Running to Stand Still

[T'Prise 0]

Meritorious Achievement Award

 

A sensation of disorientation ran through her, making her unable to retain a tangible thought...

 

The air was heavy and stifling, laced with a small amount of humidity; it wrapped around T'Prise like a thick blanket, almost comforting. She opened her eyes, fully expecting to be home in Raal, but instead of the breathtaking vistas of the Vulcan desert landscape, she was surrounded by green. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head to bring her surroundings into focus. Although not the home of her formative years, she was indeed familiar with this place as well; Sylvan Park, a small nature conservation area near the Daystrom and a location she frequented regularly. It was a peaceful locale, favorable for meditation and contemplation, especially during Earth's warmest meteorological season, when the heat persuaded many humans to retreat indoors.

 

However, although she had often sat on this bench in the shade of the centuries-old fagaceae quercus above her, this time was different. Looking around, she attempted to determine the source of her sense of disparity between this situation and her previous experiences, but was unable to rationally articulate a reason for it. The human expression, she believed, was that the circumstances did not "feel" correct.

 

The park looked as it always did, calm and serene. She was alone, the only sound that of a slight breeze rustling the branches above her but providing no respite from the heat. The conditions were ideal for meditation, yet she found that she could not bring her mind to focus on any one thing. Questions, ideas, thoughts, and impressions crowded around each other inside her head, yet the moment she attempted to reach out for one, it became insubstantial, hiding itself amongst the others, eluding her grasp. While her outward appearance projected a stoic demeanor, turbulence reigned inwardly. Her thoughts were fractious; chaos was in control, a dangerous state for any Vulcan. She tried to end the perplexity, to seek order, to seek logic, but was rewarded for her efforts with sharp pains shooting through her skull. Wincing slightly, she closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to gently rub her temples.

 

"Do you know what a wind-up toy is?" a male voice questioned from beside her.

 

Raising her weary head up with a snap, she turned sharply to find Chris Lamoreaux sitting next to her, sprawled lazily across the bench with a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He should not be here…floated out of the miasma of her thoughts, echoing the idea that something was not quite right.

 

"I do not believe you are supposed to be here," she offered by way of greeting, raising an eyebrow questioningly at his sudden appearance.

 

"Why not? It's a public park, anyone can come here," he retorted, grinning cheekily at her.

 

She glared back in response, her eyes full of censure. "I do not object to your presence in respect to being here in the park. I was merely stating that you should not be here with me," she said authoritatively, more conviction flooding into her tone the impression grew stronger within her.

 

"That isn't a very rational reason. Really, why shouldn't I be here?"

 

She opened her mouth to tell him, but before she could formulate an answer, the impression was gone, disappearing once more into the unsettled morass of her mind. She closed her mouth and smoothed her facial expression, unable to provide him with an adequate explanation.

 

"That is what I thought. You don't know why, do you? You don't have any inkling of what is going on."

 

Shaking her head in the negative, she looked at him. "I believe a logical explanation exists for my current circumstances, yet I do not have one at the present time."

 

He laughed, falling back against the bench in his mirth. "Logic, huh? You never fail to resort to logic, even in the face of the inexplicable. Nothing ever changes, does it?"

 

She glared at him anew, her eyebrows drawing together in a disapproving line. "Some scientists have argued that change is the one constant in this universe," she informed him stiffly.

 

"That isn't what I meant and you know it." He smiled, laughter still lurking in his eyes. "But you still haven't answered my question; do you know what a wind-up toy is?"

 

She nodded, deciding to answer him, on the supposition that this strange line of inquiry had some sort of purpose. "Yes, a fellow classmate at the Academy had a penchant for them. She once demonstrated their use for me. They are a small device produced for the purpose of amusing children. Typically they are created in the likeness of an animal or fictional character and contain a spring, which is tightened by means of a lever, which causes some part of the object to move or spin."

 

Lamoreaux shook his head at her, amused by her encyclopedic recitation. "It is always amazing, your inexorable thirst for knowledge. While most Vulcans believe that logic is the beginning of wisdom, you live that belief. You relentlessly use logic to find the wisdom you seek. Something as insignificant as a wind-up toy and yet you took the time to research its origins and divine its purpose." Still smiling, he continued on, swiftly moving to his next question. "You are a physicist; tell me, how do the laws of motion relate to this wind-up toy?"

 

Curious as to what sort of point he was attempting to make, she nonetheless answered his question. "A body at rest will remain at rest until an external force is applied. In the case of the spring which causes motion in the device, that external force is the lever. The force exerted by the lever is directly proportional to the rate of change in momentum on the device, times the acceleration, which dictates the direction and speed of movement. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction; in the case of this device, the action of winding the spring causes the spring to coil tightly in an unnatural position, which in turn causes the spring to exert force upon the device in order to return to its normal resting state."

 

"So what you are saying is that the ultimate purpose of a wind-up toy once the lever has been turned is to run its course, so it may be at rest, so it may stand still. What if the toy is wound too tightly or halted prematurely by an alteration to its workings, what reactions can we infer from such an action?"

 

"It would not function properly and the momentum would build until such a time as it could be released. Ultimately, by some means, the spring will attempt to return to its unwound state."

 

"Exactly," he said with a grin, before falling silent as he closed his eyes and settled back against the bench.

 

She sat next to him, trying to decipher the purpose of his questions, yet unable to do so. Long minutes stretched as she quietly contemplated, the chaos inside her mind swirling in the background. The more she tried to find a rational reason for his commentary, the more blurry the edges of her reality became. The feeling of disorientation returned; the park began to fade, leaving only the bench and its occupants. Turning towards Lamoreaux once more, she saw that he had begun to fade as well.

 

"You're right, I shouldn't be here," he said as her eyes met his. "But logic dictated an explanation and I have given it to you."

 

"I am having difficulty comprehending your meaning!" she cried, her bewilderment growing stronger as he continued to fade away.

 

"Part of you understands," he said softly. "The part that brought me here as a reminder."

 

"Of what are you to remind me?"

 

But he was gone. The bench next to her was empty, no trace remaining of the man who had sat there only moments before.

 

"A reminder that you too are running to stand still."