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THE STAR TREX ENCYCLOPEDIA: A REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FUTURE VULCANS (CONTINUED) - torn by terrible wars. (“Let That Be hearing than humans. The intensity of the Vulcan sun caused the Your Last Battlefield” [TOS], “All Our Vulcans to evolve a secondary eyelid to protect the retina. This 8 Yesterdays” [TOS]). The ancient inner eyelid involuntarily closes when the eye is exposed to philosopher Surak, revered as the extremely intense light. Spock's inner eyelid protected him in — ae father of Vulcan civilization, led his 2267 against powerful light used in an experiment designed to 19 people some two thousand years eradicate the Denevan neural parasite. (“Operation: Annihilate!” ago to reject their emotions in favor [TOS]). A Vulcan's heart is where a human's liver is. When injured, of a philosophy that embraced pure Vulcans concentrate their strength, blood, and antibodies onto logic. (“The Savage Curtain” [TOS]). This remarkable renaissance the injured organs by a type of self-induced hypnosis. (“A Private became known as the Time of Awakening. (“Gambit, Part II" Little War” [TOS]). Vulcans have very different blood chemistry [TNG]). Vulcan society is now based entirely on logic. and any from Bolians. A blood transfusion from a Vulcan to a Bolian trappings of emotion are considered to be socially unacceptable. would be fatal for the Bolian. (“Prototype” [VGR)). One group did not accept Surak's teachings and instead left Certain elements of Vulcan prehistory suggest that the Vulcan Vulcan to found the warrior Romulan Star Empire. (“Unification, race may have originated with colonists from another planet, posPart I" [TNG]). Their descendents and offshoots colonized many sibly humanoids from Sargon’s planet 500,000 years ago. planets across the quadrant. (“Gambit, Part II" [TNG]). Tensions (“Return to Tomorrow" [TOS]). Vulcans have telepathic capacity, remained between the two peoples, and a century-long war once as practiced in the Vulcan mind-meld. Although the telepathic raged between the Vulcans and the Romulans. No one on either ability is quite limited, Spock once felt the death screams of the side realized that the war had been ignited by Quinn, a member 400 Vulcan crew members of the Starship Intrepid across interof the Q Continuum. We don't know when the war was, except stellar distances. (“The Immunity Syndrome” [TOS]). Located in that it was before 2072. ("Death Wish” [VGRY]). By the 24th centu- the mesiofrontal cortex of the Vulcan brain lies the psychosupry, however, a small number of Vulcan citizens sought reconcilia- pression system responsible for the cessation of emotions. On tion with their Romulan cousins, a movement supported by rare occasions, this area of the brain can be disrupted following a Ambassador Spock, as well as by members of a Romulan under- mind-meld with a violent individual. (“Meld” [VGRY]). ground. (“Unification, Parts | and II" [TNG]). Vulcans were the first extraterrestrials to be encountered by In the distant past, Vulcans killed to win their mates. Even in the people of planet Earth. On April 4, 2063, a Vulcan survey ship the present, Vulcans revert to ancient mating rituals, apparently passed through Earth's solar system at that same time that the price these people must pay for totally suppressing their nat- ~~ Zefram Cochrane made his first faster-than-light spaceflight test ural emotions. When Vulcan children are about seven, their par- in the Phoenix. The Vulcan ship detected ents select a future mate, and the two children are joined in a cer- - the Phoenix's warp signature and realized emony that links them telepathically. When the two children come \ BL that humans had discovered warp drive. of age, they are compelled to join together for the marriage ritu- FS * t a On the evening of the next day, the Vulcan als. The time of mating, Pon farr, is when the stoically logical ship touched down near Cochrane's Vulcans pay for their rigid control by experiencing a period of total pony launch site in Montana. On April 5, 2063, emotional abandon. In Vulcan adults, Pon farr comes every seven . Vulcans made first contact with years. (“Amok Time” [TOS)). SEE: Koon-ut-kal-if-fee; wedding. humankind. (Star Trek: First Contact). The Vulcan who made first Vulcans who reach a certain infirmity with age sometimes prac- contact with Zefram Cochrane was played by Cully Fredricksen. tice ritual suicide. (“Death Wish” [VGR]). SEE: fal-tor-pan; humanoid life; katra; Kolinahr; PlakBecause planet Vulcan has a higher gravity than Earth, and tow; plomeek soup; Pon farr; Sarek; Spock; Stonn; tal-shaya; its atmosphere is thinner, Vulcans in an Earth-normal environ- T'Pau; T'Pring; T'plana-Hath; Vulcan isolationist movement; ment demonstrate greater physical strength and more acute Vulcan nerve pinch.