A Soul in Chains

Fanfiction
Title:	A Soul in Chains
Author(s):	Malena Williams
Date(s):	1994
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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A Soul in Chains is a Kirk/Spock story by Malena Williams.

DEW for "A Soul in Chains"

It was published in the print zine First Time #39.

Summary

"After the fal tor pan, Kirk attempts suicide when Spock doesn't remember their bonding, unaware that the breaking of the bond is the cause of his pain."

Excerpt

"Spock!" It was a beseeching cry from a desperate man. Its strangled call echoed against the imposing monolith of Seleya. Kirk's outburst jarred him to the present. He looked about in confusion, until finally able to focus on the cold, sterile room which had held his heart captive since Fal-tor-pon. "No...." he moaned. How could this have happened?"

Reactions and Reviews

1994

After Gol and the fal-tor-pan, Spock doesn't remember his bond with Kirk who follows him to a monastery on Vulcan.

The beginning of the story was filled with flashbacks and memories that became so confusing, one didn't know what the present timeline was. Included was a mind meld sequence where it was unclear if they were in a mental landscape as perhaps the italics might suggest or if it was a memory. Then there's more continuing confusing as little bits of POV changes are thrown in, along with scene switching without any explanation.

Kirk's thoughts of his son are used as one of his deep pains which makes him to want to commit suicide. This would be fine, but it's only given a cursory nod. Either it should have been used more fully or not at all.

It was unclear what McCoy and Scotty's participation was with the healer at Kirk's bedside. Did they help him visualize life? Did they transmit their thoughts? I question Scotty's role in helping Kirk live. Of course they're together on the Enterprise and they're friends, but McCoy has a hard enough time and he's much closer to Kirk. Again, it just wasn't reasoned enough.

During the scene where McCoy comforts Kirk, there's too much of the author telling us what they're feeling. It's unnecessary because if McCoy holds Kirk while he cries, we know what's going on and don't need to be told. Also, after a while, it drove me crazy that Kirk didn't tell McCoy the cause of his anguish and pain Even after trying to kill himself, he still couldn't tell McCoy?

However, I thought the author did a good job in making Kirk's suicide attempt believable. Usually, I would not accept Kirk trying to die except for a pretty damn good reason. And here it was very carefully established that the severed bond is a psychically powerful trauma. That works for one time, but when Kirk tries a second time, after lots of revelations and insights, and makes a "kamikaze" run, believability went with it.

Then finally, after all the attempts to kill himself or get himself killed, when he's wounded, bound and captured, he decides out of the blue not to give up. By this point, something had to have changed his mind, but we don't know what it was.

Instead of "hurt/comfort", this was "constant torture/comfort". It's almost like the author doesn't think we'll get the bigness and grandness of Kirk and Spock's love unless it's constantly proved. Kirk is always being hurt when he thinks of Spock and Spock needs the impetus of saving Kirk to prove his love. They have to have this exaggerated scenario to show it and we are continually told how dramatic everything is. There's nothing wrong with drama (especially in my. book!), and there's nothing wrong with hurt/comfort, but this was laid on with a shovel.

Now that I've said all that, this was a very ambitious effort that really did succeed in some measure. Especially nice was an excellent depiction of Kirk's anguish at being separated from Spock. There were good, strong feelings with lots of powerful angst and satisfying emotions. Good Klingon villain and exciting rescue. And I loved the poetic, lyrical things they say to each other at the end.

And may I say that it is no mean feat to write a story of 60+ pages. I absolutely applaud the effort and hope for more from this new author.

1997

I found this a particularly traumatizing story, especially for poor Kirk, First a grizzly suicide attempt and then an even more grizzly bout of torture at the hands of the Klingons.

The basic set up of the story — that Kirk and Spock are bonded just prior to Spock's death in Wrath of Khan and that Spock doesn't remember, has much potential. The creation of the Mah-lah (The Desolution), which results upon the death of one half of a bonded pair if the surviving mate hasn't learned the necessary disciplines to dissipate it, was an excellent idea, but for me, did not set up Kirk's suicidal mania. I have always had a problem with Kirk being portrayed as suicidal. To me, he has always been the original never-say-die guy. Therefore, for me, the situation the writer sets up to place him in this state, would more likely have fired his determination than demoralized him.

While still in this state, Kirk makes what amounts to a second suicide bid by attempting to draw the approaching Klingons away until Vulcan can prepare its defenses (the planet Vulcan has no planetary defenses in place?). This action was, to my mind, more in keeping with Kirk's personality—to die, if he must for the sake of others. As for the Klingon torture/mind sifter scene, I found it hard to believe that a man in his 50's would have had any hope of surviving, even with Spock's mental support. One aspect of this entire section of the story that I found refreshing was Kra-ars lack of sexual interest in Kirk.

Which brings me to a very small quibble that occurred throughout the entire story—the blond/fair rebellious curl on the forehead. The story is set post The Search For Spock—Kirk's hair was dark by then and no longer fell over his forehead. I know this is an incredibly small detail given the length of the story, but it appeared often and it yanked me out of the story every time it appeared.

Despite what I have said above, there were things I definitely liked about this story. In particular, the portrayal of Vulcan, Vulcans and some of their mind techniques gave the story depth. The flashback memory of their bonding and first joining was satisfying after the build-up of knowing they had waited so many years to come together. On the whole, however, it is just not a story that I am likely to want to read again.