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Going to Tarsus IV had been a great opportunity for Spock.
New science research was being done, and Spock and a few of his other classmates who were advanced in their studies had the chance to visit for two months and observe, and perhaps even assist.
Spock had been there when the fungus had been discovered.
The scientists around him had gazed worriedly at the lab results on their PADDs.
“Um,” said one of them, Dr. Santos, “Are you guys also seeing this?”
“At least half of the food is poisoned,” said Professor Stanley. “Completely inedible.”
Spock looked up at the adults that had guided him for the past one point two five months and saw their scared eyes.
“Call Governor Kodos,” said Dr. Santos.
-----
Spock, T'Kek, Kefyck, and Tavak walked back to the house they were staying in in silence.
Things were calm and normal as they walked through the colony. No one else knew what they knew. It was strange, having just received life changing--life ending--news, news that could change their lives and the lives of everyone around them, to watch everyone else go about their day as usual.
Spock pushed his dinner around the plate with a fork that night.
“Why do you not eat, Spock?” asked T’ple, who was one of their teacher’s friends and had graciously agreed to house the four Vulan children while they stayed on Tarsus.
“I am not hungry,” Spock said. “May I take my leave?”
“Yes. Put away your plate.”
Spock rose, taking his half-eaten dinner with him. The other children watched him as he walked to the kitchen.
He scooped the remainder of the food into a small container and hid it under his bed.
It was necessary to ration his food now that it would run out soon.
Logical.
-----
It took another three days and another nine containers of hidden rations for the news of the famine to be announced to the public.
It was an instant panic. People ransacked the food stores, taking as much for themselves and their families as possible.
And then Governor Kodos announced the meeting.
“Everyone who is receiving this message must report to the federal building tomorrow at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. This is mandatory. No exceptions,” droned the holovid. “Attendance will be counted. Good night.”
Spock looked up at T’ple, T'Kek, Kefyck, and Tavak, all of whom had also just watched the same message. “Strange,” he commented.
“I concur,” said T’kek. “Nevertheless, I suppose we must attend the meeting regardless.”
“Yes,” Spock agreed.
That night the dinner that T’ple served them was much smaller than it had been before.
-----
Spock didn’t notice the differences right away. But everyone around him at the meeting was different somehow.
Firstly, there were a lot of non-Humans. The concentration was much higher than in the total population of the colony. Spock looked around and noticed a lot more pointed ears and blue skin than he normally would. It was strange.
There were also a lot of people who were visibly and/or physically disabled. The person in front of him, for example, was complaining loudly to the person next to them about the poor accessibility in the building. “I’ve been by here before,” they said, “and they used to have ramps. They’re all gone now. I’m lucky I’m only a part time user with a good bit of mobility; I had to pull my wheelchair up the curb.”
When Kodos got on the stage, everything became much more clear.
“There is a famine,” he announced. There was a hum of acknowledgement through the crowd. Everyone already knew that. There was a brief flash of confusion in Spock’s mind. This couldn’t be all this meeting was for.
Kodos went on. “I have called you all here, you specifically, for many reasons. Some of you are older. Some of you are disabled. Some of you are more trouble than you’re worth. Some of you are aliens. Some of you are half-breeds.” Spock flinched. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Something was wrong. “As you all know, there is only enough food to feed half the population of this colony. I have called you four thousand here today, because you are the four thousand who will die to save the other half.”
And it was instant chaos.
Everyone made for the exits immediately. Guards stormed in and shot the first ones who tried to run through.
Spock would never forget the screams. Terrified wailing, shrieking help, stop, no, please, and Kodos was yelling about subHuman races and keeping the population strong and Spock watched as bodies dropped to the floor with one phaser blast and and heard the sickening sounds of death.
Spock grabbed Tavak, who was sitting next to him, and yanked him under the seats. They crouched silently together, breathing shakily, Vulcan control out the window, and Spock could feel Tavak’s fear through the contact as they pressed into each other. He was sure Tavak could feel his.
And then Tavak was hit with a kill beam from a phaser.
And Spock was covered in green.
He ran.
-----
“This way!” someone yelled, and Spock didn’t know where else to go. He followed.
He didn’t know how, but they slipped through one of the broken walls and made it to the woods outside. He didn’t stop running. He kept going until his lungs closed up and his stomach hurt and his heart was beating prestissimo and he collapsed onto the forest floor, getting Tavak’s blood on the leaves below him. There was more blood, some red, some blue, and he didn’t know when it got there but the colors mixed together until Spock couldn’t tell whose was whose anymore.
He couldn’t breathe.
He pressed himself against a tree and closed his eyes and tried not to sob. Vulcans did not sob. And any noise might alert the guards that were still killing people in the federal building behind him. He took a shaky breath, unable to fill his lungs.
Everyone was dead.