At First Sight

Fanfiction
Title:	At First Sight
Author(s):	Natasha Solten
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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At First Sight is a K/S story by Natasha Solten.

It was published in the print zine Daring Attempt #8.

from the story in "Daring Attempt"

from the story in "Daring Attempt" -- Jacqueline Zoost

from the story in "Daring Attempt" -- Sarah B. Leonard

Reactions and Reviews

1992

Kirk's first command. Spock's first real friend- the first time of then together — "First Time" in every way! I like this very much and it's a very nice story! The author shows us in an excellent way the thoughts of Kirk, Spock and Pike -- each of them has his individual point of view and his very special character. Great is also the long talk between Kirk and Spock, when Kirk is the first time alone with his new First Officer. Too bad that the story is so short! After the long preliminaries and the long talk, it's my feeling that there should be more. This story would be a beautiful first part for a novel!

1999

Kirk is offered the captaincy of the Enterprise after the disaster on the Farragut; Nogura himself presses the appointment on him, but Kirk, sick and confused, isn’t sure he should accept it. It takes a while for him to decide he will indeed be the Enterprise’s captain.

On the Enterprise, Pike informs Spock that he will retire. Where Kirk has decided to move forward, Pike has stepped back, leaving a void in Spock’s life, and uncertainty. Spock studies the file and color photo of this unknown James Kirk, and takes the daring step of pledging him his loyalty, without knowing why, without meeting him.

After these two opening scenes, the forces propelling our protagonists merge as Kirk takes command. The story follows just the first day and first night. Spock gives Kirk a tour of the ship, and when he stands outside the captain’s quarters, he is invited in. “Come in,” Kirk says. Then later, “Then what are you still doing outside there? Come in. Come in.” It’s far more that he’s inviting Spock to enter than his quarters. His generous, straight-forward nature disarms and attracts Spock. It’s inevitable that Spock be fascinated.

The night, his response to Kirk’s nightmare, is even more fascinating.

This is one of those stories where really very little actually happens, it’s all character development of the finest kind, and there’s a very attractive atmosphere to the story as well. That’s not surprising, considering the author and her skills as a poet. I for one don’t believe in Love At First Sight, but it’s true that it actually happened to me and it seems Natasha Solten believes it could happen to Jim and Spock. At First Sight is one of my favorite Solten stories, indeed, one of my favorite K/S stories too.

2003

I find "At First Sight" to be a most unusual story, and it's one that I remember well. It opens with Commander James Kirk awakening in the hospital. His ship, the Farragut, has limped into base after being attacked by the "Obsession" creature and suffering devastating losses. Kirk remembers almost nothing of the heroics he managed when all other senior officers were killed, and he remembers nothing of somehow managing to get the ship back to safety. What he does know is his devastating feeling that Captain Garrovick, his friend, has died, and his doubts about continuing on in service to Starfleet. He feels inadequate and helpless as he remains in the hospital recovering. But Starfleet doesn't feel the same way. He's offered command of the starship Enterprise, and Admiral Nogura comes to visit his sick room in an attempt to convince him to take the command. (This is the only part of this story that truly rings as untrue to me; I have long believed that even the captain of a starship would have little contact with the Commander in Chief, and to posit a special protégé-like relationship between Kirk and Nogura just seems silly to me.)

On the Enterprise, Spock has just learned that Pike is too weary and depressed to carry on as captain, and he will resign. Pike implies that Spock has made unreasonable demands of him in relating to him not as one man to another, but almost as if his captain were some demi-god, almost perfect, with all the answers. He asks Spock to give Kirk a chance as captain, and of course his loyalty, without expectations. ("You'll find a friend in him, and you'll both make an unbeatable team.") Spock is floundering in an attempt to understand why Pike is leaving, and in an emotionally unsettled state he views Kirk's record and portrait on the computer alone in his quarters. (If this James Kirk were worthy of friendship, and if Spock were worthy of Kirk's friendship in return, Spock vowed he would never again make assumptions and expectations on the human the way he had with Pike.... He whispered aloud: "I will pledge myself to thee, brother. May our souls join in the link of peace. May we each be worthy of the other's trust.")

But then the two must actually meet. This is the best part of the story for me, as Spock gives Kirk a tour of the Enterprise and discovers what Kirk's vision of being a captain is, and he finds that it's quite different from how Pike conducted himself on the ship. Kirk insists that he and his first officer must be completely comfortable with each other, including barging into each other's rooms uninvited, because they might need to do so in an emergency. He also wants to hear opinions from his senior officers, because he needs data to make decisions. Spock is entranced, predictably, and feels valued already, on this very first day.

But that night, Kirk has another nightmare from the events on the Farragut. Next door, Spock hears him, and though he hesitates to act, Kirk's kindness and his insistence on ease between them allow Spock to enter Kirk's bedroom and awaken him. The predictable happens, though in a most unusual way.

If you asked me 25 years ago if I believed in love at first sight, as this story implies, I would have scoffed and said it doesn't exist. But 25 years ago I met my husband for the first time, and it happened to us! So who am I to say that it couldn't happen to my two favorite officers on the Enterprise? I also don't usually like too much a touch of the mystical to my K/S stories, but this much works very well with me. One of Natasha Solten's best stories, I think. I recommend it!