Surveillance

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Surveillance
Author(s):	Elizabeth Scott
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Surveillance is a Kirk/Spock story by Elizabeth Scott. She also did the art.

It was published in the print zine First Time #36.

Summary

"Kirk has a hard time keeping his feelings to himself when he and Spock go on surveillance duty."

Reactions and Reviews

I’ve always admired and enjoyed all of Elizabeth’s writing, but this one is my favorite. “Surveillance” is just so well constructed, so tightly written, that it’s a real pleasure to read.

This zine was published in 1993. Since I’m reviewing this story for the Classic Corner section I’m going to give a rather extensive synopsis of the plot. Jim Kirk’s been on a star mapping mission for a month and a half so it takes very little persuasion on Admiral Morrow’s part to convince Kirk to take on a surveillance mission on the planet New Tortuga with his best friend and first officer. All he is to do is to keep watch on a notorious arms dealer, a Venusian named Uiper, and throw a few obstacles in his way if he tries to leave the planet. Of course, neither Morrow nor Spock thinks Kirk will be content to merely stand by and not get involved. Naturally he takes on the task of trying to discover where a cache of weapons is hidden. It will be used to further a war between two planets, a war Starfleet and the Federation want to stop at all costs. The enforced intimacy of a small one-room apartment and the necessity of round the clock bugging of Uiper’s residence make for some interesting conversations between the two men. Kirk revels in the confidences Spock shares with him as the Vulcan opens up to the only friend he has ever had. Kirk has loved Spock for years, but despairs of ever having the relationship go farther than the friendship they share. And then abruptly he finds himself in danger of losing even that. Uiper has taken a male prostitute back to his apartment and the ensuing sexual conversation and acts are clearly heard over the bugs used to monitor the dealer’s movements. Kirk is aroused and embarrassed; Spock, distressingly unmoved. In one shocked moment, it is brought home very clearly to Kirk that his dreams of a future with Spock as his lover will never be realized, and he lashes out. But not even Kirk’s words can breach their friendship. I really appreciated this. In so many of our stories a small misunderstanding causes problems that it takes the rest of the story to resolve, sometimes annoyingly so, and you find yourself saying, “Come on. Get over it already.” Here it’s just a tiny hiccup that they resolve fairly easily, yet it also serves to bring Kirk’s sexuality to the forefront of both their minds. Kirk, in typical Kirkian fashion, now decides it’s time to up the stakes. He purposely arranges to meet Uiper, and enters the bidding war for the weapons in an effort to move things along. The arms dealer is attracted to our captain. (Was there ever any doubt?) As Spock listens and deduces information from what Kirk has tricked Uiper to reveal, the dealer becomes progressively more insistent to bed the captain. Again, this is done so very well. The tension between the three men escalates dramatically when Kirk explains he would comply except for the fact he has a very jealous lover...a very jealous Vulcan lover he dare not cross. The ending sex scene—yes, it’s between Kirk and Spock—is a lovely payoff and very memorable. All in all, a unique and satisfying story told by one of our K/S treasures.

There’s a light in our figurative window, Elizabeth, should you ever want to come home and write K/S again. We miss you.