Late in 2387, they find Spock lying on the floor of his guest suite, frothing at the mouth, wetting his robes and babbling incoherently to himself.
After decades of effort, the Romulan / Vulcan reunification talks had finally come to fruition; both sides had reached an agreement, and a reunification treaty had been signed today. Spock was pleased. At long last, his people were to be reunited with their distant cousins. Now the path would be clear for Vulcan Logic to stabilize and enhance the Romulan society, while Romulan Passion would catalyze new thought on Vulcan.
But then suddenly, these mysterious symptoms befall Spock without warning. Why is he sick? Did somebody poison him? Starfleet and Romulan doctors work together, desperately trying to figure out what's wrong.
As it turns out, after the treaty signing, some of Spock's allies on the Romulan senate declared party time. Everyone knows Romulans in general party pretty hard, after all Romulan Ale is known--and banned--throughout the Alpha Quadrant. But Romulan senators party hardest of all, and they've got party favours that make Romulan Ale feel like kool-aid.
"Ambassador Spock, I have something here that you really should try," suggested Senator Abram, as he stumbled down the hall. Spock noted he was heading toward a dark and unoccupied part of the building, and away from the celebration proper. Spock deliberated on whether he should follow the senator, or decline and remain with the party. To depart the celebration seemed illogical, but in the end his human curiosity won out, and he too stepped toward the shadows.
They reached the end of the hall, and Abram pressed his hand to a door. The door unlocked, and opened. Looking over Spock's shoulder suspiciously, he confirmed no one had followed, and then quickly ushered Spock inside and closed the door behind them.
The room was pitch black, but Spock could hear the steady hum of equipment, and feel the prickly sensation of a faint electrostatic charge on his skin.
The lights popped on, and Spock observed before him a large floating ball of red liquid, suspended in an antigrav field and surrounded by a force field.
"Fascinating," he observed. "What is it?"
"It's called 'Red Matter,' my friend," said Abram, "and it's like nothing you've ever seen before," he continued, adding a grandiose gesture for dramatic effect.
"If you were to come into contact with even one tiny drop of this substance, it would cause you to collapse into a black hole, with the power to rip away and swallow your entire world," Abram stated. "It is even capable, some have said, of punching through the very fabric of time, and depositing you into another moment." Spock raised an eyebrow. The notion of such a substance actually existing was completely absurd. And yet, Abram spoke very seriously, and was not given to pranks. During the long negotiations, Spock had grown quite skilled at interpreting the Romulan Senators, and he sensed no deception in Abram now. Did he truly believe the stories he was sharing? How could any rational, intelligent person possibly be persuaded to accept the existence of such a ridiculous, and implausibly powerful material? Ah, of course, Spock realized in an instant, the only logical explanation; Abram's story about the red matter wasn't meant to be taken literally, but merely as an elaborate metaphor for the effects of hallucinogenic drug use.
"So what do you say, my friend, would you like to try this wonderful concoction I've produced?"
It was necessary to a successful reunification process, Spock told himself, to keep an open mind. When one is acclimating one's self to a new or different culture, one must be willing to try new things. Therefore, when on Romulus, do as Romulans do. Spock considered the possibility that he may even be enriched by having the new experience.
Unfortunately, he ended up seizing on the floor of his guest quarters, living out a terrifying nightmare in his head about travelling back in time, seeing his friends and family killed terribly, and becomming trapped forever in a warped vision of his own past. But he got better.
And once he fully recovered from the experience, and saw that the world around him was not in fact destroyed, but still safe and sound and just as he remembered it, he reflected that the experience--while frightening--had also been fascinating, in its refreshing novelty, and impressive dramatic value.
However, Spock was still grateful that the events of his terrible nightmare could be dismissed entirely, without any detriment to the rest of reality.
And the Adventure Continues...
After decades of effort, the Romulan / Vulcan reunification talks had finally come to fruition; both sides had reached an agreement, and a reunification treaty had been signed today. Spock was pleased. At long last, his people were to be reunited with their distant cousins. Now the path would be clear for Vulcan Logic to stabilize and enhance the Romulan society, while Romulan Passion would catalyze new thought on Vulcan.
But then suddenly, these mysterious symptoms befall Spock without warning. Why is he sick? Did somebody poison him? Starfleet and Romulan doctors work together, desperately trying to figure out what's wrong.
As it turns out, after the treaty signing, some of Spock's allies on the Romulan senate declared party time. Everyone knows Romulans in general party pretty hard, after all Romulan Ale is known--and banned--throughout the Alpha Quadrant. But Romulan senators party hardest of all, and they've got party favours that make Romulan Ale feel like kool-aid.
"Ambassador Spock, I have something here that you really should try," suggested Senator Abram, as he stumbled down the hall. Spock noted he was heading toward a dark and unoccupied part of the building, and away from the celebration proper. Spock deliberated on whether he should follow the senator, or decline and remain with the party. To depart the celebration seemed illogical, but in the end his human curiosity won out, and he too stepped toward the shadows.
They reached the end of the hall, and Abram pressed his hand to a door. The door unlocked, and opened. Looking over Spock's shoulder suspiciously, he confirmed no one had followed, and then quickly ushered Spock inside and closed the door behind them.
The room was pitch black, but Spock could hear the steady hum of equipment, and feel the prickly sensation of a faint electrostatic charge on his skin.
The lights popped on, and Spock observed before him a large floating ball of red liquid, suspended in an antigrav field and surrounded by a force field.
"Fascinating," he observed. "What is it?"
"It's called 'Red Matter,' my friend," said Abram, "and it's like nothing you've ever seen before," he continued, adding a grandiose gesture for dramatic effect.
"If you were to come into contact with even one tiny drop of this substance, it would cause you to collapse into a black hole, with the power to rip away and swallow your entire world," Abram stated. "It is even capable, some have said, of punching through the very fabric of time, and depositing you into another moment." Spock raised an eyebrow. The notion of such a substance actually existing was completely absurd. And yet, Abram spoke very seriously, and was not given to pranks. During the long negotiations, Spock had grown quite skilled at interpreting the Romulan Senators, and he sensed no deception in Abram now. Did he truly believe the stories he was sharing? How could any rational, intelligent person possibly be persuaded to accept the existence of such a ridiculous, and implausibly powerful material? Ah, of course, Spock realized in an instant, the only logical explanation; Abram's story about the red matter wasn't meant to be taken literally, but merely as an elaborate metaphor for the effects of hallucinogenic drug use.
"So what do you say, my friend, would you like to try this wonderful concoction I've produced?"
It was necessary to a successful reunification process, Spock told himself, to keep an open mind. When one is acclimating one's self to a new or different culture, one must be willing to try new things. Therefore, when on Romulus, do as Romulans do. Spock considered the possibility that he may even be enriched by having the new experience.
Unfortunately, he ended up seizing on the floor of his guest quarters, living out a terrifying nightmare in his head about travelling back in time, seeing his friends and family killed terribly, and becomming trapped forever in a warped vision of his own past. But he got better.
And once he fully recovered from the experience, and saw that the world around him was not in fact destroyed, but still safe and sound and just as he remembered it, he reflected that the experience--while frightening--had also been fascinating, in its refreshing novelty, and impressive dramatic value.
However, Spock was still grateful that the events of his terrible nightmare could be dismissed entirely, without any detriment to the rest of reality.
And the Adventure Continues...
Last edited:
