Title: Spock's Logs 9
Author: Istannor 
Series: TOS
Part: 1/1
Rating: [PG13]
Codes: 
Summary: We give our thanks to Ambassador Spock's
estate for
allowing us to view these records. Spock tells a little
about his first interaction with human wedding rituals.

Disclaimer: These are the characters of Paramount and
Viacom. They own them. I only check 'em out from the
library. I promise to bring 'em back.


Spock's Logs 9


Stardate: 1822.6



The ship is peaceful and this mission has been without
incident to date. We are mapping and looking for any
habitable planets or civilizations out on the frontiers of
Federation space. Dr. McCoy has begun a new campaign
which I find to be ludicrous, but he is obviously intent on
success. He wishes to "get Jim drunk." It is his new cause
and while it distracts him from his irritating pursuit of nettling
me, it only turns his attentions on the Captain who would do
better without them. Dr. McCoy has decided that Jim's
admission while we were on Antares, that he can not get
drunk served as a clarion call to meet the challenge. He has
endeavored to spend every off-duty hour with Jim in the
pursuit of a single goal, drunkenness. I find his single-minded
pursuit of this goal to be incomprehensible.

Every evening while Jim and I are trying to discuss literature,
scientific research, the ship, or play chess, Dr. McCoy sees
fit to burst in and interrupt our evening. Jim is as gracious as I
would expect, but Dr. McCoy does not know how to take no
for an answer. Each evening he brings a different concoction
for Jim to test and to ascertain any affect of the Captain's
sobriety. To date, the Doctor's attempts have met with dismal
failure, but that does not deter him.

Last night, Dr. McCoy entered the cabin while we were in the
midst of an endgame. I was in check and I was not clear if
Jim's position signaled a second or a third level of
misdirection. He often has a myriad of false leads interwoven
in his game strategy. I was contemplating my move when Dr.
McCoy entered in the company of Commander Scott. They
are both profligate drinkers. At least they had the self-control
to wait silently for my move. I decided that Jim's current
frontal attack was a ruse and made my move accordingly. I
must assume that the Doctor's entry distracted me, because I
found myself check-mated in three moves.

To celebrate my loss, or the Doctor stated that was the
occasion, he pulled out a bottle of Rigellian Spring wine,
which is an especially noxious brew that no self-respecting
Vulcan would ever touch. The people of Rigel are an offshoot
of Vulcan from our earliest times. They actually left us before
the Romulans, and as a result, have none of our teachings of
self-control or logic. They are a sensual, indulgent culture with
group marriages and a tendency more towards artistic
expression. Vulcans find them to  be an embarrassing
offshoot of the ancient evolutionary tree. Unfortunately, their
liquor can have an affect on true Vulcans.

McCoy poured a round of drinks for everyone. Jim evinced
an interest in my continued presence and I did not wish to
disappoint him, therefore I acquiesced. I had only had
Rigellian Spring wine once before in life, at the wedding of
one of my mother's relatives on Earth. His name was Stanley
. When he married a woman from Rigel, we all attended,
even my Father. It was a unique experience. My Mother is a
Messianic Jew, married to an agnostic Vulcan. We attended
the wedding of her Greek Orthodox cousin to a Rigellian
priestess of the Faith. Needless to say, there was a great
deal of imbibing, most of it by members of the extended
family that lamented the loss of yet another of the flock to an
alien.

The smell of the wine brought back memories that I had
hoped to forget.

I was 13years 3months and 14days old on the day of the
wedding. I sat alone in the corner watching the festivities from
a secure vantage point. My father was under rigid control as
yet another relative slapped him on his back and inquired
after his well-being. My own shields were being severely
tested by the entire event and I was spared the physical
contact. I could not begin to imagine what my father was
experiencing and more to the point I am not sure I was not
getting  perverse pleasure out of noting his discomfort. These
people did not care that he was the Vulcan Ambassador or
that he was the Clan head. Here, he was "Amanda's weird
husband". I believe that was the nicest term they used for
him.

A 15 year old cousin by the name of Sadie approached me
and sat down next to me. She was tall, slim, and dark-
skinned, with startling blue eyes and curly black hair that
cascaded down her shoulders. I found her nearness to be
uncomfortable and I moved away as delicately as I could.
Humans smelled strange to me at that time and their
motivations and behaviors were incomprehensible. She
narrowed the gap again and gave me a very strange smile. "I
don't bite, Spock. Is that your only name?"

"The only one you can pronounce." She snorted at my
proclamation. I did not realize until recently how rude a
statement that was.

"Here, I brought you a drink, cousin. It is the custom at these
weddings to toast the bride and groom, so I brought you a
glass so you won't be thought of as being rude. Drink it down.
There is more where that came from." She tipped the glass
back and consumed the drink in one session. I did not wish
to be rude with my inattention to Earth betrothal customs,
therefore I copied her actions. I am not sure when I realized
the alcoholic content of the drink. It is heavily disguised in the
flavoring and as unused as I was to the consumption of
alcohol; I had never had a drink before in my life, I did not
realize until it was too late that I had consumed 10ozs of 175
proof alcohol.

Approximately ten minutes later, the room began to take on a
rather warm glow, shot through with green. My cousin moved
closer to me again, but this time I did not move away. She
did not really smell, and though I was not sure what she was
talking about, it sounded most pleasant. She invited me to
come with her, and on our way out of the room, she grabbed
another glass for us both. I downed mine quickly. I did not
wish to wish to break any cultural taboos regarding human
bonding practices.

She led me into a room where the coats were held, and she
took down some coats off of the wall and laid them out on the
floor. I  had no idea what she was doing, but it seemed
fascinating at the time. She pulled me down onto the coats
and it began to dawn on me that something was not
appropriate, but I could not think what it was, and most
importantly I had great difficulty in mustering any real concern.
I was a passenger, nothing more.

When she had me in the position that she was pleased with,
she began to touch my face and stroke me along my upper
body. This was a most unusual experience for me and I must
admit that I was intrigued. She then leaned forward and
kissed me, applying the lightest of pressure to my lips. I had
read about kissing and actually had seen my parents perform
the ritual twice. Thus, I felt experienced, so I returned the
gesture. This seemed to embolden her, so she kissed me
again. This time she had her mouth open and stuck her
tongue into my mouth. I reared back in surprise and asked
her if that was a customary part of the ritual. She assured me
it was, so I leaned into it with all that I had at my disposal and
found that I felt a certain hunger in doing so.

The bond to T'Pring called to me, but it was the faintest of
calls. This human female, with her tongue in my mouth was a
far more immediate issue. I rolled on top of her and began to
practice the ritual in earnest when I felt the abrupt pull of the
parental bond, and a hand pulling me off the cousin beneath
me. I did say that she was a distant cousin, did I not?

Needless to say, the hand belonged to Sarek. I can say
without reservation that he was mortified. I, on the other hand,
was frustrated. I tried to explain to my father in the most
reasonable of terms how I needed to complete the ritual with
Sadie, as I did not wish to insult the Bride and Groom. Sarek
led me away bodily and left me in the care and protection of
my Mother. I can remember her laughter as she tried to
explain to me that I was drunk. I reassured her that Vulcans
did not drink at which point she hugged me. That is the last
thing I recall. I awoke in the Vulcan Embassy.

As I watched Dr. McCoy serve my Captain his second glass
of Rigellian Spring wine, I noticed Scotty and McCoy were
already inebriated. Jim was watching them with an indulgent
look on his face and I was beginning to feel the effects of the
drink myself. Jim turned to me, smiled, and for a moment I felt
like I was the only one he ever allowed to see the true Jim.
We sat and talked with McCoy and Scotty until we had to
help them both back to their respective cabins. Jim
appeared sober and strangely apologetic for being so. I do
not understand why a Doctor would encourage drunkenness,
but there is so much about Dr. McCoy that I find to be
incomprehensible.

After we had all parties safely returned to their quarters, I
walked Jim back to his cabin. "What do you think Bones will
bring next, Spock?"

"More help," I replied. I was pleased with the laughter that
followed my pronouncement. Humor is problematic for me
normally, but I am finding that I have a knack for it; at least
Jim enjoys my attempts.

I left Jim at his door, but I can not sleep. I am having difficulty
with the concept of what would have happened had he, who
is my Father, not have shown up when he did. I am not certain
the culmination of that episode would have been without
value. Some rituals are better if they are carried through to
their logical conclusion.

End Log