The Bare Truth

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Fanfiction
Title: The Bare Truth
Author(s): Donna Rose Vanderlaan
Date(s): 1986
Length:
Genre(s): slash
Fandom(s): Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s): Kirk/Spock
External Links:

Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Bare Truth is a Kirk/Spock story by Donna Rose Vanderlaan.

It was published in the print zine First Time #6.

Summary

"Kirk tricks Spock into visiting a nudist colony."

Excerpt

""I've never seen a Vulcan nude," one of them said. "Maybe they don't even have sex organs. How about it, Kirk?" "I really don't know," he thoughtfully answered. "I never thought about it, just assumed they were like anyone else never bothered to look it up and, come to think about it, I've never seen our first officer undressed." The subject changed and was forgotten, but the idea had been planted."

Reactions and Reviews

1989

Kirk's plan to lure Spock to a nudist colony backfires, forcing Kirk to face some hard truths. It's a good idea, well done. I like stories that treat Kirk and Spock as equals - capable men who can handle unusual situations like captains and first officers are supposed to. This story does that. [1]

1990

In this amusing story. Kirk cons Spock into a visit to the beach. What Spock doesn't know is it is a nudist colony. How Spock turns the tables on Jim makes one or the more amusing stories I've read in a long time. (If I had been Jim. however, there is a brief moment when I might have been tempted to slay Spock -- but only for a moment!) Read it — you'll love it. [2]

1992

I'm afraid I found both Kirk and Spock horribly manipulative in this story. I don't like the way Kirk betrayed Spock's trust with the nudist colony, or the game playing that Spock engaged in to test Kirk. I just have prejudice in favor of honesty over subterfuge. [3]

1998

A fun scenario, "The Bare Truth" being a nudist colony. (However, instead of letting us find this out a ways into the story, there was a drawing at the top of the first page with the words "nudist colony" on the

building.) Kirk manages to get Spock to join him at this resort for "sunbathing." I don't readily accept that our kind and considerate (if more-than-usually hormonal) captain would mislead Spock into thinking he can wear a towel. Spock apparently is very much into his cultural conditioning against disrobing in public.

That fundamental modesty being the case, I wondered about the depiction of Spock so freely staring at and complimenting Kirk on his body, while being so uptight about his own.

A nice scene in the locker room of Kirk making Spock put oil on his back, and on his butt, too; and then Kirk putting oil on Spock's back.

But then, a guard stops Spock as they go outside and whisks away his towel! How rude! So Spock is angry, feels Kirk lied to him. He says he needs to be alone and walks away.

Poor Kirk spends the day by himself, feeling like a cad, not appreciating all the female attention he's getting, just thinking of the tantalizing glimpses he'd gotten of Spock in all his glory...and then coming across Spock throughout the day surrounded by admirers.

There's an odd use of the words "breeds" and "species" to describe the various people at the resort. And this funny typo: Vulcans are thought to be too "reversed" to come to nudist colonies.

Then an enjoyable plot unfolds over that evening and the next day and night, where Kirk is jealous over some guy that Spock seemingly is spending time with, and Kirk himself also seems to have an anonymous admirer.

All's well in the end. There's no sex, but they're on their way to the hotel to do just that.... [4]

References