zack just….. doesn’t see the point. it isn’t like they’re the only two people on the enterprise who aren’t meeting for the first time. but is there a real reason he hasn’t even acknowledgedtheir past? is it embarrassment? he had been a child. a disaster even, an outsider in his own home, in crisis, desperately looking for something to cling to. he had found that in the teachings of surak, embracing vulcan culture, and t’lar had been like…. a hero to him. someone whose life he so badly wanted to have.
then she’d graduated the academy, and he’d moved to vulcan, and they never saw or heard from each other again. and now —
“iknowthat,” he says, eyes locked on the bones in front of him. “i’m almost finished.” finally, he seems to pick up on the fact that her eyes are on him, that he’s being scrutinized. she says his name and he finally looks up, almost irritated but working hard to not allow it to show. “thank you,” he says, now sounding more puzzled than anything else. “i suppose the last time we saw each other, it was uncertain whether i would even be accepted into the vsa.” there. an off-handed acknowledgement. “so your reaction is understandable.”
Interesting. He felt the need to point out that he knew what she was telling him. As if she had been challenging or patronizing. T’lar observed him carefully. That sort of reaction was a product of emotional insecurity. Hmm.
So he did remember her. And it seemed he did not wish to speak of it further. T’lar thought the wise thing was not to push him about it, but now she thought his reaction was curious. There was a reason he did not wish to acknowledge it. There was logic in utilizing the situation in order to teach what her grandfather might have called a ‘life lesson’.
Zach had been a precocious child from what she remembered. Although there was doubt he would be accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy, T’lar had never had doubts that he would be successful. Academically, he had always been strides ahead of others his age. And now here he was - a doctor.
T’lar kept her hands folded behind her back. No need to encroach on his work. He seemed so serious about it after all. “How did you find your time at school?” she asked. It was not a question that required an emotional response, although she was curious now about whether or not he would give one.
“i’m looking forward to working with you on this, doctor.” zack glances up briefly from the remains he’s currently hunched over — the ones in which they’re both supposed to be studying. “the vissians have three genders,” he says, running a gloved hand down the spine. “i’m currently unable to identify this person’s, however.”
T’lar kept her eyes trained to the tricorder as she scanned the remains for the third time. She had been introduced to Dr. Addy prior to their working together. She had recognized him immediately, of course, although he was much older. His name confirmed it for her, but she said nothing. There was no reason to bring it up. The officer that assigned the project did not care if they knew each other prior. It was of no consequence to anyone involved, including either of them.
But T’lar couldn’t figure out if he knew whoshe was. At first, she convinced herself it wasn’t important, but as the professional conversation carried on, T’lar began to wonder if he recognized her. “If we are able to reconstruct the pelvis and the sacrum,” she said almost lazily. “The curvature should be a decent indicator.” She glanced at him, but he seemed entirely occupied by his work.
Now it was distracting. She considered him for longer. Perhaps he was ignoring the fact that she knew him. He had always been an awkward child. Maybe he just didn’t know how to broach the topic. “Dr. Addy,” she said as she snapped the tricorder shut. What was a good way to present this information without seeming too…passionate? “I am pleased to see you made it through the Academy.” Perfect.
