Rules of engagement - Temple of Raal T'Jedf

Posted on 08 Jun 2019 @ 2:05pm by Commander S’chqenr T’Jedf Tolkath (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Lieutenant Commander T'Lara
Edited on on 09 Jun 2019 @ 10:59am

Mission: Hahai i na pilikua nui - Hunting Monsters
Location: Holodeck Two
Timeline: T+2 22:05hrs

[ON]

[Holodeck Two]

As the door closed behind them Tolkath announced “Computer: Start program Tolkath Nine - T’Jedf Temple Link environmental controls to program”

Acknowledged Replied the disembodied voice Program starts now

The open grid-lined compartment faded away, replaced by a mountain vista. Dark red and yellow crags rose all around, the floor became a narrow staircase, worn and shallow steps cut through the pinnacle of a ridge. It crossed the ridge rising as it went. Steep and precipitous drops of many hundreds of feet appeared on each side of the narrow path.

The light changed, shifting hue to a rich golden orange, a few thin clouds appeared high overhead in the auburn sky, it appear to be late afternoon, early evening.

The temperature began to steadily increase, the humidity dropping as the air became warm and dry. A gentle breeze came up, steadily blowing hot air across the open staircase.

At the far end of the ridge grew a rocky outcrop, there was a gateway in it, like the stairs it had been cut from the living rock. Dark wooden doors hung open leading into what looked like a courtyard, the roofs and towers of a building could be seen above the outcrop.

“This is a simulation of the Temple of Raal T’Jedf on Vulcan.” Tolkath explained “Sixteen hundred years ago my ancestor’s Warrior Clan worshiped their Gods of War here. It is still a temple, but now one of peace, logic and enlightenment. Its name has always been linked with my family, I carry it now. Come…”

Without further word he set off across the narrow, worn, steps of the staircase, walking assuredly above the lethal drop to each side.

At the gateway he turned and waited for T’Lara. “The crossing is a test of…. faith... and logic. Faith that your path is true; faith that placing one foot in front of the other on a narrow staircase is no different than placing one foot in front of the other on a wide hallway. And faith that you can recognize the logic in that…”

T'Lara looked up to him. "Logic..the logic in what you say is sound. But my faith..."

She stopped and fell silent a moment before continuing. "Thank you, Commander, for sharing this with me. I am honored to be here, even if this is a holo version of the real temple."

Tolkath reached out and tapped his knuckle on the holo-rock wall. "It is indeed a hologram, but to the senses this rock is as real as the original.

On one level our mind tells us this is merely a photonic illusion, a computer generated simulation, that we are in a compartment aboard a starship in orbit of a world many lights years from Vulcan.

But our senses, our sight, touch, smell and hearing tell us it is real or as real as we chose it to be..."

You may view it as an illusion or you may have faith and view it as a tool, a place in which to practice discipline and control..."

T'Lara looked around and nodded. "Understood, sir. So what am I suppose to do here?"

"This evening we will work on restoring some inner calm. You will need to gain control if you are to participate in the mission tomorrow" Tolkath replied "In the future you come here to study and learn how to purge your emotions in a deeper lasting way. You have to take but the first step.." He gestured to the narrow stairs and waited for her to cross.

She looked to the stairs and swallowed. She didn't fear the stairs but did fear to loose control. She got up the stairs and slowly walked up it, carefully not to fall.

The gates of the doorway were old, the dark heavy wood bound with bronze straps and carved with images of ancient Vulcan warriors. They opened on to a small courtyard, like the rest of the entrance, carved from solid rock. It was shaded by tall rock walls, cooler and out of the wind, there was another carved gateway that led out onto a wide rocky plateau.

On one wall of the courtyard there was a stone basin fed by a small spring, Tolkath crossed to it, dipped his hands in, washed them and his face, the water was surprisingly cool in the Vulcan heat.

He waited for TLara to wash, then moved to where a large bronze tubular gong hung from a beam set into the rock wall. Tolkath picked up a wooden hammer and tapped the gong three times.

It rang with deep heavy notes that echoed off the rocky walls and could be felt through the body, like a physical touch, he let each note fade before the next strike.

Tolkath handed T’Lara the mallet. “Allow the sound waves to pass over and through you, let them push out extraneous thoughts and bring calmness”

T'Lara took the mallet and slowly hit the gong. Leaving a pause between each tap, where she closed her eyes to just let the sound of the gong in. She followed the sound through her body and could feel her breathing become more slower, more calmer.

When the last note of the gong faded Tolkath turned and led the way through the inner gateway. The rock walls fell away as the ridge opened out into a broad plateau. The Temple building stood on the right side, a large monolithic structure, partly carved from the rock and partly built of huge stone blocks of the same stone, blending and tying it into the mountain summit on which it sat.

There was a heavy timber roof, the beams shod with bronze caps, wide eaves gave places of shade from the bright afternoon sunlight that bathed the plateau. Two large circular towers rose above the building each flew a long streaming banner that dipped and waved in the hot dry wind.

Across the plateau there were several large statues, of Vulcan warriors, clad in armor and helms, bearing shields and weapons. The carvings old and weather worn but the features still discernible.

A small circular amphitheater was carved into the rock near the temple building and several monks were sat on its benches, talking quietly or reading texts. Others walked in contemplation through a garden of gravel, stones and mountain plants.

From the temple the rhythmic chanting was louder now and braziers of incense wafted a heady smoke across the plateau from where it drifted out over the mountain valleys and peaks. A sense of ageless serenity pervaded the temple and grounds, a sanctuary of peace and tranquility in a high mountain setting.

The sun was low on the horizon now, the light changing to a darker burnt orange as the day passed. On the western side of the plateau was a large stone ledge, flat and smooth, it hung out over precipice, and hundreds of feet below was a narrow gorge.

Tolkath made his way to the ledge, several Monks were seated there, crossed legged, quietly reciting verses and mantras as they watched the sunset.

Tolkath found an open space, less than two feet from the edge of the ledge and sat down, folding his legs beneath him and laying his hands palm down on his knees in a relaxed mediation position.

He beckoned for TLara to sit beside him.

T'Lara walked to him and sat down. She looked around a moment.

While she did so he closed his eyes and began to control his breathing, searching for a gentle relaxed rhythm in the thin atmosphere of the Vulcan high land. After a couple of minutes he spoke quietly. “What is it that is troubling you?”

She sat quietly as she contemplated on the question a moment thinking of an answer. She calmly breathed in and out and then said, "At the moment my emotions. Earlier I was upset with Lieutenant Stevens. I think you can understand my frustration after what happened in the briefing. "

"Lieutenant Stevens is young and lacks maturity, even for his young age" Tolkath replied. "It has been my experience that he frequently acts without thought or consideration of his actions. I have observed the frustration you speak of in others who have to interact with him. That allows him to control their emotions, by their failure to control their own reaction to his behavior."

"Being a Vulcan I could have been more...contained with my reaction to him. " TLara said "But the more I lashed out at him, the more I could feel the tension rise inside me.

There were moments where I just...just wanted to..to push him against the wall and threaten him." She held her hands on her mouth when she thought back.

“Our ancestors would fight ritual duels with their enemy captives on this ledge, the loser often being cast to their death. Their emotions, controlled them.

Hatred, fear, anger are powerful feelings, our ancestors nearly let those emotions destroy us. It is only through the repression of such feelings, the acceptance of logic, have we achieved peace and survived.” Tolkath said, still with his eyes closed.

“Now it is used as a place of medication, a place to bring our emotions under control, to reject the path of danger. The height and openness of the ledge reminds us that giving into emotions will lead us to fall.

There is fear here, fear of falling, fear of death, but that fear should be acknowledged, accepted and controlled, not allowed to drag us down.”

She put her hands back down. "I think I was only held back, because I was afraid. Afraid of loosing that control once again. And the fact I may...I may have feelings for him."

"I see" Tolkath replied and thought on that for a while before speaking again "Relationships between Vulcans and emotional species, such as Humans, are not common and are rarely successful in the long term. Your own parents' relationship is an example.

Further, our longevity alone creates disharmony as the Human partner ages much faster than we do" He spoke factually. "But beyond that there can never be true balance between a couple where one is driven by emotional needs and the other by rational logic.

You are a product of such a relationship and you are experiencing that disharmony within your self as your current condition demonstrates.

It will ever be thus, unless you chose a path to follow, strive to become Vulcan, embrace what you can be or chose to become V'tosh ka'tur" a Vulcan without logic.

T'Lara looked to him for a moment. A little debate was going on inside of her. This is not a choice she could make on the spot. There was a lot she had to take in consideration. She then spoke. "You say V'tosh ka'tur, a Vulcan without logic, and a Vulcan, as if those are the two distinguishable choices at the moment. Therefore you must mean, Vulcans with emotions are true Vulcans, Vulcans with logic, but Vulcans who don't choose that path have no logic. Am I correct?"

"Both are Vulcans, but as a species we have come to recognize that logic is our path. It has saved out civilization, brought us here and will take us into the future.

All sentient beings can use logic, all sentient beings have emotions. We have chosen to control our emotions, not be controlled by them. However, V'tosh ka'tur reject that path and make their own way.

Choices are not easy, particularly when the mind is not calm and at peace. But choose you must at some point, or you will not find tranquility within yourself, which ever path you take." Tolkath replied

T'Lara nodded and took a deep breath. "I know and hear what you are saying, sir," she said. "But as you say, this is not an decision to make. I may need some time to to come to the conclusion. I can not do this right now. I do hope that which ever path I chose, I can count on your continued support. And perhaps allow me to return to this place."

"I will adjust the program to allow you access" Tolkath agreed "Though respect that this is private place, not for... outsiders"

She nodded. "Of course, this yours and your family. I will respect your rules and wishes on this. I will not bring outsiders here."

"Very well." he nodded "For now, let us see if we can bring some order to your current thoughts, you have a challenging mission tomorrow, one that will require focus and concentration" Tolkath was concerned that she may not be able to take part in the Mine infiltration if she remained in her present state.

He lifted his hand and pointed out beyond the ledge. “Look to the horizon, the sun will soon set, focus upon it. As it sinks, let it take your uncontrolled emotions with it.“ He said quietly.

In the distance the sun was now a dark ruby red, easily viewed with the eyes. It was low over the peaks of far away mountains, as it descended into the soft haze of the land.

“There will be a brief green flash as the sun sets, caused by the refraction of the light through the prism of our atmosphere. Concentrate now only on controlling your thoughts, emotions and feelings, let that last green light signal your control of them.” Tolkath said softy, letting his own mind do the same.

Following where he was pointing at, T'Lara looked at the sun setting. She did exactly what he said. But she already felt more calmer just by being here and hearing the gentle sound of his voice, almost like her Vulcan father.

The sun sunk lower, until only the faintest sliver of it peeked above the distant range. Just as it vanished from sight there was a green flare, a brightness the color of emeralds, the rays spread outwards from the now vanished sun, it lasted only a second before it was gone.

The sky to the west was still a golden orange but behind them as they sat on the stone ledge came a steady wave of blue, light and hazy overhead but rapidly changing to a dark blue, then black as the night sky rolled in.

The temperature began to drop, it was dry and the stone ledge still warm but with the sun gone, the high altitude air cooled rapidly. Tolkath remained seated.

"Your thoughts?" He asked after some twenty minutes of quiet meditation.

She returned to the ledge they were sitting on. "I am in control, this place..." She took a deep breath. "I can focus better."

Tolkath nodded "That is it's purpose." He got to his feet "Come, there will be an early start in the morning. it is important to be well rested"

Behind them the temple was now illuminated with lanterns, a warm gentle yellow glow covered the ancient building and mountain.

Tolkath led the way back to the Holodeck portal. "When you require further assistance, I will endeavor to be of service" He said formally. "Computer, end program"

The Vulcan vista faded, returning to the empty grid-lined compartment.

"Good night T'Lara" He nodded and turned to leave.

T'Lara bowed as he left. "Good night, Commander." As she followed him with her eyes, she suddenly wanted to call her Vulcan father on subspace. For now she would return to her quarters.


[OFF]

Tolkath, CMDR, SF
2XO/CSO


T'Lara, LT, SF
CMO