by Brad
“If you feel strongly about Starfleet,” Amanda said, “you must accept the offer.”
“Feelings are illogical, Mother.”
“Not always, Spock.”
With a sigh, Spock looked up. It was night now, and stars glittered overhead. “Father has planned my whole future for me,” he said. “And he does not think highly of humans.”
[116] “With at least one exception, I hope.”
Spock said, “I regret my—”
“Oh, hush, Spock. I’m joking.”
“Yes.” Spock sighed. “Father will not be pleased,” he said at last.
After a long silence, Amanda said, “In an ancient Earth play, a character says, ‘This above all: To thine own self be true.’ He wasn’t a very bright character, but that was a good piece of advice. And another work of literature from Earth, a poem, talks of choosing a path less traveled. It may create problems, but could you honestly take the path your father has made and not feel regret?”
“No,” Spock said. “I would try to suppress the emotion, of course. But I would feel regret.”
“When must you decide?”
“I have already decided,” confessed Spock. “I will accept the appointment to Starfleet Academy. I must give my answer to Starfleet soon.”
“I’ll tell your father if you wish.”
“No,” Spock said. “That is my task.” He looked up again. The stars, brilliant and fierce in the thin air of Vulcan, beckoned from the depths of space. “The motto of Starfleet Academy is also from an old Earth tongue,” he said. “Ex Astris, Scientia.”
“That’s Latin,” Amanda said. “From the stars, knowledge.” In the darkness, she touched his arm. “But I know a better motto for you, Spock. Ad Astra.”
“Yes,” murmured Spock. “To the stars.”
To the stars!
About the Authors
BRAD and BARBARA STRICKLAND are a husband-and-wife writing team who have co-authored three spooky books in the Are You Afraid of the Dark? series: The Tale of the Secret Mirror, The Tale of the Phantom School Bus, and The Tale of the Deadly Diary. They have also written two books about young Jean-Luc Picard in the Starfleet Academy series: Starfall and Nova Command. On his own, Brad did two Deep Space Nine books, The Star Ghost and Stowaways. Brad teaches English at Gainesville College, and Barbara is a second-grade teacher at Myers School. The Stricklands live in Oakwood, Georgia. They have a son, a daughter, and numerous pets, including two ferrets who always travel through the house at warp seven or faster.
About the Illustrator
TODD CAMERON HAMILTON is a self-taught artist who currently lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He has been a professional illustrator for the past ten years, specializing in fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Todd is the current president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. His original works grace many private and corporate collections. He has co-authored two novels and several short stories. When he is not drawing, painting, or writing, his interests include metalsmithing, puppetry, and teaching.
About the e-Book
(OCT, 2003)—Scanned, proofed, and formatted by Bibliophile.
