Speed of Light (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Speed of Light
Author(s):	Alexis Fegan Black/Carlin Rae Thorne
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	AO3 (unarchived)
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Speed of Light is a Kirk/Spock story by Alexis Fegan Black.

It was published in Speed of Light... & other K/S stories and Naked Times #12.

Reactions and Reviews

1987

SPEED OF LIGHT by Carlin Rae Thorne is a "hypothetical" story in that it alters the "physics" set forth in ST as a whole. This story is tightly-written, and contains a love scene (which Kirk views on a tape!) between Spock and a female companion. Normally, I detest sexual interludes between anyone other than Kirk and Spock in my K/S zines, but I found this believable, necessary to the plot and erotic to boot. I am not aware of any other works by this author, but I'm hoping to read more by her in the future. SOL contains some thought-provoking ideas and left me warm and satisfied inside.

1988

SPEED OF LIGHT: Kirk inadvertently discovers that Spock has spent at least one shore leave doing something besides visiting museums and attending scientific seminars. There is some interesting speculation concerning life at warp speeds, and its effect on personal relationships. A good argument here (if anyone still doubts it) for the inescapable (ahem!) logic of the K/S premise.

1994

McCoy finds a vid tape of Spock with a woman in a hotel room during shore leave. The doctor gives it to Kirk who watches it and this sets off the initiation of K and S's relationship.

Kirk's anxious ruminations about Spock's sex life are priceless. I loved his questioning Spock's pure virginity and his accompanying guilt at invading the Vulcan's privacy.

In the scene with the woman in the hotel room, very little hot sex was had by all, instead they shared some wonderfully moving and poignant dialogue. The woman is very caring and gentle and quite in love with Spock but just glad to have him for the brief time.

Here's an opposite to my personal vision- a strong, in-command Kirk and an innocent, willing-to-be-led Spock.

But done so realistically and so well, that I accepted it.

One tiny nit-pick: a too constant affectation of Kirk biting his lower lip.

Woven within this story is an unsettling, but thoroughly unique premise of time distortion during warp travel in space. So they become "prisoners" of the space/time continuum and "neither could seek a permanent relationship with planet-bound friends". "...both prisoners of the speed of light, servants of it, slaves to it." This is a fascinating concept, one that in a way gave them immortality and somehow eased the pain of friends' deaths by the ultimate healing of time.

Here's a particularly beautiful passage, when K and S literally decide to make love and they mind meld with results that are lyrical and romantic: "The human's thoughts were of rivers and long-masted sailing ships, of tall trees reaching high into a full-moon-night sky. The human's thoughts were of love, and they filled Spock with it as well, engulfing him until he wondered if either of them would survive this first needful joining."

So well written in AFB's own inimitable way. Rich with feeling and deep understanding of Spock's psyche.

1998

I enjoyed this story. I hate the thought that the premise could be true, as I want to think that a United Federation of Planets will someday be possible. However, that said, I think it is an intriguing premise for a story. I did wonder why T'Pring didn't age and how the Federation could have any relevance if it didn't respond to crises in less than a decade, though. I liked seeing Spock as a considerate lover even in a one-night stand and was pleased that prostitution didn't enter this story. It was entertaining to see Kirk jealous of Spock and taking a bit of time to realize that it was really wanting Spock. Another fun scene - when Kirk and Spock kiss and Spock had to perform "a quick mental check" to see that "his physical body was still straining, wanting; only his mind had achieved the ultimate fulfillment." This is great, just thinking that the mental contact could be so powerful makes me think strongly about the wonders of all things Vulcan. This story served as the introductory story to The Speed of Light and other K/S stories. It pulled me nicely into the world of K/S and helped keep me there til I finished the whole zine several hours later.

1999

It starts with the confiscation of an illegal surveillance tape made in a shore leave hotel. Part of a widespread illicit operation dealing in "entertainment tapes" in which the actors are not aware they are performing for an audience. One of these tapes is turned over to the Captain of the Enterprise by a by a conscientious hotel manager. It is Kirk's obligation to warn the crewmember of such monitors. It's the identity of the crewmember that causes the problem. It's Spock! Try as he might to resist the temptation, Kirk finally watches the tape.

Recognition that Spock is a sexual creature -- and obviously a very sensitive and caring one -- leaves Kirk in a quandary of emotions. Envy being number one. There evolves an unpretentious yet revealing conversation. And other things evolve, too, in a nicely-told story.