Star Trek and History

by Reagin, Nancy

  Examples of forced or improperly performed mind melds abound in Star Trek as object lessons. T’Pal was forced to participate in a mind meld with an inexperienced Vulcan and contracted Pa’nar syndrome, the Vulcan equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease. During the events of the Khitomer Conspiracy, Spock performed a forced meld with Valeris to discover the identity of those responsible for the assassination of counselor Gorkon. Valeris resisted Spock’s probing but was overcome and experienced a severe emotional breakdown (ENT, “Fusion”; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country). Mind melds have also been used to help Vulcans and other species hone skills and assist in emotional control during times of stress and trauma. Ambassador Sarek, during an important mission, performed a mind meld with Captain Picard to help suppress his erratic emotions as a result of Sarek’s Bendii syndrome.

  The Animalistic Past: Ancient Vulcan and the Rise of Surak

  According to Vulcan mythology, all life originated from a single place known as Sha Ka Ree, the Vulcan equivalent to our Eden (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier). Like humans, Vulcans have an origin myth that shapes their culture more than any archeology or anthropology. According to this story, before the Vulcans became logical, emotionless beings, they were ruled by their animal instincts and emotion. Ancient Vulcans were pagans who believed in several gods, such as War and Death. Surprisingly enough, the ancient Vulcans had achieved space travel. The exact date of when they first traveled to space is unknown, but it is safe to assume that they had warp capabilities because of the existence of the P’Jem monastery founded during this period, which is located on a planet in Andorian space. At the time, Vulcan was ravaged by terrible civil wars and devastated by atomic weapons. Things were so bad that the Vulcan race would have destroyed itself if it had not been for Surak’s teachings (ENT, “The Andorian Incident”).

  Surak was a very important figure in Vulcan history, society, and culture. His teachings and revelations saved Vulcan from destruction and brought the Time of Awakening. Surak lived during the fourth century B.C. (on our calendar) in the midst of chaos and war. It was during this period that Surak traveled through the Forge to Mount Seleya, where he discovered his philosophy and began teaching his followers about a world governed by logic and the control of emotion. Surak inscribed his philosophy onto a pyramid-shaped stone tablet called the Kir’Shara. At the time, the tablet had little importance to Surak’s followers, but thousands of years later, it would play a pivotal role in the Vulcan Reformation.

  Surak created the T’Karath Sanctuary to house his followers and to pass on his teachings. He knew that his way of logic was Vulcan’s only hope for survival; so began the Time of Awakening (ENT, “The Forge,” “Kir’Shara”; TOS, “The Savage Curtain”). Surak’s pilgrimage through the Forge and his inscription of the Kir’Shara stone tablet parallels the history of many of Earth’s religious prophets. Like Surak, Moses, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, and Muhammad all made pilgrimages to their “promised lands.” The Kir’Shara also shares many parallels with religious artifacts on Earth, most notably, the tablet on which the Ten Commandments were recorded.

  The Time of Awakening

  The Time of Awakening was the shift from the violent and emotional turmoil of the time to peace and logic through controlled emotion. However, peace did not come without a sacrifice. Surak tried desperately to convince the leaders of the time to stop the fighting. There was a split between those who accepted and those who rejected the teachings of Surak. Not much is known about the faction that rejected Surak’s ideas; even their official name is shrouded in mystery. They are known as “Those who marched beneath the Raptor’s wings.” This group became the ancestors of the Romulans. They set out to destroy Surak and all those who followed him, killing them without remorse and logic. Surak was lost during the final days of fighting when an atomic weapon struck near Mount Seleya. Surak was not killed in the initial explosion, but he died (like Spock, at the end of Star Trek III: The Wrath of Khan) of radiation poisoning. Surak died atop Mount Seleya, unable to see how his teachings would eventually affect and change the Vulcan people, much like Moses, who never lived to see the land promised by God and never saw how his people changed because of the Commandments.

  However, Surak was not completely lost. Shortly before his death, he placed his katra (living essence or soul) into a katric ark. A katric ark is a stone vessel used to preserve the katra of those who have died in the hope that they may one day be reborn. Surak’s katric ark as well as the Kir’Shara were believed to be lost for thousands of years, but they reemerged much later during the Vulcan Reformation in the twenty-second century. After Surak’s death, the constant warfare ended, and the Vulcans became the logical, emotionless beings we know today. With their newfound outlook on life, the Vulcans returned to the stars, and a new era of peace and discovery awaited them (ENT, “The Forge,” “Awakening,” “Kir’Shara”).

  Relationships with the Galactic Community

  It took several hundred years for Vulcans to rebuild their world and to fully accept Surak’s legacy before they could return to the stars as peaceful, logical beings. They formed a new government that was led by the Vulcan High Command. By the twentieth century, the Vulcans had made first contact with several alien species, notably the Tellarites and the Andorians. The Vulcans found the Tellarites reliable and tolerable, but they concluded that the Andorians were highly emotional, secretive, and paranoid. The Andorians, in turn, considered the Vulcans untrustworthy and found their lack of emotion particularly distasteful. A lack of trust and mounting suspicions between the Vulcans and the Andorians escalated into a cold war. Tensions lasted for over two hundred years, as the Andorians and the Vulcans conducted raids and spy missions on each other.

  One of the most notable of these was the incident at the P’Jem Monastery. The monastery itself was located on a planet that neighbored the Vulcan and Andorian solar systems. Naturally, the Andorians did not like a Vulcan outpost so close to their solar system and suspected that the site was also a listening station. The Andorians conducted several raids on the monastery, but their unwanted intrusions provided no evidence for their suspicions, until Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer discovered the monastery was indeed a listening station. P’Jem was later attacked and destroyed by the Andorian Imperial Guard (ENT, “The Andorian Incident,” “Shadows of P’Jem”). Eventually a cease-fire was written after a conflict concerning the planet of Weytahn. Weytahn, or Paan Mokar as the Vulcans called it, had the unfortunate distinction of being located in a star system between Vulcan and Andorian space. Both sides laid claim on the uninhabited class D planet, although class D is the Starfleet classification for a planet that is uninhabitable, and this one had no discernible resources except a microorganism potentially harmful to Andorians. The absurdity of this situation was heightened by the fact that the Vulcans and the Andorians had almost gone to war over the worthless lump of rock, twice.

  During the mid-twenty-first century, the Andorians terraformed and established a colony on Weytahn. This did not sit well with the Vulcans, who suspected the Andorians of establishing a military installation. The Vulcans had the Andorians “removed,” as T’Pol so coldly stated (ENT, “Cease Fire”). The cease-fire was inscribed shortly before the Vulcan Reformation, in the 2150s. Captain Archer, whom the Andorians trusted after the events of the P’Jem Monastery, was successful in convincing the Andorians to agree to the cease-fire.

  The Vulcans made first contact with humans in 2063, and humanity became the Vulcans’ closest ally. The Vulcans had been aware of humans for a little over a hundred years, after detecting Sputnik in 1957. The development of Zefram Cochrane’s Phoenix, the first human spacecraft to achieve faster-than-light-travel or “warp drive,” prompted the Vulcans to make contact with humans. Generally, more advanced races considered sentient species incapable of warp drive to be “primitive,” and therefore they left them alone until they achieved further technological advancement. It was less than a c
entury after humanity began producing starships capable of advanced warp capabilities that the Enterprise NX-01 came into being (Star Trek: First Contact).

  The starships that carry the name Enterprise each have a special place in history. However, the NX-01 was the first Starfleet ship to enlist a Vulcan crewmember, T’Pol. This was a tremendous honor and achievement from the standpoint of both the humans and Vulcans. But many of the crew did not take kindly to T’Pol’s presence, and T’Pol was initially not too pleased to be aboard a ship full of people governed by emotions. The initial awkwardness and mistrust eventually dissipated; the crew accepted T’Pol, and she came to value them as friends. T’Pol played a pivotal role during some of the important events in Vulcan history, such as the Andorian cease-fire, the creation of the Federation, and the Vulcan Reformation.

  Reformation

  The Vulcan Reformation brought the most drastic changes to the Vulcan philosophy since the Time of Awakening. In the centuries after the Time of Awakening, Surak’s teachings and philosophy were subject to interpretation and possible distortions. No one knew for sure what Surak’s vision of the future was since his katra and the Kir’Shara had been lost. In 2137, a Vulcan called Syrran discovered Surak’s katric ark and took Surak’s katra into himself. Through Syrran, Surak awoke in a new century to find that his teachings had become drastically misinterpreted. Surak states, “The culture you’ve come to know isn’t the one I helped to create. My people have strayed, and someone must restore them to the path” (ENT, “Awakening”). Syrran rebelled against the Vulcan High Command on the grounds that they had led the Vulcan people away from Surak’s true teachings and were therefore corrupt, deceptive, and without logic. Those he rallied to his cause became part of a group called the Syrrannites. The majority of Vulcans and the Vulcan High Command, led by V’Las, viewed the Syrrannites as radicals and terrorists. This parallels the Christian Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, led by Martin Luther, who believed the Roman Catholics had become corrupt. Luther and his followers, much like Syrran and the Syrrannites, were initially seen as heretics by the majority of Christians.

  Syrran and his followers took refuge in the T’Karath Sanctuary. There they began searching for the Kir’Shara, the ancient artifact containing Surak’s writings, that was believed to be within the sanctuary. Fearing that the discovery of Surak’s writings would jeopardize the High Command’s authority, V’Las had his operatives bomb the Earth Embassy and pin it on a known Syrrannite, T’Pau. Captain Archer and T’Pal ventured into the Forge and found Syrran, who was traveling under the guise of Arev. After being caught in a sand fire storm, Syrran was mortally wounded, and he passed the Surak’s katra to Archer. Archer and T’Pol, with the help of Surak’s katra, discovered the Syrrannites and the Kir’Shara. V’Las had discovered the T’Karath Sanctuary and had implemented an intense bombing campaign that killed many Syrrannites. Meanwhile, the Enterprise under the command of Commander Tucker alerted the Andorians of an impending Vulcan invasion and intercepted the Vulcan fleet. V’Las was ordered to step down shortly after. Unknown to the other members of the High Command, V’Las was secretly meeting with an undercover Romulan spy named Talok, who was sent to “reunify” Vulcan and Romulus.

  Many changes came as a result of the discovery of the Kir’Shara. The Vulcans became less deceptive and no longer took military action without proper cause. Surak’s katra was removed from Archer and placed into a Vulcan priest. The Reformation of Vulcan also enabled Starfleet to operate without having to worry about the Vulcans watching their every move (ENT, “The Forge,” “Awakening,” “Kir’Shara”).

  The Federation and Beyond

  After the Reformation, the Vulcans allied themselves with the Andorians, United Earth, and the Tellarites in a combined effort to attack Romulan drones sent to occupy a region of space. This was the first time different species worked together to counter a mutual threat. This alliance resulted in the formation of the Coalition of Planets in 2155. The Vulcans and several other species also assisted in the Earth-Romulan War that established the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2160. Eventually, the founding member species of the Coalition of Planets decided it would be in their best interests to unite themselves under a single governing body, and they formed the United Federation of Planets.

  By the twenty-third century, Vulcans had become an integral part of the Federation and the closest ally to Earth Starfleet (as it was called before the formation of the Federation). Other, more belligerent species saw the Vulcans’ high regard for logic and peace as weakness and called them the “puppets” of the Federation. This showed a lack of understanding of the role many Vulcan leaders, such as Spock, T’Pau, and Sarek had in galactic politics. Members of the Federation held Sarek and Spock, who played large roles in the Khitomer Accords, in very high esteem. Sarek was the Earth Ambassador and his son, Spock, was second in command on the historic Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.

  Spock even traveled to Romulus to attempt to “reunify” the Romulans and the Vulcans. However, in 2387 a supernova threatened to destroy Romulus and its entire star system. Spock volunteered to counter the threat by injecting a special substance called red matter that would create a black hole and consume the star. Spock was successful in destroying the star, but not before it had destroyed Romulus. Spock came under fire from a Romulan mining ship, the Narada. In his attempt to escape, Spock and the Romulan ship were sucked into the black hole and presumed lost, thus creating the alternative timeline that we see in the “reboot” Star Trek movie, in which Vulcan is completely destroyed (ENT, “Babel One,” “United,” “Arena”; TOS, “Balance of Terror”; TNG, “Unification, Part I,” “Unification, Part II,” “Sarek”; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; Star Trek [2009]).

  Logic Is the Cement of Our Civilization: Vulcan “Humanism”

  Just as Vulcan origin stories have parallels in Earth’s religious cultures, Vulcan’s social institutions and rituals show what a society that creates a cult of reason rather than a religious belief system could look like. Although Vulcans do not worship a deity or deities, they have rituals and other practices reminiscent of religion, and their society has a strongly monastic cast. Vulcans are often shown in robes, engaging in hours of meditation. A coming-of-age ritual, the kahs-wan, resembles such religious rituals as the Australian Aboriginal walkabout or the vision quests of North American Indian tribes such as the Ojibway. Another ritual, Kolinahr, is undertaken only by adepts, and it resembles monastic rites in several Earth traditions.

  The Vulcan greetings, “Peace and long life” and “Live long and prosper,” are accompanied by a salute, a hand gesture separating the index and middle fingers from the ring and pinky fingers, to make a V, for Vulcan. The salute is often used in greetings and good-byes. The first actor to play a Vulcan on Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy, borrowed the gesture from the Jewish priestly blessing given in Orthodox synagogues.3 The gesture brings the sense of the sacred from a real Earth religion to invest Vulcan nontheistic philosophy with a sense of majesty and solemnity.

  The basis of Vulcan philosophy is IDIC, “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” or in Vulcan, kol ut shan. This idea both affirms a tolerance for the diversity of life and the vast array of variables in the universe. The symbol for the IDIC consists of geometric shapes overlapping upon each other—a crescent with an overlapping triangle that has a circular shape at its tip. As a symbol Vulcans wear, this IDIC emblem is similar to a religious symbol such as a cross or an eagle feather.

  The values of Vulcan society are scientific inquiry, self-control, peace, and tolerance, and Vulcan institutions reflect that. The Vulcan Science Academy, for example, is one of the most important organizations in Vulcan society. Research conducted at this institution benefited all member species of the Federation, and it resulted in the development of time travel, red matter, and transporters. The academy is also a symbol of the central place of science in this society.

  Logic Is the Beginn
ing of Wisdom, Not the End

  The Vulcans are a people with strong emotions who deify logic, placing it at the center of their culture where human religions put God. They consider themselves uniquely destructive and animalistic, more so than humans. This resonates with ideas in Earth religions about sin and human imperfection. Vulcans believe Surak’s teachings about logic saved them twice, once at the Time of Awakening, when he persuaded them not to destroy themselves through civil war, and again during the Reformation, when Surak was effectively reincarnated through the Syrrannites. It is never clear whether the Vulcan ability to master emotion and rely on reason is inherent in them as a species or is only the result of culture. Nowhere is this more evident than with Spock.

  As a person of mixed Vulcan-human heritage, Spock often struggles to maintain a Vulcan identify. Many Vulcans did not see him as a true Vulcan because he had difficulty mastering his emotions. He attempted to sever his human side and left Starfleet for several years so he could train for the Kolinahr ritual. At the ritual, Spock’s emotions began to surface, and he found himself unable to complete it. Traditions such as the Kolinahr are vital to the Vulcan identity. Did this make Spock less of a Vulcan?