Questions about the 'past' are no easier to answer than being asked about the future, but Spock accepts this reversal of roles as his due. The Commander seems slightly more relaxed now, at any rate, though he knows that the warrior is never far beneath the mask of the emissary.

"My role on board the Enterprise is chiefly scientific, and therefore exploring the galaxy is both a challenge and a privilege," he answers blandly. "As the only Vulcan serving with four hundred and twenty nine humans, I am also faced daily with a similar personal incongruity, but I have learned to adapt."