Report from the Rim

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Report from the Rim
Author(s):	Carolyn Spencer
Date(s):	The Kirk/Spock Fanfiction Archive-2010
Length:	The Kirk/Spock Fanfiction Archive-10888
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:	The Kirk/Spock Fanfiction Archive
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Report from the Rim is a Kirk/Spock story by Carolyn Spencer.

It was published in the print zine First Time (2001) #53.

At KiSmet 2011, Elise M displayed a number of "story pictures" — Kirk and Spock dolls shown in a scene from a story accompanied by some lines from the story. Fans were challenged to identify with story the tableau illustrated. These CGAs were later printed in The K/S Press. This one was for "Report from the Rim."

Summary

From the print zine First Time (2001) #53: "A prisoner is interviewed concerning the incarceration of two Starfleet officers and what he saw of their relationship."

Reactions and Reviews

See many reviews at K/S Archive.

I'm not sure I can do justice to this story in my LOC, but here goes. "Report From The Rim" is one of the best new stories I've read in a long time. It gently reminded me why I fell in love with K/S in the first place. (not that I needed reminding!) We see the relationship btw Kirk and Spock through the eyes of a third party, Barak, a prisoner, and how his witnessing of the caring and love between Kirk and Spock forever changes his life in a desolate prison. I don't want to give away too much more cuz' it's brand new. But this story has it all for me: hurt/comfort for both Kirk and Spock in a loving and tender first time as well as a unique telling of the story through another's POV. Yet the K/S love is ever present in every word and scene from that POV! A great piece of writing I won't soon forget and will come back to again! The realization in Spock that his captain loves him was my fav part! Especially after he'd just told Barak that his captain was “a lover of women and would not understand his feelings.” I was holding my breath, feeling Spock's joy, and loving Kirk's protectiveness of him. The color illo that accompanies the story was the icing on the cake to this great K/S read!

A brilliant, classic take on the Outsider POV and Prison tropes, structured as an interview with another inmate affected by what he saw of Kirk and Spock.

Here I sit on a cool gloomy late May day, with tears streaming down my face. Why? Because I have just read a most extraordinary account of what love between two people is all about. That those two people are Kirk and Spock, heroes who have awed me for forty years, makes it all the more special and believable.

If you haven’t read this report on the imprisonment of Kirk and Spock made by a Starfleet Lieutenant, meant for the eyes of his superior, you should put it on your list of must-reads. Put it at the top, especially if some doubt about what two people can mean to each other has crept into your mind.

Because it is unlike anything else I’ve ever read and allowing that never once does Kirk or Spock actually “appear” in the story, I am amazed at the emotional impact it carries. I’m not a young chick and I’ve read my share of K/S over the years, countless nice tender love stories, mind you. Few of them move me like this one does. Somehow seeing Kirk and Spock and their extraordinary selfless devotion to each other through the eyes of a fellow prisoner horribly jaded by life’s circumstances makes me believe all things are possible.

Carolyn Spencer has a very fertile imagination to say the least, and a way of creating believable characters. Rough, unprincipled convicts who, through watching two strangers thrust into their midst, learn how to care again.

Every scene in the story is written in such a way that I’m able to visualize exactly what’s happening and where it’s happening. I can see the light in Jim Kirk’s eyes when he looks at Spock. I can feel the pain Spock feels when he realizes he must leave his beloved behind. Most of all I can feel the love that encircles them and encloses them in that private place where no one else can enter. We’ve all seen it on the bridge of the Enterprise, on a planetary mission, and in almost every conceivable location in K/S fiction. Never has it been more clearly described than here in the midst of a cold filthy pit surrounded by murderers and felons. In one of the most beautiful moments, those strangers who seemingly care nothing for anything or anyone turn their faces away in reverence of that special circle of love where there is room for no one else.

Considering its setting and conditions, this is a story that should be anything but beautiful, yet it is…very…beautiful.

This story succeeds on so very many levels.

The narrative is told completely through a series of questions and answers between a Federation interviewer and an alien prisoner. I found this idea very effective and allowed the author to look at our well known characters in a new way.

Throughout the story, Spock is on a quest to find another person (guess who?) while confined to a wretched prison planet. The setting is visualized very well and the supporting characters are also effective.

I was especially happy that Spock, although in a terrible situation, never lost his innate dignity and morals.

The heart of the story was the revealed love of Spock for Kirk. This love is poignantly shown many ways but especially through his one act of sacrifice. His love was so powerful and evocative that it moved even the hard-hearted prisoners.

This was a beautiful story—beautifully told.

Carolyn Spencer is an absolutely wonderful writer, and one of my all time favorite K/S authors. Therefore, I was thrilled to see she had a new story in FT 53, and what a story! It alone is worth buying the zine. (Be warned, I give away a lot of the plot.) The premise is that an inmate in a prison is being interviewed by a Lieutenant Commander working for something called the Starfleet Bureau of Mines/Prisons, so the story is told in dialogue only. As the story unfolds, we find out that this is an absolute hell hole of a prison, appropriately called the Pit, and the inmates have been reduced to little more than animals in their struggle to survive. This prisoner, Jesum Barak, is telling the story of two inmates that had been at the prison. The first to arrive is a Vulcan, who of course is Spock. Although subjected to the same conditions as the other inmates, Spock does not lose his dignity or his humanity (I know, I know, he's only half human, but I couldn't think of another word that fit!) and tries his best to help the other inmates. At the same time he is constantly looking for someone among the other prisoners. There's a great scene of how Spock mentally prepares himself to search a pile of dead bodies for Kirk, and another wonderful scene of Spock melding with a scared, dying boy and comforting him in his last hours. Then Kirk arrives, and oh, the description of when he and Spock first meet is just sublime! Then there's some good hurt/comfort scenes as Spock and Kirk care for each other, since each is injured and/or sick. The depiction — of Kirk and Spock's love for each other, as told by Barak, is really extraordinarily moving. The first time love scene in the story is one of the most beautiful and tender I've ever read, and all the more amazing because of the circumstances in which it is set. By the example Spock and Kirk set because of their love and devotion for each other and the sacrifices they make for each other, and also because of how Spock has attempted to help the other prisoners, Spock and Kirk inspire changes in the behavior of the inmates in the prison, especially Barak. He has been deeply affected by Spock, and by the love between the two men, and is inspired to try to make a difference in the lives of the other men in the Pit. This story is just so different. There's a lot we never know: we never find out why Kirk and Spock are on Barak's planet, how they got separated, why they're in the prison, why Spock says rescuers will be coming in three weeks and 2 days, why the rescuers come early, etc. Normally this kind of stuff would bother me, but not here. Due to the interview setting of this story, and it being told from Barak's POV, it didn't matter to me. Not only did it not matter, it was appropriate that we not know. Barak doesn't know any of these things, so we don't know them either. I've reread this wonderful story several times, and I like it more every time I read it. Correction - I don't just like this story, I love this story!

I must preface this review by saying that this woman is one of my all-time favorite K/S authors. Her writing often leaves me breathless and she has worked her magic once again with this story, in what I consider to be a very unique way. That is not only because this story is told from a third person POV entirely, but it is also written as a narrative in the past tense, where events are seen and told strictly through the main character's words and thoughts. Now I don't want to give away the plot here in case there are others who have not read this yet, but I will say that by constructing the story this way, the author leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. We are never told exactly how and why Kirk and Spock end up where they do, but the story does not suffer at all with these details remaining a mystery. Rather, the lack of explanation adds to the strength of the overall work. It is another brilliant story penned by one of the best K/S authors around today.

It's been awhile since this talented author has put forth a story, and now that she finally has. WOW! It's incredible. Very unique. I usually prefer stories that aren't told from a third person's POV, but this one just grabbed me into it and held me there. I couldn't put it down. The story is told in detail by prisoner Jesum Barak, being interviewed by a lieutenant commander Miles Famon, Starfleet Bureau of Mines/Prisons. Famon is investigating what happened to two Starfleet officers who had been incarcerated in the Pit", where Barak and many others are. The author was able to bring alive the oppression and hopelessness of surviving in the Pit just by the way Barak speaks, while still focusing the story on Kirk and Spock.

Spock is first in the Pit and gets Barak's attention right away. I love how Spock is constantly wandering the pit, searching for something, which turns out to be Kirk. I liked how Barak didn't understand how he wouldn't eat or sleep, just kept looking. Barak kept waiting for Spock to tum to him for protection or food, but Spock never did. When Kirk did appear it was so cool the way Spock claimed him right away. Through Barak's eyes we see the caring and love Spock has for Kirk. Barak doesn't understand it, and he also doesn't understand why Spock wants Kirk when Kirk hits him, not knowing it was to bring him out of a healing trance. The part when Spock offers himself to Barak to protect Kirk after he's gone, and how Kirk won't allow it is so touching. Barak decides to force them to have sex, thinking to shame them and force them apart, since Spock had told him Kirk only loved women. But what he (and we) witness is gentle, true lovemaking. Even there in the filth and cold of the Pit, it's beautiful. I love when they're standing there, having to accept Barak's orders, and Kirk puts Spock's cloak on the dirty ground and turns to Spock "'I declare this sacred ground, Spock,' he says, and holds out his hand."

Everything, the writing, the plot, the beautiful color picture that goes with it, is just wonderful. This is a Must Read story. Carolyn, we want more!

This story is a record of an interview by a Lt. Cmdr. Miles Famon with a prisoner named Jesum Barak. It's not a Federation planet they're on, but its residents know about the "Federatii." Famon is asking Barak about a certain Vulcan prisoner. The prison is a "pit," literally; and prisoners never go outside. They're beamed in and only leave when dead. Barak's been in for 37 years.

This is one of those stories that works so well without our knowing a thing about what brought Kirk and Spock to be prisoners or any other kind of detail. We don't need to know. There are a number of things I'm sure CS had to work out in her head, but they're not revealed to us. I might have wondered about certain things such as, why did Famon pick this particular prisoner to interview, etc., but I didn't.

Barak is a coarse man, but perceptive, and his tale in his voice works so well for this story. I can't help but be reminded of Carolyn's 'The Journal," in the sense that the POV-character's voice is so vernacular. CS has a talent for this. But as much as I liked and loved The Journal," I think this works even better, that this character's telling the tale is even more effective. This is very dark and sad (though ultimately hopeful) and Barak's voice is vivid, about the horrendous life down in this prison. And even though we're only observing Kirk and Spock through an outside party, this totally works for me for this story.

Barak's story of what he observed tells us so much in just his simple observations of Spock's actions. We get a sense early on from him as to the social groupings in this prison. The alpha-type men will claim the ones they want for sex, and to get them food, etc.; and allies and protection groups are needed. Barak wanted Spock for himself, but Spock wouldn't go for any of the pecking-order thing; and anyway, he could beat up three at a time when they tried to get to him sexually. He was seen to be on the lookout for someone in particular.

Finally, a new person was beamed in-Kirk of course; and Spock claimed him.

It really is beautiful, Barak talking about watching them together. Here's a brilliant little moment that has stuck with me: Barak seeing Spock scrabble for food for the injured Kirk, on the ground with the crowd of others fighting for the food. Spock had never tried for any of the food for himself before that. It's an uncomfortable image, but such a powerful and revealing one.

Spock's healing trance, and Kirk having to slap him out of it, is used well here. Barak observed this, and since he has some personal experience with abusive relationships, this is how he saw it; his ideas about Kirk and Spock and where he might fit in were then colored by this.

Spock offered himself to Barak, in exchange for Barak's protection of Kirk. It seemed Spock knew he was dying of the fever, had a week to live. (Kirk is "a lover of women" and Spock didn't want him touched by any man in the prison.) Barak was about to fuck Spock, but Kirk came and interfered, not being aware of what Spock was doing. Since Barak thought Spock was in an abusive relationship, and wanted Spock for himself anyway, he had some bad J designs on Kirk. He tried to make Kirk fuck Spock, or he would fuck them both. I didn't really get this, how this would satisfy whatever Barak felt he needed, though I had understood everything about his reasoning up to this point.

However it is actually justified, the lovemaking scene is so beautiful-the words Kirk says, the gorgeous love he makes to Spock in the terrible setting, where quietly dramatic things happen because of Kirk and Spock. They changed those men in there with their love. Made me teary.

This being Carolyn, this being a Robin-zine, there's a "happy ending." Plus we see at the end that Barak was changed, and Famon, too. Not to mention Kirk and Spock.

I love this story.

To one of my all time favorite authors; Carol, I told you so. When you read passages of this wonderful love story to me over the phone and it brought tears to my eyes, I knew you had a winner. And what a winner it is. Stars is still my all time favorite, but Report From The Rim is right up there.

Told from a third person's pov, this is a powerful tale of life and death in The Pit. The Pit, a prison enclave on some far away planet, where Kirk and Spock are beamed into. We never learn why they are there and it doesn't really matter in the end. What matters are the love and the sacrifice and how these change both Kirk and Spock's relationship and ultimately the lives of the hardened inmates imprisoned in the Pit.

What scenes did I like the best? It is so hard to choose. There were so many. I loved Spock holding the dying boy. Spock searching the dead pile for Kirk really got to me. Being a die-hard Kirkie, I absolutely adored the description of Kirk's smile when he was finally beamed down and first saw Spock. Spock keeping his dignity amidst the horrors around him. I do so love a strong Spock. And as for the love scene...what can I say? It was beautiful seems so inadequate. But that's exactly what it was... beautiful.And the symbolism of the cloak. I could go on and on.

I guess you can tell by now that I love this story and I recommend it to all K/Sers. If you haven't read it yet...get it. You'll be glad you did.

Report from the Rim is one of the best K/S stories ever written.

There. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'll tell you why I think that. It‘s the ease with which the author conveys the dedication and love between Jim and Spock. It‘s the brilliance with which she depicts the setting of the prison where Barak and they are incarcerated. It‘s the clarity with which all the characters are drawn, including minor ones like Fendor and Gresh. Just about any story from Carolyn Spencer is bound to be a treat, something special, including her very earliest efforts, but Report from the Rim shows her at the very height of her powers. When I reread this story so that I could write this review, I found myself wondering why a hundred other authors hadn't written this story, because it all seems so natural, unforced, and the situation between Kirk and Spock a fact of nature. Ah, but it takes a lot of skill to convey something natural, and that‘s one of the elements of this story that impresses me so much. For those unfortunate few who haven‘t had the pleasure of reading this story, I‘ll tell you that it‘s a third-person observer story told in dialogue. (How difficult that is! But how easily the words flow on the page!) An officer from Starfleet, from the Bureau of Mines and Prisons (clever Carolyn, to link those two, given the conditions of the Pit) arrives to interview a prisoner named Barak, whom we come to know quite well as the story progresses. Miles Farnon wants to learn of the circumstances of the imprisonment of first Spock and then Kirk in the Pit, and he gets an unvarnished and yet deeply moving recital from Barak It‘s really hard to convey detail in a dialogue-only story without making it look forced. I was on the lookout for such instances and found only the smallest number in the smallest degree. Instead, with words appropriate to the man who has been in this hideous prison for thirty-seven years, we are shown the conditions the Pit and the people who inhabit it...and how the introduction of one desperate Vulcan, who is always filled with integrity, changes everything. And for me that‘s the best part of this story. How it is a K/S tale, yes, but it‘s a lot more, too. A brilliant example of characterization—I love this Spock! I love this Kirk! And I love the interaction between them, shown with minimal brushstrokes that are strong and vivid. But it‘s also a morality tale and an example of what our Kirk told the Mirror Spock: that one man can change worlds. Because by the end of the story, there really is very little doubt that change has come to the Pit. I can admire this story for the writing. For the skill that went into its presentation, the structure, the delicately handled diction. But more than anything, I love this story for the Kirk and, especially, the Spock that the author shows us. She makes me love Jim and Spock even more.

There are some stories we can like but eventually forget. I don‘t think Report from the Rim is one of those stories! Instead, it‘s a story that I find an inspiration on many different levels of my life, and especially for my own K/S writing. Brava, Carolyn!

We decided to look at this story because the interest and opinions it had inspired in the K/S Press when it was first published had meant that one of us, at least, had mentioned it whenever we’d talked zine stories recently.... We all found the story very powerful and moving and agreed that this was due to the sheer quality of the writing. Even those of us who cited usual ambivalence towards “prison” stories agreed that

Report...is a superior example of the genre! There seem to be not one but two framing stories around the events concerning Kirk and Spock: A prison investigator has sought out a long-time prisoner, Barak, from a remote planet that may be joining the Federation to interview him about recent happenings that he witnessed. His tale, we gradually realise, concerns the arrival of first Spock and later Kirk at the prison, or the Pit, as it is repeatedly described. We all had vivid impressions of its appearance and the primitive conditions endured by the inmates, as a result of the author’s effective prose. I can still visualise the “Dead Pile,” the scramble for scraps, the lack of shelter, the gangs and alliances formed to survive there.... We had a bit of a discussion about whether men subjected to such appalling circumstances would use each other for sex, attempting to assert dominance as seen in the story. There’s little doubt that the urge to survive can be very strong.... Barak, of course, has no knowledge of Spock and so describes the prisoner and his actions as he saw them. We see at once that we know him and, indeed, suffer with him. Spock is injured and, more importantly, searching for someone. The description of him bracing himself and then checking the dead prisoners before the bodies are beamed away is harrowing in the extreme. And Spock inevitably becomes involved with the plight of his companions: Barak, who has been incarcerated for over 30 years, witnesses him comforting a dying boy, melding with him and almost dying himself. He becomes obsessed with Spock, wanting him sexually and wanting his regard.... When Jim eventually arrives in the Pit, the strange events continue: Spock “claims” the new arrival, is seen caring for him, scrapping with the other prisoners for food and protecting.... Barak can see that Spock loves him, but is confused about Jim, as the latter is seen hitting Spock repeatedly. (I have to say here that, by now, our need as readers to know WHY and how our heroes have arrived in this hellhole is almost overwhelming! We never do find this out, of course and are left to guess, which as a group we did at some length. This certainly is an amazing tale for initiating speculation—we had a ball! And, do we really need to know, any way? Would it add anything to the story? After all, these are Barak’s memories. It’s about how he was affected by Kirk and Spock and their feeling for each other as much as anything, and he has no knowledge of their lives at all.... For one of us, this urge to KNOW the background coloured her view of the story throughout. There are so-o many unanswered questions...) But I digress! The climax of our witness’ testament approaches: Spock clearly became unwell, having contracted the “Fever” from the boy who died . He came to Barak, addressed him directly, offering himself for sex on the condition that Kirk is protected in all ways once Spock is dead. He even talked a little of his hidden love.... Interestingly, at this point, Barak is almost ashamed of his lust for Spock, but, as one of us was able to perceptively identify, the emotion he feels is closer to love.... The image of Jim Kirk appearing, even as the Vulcan is kneeling for our narrator is brilliant. I love this part. Spock is outwardly calm, as we would expect but there is turmoil when the inmates insist that Jim fuck Spock instead and, well, they sort of run out of options: The scene then that we all recalled.. Jim, placing their cloak on the ground and pronouncing it “sacred ground.” It’s a touch heavy, perhaps, but...wow! This is what we’ve been waiting for, this is where Spock learns that Jim loves him. (“...You don’t know the half of it”). And, this is where all the prisoners are touched by their love. Moved enough to turn away, to protect them, even. Sigh.. A touch improbable, maybe, but, hey! Aren’t we all, after all, touched in this way? Isn’t their love and its expression the reason for our fandom? Yes!

The story of events on the planet ends . Spock is seen being cared for by Jim as he grows weaker, but then the two strangers are beamed out of the Pit, an incomprehensible event to Barak, who is desperate for news, once he realises that his interviewer knows them. He, too, has been permanently affected and is now trying to improve the prison conditions for the others. He mentions then some of his fellow inmates, caring about what happens to them. It was only on a further recap of the story that I realised the interviewer is recommending a review of all the prison sentences in his report—not before time! We also pick up a few details about this guy’s life at the end, but I think we were too exhausted by the power of Jim and Spock’s story to notice this! The consensus was that this is a powerful story, from its very first reading. It creates questions, certainly, but, oh, didn’t we enjoy discussing them? And that’s great.

It’s a rainy Sunday morning, but these aren’t raindrops on my face. I’ve just finished reading “Report From the Rim” and find myself both awed and surprised. Not that I shed tears, but who I shed them for. Not so much awe that Kirk and Spock found each other but admiration for the creativity represented here. This is such an unusual approach to K/S. There have been others written from the perspective of a third party and I usually find them interesting.

Here we are reading a report of an interview a Federation representative (prison reform advocate) has conducted with a prisoner from an extremely sordid and miserable place of incarceration. In the beginning he is interested, halfway through the interview he is very likely captivated and by the end, like me, is completely in awe of what he has just heard. I did truly cry big alligator tears at the end – it was totally unexpected and caught me completely unaware. The extent to which my empathy had grown during the course of the interview was amazing.

Having read this because of reviews in KSP, I won’t go into detail, and no way would I reveal the ending! But I would not for a minute give up the opportunity to praise this story for everything I’m worth. It is one that I am quite sure I will never forget. Usually when something is this memorable, I’ll recall the story and the title will escape me. This time, the title itself is so unforgettable, I believe even it will remain with me for a long, long time.

Over the past 30 years that I‘ve been involved in this fandom, the one thing that has always struck me is how many extraordinarily talented people, be they authors or artists or song vid makers, we are blessed to have in this fandom. Seriously, if K/S were part of our mainstream culture, I have no doubt that a lot these women would achieve great financial gain from their efforts. But K/S being what it is, all they can really hope is that someone takes the time to scribble out an LOC once in a while praising their work. Yet even without that meager reward, they continue to create wondrous works for the rest of us to marvel at. Like this story. This particular author has said that while she is always interested in what others have to say about her stories, in the end, she is really writing for an audience of one – herself. And while that may be the case (as I‘m sure it is), she has blessed all of us with expanding that audience to include not only those involved in the world of zines, but also now on the net, as well. For her stories are all brilliant and this one particularly so.

The story takes place on what can only be described as a prison planet, where a Starfleet official has come to interview one of the prisoners about two unusual inmates who had recently been confined there. The interviewer, however, quickly learns that ―confined really isn't an apt description. Rather, ―hell on Earth would be a much more befitting phrase to describe how the prisoners were forced to live in the hellhole they all call home. There is no escape, except by death and the only law the prisoners live by is ―survival of the fittest‖, in the truest sense of the word. The prisoner relates a tale of how one day a new inmate was beamed in – a Vulcan whom they all very quickly learn to leave strictly alone. Yet the alien, despite his determination not to surrender to their will, shows no reluctance to help those are left weak and defenseless, even at the cost of his own comfort. But there is something else about him which adds to the mystery of his presence – his constant, unrelenting search for someone or something. When he finally finds what he is looking for, the subsequent events that follow are a lesson to the other prisoners that compassion and caring and love can survive anywhere, even in the hell that is their existence. It is a lesson that none of them will soon forget.

I really wish there were words I could use to describe how this story makes me feel. But any words of praise I can think of would be wholly inadequate. What I can say is this story stands as a prime example of why I've been drawn to this fandom for so long and the passion I felt when I first discovered K/S has only grown stronger and stronger over the years. How can it not when stories like this exist? I am truly, truly grateful for the fact that this woman, and many others like her, not only found and fell in love with this fandom, but selflessly chose to share their talents with the rest of us to give us such wondrous gifts as "Report From the Rim".

Carolyn Spencer's "Report From the Rim" is one of my all-time favorite stories. Originally published in 2001, it was recently posted to ksarchive.com

Have you ever heard the word "beautiful" used in reference to prisonfic? You have now. This is an amazing story, flawlessly told. The narrative is in the form of an interview between a Starfleet officer and a man named Barak who is serving a life sentence for murder in a brutal prison on an unaligned planet. The Starfleet officer is investigating the recent incarceration of a Federation citizen, and bit by bit, in exchange for offers of food and blankets, he learns about the degrading, hopeless existence of the prisoners in The Pit (as the prison is called by its inmates), an underground prison reachable only by transporter beam. Barak is matter-of-fact about the violence and abuse in the prison; the Starfleet officer tries and - mostly - succeeds in maintaining his detached professionalism. Barak is one of two rival strongmen in the prison, fiercely competitive for any new resource that arrives in the prison. That includes a new prisoner, a Vulcan, who arrives injured, but is still initially strong enough to fend off potential attackers, strong enough not to succumb to the vulnerability of sleep. The Vulcan begins an obsessive search through the living, the dying and the dead for what Barak cannot guess. But even as the Vulcan continues his search, he does strange things – unheard of things – and because of his actions the actions of others begin to shift and change. Then another prisoner arrives and the Vulcan proposes a bargain for his safety. Quote: "This one is different from the Vulcan. He's wearing ordinary brown pants and a lighter brown tunic over them. Both are dirty and torn in places, and the tunic well, that's more gone than not. The man looks the worse for wear, too. He's got a cut over his right eye, still bleeding red, and some bruises at his jaw and cheek, like maybe he had fought them topside. Light brown hair straggled down in his face. When the beam lets him go, he crouches down like a fighter. Good reflexes, I give him that. Most prisoners just look scared when they see the Pit for the first time."

Carolyn‘s narrative shines a light on what makes Kirk and Spock the heroic characters they are and how, no matter the situation they find themselves in, they have a powerful influence on everyone they encounter.

This is... beyond words. First Time, public sex, protective Spock, protective Jim, aliens-made-them-do-it, this story hit all my buttons. Fantastic OC narrator and wonderfully vivid depiction both of the harsh carceral world and the burst of sunshine Kirk and Spock's example bring to the place. An absolute keeper.