Xon (Star Trek)

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Xon
Screen-test photo of David Gautreaux as Xon

Xon is a character in the abandoned Star Trek: Phase II TV Series. Has was to be played by David Gautreaux.

[edit] Series Bible

The Star Trek Phase II series bible written by Gene Roddenberry and Jon Povill says of Xon;

Can a twenty-two-year-old Vulcan on his first space voyage fill the shoes of the legendary Mr. Spock? Xon (pronounced Zahn) was selected by the Vulcan Science Academy to attempt exactly that. Kirk was stunned when his new science officer reported aboard and found him to be a little more than a boy. (Xon looks something like a young Michael York with pointed ears.) Kirk has assumed the replacement was someone near Spock's age. The reports he had read on Xon listed him as a prominent scientist and teacher.

The truth is that Xon is a genius, even by Vulcan standards. As we'll see in our episodes, he is as competent as Spock in all fields of science. He lacks knowledge, however, in one very important area – the Human equation. Unlike Spock, Xon is a full Vulcan. He had no Human mother to acquaint him with the Earth species; he has no Human half with which to feel and understand Human emotions.

Xon realizes that the reason that Spock performed so well in his tasks on board the Enterprise was that he was half Human and therefore could understand emotional Human nature. In order to perform as well as Spock, he knows he is going to have to eliminate his Vulcan revulsion at emotional displays. He is, in fact, going to have to reach down within himself and find the emotions that his society has repressed for thousands of years so that he will have some basis for fully understanding his Human associates.

What this means is: whereas Spock was engaged in a constant battle with himself to repress his emotions in order to be more Vulcan-like, Xon will be engaged in a constant struggle within himself to release his buried emotions to be more Human-like for the sake of doing a good job, his primary considerations. This will be at least as difficult for him as it was for Spock to maintain his stoic pose. Also, we'll get humor out of Xon trying to simulate laughter, anger, fear, and other Human feelings.

The new science officer accepted the Enterprise assignments with much trepidation. He has no doubt that he can competently handle the scientific aspects of his job, but he fears the crew might expect him to be a duplicate of Spock as well as a replacement. These fears have been realized and hanging over the early episodes. So also is the unsaid comment, "Mr. Spock never did it quite like that." Nor is Captain Kirk overly fair to Xon in the beginning. Spock's friendship was a deep, important thing to Kirk, and the Captain is now almost arbitrarily rejecting the possibility of a meaningful relationship with the young Vulcan. However, the more difficult Lieutenant Xon's situation, the more we'll like him and the more we'll want him to succeed in this difficult assignment.

As a full Vulcan, Xon is even stronger than Spock. He can endure lack of water and high temperatures for very long periods. All his senses are particularly keen. He has strong Vulcan mind-meld abilities.

The young Vulcan lieutenant is constantly shocked by Human behavior. In preparing for this assignment, he made himself quite an expert on Human behavior and history. And it is amusing to see him try to apply this knowledge too logically and too literally. Nothing he studied quite prepared him for the real thing. Although Xon tries hard to hide his surprise and discomfitures, the crew is aware that it exists. They often go out of their way to exaggerate their Human qualities, further distressing the young Vulcan. But this is not done in mean spirit and never in a situation where it will interfere with starship efficiency. We will suspect that life among Humans is causing Xon to begin to feel some emotions himself. On his planet this is, of course, grossest of sins and the young Vulcan makes every effort to hide any sign of this "weakness."

The science officer presides over a large console which is known as the "Library Computer Station." It is second in importance only to ship command and is located directly behind Captain's position. ^[1]

[edit] Character Traits

Elements of Xon's character can be seen in The Next Generation's Cmdr. Data, particularly in the earlier seasons of TNG where Data attempted to, as Xon was to, "simulate laughter, anger, fear, and other Human feelings" As well as in Questor in Gene Roddenberry's The Questor Tapes