Flashback (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Flashback
Author(s):	Karla Kelly
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
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Flashback is a Kirk/Spock story by Karla Kelly.

It was published in the print zine Naked Times #31.

Summary

"Kirk must get by Spockʼs fear to get him as his lover after Spock almost kills him while in the plak tow."

Excerpt

"Spock stared down at the lifeless for of his captain. For one brief moment in time, the ancient drives of his ancestors overcame the abhorrence and revulsion he knew he'd be feeling in mere seconds. When sanity returned, it brought the nausea and loathing. It did not bring Kirk back to life…"

Reactions and Reviews

1994

Really good first lines are such a pleasure. This is definitely a "good one": "The heat of the plak tow saturated Spock, encompassed him." The use of the word "saturated" is such a strong image. Then the line: "It was a cocoon of ancient history..." a wonderful strong image of Pon Farr.

Excellent beginning as Spock has a recurring nightmare of the time he tried to kill Kirk during Pon Farr. I loved it when Spock, in fever, announced that he really wanted Kirk instead of T'Pring. He said: "'Forgive me. Captain. I spoke out of turn...' 'Did you?' Kirk had asked, softly, hopefully. His eyes had claimed the darker ones. 'Did you?' he had repeated in a husky whisper."

Some excellent use of imagery: "His body flamed in desire to feel itself within the hotness that was James Kirk." And: "Spock drew himself up into stiff, pure-Vulcan lines."

A lovely story that lends itself well to the short format. Spock denies that he loves or wants Kirk and blames it on the "fever". Kirk, thank goodness, doesn't believe him.

A minor quibble- at one point Spock thinks: "Yes! May God help me, yes!" I'm not sure a Vulcan would invoke the name of God.

Sometimes Ms. Parrish writes stories that are not filled out enough. But here, the simplicity is very nicely done along with the tie-in with the title of "Flashback", that is, to the time of Pon Farr.

Intense, fine language—some absolutely gorgeous lines. Spock's nightmare of pon farr, of killing his captain, was done really well.

Before they went to Vulcan, Spock had blurted out to Kirk, "I do not want T'Pring—I want you." After Vulcan, Spock believes he cannot have Kirk's love.

I love Kirk's masterfulness in this. A really great scene: Spock denies ho loves Kirk; Kirk admits he loves Spock. Very beautiful.

Then a stuck-in-turbolift scene- I felt this was like a cheap trick, but hey,..I do like them stuck in a turbolift - I love this Kirk—forcing Spock to look at love. "So what do we do now? Sit quietly, talk, make love?"

Then I felt the story started moving too fast, Spock passes out, and later, in Sickbay, Kirk again forces him to admit his love. Saying "They talked for a very long time," felt like another convenience for the author. I wanted to be in on the conversation, The whole second part of this story felt it was skipped through in that way. What there was, was beautiful, but I felt cheated out of a more direct experience.

I love the idea of muscle relaxants for Spock in pon farr, so Kirk can be as strong as, if not stronger, than Spock—delicious idea!