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[ he's been deliberating where to begin with these thoughts for some time now, but Spock has never been the type to follow impulse in place of old fashioned consideration. when the feed begins, he's seated as he always is, meticulously composed, with his fingers steepled in his lap. for anyone who's come to know him thus far, it's a sign in and of itself, of how carefully he's treading. ]

Tranquility, this is Spock.

In light of recent events, I find it relevant to suggest that the vessel's security team, while consistently reliable, is only one variant thereof. Recent transmissions from an anonymous source largely referred to as smiley, have illuminated the insufficiency of our attempts to both locate the source and individual responsible. I am aware that we have several individuals aboard who consider technological security and the bypass thereof- a specialty, and I am equally aware that despite these assets, we have gleaned, comparably, very little.

I believe we would benefit significantly from teaching these skills to others and forming a technical security network, for the express purpose of tracking, locating, and attempting to engage this individual.

I can offer no personal guarantees regarding the success or, at this interim, the establishment of such a unit. However, I would not be averse to conversing with interested parties. If you possess technical proficiency of any kind or the inclination to learn, your participation would be welcome.

[ it's here that his mouth tightens marginally at the corner. when Spock speaks again, his focus has changed, and his tone sobers. not that he isn't perpetually dry to begin with. ]

At this time, I believe I should clarify that while these anonymous messages are most engaging, I am not of the opinion that we should offer them exclusive focus. The Tranquility remains in a state of perpetual disrepair and remarkably little is intimately understood about it's origins and technology. While a surveillance team will likely provoke further questions, it does not eliminate those we have failed to answer thus far.

Passenger OPR»002»035, Issac Clarke has requested assistance in the exploration of our engineering systems, but we would also likely benefit from investigation of any and all available historical records on board.

Spock out.

[ Private filter to Ward, Resnik, and Kirk ]
Captain, Commander.
If I may have a word?

[ ooc; this would be a ping for aberdeen, todd, tali, atton, ismene, sulu, buffy, am, chase, caprica &anyone else willing to offer themselves up as a teacher. if it's alright with you kids- i'm handwaving that he's sent you all private requests to teach- either because he knows you, or has seen your capabilities thus far.

innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn the interest of speeding some of the cr building along i threw a sign up over here :3 ]

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[She understands maybe a quarter of what you're saying, Spock. Maybe. :c But she gets the important part:]

I want to learn.

[ there aren't many he's known that prefer to rely upon text. he presumes that this is a matter of privacy, or perhaps, academically acknowledges that it may be insecurity. his reply is the same regardless. ]

You are most welcome to participate. My I request your name? I do not believe we are acquainted.

[There are so many names. She's used so many, with so many different people, and it takes her a moment to reason out whether she should give a new one or start reusing.

In the end, its the fear that these messages can be traced that makes her use the only name that's been spoken in communication with her.]

Cat. [And a beat later:] Spock is a strange name.

[ this is, the first time in many years someone has commented upon his name. Starfleet, after all, prided itself on interplanetary communication and to form relationships, respect and acceptance of cultural differences meant that he was not an anomaly.

there is however, no flicker of irritation over his face. no amusement. no betrayal of any kind. he merely adds the name to his list, somewhere off screen, without glancing away. ]

It is a Vulcan name.

[ and then, a faint flicker of one brow. ] A cat is an animal.

[She's absurdly interested in his utter lack of emotion; he's calm as still water, calmer, as calm as she tries to be, but she doesn't always succeed. She'll be watching him, she decides. To learn.]

It's also a name. What's Vulcan?

[ there is no trace of sadness, or anger- not for it's absence, and for all those that had perished with it. because this is a statement of fact, acknowledgement of history. something that merely is. ]

Vulcan was my home planet.

Was?

[She's still having trouble with this planet thing, but she's trying. And then she notices something else.]

What's wrong with your ears?

It was destroyed some months ago.

[ the time of it's absence, the moment when his home was swallowed by darkness- with it's billions of inhabitants, is engraved upon his mind- rises to his mouth immediately. but is, in the end, too fragile a thing to be whispered aloud.

not yet.

not yet.

but the question is a welcome matter to focus upon all the same. it is not the first time he has been asked such a thing, and most assuredly, will not be the last. Spock does not bristle between it, merely laces his fingers together in his lap, and settles his gaze on the screen. the image of patient acceptance. curiosity is, after all, a trait not only largely a part of his identity, but also a trait to be encouraged. without curiosity, there would be no learning. without learning- no understanding. ]

My ears are ordinary by the standards of my race- one of many physical and biological differences between Vulcans and humans.

[He can speak of the destruction of everything he knows without flinching. She doesn't know what she would look like if she were to talk about dead Starks; she's run from it instead, knows it's better that way, knows she must abandon everything to be faceless.

Still. She could lie to everyone, if she could control her face like he controls his.]

What other differences are there?

[ he understands curiosity, perhaps better than she realizes. certainly moreso than he openly admits to. Spock is not ashamed of his desire to learn and to grow- to inquire after what he can of the universe itself. but it is rare for him to meet someone who shares his unflinching questioning. ]

Would a satisfactory reply be better based upon biological differences, or cultural variations?

[He's getting harder to understand, and there's a longer pause before her answer. Biological or cultural? She isn't really certain which would be better, so:]

Both.

[ his hands settle in his lap. Spock has no qualms with discussing the differences between himself and the humans with which he so frequently lives among. it is science. it is fact. it is inarguable and without preference.

but where should he begin? ]

Vulcan possessed a higher atmospheric pressure and gravity than that of Earth, thus I appear approximately three times stronger than humans. My blood is copper based and green in appearance. I am able to go several days with neither water or sleep- instead requiring only a handful of hours spent in meditation.

Vulcans also typically possess a lifespan of two-hundred plus years.

...Among other variances.

[She doesn't know what atmospheric pressure is, or that blood can be copper based, but she gets the gist: he's stronger, he bleeds green, he's not as fragile.

He's better. She wishes she'd been born Vulcan; then she would have been strong enough to save - but no, he isn't her father any longer. He is dead, and so is the girl she once was.]

What cultural variations? [She's very, very carefully typing his words back to him, so she doesn't make a mistake.]

[ it wouldn't be the first time that Spock has been informed that he's soaring right over someone's head. or at the very least, that his meticulous attention to detail makes matters more convoluted than they need to be. the concise response implies that he is either speaking to a scientist comfortable with these variations in theory or experience- or, that he is speaking to someone who could not possibly be more unfamiliar with the concept.

as it stands, he is inclined to believe it is the latter. ]

Perhaps our most significant difference, is that Vulcan culture places great importance upon the control and inefficacy of emotion. [ his father's voice comes to mind with absolute clarity ] Logic offers a serenity humans seldom experience.

[She doesn't know what inefficacy means, but she still gets the gist: this is how he can look so calm, so neutral, so unaffected. This is what she wants, needs to know more about.]

Can you teach a girl to do that?

[ there is a brief lapse of silence that follows her reply, but the words have their own weight in his mind. he has had several years to become accustomed to the perception of his race- the inadequacy seen within himself by both humans, and Vulcans. this, however-

his chin dips forward. ]

To my understanding, it is not a practice that a human has ever attempted before. [ Spock's gaze, in that pause, returns itself to the vacancy of the screen. ]

However, I would not be averse to the experience.

[She's going to have to learn to understand him better, she realizes, but there is a smoothness to his voice that she likes listening to, that she thinks will be easy to understand eventually, and then to imitate.]

Is that a yes?

Affirmative.

[ the encryption is set in place a moment later. it is not in his nature to take excess pleasure in anything, let alone the exploitation of others, however, if this is a path he intends to share with another, in however small a way, he can think of no better place to start. ]

Provided the impression that secrecy is of great importance to you, I have encrypted out conversation. [ a beat. he's speaking too technologically, his chin tilts. ] That is, no party beyond you, or myself, is able to know what we are presently speaking of.

This established, what is your true name?

[Her true name. Is that the price she has to pay, to learn how to hide her true self? Her fingers hover over the A key, and she's tempted, because she remembers how the kindly man asked her name, how she went through the long list and how he didn't believe it until she spoke the truth.

But Spock is not the kindly man. And he isn't magic. So she shifts her fingers away from the A.]

A girl has no name. But a Vulcan can call her Jeyne, if he doesn't like Cat.

It it not a matter of preference. [ the device is adjusted, placed with equal parts delicacy and precision on his desk as Spock's hands withdraw. returning to his lap.

he experiences no hesitancy in talking to this stranger, but he does find himself in an unusual predicament. ]

Vulcans do not lie. Deceit is unnecessary, and frequently found to be an emotionally motivated impulse. However, your circumstances imply that discretion regarding your identity is critical to your survival. Is this accurate?

[She takes her time in answering again; there is one Lannister here, and that is dangerous. But it isn't as if he can bring her to his sister. She is tempted by the truth again, but no - no, if they ever leave here, the Kingslayer must still believe that Arya Stark is dead.]

Yes. Deceit is very necessary.

[ in the end, that is all the explanation he requires. the nod of his head is faint, but present regardless. ]

Understood.
Then I shall address you according to your preferences.

[She expected an argument; Alayne had argued, Bran had had difficulty understanding, but not the Vulcan. Yes, this was a good idea. He would help her lie better, even if he didn't lie himself.]

Jeyne. [Jeyne spoke in the Braavosi way, called herself a girl, and more people had heard her speak that way than any other. CAt was a girl for the canals of Braavos, who sold cockles and clams; maybe it was time to abandon Cat for good.]

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