Snippet 1c

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Earth was truly a wonder to behold. From its vast blue sky, to the green that grew so easily from the soil in the ground, to the laughing people that seemed to roam everywhere in the streets of the bustling city.

It was all like the stories that Spock had heard from his mother...and yet more. Far more.

And also much bigger than he'd imagined.

The size of the place, its chaotic business, and the strange sights all seemed to close in on him at once the moment he stepped off the shuttle and onto the surface of the landing bay, right in the middle of the city. People went by so quickly and with so much expression in every movement that they made, it was almost overwhelming. It would clearly be just as Sarek had warned him - very easy to get lost. He had best stay close to his mother and father and avoid talking to strangers.

It was also, as he had been warned, much colder in this place, even though he had read about this part of Earth, and it was supposed to be one of the hotter places in the continent of America. He tried not to shiver when a breeze brushed past him, curling his fingers against his tunic discreetly to try and warm them.

"Here we are, Spock!" Amanda suddenly spoke to him, her warm, familiar voice assuring above the bustling noise of the community around them. Her hand came down to hold his tightly, safely. "This is San Francisco, California. Do you see the ocean over there? Behind the buildings?"

Spock could see it. It was vast, blue, and stretched so far that it disappeared into the sky. However, he could not find himself as glad to see it as Amanda seemed to think he should be. Water was not a friendly thing to him when it came in great amounts like that. He had fallen into the single river that ran past Shi'Kahr once, just last year, when he was four years old, and that had not made him think of great bodies of water as nice things to visit.

Amanda had turned back to the shuttle, and was looking to her husband as he stepped out. "Sarek, will you please - " she didn't need to finish, because Sarek was already handing her Spock's extra coat that they had brought along in preparation for this Earthen climate. Sarek himself was already wearing his outer coat, as well.

Amanda took the extra garment with a smile. "Thank you," she said, before turning to Spock and slipping the coat onto his small shoulders. Spock accepted it gratefully, slipping his arms into the warm sleeves and feeling relieved when the body of the coat blocked the cold. "All right, I think we have everything we need. Are you ready to visit the embassy, Spock? You know that's where your father does all of his most important work when he comes here to visit Earth."

"I believe you will find the contrast of this embassy to the one on Vulcan a subject of interest, Spock," Sarek said as he stood by Amanda's side and waited for him to finish putting on his coat. "Human interaction is very different from Vulcan interaction."

Spock finished putting on his coat and reached up for his mother's hand again. "Maybe it's different because their always cold," he offered, looking at his father.

Sarek exchanged glances with Amanda.

"Well, sweetheart, remember that humans have a lower body temperature than Vulcans do," Amanda said gently, as the shuttle doors closed and they began to walk toward the place where a black automobile was waiting for them. "They can feel comfortable in temperatures much lower than we are used to. Vulcan would be considered a very, very warm planet to them."

Spock frowned, half distracted by the sights. "Then why do they want to be our friends?"

"There is more to a planet than the temperature, Spock." Sarek replied, guiding Amanda around a tight cluster of people. "Humans and Vulcans have a common interest."

"Peace." Spock responded, lifting his hand in the Vulcan symbol.

"That's right, Spock."

"All right, in we go," Amanda said, stepping toward the car door (which had been opened for them) and letting Spock in first. "Go on and sit by the window, sweetheart. So you can see the city."

Spock quickly crawled in and sat on his knees facing the window. Sarek and Amanda sat in as well, and Sarek raised an eyebrow as Spock watched a red-headed boy wave at him from the car across from them. Spock pointed to him and looked at Amanda. "Mama, what's he doing?"

"He's saying hello, Spock," Amanda explained, nodding to the window. "Go on and wave back. It's a form of greeting, here on Earth."

Spock raised a hand and waved awkwardly, sitting back down quickly after.

"We will be there shortly, Spock." Sarek assured him.

"Look at the stop lights, Spock," Amanda pointed out, gesturing out into the street as the car drove along. "Those change colors to tell the cars when they have to stop, and when they can go. That's the way they direct the traffic."

Spock put his forehead against the window to look up at the lights as they passed. "What do the colors mean?"

"Red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go," Amanda explained. "And look - there are small signs underneath them to tell the people when they can safely walk across the street. The red hand means they should stay on the sidewalk, and the white figurine means they can cross the road."

Spock frowned as he looked over at her. "Why can't they just take turns?"

"Because sometimes humans need a little extra guidance, dear," Amanda said, giving him a knowing smile. "Some of them don't know how to take turns, and sometimes drivers aren't safe. They need set laws to tell them when they can and can't go."

Spock still looked confused. "Why doesn't their Mamas teach them too?"

Amanda chuckled. "Not all mamas know how to be good teachers, sweetheart. And even if they are, sometimes children don't listen to them. That's why they need the law, so that everyone knows what to do, and who to listen to."

"Coming up on the embassy," the driver suddenly called back, glancing back at the Vulcan family. "Front doors okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Sarek replied.

Spock leaned over the other way to look through the seats to the front window. "That's it?"

"That is correct, Spock." Sarek said, pointing to the big symbol on the building. "Do you see the symbol I showed you?"

Spock nodded, his eyes wide as he looked at the huge building.

"All right," the driver pulled up in front of the building, coming up along the curb and then stopping the car. "This is it." He got out of the car to open the door for the Vulcans. "Good luck, Mr. Sarek."

"Thank you, Jared." Sarek said as he got out of the car, opening the passenger door for Amanda. "Keep him close," he warned her as Spock crawled out after them. "Stay close to your mother, Spock."

Spock stood out of the way as Sarek closed the door and took his mother's hand. "Are we the only Vulcans here, Mama?"

"Well, actually, there is one other Vulcan here, Spock, and he's only a few years older than you are," Amanda said, giving his hand a small squeeze as they followed Sarek toward the doors. "He came to live here for a while, just like Rorek came to Vulcan. You just might get to meet him today."

Spock looked up at her in surprise and a hint of excitement, not even noticing their surroundings as they walked inside. "Where is he, Mama?"

"Inside," Amanda said, smiling at his excitement. "He'll be here today to meet with your father and tell him how he's been doing, and about some of the things he's learned. After that, I'm sure your father will make sure you two can meet."

"Sarek!" a booming voice suddenly called out from down the hallway, and a broad-shouldered man stepped forward, grinning to shake Sarek's hand. "Right on time, as always. Ready for the big meeting today? You know we all look forward to hearing your schpeel the most."

"Admiral," Sarek greeted, turning slightly to motion to the two behind him. "This is my wife Amanda and my son Spock. This," he motioned to the admiral. "Is Admiral Victor."

Spock raised his hand in the Vulcan symbol shyly.

"Ahhh, so this is the offspring of the great Ambassador," Victor joked when he saw Spock, nodding to Amanda and throwing a wink in her direction before bending down toward Spock. "And how're you likin', Earth, little guy? Kind of a funny place, isn't it?"

Spock shook his head, shrinking back even further against Amanda.

"The traffic signals were confusing to him," Sarek explained.

"HA! Yeah, bet Vulcans haven't got a need for anythin' like that," Victor said, straightening up with a chuckle and turning back to Sarek. "Well, let's head on in, then, Sarek. The misses and little Spock here can have free roam of the place."

"We will meet you afterward, Sarek," Amanda said, nodding to him. "I hope it goes well."