Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site looking.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: The rules of Pon Farr (SPOILER)
Message-ID: <155@looking.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 00:00:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: looking.155
Posted: Mon Jun 11 00:00:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Jun-84 01:12:00 EDT
References: <19800020@uiucuxc.UUCP>
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont
Lines: 23

At age 7, two vulcans are united by a mind meld that builds a bond
called the "kah" between them.  If they don't mate every seven years,
the male goes progressively crazier each time until he dies.  The bond
can be broken by means of the Kal-i-fee, but not otherwise.  This
from the Star Trek novel by Joe Haldeman.

Anyway, Spock's Kah with T'Pring was broken by his fight with Kirk in
Amok time.  But his body has a new one with Saavik.  Will they have to
get it on every 7 years?  Who knows...

As for pregnancy, if the vulcans mate every seven years, and DON'T get
pregnant 99% of ot the time, then there will shortly be no vulcans
left if you compare that to the breeding rates of other creatures.
Perhaps with longer life-spans it all evens out, but you can't argue that
"the vulcans have been logical so long they have evolved into a one child
per person cycle" because it's clear that the mating habits of vulcans
are something from their barbaric past (when they used to practice wonton
killing) that they would rather not talk about.

Of course, perhaps the woman can control her fertility.  Anyway, it
seems likely that Saavik is preggy.
-- 
	Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ontario (519) 886-7304