"Are you sure that you are fine?" Riker asked, as they entered the transporter room. "Seeing two people who are reportedly missing. . ."

"I am fine, captain." Erin said. "It was a unexpected meeting."

"I don't mean to pry but why did Ambassador Spock come to your quarters with the admiral?" Riker asked.

"That is a question that I cannot answer," Erin said. "I was in deep meditation. They could not have possibly bothered me. The only logical solution is that my father got frustrated, slammed the picture frame down, then tore the back rest off the chair."

We can see in the backyard of a house that there were Vulcans digging holes into the ground. Velma stood alongside her mate Vincent. They were in the middle of  using metal detectors. There were tents set up with some experts going through the small boxes searching for bone. There were versions of dog like wolves(wolf dogs to be precise that were even more alien like for being bred on Vulcan) sniffing out the ground for areas that hadn't been scanned. There was a Vulcan apologizing to the family. The red head nodded her head briefly closing her eyes accepting the apology in the arms of Vincent. Vincent had a distinct look of disgust at what he had been told. There was a shout in the background drawing their attention. Velma and Vincent wore matching horrified expressions on their faces.

Our scene returned to the transporter room.

"From what I heard about him, that is highly unlike a Vulcan of his age to do." Riker said.

"Yes," Erin said. "But my father is one of the special few."

Even though Riker had a healthy respect for Vulcans, the way she worded it made the captain feel disturbed. It was a way that belittled another Vulcan. Riker himself had known a few Vulcans in his lifetime.  The way special came out sounded rather rude and contempt.  It sounded a lot like the way a 21st century man spoke. That man was a funny story because they could never bring him back to his time. Which meant he had to adapt to this society with people he will never like. She spoke in exactly that tone when speaking with people who were will. That same tone of voice.

"Say," Riker said. "You said it was an unexpected meeting. . ."

"They only encountered a body in motion." Erin said.

"So you happen to say 'come in' while deep in meditation?" Riker asked.

"It is known to happen." Erin said.

"Sometimes Vulcans puzzle me." Riker said.

"I may not be completely Vulcan," Erin said. "But I grew up in the household of one."

"One would be jealous of you to be the daughter of an Ambassador." Riker said.

"It is not all that everyone . . . 'cranks' it up to be." Erin said. "Constantly being away except for shore leave and only having a mother around to be cared by." She boarded the transporter pad then faced the captain. "Live long and prosper."

"Energize." Riker said.

Her surroundings changed to the hot, weathered atmosphere of Vulcan. She could feel the temperature effecting her moments upon materilizing. She had anticipated arriving here, for years, since originally she wanted to be a priest. But then when it came to meeting a female Vulcan named T'Fern during her time in Vulcan Science Acedemy. T'Pau was still around, then, and she is still around but she did not appear for typical ceremonies. Two hundred and plus years old could take a toll on a Vulcan. Erin, as a man,decided then to get a backstory. She went into the healer corps then next into the security corps a few years later. She could see several Vulcans, among them were T'Hel, with their hands in their long sleeves.

"Greetings," Erin said, giving the salute. "Master T'Hel."

"Greetings, S'Chn T'Gai T'Erin." T'Hel replied. Two Vulcan guards came to Erin's side and took her by the arm. T'Hel approached the young Vulcan who looked back and forth startled then turned her attention toward the Vulcan. "T'Erin,child of Spock,child of Sarek, your petition for the Kolinahr is denied." Her crystal eyes stared back at Erin. "My mind to your mind." She reached her hand out as the Vulcan struggled with eyes widened but the guards kept her in place. "

T'Hel's hands landed on both sides of the woman's face. T'Hel's face was stoic, yet serious. Erin was given a memory of her father communicating with T'Hel personally revealing information that the healer would be required to know. Erin could see McCoy sitting down alongside Spock reading a padd. Spock seemed to be emotional speaking about Erin. He had to clear his throat briefly closing his eyes more than five times within the conversation. The once prominent, well regarded Vulcan who Erin regarded as 'the easy one to manipulate off logic' was no longer the Vulcan that Erin had seen days earlier. Spock was explaining everything, every little thing that T'Pring had told him, and what he knew. How raising her was like.

Then there was images of the dead bodies belonging to the Sehlats smashed into her mind. They looked exactly the ones she had seen. The ones she had seen a hundred years ago. She did not feel guilt for that. She felt contempt toward them. Burning pain seared through her mind as she could feel someone tightening around it. Erin screamed in pain. It was uncomfortable. And it was excruciating. She felt a sharp pain. Then she felt like she was falling. Her vision was becoming darker. She could feel like she was being dragged by the feet somewhere burning, steaming. Her body became numb. But she could feel her entire being burning in pain. And that was all she wrote. Our review returned to see Erin slumped, her head lowered, and T'Hel had stepped back.

Our scene returned to the transporter room where Picard appeared. A smile grew on the bearded man's face. In the bald Frenchman's hands were the handles to the luggage laid to his side.

"It's good to see you, Ambassador." Riker said.

Picard walked off the transporter pad.

"As to you,Captain," Picard said. "As you were saying in our last exchange, when did Mister Data retire with Mister La Forge?" Riker offered a hand for one of the luggage, Picard obliged handing it to him. Riker preferred to be the one who greeted him and walked him to his quarters as his security officer and first officer were dealing with a small rat containment problem. Picard looked over his shoulder hearing a squeak then turned his head back toward the captain.

"It was quite awhile ago," Riker said. "Data has been. . . working on a project. He calls it the Geordi Spot project." They walked out of the transporter room side by side. "He refuses to elaborate why he has retired. Has Q still been periodically visiting you since accepting the offer?"

"He left me a fantasy novel," Picard said. "And the visits have been rather impromptu."

"Before you know it," Riker said. "You are going to live forever."

"I rather not." Picard said. "The universe cannot be that awful."

"Well, you did say about the last time you nearly 'died'." Riker said.

"It wasn't him." Picard said.

"He has more than a passing interest in you." Riker acknowledged.

"As surreal as it sounds," Picard said. "That is rather accurate." He sighed. "Tell me, did I not hear a squeak?"

A wide smile grew on the bearded man's face.

"That is a funny story." Riker said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I am sure it is." Picard said.