need you to see my thoughts and to draw strength from them.
I...want THIS timeline's version of me to have a happier relationship with his brother than I did."