The Gift (Star Trek: TOS story by Gail Lee)

For articles with a similar title, see The Gift.

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	The Gift
Author(s):	Gail Lee
Date(s):	1983
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
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The Gift is a Kirk/Spock story by Gail Lee.

It was published in the print zine T'hy'la #3.

Summary

"A/U: Spock allows the human he won in battle to escape, only to find Kirk returned to him as a mind-wiped pleasure slave."

Reactions and Reviews

My main reason for including this story in my LoC's is that it is an example of how an effective story can be spoiled by a contrived, manipulative ending. This is an A/U slave story with Spock as the master. However, Kirk attempts suicide rather than continue in further enslavement. As a result, Spock decides to let him go into freedom, unfortunately, unknown to Spock, someone intercepts Kirk on his journey to freedom and brainwashes him into a mindless sex-slave. In this condition, he is returned to Spock as a "gift." Spock does a meld and lifts the brainwashing, discovering that Kirk had been severely abused in the brainwashing process. Spock also discovers that Sarek was involved. The story is fine, so far, a compelling situation. Spock's best-laid plans and his letting go of a man he has come to love had been completely for naught — Kirk is back in the originally untenable situation of being a slave. However, instead of digging herself out of this hole, the author decided that the whole thing had been a set-up by Sarek to get the two together; Sarek's intentions were really honorable. This sort of manipulation by someone in the background to get K & S together is unfortunately VERY common in K/S writing. It falls flat, it doesn't work 99.999% of the time. In this story, Sarek really puts poor Kirk through the wringer and then some (severe sexual abuse and mind-wiping) in order to get him together with Spock — but of course the end justifies the means. This is highly unethical behavior on Sarek's part, and to see this presented with the author's approval was disquieting, to say the least.

One of the number of master/slave stories in this zine. This was written really well. An excellent set-up/introduction to let us know the situation in the Vulcan Empire and where Spock stands. The society and the galactic political situation were all vividly drawn, as were Sarek and Amanda, and of course Kirk and Spock.

Spock had come to truly love his slave Kirk. The flashback scenes to when he had first captured Kirk (a helmsman on a captured ship) were wonderful. Spock had found himself pathetically weakened before the compelling Kirk, not falling automatically into his master role. So he kept Kirk for himself and set out to use him to continue his mastery over his emotions. Of course it didnt work.

Good stuff—how Kirk's submission to his enslavement made Spock feel the victory was Kirk's, not his. Lots of intense, powerful, scenes; an especially erotic scene in the bath, Spock fighting his desire then giving in then having to discipline Kirk for making him give in.

There is some physical punishment, etc.. but though it can be shocking, it doesnt feel gratuitous or over-the-top, because basically Spock knows Kirk really has the upper hand—Kirk has his heart—and anyway Kirk fights back sometimes too. He also wants to be Spock's slave, though he fights this within himself. After decades of a fruitless animosity. Vulcan is going to make peace with humans; it's too costly to be enemies. So Spock lets Kirk escape; gives up his love for his love's freedom.

Which would be an excellent story in itself. But there's more, and it's really good. Later, Kirk is returned to Spock as a mind-controlled, fully-trained sex slave. The sacrifice of their love for Kirk's freedom had been in vain. Oh, tragedy. But a meld restores Kirk's sanity and now they love freely.

We learn it was Sarek who had turned Kirk into a mindless whore. He did this on purpose, to force Spock to own his feelings and bring them back together. Except, although it's so well written, we are then told a long thing after the fact, of how Sarek and Amanda had done what they did (and in relation to their own love story). The problem is, that's where the story ends, in Sarek and Amanda's reminiscences, rather than with Kirk and Spock But, a powerful story.

Spock is on Vulcan in this A/U story and is at dramatic odds with his heritage. This Vulcan empire is a society of warriors, slaves, and men having many wives, combined with some technological advances including space travel and conflict. Wonderfully strong and dark Spock, filled with moody contemplations and a growing awareness of his unwanted attraction to Kirk , the slave. Really neat touch as Spock sees Kirk as an alien, instead of the other way around. Kirk's character is less successful, remaining undefined and mildly resistant to being the slave.