>> Star Trek fan fiction >> The Reboot Series >> Da-Kuv t’Yoshuhlnak- The Dragon Circle

Da-Kuv t’Yoshuhlnak- The Dragon Circle

Admiral Williams was contemplating the precious box that two of the most brilliant scientists of Starfleet had just given to him along with the heaviest responsibility he had ever received…

He was a strong built man, in his late thirties, tall, with deep blue eyes, brown hair with more and more shades of grey, and a short beard. He was very young for an Admiral, probably the youngest one of the whole Starfleet, thanks to his exemplary courage, dedication and efficiency. He was gifted in many areas and worked hard. He found that he was not as fit as he used to be when he was flying, but he was training each day to keep in shape.

His mission was clear, escorting the treasure from Earth to Vulcan. He had not been fully told of what the box contained. He had only received a long list of instructions to keep it safe during the trip.

Then he had another mission…attending the last flight of the USS Adventure, a Class I Heavy Cruiser and the last mission of her Captain, Edward Spencer who was the eldest officer that still did some flying. He had read much about him and met him a couple of times. He remembered a very strong willed man, determined and excessively stubborn. He had been offered several times missions and work in the Starfleet offices but he had always refused them. He taught for a few years at the Academy but ended up feeling restless, so he then decided to ask to be in command of a ship again…Admiral Williams wondered which words he would choose to tell such a man that he now would need to remain on Earth or at least retire…Worse than this, the USS Adventure would be totally transformed and upgraded before flying again. Those were the orders, it had not been his decision, and it sounded rational, logical, yet it was sad…

He was only a few steps away from the ship when he heard a young man calling his name gasping, running to reach him. He turned his head toward the voice. “Admiral…please, take me with you! Please!” A young blonde man was standing next to him, pleading with his eyes. He was not older than 18 or 19 and seemed very determined in his request.

Admiral Williams was searching in his memory if he had ever heard of this name before; he sounded strangely familiar to him.

“I am part of the scientific team, I just want to come with you, I won’t be a burden”.

The Admiral was silent, taking one more man aboard was of course possible, yet it had not been prevised…

“If ever there were any problem with this” he showed the box in the Admiral’s hands “I would be able to solve it”.

This last phrase convinced the Admiral. He knew almost nothing of the object in the box, so if something occurred he would be totally unable to act.

“Thank you Sir, thank you!” the young man exclaimed, running to follow the officer’s wide steps.

The two men got on board and were greeted by Captain Spencer. The Admiral considered him for a moment. He had changed since their last meeting: his hair was starting to become white, he was a bit more round, but his charisma was still there and very strong. The Admiral was still feeling very ill at the prospect of having to talk to him when he noticed a smaller figure behind the strong built Captain. It was a woman. She stepped forward. The Admiral’s breath stopped for a second when he noticed that she was a Vulcan. Seeing her was allowing old memories to come back to him: images, smells, music. He found himself totally unprepared and realized just how much he had truly missed Vulcan.

The Admiral rose his right hand in a perfect Vulcan salute, “Dif-tor heh smusma”, he added.

The lady replied, doing her best to hide her disbelief in front of a human man talking in her language. The Admiral anticipated her question, adding that he had lived on Vulcan for five years as a teenager.

“You speak my language perfectly”, the Lady answered, “I am Commander T’Prion, First Officer”

She was probably in her thirties though it was quite hard to determine her age. She had dark shiny eyes and very long brown hair; she was pretty short.

The Captain gently interrupted them, “Well, hmmm, Admiral, you have found someone to practice the Vulcan language”, he smiled.

“It is so unusual to find a human being able to speak our language”, T’Prion added.

The Admiral suddenly remembered the reason why he was on board: “I need to find a place for this very delicate item”. He showed the box and said, “it is supposed to travel in a warm place, like Vulcan really”.

“Hmm by the way”, he said “This young man will travel with us, he is here to …hmmm, make sure the item travels safely”.

The Captain ordered a young officer to find a cabin for the young man who was still staring at the box in the hands of the Admiral.

The First Officer and the Admiral had gone on talking while she was leading him through the ship’s long corridors. He was pleased to notice that he had triggered her curiosity. She had asked him about his life on Vulcan, his studies, his career. He had related to her how as a fifteen year old boy he had won a contest allowing him to study at the Vulcan Academy of Sciences for five years. He said how much he had been willing to remain there but how his family was contrary which resulted in him returning back to Earth and joining the Starfleet Academy instead. He told her some short memories of his missions and the fact he had embraced the Vulcan religion and culture as his. She remained quite fascinated by it without showing any external sign. He was pretty curious about her too and regretted not having read more on the USS Adventure’s officers. However before he could ask anything, she stopped in front of the door of a cabin. The door opened, the heat of the cabin hit the Admiral in the face along with the smell and general colours. It was Vulcan; more memories hit his head and he was feeling dizzy. This was definitely too much for him, though part of him was willing to scream for joy.

“This is incredible”, he just said, looking around and noticing a typical Vulcan musical instrument and a Chess set along with ritual incenses burning on a small altar…

“There is a list of instructions about it but …”, he stopped. He was not supposed to open the box at all, but this place was obviously in the private cabin of T’Prion. He couldn’t think of leaving the item there without knowing if it could represent a danger.

“No but…”. The Admiral felt like a child surprised with his hands in a marmalade pot, “It is illogical leaving it here with you all night without knowing what it is”.

“You have a point”, she simply replied doing her best to control and conceal the little bit of curiosity rising in her.

“Even because we need to determine where the best location for it is”, she added

She put the box near the altar. While both were staring at it, the Admiral started to laugh. The Commander looked at him with her deep dark eyes and this was enough to make the Admiral regain his seriousness. He had forgotten the coldness of the Vulcan people. Though he had always considered himself part of their culture, some of it still remained a mystery for him.

He put a hand on the box and started to search for a way to open it. He finally found a small button and pressed it. It opened slowly discovering two perfect spheres, whitish with pink and orange shades which looked like the artwork of a painter.

“Vulcan Dragons have been extinct for millions of years”, the Admiral said as if he was reading a History book.

“They are coming from the scientific team I thought…” He paused, “I thought it would be something like a weapon or a new technology device…” He let himself fall sitting on the couch.

T’Prion came closer to the eggs and she put the box in the middle of the altar. She knelt and gently put her right hand on one of the eggs. It was big enough not to be completely covered by her tiny hand. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to reach the egg. Then she repeated the same ritual with the other one. The Admiral had kept totally silent, watching the scene in awe and joining spiritually the woman in her attempt to make contact and understand. Once she had finished, she turned to him.

“I don’t know how to describe it with words. It was like…contacting the heart of Vulcan”, she replied.

“Mental fusion with you?” she said “I would get to know of your thoughts”, she added.

She stared at him. There was something familiar in this man, yet disturbing. He was not a Vulcan man yet part of him clearly belonged to it.

She came closer and sat next to him. He closed his eyes and she put her hand on his face. Both allowed their minds to touch and become one.

Once done, both remained a long moment in silence. The Admiral suddenly realized that probably nobody else was aware of the importance of the eggs.

“The Dragons were sacred before their extinction. It is said that they lit the fire at the center of Vulcan…” She paused, “They are seen also as a symbol of the ancient Vulcan inner fire…”

“Passion, emotions, violence, all the things logic canceled”, the Admiral continued.

“Exactly, yet it seems the Dragons perished because of violence and conflicts from the Vulcan’s primitive people”, T’Prion explained. “Maybe now we will be able to keep them alive”, she added.

“We will”, the Admiral replied. “I will make sure they stay alive and safe”, he stated.

“We were not chosen by case”, she continued, not fully aware of the meaning of this phrase.

“I guess we need to reach the Captain now, he will wonder where we ended up”, he said, getting up unwillingly.

They both stared at the eggs again, before going out and heading for the bridge.

Captain Spencer was waiting for them in his chair at the center of the bridge. It was definitely later than the Admiral and the Commander thought. Indeed, it was almost dinner time.

“Did you guide the Admiral into a visit of the ship, Commander?” the Captain asked, smiling.

The Admiral was quick to reply: “Commander T’Prion helped me in my mission…it is revealing more complicated than prevised”, he said.

“Nothing that will remain unsolved, thanks to your First Officer’s collaboration”, he replied.

The Admiral added smiling: “And the Commander said she would guide me into a visit after dinner”.

T’Prion gazed at him with icy eyes. His smile became wider and he blinked at her. She would have liked to reply but preferred to keep her icy behaviour and reached her seat on the bridge.

“You haven’t been to your quarters yet Admiral”, he remarked. “Allow me to take you there”, he added and he took the Admiral’s arm in a brotherly manner leaving him no other choice than to follow. It was clear that the man wanted a word with the Admiral. He swallowed hard, probably the time had come to let him know of Starfleet’s decision about him. Captain Spencer was the first to talk though and definitely took the Admiral off guard.

“I will be direct with you Admiral. You are my superior, I have respect for you, but Commander T’Prion is like a daughter for me”, he started.

The Admiral felt relieved and worried at the same time. He was about to talk when the Captain went on:

“Her father was my First Officer on the USS Incredible. He was like a brother for me. When he sacrificed his life to save the ship, I just decided to change my life and taught at the Academy- T’Prion was 17 when she joined. She was totally unprepared to deal with human beings full of illogical emotions”. He paused smiling. “I took her under my wing. She was brilliant, still is…she was the one who allowed me to fly again…one day, when I’ll be dead or too old…she will be Captain of the USS Adventure”. He paused again, staring straight in the Admiral’s eyes “And I will allow nobody to ever harm her in any possible way, am I clear?” he asked in such a tone that definitely impressed the Admiral.

The man replied “I will never harm Commander T’Prion. I have much respect for her and…”

“I lived on Vulcan for five years, I am feeling very…attracted by Vulcan culture and…” he paused.

Captain Spencer laughed: “I know that, I have read everything about you…you didn’t think I would host someone on my ship without knowing him, right?” he paused. He was definitely more clever than the Admiral in his thinking. He continued, “You are putting yourself in a lot of trouble. Vulcan women are very hard to deal with; I have spent more than 15 years on that ship with Commander T’Prion, believe me, I know what I am talking about”. He considered the Admiral who had fell silent. “But you may have some chance, I don’t know why but T’Prion seems to appreciate you, maybe because you are speaking her language…be careful though”. The Captain put a friendly but firm hand on the Admiral’s shoulder.

“I know where it is, I have a plan of your ship…I took information about places and people too”, the Admiral said.

The Admiral rushed in his cabin. He didn’t even take time to have a look around. There were too many things happening and the Captain’s words were making it all even more difficult. Then there were the eggs, his mission, and …her…

Everyone was already sitting around the table when the Admiral joined them. Captain Spencer invited him to sit between him and the Commander. The Admiral launched him a thankful glance to which the Captain replied with a friendly smile. The conversation was peaceful, going from memories of past missions to discussions about science and exploration. The Admiral was glancing around in the room looking for Peter Andrews. Indeed, both T’Prion and he had decided to question him about the eggs…

Right after dinner, T’Prion invited the admiral to follow her. The man was very pleased of the fact she had taken the initiative herself but his bliss went a bit down when she proposed to go search for Peter. It was his intention as well but he had hoped for some moment of simple walk and talk before it.

“We have to talk”, the Admiral replied while entering the cabin, followed by the Commander.

T’Prion replied in a very direct way: “What will happen with the eggs once we reach Vulcan?”

“I am not sure”, he said. “I was…I was excluded from their plans”, he admitted.

“At the beginning, I was the one who helped them manage to create the eggs”, he explained.

“From a fossil found in the Vulcan desert…the idea was mine and in some way I made it work”, the young man said.

“Well”, the Admiral replied visibly irritated, “You are not supposed to be here”.

“There were arguments about it. At the beginning, it should have been only a scientific experiment and nobody really took it seriously. Then it worked and people started to speculate on the future. Some wanted to keep it as an experiment, others claimed that Dragons could be used as a weapon while others suggested that they could be left free to live in their home place…I was defending the latter but most of those who did were excluded. Then I came to know that the eggs were transported to Vulcan but I am not sure what they will do…whatever happens will be my fault”, he lowered his head.

“The Dragons were sacred for our people”, T’Prion explained. “Anyone talked of that?”

“One Vulcan scientist did but the others said it was just material for myths and legends”, Peter replied.

“The eggs are under my responsibility”, the Admiral said, “And I will not let them until I am sure they are where they are meant to be”.

She stared at Peter; there was something strange about him but she could not understand what. She would have liked to fuse her mind with him to discover what he was hiding but she was aware this wasn’t the right moment for it. Her gaze on him was making him feel and look even more ill. The Admiral was curious about the young man but he was feeling much stronger and he knew he would discover all there was to know, in the soft or hard way.

They left the young man for the night and the Admiral asked for a quick visit of the ship. The Commander was not that hard to convince which made the Admiral feel definitely well.

He was quite silent though, so at a certain point T’Prion said, “Something is bothering you”.

He sighed, “This mission will be the last one for both Captain Spencer and the USS Adventure”.

“And you need to tell him”, she replied. “I had gotten to know of that through our mental fusion…well you are a high officer who needs to communicate a simple order to a lower ranked officer. It is simple and logical; no need to over think of it”, she stated coldly.

He stopped and considered her. “Captain Spencer told me he considers you as a daughter, you spent more than 15 years with him on this ship…possible that you can’t understand that this order as you said, will destroy his life?” The Admiral was fully showing his human indignation in front of T’Prion insensibility.

“Transform it, most probably, not destroy it”, she replied. “And, no I am still not able to understand human’s emotions. You may speak our language or embrace our religion, but you are still a human being”.

“It is my call Commander, and I suspect this news coming from you would hurt him even more”, he replied.

“I respect human beings”, T’Prion added. “I just can’t understand them”.

“You have much on your shoulders, this is a fact”, she replied. “I am willing to help, for what I can”.

“I wish there was another option for him”, the Admiral said. “I tried but…”

“He said you were the one convincing him to fly again”, the Admiral whispered.

“And now you are thinking I could prepare him. Maybe, I don’t know…when he has an idea…nothing seems to move him”.

They went on with their visit. T’Prion was doing her best to help the Admiral focus on something else and help him let go of his emotions.

“By the way, my first name is Maximillian. You can call me so”, he attempted.

“As you well know, Vulcan people are not used to be that familiar so fast but…” she stopped and quickly changed the subject explaining something about the ship.

Once they had explored every bit of the ship, they stopped in front of the Commander’s cabin.

“I know it seems quite invading”, the Admiral started, “but may I have a quick look at the eggs before going to sleep?” he asked.

“I expected you to ask, and it sounds logical to me”, the Commander answered, opening the door.

“Thank you very much Commander, your help is truly appreciated”, he replied.

The Admiral left to head toward his cabin. He was still assailed by many thoughts and doubts. It had been a long day and something was telling him that the days to come wouldn’t be much simpler. He was feeling at the edge of his life, right before falling down, or learning how to fly.

In her cabin, T’Prion had started to meditate. It was her usual habit before sleeping but this night was special. She was retaining herself, honoured to watch over the sacred Dragons’ eggs. She attempted to connect with them again without physical contact though. She sensed there was more to discover about them and she was convinced many answers could be found.

The next day, the Admiral had woken up early. He went out in search of the Commander but didn’t dare coming to her cabin. He didn’t find Peter either. He went to the gym to train for a while then had a light breakfast before heading to the bridge. T’Prion was already there. The Admiral remained on the bridge until lunch time.

After eating at the Captain’s table like the previous evening, T’Prion whispered, “It is time, release your burden”, to the Admiral. He nodded and invited the Captain to talk privately, T’Prion followed.

The Captain led them to a lounge next to the dinner room. He was amused, figuring out that the Admiral would have talked with him about T’Prion again although her presence with them was a bit suspect.

“So”, he started, “What have I done? Or better what have you done?” He laughed. He was definitely not making things easy.

“You are here so I have no doubt”, the Captain replied, trying to sooth the atmosphere. He talked to the Admiral, “I have been feeling that you had something big to say, come on, don’t be scared!”

“There is no right way to communicate it Admiral”, T’Prion said in Vulcan language. “Just do it”.

“Captain Spencer, Starfleet has decided to offer you the rank of Admiral”, he said.

“But it comes with a price, a price I won’t accept”, the Captain replied clearly.

“So this was the good news, right? The reward…and what is the bad news?” he asked.

“As an Admiral you will be expected to serve in the Starfleet Headquarters”, the Admiral said.

“Sitting in a boring office while the others are flying in the stars!” the Captain commented. “I’m too old! This is what your lazy high Officers think, isn’t it?”

“They think you could serve better as an Admiral now. It sounds logical”, T’Prion said.

“Why was I convinced you would say that?” he replied with a point of bitterness.

“The USS Adventure needs me. I know Commander T’Prion would be an outstanding Captain but…”

“This is the last mission for the USS Adventure too”, the Admiral added, aware that his words were more lethal than a sharp sword.

“What?!” the Captain exclaimed. “They have no right!”, he shouted, striking his fist on the table.

“Captain, being part of Starfleet means serving for the best of our qualities, as persons and as ships”, T’Prion said.

“That is quite ironic, T’Prion…precisely, you convinced me to start flying again, and now…”

“I stopped flying because I could not sit on this chair knowing that it had cost the life of my best friend. That day I should have been the one sacrificing myself, not your father!” the Captain let himself fall into a chair.

“I read the reports with much attention. No other man on board was qualified to do what my father did. He died because there was no other choice to save the ship. He died because the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few or the one”, T’Prion said calmly.

“You would not have stopped him because he knew that at this moment he was meant to serve this way, even if this would have meant serving for the last time”, she paused. “My father admired you much Captain, more than you can imagine. If he was here today, he would tell you to serve as Starfleet asks, even if this means losing the USS Adventure and stop flying. You have much experience. In the Headquarters you can help take important decisions that will shape Starfleet and change the life of many; think of it”.

“You are right, you are terribly right as usual. You are the voice of logic, wisdom, rationality, like your father…but at times this voice has to be so painful. What is expected from me, Admiral?” he asked, getting up.

The Admiral had observed without talking. He could have found no better words. He answers:

“Take us to Vulcan where Commander T’Prion and myself will make sure our mission is fulfilled. Then go back to Earth where you’ll be nominated Admiral and take your new functions”.

T’Prion went out, but before the Admiral could follow her, the Captain asked him a word.

“The USS Adventure will be upgraded, then she will fly again in some time”, the Admiral replied.

“Your crew will be given new tasks and probably many of them will serve on the USS Adventure once ready. As for Commander T’Prion, I will personally watch over her”.

Before the Admiral could continue, the Captain said, “I had no doubt on this one but not because I will stop flying. I won’t keep a close eye on her, and on you”.

“How weird it sounds… Admiral Spencer…did you ever get used to it?” he asked.

“Well, I guess I need to enjoy my last mission here as much as I can, so let’s go to the bridge”, he stated as he headed toward the door.

“This mission is more important than I can tell”, Admiral Williams commented.

“They chose Starfleet prodigal son for it so I could imagine. I won’t try to know what it is all about even because I see that my First Officer and you are on top of things. I trust you both to do a good job”.

They walked together silently toward the bridge. The Captain sat on his chair, he caressed the material as if it was the first time he was sitting there.

No major event happened for almost the whole afternoon when T’Prion sensed a strange urge to go and check the eggs. She got up and told Maximillian about her intention in Vulcan to keep it private. He followed her- Miss Peeble, the communication officer had understood, but when the Captain asked her about it, she said she didn’t. She was a tall blond half German, half Irish lady in her fifties, she was curious herself about the Admiral’s mission but knew when it was the moment to respect secrecy.

T’Prion nodded and rushed toward her cabin. Maximillian was quicker and arrived just in time to find in front of him Peter, visibly going out of T’Prion’s cabin, carrying the box with the eggs in his hands. Maximillian threatened him with his weapon:

T’Prion had observed the scene; she had been approaching the young man very silently in order to find herself right behind his shoulder. This was all done so that she could perform a nerve-pinching that resulted in Peter losing consciousness. Maximillian jumped to grab the eggs before they could fall. He sighed in relief.

The Admiral called the security while the Commander went to her cabin in order to put the eggs back on the altar. “Admiral!” she called suddenly. He rushed inside:

“I don’t know”, she answered, calculating the consequences that their disclosure on the ship could have.

“How did you know the eggs were in danger?” Maximillian asked while walking.

“It was as if they were calling me for help”, she replied, “As if our minds were still connected in some way. I have to say that I meditated in that sense, I thought it would help me understand more, find answers”.

In his cell, Peter had recovered his senses. When the Admiral and the Commander reached it, he turned his back to avoid their eyes contact:

“Now I want the truth! Why did you want to come? To steal the eggs? Why? I want answers”, Maximillian said firmly.

The young man remained silent. T’Prion said, “We will have answers”. She entered the cell and the Admiral followed her.

“Are you sure?” the Admiral asked T’Prion in Vulcan. She nodded. “it is the only way”, she replied.

Maximillian grabbed strongly both hands of Peter and put them behind his back to immobilize him. The young man didn’t even try to escape. T’Prion approached him and put her hand on his face. She attempted to reach his mind, to find the answers, to understand. When a sudden surge of powerful energy violently invaded her and she screamed and fainted. The Admiral rushed toward her, letting go of Peter who was laughing.

The guards had surrounded Peter in order to make sure he would not escape. They had witnessed the scene in disbelief and were very impressed by the young man.

“It was like electricity”, she whispered in her language. “He is not human”, she added.

He gently put her on the couch, holding her hand, he was feeling helpless and was always more confused by the whole situation. He looked at the eggs, then at the tiny lady lying down… And then…a verse in Vulcan came back to his memory, “The Great Dragon will inhabit a manly body to defend his offspring…”

“That is the Da-Kuv t’Yoshuhlnak, the Dragon Circle, a very ancient poem…how do you know it?” she asked.

“I don’t know”, the Admiral replied. “Maybe I read it when I was on Vulcan, I don’t remember…”

“The Great Dragon will inhabit a manly body to defend his offspring. Until the one who touched those who are unborn will rise and welcome him”.

She paused “that is not only a poem, it is a Prophecy!” she exclaimed, sitting up.

“Peter was not himself because the Spirit of the Dragon inhabited him. The one who touched those who are unborn, this is me!”

“Attempting another mental fusion? It will kill you! I cannot allow it”, the Admiral stated firmly.

“There is no other choice, this has to happen the way it is written”, she replied determined. “Trust me”, she added.

She stared at him and got up. He understood that she would not change her mind. He followed her.

They reached the cell where Peter this time was staring at them. He hadn’t thought to see them back so quickly. T’Prion entered the cell, the guards surrounded the prisoner. Maximillian was standing right behind her. “I trust you”, he whispered in her language and she glanced at him.

Then still repeating the words, she put her hand on Peter’s face. She started to speak faster, louder. Peter’s body was shaking, he screamed. T’Prion was invaded by an ancient Fire. It felt like the source of her life, the heart of Vulcan; it was overwhelming. Finally, she interrupted the physical contact and fell backward just in time for the Admiral to grab her. She was gasping but she was conscious. Her eyes were full of tears as if she had just made a long journey in a forgotten place. Maximillian felt that it would be too much though. In this brief instant, he understood that everything happened in his life until this day had been leading him exactly where he was:

“It is too much for one person…it is meant to be, you know it”, he replied.

She fused her mind with his, it seemed to them that a swirl of intense energy where flooding their whole beings. Then the energy settled, like two parts of the same thing, all was calm, peaceful, balanced.

“I suppose that we need to fulfill the Prophecy in some way”, Maximillian replied.

They got up in the cell; Peter was sitting down with his head in his hands and was crying. The Admiral put a hand on his shoulder. “I apologize, I just wanted to…to protect them”, he paused. “No! I wanted to keep them for me, I knew what would happen, I knew you were the ones”, he admitted. He paused then he continued, “that power inside is overwhelming, I wanted it for me, only for me”.

He ordered the guards to take Peter back in his cabin but recommended that his door was guarded to avoid him going out.

Maximillian and T’Prion checked the eggs again. Then they meditated for a while together.

“The same for me, but we need to keep ourselves in check”. She added, “Nobody really knows the essence of the Dragon”.

“You said the last Dragon perished because of early Vulcan violence”, the Admiral said.

“Indeed, but part of his energy is violent too, we saw it in Peter”, she replied.

“No, what we saw was Peter’s greed for power. It had nothing to do with the Dragon”.

“We saw what killed the Dragon”, T’Prion said. “But his Spirit survived in our planet’s core and later he started to inhabit persons and guide us…could it be that Surak…?” She paused.

“I am sure that many things will appear clearer to us now; this is really a gift”, Maximillian said. “And now I understand each choice I made in this life”, he added.

T’Prion stared at him; she knew he was also talking of his feelings for her. Their mind meld had revealed to her everything about them, nor had he tried to conceal anything.

“We need to go back to the bridge” she said, not willing to think or talk about it for the time being.

The Dragon Fire was a gift, yes, but for her it was also a danger. The danger of coming in contact with long forgotten emotions…

On the bridge, the Captain had already received the notice of Peter’s incident. Nobody had fully understood how the events really went and most of all, the reason why the young man had behaved the way he had. The guards had heard the Admiral talk about eggs. Now the Captain wondered what the Admiral’s mission really was. He had heard of T’Prion fainting and was also worried for her. Yet there was a point of anger toward the Admiral that stung his heart.

When Maximillian appeared on the bridge, the Captain launched him a cold look but said nothing. He asked T’Prion how she was:

Nothing of interest happened until dinner time, after which Maximillian and T’Prion retired to meditate more and share their experiences:

“My senses are sharper”, the Admiral said. “I feel more balanced, yet my emotions are definitely enhanced. I live everything with more intensity”

“I am experiencing the same” T’Prion replied, without adding more details.

The Admiral was aware of the fact that these sensations could be a problem for her. At times they were hard to control for him too, even though he was used to dealing with emotions…

“The eggs are warming more”, she noticed. “I wonder what it means, is there anything written about that in your list of instructions?”

“We can try to discover it in meditation”, Maximillian proposed. Yet he still did not fully trust the young man.

They sat down in the area T’Prion had dedicated to meditation. Maximillian wasn’t very used to doing it but he felt this was essential in order to understand and learn more.

They closed their eyes. The smell of Vulcan incense was helping their mind to drift. The regular soft noise of the USS Adventure was sounding like a sweet lullaby. Soon after starting, both of them began to see images, sounds, words. They were no longer on the ship; they were traveling in space and time. Slowly they were getting to know better the Dragon and its origins. It was older than they had thought- in fact there was no Dragon; there was a Spirit: the Spirit and Soul of an entire planet. Over time, it had grown and taken many shapes. The most famous of them was a mighty Dragon but some were actually persons. Slowly they went through the early History of Vulcan, the wars and violent emotions that were leading to destruction…T’Prion’s breath became faster as she was fighting not to contact those ancient passions. Maximillian noticed it:

“The Dragon is the heart and Spirit of Vulcan, it is not an animal”, she replied.

“Ancient Vulcan History is dark. Without logic, our civilization would cease to exist. Emotions are dangerous when my people experience them. They run toward destruction”, she explained.

“We were there. Those were all around us, poisoning us. My people have evolved, I cannot go backwards”, she stated.

“I think those things are shown to us for a reason. We should not fight them, we should not be afraid of them”.

“Fear is an emotion, so it is impossible for me to know it”, T’Prion said proudly.

The face of Surak appeared: ancient verses and proverbs written in old Vulcan calligraphy, the rising of the Academy of Science, the first contact with human beings, rituals on Mount Seleya, evolution of technology, spirituality, logic…Then images of the way the eggs were created from a tiny piece of fossil found in the desert, their coming to life until the day they were brought to the USS Adventure. The trip seemed to be done. Both opened their eyes.

They parted for the night. Maximillian was simply feeling happy, fulfilled, and eager to wake up the next day to experience more; thankful.

T’Prion went through a ritual to purge emotions. She wanted to remain in control of whatever she would have seen or experienced…

To be continued in Part 2!

Read more from The Reboot Series and Patris Angel.

Patris Angel The Reboot Series Da-Kuv t’Yoshuhlnak- The Dragon Circle	On Site 2014.08.09
Part Two, On a scientific mission to return ancient relics to Vulcan, the crew of the USS Adventure find some things will not stay in the past.