jay@smu.UUCP (06/14/84)
#N:smu:18200004:000:3903
smu!jay Jun 14 15:12:00 1984
Saavik and Spock's Katra
Spock placed his Katra in McCoy's mind. This operation began with
"Remember..." but the scene was cut away to the bridge. Therefore, the
exact time it took for placement is unknown. Granted it could only be about
five minutes tops. Then Spock dies. Spock could not have told Saavik about
his placement of his Katra because he was in a bit of a hurry at the time
and couldn't afford the time it would take to establish a long distance mind
link (if he could have) or even make a small note with the ships computer -
he would have evaluted the time and determined that the needs of the many
outweigh the needs of the one (gosh that's good!). So Spock dies and nobody
knows that his Katra is alive and in Georgia sipping mint julips.
Saavik, upon learning of Spock's death, would immediately open her mind
and try to sense Spock's presence (as she does on Genesis). Having been
unable to find the Katra, she would Know that he was dead. She then fixed
things so that his coffin would land and not be extinguished. This is logical
(from her semi-emotional viewpoint as well) because 1) normally, Vulcans (or
at least some) will have their minds preserve in the Hall of Thought and so
never really die so 2) to keep the body from being destroyed comes from the
conditioning (received from Spock and others {it hasn't been ruled out}) that
their may well be Something left.
On Genesis, Saavik doesn't start yelling to David, "Oh, we've got to keep
this Spock alive and return him to Vulcan," because she rightfully believes the
mind of Spock to be gone. When she finally learns that McCoy has Spock's
Katra, she also learns that they are trying to get to Vulcan to restore the
mind and so she doesn't need to restate what they all seem to know.
On Vulcan, the ceremony takes time because of the mixture of Spock's
consciousness and McCoy's, that's logical. As for real time, I don't know
of any references having been made to the length of the days on Vulcan and
in any case, the ceremony could have been started just before dawn. The fact
that everyone was resting is somewhat expected considering what they've been
through.
Saavik and Spock's Encounter
(Please be easy with the flames, but don't hesitate to correct)
The Vulcan's mating cycle is every seven years, but that doesn't mean
that they can't reproduce whenever they wish. Humans have the seven year
itch (if you believe that) so the Vulcans could simply have developed ritual
around the absolutely Necessary biological facts.
The facts (as expounded): Vulcans must return to "spawn" and the urge
comes every seven years. After the first encounter I don't think it has been
made clear that the urge continues to occur. If not then it could be a simple
survival instinct that has been so completely suppressed that it recurs with
great force in the Vulcan male every seven years on the average. If it recurs
then
Saavik performs the "mating" ritual with the new Spock but it could be
that she just mentally calmed him. As demonstrated in "Amok Time", Spock
doesn't have to do it if his desire can be extinguished. As a totally
primal Spock at that point, she could have just let him bleed off his
frustrations. There is, of course, the point that this ritual doesn't seem
to occur again. Spock must grow from a teenager to his former age and if
the desire manifested itself every seven years, Saavik would hardly have time
to take that nap, let alone do anything else. Saavik doesn't have to be
pregnant and Spock doesn't have to be driven sexually mad anymore. I don't
think it's logical to expect such a simple, unchangeable biological mechanism
in a lifeform that has been evolving for as long as the Vulcan race seems
to have been evolving.
Well, let me hear your responses while I play rogue.okie@ihuxs.UUCP (B.K. Cobb) (06/21/84)
Bravo, smu!jay! I've gotten a little tired of the obsession with Spock, Saavik, and sex on Genesis by some netters. Everything I've ever read and/or seen does *not* make it necessary for Spock and Saavik to have had sex, whether once or several times. A careful viewing of the "Amok Time" episode, and the careful reading of any number of stories/novels/etc. concerning that period of time, points to the necessity of a young Vulcan being "paired" with another. After that, he eventually goes through the "plak tow" (the blood fever) and must eventually mate. But Spock himself stated that he had put it off, avoided it for some time. Perhaps Saavik's embarrasment in the final scenes is due to the fact that she "paired" with the Genesis Spock to ease him through plak tow and she is now wondering if the restored Spock will know that he is paired to her. I don't think it's because she made Vulcan whoopee and is now in a family way; what possible reason would there be for either of their characters to have to go through something like that, anyway? On a related issue, here's something to consider. We all know that the Genesis planet turned out completely different from all expectations, and that bizarre things happened thereon. What if the regeneration of Spock also changed some of his essential "properties" -- such as the amok urge and the mating pattern? Chew it over and spit it back at me. BKCobb inhp4!ihuxs!okie
jrb@wdl1.UUCP (jrb ) (06/23/84)
#R:smu:18200004:wdl1:2700007:000:871 wdl1!jrb Jun 22 11:42:00 1984 There are a number of points that have not been mentioned so far: - Vulcans keep their rituals VERY private. The sum total of non-Vulcan knowlege of Pon Farr is in the private logs of Kirk and McCoy (and possibly Captain Pike). - Because of the above point, unless Saavik has witnessed the death of a Vulcan during her stay there, she would not know anything about Vulcan ritual on the subject. Spock would not talk about it (because it would not be proper) and most Vulcans would not discuss any of their mysticism with a Romulan half-breed. - Saavik's position in Vulcan society cannot be anything but that of a barbarian who is under the protection of a very powerful family. She would be much more of an outcast than Spock is. John R Blaker UUCP: ...!fortune!wdl1!jrb ARPA: jrb@FORD-WDL1 and blaker@FORD-WDL2