Quick Conference

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Vampire AU
Summary: Spock and Jim brainstorm and make a plan.
Word Count: 785
Rating: Teen

         “Did you learn what set out to find, Captain?” Spock asks, a little disapprovingly.
         The emotion doesn’t show in his voice at all, though I can totally tell the difference between how he was and how he is now. Back when he hated me for being clever with the Kobiyashi Maru, he kept such a tight rein on what he was feeling. I couldn’t get a handle on any of it. Between Uhura and his slowly growing trust, he started letting it out, and it actually shocked him but it’s been helping. Controlling his emotions is a far easier task than suppressing them entirely. Usually he has a bit of disapproval for most of the seemingly reckless decisions I make, but he’s also seen that my way works and I’m an effective leader. It’s because he does care about me as a friend, he said one day when I was entirely not expecting it, and it’s touching.
         It probably helped that I could confirm to him that I have yet to meet a full-blooded Vulcan without emotions. It’s just a matter of control. We actually had some interesting conversations about Buddhism and philosophy. He’s one of the few who puts up with my love of ancient Earth history partly because he finds it ‘fascinating’ too.
         “Some of it.” We’ve gotten much better at talking after Spock got curious about Silvans. “Any problems here?”
         “They are not used to Vulcans. They have attempted to influence me.” I stifle a snort. Good luck with that; they’re not going to get anywhere. “They tried to hide their frustration, but unsuccessfully.” And he’s definitely amused and a little smug about that, though he’d probably label it more as ‘natural superiority’.
         “Better they think I’m the weak link, then.” The easiest solution is that they’re somehow treating their own blood—because they have some and it works similarly, I could feel Liodinu’s heart pounding after our little encounter—but other than possibly some sort of cultural taboo, there wouldn’t be a good reason to hide that. Something about their solution is butting up against Federation policy. “Did Uhura get far translating the texts they sent?”
         If anything, Spock gets even more smug. “She has completed most of it, of course.”
         I love my crew. “Anything on a creature called a vitha?”
         “From what she was able to gather, they are some type of bipedal humanoid, though they are considered extinct.” He’s probably wondering where I’m going with this.
         He’ll catch up quick. He’s a smart cookie. “That lines up with what I’ve been told. Strigai drink blood, but culturally prefer targets that could fight back, and from what he said only the vitha fit the bill.”
         That, apparently, warrants a raised eyebrow. “Like old Earth stories of vampires. Fascinating.”
         “They probably have caste-based discrimination, though they wouldn’t put it that way. They’d probably argue that their Factions are just separate but equal clans, but we all know how ‘separate but equal’ tends to be interpreted. The ‘lower classes’ basically have to get their blood from small animals, where the higher-status jerks get to hunt their murderous plant life for sport, because cruelty is the point.” It’d be easy to judge, but I know my Earth history, and the Silvan’s wasn’t much prettier, back at the beginning. Spock is definitely going to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t get eaten by a giant cactus or something, I can tell. “We’re going to have to feel that out, and I don’t think they’ll be overjoyed to tell us, given that Liodinu’s being blackmailed with his daughter’s safety. They’re trying to cover this up, so we’ll have to be discreet. Beyond that, I think there’s three possibilities of where they’re getting the blood from. They’ve traded for offworld slaves so they’ve got a breeding stock, they’re somehow treating their own blood, or they’re using genetic engineering.” Only one of those three would be acceptable to the Federation.
         Spock considers that thoroughly. “Do you believe you could obtain a little for me to study?”
         I make a face. Spock carefully doesn’t laugh at me, though I can nearly guarantee he’s amused anyway. I really don’t want to be tasting blood, but it’s not like I exactly have a choice. “With some sleight of hand, I think so. I don’t think they’ll give me any to take back with me, though, so I’m gonna have to drink some.” And act like I’m enjoying it.
         “Let us hope you are not also allergic to this,” Spock responds and goes back out again to mingle before anyone can get suspicious about what we’re plotting in here and man if I wasn’t paranoid enough.