Letters Home

Chapter 6

Note: I messed up on dates!  I am a year ahead of time because the Xindi attack was in April 2153.  So I have re-dated these letters from here on.

                                                                                                                                   March 5, 2153

My Esteemed Mother,

We have met another very strange and troublesome species.  It appears to build its numbers unlike any other species by capturing humanoids to enslave their bodies and control their minds.  This is done by android-like technology driven by infesting a body with nano technology.  Denobulans, once again, have proven to be a tough species, resisting for a time, the affects of this body invasion.  We found members of this species frozen on Earth and apparently from the fut....sorry, you did not want me to mention this phenomenon again. 

Anyway, once they were revived, we had to stop two of them from taking over our ship by ejecting them into space.  I told the captain he had no choice in this killing as it seemed to be the only logical response in the situation.  A couple of members of this species got away and are headed for the Delta Quadrant of space.  Good riddance and let them reside there and not here, for even Vulcan would be entirely overwhelmed by them if they invaded in large numbers.  Even at that distance, I fear we will hear from them again - hopefully in the distant future when we are capable of better dealing with them.

 I had some quality time alone with the captain on a shuttle pod mission to explore a nebula.  He was trying to deal with the loss of a former companion who had recently died.  In the way of humans it was a troubled friendship involving a fist fight at one point.  To ease his regret over the death of this man, I suggested he name this impressive nebula we were studying after this lost companion.   This seemed to help.

To round out our latest adventures, a Tellarite bounty hunter captured our captain under a commission from a Klingon who insists his honor was damaged by the captain.   This continuing interaction with the Klingons is getting somewhat tedious.   While this was going on, I was infected by a microbe from an away mission and was unable to come to the immediate aid of the captain.  I am sending you data on this microbe because its effect on Vulcans is to mimic Pon Farr.    Do not ask.  I am okay now.   But do share the information on this microbe and its location with Uncle and with the Science Academy if the captain has not reported it yet.

My additional year with this exploration mission is nearly over.  I have developed an affinity for my fellow crew members but I am in need of a break.

Your getting pretty tired of exploring daughter, T’Pol     

                                                                                                                                    April 1, 2153

My Tired Daughter,

You did not mention Commander Tucker like I asked you too.  Why is that?  Instead your last letter is all about your captain.  This human too, I think is having too much influence on you.  But I sense a willingness in you to come home.  At last!  What could possibly prevent this now?   I will prepare your room, but I will not yet inform T’Fel and Komuk in case some impediment intervenes.   Though I cannot imagine what could possibly happen now to prevent your long awaited return.

On a sad note, your ivy plant, newly reinstalled in my garden, has passed away.   Really, there was nothing I could do.  It must have a set life span.   Because I knew you would become emotional about this, I adopted one of its children which seems to be thriving.  You mentioned that humans sometimes talk to their plants as if they were pets.   Well I suppose the logic in this is that if they talk to them, they will remember to care for their needs.  It must be nature’s way of helping humans with their deficiency in memory.  In my case, talking to a plant means having something to talk to that won’t go off and report me to the High Command or Science Academy as a trouble maker.

Your  Mother Who is Eagerly Awaiting Your Return    

                                                                                                                                   May 15, 2153

My Esteemed Mother,

I apologize for the delay in correspondence but I have been extremely busy.  The impediment that you mentioned has unfortunately occurred.  I am speculating that you have already heard from Uncle Soval that I have resigned my commission with the High Command and joined the Enterprise crew under a commission with Starfleet on a dangerous mission.  You must have also heard of the vicious attack on Earth that left seven million dead and a deep scar on the land mass that can be seen from space.   A few Vulcans in Florida were also killed, so our people are not untouched by this incomprehensible attack.

Commander Tucker’s sister is one of the dead.   I have been giving him neuro pressure treatments on the advice of Dr. Phlox.  Yes, I know this procedure should be done only within the family, but he has lost the person he was closest to.  I am sure you would want someone to help me in a personal crisis like this if I was unable to get home for treatment.

Both I and Dr. Phlox have decided to stay with the ship.   Captain Archer expressed his gratitude as our skills will certainly be needed.  We saw evidence of the psychological effect on Vulcans in an area of space called the Delphic Expanse in video footage Uncle Soval showed us.  Though we are not sure of the reason, this area is dangerous to Vulcans and possibly many other species.  Apparently Xindi is the name of the species that attacked Earth as relayed by the Suliban to the captain.   These Xindi inhabit this Delphic Expanse.  We are going after them to stop them from making a further attack on Earth.

I must tell you frankly that our ship has been damaged in this Expanse by buffeting anomalies that distort parts of the ship and make strange magnetic forces throw containers around in the storage areas.  We have encountered ships that prey upon each other for food and supplies because the strange physics of the Expanse has stranded them here.  Due to these spatial anomalies we are encountering, we may not have regular communications back to Earth.  I will send letters when it is possible.

Your daughter who is sorry her home coming must be delayed, T’Pol    

                                                                                                                                                   May 30, 2153

T’Pol,

This is a real blow that, you are not coming home now.   I had your room all prepared and stocked your favorite foods.  You waited too long to return and the consequence is that you are disconnecting from your culture and your family.  It seems the next step will be discarding your Vulcan citizenship and declaring Earth your new home world.  Yes I am wallowing in the emotion of bitterness!  Just when everything seemed to be turning around and you would be again following your proper life path, not only are you moving further away but into increased danger.  It would be easier to accept that you had died then to have to experience this continuously increasing distance in cold black space and distance from the way of life you were so carefully nurtured for.  What is the matter with you!   You are no longer the child I gave birth to! 

COMPUTER DISCARD THIS FILE

                                                                                                                                                   May 31, 2153     

My Daughter,

I, as you probably can understand, am suffering from the despicable emotion of depression.   I have asked for help from my meditation group and have doubled my daily sessions of meditation to rid myself of a mixture of hateful illogical emotions.   But I should not wallow in my own improper emotional responses but consider instead, what this change of plans means for you.   You have been in physical danger ever since you stepped on board that dreaded earth ship.  I cannot help but see it that way.   And now this ship is going from urgent danger into extreme danger – the kind that I associate with all out war.  And it is going into this alone.  Can you understand what I am experiencing here?

I am thinking about me again.  I should be concentrating on you.   This Expanse where the laws of physics are distorted, where communications to home break down, where Vulcans go insane, is no place for my daughter.   Just when you were almost within reach, heading home – you are snatched further away than ever. 

The second generation in naughty ivy plants is thriving.  Everything else is mundanely normal around here, yet everything is changed since you are not returning.

I hope your ship has a thicker skin than I do.

Your Mother