Across the Night

Zine
Title:	Across the Night
Publisher:
Editor:
Author(s):	Alice Hooker
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1993
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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Across the Night is a 54-page Star Trek: TOS slash novel by Alice Hooker.

It is also a single story in Within the Mirror #8.

Summary

"Kirk is abducted by the M/U Kirk and Spock in order to help in their plans to overthrow the empire."

Reactions and Reviews

1993

Great opening line that grabs the reader:

"Lifting off the sweaty body, the tall lean figure rose silently and crossed into the bathroom; flickering torchlight and pale moonbeams pouring in through an open window illuminating the way."

Mirror Spock goes to our universe to bring back "our " Kirk to help over-throw the Empire. This is an inventive plot that doesn't draw attention away from or overpower the main theme of finding love.

Excellent opening scene of Mirror Spock (hereto referred to as MS) and Mirror Kirk(MK) together. There is love and affection, but all these tender feelings are hidden behind brutality and aggressiveness. What is particularly done well here was this dichotomy of character. Throughout the story, the author established how both MS and MK had deep longings and loving emotions but were only able to relate to each other with this kind of aggressive exterior. For instance, in one scene, they bite each other's ears during love play. But the expression of it is the power play between them.

I enjoyed the description that MK uses for Kirk, calling him "that faggot twin of mine*. I thought this was exactly what MK would say.

The author weaves the theme of wanting love and not recognizing it throughout the story MS wonders about being with a Kirk who is kind and capable of loving, meanwhile not trury recognizing that MK realty does possess these qualities. We get glimpses of these internal true feelings while MS doesn't As an example, when MS leaves for "our" universe, MK watches him go - "Good luck Spock ' he whispered into the darkness beyond the whirring, blinking bank of computers. 'Come back to me soon., my love."

[...]

Wonderful use of language, barring some unwieldy grammatical structure such as sentences beginning with "ing" and ending with no resolution. Example: "Pausing for a moment to look in a window displaying the very fatest in leisure pleasure gadgets." But so much of this story won me over and held my interest that I wasnt too bothered by some simplistic and uneven writing There was just too much to like in this story. Although it could only be an even better one with stronger writing.

Each character sees aspects, emotions and traits in the others that they either long for in themselves or with their partner. In addition, there was the added layer of insights into what they, themselves. brought to the relationship. If this sounds complicated and confusing, it wasn't, the author skillfully placed the actions juxtaposed with the thoughts of each character.

[...]

Throughout the story, there were aspects of MS that were so precise and realistic. Such as on the shuttle, (which, by the way, was a nice long scene that showed MS and Kirk together before the added element of MK came m) he wants to rape an unconscious Kirk. We believe he could do it, but we see the terrible conflict he has because of his "Bondmate-to-be" and this innocent Kirk.

I loved how the similarities and differences of Spock and Kirk and their mirror counterparts are revealed — either by their thoughts or actions.

MS reveals to Kirk a plan for a revolution in the Empire — an overthrow of the Emperor to replace him with Sarek. Again, the plot still did not overshadow the emotions building among the three characters. I even enjoyed the "scientific" sabotage plan of deactivating the force field.

Another tittle touch of realism is MS asking Kirk to "program a small salad" for himself from the food processor. MS refers to it as "2122-D" which is the number of the item. I don't think I've seen this done before.

One small moment that stood out was when MS remarks that Kirk looks like he could be a "bed slave' and Kirk blushes. Instead of using Kirk's POV which is usually done, it's from MS's POV-- so not only does it snow that Kirk is embarrassed, but we also learn how MS feels about it.

As Kirk decides to go along with the plan: "Already homesick, even the taste of the air was different, somehow laced with danger, alive with malice, so potent he could almost reach out and touch it."

MK's struggle with his softer side which he identifies as Kirk is so well done. He tells Kirk: "You poor fool, you stiH think that love exists. I've been there, I know it doesn't. It's an illusion. nothing more, that weak minds indulge themselves with from time to time."

What a great moment when he kisses Kirk to see what it would be like to kiss himself! You can just see MK doing that! Also having Kirk look away while MS and MS make love because: "...it was just too private, too close to his own heart, seeing one of his darkest fantasies enacted." Then there's a truly horrific scene at a banquet as the evil emperor kills the traitors. I enjoyed that the mirror characters still had problems after the emperor's overthrow -- change wasn't easy and nothing was neat and tidy.

Overall, a wonderful surprise from a very new author, who this time I get to say happens to be British (very few "British-isms" in this story). I truly look forward to more.

1994

An imaginative plot, intriguing characters and great sex, but distractingly imperfect sentences.

Mirror Spock has developed an interspacial transferrer, and will go to parallel (our) universe and get Kirk. Mirror Kirk and Spock are wild, rough, hot lovers, but M-Spock thinks of the gentle encounter (what a lovely way to put it; while M-Kirk calls Kirk a faggot) from the other universe. M-Spock's plan, along with others in league with him, of which M-Kirk knows nothing, is to overthrow the Emperor and put Sarek in his place. Kirk will be the Emperor's bed slave, drug him and disengage the force field. M-Spock captures Kirk on a starbase and takes him back. He wants so badly to fuck him, but must not; Kirk must remain a virgin for the Emperor. M-Spock seduces him, to get him used to the touch of a man. A beautiful, sizzling scene - they do make love but without penetration. Really fine sex and well written. Hot scene: captive Kirk has to watch M-Spock and M-Kirk have sex. I very much love Sarek in this story. The image of Spock and Sarek together, both bearded, such regal figures, is very powerful. This Mirror Sarek is a very compelling character. I love how M-Spock loves his Kirk, but that does not preclude him from loving the other Kirk. He sees in Kirk all the good that his own Kirk keeps hidden, but which Spock will spend the rest of his days dragging from him kicking and screaming. I certainly enjoy M-Spock in this guise. He knows love, and is so seductive. The Emperor is a Human/Romulan, fascinating. I like Shortie and Beanpole -amusing campy guys - I laughed. Kirk submits to being the bed slave of the evil, disgusting T'han'an and succeeds in his task; the overthrow is successful. Very heartbreaking when Kirk and M-Spock had to part... Back home, Spock had already resolved, while Kirk was away alone and in danger, to never let him be alone like that again. He will offer to bond. Kirk offers a meld, to see all the love he has discovered he feels. I missed having more of mainline Spock in this story. Even though sometimes difficult because of improper sentence structure, a wonderful read.

2000

I have rather mixed feelings about this one, I like the fact that the plot is an important part of the story, and it is generally plausible. I liked the characterisation, which presented the main characters as interesting people with a mixture of good and evil, (the brief appearance of Sarek was tantalising). The moments of violent sex between Kirk and T'han'an (the mirror emperor) were thankfully somewhat glossed over, and the moments between the mirror Spock and our Kirk were suitably passionate. But, I felt that the story ended too quickly. From when Kirk begins to put his plans in motion to the end, the story seems hurried. This is such a shame as there were many things that I was looking forward to having explained. Though sometimes the missed items were, I thought, reasonably excluded—for instance, Kirk's debriefing (though it must have happened it would have made dull fiction). Other times however I was left curious to know what happened, e.g. how did Kirk actually know the correct code for the force field? And why was T'han'an slightly insensitive to the sleeping drugs?. Oh and of course I would have liked to see our Kirk and Spock together at the end, but to be honest the story does work without that final sex scene.