Father of My Fathers

Fanfiction
Title:	Father of My Fathers
Author(s):	Gigi Pinckney
Date(s):	2004
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Father of My Fathers is a Kirk/Spock story by Gigi Pinckney.

It was published in the print zine First Time #58.

Summary

"Kirk and Spockʼs relationship from the first five-year mission to VʼGer."

Reactions and Reviews

"Father of My Fathers" by Gigi Pinckney is about 35 pages. There are some good parts to this story that I enjoyed. I think Spock and Kirk hang gliding was probably the highlight for me. The idea that Kirk genetically is pre-disposed to different things like taking risks is handled nicely.

But overall I did not like this story. Spock, Kirk, and McCoy quite often simply don't sound like themselves. These are not the three characters I have come to know and love for over three decades. Some of the dialogue coming from the mouths of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy just simply didn't fit, in my opinion. And I do realize that everyone sees the characters differently. I am not arguing that my way is the right or only way. But for me I just couldn't accept these characters. And I really didn't like the way Carol Marcus was portrayed. It seemed unnecessary to make her so pathetic and mean.

And there is too much happening in the story. There is definitely a symmetry to the story, but the story itself seems chaotic to me. It's as if the story is divided into separate sections that don't fit well together except that one comes after the other chronologically. There seems to be no real overriding purpose or point to the story. I didn't like Gigi's story "Buster" in Scattered Stars 13 (My LOC for this is in another KSP), but I do think after reading this story that that story is better written and the characters more realistic.

Well, this author gets your attention in a hurry, beginning her story with the startling revelation that McCoy has discovered Kirk is genetically very closely related to Khan! The author weaves this theme through a familiar plot: Kirk and Spock become lovers on the Enterprise, but Spock leaves for Gol because he fears he is becoming too human and is no longer truly Vulcan. Our lovers are eventually reunited due to the V’Ger crisis, reconcile, and the requisite happy ending is assured. Why Spock left for Gol, and why Kirk gave up the Enterprise and accepted promotion to Admiral has been told many times before in K/S stories, but I always enjoy reading a well written version of it. For example, I liked how the author wrote Spock leaving for Gol. Some stories have him leaving Kirk without a word (or with just a written goodbye), immediately breaking all ties to his family, etc., and those are not favorite scenarios for me. Here, Spock discusses leaving with Kirk and Kirk realizes if he loves Spock he must let him go. I liked these scenes with Kirk and the author’s portrayal of his love for Spock and his anguish over losing him. Spock then visits his mother and tells her about his problems. This was another thing I really liked—the portrayal of Amanda and her relationship with Spock and understanding of him. You get the idea that given enough time she could have changed his mind about Gol, but fate intervened and Spock saw the news conference where he learns the result of his decision on Kirk—Kirk had been promoted to Admiral and was no longer Captain of the Enterprise. I loved McCoy in this (a bit crude and vulgar, but fun to read), and his scenes with Spock. Other things I especially liked were the great descriptions of the hang gliding sequence off a cliff at the beginning of the story (and the metaphor of jumping off into a relationship), the reconciliation between Kirk and Spock, and the unsettling hint of things to come at the very end. An engrossing and enjoyable story.

An interesting premise of Kirk possessing some of the “super human” genes similar to those of Kahn lays the groundwork here. As McCoy and Spock discuss the doctor’s findings, Carol Marcus’ background is explored and I find I am not comfortable with this portrayal of her. In the movie she struck me as an intelligent, independent and strong willed woman, not a drug influenced, scheming sex addict. But, that was only one small difference of opinion.

The idea of K&S hang gliding is spectacular—I think they’d both love it! And I chuckled aloud at the exchange between Spock & McCoy about “freezing the balls off a brass monkey”. Hilarious! Then came the loving—intense and uninhibited— which made for exciting reading. It added immensely to the reader’s shock when Spock’s delicately balanced psyche began to crumble. One would imagine all possible reasons for Spock’s retreat to Gol have been explored, and while this one is not unprecedented, it is more measured than most. Not an abrupt decision but a deliberate and troubling one. Spock’s meeting with Amanda is very well written, as is the subsequent encounter with McCoy. The reunion of the two lost souls (Kirk & Spock) is impeccably understated. And I am so very impressed with the way the last scene is entwined with what is happening far away across the vast expanse of stars that hold their future.

Excellent from start to finish.