She winced. “I’ve tried. As much as it… roils my emotions just to hear his name, I get no specifics, no matter how much I try to face those feelings. There’s just not enough there to latch onto.” She paused, thinking it through. “Yes… it was the sense memory of my mother’s touch, her scent, the surroundings of home, that sparked the connection. With Shastri, I have little more to think of than the name. It’s too abstract.”

Scott cleared his throat. “Forgive me if I’m crossing a line here, Captain Spock… but isn’t there some Vulcan mind technique you can use to find those lost memories in Uhura? You brought Admiral Kirk back after that Preserver obelisk thing wiped his memory.”

Spock shook his head slightly. “Believe me, Mister Scott, were that a feasible option, I would have proposed it already. In that case, the memories were fully intact, simply blocked from the captain’s conscious mind.

“There is a theoretical Vulcan technique that has been proposed for the restoration of memories deeply repressed due to psychological trauma. However, it would require the subject to meld with a close family member—someone who knows their mind and their personality intimately enough to function as a guide and interpreter, in order to assist them in understanding and reintegrating the memory. While Commander Uhura and I have had an excellent professional relationship for many years, we are not as close as family. Nor am I personally familiar with the details of the technique. It might not even be applicable to this type of memory erasure.”

His lips narrowed. “It would seem that our best option would be to speak to Mister Shastri. Regrettably, as he is a civilian, as well as a resident of a remote colony, there is little we may do to gain his cooperation if he chooses to withhold it.”

Uhura sighed. “You’re right. It’s not the universe that’s to blame for these dead ends, it’s me. When my past was erased, I chose to let it stay that way. I thought it would be easiest for everyone to make a clean break and start over.” She lowered her head. “I was wrong. I see now just how much I cost myself, and my family. It’s no wonder my old friends feel alienated too.

“I’ve always prided myself on my ability to make connections—to bridge seemingly impassable divides and create understanding. But I cut off my own connections to my old life. I let them wither and die, and now we’re all paying the price.”

“Hey, hey.” Scotty moved to sit beside her on the couch and put an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t beat yourself up, lass. Nomad did a hell of a number on both of us, you know that. The only one to blame is that blasted machine.