Sea Change (Star Trek: TOS story)

Star Trek TOS Fanfiction
Title:	Sea Change
Author(s):	Barbara L.B. Storey
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:	on AO3 title page
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Sea Change is a Star Trek: TOS (pre-slashy) story by Barbara L.B. Storey.

It was published in Nome #10.

Summary

"After bringing the whales to their time, Spock helps Gillian understand the whales through a mindmeld, while trying to understand his feelings starting to break free about Kirk."

Author's Comments

In 2017, the author said in an interview:

I didn’t write a lot of stories because I was supposed to be editing and putting them together kind of thing so it was kind of hard to do both of them, but one of the stories that I was most proud of was a story called “Sea Change,” which was in Nome 10, and Karen Parnes and Caro Hedge did art for that.

Reactions and Reviews

1988

I just finished reading Barbara's story in NOME 10 for the fourth or fifth time. What a wonderful way to fill in the blanks. I wish they had filmed some of your ideas too.

I thought that Gillian's coming up short against differences in her own and the twenty-third century was very good. Her learning just exactly who she had hooked up with was a wonderful touch.

The way she handled the relationship between Kirk and Spock was very good. Such a delicate balance between K/S and friendship that even those of us who find K/S distasteful can read this story and enjoy the lovely bond that two people can have when they care about each other. It is such a rare friendship and so very hard to find.

I have copied her story to put in my special book of favorite Trek stories. I know that I'll read it several more times. Trekking can always give me a lift when I'm down. I hope to read more of her stories in the future.

"Sea Change" ... is now firmly a part of THE VOYAGE HOME in my mind's eye. Just the added touch that the movie needed, Barbara's writing style matches the non-emotional trend that seemed evident there. Yet all the while she allows us to see below the surface reactions to the turmoil we knew was seething within the characters' subconscious. A "quickie" story just wouldn't have done here; not one with easy answers. It could not have been possible for Spock to regain his feelings without a struggle. Barbara did it just right! The whole account leads up to the scene in the council chamber and the timeless and touching way that Kirk and Spock exit together. They did that right.

"Sea Change"—A masterpiece. Spock's characterization and way of dealing with his inner conflicts was right on the money. Gillian was a delight, as were the whales, and believable. Loved the thoroughness of the plot. Left me with a very satisfied feeling. Would have loved for there to be a sex scene at the end, but that is a minor complaint. Great story. (Why hasn't Barbara written any other stories all these years? Chain that woman to a typewriter!)

Barbara's "Sea Change" was delightful. I just loved the whales in her story. It's a shame that we don't have, in our own time, the ability to communicate with these magnificent creatures. What wonders they could tell us. Spock was in character in his post-TVH role, and I was happy to see Sarek in the story, as he is one of my favorite people.

But what happened to Gillian? She had a major part in most of the story, then sort of fades away at the end. It would have been interesting to find out how her twentieth-century prejudices (we all have them) held up under the knowledge of Kirk's and Spock's relationship.

SEA CHANGE by Barbara Storey is a well-written approach to a further acquaintance with Gillian Taylor, George and Gracie - all of them well-delineated. It gets a bit long here and there, but covers an interesting interim period of ST4.

1989

The parts of this are all excellent— George and Gracie, Gillian, and especially Spock's search through his mind for his missing past. Since Gillian was a major character, I would have liked another bit from her point of view at the end. And I wished Kirk were more actively involved, but in a story concerned with his deliberate holding back, that may be asking a bit much. Anyway, when I reread it, I don't worry about what I wish were there, but enjoy what is.

1998

Set in the aftermath of STIV, it spins a tale of love and devotion. The gradual reintegration of Spock’s katra brings him many surprises, rewarding because the result is a full integration of his human half. I admire the restraint Kirk forces on himself, letting Spock discover his past, their past and perhaps a chance at getting what he desperately wants: a full bond. Interspersed with Gillian and the whales, it is beautiful. Beautiful."

1999

Probably the best story in the entire collection is Barbara Storey's SEA CHANGE which attempts to deal with the events which must occur after the renegade BOUNTY reaches the Pacific with George and Gracie and before the hearing demoting Kirk. In her story, the author grapples with issues like Gillian's adjustment into the 23rd century and also the whales adjustment. Interestingly. Spock finds his answers about his relationship with Kirk through self-examination engineered by the whales.

2008

Sea Change occurs in the time between the Enterprise command crew‘s return to Earth post- Genesis and their subsequent trial. While the rest are incarcerated, Spock begins working with Gillian Taylor to acclimate the whales to their new home and prepare for Gracie‘s delivery while Kirk frets in confinement, anxious to know his disciplinary ruling and dismayed that Spock still remembers nothing of their special closeness. When Spock had told him ̳rescuing Chekov was the human thing to do‘, Kirk had been sure his Spock was restored to him but Spock is still interacting with him much as he did in the early days of their friendship. When Spock visits for dinner and remarks that his memory of their exploits has been stimulated by reviewing records not available to him on Vulcan, Kirk‘s hope is short-lived but encouraged, he plunges into an unvarnished retelling of anecdotes of their missions together, culminating in a description of Gamma Hydra IV and his anger with Spock when Stocker took command. A troubled Spock requests a full account of the incident and reveals that there may be many elements of their lives together that he had not been permitted to retain, that memory excision by the healers to create a more cohesive whole is both accepted and expected in his culture. True to form, Kirk is both angry that the healers have effectively ruined Spock‘s chances of reconnecting with his most personal history and elated that he finally has the key to finding the person he loves but ultimately, it is Gillian and the whales that are the restorative agents.

The author skillfully reflects Spock‘s journey and his relationships in Gillian and the whales making them natural change agents for him. Reminiscent of a young James T. Kirk, Gillian is portrayed as brash, candid and single-mindedly in pursuit of her chosen profession without hitting a false note with respect to the movie characterization. I suspect her reactions to Spock are similar to the young Kirk‘s as well and the continuing thread of Gillian observing, recognizing but not really understanding the uniqueness of Kirk and Spock, together and apart, is well done.

Only male humpbacks sing and George is alone. There are no others like him. Will be able to build his song without partners? The need to establish, two-way, interspecies communication with the whales parallels Kirk‘s need to reestablish interpersonal communication with Spock and Spock‘s communication with George and Gracie help him reconnect with the experience of love and t‘hy‘la. Subthemes describing Spock‘s past and evolving relationships with his parents and Jim, healer‘s motivations that were meant to be healing not lacking in tolerance, and the role the dolphin nation plays in settling the whales in the their new home produce a rich, multi-layered tale. This is the first work I‘ve read from Barbara Storey. I am actively looking for more.

2021

3.5/5: This wasn't too bad. I didn't really like Gillian's characterisation in this, and I never really enjoyed Character Study fics, but this was well written and overall not too boring.

A Fan's Examination of a Theme

One fan examined "Sea Change" and the other stories in Nome #10 as an example of the way 1980s fanfiction represents K/S as a gay relationship (or not). See Reactions and Reviews: Issue #10 for the full LOC:

...So again, homosexual love has been somehow verified by heterosexuality. Michele's other story, Ampersand, echoes the theme. Although not primarily K/S, it is made clear that Spock cannot begin to understand Jim without detailed reference to McCoy and particularly Uhura (with whom at one stage he wishes to spend the night). "Sea Change" approaches the dilemma more easily, but even here the intervention of a female is needed, albeit of Gracie, the whale! Barbara is, however, more comfortable with her characters; Kirk and Spock were lovers before Genesis. Flora Poste's "Mirror Allegiance" is A/U and therefore not subject to quite the same criteria, but Kirk and Spock still agonize desperately over the simple fact of sex, this in a universe of extreme sophistication. Still, we don't have the he's-heterosexual-he-can't-possibly tangle....