Into the Light (Star Trek: TOS story)

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Into the Light
Author(s):	Cordelia Naismith
Date(s):	1997
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Into the Light is a Kirk/Spock story by Cordelia Naismith.

It was published in the print zine First Time #46.

Summary

"As they wait to be rescued from a pit, Spock thinks back on the last time he and Kirk were in a similar situation and discovers that things werenʼt quite as he remembers them."

Reactions and Reviews

A flawless little ten page gem. Not to be missed. Quintessential Kirk and Spock—the actions, the dialogue, the feeling—all just so perfectly right. What a pleasure to read a story that can take you back to the original five year mission and let you be a fly on the wall—to witness the realization of love between Captain James Kirk and his Vulcan first officer.

There's no doubt that this author knows her characters—knows them and loves them. It just shines through so clearly in every line, in each and every thought. The language and cadence of speech is superb, such as when Spock says, "I did not believe you were inclined toward men." And Kirk replies, Tm not. I'm inclined toward you.w Or when Spock thinks to himself. Kirk was a viral invader for which Spock would never seek a cure." Isn't that just so...Spockian?

As you can no doubt tell, I just adored this story. The only quibble I have is that it was way too short. I wanted to stay with "our boys" for a little while longer. But then again. I guess that's the sign of a really good story. I hope youVe already started the next one, Cordelia.

I love “… nothing hostile. Right. After I get finished with the survey crew from the Hebrides, they’ll recognize ‘hostile’ next time they see it.” You can just taste the frustration, the anger, the exasperation. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. Oh, no.

All those beautiful lines, too many to repeat but to give you a taste: “Kirk opened his eyes. Hazel eyes stared into his. Spock suddenly remembered his mother’s admonition against looking into the sun.”

“I did not believe that you were inclined toward men.”

“I’m not. I’m inclined toward you.”

“He inhaled Kirk’s cool breath, drawing the human’s molecules into his own lungs, diffusing them into his own being.”

Full of life and love.

This is a straight-forward, no nonsense kind of story that could have stepped right out of the aired episodes, (if the aired episodes had shown us blatant instead of veiled K/S). The characters are realistically and wonderfully portrayed. The situation is one we've seen before, Kirk and Spock trapped in a cavern awaiting beam-up. But it is what this writer does with the characters and situation that lifts the story above the commonplace.

While they are trapped, Kirk reminds Spock of a similar situation that occurred several years previously when they had first begun to work together. In the former incident both men are in danger of droning, and Kirk struggles to keep Spock afloat while the Vulcan tries valiantly to hang on. He sees Kirk as the source of light and life, both then and now. The metaphor of Kirk as the sun which illuminates Spock's darkness is carried through the story masterfully. Very well done, and an interpretation with which I happen to agree. I was curious, however, as to what Spock had done that landed the two in their present predicament. My Vulcan? Make a mistake? Never!

This author knows her characters intimately Especially Kirk. Not only is his determination, courage, and sense of humor portrayed expertly, but he exhibits a marvelous is drowning; "Numbness spread with insidious slowness stealing his warmth like a thermal lamprey." In fact the whole drowning scene told from Spock's pov is just marvelous. Numbed by the cold water, Spock's thoughts are random, hazy, indistinct snatches of feelings that mingle both reality and fantasy.

I have enjoyed every one of this author's offerings and eagerly await the next one. Don't make me wait too long, Cordelia.

A lovely story in which Kirk and Spock are trapped in an inconvenient, but not life-threatening, situation and Spock recalls a past event when he almost drowned and Kirk had saved him.

The whole memory is infused with beautiful thoughts of love and unrequited (so far) desire. This author does such a beautiful job of allowing the undercurrent of secret feelings to show while the guys are doing their thing. The feelings are so nicely integrated into the stony, sometimes in a very simple way such as when Spock watches Kirk sleeping or when Spock sees a shaft of light touch Kirk.

And speaking of light, the theme and the title are nicely woven into the story.

Kirk is the stubborn, willful, yet ultimately the forceful commander and Spock is the thoughtful, rational first officer who just so happens to be madly in love with his captain.

The drowning sequence shows Spock's loss of consciousness very effectively and his reaching toward the light and warmth of Kirk. 'Time lost meaning. The cold became a living thing pressing relentlessly inward. Talons of ice digging into his flesh, clawing his organs, rending his mind." What a neat poetic, yet vivid image.

I do feel, however, that because Spock's memory of drowning is so important to the entire story that it really should have been even more fully developed. Some of the writing was really gorgeous, but this event is the crux by which Kirk and Spock find each other, so it's got to be completely realized.

But I did love the image that Spock saw of Kirk as "a child with golden hair" and the sunlight and the sky. Really beautiful.

I do know that the second part of the memory was supposed to have been printed in italics to show that it was still the memory when Spock woke in sickbay. But because the author set it up so well, I had no problem understanding when present time started.

Excellent tension as Spock goes to Kirk's cabin to find out how much he knows. I adored this dialogue;" You lied,' Spock said." Thafs all he says and Kirk knows and we know exactly what he means.

And I must say that the kiss is so fine that I almost forgot there isn't any sex. But even though the scene is not very long, their realization of love doesn't seemed rushed. The build-up to that point was just right.

And I wouldn't have protested if we could have gone with them into their quarters afterward. One of these days, Naismith...you will write the most jaw-dropping, get-down-and-dirty sex scene that will knock our socks off. Right?

Ah...another cave story. In this case, since they know they'll be beamed out eventually, they can just relax. And I could, too.

This is quite a nice Spock POV, observing his captain with much fondness, remembering first meeting Kirk, being fascinated from the very beginning. I love this: Spock (a master at self-defense) had never had any defense against so subtle an assault on his affections.

The poetic and metaphoric qualities mostly worked, except at least once I felt someone's feelings were expressed more metaphorically than they probably would have been felt.

The action of the story occurs in Spock's memory of an incident of two years before, trapped in a muddy pit with Kirk. It was a realistic and dramatic scene, but better yet, it was a definite turning point in their relationship.

This is the kind of "hurt/comfort" I like, when one is in some distressing physical condition (not due to torture or whatever) and the other must save him. This was done wonderfully.

But even better was when they're back on the ship. This wasn't so much a case of misunderstanding, which we often use to very nice effect in our K/S stories, but more like simply the subtleties and undercurrents of an uncertain situation, and then the eventual realization and acknowledgment of this by both of them. So that even without overt misunderstanding, their finally coming together was plenty satisfying because of their having gone through some barriers to get there.

The dialogue in this acknowledgment scene is sharp and emotionally charged. And then beyond the dialogue...a gorgeous, quiet scene. My heart was throbbing. And one particular thing Spock does, I can't get out of my mind.

It's okay with me that there's no actual naked genital sex in this story, as long as Cordelia writes this foreplay with such quiet and strong eroticism and romance.

This just has to be the best cave scenario ever—a cave scene within a cave scene, if you will. Not only are Kirk and Spock trapped in a thankfully harmless situation (because they know Scotty is coming) but it causes them to recall an earlier incident that was much more dangerous and much more revealing. The flashbacks are so realistic and with haunting recollections of the feelings that found life of their own in that earlier life-threatening mission. The present interaction is right on target. Kirk is at his most charming and light-hearted, Spock at his most protective.

The horrible effects of the relentlessly rising frigid water brought goosebumps. Kirk held Spock both literally and psychologically from the cold. Isn't that what he's always done? Their minds collided in that earlier battle with the elements, leaving Spock's mind filled with golden light. A light that he continued to followeven to the present day.

But neither has declared the love they felt during that event early in the 5 year mission and Spock thought Kirkhad forgotten. Suddenly, in present time, it hits him. 'You lied" he says. He has to ask then, "What did you sense in me?" And the captain's response is pure Kirk, "Not much. Enough to let me know that there was someone in there that I wanted to get to know." Aren't those words we would all love to hear?

What I enjoyed the most about this story was that I was able to really like Kirk. He is drawn here with a quiet sensitivity and selflessness not every writer gives him credit for. Personally, I find it very difficult to write Spock‘s POV and I found the author did it excellently.

Love the scene where Spock remembered a time when he and Kirk have been trapped in a pit and realized that Kirk had lied to him about not remembering the rescue. Spock turned and leaned over Kirk and said, ―You lied.‖ Kirk was so in sync with Spock that he knew what Spock was referring to. Kirk asked, 'Would you have transferred off?' A real gem.