Time Enough Tomorrow

Fanfiction
Title:	Time Enough Tomorrow
Author(s):	Sue Denim
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Time Enough Tomorrow is a Kirk/Spock story by Sue Denim.

It was published in the print zine Against All Odds.

Summary

"A/U: While trapped in 20th century Earth, Kirk marries, settles in Hoboken and becomes an advertising agent."

Reactions and Review

Spock goes with McCoy to retrieve Kirk from Earth's past. For them it's only been a little over 2 weeks, but they discover that for Kirk it's been 13 years. This is circa 1990s and Kirk has married and has 3 kids. This premise might have been an interesting one, had it not been handled so strangely here.

First of all, this is a Kirk who is unlike any Kirk I've ever seen or read. While allowing for individual author interpretation, it is mentioned by various characters that Kirk would never have chosen this for himself.

And what a life he's chosen! He's an ad executive in New Jersey and is quite contented and happy.

Of course. I couldn't help but remember all the incidents where Kirk would fight to his last breath to get back to Spock and the Enterprise, but this natural born leader of men decides to set up house in the past. I find out that he'd been stranded with no means of support, no I.D., no money, but gee, you'd think as a person from the future and bearer of loads of knowledge that he'd work for NASA or maybe IBM? Or astronomy?

Kirk continues to insist that "I met a woman who loves me, and who's given me three beautiful children. I don't regret anything I've done while making a life for myself." On top of this. Kirk doesn't know if he wants to return to his own time. And on top of that he had been bonded to Spock prior to his coming to this time period. But this is a trustworthy and loyal Kirk, who despite the fact that Spock will probably die without him, cant leave the woman who loves him and the kids who need their dad.

Kirk continues through most of the story to argue his ever returning and even though he and Spock were bondmates, it didn't seem to be any big deal. I guess Spock would get over it. I started feeling that maybe this Kirk should stay there. It felt as if the author doesn't particularly care for these characters or has a vastly different interpretation that I do. which is fine, but I found it difficult to accept.

Then, they fuck in the living room of Kirk's house in the "burbs. I found this to be one of the most unsexiest scenes I've just about ever read. It wasn't that it was poorly written or particularly graphic, although what was explicit began to disturb me. In fact the whole scene disturbed me. First, because of the lack of emotional connection between them, it was like reading about two brothers having sex. Second, because of the location and Kirk family man status made this borderline distasteful.

When I read about Spock's "cock erupting like a volcano" and Kirk "murmured excitedly, presenting [unclear words] I kept thinking that they shouldn't be doing this [unclear words] announces that "...it changes nothing." and the phone [unclear words].

Then Kirk and McCoy go shopping at a local supermarket and what a scene it is as our intrepid captain puts groceries into the trunk of his car.

Later, Spock tells McCoy about he and Kirk did in the living room and defines it as "reaffirmed our bond." Oh please.

Also later. Kirk is at the office: "He sighed, looking around the office and the desk he occupied. It wasn't a starship. but it was comfortable and the people were friendly." Well, that certainly explains it.

And Mrs. Kirk is most upset over the revelation that maybe ner husband is bi-sexual. Not, mind you, that he came from the future or that he might be leaving. He slept with a man, for goodness sake. Although again, perhaps this is a matter of character interpretation.

I'd like to know how. when everyone keeps saying over and over that this is not the kind of life that Kirk would choose, did he choose it? I realize they keep talking about how much Kirk endured, how long he waited (which, by the way, was only 3 years out of the 13). and how agonized he was over everything, but to completely abandon his life and everything he ever knew to become an ad man and settle down...

Which leads me to one last point. Is this the love that spans time and universe? Is this the love that conquers worlds and vanquishes enemies? Is this the love that nothing in the galaxy can come before?

I think overall it was the tone of this story that bothered me the most. I never want to presume to tell anyone what or how to write anything anything, let alone K/S. But when the feeling is so far out of left field, it's hard to see past that.