CHAPTER NINETEEN
The temporal ethics professor, which Tammas had met on his first day, also taught a general ethics course, and his name was, Thalymum. And as usual, he always started his class off by using a specific example to illustrate his point. “In the last class we left off with an example of cultural contamination. Today we’re going to be examining just why it is so important to be careful. Take the Iotian culture. According to Spock, the Iotians adopted the gangster mentality because of their strong need to emulate what they perceive to be a superior race…”
“Actually, Spock was wrong…” Tammas said, compulsively.
Other than a few gasps, there was a stunned silence which grew into some rather rude comments from some of the more vocal students. By now, Tammas had a strong reputation for speaking his mind. “Would you keep quiet for once,” the cadet directly behind him said, kicking the back of his chair. That cadet was none other than Adam Martoni. He was known as a great computer hack, but he was not a social genius. Apparently he had recently reprogrammed Crusher’s sonic shower to spray mud. Because of that, Crusher had retaliated with chili sauce in lab class. Only, it wasn’t just Martoni that got sprayed. There were innocent victims, including Afu and Lenar, and they were plotting their retaliation, even though the truce was officially on.
“Oh, like it’s irreverent to suggest one of our most esteem patriots might be wrong?” Tammas asked.
“I didn’t come to hear you lecture, and you’re not going to come here with your holier than thou attitude and knock one of the greatest legends of all time,” Adam argued.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t put people on such a high pedestals that you can’t examine their work in a more scientific fashion…” Tammas argued.
“Gentlemen,” Thalymum interrupted. “The last time I checked, this was still my class. Cadet Garcia, if you have a point to make, make it quick.”
“With all due respect to Ambassador Spock, his forte was not Sociology. It clearly states in his report that he relied heavily on the sociological programs of the Enterprise’s computers. The computer programs to this day are still inferior at predicting to any degree of certainty how a specific cultural contaminant might manifest itself. It’s the proverbial butterfly theorem for weather prediction. A butterfly in South America can alter the weather in Japan by flapping or not flapping its wings.”
“Yeah, and if I ever find that butterfly, I’m going to kill it,” Thalymum said, getting a roar of laughter.
“None the less, the ramifications of this analogy leave you with a computer model programmed with all the variables of atmospheric motion that will crash when you introduce this one butterfly,” Tammas continued.
Thalymum interrupted. “Our computers are capable of doing this today.”
“Perhaps, but this is a much more complex problem than weather. We’re dealing with bio-psycho-social-cultural equation, so it’s not a question of the computers ability to run a model through to its natural conclusions,” Tammas returned. “It’s a matter of verifying you have all the variables. And in this case, we don’t have all the variables factored in.”
“You’re saying Spock failed to account for all the variables?” Thalymum asked.
“That’s what I am saying,” Tammas agreed. “The sociological computers could only operate with the information Spock programmed into it. The emulation of gangster society was not a direct result of the book that was left behind, but rather it was a symptom of a larger problem that neither Spock nor Kirk addressed. Because they failed to address the main issue, they left the Ioations in an even more precarious situation than when the Enterprise found them.”
“Are you telling me that Kirk should have left them in their warring state?” Thalymum asked.
“No, but that would have been consistent with the prime directive’s intent,” Tammas said. “What I am saying is that the warring state that the Iotians created, modeled on the gangsters of old Earth, was their solution to a greater problem that the Hood created. This problem was not addressed, and, in fact, the solution that Kirk gave them should only exasperate their problem, which has several potential outcomes that I can see. The most serious and likely outcome will be a complete societal breakdown, total chaos to the point of a planet wide extinction level event for the Ioations.”
“Professor, Thalymum,” a student interrupted. “May we please get back to your lecture.”
“Just a moment,” Thalymum snapped. “What is it that you propose that Kirk and Spock missed on their visit?”
“Neither Spock nor Kirk ever answered the question as to why the Iotians, a peaceful, loving society, well documented by the Hood, adopted the murderous, greedy mentality of the gangster life so readily,” Tammas said.
“They did so,” Adam said. “Because they found a book on Gangsters!”
“Put yourself in their place. If you found a book on the Klingon Warrior code, are you simply going to adopt a warrior attitude and challenge every person that you want to subdue, even your friends and family, to a fight to the death?” Tammas asked.
“If I thought the Klingons were gods or a superior race I might,” he answered.
“Look, we all agree that the Ioations are brilliant people. They can emulate pretty much anything they examine,” Tammas said. “The gangster book was not the only book or technology the Hood left behind. We know the Hood left books on basic radio technology, and steam engine technology, even automotive technology. In addition, they left behind books on agricultural technology and basic medical technology. In effect, what the Hood did was increase the Iotians ability to produce food and prolong the lives of all the citizens on their planet. When people are fed and healthy, they live longer. This leads to a population explosion, an event that the Iotians had never faced before. The population grew faster than their ability to cope and manage resources and so they turned to the only source they had to find a solution. The Hood’s gangster book. That is when territorial wars became the way of life for the Iotians. Not because of the book, but because as a peaceful people, they had no clue how to deal with their sudden population explosion that led to a greater lack of resources than they had had before the Hood arrived. It’s all there in my thesis I submitted to Star Fleet with my application, recommending a return trip to verify their conditions and correct the solution that Kirk came up with, which basically supported the continued existence of a Gangster state, only now Star Fleet is the lead gangster.”
Thalymum sat back on the desk and put his hands on the table, as if bracing himself up. “I should have seen that,” he mumbled. “So, you believe Kirk’s solution gave them a more efficient system for managing their resources, but now that there are no wars or routine hits, the population will eventually begin to grow until they have, once again, outstripped their resources, consequently returning them to the crisis that required them to adopt the gangster mentality in the first place?”
“That’s the only conclusion I can come up with,” Tammas said. “The simple fact is, the Iotians have a problem, and there is no telling what solution they will ultimately come up with. Their original state was a peaceful, loving society with a naturalistic philosophy that explained the biological pressures of nature and balance. The Hood showed them there was an alternative to a peaceful society. This worked so well for them, and for so long, that going back may be impossible. We’ve seen many examples of what societies will do when their population gets out of hand. And most of those choices were not people friendly. For example, the people of Gideon kidnapped Kirk to spread Vegan choriomenegitis, a disease the Gideon’s hope would kill enough people that there might be standing room.”
“Leave Kirk out of this,” Adam said, kicking Garcia’s chair.
“Please,” Tammas said. “It wasn’t like Kirk is completely innocent in that. The most common way for humans to contract Vegan choriomenegitis is through sexual relations with promiscuous Vegans. But I digress. Another race created a moral compulsion to commit suicide on reaching a socially designated age. And another had people stepping into disintegration chambers because a war simulation said their time was up. This is all about population control and resource management, not political and philosophical agendas adopted by societies gone bad.”
“Class dismissed,” Thalymum said. “Doctor Garcia, I want to see you in my office in twenty minutes.”
Tammas entered Thalymum’s office to find the Professor with company. Admiral McCoy was there, and he was having a heated argument with a Vulcan on a monitor. Tammas recognized the Vulcan right away as the Chief Vulcan of Star Fleet Recruiting, at the Star Fleet headquarters on Vulcan.
“That’s not the point,” McCoy said. “I can count a number of arguments Spock lost to me and no one suppressed my reports.”
“There was no suppression. Your tendency towards exaggeration is obviously getting the better of you,” the Vulcan observed.
“Why you green blooded, son of a…” McCoy started.
“Bones?” Tammas interrupted.
“You and I will be talking some more, later,” McCoy said. “Star Fleet out.”
“It is always an honor,” the Vulcan said, disengaging his screen.
“Oh, Tammas,” McCoy said. “This is Admiral Ventox and Captain Heller.”
“Admiral, Captain,” Tammas acknowledged.
Thalymum mumbled, “Absolutely brilliant!” He paid no mind to the two Admirals and the Captain.
“Am I in trouble?” Tammas asked.
“On, the contrary, Cadet,” Admiral Ventox said. “Apparently there has been some sort of misunderstanding. When you originally applied to Starfleet, you presented a mission query along with your sociological paper on the Iotians.”
“Yes,” Tammas said. “I was interested in returning to Iotia to observe how the culture has changed since Kirk’s visit. I am surprised to hear that you hadn’t read it, Professor Thalymum.”
“I never received it,” Thalymum said, putting the PADD down.
“Starfleet never received it,” Ventox added.
“I don’t understand,” Tammas said.
“One of several possibilities has played out. Either someone didn’t like your thesis, someone didn’t like you, maybe because of that stunt with the moons, or someone was trying to prevent Spock’s reputation from being tarnished by the publication of this paper,” McCoy said. “And so, your papers were conveniently misplaced and misdirected.”
“So, what you’re telling me is, had any of you read this, I would have been accepted into the academy the first time I applied?” Tammas asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. But someone would have taken this thesis and turned it into a Star Fleet research mission,” Professor Thalymum said.
“I don’t understand. Even if you didn’t get this, it’s not like it’s been a big secret. All my academic writings are available on the IS-Net, and even discussed within the circle of academia,” Tammas said.
“You have a reputation for many things, Doctor Garcia, but your academic standing, though impressive and diversified, isn’t high on everyone’s reading list,” Ventox said. “You do have a tendency to fly off on tangents and your narrative style reads a lot like fiction most of the time.”
“Well, maybe it should be more carefully scrutinized,” McCoy said.
“I’m sure if this paper were released right now, Garcia’s sudden notoriety will bring a wider scrutiny to all of the sociological work done over the last hundred years,” Ventox said. “This particular paper brings with it quite a bit of controversy. Starfleet will take a lot of heat if it goes out.”
“Perhaps that is the real reason it was suppressed?” Tammas asked.
“Of course not,” Ventox snapped, angered by even the suggestion.
“Rad Ventox,” McCoy said, a harsh quality rising in his country accent. “Though there is a precedent for Vulcans withholding information, I find it hard to believe Starfleet didn’t have an influence on this paper being over looked.”
“I refuse to believe there was a conspiracy here,” Ventox said. “None the less, as soon as you have mission objectives fully out lined, I’ll be ready to send Captain Heller and a sociological team in to investigate.”
“I’m going on an away mission?” Tammas asked.
“No,” Thalymum said. “You’re staying right here to finish your training. However, I expect you to serve on the committee overseeing the development of this mission. I expect to take about a week to get everything in, Captain Heller. Your ship should be finished with its scheduled maintenance by then, yes?”
“Absolutely,” Captain Heller said.
“Great, then I guess that’s all for now,” Thalymum said.
Ventox and Heller departed, and McCoy and Thalymum turned to Tammas. “Now, Doctor Garcia, we want to talk to you about your classroom behavior. It isn’t necessary or even appropriate for you to come on so strong in class,” Thalymum said.
“So I am in trouble?” Tammas asked.
“No. We just want to help you get through the Academy with the least amount of pain and frustration,” Doctor McCoy said. “And one way to do that is not to step on people’s toes when it comes to hero worship. Let sleeping legends lie, so to speak.”
“Pa Pa, even you don’t allow people to treat you in a legendary capacity,” Tammas complained. “You go out of your way to discourage that line of thinking.”
Thalymum eyes went up at Tam’s use of “Pa Pa,” but he didn’t comment on it. Perhaps because of the look McCoy gave the man.
“True enough,” McCoy said. “But I am older than you are and consequently permitted a little hypocrisy from time to time. When you get to my age, you’ll understand.”
Tammas sighed. “I hate it when people say, when you’re older you’ll understand. I think that’s just a lame excuse for adults who have an inability to bring clarity to a situation.”
McCoy gave Tammas a looked that cowed him back into line.
Tammas sighed. “I’ll endeavor to be a little less adversarial in class. Still, I thought that the purpose of class was to engage in thought evoking conversations, not merely regurgitate lectures. You know, the Socratic method.”
“If you remember your history correctly, Socrates was killed for his beliefs,” Thalymum pointed out.
“Point well taken,” Tammas said.
“Dismissed, Cadet,” Thalymum said. “We’ll email you the committee start time and location. Oh, and Garcia?”
Tammas turned around.
“I teach Tai Chi on Tuesday evenings. I want you to take over for me while you’re at the academy. Starting tonight,” Thalymum said.
“Uh?” Tammas asked, but he could see there wasn’t going to be any negotiations about this one, and pretending he hadn’t heard correctly was a ploy that wasn’t going to work for him.
Tammas arrived to the gym prior to class time and began going through his personalized Tai Chi routine, focusing on calming his nerves. Why Thalymum had chosen him to do this was beyond him. Perhaps single him out? No, he had already done a good job of alienating himself in his classes, he thought. Why couldn’t he just learn to be silent? He asked himself. As he practiced his exercise, he flashed back to his first Tai Chi lesson. He remembered it as if it were yesterday:
Deanna Troi was crossing things off a list. “Oh, tonight’s my Tai Chi class. Would you like to go?”
Tammas shrugged.
“I can’t hear a shrug,” Deanna said.
He frowned and said, “I don’t know.”
“Well, today’s class starts with a lecture question portion, so it would be a good first class for you,” Deanna said. “Come on. I’ll let Xerx know we’ll be late getting you home. We’ll even go get ice cream afterwards.”
“Chocolate?” Tammas asked, his enthusiasm level going up at the thought of ice cream.
“Absolutely,” Deanna agreed. She parked the hovercraft, deposited her gum into the tin-foil wapper it had come out of, and placed it in the cup holder. She didn’t notice Tammas pocketing the gum as she got out of the vehicle.
The class was as informal a class structure as informal can get and still be called a class. A group of people were sitting Indian style on an ultra-soft floor, generally reserved for practicing gymnasts. Tammas liked the way the floor gave under his feet, and imagined how much more fun it might be to do cartwheels and do back flips here as opposed to on a hard ground. Perhaps the cushioning effect actually added to ones height as they jumped, he imagined. Instead of experimenting, however, he dutifully followed Deanna to the front of the class where she sat. This was when Tammas noticed that there was more structure than he had imagined at first. Deanna was a relatively new student herself, and so she sat in the front, as opposed to those with colored belts who sat to either side of the instructor. The instructor was having a quiet little chat with an advanced student.
Tammas sat down next to Deanna, imitating her style of sitting. He asked Deanna a question, but when she didn’t respond, he realized once again he had slipped into a telepathic mode. He leaned over and whispered his question to her. Unfortunately, he had not quite mastered whispering, and Deanna suppressed a wince when he asked her: “Is that guy blind. How can he teach a martial arts class if he’s blind?”
“I may be blind, but I’m not deaf,” the man answered.
“”I’m sorry, Sensai,” Deanna began.
“A Betazoid sorry?” he asked, as if shocked. “Don’t worry, Ms. Troi. The only people brave enough to call attention to an individual’s personal traits are children and Betazoids, and I’m not ashamed of who I am.”
“Can’t they fix that?” Tammas asked.
A few of the humans in the class seemed a bit uncomfortable with Tam’s directness and they shifted about in place. The Betazoids simply looked to Sensei and waited for his answer.
“And loose my special insight?” The instructor asked. “I’ve been blind since birth, and I’ve become attached to the way I see the world. What would be my incentive to change now?”
“Because you’re missing a huge portion of information to process,” Tammas pointed out.
“Am I?” he asked. “Can you smell the difference between a Betazoid and a human? Can you smell the difference between specific individuals of humans within a human population? Can you tell me what each person here has eaten for lunch today just by their smell alone?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” Tammas said. “I can smell the difference between a Vulcan and a Human. I can identify a Klingon from twenty meters away with or without air circulation. And Catians have a particular odor. Have you ever smelled a Catian?”
“Yes,” the instructor said, smiling. “What is your name?”
“Tammas.”
“Tammas. Welcome to my class. I am Depak,” he said. “From Vulcan.”
“I thought you were Sensei,” Tammas said. “And you’re not a Vulcan.”
“Sensei is my title, which you will use while attending my class. And no, I am not a Vulcan, biologically speaking, but I was born there,” Sensei said. “I think we’ll skip my usual lecture today and instead have an open discussion. Are there any specific questions someone would like answered?”
“Why do people learn this?” Tammas spoke right up.
“For different reasons. Some learn it for defense. Mostly, the students who learn from me come to learn a new sense of peace and well being. They do it for health, and for the health of those around them.”
“Health of those around them? I don’t understand,” Tammas said.
Sensei Depak nodded. “Who you are affects everyone you encounter in life. If you are a chaotic person, then chaos will follow you. Like a magnet, you will attract people who are chaotic. If you are peaceful, then the people around you will be at peace. Why do you suppose when you encounter a wild animal, or an unfamiliar dog, and you are fearful, the animal will attack you?”
“Perhaps the animal sees your fear as a sign of weakness which it can take advantage of,” Tammas offered.
Sensei nodded. “That is certainly one view. My view, though, is that the animal is afraid because you are afraid, and it is merely lashing out because it can’t reason through the fear. If you were not afraid, but at peace, the animal would remain peaceful, for there is no available threat.”
“So, I just have to look calm? Pretend? This is what you teach?” Tammas said.
“No, I teach you must be calm. Calm to the core. Not pretend,” the Sensei said. “We are not separate entities, individuals making up a society. We are one, society itself is the individual. And we are not static, but we are fluid. We are continuously evolving, both mentally and physically. Static is death. Fluidity is life. Just as you can not step into the same river twice, neither can you be in the same body twice, for it is constantly renewing itself, replacing old atoms with new atoms, old molecules with new molecules, though, in reality, there are no old, or new atoms, for they all come from the same source from the same time from the same energy.”
Depak paused a moment for that to sink in and then continued. “We see examples of this in our lives. If you are female and live in a dorm with other females, all will cycle at the same time. Even at home, the females will tend to have their monthly cycles at the same time. One female tends to be the dominate one, who sets the biological clock of the others,” the Sensei said. “This being true, it follows then that if we are peaceful, others will become peaceful around us. For when we are peaceful, our bodies are peaceful, and the hormones and chemical messengers flowing through our bodies reinforce that peace, and then, as we breathe it out, releasing it into the air, it literally fills the air with peaceful molecules. Those around us breathe in peace, and their bodies respond to that biochemical message, as well as the psychic message of peace. If we are dominate, not easily moved by the emotions of others, then that peace resides. This is why if you visit a temple where people have meditated you will feel an over-powering sense of peace. Acceptance and belief is irrelevant. We, the peaceful, will have a calming affect on all people who share our airspace, if only we are truly calm.”
“Is this a religion?” Tammas asked.
“What do you think?” Sensei asked.
“I think it’s a load of crap,” Tammas said.
Deanna rolled her eyes.
“It is a philosophy,” Sensei said, trying not to laugh. “A belief system based on empirical evidence.”
“But you could be wrong?” Tammas asked.
“Of course,” Sensei said. “I base my philosophy on my experience and how I perceive the world. The empirical evidence I have gathered is first hand experience. Though I am quite capable of fighting, I have never had to defend myself because no one person can remain fearful in my presence. No one can remain hateful in my presence. I am superior to my environment in that I can reason and remain calm with presence of mind, and that mindfulness is shared with anyone who chooses it. Those that can not abide peace will leave my presence, because that is their only way to escape. They are compelled to return to the only thing they understand.”
“But once they have a taste of peace, will they come back?” Deanna asked.
“It is my belief, once you have experienced goodness, you will seek out goodness. That does not mean it will be easy. If it takes more than two years to replace every atom in your body, then you must realize it takes time to break old habits, to build healthy relationships. But know this, as you evolve, so will those around you. They will either change, or they will flee, because chaos can not abide peace.”
Tammas was so absorbed in the Sensei’s discussion that he hadn’t noticed his eyes were shedding tears. Still, part of him wanted to resist this theory. “You say that we are fluid. That we are always changing and static means death,” Tammas said.
“Yes,” the Sensei said. He could smell the extra moisture in the air, taste the saltiness of it, but deeper, he could taste the longing, the hope, and the sincere need for peace coming from Tam’s direction.
“Then, if you were to teach me peace now, would I later return to chaos because things must change?” Tammas asked.
The Sensei laughed. “Very good question. Even the best of us are subject to the cycles of life, and there will be times when there is chaos in our lives, times when we feel strong feelings, when we feel vulnerable and out of control. That is why peace must be practiced daily, so in the times when feelings are strong, and life seems unbearable, we will have habits and routine that can give us clarity. This gives us the ability to weather a storm. Yes, there are cycles in life, but I will teach you how to come home to a more healthy way of being. Peace is not easy. It requires dedication, discipline, resolve, perseverance, and constant practice. I can not teach you who you are, but I can show you who you can be, give you the steps, and then show you the way. The journey is your choice. Taking the steps, walking the path, that is your job. The Way is a choice.”
Tammas had completed three stages of his routine, “walking the path,” before becoming aware that he had gathered an audience. Leaving the past, and his days spent with Deanna behind, he returned from his slow, methodic dance, bowed to the Sensai in his memory, and then turned to the class.
“I’m filling in for Thalymum today,” Tammas said. “And probably, for the rest of my stay at the Academy. According to the class roster, many of you are new comers to Tai Chi, so I figured I would begin with questions and answers.”
“Yeah, why do we have to learn this crap?” one of the cadets said.
Tammas blinked. Was he generating chaos or peace? Remain calm. “I believe you have other choices available, Denton, isn’t it? Second period Warp Core technology?”
“Yes,” Denton said. “And yes, I have options, but this fits my schedule, and if what you were doing just now is an acceptable form of martial arts, then I’m a monkey’s uncle.”
A couple of his friends snickered and Tammas observed an obvious rift in class beginning. A colored belt was about to respond to Denton and his friends, but Tammas motioned him to silence. Tammas knew it was his job to unite them and he had to get this under control fast.
“You know other forms of martial arts, I take it,” Tammas said.
“Yes. This Tai Chi is for geriatrics,” Denton said.
“I propose to you, that if you can master Tai Chi, you’ll never have to rely on any other techniques again, because you won’t have to fight,” Tammas said. “I believe Thalymum recommends this not only for self defense, but also because it can offer you a sense of peace as well as physical fitness. It also travels well, for it can be done in confined spaces, such as on a starship.”
“You’re a master at this?” Denton asked.
Tammas shrugged.
“Tell you what,” Denton said. “If I take you, you pass me without me having to show up to this class.”
“And if you fail?” Tammas asked. “What will you give me?”
He laughed. “I won’t fail.”
Tammas motioned the colored belts to stand back, noticing one happened to be Wesley Crusher. He wondered if Deanna had taught him any technique.
Crusher shook his head and whispered to Joshua: “There’s one in every new class.”
Denton motioned for Tammas to bring it on. Tammas smiled. “If you wait for me to attack you, you’ve already lost, and I will state my terms…”
Denton charged and ended up flat on his back, leaving Tammas seemingly untouched or unfazed. Tammas quoted out loud, in Mandarin, something to the effect of, “A tree breaks in the strong wind, where as the grass bends with it and stands again.” He offered Denton a hand to help him up. As Denton stood, he jerked on Tam’s arm trying to pull Tammas off his feet. Tammas went with it, falling, rolling, and coming back up. Since Tammas hadn’t let go of Denton’s hand, Denton fell with him, only to be thrown a little further away. Tammas didn’t offer to help him up a second time.
“Are you satisfied?” Tammas asked.
Denton got up, not dazed, but a little weary. He attacked, but he took his time planning, circling, and looking for a weakness. Not finding an obvious Achilles' heel, he lunged to make an opening and then swung a left hook. Tammas defended it easily, trapping Denton’s arms while leaving his fist just a centimeter away from Denton’s face. Tammas smiled at him, extended a finger, and touched Denton’s nose.
“That’s not Tai Chi,” Denton said.
“It’s all one,” Tammas said. “Like playing the piano, you have a practice speed, and a performance speed. What you saw as you entered class was practice speed.”
Tammas disengaged and Denton came at him. Again and again the attack ended up with Denton in a joint lo