Chains (Star Trek: TOS story)

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Chains
Author(s):	Anna Parrish
Date(s):	1990
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Chains is a Kirk/Spock story by Anna Parrish.

It was published in Charisma #10.

Summary

"A/U: Kirk tricks Spockʼs owner into selling Spock to him so he can take Spock on his ship assignments."

Reactions and Reviews

This a/u story focuses on the subject of slavery in a broader sense than simply how it effects KirK and Spock, and I admire it from that standpoint. I also think it is probably the best-written of the author's novellas. One point that puzzled me was that, from the first, Kirk insisted that Spock was not to call him "Master' at least in private) and that he more or less considered Spock an equal. Yet, throughout the story, Kirk bosses Spock around, never relenting until Spock does what he says. I was grateful that in the end he didn't try to persuade the truly-free Spock to stay with him, but let the Vulcan make his own choice. I question whether the Spock in this story would truly be able to feel love, let alone acknowledge it, after having spent a lifetime as a slave, but this was well enough written that it did make me want to believe. I found the Kirk in this story to be a bit cocky and a little heavy on using profanity. (I think his role of First Officer actually fit him better than the usual one of Captain.) But I did like the way he was so insistent on not 'using' Spock, and the fact that he was so committed to helping the other slaves on the Enterprise. In light of the latter, however, I was slightly disappointed at the end that only Spock (and other Vulcans with at least one-quarter Human blood) were granted freedom. The way the story emphasized the issue of slavery in general -- and the fact that a rebellion had been mentioned in the early stages -- I was expecting there to be a revolt or something similar that would free all slaves. At least the "one-quarter" rule was a step in the right direction. There were some parts of this novella that were unnecessary -- such as the long conversations with the captain and/or Edwards that really didn't do anything except show how clever Kirk was -- but for the most part it moved quickly. I liked the subplots concerning T'Pring and Spock's problem with oral sex. They were handled well. One small complaint. Some of the dialogue was over-narrated; i.e., the narrator was interfering with the smooth flow of the conversation by constantly explaining the speaker's tone of voice, expression, etc. I've had this problem with my own writing, and sometimes I think it's better to simply let the characters talk without trying so hard to explain how they're talking. Often the words themselves will tell the reader all she needs to know about the speaker's tone of voice, etc. ... I also thought that, as a whole, the plot and subplots were well developed, which is particularly admirable for a story of this magnitude.

This is a Spock slave story, a story line that I can usually enjoy, especially if it involves Kirk saving Spock from slavery. However. I found "Chains" to be a rather dissatisfying example. The story failed to seriously engage my interest or emotions, not because of any deficiency in the story, but because I felt that the writing took sudden leaps and turns for which the author had laid no basis. For example, in the story. Spock has escaped from his master and is found by Kirk and taken in. Kirk is kind, and Spock, who has been incredibly abused by his master and has no reason to trust anyone, is confused by the expected kindness. Spock naturally looks for ulterior motives. So far, so good. Spock's desire to trust but reluctance to do so is realistic. However, Spock then thinks, without an intervening event to explain it: 'Why did it matter to him if Jim were like all the rest? But it did... oh, it did." The instant I read this, I also wondered why it mattered to him whether Kirk in particular was different. After all, he doesn't know Kirk. This simply isn't believable.

The story developed another major credibility problem when Kirk persisted in resisting Spock's sexual overtures past any rational point. Again, Kirk's initial response made sense, Spock has been sexually abused and Kirk doesn't to perpetuate that. However, as the years pass and Spock keeps on insisting that he really, really wants it. Kirk's resistance starts seeming more prissy than principled. Kirk's frequent semi-hysterical reaction of running out of the room made him seem even more priggish. Ultimately, I just didn't buy it.

I liked the fact that the story dealt more broadly than the usual with the question of now Kirk and Spock might adapt to living together as friends in a society that assumed them to be unequal. The slave culture depicted in the story was not one that could be either escaped from or changed except incrementally. In that respect, the story 
posed a very interesting problem for the characters. I just
 wish that their responses and conduct rang truer of human (and sentient) behavior.