The Vulcan on the Other Side of the Door
Posted on Mon Aug 17th, 2026 @ 8:11pm by Commander T'Maas & Lieutenant Commander Solauk MD
1,991 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
The Last Space Station on the Left
Location: USS Equitas - Main Sickbay
Timeline: MD00
::ON::
As the turbolift whizzed T'Maas across the spine of the Equitas, she consulted her padd, concentrating on it to the exclusion of almost all else. She had just been in Main Engineering checking the final preparations with the Chief Engineer and Corps of Engineering personnel. Though they had assured her that everything was in hand, she was of course checking the reports they had been filing.
They were completely satisfactory. Naturally.
She refused to admit to herself as she tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear that all this was to distract herself. A knot of anxiety had settled between her shoulders over the past few hours, a knot that had refused to come undone. Her Starfleet Medical checkover had been scheduled for ten minutes hence, and she was dreading it. T'Maas of course knew that the Equitas' Chief Medical Officer was a fellow Vulcan. Though she had never heard of Doctor Solauk she still felt that pensive tension that filled her when she had to come across one of her own species.
Her path had wandered so far from what her people expected a Vulcan to be.
The Commander striaghtened, and sighed, looking at her self critically in the chrome door trim. T'Maas had done her duty to the Federation - and Vulcan - down the decades. That should be enough.
The 'lift slowed, pinged the arrival signal, and the doors opened. Steadying her breathing and mentally attempting to massage the knot away, she strode out onto Deck Seven with purpose. Moving towards Sickbay, she noted how much busier the ship was becoming now they were closer to launch - a scarce few days.
As she stepped into the gleaming sterileness of Sickbay, she looked around for a Vulcan.
Solauk was already looking at her from a biobed across the long room. His one hand was resting lightly against its edge, his other hand held a data PADD containing T'Maas' medical records.
"Commander T'Maas," he said in a deep and delicate voice.
'Doctor Solauk,' a flurry of micro-expressions crossed her face as she nodded her head in respect. 'It is most ... agreeable to have a fellow Vulcan on-board,' she continued as she advanced across the space towards the Chief Medical Officer, voice carefully controlled to the best of her ability. A habit long under-used and exhausting on her vocal cords. 'As per regulation I am presenting myself for my pre-launch checks.'
The Vulcan doctor bowed his head for a brief moment in respect to T'Maas.
"Your adherence to protocol is noted," Solauk said before motioning to the biobed on his left. "We shall commence with a corporal scan, if you please."
She arched an eyebrow as she took a seat on the biobed. 'I'm sure if I said I was pleased at having to undergo these fitness tests, it would be the first time that you would have heard the statement.' Placing her hands in her lap, she looked ahead at the bulkhead, 'you've served in Starfleet a long time?'
Solauk activated the tricorder, the device performing an initial scan.
"No," he said plainly, focusing on his work. "I have recently completed my academy training."
He took an extra moment to read through the data being supplied by the tricorder.
"Your physiological condition is strong," he continued. "Your cardiac health indicates you are athletic."
'Physical endurance has been ... necessary for fieldwork,' T'Maas noted, and quirked an eyebrow. 'You have only recently completed your academy courses? But you are older than the average cadet?' She was curious, despite herself, that needling need to know that had compelled her into her career in Starfleet taking over.
Solauk continued his work, not looking up at T'Maas immediately.
"Yes," he said--a simple answer.
"My prior qualifications permitted an accelerated program." He shifted the tricorder scan for a more neural reading. "I entered Starfleet subsequent to a change in professional capacity."
'I see,' T'Maas replied, tensing slightly as she saw the tricorder shift to change the focus of the scan. 'You were looking for a new challenge in your professional life? That is logical - I too have now accepted a change of function within Starfleet. Though I do not know if I shall be as effective in this capacity.'
The Vulcan doctor closed the tricorder and set it down with a gentle and precise motion on the nearby tray. Picking up a data PADD, he began to carefully enter all relevant medical information from the brief scan.
"Effectiveness," Solauk said, "is not a fixed quality." He did not look up at T'Maas from his work. "It is dependent upon context."
He placed the PADD down and regarded her then, not pressing her. He remained with the same detached manner.
"You have demonstrated sustained performance under variable and adverse conditions," he continued, hoping that covering what he knew of her medical file might simply remind her of the self-confidence she already carried. "This is a transferable trait."
'I am the accumulated experiences of my service, this is true,' T'Maas admitted, 'even if my knee now buckles occasionally from the field triage I received, it carries out its functions most of the time.' She thought a moment, then cocked her head to one side, 'is that what you were seeking with your change in careers? Testing effectiveness in a different context?'
Solauk was quiet for a long moment, considering how best to frame his response. He moved to a nearby station and began preparing a hypospray, adding and discarding several different vials.
"Yes," he said simply. "A change in context was necessary in my case."
One by one, he continued to lift the vials up to the light to examine their colour and texture before either popping it into the multi-cartridge hypospray in his left hand, or replace them in the drawer which was held open by his elbow.
"My previous role required a different application of skill," he continued. "Circumstances altered my capacity to perform it to an acceptable standard." He was not apologizing or reducing himself in the statement. It was simply a fact.
"I determined that continued service in that capacity would introduce an unacceptable risk." There was a pause as the last cartridge clicked into place and he closed the upper chamber of the hypospray. "I therefore selected a field in which my knowledge remained applicable but without such risk."
Solauk programmed the hypospray dosage using several tiny buttons on its side. "Starfleet presented an environment in which that transition could be... optimized." Now finished, he turned back to T'Maas and looked into her eyes. "For some, adaptation is elective."
She looked back at him for an imperceptibly unacceptable amount of time before looking away. Solauk was turning out to not be as she had imagined a Vulcan from the homeworld would be. The career intelligence officer itched to dig into his past. He had not elected to tell her any more, though. In her new capacity she would respect that and wait for him to tell her. Needlessly snooping on her subordinates would not earn her any trust.
T'Maas nodded in acknowledgement, then, 'what is the need for the hypospray?'
He glanced down at the hypospray in his hand, as though seeing it for the first time.
"A supplement," Solauk said, stepping closer to her. "Your scan indicates minor deficiencies in several key micronutrients--most notably those associated with neural regulation and muscle recovery."
The former surgeon raised both eyebrows in anticipation, standing directly in front of T'Maas.
"I do not plan to force it upon you, Commander." Solauk picked up a nearby medical PADD and verified the scans he took of her just a few minutes ago. "May I?"
Looking at the hypospray then at Solauk, T'Maas nodded. 'I was merely curious,' she said evenly, a micro-twitch in her cheek indicating the feigned nonchalant tone. 'Neural regulation you say?' She fought down the cold spike in her sternum, the fear that a fellow-Vulcan would see her as lesser.
"Speaking from experience, it isn't always possible to maintain neural regulation aboard a starship and in close proximity to other species."
'That is true,' T'Maas nodded in confirmation, her own experience amongst the Romulans being a case in point. Her breath hitched in her chest for a moment as she pondered questions she had not dared ask a fellow Vulcan before. She let them go, and satisfied herself with a mere, 'this stabilises rather than restores then?'
Solauk nodded solemnly. "Restoration requires time. This will allow you to reach a baseline. You must build from there."
'That seems to be a logical propositon,' T'Maas replied evenly, cocking her head to one side. 'As the ship's Executive Officer it would not be conducive to moral should I behave ... uncharacteristically for a Vulcan. As the human expression goes, 'people might talk'.'
He regarded her for amoment, the hypospray still resting in his hand.
"Concern regarding perception," he said, "is a common secondary stressor in individuals who have undergone prolonged cultural displacement. Your concern is not illogical. But it is misaligned."
Solauk took a short breath and lowered the hypospray to his side, preparing to elaborate further.
"There is a human tendency to believe that if one performs normalcy with sufficient precision, it will be accepted as truth. The result is often the opposite. The more energy is devoted to appearing unremarkable, the more evident the effort becomes."
He held her gaze for a long moment, an eyebrow half-raised.
'Perhaps,' T'Maas conceded. 'But is that not the basis of Vulcan society? The suppression of the true self under a veneer of logic?' She allowed a visible twitch of the lips, the ghost of a smile. 'Perhaps more emotional species have it right, allowing the whole of the self to be present, however eccentric.'
"Perhaps," Solauk echoed. He wasn't entirely convinced by that brand of logic himself. "Now, as for the hypospray..."
'You may proceed,' T'Maas said quietly after a long silent moment looking at the medical device. Equilibrium would do her well in her new line of work. 'Will this need to be a regular undertaking? A hypospray a week?'
In the name of efficiency, Solauk chose to administer the hypospray before answering her query. Once completed, he discharged the vial and placed both it and the spray on a nearby tray.
He turned to T'Maas. "I recommend monthly visits to ensure you return to baseline levels. Otherwise, the micronutrient supplement may be needed on a semi-regular basis."
'Very well - and there should be no side-effects significant enough to affect my duties from day to day?' T'Maas asked, momentarily alarmed she had not thought to ask before the hypo was administered. Another suspicion reared from the depths of her hindbrain, 'you had this serum readily available, is this a common ailment?'
Solauk took an audible breath, sensing a spike in distress. "Commander, this is a common enough complaint among Vulcans living with humans--especially aboard spacefaring vessels. While not noted in Starfleet Medical guidebooks, it has appeared in Vulcan literature for close to a half-century. As for side effects, some have reported an increased appetite in the first twenty-four hours."
He stared directly into T'Maas' eyes, catching her gaze and ensuring she was paying attention. "You are in excellent health, Commander. Return to duty."
Looking back at him unflinchingly, she nodded. 'Very well Doctor. If you are satisfied, I am satisfied.' She let out a breath, and got to her feet, readjusting her uniform and nodding. 'This was a most ... agreeable meeting. I hope it portends well for the future.'
Solauk nodded and quietly returned to his office, content to have met another Vulcan member of Equitas.
Commander T'Maas
Executive Officer
USS Equitas
Lieutenant Commander Solauk, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Equitas
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