Dream Weaver (Star Trek: TOS story)

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Dream Weaver
Author(s):	Kate Singer
Date(s):	January 1994
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
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Dream Weaver is a Star Trek: TOS Kirk/Spock story by Kate Singer.

It was published in the print zine No Greater Love.

Summary

"Kirk and Spock join a scientific expedition for a few days of data collection and find that an old friend of Kirkʼs is a member of the team."

Reactions and Reviews

I like the way this story begins. Kirk and Spock exploring their feelings about the ending of the five-year mission. And there are some thoughtful observations by McCoy in the beginning, but he doesn't have a heavy-handed part. Nicely done.

Kirk and Spock go on a scientific-data-collection mission via shuttlecraft while the Enterprise goes elsewhere. Kirk hopes to really talk, to bring up all his feelings for Spock.

One of the people on the planet is Damien, the only man Kirk was ever sexual with. Damien is partnered with the team leader, Dr. Sumner Westlake. Westlake is an expert on psychohistory, which is about residual fields of psychic energy left by extinct cultures. This is excellent; very imagination-stimulating. There is evidence of this phenomenon going on on the planet. Spock starts feeling many intense things (such as jealousy) as if maybe the energies on the planet are affecting him. Kirk is very concerned, and takes the opportunity to begin to talk about his own feelings.

They both dream, intense nightmares, their greatest fears about what they care about most. Really nice comforting, and they sleep together. I love the very sweetly awkward waking up. Kirk finesses it; Spock apologizes. They feel it important to the research of the phenomenon on the planet to reveal their dreams to each other, and of course it will be revealed that the dreams are very much about each other.

(I question the author's use of parenthetical phrases; it seems improper and distracting. In every instance, the same phrase could just have been set off in commas.)

Spock worries his dream will repulse his captain. A beautiful moment: Kirk of course is not repulsed, he is overjoyed. They both admit their caring, and Kirk of course must know: but do you love me like this? And kisses him—oh, really fine.

It seems everyone on the planet is having equally disturbing dreams, and Kirk must consider evacuating the team.

That night in bed together they are mostly naked, and I thought there is definitely too much rational talk, even though it's very interesting and needed to be said, regarding Spock's findings about the psychic emanations.

They decide to meld, and they change their dreams, together. I didn't really get how changing the energies from "negative" to "positive" would rid the place of the leftover psychic emanations.

All is resolved on the planet. Then, on shore leave, they have days and days at a cabin. McCoy shows up and Spock splits, can't handle being "out" with McCoy; he doesn't come back for 24 hours or so. I didn't find this likely at all. So Kirk is left to tell McCoy about their relationship.

I loved the energies and tension throughout the story until at the end. Not that I didn't like the way things were resolved, but it seemed to go on a little more than necessary with the result of the intensity being diffused. But there were so many lovely moments, and mostly flawless writing.

Story opens as Kirk looks forward to 5 days alone with Spock on a scientific survey. Kirk's thoughts are nicely insightful as he speculates about his changing feelings for his first officer and how that same first officer would react if the truth were known.

Upon arriving at the planetary survey encampment, K and S meet 2 intriguing characters. One is a man from Kirk's past and the other is the man's lover, the leader of the research team of whose work Spock admires.

A nice moment is Kirk noting that the men are lovers from observing their body language.

The beginning of Kirk's exploration into his feelings for Spock was very enjoyable and we don't know it they're reciprocated. Later, when Spock's thoughts reveal that he, too, is in love, it's quite satisfying. There's also a lovely scene in which Spock strokes Kirk's bed, pondering the captain's sleeping habits. "Every barbarous instinct his ancestors had sought to purge seemed alive within him, cracking the superficial veneer of logic."

It turns out there's an entity affecting the people psychically that the science team is investigating. All are experiencing nightmares and vivid dreams. I appreciated the advice that Spock gives that the scientists accept a certain amount of risk in their profession and may not want to be evacuated.

It didn't make much sense to me that Spock would be so totally thrown and panicked when Kirk offers for him to lie beside him on the bunk. He seemed confused and unclear as to what was expected when just previously, they had confessed their love to each other and had kissed. Then it was a bit silly that Kirk thought to "distract" Spock with conversation while lying in bed together and caressing. But then, Spock starts to respond and touches Kirk.

Conversation, especially about other things, just doesn't mix with lust, passion and sex. They even are able to discuss events of the day while maintaining erections!

Perhaps some drama was lost by having the mind-meld after their expression of love. The mind-meld sequence itself, while interesting, was done a little too life-like. That is, at first, I thought they had actually returned to the Enterprise. It might have played more effectively if portrayed in a more dream-like fashion. Some confusing things were the need for a mind-meld within a mind-meld, the descriptions of their orgasms after the fact and despite the later explanation of how much they care for the doctor, how is it that the "dream" comes from McCoy's POV?

I really liked the small note of their clasped hands being "olive and fair".

A bit disconcerting that Kirk gets "vaguely irritable" and "unable to maintain an erection" alter only 2 days of being with Spock. And disappointing that the 2 main characters of Damien and Dr. Westlake were summarily dropped. They were quite intriguing and nicely established, then we didn't hear any more about them,

I enjoyed the feelings and thoughts that Kirk presented to McCoy, especially the part about appreciating women. But it was difficult to accept Spock's refusal to return to the cabin while McCoy was there. Spock is stubborn sometimes, but not often childish. Part of the problem was that Spock's character wasn't consistent. One minute he's weak and crying, next he takes charge, next he's shy and embarrassed, next strong and forthright. This type of changeability would be okay if the moods related to the events in a more direct way.

Still a nicely written piece with a solid plot of the mysterious alien and interesting characters, especially in how they relate to K and S.