Lovely Captain Ariel and Her Vulcan Squeeze

Fanfiction
Title:	Lovely Captain Ariel and Her Vulcan Squeeze
Author(s):	Theresa Kyle
Date(s):	1997
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Lovely Captain Ariel and Her Vulcan Squeeze is a Kirk/Spock story by Theresa Kyle.

It was published in the print zine KaleidoScope #6.

Summary

"Kirk passes the time recording a story into his tricorder while trapped in a deep hole, waiting for the Enterprise to beam him up at the appointed time in three days."

Reactions and Reviews

1997

This lighthearted, unpretentious story was a delight to read. Jim Kirk goes on leave to an unexplored planet, without a communicator, much to the dismay of his senior officers. The predictable happens with a vengeance. He falls in a hole in the ground and is trapped there for three days, with only his tricorder for company.

To stave off insanity through boredom, he composes a story and recites it for the memory banks of the tricorder much as the readers of this letterzine might. Only this story is a thinly disguised allegory of life on the Enterprise, with one noticeable difference. The intrepid Captain Kirk is replaced by the equally intrepid but much more curvaceous Captain Ariel, a woman. In Kirk's story, she falls in love with her Vulcan science officer.

When Kirk is rescued from his hole in the ground (at precisely the minute arranged for beam-up — Spock is always prompt) the story finds its way to a predictable, but highly enjoyable ending.

I enjoyed the author's portrayal of Kirk as a man of enough sense to occasionally not give in to his impulses, so that he resists the temptation to climb from his dirty prison. I liked the part where the it starts to rain, and the use of the imminent danger to promote Kirk's realization that what he was writing had an application to his own life. I really liked Spock's honesty with Kirk when confessing that he had indeed listened to the entire tape of the story despite Kirk's request that it be destroyed. It would have been easy for the author to succumb to a K/S cliche and have Spock deny he'd done such a thing, adding to misunderstanding and miscommunication. It was a relief that the story continued along its straight-forward and pleasing plotline instead.

I wasn't so crazy about the conversation Spock has with McCoy, as it didn't seem to fuel the plot towards any particular end, and was somewhat out of character as well. And it seemed unlikely that McCoy would be so stupid that he couldn't deduce where the questions were headed. Likewise, I thought it a little awkward that Spock's understanding of the meaning of the novel should come in two parts, pages 28 and 29, as first he deduces the basis of all other characters, and then finally Captain Ariel's counterpart. He's sharper than that I'd expect him to have perceived it all at the first reading.

I would have reversed the order of the two ending "scenes," and used the line about Kirk in his jeans as a tag line (am I using that phrase properly?), then gone back to write one more reference to it in the story to make it stronger. As it's written, the ending just sort of tails off. Even though it's been used before, I laughed at Spock's comment about Kirk in jeans, and think it would have make a nice and definite finale to the story.

An utterly charming story. Real neat idea. I don't think I've ever read this particular scenario before.

Loved it that Kirk's Captain Ariel was a little arrogant, a little full of herself, but was nonetheless decisive, courageous, imaginative, and the perfect captain for a starship. Loved it that she knew her smiles were devastating.

I chuckled out loud when Kirk started bemoaning the fact that he couldn't even control his own characters. How often that's happened to me, too. My characters just run amuck doing whatever they want and I can't stop them either. I loved the fact that Kirk had the same problem. All in all, a thoroughly defightful read.

What a delightful story. Unique, fun, sweet charming. Written just nght Although I approached it warily at first because of the title like what? And I couldn't help thinking of Areel Shaw at first.

Kirk gets into a tight spot, literally. He's stuck alone in a caved-in hole on a planet and can't get out for very good reasons, and is waiting three days to when he'll be beamed out So he uses his tricorder to write a story, to pass the time.

But first I want to comment on the beautiful flowers on the planet: in the breeze the whole field of them is first yellow, then pink, then yellow, etc. I really liked these.

And realistic details of Kirk's confinement down in the hole, where he can barely move, but is enduring.

The story's about a young, brash (female) captain and her Vulcan science officer Really nice how Kirk's fantasies are flowing; though later he gets pissed at himself for writing such an asinine captain, whose heart is ruling over her head.

It's really nice; the style of the story seems how Kirk woukl write (he's not an expert like we all are!). It's a lovely, sappy, wonderful love story. I love how emotional he gets writing the last scene, the love and longing; and he is, after all, in a really weakened condition himself by this time.

But it only occurs to him much later that he'd been writing about himself and Spock? (And Spock. later, is slow on the uptake, too.) Yet I believe it I think it's just so obvious to us; but then, we know what it's about already, knowing we're reading K/S. A person's motivations in reality aren't always so clear as we make them in fiction. So I felt this aspect was perfectly realistic.

Anyway, the story Kirk writes is cool, with really wonderful human/Vulcan dynamics. Some exquisite lines in it, loo. Like when the captain talks about her understanding of Vulcan friendship being so much more deep than human. And that t'hy'la means "one friend."

One line I just have to quote (not verbatim). One of those quintessential K/S lines; Even if they'd never touched, if they spent the rest of their lives as just friends, they were still lovers. Were meant to be lovers. Had always been lovers. Gorgeous. And some hot hot and powerful moments, the electncity between them, and the Vulcan's delicious fiery anger.

And so when Kirk gets back on the ship, the fun begins, what with Spock reading what's on the tricorder. Also, beautiful moments of their intense feelings for each other even before any acknowledgment of their sexual attraction for each other. This was nicely done with Kirk's POV first, then Spock's, then Kirk's again at the end.

The ending is perfect. I love when each is worried the other will feel his feelings inappropriate. But Spock, in this story, nipped any such reticence in the bud. and it's gorgeous. And so sweet.

This title caught my eye and I had to find out more! Kirk wants to go on leave on an empty planet by himself with only a backpack and tricorder and NO communicator. The fool.

Within a nanosecond he has fallen down into a hole and is trapped in the dark. He is not due for automatic beamup for 3 days. To help deal with the sensory deprivation and to fill in time, he decides to write a novel using the tricorder. No prizes for guessing what it's about. He also thinks about Spock and his feelings for him and this calms him and is revealed in the story over the next few days.

Upon rescue Spock gets hold of the tricorder and listens to the story. Being the genius that he is it doesn't take long for him to figure out its true meaning. He talks to Kirk and they declare their love for each other; then Spock whisks Kirk into bed and it’s a very nice ending. An enjoyable read.

This was the first story in the first zine I purchased at Shore Leave, and what a winner. Just when I thought that there was nothing new under the K/S sun, something fresh and clever like this pops up.

Captain Kirk wants time alone, really alone on a newly discovered planet. His refusal to take a communicator is handled well without making him appear either irresponsible or childish. Kirk gets trapped in a landslide and has to kill three days time. Part of this charming story is the result of his efforts to relieve his boredom.

The author's writing is clear and crisp, the characterizations are accurate and the plot is amusing without being silly. There is also a lovely get together between K and S at the end. I loved the entire thing.

A delightful, unique story filled with gentle humor and loving K/S. Truly a gem of a story that really took me by surprise, I guess because of the title.

Kirk is trapped beneath the earth on a planet on which he was taking shore leave. Awaiting rescue (nicely built tension) he dictates a fictional story on his tricorder.

The story is absolutely terrific (and realistically written by Kirk) with the thinly veiled characters such as Sajik who is, of course, Spock, and Captain Ariel who is Kirk.

I adored that Sajik had “quite possibly” saved “an entire solar system from destruction”! Excellent use of POV changing in this story — not an easy thing to do. I also adored the moment when Spock asks McCoy: “Is Jim Kirk bisexual?” There are so many wonderful surprises. And here’s an author who knows her K/S history — Kirk and Gary Mitchell were lovers. Of course! Haven’t I been saying that all this time? What a beautiful moment, too, when Spock kisses Kirk without preamble! So simple and direct. And yes! Spock on top.

No doubt. A take-charge kind of guy. This is a good example of how a sex scene can be really nice and simple—no huge cosmic things happening (not that that’s a bad thing!). And I loved Spock’s explanation of Vulcan bisexuality and why they are bonded as children.

And more wonderful humor when Spock tells Kirk that he was turned on to him when he saw him in jeans! What a wonderful story written by a terrific author.

1998

A different idea, though I’ve never quite pictured Kirk as the type to write a romance novel. Or write anything — it involves too much sitting still for too long. But, being stuck in a hole for three days would certainly give him the time. I liked the way, after he figured out what the novel meant, that Spock went about logically collecting more data to support his theory. I also liked the way he didn’t dither around through 4 or 5 pages of talk, but just took the bull by the horns, so to speak. Very logical.

I loved the beginning-the mother-henning, the teasing, and of course-Kirk gets exactly what he's been asking for. Also, I loved the idea of using a novel to clear his subconscious. I don't know what happened, but once Kirk was back on board the Enterprise-boink!-the story falls flat. I enjoyed it nevertheless.

2006

I am very familiar with the title of this story, having read several reviews of it, but until today I had never read it myself. You see, I am one of those strange beings who has unread zines! This one was pure pleasure, and not at all what I expected. I didn’t really know what I expected. There is a nice buildup at the beginning and then Kirk goes off on shore leave wanting to be away from it all so he takes no communicator, only an implant so he can be beamed back in three days. In a move that is typical of Kirk, or of K/S hurt-comfort fiction anyway, our Captain falls into a 15 foot deep sinkhole whose walls are very unstable. For once being logical and not impetuous, he decides his best course of action is to stay put. He has water and food, so how bad can it be? I loved that the reason he didn’t risk the danger of attempting to climb out was not his own safety, but how awful it would be for Spock if something were to happen to him. After all, Spock did his best to get Kirk to take a communicator. Spock did manage to force a tricorder into his hands, which gives us the basis for the story.

Bored and virtually pinned down, Kirk turns to the tricorder to pass the hours and begins writing a fictional novel (thus the name of this story – at least the first 3 words of it). As Kirk weaves a story of Starship Captain Alexandra Ariel and her Vulcan Science Officer, he reveals two things. One, he will never make the best- seller list and two, there is something at work in his subconscious. Never a stupid man, by the third day he is well aware of what that subconscious is trying to tell him about himself and his own Science Officer. This is a very innovative and sometimes humorous concoction and is a very enjoyable read. And of course you know, don’t you, that when Kirk is beamed back to the safety of the Enterprise, Spock reads the missive, applies logic and heads straight for Kirk’s cabin. Love it!