Letters Home

Chapter 3

                               November 19, 2151

Mother,

I wish you were here right now.  I have the pressing need for you to hold me and rock me in your arms like you did when I was a small child.  I have been violated.  By one of our own kind.   I feel invaded, disrespected, and vulnerable.   Can you understand that?  Has this ever happened to you?  Or to anyone you know?

I need you, I need you.

Your Very Needful Daughter

COMPUTER DISCARD THIS LETTER

                                                                                                                                November 20, 2151

My Most Needed Mother,

This will be short.  I am not feeling well at the moment.  But I will get better.  My captain visited my quarters shortly after a negative encounter I had with a member of the V’Tosh crew.  His compassion (yes, it is an emotion but of the most useful kind) has said he understands now why I meditate.  I think he really is beginning to understand.  His kind words have helped turn my mind from slipping into an abyss and I have begun my recovery from a viscous mind attack by one of our own kind.

 COMPUTER DISCARD THIS LETTER

                                                                                                                                  November 21, 2151

My Esteemed Mother,

The Vulcan ship which we were helping with their engineering problems has left.  They were not the best kind of Vulcans and our captain wisely asked them to leave when he discovered how dangerous they actually were.  They were V’tosh Ka’tur.  Enough said.

I need to take my mind off of myself.  To that end, I will tell you about a most unusual planet which the humans are adding to the Vulcan star charts.  This planet has life and exists without a star to nourish that life.   Life forms live around volcanic vents on the surface of the planet.   Captain Archer has declared them sentient telepathic life forms because he says he has communicated with one of them.  He has fully described his experience and this life form may indeed be what he says it is.  Yet it may be a non-sentient emitting an illusion-causing   substance that triggered the memory of an old myth he read.  These creatures are hunted by sentient humanoids that are not native to this planet so our ship’s doctor has created an identity blocker which these creatures have been inoculated with.  This blocker has masked their signs from the humanoid hunters.  It is an example of human interference that is based on compassion for other life forms and is justified interference in this instance, do you not think? This crew has shown this kind of compassion before and though it is interference in another world, I am not sure that I see such interference as negatively as I would have before. 

Now how are things going back home?

Your Daughter, T’Pol

                                                                                                                              December 1, 2151   

Daughter,

These V’tosh Ku’tar are mind melders, are they not?   They were banished from Vulcan because they were going about this delicate practice in a dangerous fashion.   Too many of our people have gone down this road without proper techniques.   That is why it was banned on our world.  There IS way to do this correctly.   Only a few highly trained practitioners know how to proceed with this but they have gone into hiding since the ban.   Are you surprised with my liberal position on this?  It is best to keep the fact that there are still melders on our world, to yourself.   And above all, do not get involved with any people who do it improperly.  When you return home, I will guide you to people who do it properly, if you are interested. 

My Daughter, interference is interference, no matter the motive.  You cannot know what the smallest act of change you make to a pre-warp world might lead to, even on a small rogue world without a star to warm it.  That is why Vulcan ships only observe and never interact with a pre-warp world.  I suggest you remind your captain of this.  We have been exploring space for centuries and have developed rules for this exploration based on experiences where interference has caused great harm.  You are well aware of this and I should not have to remind you of it. 

You asked about how things are back home.  I will tell you.  I have been alone too long and I am considering asking our clan leaders to make discreet inquiries about finding me a new mate.  My future grandchildren deserve a complete set of grandparents, do you not think?  

How long is your current assignment with Starfleet?   I miss you.

Your Mother Waiting Patiently for Your Return  

                                                                                                                              December 17, 2151

My Patiently Waiting Mother,

I miss you too, more than you can possibly know.

My ship has an open ended mission, and I do think at least another year before I return home.  I do intend to give you grandchildren but I do not think it necessary for you to give them a step-grandfather or me a stepfather.  Do you really think any man could replace my father?  My fond memories of him would be sufficient to pass on to my future children.  I really cannot visualize you with any other man but my father.  It would be a mistake to try.

You mentioned that T’Fel and Komuk might start looking for another wife for Koss.  Truly, Mother, I think it is time that they did so.  I have developed a condition I contracted from those on the V’Tosh ship.   I may not be worthy of future consideration as a wife for Koss.  This virus is nothing that impairs my work here on Enterprise, and nothing that I really want to discuss with anyone but the ship’s doctor.  You know how certain viruses are endemic within a species.  This is nothing life threatening, but certainly one further thing for Koss’s parents to consider, should you choose to inform them.

Your Obedient Daughter, T’Pol

                                                                                                                                    December 31, 2151

Dear Long Absent Daughter,

I will not pass any of your current health information on to Koss’s parents.  Your health will return once you are again living on your home world.  I believe the environment on this alien ship is more detrimental to your health than any cold or flu virus you picked up on a Vulcan ship, even a ship of discredited Vulcans.

I have decided not to ask the clan leaders to start a search for a mate for me.  I did not know you would think so negatively about the possibility of a second marriage for me.  Of course I would not consider having any more children at my age, if that is your objection.  No, my hopes for grandchildren rest solely with you.   I just want the comfort of someone to come home to after a long day’s work.  But since you object, I will not pursue this at this time.  I will only say that if you came home, I would be a lot less lonely.

I have met a few humans at the Science Academy.  While their academic credentials are adequate and we Vulcans certainly must tolerate their presence (in small numbers), in our position as role models for their own academic development, I do find them wanting in the complete control of their emotions.  I can only tolerate talking with them for a period of less than two hours.  Their command of our language is somewhat superficial and I have no interest in trying to learn their language laden with emotional references.  How you manage to communicate in it worries me.  I am reading between the lines that you are at a watershed point and could be lost to your people if you do not return home soon.  Is this not so?

Your lonely and concerned mother

                                                                                                                    January 10, 2152

Most Esteemed Mother,

I am fine.  Do not be concerned.  You are only reading the emotional stimulation that meeting unusual situations outside normal Vulcan life has exposed me to.  It is invigorating and widens my view of the universe.  This should be useful knowledge for our people when I do return home.

For instance, we had a Ferengi incursion on our ship.  We were able to use their view of the universe against them and reclaim the ship.  This is useful information for our traders who come across them out in space and for dealing with the few of them who have sent delegations to our home world.  Through this incident I was able to practice humor on my own captain, while he was shackled to a door handle by the Ferengi.  Humor under pressure shows the strength of the human species.  About the shackling, don’t ask.  He is free now.

Then we rescued a pair of aliens, a father and a daughter who had been marooned for twenty-two years.  The father was responsible for the wreaking of their ship and the loss of the entire crew because he left his post to rescue his daughter in a crisis.  He then invented a new form of holography to create a holographic crew that was interactive with him and his daughter so they would not be alone.    This pair would be a fascinating study for our engineers and psychologists.   But I think humans scientists would be more adaptable for such a study and would be more open to ferret out the correct academic conclusions about this than Vulcan scientists.  We have lost our open mindedness.  We may need this species to help us get it back.

I do hope you see my viewpoint.  I have not learned enough to come home yet.  It has not been easy for me, but expansion of knowledge and tolerance of new experiences is a good thing for me and for our people.

Have you not continued to learn all through your life?

Your Open Minded Daughter, T’Pol

                                                                                                                         January 20, 2152

Misguidedly Open Minded Daughter,

Some things should be left alone.  Your humans rush into situations that are dangerous and could cause themselves and others great harm.  How many times have we had to step in and fix situations that your humans have messed up?   I am not saying that you and they are not learning things.  But at what cost?   Your captain shackled to a door inside his own ship?  That sounds to me like a near disaster.   No wonder our fleet likes to keep a close watch on human ships.   The rescue of survivors from a wreak does show that at least sometimes, the humans are not harming interspecies relations but are actually building cooperation.  I will give them that much.

My work is going well for the moment.  Please do not do anything further out there with your humans that could possibly reflect badly on me or on our people. 

Your Closed Minded (and with logical reason) Mother  

                                                                                                                                      February  18, 2152

Dear Closed Minded (but not entirely closed minded) Mother,

Do you remember the esteemed ambassador V’Lar whose career I avidly followed when I was a young girl?  I have met her again.   Our ship transported her from the planet she was serving on to the nearest Vulcan ship.   This transporting was a matter of urgency but fortuitous since we were close to this star system and on a course which would take us close to the Sh’Raan.    I cannot tell you more about this as it is classified information.   Meeting her again has been an

exceptional experience.  And to show you, once again, the potential of my human shipmates, V’Lar and my captain developed mutual respect over the few days they were in association with each other.  If a personage of V’Lar’s caliber can respect humans, it should be evident that all of Vulcan should open their minds to this fascinating species.

While we are on the subject of open minds, I have a confession to make.   I have been meditating on the issue of your possible remarriage.  Mother, I have been insensitive to your needs, have I not?  Of course you deserve someone to come home to after a long day at work.  Having a re-mated mother will not diminish my memories of my father.  But may I make a suggestion?  When you make up your list of requirements of a mature mate to give to the clan leaders, be sure to say that you require a potential mate with excellent cooking skills.  Do not take this as a criticism of your own cooking skills, which indeed are adequate for nutritional needs.  But the smells of a finely crafted meal when you enter your home would logically be beneficial to tired and hard working academic.    

Your Concerned and Caring Daughter, T’Pol

                                                                                                                              March 14, 2152

Caring Daughter,

You do not have to be so concerned about me.  I am well fed and content.  But I am glad that you would not object to a new mate for me and I will resubmit my request to the clan elders.   Your suggestion of seeking a mate with exceptional cooking skills is a good one and one I would not have thought of.  More suggestions would be welcome, if you have others.  And by the way, your father and I chose Koss for traits we thought he possessed which would match your needs.  So do not be so dismissive of him.  He does not have the same traits as his parents so do not judge him by them.  I must admit, his parents do stretch my patience at times, too.

I have enclosed my latest articles.  Please review them, as I really do value your opinion even if I do not make the corrections you suggest.  

I have moved your ivy plant indoors since it has climbed through the window again.  It is as willful as you are and is now sending tendrils down from its place on the table and across the floor.   It is an explorer just like you.   Just keep in mind that you and your shipmates cannot fix everything you find out there.   Some things were not meant to be fixed.

Your Indulgent-With-Naughty-Plants Mother

                                                                                                                                  April 20, 2152

My Indulgent Mother,

I have completed a year on Enterprise and it is cause for celebration.  Our mission has been extended.   Uncle Soval must have informed you of the near cancelation of our mission after the tragic loss of a whole colony of aliens called Paraagans.   Once again, time travel was involved, but I will spare you the story of that as I know your views.  I did try to advise the captain with caution, on the Science Academy’s pronouncement of time travel being impossible.  Well, it is not impossible, as I suspected from our encounter with it previously.  It is well on the way to being proven because of this unfortunate incident with the mining colony.   This incident was not our fault, but a genocidal act by other aliens called Suliban.   But our people, I fear, will remain closed minded about time travel as long as humans are the only witnesses to it.

Both our species are stubborn, can be self righteous, and often wrong in perceptions of the universe.  Yet through cooperation and respect, though it is a difficult process to achieve, we can be invaluable to each other as allied species.  I am looking forward to my second year on Enterprise.       

Your Universe Exploring Daughter, T’Pol