S'ti th'laktra*
Spock, as was his wont, had learned a great deal already about this ship and its technology, though his knowledge was far from complete.
Now, however, it was time for reflection.
The Sensoriums had become cavernous, old and temple-like. Large statues lined the walls, while smaller, urn-like ones were scattered in niches here and there. The air was hot and dry, enough to make most humans uncomfortable.
In the center of this space was what appeared to be some kind of altar. It was near this that Spock sat, his legs tucked underneath him as he meditated.
Meditation was fundamental to the Vulcan way of life. It was a tool, used to help focus the mind and provide greater emotional balance. It was also very difficult for Spock to do effectively since his arrival on this ship.
This facsimile of the Katric Ark was as exact a replica as Stacy could provide. In a physical sense, it was perfect - after all, it had pulled the images directly from Spock's eidetic memory. But the arks, the urns which had been made to store the katras of the most important and revered Vulcans in history, were all empty shells. One day, had Vulcan not been destroyed, had his universe not been ripped apart, Spock may have petitioned the elders to be granted access to the katras, to mind-meld with the likes of Surak himself. Maybe, in another life, he had.
There was much to think about, much to learn and do, on this ship, to fight the Ohm and destroy their menace. But first, Spock needed time to reflect on and accept the new emptiness in his mind. The destruction of his planet, the deaths of all those Vulcans and the severing of the telepathic bonds had been a profound shock to his system. That was nothing compared to this.
He was no longer a member of an endangered species. He was, in all likelihood, the last remnant of an extinct species.
*S'ti th'laktra = "I grieve with thee", standard Vulcan statement of condolence.
Now, however, it was time for reflection.
The Sensoriums had become cavernous, old and temple-like. Large statues lined the walls, while smaller, urn-like ones were scattered in niches here and there. The air was hot and dry, enough to make most humans uncomfortable.
In the center of this space was what appeared to be some kind of altar. It was near this that Spock sat, his legs tucked underneath him as he meditated.
Meditation was fundamental to the Vulcan way of life. It was a tool, used to help focus the mind and provide greater emotional balance. It was also very difficult for Spock to do effectively since his arrival on this ship.
This facsimile of the Katric Ark was as exact a replica as Stacy could provide. In a physical sense, it was perfect - after all, it had pulled the images directly from Spock's eidetic memory. But the arks, the urns which had been made to store the katras of the most important and revered Vulcans in history, were all empty shells. One day, had Vulcan not been destroyed, had his universe not been ripped apart, Spock may have petitioned the elders to be granted access to the katras, to mind-meld with the likes of Surak himself. Maybe, in another life, he had.
There was much to think about, much to learn and do, on this ship, to fight the Ohm and destroy their menace. But first, Spock needed time to reflect on and accept the new emptiness in his mind. The destruction of his planet, the deaths of all those Vulcans and the severing of the telepathic bonds had been a profound shock to his system. That was nothing compared to this.
He was no longer a member of an endangered species. He was, in all likelihood, the last remnant of an extinct species.
*S'ti th'laktra = "I grieve with thee", standard Vulcan statement of condolence.