Ghost in the Machine (Star Trek story by Killashandra)

You may be looking for the Star Trek: TOS story by T'Guess: Ghost in the Machine.

Fanfiction
Title:	Ghost in the Machine
Author(s):	Killashandra
Date(s):	September 18, 1996
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS and Star Trek: VOY
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	at alt.startrek.creative, part 1; at alt.startrek.creative, part 2; at alt.startrek.creative, part 3; at alt.startrek.creative, part 4; at alt.startrek.creative, part 5; at alt.startrek.creative, part 6 an early archival was at R'rains Slash Archive (offline) Kirk/Spock Archive
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Ghost in the Machine is a Kirk/Spock, Paris/Kim, Kirk/Paris story by Killashandra.

It was planned to have five parts but ended up having six. It was first posted beginning September 18, 1996 to alt.startrek.creative.

Some Early Comments by the Author

From its first posting:

Okay, guys. A little 30th Anniversary crossover story of my own. It's something kinda different, and I hope you like it. If you're under 18, or can't stand the idea of two guys having some consensual fun together, don't read it!! Paramount owns them. I hope they don't mind me borrowing them a little.

Also from an early posting:

I hope everyone doesn't hate this little story, I know it's strange. I also know I promised a Spock novel and the sequel to Turning Point. Expect both very soon, the novel first. But this Paris/Kirk thingy possessed me and wouldn't go away until I wrote it. Apologies to the Paris/Torres fans and anybody else who doesn't buy my little assignation. Couldn't resist pairing my two favorite blondes...

[...]

Thanks for not shooting me for this self-indulgent melodrama!!

Removed from Archives

The story was first archived at alt.startrek.creative as well as R'rains Slash Archive. It was removed in June 1997. When fans asked about it, Killa said:

I did not realize R'rain had archived that one. The reason it is not on the main archive any more is that a zine editor asked for permission to publish it, and I asked Alara to take it off the archive. (Thanks Alara!)

This statement likely did not make online fans very happy, and was also a part of the turf wars between netfans and print zine fans.

Reactions and Reviews

Unknown Date

Upside: Not just slashtastic -- it can also be thought of as a fairly nuanced discussion of the ethics of holography, a subject near and dear to my heart.
Downside: Can get goopily over-emotional in its wording/feeling. Does not bear up to immediate rereading (see: goopy emotions).

This is a cross over story, of sorts. Tom Paris, when he was in the acadamy, made a holographic program for Ambassador Spock. It was of Kirk, as he was at 35. Spock had it made after Jim's death. He sent it back to Tom after having it a week.

Now, on Voyager, Tom comes across it while he is cleaning out his closet and finally decides, after all these years, to play it. And he meets the legendary Captain of the original Enterprise....

This story is exeptionally written, and extremely compelling. And extremely sad, for Kirk and Spock, both. After reading it, I had to call up a close friend and tell her the story, so she and I could cry together. I have read it many times since, and it always makes me react strongly. In a good way =). Two hankies up. It is also, IMHO, probably the most likely story of Kirk and Spock and their love for one another. I dont know, maybe I'm just morbid. Anyway, read it.

kind of an AU? extremely heartbreaking

1996

As per usual, a brilliant story. You have an incredibly poetic voice and your word choices are almost always exactly right. Not to mention that, like Tom, I completely overlooked the reason why the disk wouldn't work for its instigator... ow, ow, ow, heartbreak. This story reached out and punched me in the gut. Way to go! And a great ending. As always, write *more*! Faster! <g>

As for the first story I read *here* [at alt.startrek.creative ] (as opposed to from the archive) that affected me the same way - that was "Ghost in the Machine" by Killashdra. That one I saved to a disk, then snuck a look at it at work the next day.

Of course, I only had parts one and two and could hardly wait to get home to get the rest. That was on a Friday and the rest wasn't posted till Saturday. Torture! All day Saturday I couldn't get it out of my mind. I wrote Killashdra begging for a sequel (I had to know what happened when Harry answered the door) but she told me she hadn't been planning to write one. So I wrote my own. (And sent it to her and she said to post it here, so y'all should be seeing it in the not-too-distant future.) This from someone who'd more or less avoided slash fiction in the past. Life is strange!

1999

I'd be very bad if I didn't recommend the story which hooked me on P/K slash. I was kidding myself that I was only going to include this story for sentimental reasons. Then I went and re-read it and was blown away all over again.

This honestly has to be one of the finest Star Trek slash stories out there. Killa's plot crosses The Original Series and Voyager flawlessly, the atmosphere is perfect, the characters are utterly themselves, the P/K is heartwarming and the K/S is heartbreaking. Complex, moving, and absolutely beautiful.

2001

Heartwrenching. Beautiful. It hurts so gooood. Don't let the pairing throw you off; it isn't what you think.

2004

I must admit that looking at the pairing of this story almost turned me off reading it when I first discovered it, but Killashandra makes this pairing work in original and wonderful ways. This story is extremely well written and full of pathos, as one would expect from this brilliant writer. I'll read anything by Klllashandra, who is one of my favourite writers.

Inspired Fanworks

• Art, ^{Archived version} by faithoftheart
• Postscript by Colleen
• Life's Last Gift by Vanasati