Terrik was born and raised in the coastal Raal Province by the Voroth Sea on Vulcan. His parents, like many in the region, were traditionalists. Contact with even other cities was limited and many of the local inhabitants had never left Vulcan.

Terrik's family line is fairly admirable with one of the longest and most respected blood lines in the region; his grandmother was a noted Physician and his father after her. Throughout his academic life he excelled in Mathematics and Biology and continued these areas of study for many years with a view to moving into a specific scientific field, most favouring xenobiology and genetics, this was his first step into medicine. His interest in xenobiology was seen as odd by his peers, being from such an enclosed community.

Whilst Terrik had conformed on the most part to the restricted life he led, his younger sister Tareal had not. She was seven years younger than Terrik and had, ever since being young, never adhered to their society’s values. She possessed much untapped potential and whilst she also excelled in certain areas, her lack of commitment let her down.

Long after Terrik had become a full fledged Vulcan man, Tareal finally decided that she was not built to be confined. Without her parents consent she had simply disappeared from Raal and from Vulcan its self, leaving only a short note to Terrik telling him she would be safe. Though Terrik had long since learned to control his emotions this action on his sister's part affected him deeply, they had always been close and he was having trouble adjusting to her absence.

Fearing a lapse in his personal control he decided to take time in isolation until his inner conflicts were resolved. For four years Terrik lived in a remote corner of the continent, setting up his own small homestead he lived on the land, not requiring contact from the outside world. In his isolation he discovered a great affinity for botany and horticulture and spent a great deal of his time experimenting with one plant or another, his achievements are archived in the great libraries on Vulcan. Some way into his fourth year Terrik was studying the genetic structure of a new cross pollinated Orchid when he was struck by a sudden sense of togetherness, as if one half of his mind had suddenly merged completely with the other, he felt at peace again.

When he returned back to Raal, Terrik brought his discoveries and experiments with him. They were noticed by a Vulcan Captain who offered Terrik a place upon a T'Vran science vessel but which he declined, choosing to join Star Fleet instead. Though he had broken with the normal expectations of his society tradition was still strong within Terrik and so he decided to follow his family’s way in becoming a physician and enrolling in Star Fleet medical.

The adjustment from a community such as his own into the culturally diverse world of Star Fleet Academy was not an easy one. Terrik never really socialised with many of the other students, even fellow Vulcans, and suffered an incredibly obnoxious Human room mate whom Terrik learned to ignore with time.

It was at his time studying in Rio that Terrik heard tell of his sister. She, it turned out, had also passed through Star Fleet and had graduated two years previously to Terrik's arrival. Her path had taken her to study science and Terrik found she had been assigned to a deep space exploration mission on board a Nebula class star ship, the USS Svalbard, making contact difficult.

Upon graduation Terrik was posted upon the USS Apollo as a Doctor with high hopes for the future and with a mind to finding Tareal.