Hour of Freedom
| K/S Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Hour of Freedom |
| Author(s): | Vanasati |
| Date(s): | 2001 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | The Hours of Freedom (Vanasati's Forest of Tales), Side by Side Collection on AO3 |
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Hour of Freedom is a Kirk/Spock story by Vanasati.
It was published in the print zine Beyond Dreams #3 and subsequently in Side by Side #12 as 'Hours of Freedom'.
Summary
"Kirk and Spock both awaken on a forested planet with no memories of themselves or each other except their names."
From the author's website:
The Hours of Freedom NC-17, TOS, K/S, 61 kb Published in 2000, Posted to the net: 20th of September 2005 Summary: Amnesia story. And believe me, it's a different story, and I'm very proud of it <prance>This is the first story I wrote for a zine <bounce> If you are interested in reading this in print, the zine is called "Beyond Dreams 3".[1]
Reactions and Reviews
I find The Hour of Freedom the best story I've ever read by Vanasati so far. She is a fellow netizen and has quite a few nice stories on the 'net. But this is by far her most elaborate and interesting story in my opinion.The idea of both Kirk and Spock being amnesiac is a new one to me, and was an intriguing one at that. It was like seeing Spock and Kirk meet each other for the very first time, and it was wonderful to see how they look upon each other as though for the very first time. They learn to trust and help each other and gradually, of course, the attraction between them becomes evident and leads to the logical end.
What I found mostinteresting were the differences and the similarities between Kirk and Spock. It's easy to forget to look deeper as we view them with the eyes of a writer who know them very well and have a firm opinion of who they are.
I think that Vanasati made a wonderful job of making me see Spock and Kirk as new acquaintances. Still, their characterizations, and what makes them who they are, were emphasized nicely.
Hour of Freedom is a classic hurt/comfort story and I am a sucker for those. [2]
I thought this was an interesting, unusual story. I really like the way this story unfolds, with no explanation of what is going on. Normally this would bug me, but not when it’s done well, and is integral to the story. (Plot details revealed now!)The story is told in the first person, by a man who realizes he has no idea who he is or where he is. We gradually learn more about this man, and the other man he soon meets, and realize it is Kirk and Spock, with no memory of their identities. I thought it was intriguing the way the author chose to tell the story. We only know Kirk’s thoughts, and the story unfolds with the dialogue between him and Spock. Written this way, the reader really has no idea what is going on, and has no more information than what the two characters in the story discover. Kirk and Spock are in the woods, and dressed as though for a camping trip, and with a few supplies such as a blanket, knife, etc. They have just enough supplies to use for survival. I also thought it was interesting that in the story Kirk knows Spock’s name and vice versa, but neither knows anything about themselves.
I like the way Spock and Kirk remain basically themselves. Spock talks about things being logical, quotes the odds at one point very precisely, but then is confused by how he arrived at the number. He won’t eat meat, doesn’t smile, doesn’t want to bathe in cold water, etc. He discovers when Kirk touches him that he can read his thoughts, and this startles and alarms him at first. They mindmeld to see if they can discover any more information, and Spock instinctively knows the correct position to put his fingers on Kirk’s face and the words to say. It was interesting speculating how and why Kirk and Spock came to be in their predicament.
The relationship between the two unfolds as they explore their surroundings, hunt for game, make bread, etc. They end up sleeping huddled together to stay warm, and I think you can see where this story is heading! The blocking of their memories doesn’t block the feelings of love and desire they have for each other, but without memory of their identities the mutual attraction flares between them and they allow themselves to act on it. They are free in a way they could not be on board the ship.
When they eventually get back on the ship, and the memories are restored, Kirk confronts Spock with the following exchange : “Down there, Spock, I had some hours of freedom. They blocked my memories and took duty away from me. For once I was free to make my own choice, without interference. I chose you.”
The story is very nicely wrapped up with a great love scene and mindmeld. I liked the way the author writes Kirk’s thoughts during the love scenes—kind of like a stream of consciousness of descriptions and thoughts. As you can probably tell, I recommend this story![3]
"Hour of Freedom" by Vanasati is a 16 page story that's really different. I can't say I liked it, but I have an aversion to first person stories. The twist on this story is that Kirk and Spock are on a planet and both have forgotten who they are. So the first part of the story is all the difficulties they have surviving in their environment. You'll have to read the story to find out why they both have amnesia and what happens next. It's not a bad story, just one I didn't personally care for. [4]
It always seems that the stories I don’t expect to like much, turn out to be the ones I like best when I’ve read them! This was no exception. At the beginning, it soon becomes clear that the story is being narrated by Kirk, even though he has no memory of who he is and this is only confirmed when he meets a character who must be Spock, although he also has amnesia. What follows is a wonderfully described adventure as both Kirk and Spock struggle to recall who they are and how they came to be stranded on an apparently deserted world. One thing which this author did particularly well was the wonderful world building and descriptions of the planet where Kirk and Spock and themselves, the natural beauty of the place, the enormous woods, the pink grass and the river on this wild and untamed world. The rest of the plot deals with how they go about finding food, shelter etc with no knowledge of where they are was very realistic and enjoyable. The ending was also a surprise as the reader is given no clue until the very end what the circumstances were, it just goes to prove that in any world, no matter what the particular circumstances, whether they remember their past or not, Kirk and Spock always have an affinity for each other and belong together, and of course, true love always prevails in spite of the circumstances! [5]