To Love the Game

Fanfiction
Title:	To Love the Game
Author(s):	Brianna Falken
Date(s):	1994
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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To Love the Game is a Kirk/Spock story by Brianna Falken.

It was published in the print zine Within the Mirror #9.

Summary

"Kirk is abducted and given a drug to force sexual submission, threatening Spockʼs dream of their becoming lovers as their counterparts are."

art in the zine by Chris Soto

art in the zine by Terri Rett

Reactions and Reviews

1994

Falken's "To Love the Game" is 34 pages concerning a trip to Mekkos and a plot to kill Kirk. There is some wonderful language in this. My favorite is the fourth paragraph on page 55. I reread that several times. Also, I liked how the characters were all given some detail so they become more than cardboard plot devices.

I did think there were far too many plots strung together. This story should have been a novella. (I can hear Brianna screaming "NO" right now.) I think the resolution happens far too quickly. One paragraph in the final pages starts with Kirk saying he'll kill Spock (yes, I know he didn't mean it) and ends with him admitting he needs Spock. And to nit - pick, I don't care for Scotty's using "ye". It seemed phony to me. Dialects are hard to write. This story is based on accepted plot lines/ characterizations and, also, adds several new twists to both. Some of the twists are really different.

Falken may be a new writer, but the only way you can tell it is by knowing it. Her story is as good as the three established writers' ones. I hope to read more from her.

An involving mirror story concerning Spock's and Kirk's growing realization of their love for each other interwoven with a nice, interesting plot of kidnap and mayhem. Even though this is only Ms. Falken's second story, it's superior enough to merit a more in-depth look.

Done with the use of flashbacks (with timelines that only occasionally get a little confusing) we watch Spock touch an inebriated Kirk's mind to discover a terrible incident in the captain's past. The memory sequence reveals what happened to Kirk that helped shape his sexual and emotional attitudes. This is an excellent idea, the only problem was the manner in which it was told. Spock is "reading" Kirk's mind so the scene should be played from Kirk's memory. Instead, it's told by an omniscient narrator and interrupted unnecessarily as Spock reflects on it. Wenever get "inside" Kirk's, head which lessened the dramatic impact and even though I understood it was Kirk's memory, I was unsure where it was from. Done from Kirk's eyes, it would have been immediate and visceral, which it needs to be as a pivotal event in Kirk's development and powerful enough for Spock to respond to.

This is a finely drawn mirror Spock- complete with the torture of his unrequited love for Kirk. The characterization of Kirk was a little too much telling about him, something which happened throughout the story.

Excellent shipboard technology, done smoothly and believably. I just loved all the neat stuff about "microinterstators", "containment field" and "energy dampening resonator". There's also a very exciting visual moment when Spock goes to beam down to find Kirk: "Grabbing the assault rifle handed him as soon as he walked through the door. Spock stepped up onto a pad and ordered immediate beamdown.'

The following events include a lovely, poignant scene as Spock encounters his dying comrades, an aphrodisiac, a revenge kidnapping, a rescue and a drug induced Pon Farr that are all inventive, exciting and nicely realized.

There were a number of times of "telling not showing", a common beginner's mistake that I am highly familiar with! Hey, I've done it so many times. I know it when I see it! A good example occurs in the long paragraph at the bottom of page 71, where Kirk muses about his background. Instead of his own thoughts or feelings, it's the narrator telling us about it-One small question: how did Spock kill Lambiere?

Near the end. Kirk and Spock's misunderstanding following their liaison was not given enough build-up or reason behind it to be believable-Especially lacking in believability is that this unspoken conflict continued for a least a month. After how carefully the author established that Kirk and Spock achieved a certain connection and understanding, it's difficult to imagine neither would say anything to the other or that Kirk would only make sarcastic comments and that Spock would say nothing.

Still, truly a very good work not only for a seasoned writer, but doubly so for a brand new one. And what a neat ending as Spock secretly listens in on Kirk's thoughts.

This is the second story this author has written? Wow, I can't wait for the third!

A lot happens in this thirty - six page story, and I was impressed by the fast - pace and intensity of the writing. Not hard to figure out who the author's favorite character is, either. Not with Kirk's "burnished head", 'stubborn jaw", "coveted mouth" and "intoxicating kisses". And that was only in one paragraph! I usually prefer a more vulnerable Spock than what this author portrays, but I'll admit that the character was very accurately drawn and completely consistent with the usual Mirror interpretation. Not to mention being PDS, (Pretty Damn Sexy)!

Among the many details I enjoyed: Spock's language was right on. I heard him perfectly in my head throughout the story. Especially good was his comment to Sulu when he comes to the transporter room to view Kirk's beam down and bait him about his "Vulcan shadow": "Mr Sulu, there is an ancient terran proverb. If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out. I suggest it might behoove you to guard your tongue in future, lest it offend me. Do I make myself clear?" Oh, my. I got chills over that one.

I did question why Sulu went to the transporter room in the first place, or why he would chance antagonizing Kirk for no apparent reason when his enemies had been known to disappear suddenly.

Another marvelous detail: in this universe even the tribbles are carnivorous! Loved how Spock could no longer deny his previously "nebulous and undefined" feelings for Kirk when he sees our Kirk and Spock make tender love with each other in the meld with McCoy. Nice reference to the episode without retelling the whole story. Or how about when a worried Soock beams down in search for his captain and still automatically identifies and categories of local flora with its scientific genus? So Spockian.

Hmm... Guess my favorite character is no secret either.

Lots of sex. some of it rather... umm ... aggressive to say the least. Some lovely language. Yes, also some telling instead of showing, and a couple of glitches such as how Uhura managed to get back on board from the freighter when she couldn't communicate with the ship, and the use of "proton torpedoes" (a typo?) but all in all, a very enjoyable and satisfying story.

I love the title. Good language, economy and clarity, yet rich and expressive. Needs some punctuation work though. Also, there were two places where scene breaks were needed because of sudden changes in locale; or else let us actually walk with the characters to the next place.

A very imaginative story. I think the elements were all woven together well, and the pacing was right. It moved along, but without sacrificing introspection.

However, there was some amount of exposition that felt somewhat stuck-in. Sometimes it fit in seamlessly, some bit about Kirk's past or about how he feels, but other times it fejj like plain old exposition and interrupted the action, or made us feel outside the story.

We get lots of great Mirror history, too; I love stories like this.

A really tough Mirror-Kirk is having "perverse" thoughts about his first officer, Spock is having the same thoughts, but he doesn't call them perverse.

Spock recalls the mirror-episode events as we know them. Excellent! In the meld with McCoy, M-Spock had seen a beautiful loving scene between Kirk and Spock, which McCoy had accidentally witnessed. So, he now finds a name for his own feelings: love. In another memory, Spock thinks about having witnessed Kirk raving against "fucking fags," and so he thinks he has absolutely no chance with Kirk. Kirk's homophobia is an ambitious premise that I think was handled convincingly enough. Mirror characters lend themselves to interesting premises and scenarios, and I think the author took full advantage of this. II also liked when she just killed certain people off with very little to-do.)

Spock also recalls an almost accidental mind-meld where he saw Kirk's experience on Tarsus 4 as a young man, ultimately being taken to Kolios as a sex slave. No wonder....

Back to the present. Kirk goes on shore leave without Spock and gets kidnapped! Marlena is behind it! And her brother Brax, in revenge for their sister being killed in an attack on their colony by the Enterprise. Marlena had been undercover when aboard the Enterprise, to learn Kirk's fears.

An appropriately disgusting scene of Kirk being forced to watch a drugged Bob Wesley, his good friend, beg the disgusting Brax for sex. Wesley is a sympathetic character, to make us feel even worse for what's happening to him.

Spock to the rescue just in time! Except that Kirk is already drugged. Oh no! I was glad the author didn't have Kirk go through what Bob Wesley did, although we, and he, had every reason to believe he would have to. The rescue was all the more a surprise, coming just before I might have thought it would.

So Spock has to see the drugged Kirk through his gargantuan need. Lots of wonderful sex but followed by serious misunderstandings—each thinking the other might not be genuine in his desire. Especially when Kirk thinks Spock wouldn't have wanted to be sexual with him without taking a "pon farr" drug, Kirk puts up the walls again, is extremely nasty to Spock. After the great sex, the angst and the painful misunderstandings really have impact.

Spock resigns. Great scene! At the last minute, Kirk tries to prevent him from beaming down and out of his life. A wonderful physical fight—well donel Finally, struggling turns to embracing.... Kirk's pride and arrogance stripped away.

In bed later. I love the sweet scene where Kirk thinks it's a secret that he loves to be fucked. Spock smiles to himself and thinks: I must teach him how to shield better. Darling! I love it.

Great story. Intriguing, strong, rough, and finally, finding love in all the madness.

1995

This is in absorbing story, with a good plot, strong characterizations and plenty of intrigue. The story moves along at a fast clip, no boring parts here. Mirror Spock secretly is in love with his captain -- and hopelessly. This Mirror Kirk, it seems, can't return that move. In an accidental meld, Spock finds out the reason why Kirk feels so abhorrent towards male to male sex .also why Kirk 'eels a certain loyalty towards McCoy. This abhorrence stems from a terrible incident in Kirk's boyhood. Meanwhile someone is out for revenge on Kirk. There is suspense as he is kidnapped, drugged and...a last minute rescue keeps us holding our breath. But this is not the end. The drug, it turns out, causes a very dangerous reaction in Humans. How Spock finds a way to cure Kirk of the drug's effects and how Kirk comes to grips with his feelings about same sex-and his feelings for Spock are well done. A very good story.

2009

In the harsh Mirror universe, Spock knows he is the only being his Captain has allowed himself to trust. But Spock also knows that his captain, traumatized at an early age by his rape on Tarsus, could never return the love of a man. Until a vindictive Marlena kidnaps the Captains and subjects him to a lethal drug that causes a craving to be fucked. The premise could seem silly, but was handled very realistically. Nice backstory that enhanced the emotional impact of the story. Great depiction of the Mirror universe and characters, showcasing the differences between these Kirk and Spock and the ones we know. Scorching hot.