madimpossibledreamer | Ends and Means

Given that Surak’s whole thing was essentially ‘sacrifice the individuality that leads to rage and murder for the greater good of society’, Vulcan society tends to read more communal society (Asian, among others) to me, therefore ‘it is good for the individual to sacrifice on behalf of society’. Not as much Omelas or ‘the end justifies the means’.

Main Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: Spock and Uhura learn more of the Admiral's plans.
Word Count: 1330
Rating: Teen
Minor Spock/Uhura

They are effective. Spock held no doubts in that regard from the very beginning. It was not a lesson he had learned quickly, nor, at first, willingly, but test scores did not always correlate to actual capability or how one would behave in a real-world scenario. Often there was some relation, yes, but his years teaching had made him forget the very lesson he had taught the Vulcan Science Academy. He does realize, as the Admiral seems approving but not surprised, which is when another point occurs to Spock: perhaps the man had chosen those of the crew he believed to be more likely to follow orders without question. Perhaps with the average Starfleet graduate, his assumptions may have been correct. The same is not true of the crew of the Enterprise.
David is unharmed, which will please Kirk. While the Captain may not know exactly how to react to his son, he tends to prioritize life above his own comfort, as he should.
Spock is also unsurprised about the revelation that the boy had actually aided in the capture of his kidnapper. Intelligence is not an inherited trait, but growing up with a scientist mother in the company of other scientists is influential during a critical phase of development. Specifically, he had sabotaged flight controls and modifications to try to prevent biological scanning from areas of the ship where such activity would be less likely to be noticed or caught for some time. It is entirely reasonable to assume that the child did not know the exact nature of every part, but merely had enough familiarity with computer and power systems to be able to identify important components.
David had identified that they were at least friendly, though seemed largely uninterested in socialization other than a brief request to be returned to his mother, even despite the Admiral’s declaration that he happened to be the grandfather. This does seem to hurt Marcus’s feelings, with a caveat: like with any other situation he seems to dislike, Admiral Marcus appears to believe that such states are transitory at best, a belief that does not necessarily correspond to reality, but may have some foundation in his position as an Admiral whose work as head of Section 31 ensures that few are in a position to challenge him on any sort of grounds as many have no idea what he does. It is unclear the amount to which he attempts to take practical steps to improve the situation in his own favor. If Sulu or Nyota were to insist, Spock would bet on the idea that he takes some, but not as many as Kirk. The Captain may project a confident air but is ready and willing, as he did with the Kobiyashi Maru, to seek any number of unconventional solutions to ensure victory and has a far more realistic view of the world than most would assume.
The boy has yet to be cajoled by anything other than food, though he showed some signs of interest in the discussions of the Enterprise crew brought on board the Jackson. He remains polite and calm, but sudden movements still startle him, and it’s clear his composure is failing, obviously emotionally compromised by the ordeal but unwilling to admit to such.
Spock is...not astonished, exactly, as that would probably be an exaggeration, but finds that unexpectedly Admiral Marcus does have some semblance of an idea of secrecy, after all. He only learns this information after he is ‘recruited’ as a last resort to help make sense of some of Uhura’s translations. They are left alone, however, and any listening equipment is easy enough to find and tamper with, even if they have actually tried to persuade him that he has found everything by making some devices easier to find than others. He can feel her distress from merely brushing by and was unprepared for the force of the fury that howls through him. Thinking before he speaks is natural, but he makes sure to take a discreet deep breath and recenter his mind before he speaks. “Is this the result of torture?” he asks plainly, brushing her hand inconspicuously again to try to impart some sense of comfort and support to Nyota as he sits, and feels her gratitude even as she compartmentalizes her own grief and rage.
“Supposedly, no. Though Gaila was snooping and found an encrypted note about a ‘modified Centaurian slug’.” She mentions it knowing that he will understand that the original species was used on Admiral Pike, that the only way Pike had survived without permanent injury, as they were later told, was one of the unique side effects of Kirk’s own unusual heritage. That he will not have to communicate his own understanding out loud. His own precautions will only be effective if they limit their discussion and speak quietly. “They’re implanted in all the Augments, making them essentially slaves. They can’t refuse an order or fail to answer a question. That’s why the Admiral assured me that torture wasn’t needed to get his answers.” And, presumably, why he was fairly confident he had the upper hand, when it was likely feared conquerors of Earth history would not merely accept the situation without seeking any and all avenues around their predicament.
Using merely human logic, Spock can understand how they could come to the conclusion that avoiding the need for physical torture would be an improvement. He would suspect if asked Harrison would not agree, and would not be incorrect in that assessment. Having secrets ripped from your mind against your will is not a de facto better state than being broken physically. While some of this lack of understanding might come from belonging to a race without widespread psionic abilities, Spock is not inclined to give Admiral Marcus the benefit of the doubt in that regard. The mindset of strict utilitarianism or consequentialism are attractive philosophies to humans often to avoid introspection, prevent any need to seek alternatives, or excuse actions taken. ‘The needs of the many’ should be taken in the context of personal self-sacrifice for the good of society, not as an argument in favor of slavery, or how certain types of torture are more moral than others. “It is a solution that merely benefits those wishing to avoid guilt in the matter,” he notes quietly. The outcome is the same. Nyota merely nods. The lack of fear in the righteous and defiant look in her eyes is simultaneously admirable and potentially dangerous.
“If you’re wondering why us, this isn’t a loyalty test. It’s practical. Communications with their offices back home have been spotty; he’s probably thinking sabotage.” But is fairly certain the precautions he has taken will ensure that this is a failed rebellion, and so does not find this as concerning as he should. “So any of their usual experts they’d get to do this….”
Spock nods. She need not explain further. He takes some of the pages of the transcript of the ‘interrogation’ and instantly recognizes why the two of them were involved, besides the possibility of implicating them for aiding and abetting in such crimes: the answers were given in an archaic form of Punjabi, and refer obliquely, as Uhara translates them, to old and obscure forms of philosophy, abandoned science, and other historical references. Spock himself does not understand them all, merely most of them, though that can soon be remedied by aid of database access. And the Admiral’s belief that he has gained useful knowledge through this method is, for once, not misplaced, given that the previous officer that had attempted to decipher the code had managed to do so with two such references and found they may have been (unheeded) warnings about a rebellion against colonial rule. Spock is somewhat less certain than Marcus that this is not in some way an elaborate trap, but they are not merely wasting their time trying to find meaning where there is none.