Quintet

Fanfiction
Title:	Quintet
Author(s):	Patricia Laurie Stephens
Date(s):	1993
Length:
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Quintet is a Star Trek: TOS story by Patricia Laurie Stephens.

It was published in Way of the Warrior #6.

Summary

After the fal tor pan, Spockʼs personality splits into four without anyone being unaware of it, including his lover, Kirk.

Reactions and Reviews

This was yet another story by this author that left me shaking my head in amazement at her skill. It takes place while the Kirk and company is still on Vulcan, after the Fal Tor Par, and repairing their captured Klingon ship. As with most of this authors' stories, the main character is Spock, and he is once again presented as something of a "poor thing". However, rather than the focus being on reclaiming his memories, the plot of this story evolved around the four different consciousnesses battling for control in Spock's mind, ft was a frightening idea, for they seemed so much more powerful than our so- mixed up Vulcan, and as I got down to the final page, I had almost lost hope that this story was going to have a happy ending. While the ending wasn't "happy", it wasn't sad either, and did leave much hope. More importantly, it had a poignant moral: the necessity of being able to love oneself.

The one flaw in this story - as in many of Ms. Stephens' stories - is after such an intense buildup, it is jarring to the reader to have hope appear only in the final paragraphs. Once the situation is "resolved", this reader would appreciate an opportunity to unwind - to be let down emotionally, such as with a scene or epilogue that is a little happier in tone and not quite so intense. In this particular story, I would have enjoyed seeing Kirk play a more important part in Spock's discovery: yet, I also understand the fact that, in some situations, there is nothing that loved ones can do; the individual must find their own solutions. I would like to check in on Spock a few months later, and see how he's coming along.

I can hear the LOCS ringing in Ms. Stephens ears now... Boy! What a story! What an idea! What the heck was it?

The basis of the story is Spock suffers from a form of multiple personality disorder (perhaps it's "syndrome". I'm uncertain as to the correct terminology) in which he has five distinct personalities that have lain dormant since he was a boy. Now they emerge again to cause havoc on the hapless Vulcan. Lots of fast paced dialogue really moves the story along and creates excitement and tension. But... (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) it was very hard to accept, even as an A/U story as it was described as a "psychological what-if. Even that would be fine if explained, but the reader is asked to accept it, no questions asked. So on some level, it was incomprehensible. Interesting, mind you, but virtually incomprehensible.

Some reasons for this are: the only explanation for this multiple personality thing is the parts of himself who had come into being for his own sake, to help him cope with an impossibly demanding existence." You mean because he had such a hard life? Was he born with it? 1 couldn't tell.

Perhaps it would have been much more acceptable if this had not happened during Spock's puberty. If this split had been the result of his 'death' and Fal-tor-pan. Maybe that would have made it more understandable. Also, two things that REALLY disturbed me. One was that Amanda knew all about it and either told no one or thought maybe it didn't matter or something. (I) The other was Kirk's complete ineffectiveness in helping or understanding Spock, at all. I kept wondering why this was written. To show that Spock is deeply troubled? To show that we're all made up of many personalities and we must learn to love ourselves? Certainty not to show how much Kirk loves Spock?

But in closing, I have to say that it is not the bizarre nature of this story that bothered me. In fact, I applaud Ms. Stephens for her courage in writing such unusual, off-beat stories that she is famous (or infamous) for. What bothered me was the incompleteness of it. the unexplained ideas and the way the reader is asked to go along with all of it. I don't mind dark, I just mind not understanding it. I would gladly accept such a wild premise if it were presented to me in a clearer fashion.

Confusing at first. Not until very much later was it clear that all these characters were parts of Spock's personality. At the time it only seemed like bad writing! Like showing someone else all of a sudden in a room where only one person had been.

Also, I never could quite figure out where they were physically. Sarek and Amanda have two residences, and sometimes it wasn't clear in which house the scene was taking place. Or maybe it was just I'Chiya that threw me off. He was at the townhouse, so how could David at the other house want to play with him?

I think if it had been revealed just a little earlier I would have loved realizing as I was reading that I was seeing all different aspects of Spock. I don't think it would have taken away from the fascination of that scenario to show it just a little sooner.

I like the setting, on Vulcan between movies 3 and 4. I liked how it was depicted that the Vulcans did not totally trust the outworlders.

I read all the parts of the quintet: the super-Vulcan, the warrior, the whore, the human child, and your basic Spock as we know him.

Since the refusion, Spock is very moody, unpredictable. I liked the different sex scenes; each time a different Spock coming to Kirk - sometimes masterful and domineering, sometimes alluring or passive.

The quints are all at odds with each other. Turns out Spock has had this condition since puberty. Amanda and T'Lar help him with it again. This is a significant premise, that he must acknowledge all these selves in order to integrate them. It is when he is unaware of them that they cause problems.

(I wonder why T'Lar didn't see all this during the refusion?)

It was said these "jealous siblings" "loved each other as much as they sometimes hated." I didn't see any of the love, and would have to.