Timelines (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Timelines
Author(s):	A.T. Bush
Date(s):	1989
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Timelines is a Kirk/Spock story by A.T. Bush. In it, Kirk timetravels to Ancient Vulcan.

It was published in the print zine T'hy'la #8.

Excerpt

"Damnit, Bones, it’s been too long.” Kirk whirled toward his companion, thrusting the tricorder toward him. “I’m telling you something has gone wrong. I've scanned these readings three times. Vulcan history has changed.”

“I didn’t say it hadn’t changed, Jim. I just said, give Spock a little more time.”

Kirk stalked directly in front of the grey stone-metal archway where fast-paced images flickered across the portal. That same opening had swallowed Spock. “Guardian?” Kirk called, command tone ringing in the eerie quiet. “Guardian, return the traveler now!”

‘THE TRAVELLOR CANNOT RETURN,” the Guardian intoned..."

Reactions and Reviews

1990

Ms. Bush has written an exciting story, full of real plot and a lot of good sex. I enjoyed just about everything about this story, including the fact that different time spans had passed for K & S, leaving poor Spock alone for almost four years. I also liked Kirk's fascination with Spock's long hair — it sounds pretty sexy to me too! This was just a fun, interesting story of two lovers and their struggle to survive in an unfamiliar time and place. Good reading.

This is a prereform Vulcan novella. But Spock remains true to character, being a follower of Surak. He doesn't get turned into an enslaving, possessive fannish distortion. Kirk is also in character, retaining his love of freedom as well as his understanding for his beloved bondmate. The love scenes were truly sweet and gentle.

"Timelines" - One of these days I hope to uncover A. T. Bush's secret at writing multitudes of sex scenes, and still managing to keep them fresh and highly erotic. In this particular novella, what amazed me most was that despite the pages and pages of wonderful sex, there was still a solid plot that had nothing to do with the relationship. I am just amazed. I liked this novella very much. It moved right along, held my interest, and didn't leave me feeling the disbelief that I often do when reading time travel stories. And, even with all that, it stijl maintained that wonderful innocence in the characters that I admire this author most for. This really made the zine.

My favorite story in the zine was "Timelines" by A. T. Bush. This story had a lot going for it. It was long enough to really get into, it had a real plot, and it had lots of good sex. What more could you want? I like pre-reform warrior stories, and although this one didn't quite fit that criteria it was close enough. Poor Spock, stuck back in time for almost four years without Kirk. But their reunion was fun to read.

2000

This is a novella that I pull out when I need to read something relaxing and upbeat. Everybody knows that I have a decided preference for Bush’s work anyway, and I usually think of Timelines as her longest and possibly her best work.

The scene opens with Kirk pacing worriedly in front of the Guardian of Forever. Bones listens to him fretting: Spock has jumped through, alone, to investigate the “lost” years of Surak on ancient Vulcan. But Kirk feels strongly that something has gone wrong, even though it has only been minutes since Spock left the eerie planet. He can barely perceive the bond that connects him and Spock, but something is not right. So the captain decides to go after his bondmate, but only after McCoy has provided him with the requisite desert robes and headdress, as well as a shot of something to make his skin look greenish!

Kirk jumps and finds himself in a barbarically splendid room, guarded by a long-extinct Vulcan “leopard.” The leopard prevents him from leaving the room, but soon someone arrives, forcing Kirk to take refuge behind a garish hanging tapestry. He peeks out, sees what he believes to be a Vulcan female, and moves to subdue her, thinking to question her to get news of Spock.

To his surprise, the “woman” turns out to be his lost bondmate, but Spock is strangely altered. His hair is crimped and waist-length, his body beautifully developed with musculature. But he definitely remembers Kirk! To Kirk the time that has passed has been minutes, to Spock it has been almost four long, desperate, and lonely years.

That’s what takes place in only the first few pages, there’s plenty more of sex, description of ancient Vulcan, sex, an interesting plot, sex, original characters, and did I mention sex? Poor Spock has been deprived for so many years, and he has spent many yearning yet celibate hours longing for his bondmate. He and Kirk make up for lost time!

Seriously, I don’t know anybody else who can write so many sex scenes in succession that are still...shall we say interesting? One after the other, each of them credible, woven into the plot. (At one point Kirk gets lugged out of the ancient castle wrapped up in a rug!) The two of them are trapped in time, the Guardian will not respond to them until something, they know not what, takes place.

Kathy Resch keeps all her T’hy’la zines in print, this zine is worth buying for this story alone. It’s one of those that has stuck with me for years.

2004

One of A.T. Bush's longer, and therefore rarer stories. I reread this one regularly. Spock goes back in time to Vulcan's past on a Starfleet-authorized mission, but he doesn't come back on schedule and Kirk grows uneasy. The bond between him and Spock says that something is wrong, and so, against McCoy's advice, he goes back to find his lover. It seems that what has been literally hours to Kirk and McCoy has been four long years to Spock, who has needed, perforce, to make a life for himself in this primitive Vulcan of his forebears, when Surak is still a young man beginning to formulate the ideas that will transform Vulcan. But nothing has been changed yet.

The author is well lauded for managing to write really hot, innovative sex scenes in her many stories under many names, and I for one would love to know her secret! Here she does a great job of conveying Spock's desperation, not just for sex, but for his lover. Imagine being separated for four long years from the person you love above all else, the person who fulfills you and has taught you about the joy of life. That's the situation that Spock has been in. Kirk responds to his need and we get to look in on their reunion. Terrific!