Tears flowed down her face as Muriah ran in a blind panic across the Vulcan desert. As she approached a ledge Muriah didn't slow down even when her feet lost contact with the rock and her body careened into empty space. "I am dead," Muriah thought with a sense of relief.

Voices spoke in hushed whispers. "Her memory must be erased. She must be made to forget. It might kill her. Well, it hardly matters."

Muriah screamed as one by one memories of her parents, her first cello lesson, her training in Vulcan customs all dissolved into gray matter-gone.

Spock felt cold terror wash over him as Muriah tried to fight the regeneration process. His body convulsed and he thrashed back and forth.

Tiberius swore and ran over to his emergency transmitter. He must call Sarek.

As soon as Sarek got the call he ignored Vulcan protocol and ran from his office into the old section of the city. He would make quicker progress on foot. Many Vulcans stopped to stare as Sarek huffed past them. Once he reached his residence, Sarek dispensed with Vulcan formality and yanked the door open. He ran upstairs following the direction of Spock's screams.

Spock lay strapped down on the couch, his body shaking from shock. Sarek walked over and put his fingers on Spock's temples. Spock reached up and grabbed Sarek's hand with such force that the bones shattered. Sarek winced, yet still remained centered. Spock did not respond. Sarek gasped when he felt Spock's essence weakening. With his good hand Sarek slapped Spock across the face several times. Greenish-gray blood flowed from Spock's nose, his pupils dilated and then shrunk back to their normal size.

Spock sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth. He then glanced up at Sarek. "Crude but effective. Thank you father."

Sarek inclined his head in silence. How many times had he almost lost his son? Though he would never admit it to Spock, Sarek knew that Spock's loss would devastate him.

***

Kirk gazed out the observation window. He missed his First Officer, Spock. Smiling, Kirk traced his finger down an imaginary line on the glass window as he thought of he and Spock's first meeting. "What a square he was," Kirk thought with fondness.

"A credit for your thoughts," a gravelly voice said.

Kirk grinned at the sound of McCoy's voice. "What brings you up here, Bones?"

"Well, what brought you up here?" McCoy asked as he bounced on his heels.

Kirk grinned, "Now you sound like, Spock."

McCoy nodded as he replied in a soft voice, "I'll take that as a compliment."

For a moment neither Kirk nor McCoy spoke a word and then McCoy stepped forward. "You're worried about Spock, aren't you, Jim?"

Kirk sighed. "Yes and no. I know he'll be back aboard the Enterprise. It's just that I feel different since my experience on Vulcan. During my meld with the Vulcan mystics I came to know the memories of a Vulcan warrior that had been dead for centuries. It's hard to believe we will never meet."

McCoy frowned as he said, "Perhaps you will or did. Hell I don't know."

Kirk laughed. "Come on, Bones, let's have a glass or two or three of your contraband Saurian Brandy."

McCoy folded his arms across his chest. "I don't recall mentioning that a fresh decanter had come into my possession. Besides it's only for medicinal purposes."

Kirk grinned. "Come on good Doctor, lead on. I need a drink, for medicinal purposes only of course."

McCoy grinned back. "Of course."