Deleted Scene T'Pol and Archer
This scene was deleted mostly because I dislike Jonathan Archer. I honestly wanted to bring the Treks closer together, but it soon became too much fodder. This scene and one that Number One and Captain Pike will have a similar scene in the prequel.
The drama concerning Spock's decision to attend Starfleet Academy didn't end with the ministers. Not that this adventure added anything to Upheaval. :D - Xia Sang Li
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” demanded Admiral Jonathon Archer. A living Starfleet legend, he was the first captain the Enterprise NX-01, United Earth’s first full-fledged starship. Despite having made first contact with dozens of species, including the Klingons, Andorians, Ferengi, and the Xindi, he was wholly unprepared for the crises he now faced. In fact, he was too old for this shit and he just wanted it all to disappear.
“I am well aware of my actions, Jonathan,” T’Pol said in respectful tones.
“How could you do such an irresponsible thing, T’Pol? We’ve been friends for decades. We served together. You were my first officer and the very first Vulcan to receive a Starfleet commission. Whether I agreed with you assessment of any given situation or not, I always respected your opinions. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your actions today border on madness.”
“No offense taken, Jonathan for my actions were entirely logical.”
“How in the hell did you reach that conclusion? You Vulcans use logic to justify anything and that makes you as adept at lying and deceit as any Romulan, your crazy overtly emotional cousins.”
T’Pol waited quietly as the diatribe continued.
“It took me a long time to learn to trust you and to trust Vulcans,” Archer continued. “Look, no matter how you look at it, you, Travis Merriweather, another old and dear friend and his grandson virtually kidnapped T’Pau’s kinsman in the middle of the night and deposited him in my doorstep.”
“We did not kidnap him.”
“T’Pau begs to differ. She banned him from traveling to Earth.”
“She no longer wields such power.
“Don’t get smart with me,” he snarled. “Vulcan and Earth are charter members of the United Federation of Planets. Damn it, I was once the president! T’Pau, the sentient embodiment of Vulcan, has been our closest and staunchest ally! Your actions could create an interstellar incident.”
“That’s hardly likely, Admiral, despite the fact that T’Pau is very much like you. She does not like to lose. Despite her ruthlessly logical mind, she also doesn’t believe in no-win scenarios.”
“What the hell do you expect me to do with that kid? Hide him in my basement? She has ordered him to return to Vulcan immediately. She’s requested that we revoke his visitation privileges.”
“Irrelevant.”
“Irrelevant?” he sputtered.
May I offer another suggestion? Instead of giving into T’Pau’s unseemly illogic, force the administrations at Starfleet Academy to life the suspension on his application. Allow him to become an officer and give him the opportunity to serve on a starship just as I did. Since your current prodigy is as chaotic and unpredictable as you were, he will require the services of a competent Vulcan science officer. ”
“Look T’Pol, I have nothing against the boy. I’m sure he’s a nice kid, but…”
“You must do this, Admiral. If you do not, we lose… everything.
“Like what?”
“S’chn T’gai Spock is the the son of Sarek, the son of Skon and the son of Solkar, the very first Vulcan ambassador to Earth.”
“What?!.”
“He is also the son of Amanda Grayson of Seattle, Washington.”
“He’s half-human?”
“Yes, Jonathan and I’m pleading with you to help him. Please.”
Archer understood. T’Pol herself was once the mother of a half-human little girl named Elizabeth.
“The worst thing T’Pau can do is brand him, V’tosh Ka’tur, a Vulcan without logic. He can survive that. He made that clear when he refused his place in the Vulcan Science Academy.”
“I need more,” Archer insisted.
T’Pol was prepared. “Do you remember the last lines of the speech you gave just before signing the charter to ratify the Coalition of Planets?”
“…the more I’ve experienced,” he recited, “the more I learned that no matter how far we travel or how fast we get there, the most profound discoveries are not necessarily beyond the next star. They’re within us, woven in the threads that bind. All of us to each other. The final frontier begins here in this hall…”
“Jonathan, Spock has a Vulcan brain, a Vulcan physiology, a Vulcan heart and a human soul. Despite his extraordinary achievements and his lineage, Vulcan society as a whole cannot and will not accept him. Prove to him that IDIC, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination, are not empty words. If humanity will not accept him, then who will?”
“You have and that’s enough for me.” He pushed a button on a desk. His secretary’s image appeared on every monitor in the room. “Get me a secure channel to Vulcan and request an emergency communique with T’Pau to begin at 1400 hours, if it is convenient for her.”
Quietly, he turned his attention back to T’Pol. “I have 17.35 minutes to ascertain whether or not this kid is worth the price we’re about to pay. Any words of wisdom?”
“Follow your instincts.”
“That’s a decidedly un-Vulcan thing to say.”
“Nonetheless, it is logical.” She turned, walked gracefully out the door and disappeared in the corridor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite T’Pol’s warning that the boy was physiologically Vulcan, Archer was not prepared to greet the tall, gangly child with pointed ears and green blood running through his veins. The boy’s eyes were also typically flat and expressionless.
“Have a seat.”
The boy bowed slightly and followed orders. Joining his hands in his lap, he sat as still as a statue.
“Did T’Pol leave you with any parting instructions.”
“Yes, sir.” The boy’s voice was deep and soothing. He spoke Federation Standard with a slight accent.
“Clarify.”
“She instructed me to be entirely truthful with you.”
“Is that your intention?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good. This is what we’ll do. To begin with, I’ll ask two questions and you will answer honestly. The ball’s entirely in your court. Based on what you say in the next 15.97 minutes, I will either ship your ass back to Vulcan on the fastest ship departing from space dock or I’ll move heaven and earth to keep you here. Do we understand one another?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who do you look like?”
A puzzled look skirted across the boy’s face, blatantly reminding Archer that the Vulcan boy was barely 20 standard years old. From what he understood, most Vulcans didn’t leave their homeworld for an extended period of stay off-world until they were at least 50.
“I do not understand the relevancy of the question.”
“You are not required to understand. You are required to answer…truthfully.”
“Yes, sir. I resemble my father in height and general body build.”
“What about your mother?”
“Is that the second question, Admiral?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“From what I can ascertain, I only inherited her eyes and human tear ducts.”
“Don’t Vulcans have tear ducts?”
“Vulcan tear ducts are not … wasteful.”
Archer quickly pounced upon the dent dent in the boy’s armor.
“Why did you tell the ministers at the Vulcan Science Academy to basically fuck off and die.”
The boy’s body stiffened even more. “I had no desire to study in a scientific institution that did not value my unique-ness.”
“Bullshit.” Archer tone was ugly and menacing. “Tell me the truth boy or I’ll have you beamed off this planet.”
“They insulted my mother.”
Archer had been around Vulcans long enough to recognize that the boy’s control was weakening fast. Unlike T’Pol, Spock was not skilled at covering his tracks. He was visibly desperate to find the right words.
God, he’s so young. He’s just like any completely human child on the cusp of adulthood.
“What did they say, Mr. Spock?”
“The Head Minister said it was remarkable that I’d achieved so much despite my disadvantage and when I asked him to clarify, he insulted my mother.”
“I understand, but if I’m going to tell T’Pau to take a flying leap, I need more.”
Seeming confused by Archer’s wording, the boy’s struggle for control, although subtle, was becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, the Admiral was understandably surprised by the strength in the boy’s tone when he did speak.
“All my life, my mother has been my staunchest ally. No matter what I did or said or how impassively I treated her, she loved me. It was she who taught me the value of education. Teaching was her passion. As a human, she was able to see wonder and richness in every alien culture, including Vulcan’s… My mother gave me purpose. It was she who taught me to honor my father and forefathers. It was she who encouraged me to embrace logic.”
“I see.”
The boy wasn’t finished. “My mother raised me to be Vulcan. Although, she wished that I would be more expressive, she never once tried to make me human. She accepts me completely for who and what I am.”
“And on the day which should have been your crowning achievement, they offended her,” Archer said.
“Yes, sir. The minister’s message was conveyed clearly. Like the children who ostracized and bullied me as a child, his use of the term “human” was meant as derogatory. I had only two choices, Admiral. I could either reject the honor they were reluctantly bestowing upon me and please my father or I could honor the woman who risked her life to carry, to give birth and to raise me. I chose the latter.”
“Your decision, while understandable, was illogical.”
“Where my mother is concerned, my logic is faulty.”
“Understood.” Archer rose, but did not extend his hand. Despite the boy’s heartfelt confession, he was still far more Vulcan than he was human. “Welcome to Starfleet, Spock.”
“Thank you, Admiral.”
“Dismissed, Cadet Spock.”
The lanky boy turned on his heels with military precision and exited the room.
In three minutes, Archer would have what would probably be his final showdown with Vulcan and with T’Pau. While he did not relish this moment, he could not deny the thrill that raced up and down his spine. At his age, he could keel over in a matter of seconds, thus, he fully intended to live the remainder of his life to the fullest. He could only hope and pray that he would live long enough to see Spock succeed.
Chuckling, he pushed a button on the wall. A small doorway parted and his beloved, Porthos, rather a descendent of his prized beagle raced across the room and jumped into his arms. “That’s a good dog. That’s a good dog. Listen fellow, you and I are going to make history one last time.” Porthos licked his face in delight.
As Archer settled back in the chair awaiting the call, he thumbed through Spock’s academic record. “Shit!” With that one word, neither T’Pau nor the planet Vulcan, were his primary concern.
The most pressing matter was what to do with Spock. The boy’s curriculum vitae and computer skills exceeded anything Starfleet Academy had to offer. They wouldn’t be able to teach him anything except how to tolerate the smell of humans.
The puppy barked softly and sniffed at the datapad. “What do you think, Porthos? How about we hand him over to Chris Pike’s Number One? I’m sure she’ll know what to do with Spock.!
Porthos happily barked his agreement. “I’m glad you approve. T’Pol was right. The new Enterprise NC-1701 and Pike deserve the best science officer the Federation has to offer, so let’s keep this young man right here on Earth until that lovely lady is ready to fly.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the corridor, Spock stood before T’Pol and bowed respectfully.
“Live long and prosper, Spock.”
“Live long and prosper, T’Pol. I shall endeavor to live up to any and all expectations.”
“It would be the logical thing to do.” Her work complete, she took her leave of him and moved gingerly down the corridor. Her long life would soon come to an end and it was likely that neither she nor Jonathan would ever see Spock reach his full potential. It was truly unfortunate because deep in her Vulcan heart, T’Pol knew that Spock was the future for both Earth and for Vulcan.
The drama concerning Spock's decision to attend Starfleet Academy didn't end with the ministers. Not that this adventure added anything to Upheaval. :D - Xia Sang Li
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” demanded Admiral Jonathon Archer. A living Starfleet legend, he was the first captain the Enterprise NX-01, United Earth’s first full-fledged starship. Despite having made first contact with dozens of species, including the Klingons, Andorians, Ferengi, and the Xindi, he was wholly unprepared for the crises he now faced. In fact, he was too old for this shit and he just wanted it all to disappear.
“I am well aware of my actions, Jonathan,” T’Pol said in respectful tones.
“How could you do such an irresponsible thing, T’Pol? We’ve been friends for decades. We served together. You were my first officer and the very first Vulcan to receive a Starfleet commission. Whether I agreed with you assessment of any given situation or not, I always respected your opinions. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your actions today border on madness.”
“No offense taken, Jonathan for my actions were entirely logical.”
“How in the hell did you reach that conclusion? You Vulcans use logic to justify anything and that makes you as adept at lying and deceit as any Romulan, your crazy overtly emotional cousins.”
T’Pol waited quietly as the diatribe continued.
“It took me a long time to learn to trust you and to trust Vulcans,” Archer continued. “Look, no matter how you look at it, you, Travis Merriweather, another old and dear friend and his grandson virtually kidnapped T’Pau’s kinsman in the middle of the night and deposited him in my doorstep.”
“We did not kidnap him.”
“T’Pau begs to differ. She banned him from traveling to Earth.”
“She no longer wields such power.
“Don’t get smart with me,” he snarled. “Vulcan and Earth are charter members of the United Federation of Planets. Damn it, I was once the president! T’Pau, the sentient embodiment of Vulcan, has been our closest and staunchest ally! Your actions could create an interstellar incident.”
“That’s hardly likely, Admiral, despite the fact that T’Pau is very much like you. She does not like to lose. Despite her ruthlessly logical mind, she also doesn’t believe in no-win scenarios.”
“What the hell do you expect me to do with that kid? Hide him in my basement? She has ordered him to return to Vulcan immediately. She’s requested that we revoke his visitation privileges.”
“Irrelevant.”
“Irrelevant?” he sputtered.
May I offer another suggestion? Instead of giving into T’Pau’s unseemly illogic, force the administrations at Starfleet Academy to life the suspension on his application. Allow him to become an officer and give him the opportunity to serve on a starship just as I did. Since your current prodigy is as chaotic and unpredictable as you were, he will require the services of a competent Vulcan science officer. ”
“Look T’Pol, I have nothing against the boy. I’m sure he’s a nice kid, but…”
“You must do this, Admiral. If you do not, we lose… everything.
“Like what?”
“S’chn T’gai Spock is the the son of Sarek, the son of Skon and the son of Solkar, the very first Vulcan ambassador to Earth.”
“What?!.”
“He is also the son of Amanda Grayson of Seattle, Washington.”
“He’s half-human?”
“Yes, Jonathan and I’m pleading with you to help him. Please.”
Archer understood. T’Pol herself was once the mother of a half-human little girl named Elizabeth.
“The worst thing T’Pau can do is brand him, V’tosh Ka’tur, a Vulcan without logic. He can survive that. He made that clear when he refused his place in the Vulcan Science Academy.”
“I need more,” Archer insisted.
T’Pol was prepared. “Do you remember the last lines of the speech you gave just before signing the charter to ratify the Coalition of Planets?”
“…the more I’ve experienced,” he recited, “the more I learned that no matter how far we travel or how fast we get there, the most profound discoveries are not necessarily beyond the next star. They’re within us, woven in the threads that bind. All of us to each other. The final frontier begins here in this hall…”
“Jonathan, Spock has a Vulcan brain, a Vulcan physiology, a Vulcan heart and a human soul. Despite his extraordinary achievements and his lineage, Vulcan society as a whole cannot and will not accept him. Prove to him that IDIC, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination, are not empty words. If humanity will not accept him, then who will?”
“You have and that’s enough for me.” He pushed a button on a desk. His secretary’s image appeared on every monitor in the room. “Get me a secure channel to Vulcan and request an emergency communique with T’Pau to begin at 1400 hours, if it is convenient for her.”
Quietly, he turned his attention back to T’Pol. “I have 17.35 minutes to ascertain whether or not this kid is worth the price we’re about to pay. Any words of wisdom?”
“Follow your instincts.”
“That’s a decidedly un-Vulcan thing to say.”
“Nonetheless, it is logical.” She turned, walked gracefully out the door and disappeared in the corridor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite T’Pol’s warning that the boy was physiologically Vulcan, Archer was not prepared to greet the tall, gangly child with pointed ears and green blood running through his veins. The boy’s eyes were also typically flat and expressionless.
“Have a seat.”
The boy bowed slightly and followed orders. Joining his hands in his lap, he sat as still as a statue.
“Did T’Pol leave you with any parting instructions.”
“Yes, sir.” The boy’s voice was deep and soothing. He spoke Federation Standard with a slight accent.
“Clarify.”
“She instructed me to be entirely truthful with you.”
“Is that your intention?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good. This is what we’ll do. To begin with, I’ll ask two questions and you will answer honestly. The ball’s entirely in your court. Based on what you say in the next 15.97 minutes, I will either ship your ass back to Vulcan on the fastest ship departing from space dock or I’ll move heaven and earth to keep you here. Do we understand one another?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who do you look like?”
A puzzled look skirted across the boy’s face, blatantly reminding Archer that the Vulcan boy was barely 20 standard years old. From what he understood, most Vulcans didn’t leave their homeworld for an extended period of stay off-world until they were at least 50.
“I do not understand the relevancy of the question.”
“You are not required to understand. You are required to answer…truthfully.”
“Yes, sir. I resemble my father in height and general body build.”
“What about your mother?”
“Is that the second question, Admiral?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“From what I can ascertain, I only inherited her eyes and human tear ducts.”
“Don’t Vulcans have tear ducts?”
“Vulcan tear ducts are not … wasteful.”
Archer quickly pounced upon the dent dent in the boy’s armor.
“Why did you tell the ministers at the Vulcan Science Academy to basically fuck off and die.”
The boy’s body stiffened even more. “I had no desire to study in a scientific institution that did not value my unique-ness.”
“Bullshit.” Archer tone was ugly and menacing. “Tell me the truth boy or I’ll have you beamed off this planet.”
“They insulted my mother.”
Archer had been around Vulcans long enough to recognize that the boy’s control was weakening fast. Unlike T’Pol, Spock was not skilled at covering his tracks. He was visibly desperate to find the right words.
God, he’s so young. He’s just like any completely human child on the cusp of adulthood.
“What did they say, Mr. Spock?”
“The Head Minister said it was remarkable that I’d achieved so much despite my disadvantage and when I asked him to clarify, he insulted my mother.”
“I understand, but if I’m going to tell T’Pau to take a flying leap, I need more.”
Seeming confused by Archer’s wording, the boy’s struggle for control, although subtle, was becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, the Admiral was understandably surprised by the strength in the boy’s tone when he did speak.
“All my life, my mother has been my staunchest ally. No matter what I did or said or how impassively I treated her, she loved me. It was she who taught me the value of education. Teaching was her passion. As a human, she was able to see wonder and richness in every alien culture, including Vulcan’s… My mother gave me purpose. It was she who taught me to honor my father and forefathers. It was she who encouraged me to embrace logic.”
“I see.”
The boy wasn’t finished. “My mother raised me to be Vulcan. Although, she wished that I would be more expressive, she never once tried to make me human. She accepts me completely for who and what I am.”
“And on the day which should have been your crowning achievement, they offended her,” Archer said.
“Yes, sir. The minister’s message was conveyed clearly. Like the children who ostracized and bullied me as a child, his use of the term “human” was meant as derogatory. I had only two choices, Admiral. I could either reject the honor they were reluctantly bestowing upon me and please my father or I could honor the woman who risked her life to carry, to give birth and to raise me. I chose the latter.”
“Your decision, while understandable, was illogical.”
“Where my mother is concerned, my logic is faulty.”
“Understood.” Archer rose, but did not extend his hand. Despite the boy’s heartfelt confession, he was still far more Vulcan than he was human. “Welcome to Starfleet, Spock.”
“Thank you, Admiral.”
“Dismissed, Cadet Spock.”
The lanky boy turned on his heels with military precision and exited the room.
In three minutes, Archer would have what would probably be his final showdown with Vulcan and with T’Pau. While he did not relish this moment, he could not deny the thrill that raced up and down his spine. At his age, he could keel over in a matter of seconds, thus, he fully intended to live the remainder of his life to the fullest. He could only hope and pray that he would live long enough to see Spock succeed.
Chuckling, he pushed a button on the wall. A small doorway parted and his beloved, Porthos, rather a descendent of his prized beagle raced across the room and jumped into his arms. “That’s a good dog. That’s a good dog. Listen fellow, you and I are going to make history one last time.” Porthos licked his face in delight.
As Archer settled back in the chair awaiting the call, he thumbed through Spock’s academic record. “Shit!” With that one word, neither T’Pau nor the planet Vulcan, were his primary concern.
The most pressing matter was what to do with Spock. The boy’s curriculum vitae and computer skills exceeded anything Starfleet Academy had to offer. They wouldn’t be able to teach him anything except how to tolerate the smell of humans.
The puppy barked softly and sniffed at the datapad. “What do you think, Porthos? How about we hand him over to Chris Pike’s Number One? I’m sure she’ll know what to do with Spock.!
Porthos happily barked his agreement. “I’m glad you approve. T’Pol was right. The new Enterprise NC-1701 and Pike deserve the best science officer the Federation has to offer, so let’s keep this young man right here on Earth until that lovely lady is ready to fly.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the corridor, Spock stood before T’Pol and bowed respectfully.
“Live long and prosper, Spock.”
“Live long and prosper, T’Pol. I shall endeavor to live up to any and all expectations.”
“It would be the logical thing to do.” Her work complete, she took her leave of him and moved gingerly down the corridor. Her long life would soon come to an end and it was likely that neither she nor Jonathan would ever see Spock reach his full potential. It was truly unfortunate because deep in her Vulcan heart, T’Pol knew that Spock was the future for both Earth and for Vulcan.