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From: friedman@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: More on pon farr
Message-ID: <24900066@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Dec-84 09:53:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.24900066
Posted: Tue Dec  4 09:53:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Dec-84 03:48:24 EST
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Nf-From: uiucdcs!friedman    Dec  4 08:53:00 1984


>	Hey!  Who says that the pon farr Spock went through in "Amok Time"
>	was the first one any way?  It's just the first one we knew about.

No, it seems clear to me from the context that this was the first time.
I also seem to recall his statement along the lines of "Since I am only
part Vulcan, I had hoped to be able to avoid this."

I know most of us don't usually credit the novels to decide things like this,
but I think Jean Lorrah's recent "The Vulcan Academy Murders" sheds some light
on this.  She has quite a bit of Vulcan society and "biological facts" in that
novel.  She suggests that sexual maturity in Vulcans comes quite a bit later
in life than in humans -- e.g., well after the completion of university
studies and the beginning of a career.

This seems to me to fit well with Spock's age in "Amok Time".  While we don't
know that age with any precision, we do know that he had completed studies at
Star Fleet Academy and served on active duty long enough to attain moderately
high rank.  On the other hand, it does not fit well with the apparent age of
the first pon farr of the regenerated Spock in ST III, but this might be
explained in light of the abnormally high-speed aging process going on.

Another interesting point from Lorrah's novel:  a telepathic bond is set up
between Vulcan mates, and even between a Vulcan and his or her non-Vulcan
mate (e.g., Sarek and Amanda).  It is not clear from the novel whether this
bond would be formed between a Vulcan in pon farr and a mate he did not
intend to marry (form a permanent bond with).  I find this idea intriguing.
(Ever notice how the partners in a really good Human marriage often seem to
sense each other's -- dare I say -- thoughts?)