How did Vulcan survive the Narada? With a great deal of planning and high cost. And the apparent black hole that swallowed the planet? It never existed. The universe twisting to envelope and cause Vulcan to vanish? The results of an experimental technology capable of cloaking vast volumes of space more thoroughly than the most advanced Romulan and Klingon tech. As with most new technology there were very hard limits, especially in regards to safety. Limits that were ignored and pushed into the red-zone in order to protect the entire planet from the Narada. And unlike most conventional technology living beings were a major part of the process mechanism. One-hundred and fifteen Vulcans died and all the survivors were suffering from various degrees of burn out.