The Captain's Boy

Fanfiction
Title:	The Captain's Boy
Author(s):	Patricia Laurie Stephens
Date(s):	1990
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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The Captain's Boy is a Kirk/Spock story by Patricia Laurie Stephens.

It was published in the print zine Otherwhere/Otherwhen #1.

Summary

"A/U: Kirk “adopts” a young Vulcan prostitute."

Reactions and Reviews

1990

I don't buy this one: I don't believe that even the mirror Kirk is a pedophile, searching a brothel for a young adolescent partner. And we see the young Spock as a boy who has been forced to whore since the age of four — yet Kirk's using of him for sex is supposed to be non-abusive, I guess, because it's Kirk doing it with Spock. Using a child as underaged as Spock was in this story is child-abuse, and will bring further trauma, not True Love.

This may have been too a/u for my taste. I found it difficult having Kirk and Spock at such diverse ages, and Spock being so different from the one we're accustomed to. Also, I thought it a bit of a dichotomy that this universe produced individuals such as Kirk and McCoy who, on the surface anyway, appeared to be fairly decent people with feelings and compassion; yet, the mere fact of Spock's past seemed to indicate a 'dark' universe. I had difficulty straddling the fence between such diverse attitudes. I did enjoy the ending. A neat way to explain Spock's particular interest in Saavik.

The characterisation starts off believable. I believe that Mirror Kirk could cynically obtain a young boy from a brothel to use sexually. I believe that a Spock who had been raised to be nothing but a sexual toy would be sullen, inarticulate, lacking in self-concept and indifferent about his future. What I don't believe is that this young Spock could become the Spock we see in 'Mirror, Mirror' as the author seems to imply. If the characterisation had retained consistent, such a disturbed youth couldn't have taken advantage of the opportunities for education and training that Kirk and later Sarek offered him. He'd only be marginally educable. Mrror Kirk's assistance to the boy is supposed to leave us with the impression that his sexual use of young Spock isn't abusive. I have seen other stories in K/S zines that showed consenting sexual relationships between adults and teenagers, but I do not count this one among them. Spock passively accepts Kirk's plans for because he has no inner strength to resist, and he really has no other viable options. The attitude he displays in the beginning of the relationship is a mixture of apathy and hostility. This is not the behavior of a truly consenting sexual partner. I have one additional criticisim. When McCoy examines young Spock in the brothel he finds that the boy has 'the clap". He warns Kirk not to touch Spock sexually while he's in treatment, but Spock is never really treated for this highly transmissible disease, and Kirk makes almost immediate sexual use of him. Kirk should have contracted 'the clap" as a result of his impatience but there is no indication that such a thing occurred. This isa nother inconsistency to add to the list. In summary, "The Captain's Boy" is offensive and it totally lacks
 credibility.

1991

I really enjoyed this Mirror Universe story. In it, an adolescent Spock is saved by the mirror Kirk from a sleazy "boy" brothel that has been Spock's home ever since he was removed from an orphanage as a five year old. An interesting twist is that, at least at first, Spock is not especially grateful. This Spock is a tough, street-wise cookie. He is such a sullen, passive-aggressive, self-destructive, bad-acting teenager that I positively wanted to shake him! There's just about no resemblance except the most metaphorical between this Spock and the series Spock, and yet, somehow, this character was immensely appealing. I also found Kirk's characterization to be very appealing. He's a tough guy himself', essentially self-serving (even though he's saved Spock from the brothel his motives are decidedly selfish), and yet...he also has a heart of gold. He immediately starts introducing Spock to a larger world and sets about improving Spock's self-image. I thought the interaction between these two uniquely drawn characters made for very interesting reading.

1993

A beautiful and original mirror story. Though I usually prefer in this kind of story the opposite combination: mature Spock/young Kirk, this teenage story thrills me very much! It was wonderful to read how Kirk transformed a stubborn kid into an officer! Certainly one of my favorites.

I feel I definitely have been remiss in not commenting on this story earlier. It's one of my favorites, and I periodically dig it out of the pile to reread. "The Captain's Boy" is a teenage Spock, taken from a whorehouse by the mirror Kirk, and guided to maturity by him and other members of the ISS Enterprise crew. The author presents a different mirror universe than we're used to seeing. There is room for hunor, loyalty and love in this universe, although we still see hints of its darker side. I found the characterization of Spock as a shrugging, monosyllabic adolescent funny and touching by turns, even if I didn't recognize much of the Spock in the series in him. This author's strength is in her wonderful sense of dialogue, and she presents a mature, caring witty Kirk that is a delight! One example: Kirk has just made love to Storay (Spock) for the first time, and the boy is surprised to find he enjoyed it. Kirk rolled onto his side, took Storay in his arms, and smiled at the dumfounded look. "You put up a fierce resistance, kid, but it wasn't too much of a trial, was it?" "Huh?" "I understood, there are no words," Kirk said with a grin. "I told you I was dazzling...." A memorable story with a different twist.

2000

It is difficult for me to enjoy many of this author’s works, but she occasionally comes up with a compelling story I can’t forget. This is an alternate universe tale and maybe that’s why I can accept the characterizations, and also perhaps gives a hint as to why much of her other stories don’t work for me—they should by alternate universe!

Here a Captain Kirk who’s a cross between our universe’s captain and the mirror universe’s buys a young Vulcan from a brothel. The difference in ages is something I like; it’s a variation that’s not explored too much in K/S. But here Spock is perhaps 19 and Kirk is in his thirties. Kirk frankly purchases the boy for sex, which “Stormy” (he doesn’t get the name Spock until much later) is perfectly prepared to offer, but Kirk also wants more from the boy. He wants a spark of interest, enthusiasm for life, and because of Stormy’s extremely limited upbringing, that’s difficult to provide. In the beginning. But Kirk soon teaches him—basically how to live. He even brings the youth to the Enterprise. This is a very interesting, sparsely written story, very different from what we are accustomed to reading. Perhaps because the sex is extremely matter of fact, it is all the more erotic for that, though it plays a very small role in the story.

This story always has me scratching my head, wondering why a tale of such small substance should work, but it does.

2003

A sullen, teenaged prostitute with pointed ears named Stormy Rastov catches the eye of Empire starship captain James Kirk and so starts this tale of blackmail and redemption. I’m not quite sure who these characters are, but they are thoroughly appealing. Smooth and clever writing. One of my favorites.

2007

You want something completely different? I have discussed the story “The Captain’s Boy” by Patricia Laurie Stephens in Otherwhere/Otherwhen 1 about fifty times, often with the same friend who is as intrigued by this story as I am. The three Otherwhere/Otherwhen zines from Pon Farr Press are filled with alternate universe stories (AU), quite similar to the Scattered Stars series from Merry Men Press. In “The Captain’s Boy” we are presented with a casual AU Kirk who becomes intrigued with a young Vulcan male prostitute, Stormy by name, who of course we know is standing in for our beloved Spock, but presented in a totally different way, that is for sure. The sex between the mature captain and the teen-aged, smart-mouthed, defensive Vulcan is quick and anything but romantic or significant, but the relationship that grows between the two is compelling in the very oddest way. Take a look at it, I bet you’ll agree.

2010

Once upon a time in a slightly AU mirror universe, the boy Kirk was rescued from an unsavory existence and offered the chance to build a future for himself. This is the story of Jim Kirk‘s pay-it-forward. He didn‘t know he was going to find his chance to repay his mentor. He thought he was starting his first Earth shore leave in a long time. He thought he was doing to have a restorative leave stripping away the last unpleasant memories of an increasingly unpleasant relationship with Marlena Moreau. But when he and McCoy, shadowed by Farrell and another guard, entered the Golden Gates of Pleasure House, he couldn‘t take his eyes off a kid slouched in an armchair, sipping a beer and toking up while watching holo-vid cartoons. Kirk decided on the spot that what he needed was a boy, a cabin boy. After his buddy McCoy swept the kid with his sensor and declared, i.e. lied, that the kid had a raging case of the clap, Kirk got his wish, permanent possession of Stormy Rostov.

Stormy was born to a dead mother at the Little Angels Orphanage and Home for Unwed Mothers, sold to a well-known pederast-pimp named Rostov before he was a year old and delivered, ready to go to work, at the ripe old age of four. Stormy is still a kid, almost too old to be in a pederast stable but nevertheless, Rostov‘s big moneymaker. Exotics are always in demand. He can‘t read, can‘t write, has only vague memories of ever having been outside and has generally turned off to all the unpleasantness around him. When McCoy realizes Kirk has decided to make Stormy a project, he warns that Stormy may be too broken to ever be anything but a bed boy. Jim Kirk in any universe is a very determined guy. In the meat of the story, he starts the process of helping Stormy find something he can take pride in. He puts Stormy in nice clothes, starts him on a daily routine, lays out a physical training program for him, teaches him that sex can be pleasurable and exposes him to aspects of the better side of life, like fine dining and Broadway- esque shows, figuring that it will be easier to reach Stormy through the physical. He‘ll tackle the intellectual later. Later comes a few days into shoreleave when Stormy realizes that Jim Kirk really means to take Stormy with him aboard his ship, the Enterprise. The kid fiercely grabs his chance and Spock of Vulcan is born, conjured by his friends and teachers, the Enterprise‘s familiar command crew, and a little blackmail deftly executed by Kirk and McCoy. Many years later Commander Spock, First Officer and Science Officer of the ISS Enterprise and longtime lover of her Captain, will choose a ragged, uncivilized kid he names Saavik as his pay-it-forward.

If you‘ve read reviews of Patricia Laurie Stephens‘ work, you know that the community reaction has been a mixed bag. There don‘t seem to be many ambivalent opinions. Don‘t think that‘s because of the writing, the characterizations or the detail that makes a story real. It‘s not. It‘s just that the stories tend to be a little dark and off-the-beaten path. After you‘ve read two or three, you‘ll recognize another before noticing the author‘s name. I, for one, have enjoyed them very much. If you‘re an old hand or interested in investigating something new, check out The Captain‘s Boy. You might also consider (re)reading The Hovering in The 25th Year or The Queen of Bangkok in Counterpoint 8...