#spock vegas

[di-girls-dem-sugar]

Watching Star Trek 2009 rn and spirk has got to be the greatest love story every told oh my fucking god

[object-yaoi]

SOME BUTTONS I THINK ARCADE WOULD LIKE

(from my favorite website buttonmuseum.org)

[spock-in-awe]

Star Trek Las Vegas 2023

It's been almost a week and I finally typed up my convention experience! I'm not going to go into the 2600+ word level detail but there are certain moments I really want to share. I'm wholly hyperfixating on Ethan, so I'm sorry I didn't get more of Anson's thoughts and comments!

I talked with Anson Mount once and Ethan Peck twice. Both of them are extremely kind! I told Anson that Hell on Wheels is one of my all-time favorite shows and finding out he was involved with "a certain show we can't name" made me so happy. He kind of did an eyebrow thing and said, "You can talk about the show," and I laughed. Obviously, I'm not the one on strike!

With Ethan, I showed him a Spock playing cello piece of fanart, and told him I also play cello. We talked about that for a little bit. My second time meeting him, I asked a question I had intended for his panel with Anson: what is a moment you might have spontaneously erupted into song that you're comfortable sharing? He replied very quickly that it would probably be a situation where he's ribbing his friends.

Random things from Anson and Ethan's panel on 8/6/23

-Ethan was all over the place as a child. His father gave him a rock that said "focus."

-Ethan claimed he only learned to act "like five years ago."

-When Anson gave Ethan compliments, Ethan thanked him and hugged him. When Ethan gave Anson compliments, he mentioned SNW by name and heavily regretted his lapse in the strike protocol.

-In response to a fan question, Ethan said "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is his favorite musical.

-In response to a fan question, Anson said he eats "whatever the fuck I want." Ethan added pretty much the same, but he really likes candy.

The next two I wrote down verbatim from my videos.

A fan asked about what they hope would remain after losing their memories.

Ethan: So the question is… you lose your memories, so what are you? (Pause). Huh. (Fan apologizes). No, that’s a great question! So, we all experience ourselves experiencing, right. There’s no singular awareness, there’s almost two. There’s the thing, the construct that interacts with the world, Ethan, for instance. And then there’s something in my that experiences Ethan experience. So maybe that other perspective, that awareness deep inside that seems to observe Ethan experiencing, that might be what’s left. And would hopefully be amused and continue to be thrilled, and surprised by the things that happen, right. I think it’s a wonderful goal to be present in the moment, so maybe it would be something like that.

A fan asked about organizations they're part of.

Ethan: …And they are working to restore the California wetlands, which is a very important agricultural space and um, you know, I’m still working to become better educated on how exactly they do it, but they work with an enormous team of biologists, and a lot of water has been pumped out of these natural aquifers in California. And it has compressed the soil so when it rains, they call it a hard pan, the water just runs off and there are floods and then droughts. So they are working to restore those underground water vaults, essentially. It’s an amazing organization. River Partners.org. Hopefully I’ll be working more formally with them upcoming. I think it’s just a really– you know, I’m a California, my father is, my grandfather (people cheer) (Ethan makes a laughing “chaaa” sound) I guess it’s something to applaud. I love California. It’s affecting my immediate geography and my home. And they’re working really intelligently to fix this problem which has major effects. You now, there’s a lot of produce that comes out of California to the rest of the country, a lot of water that comes from California to other parts of the country as well. So, check it out. Furthermore, I’m hoping to work more with JPL actually, Jet Propulsion Laboratories, in Pasadena. Because I want to, if I can, help spread interest in rational thinking (laughs). (can’t understand). And it’s a natural fit, you can use your imagination as to why.

Random things from Zachary and Ethan's panel on 8/6/23

Both Zachary and Ethan seemed absolutely thrilled to be on stage together.

According to Ethan, they hadn't ever met in person, and had spoken only briefly. Ethan said, "This is tripping me out."

Zachary talked about losing his father at a young age. Ethan shared feeling emotionally unsafe in certain circumstances as a child, and how he felt the need to intellectualize or tamp down those vulnerable emotions. Zachary said, "Similar!" Both referenced doing a lot of work (Zachary specifically said therapy), to counter these tendencies.

Zachary asked Ethan if he's done any stage work. Ethan confessed to being terrified of live audiences, which elicited a chuckle from the audience. Ethan added that because of this fear, he should probably do it.

One fan in line to ask a question ended up getting a free photo op with the two of them because she said she couldn't afford it!

That same fan asked about their hobbies. Zachary talked about plants and how he not only wants to keep them alive now, but propagate them.

Ethan: I started sailing lessons this year.

Zachary: That tops plants.

Ethan: I don’t know about that, plants are incredible. I hope it’s (sailing) something I can do as I age.

Zachary: Were you nautical? 

Ethan: No (chuckles). Not at all.

Zachary: Any interest or exposure to that before?

Ethan: No, not really. I’d been sailing once or twice but it’s funny, I kind of hate the beach. I don’t actually hate it. I hate sand, I hate sand being in my bed. That’s the main thing. It’s hard to avoid. I like looking at it from either the shore not in the sand, or on a boat.

Zachary said many positive things about the ST fandom. He also shared how important his relationship with Leonard Nimoy was. That Leonard passed the torch to him, and now he gets to pass it to Ethan.

IT WAS ALL AMAZING.

[averysexyleon]

five comfort characters, five tags

well well

Thank you @rosethorns-onyourskin for tagging meeeee

I'll try to go in order of "meeting" them?

Spock, TOS

Changed my life, that's all. I love him and everything that he inspired in me. Star Trek awakened in me something that only autists raised in poverty will understand. Even to this day I find myself drawn to the spock-like humans of the world. They complete me. I myself am nothing like them, (I'm a Jim/Bones mix) but we complement each other well.

Silus, Fallout:New Vegas as well as New Vegas itself

(I couldn't find a gif of Silus but Luke is the face claim I have for him when I write as him)

I was halfway done with 200 chapters of fucking fanfiction before I realized how drawn to this character I was. The same goes for Joshua Graham. Really New Vegas itself is my comfort. I still go to Goodsprings every chance I get. It's home to me. The world, the music, the lore, the people. But Silus holds a big piece of my heart because he's such an asshole, and so interesting a character. I love writing as him, I love painting him...he's great.

Leon S. Kennedy

Beat you motherfuckers to it. I was going hard on RE4 for the last two decades and named my child after Leon, six years ago. I've made it one of my life's goals to get inside this character's head and understand him better than anyone, and at this point I can tell you when someone on Capcom's team made a mistake. Leon and I are not a lot alike other than the hair fixation, but that may be one reason I like him so much. Like Spock, he's fascinating, an enigma that I made it my fucking business to understand.

Gomez Addams as portrayed by Raul Julia

Again this entire movie is the comfort, but I was always so comforted by the idea of Gomez. He's kind to his wife and children, he's active, he's creative, he's outspoken but has manners....really just a role model. He can be dangerous if he needs to, but he'd never start a fight unless someone he loved was threatened. He's a large presence, and theatrical, and romantic. He's everything I want to be and my nature is a lot closer to his than it is most comfort characters on this list. More than anybody I think Gomez is goals, for a family man.

Karl Heisenberg

At last we reach the only one on the list who I am actually a lot like LOL. Karl and I have a LOT in common, it feels so easy and natural to write from his point of view. Down to the mama issues and feeling like my childhood dignity was taken away from me, all the way to being a loud obnoxious character who attaches themselves very excitedly to people who may or may not reciprocate my excitement. (EETHUN!)

I understand all of his motives and interests and intrigues. My next tattoo is hopefully going to be the Heisenberg Horse on my hand.

Then I just gotta get the factory I guess.

anyone please do this I'm shit at tagging lol I don't know who I know who I've seen do this and not do this. CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED, EVERYONE.

[sxbaist]

|| smol starter call! Song: Lyfjaberg by Wardruna

     “Børa letnar, framom ventar tyngre veg,” she murmurs and it’s heavier than the crown she wears, all black tar and stark-white bone, sings it like a corrupted memory. Ought to have been sweet, at one time; perhaps the time that has passed, that has alluded her, has ripped the mirth from music as well. Gaze set in jade flickers back to @fasciinating, her enemy. Her saviour. Her Sa-te'kru.   

     “The burden lightens, but heavy is the trail ahead.”

[rafesgfs]

not his girlfriend

you’re not his girlfriend, but …

You're not his girlfriend, but you're the first person to listen to his ramblings. The first time he realizes, he notices he's been talking for too long without taking a breath, and you're still paying attention to what he's saying. Microbiology. You know nothing about the subject, asking him to clarify stuff while he talks. He's surprised because everyone always stops him.

You're not his girlfriend, but he knows your coffee orders. They're all disgustingly sweet, as the teams point out, but he knows what to get depending on the day. No matter how urgent the briefing is, he goes out of his way to stop at your favorite coffee shop. Every day, you're greeted with a fresh cup of coffee and a smile.

You're not his girlfriend, but he comforts you after emotionally hard cases. You often find yourself in his arms after wrapping up the cases, resting your head against his chest, allowing him to stroke your hair. He'll spend the flight next to you, his pinky resting on your arm as a way to ground you without the rest of the team exchanging glances.

You're not his girlfriend, but you don't leave his side when he gets shot on the field. You hold his hand as the paramedics carry him in the ambulance, and you only let go when they take him into surgery. He wakes with you by his side, his fingers immediately intertwining with yours before he's even fully awake. You smile and tell him he's an idiot for taking that bullet for you. He replies back with a smile and a, "Better for me to be injured than you."

You're not his girlfriend, but he makes sure you're paired up on cases. He goes to shooting practices to prove to Hotch he can be on the field with you, to prove that he can protect you. He does the stuff you don't want to, mostly readings you don't want to spend hours on or bagging up a used condom from the toilet.

You're not his girlfriend, but you go to every nerdy event with him. Whether it's a Spock convention or some nature documentary showing, you're there by his side. No longer does he find the seats next to him empty. Instead, when he looks over, he sees you and smiles, because now he's not alone.

You're not his girlfriend, but his mom thinks you are. When you spend a few days in Las Vegas for a case, you visit his mom with him, meeting her for the first time. She greets you, smiling coyly at her son, asking you if you like dating her son. He spends the next few minutes trying to convince her you're just friends. And the rest of the month trying to convince himself.

You're not his girlfriend, but he kills the man holding you hostage. He's the first to notice you gone, and he's the first to burst through the door, gun out. He doesn't bother talking to the unsub, doesn't bother descaling the situation, doesn't bother to wait for the rest of the team to enter before delivering a bullet through the man's head. He doesn't bother stepping over the body before he unties you and takes you in his arms.

You're not his girlfriend, but he covers you with a blanket when you fall asleep. He turns the TV off, placing a pillow under your head softly, making sure you don't wake up with a sore neck. He strokes your cheek with the back of his hand, longing in his eyes as he watches you breathe.

You're not his girlfriend, but he wishes you were.

[fencesandfrogs]

Screaming kicking crying stop tagging your fic TOS if it’s based on the new movies I haven’t seen them and I don’t care

[uss-spirk]

I’m still freaking out about Spock Prime’s TOS crew photo from Beyond

Yes, I know this is 8 years old at this point but my Autistic Brain decided to freak out about this again today for no reason at all so hear me out bc it drives me absolutely NUTS every time I think about it.

So basically, the circumstances required for Reboot Spock to find this photo in Spock Prime’s possessions after he died are absolutely wild. Let’s walk through it shall we:

First thing to remember is that this photo does not exist in the Kelvin timeline. At all. The characters all look different and even if they’re supposed to canonically grow up to look exactly the same as the TOS characters, Spock Prime went back in time from his own universe so the photo cannot exist in the Kelvin timeline, at least yet.

Second thing is that Spock Prime must have carried this photo on his person when he went back in time in the jellyfish ship.

This is because Nero captured Spock (and his ship) and stranded him on Delta Vega, presumably with nothing but the clothes on his back and whatever else he might happen to have been carrying in his pockets.

Also, he couldn’t have stored the photo on his ship to retrieve later because Reboot Spock blew it up to ignite the red matter and destroy Nero’s ship. So whatever Spock Prime brought with him from the Prime Universe must have been on his person when he was stranded on Delta Vega.

Now, when Spock first sees Reboot Kirk in the cave, he says the classic “I have been and always shall be your friend” along with “It is remarkably pleasing to see you again, old friend.”

If we take a peek at the timeline for a sec, Kirk Prime disappeared into the Nexus in Star Trek: Generations in the year 2293, when everyone presumably thought he died. Now, Kirk did reappear into ‘normal space/time’ in the year 2371 when the rest of Generations takes place, but only Picard really saw Kirk before he died for real—so basically, the last time Spock could have seen Kirk Prime was in 2293. In the Prime Universe, the Romulan star went supernova in 2387, which is when Spock Prime goes back and creates the Kelvin Timeline.

SO: all this means that it has been at least 94 years (2293-2387) since Spock Prime has seen a Kirk in any universe. THEREFORE: this means that Spock Prime was carrying THAT TOS CREW PHOTO on his person 94 years after the last time he had seen Kirk. Whether he had been carrying it on his person for the entirety of those 94 years, or just during his mission to try and save Romulus, or something in between is anyone’s guess. But basically, even almost a century later, Spock thought those people and that photo were important enough to take with him on his body when he was sent to save Romulus. (A mission that required extreme speed and efficiency, if I might add).

ANYWAY: the photo in Beyond is shown as a rather small, yet touching, moment of nostalgia for fans of the original Star Trek show, but when you really start to think about what was required for that photo to exist in Reboot Spock’s possession at that moment, it just starts to drive me a little bit absolutely bonkers.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Have a nice day.

[favvn]

The Conscience of the King + Mirror, Mirror

It's interesting to note that Bones is the link between these two scenes. Spock gives him the information about Tarsus IV since Jim refuses to speak of his past. In the Mirror Universe, Bones is with Jim when they learn that Mirror Kirk is responsible not only for killing his captain and destroying a whole planet but that this Kirk has killed 5,000 colonists on a planet named Vega IX. And to have the camera show Bones' reaction to Vega IX instead of Jim's response? What a way to recall The Conscience of the King and place the audience with Bones as they hear news of a massacre that chillingly parallels Tarsus IV.

Also, I used these scenes not just for the exposition but also because there's a delightful swapping of both the placement of Kirk's name in the scenes alongside the role reversal. In other words, in The Conscience of the King, the scene reveals that Jim Kirk is the survivor of a massacre, and it ends with the use of his name, albeit in its diminutive, nickname form (Jim rather than James). Whereas in Mirror, Mirror, the scene begins with Jim's full name and rank title, and it reveals that he is the one committing the massacre. The two scenes not only recall each other, but they show the other's reverse as if looking through a mirror.

[thestupidhelmet]

I’ve honestly never seen a fandom like this that insists they know the characters better than the creator of it. I’m thinking lots of thoughts

Truthfully, sometimes fans do. Or the actors do. Creators don't always put character first but plot or a punchline or whatever they think will make more money. The characters are then manipulated to act contrary to their established personalities or undergo what's called character drift.

As a novelist and short story author, whose education focus was creative writing and the study of literature, I learned about character consistency among the other elements that create a story and what's called its fictional dream by John Gardener (author and teacher of writing fiction). To quote him:

"If you're writing fiction then anything can happen -- so long as you earn it by making your world believable. Your readers will stop reading if you bore them or break their suspension of disbelief."

The T7S writers broke the show's fictional dream many times by manipulating characters to act against their established development (for plot and punchline). They even knew they were doing so in one particular instance and acknowledged it in the episode itself via dialogue (very meta of them, but the acknowledgement doesn't change the fact they didn't do enough to maintain the audience's sense of disbelief).

Major character shifts must be prepared for, grounded in the writing significantly, to make it a believable shift. It doesn't even need much, but it needs to make sense for the character. A good example of this is in the T7S episode where Red openly and serenely says, "I love you," to Eric. The whole storyline has Eric (among other characters) confused about Red's totally inexplicable change, a confusion the audience shares.

Later, the show reveals Red had been drugged at the dentist for a procedure and that the drugs hadn't worn off (substantiation of the momentary character shift) when he tells Eric he loves him.

A good example of a major character shift breaking the fictional dream and the audience's suspension of disbelief is Hyde drunkenly marrying a stranger during the two weeks he spends with her in Vegas. This change happens after Hyde spends almost a full season succumbing to then fighting against his marriage fears (from his traumatic childhood) to commit fully to the only girl he's ever been in love with for three years.

Struggling for a year to commit fully to a future with the girl he loves but able to commit fully to a future with someone he doesn't know longer than two weeks and doesn't love -- these are two different characters.

(It would have taken half a season to substantiate the change, another half a season to explore the change, another half a season for Hyde to understand his reasoning for the change and confront it, and another half a season for him and Jackie to reconcile. This storyline would have needed two seasons to make character-sense.)

This change goes completely against Hyde's long-established nature and development -- without any foundation underlying it. The writing doesn't substantiate the change. The season 8 showrunners expected the show's fans to accept the change without question. Their expectations were not met.

They broke the fictional dream to serve their own interests rather than the characters. If they didn't like T7S's seven years of development, they never should've taken the job. Instead, they warped the characters to their (the S8 showrunners') will until the characters were unrecognizable as themselves.

A show's audience is no different than the reader of a book. If a novel establishes that it's protagonist is a compassionate person, then readers expect that compassion to be consistent. It can be tested, pushed to the limit, even break -- but the choices must stem organically from the character, not the author's whim.

On Star Trek: The Original Series, although Leonard Nimoy did not create Spock in the character's most basic form, he did create much of what makes Spock who he is (as did one particular director in one early episode). Nimoy, the actor, imbued Spock with his own life experiences.

From the Vulcan neck pinch (logical, nonviolent Vulcans would have a logical, nonviolent way to subdue an assailant, he reasoned, rather than what the script called for: lots of physical fighting) to the famous Vulcan salute, to Spock's experience of being part of two worlds and feeling alien in both, all Nimoy.

Whenever a script veered from what Nimoy, the actor, believed was in Spock's character to do, he sent memos to whoever ran the show during whichever season, stated his concerns, explained them, then offered an alternative and in-character idea. Because he had the pull (no Star Trek without Nimoy, who was the show's biggest draw), his suggestions were always taken seriously and implemented.

And they were right. He did not create Spock, yet he knew Spock better than any of the writers did. Better than the man who created him.

And, yes, sometimes book readers or a show's audience know the characters better than the writers.

Gregg Mettler, the T7S writer brought onto T9S as a creator did not do his due diligence when creating the future of the T7S characters. By his own admission, the extent of his research was Wikipedia. He didn't rewatch the show. Quite frankly, he could have read the essays and metas myself and other fans have written to get a better handle (and understanding) of the T7S characters than he did from Wikipedia.

A portion of a show's audience often does understand and respect the characters better than their official writers. They put the characters first rather than creating buzz for the show, catering to network or actor or their own whims, or focusing on the show making money through stunt casting, etc.

While we can't affect what's put on screen, we have the freedom to discuss and debate what we see as character drift or character inconsistencies. To write fanfic that's more true to the characters than the show is.

I hold TV shows to the same standard of storytelling as I do novels. Unfortunately, the TV business does not. The all mighty dollar is what matters first, second, and third to many people in the industry. Not creative authenticity, originality, or consistency. I'm always pleased (and pleasantly surprised) when I watch a show where the characters are put first. These shows exist, but they're rare.

[spock-in-awe]

Zachary saying his hobby is plants (not just keeping them alive, but cultivating them, too!) while Ethan said his new hobby is learning to sail 😭 Why aren't I someone with art skils to depict their Spocks thusly?

[trekkie-polls]

Obviously this isn’t any kind of official list. I’m just assuming Riker named his backup singers after himself, the main Lower Decks characters eventually form a band since canonically at least Mariner, Boimler and Tendi play instruments, Sisko who is played by an incredibly talented singer occasionally sings, after the musical anomaly some Klingons turn into Kpop stans, and since everyone in the Hugh/Paul found family is musical sometimes they jam together.

Honorable mentions if I could have more options:

Deep in my soul I am convinced that Lwaxana is in a riot grrrl band, even if Majel Barett has never been known to sing.

Dolly Parton from The Orville. I mean. C’mon.

[celestialvoyeur]

💛💙SPIRK FIC REC💙💛

This AOS fic was a lovely slow burn enemies to friends to lovers style story.

While melding with Jim on Delta Vega, Spock Prime's mind reached out to his dead bondmate's counterpart and unknowingly created an aborted beginning of a bond. After defeating the Narada, Jim wakes up in sickbay with a monster headache. Spock finds the problem and calls his counterpart to come finish the bond, but both he and Jim have conflicting feelings about it. The situation deteriorates further with every minute as the solutions seem to be no better than the problems... In short, this story deals with an unwanted relationship that turns out to be less unwanted than anticipated.

[anonymousewrites]

Logos and Pathos (AOS Edition) Chapter Seven

AOS! Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Seven: Aboard the Enterprise

Summary: Spock Prime and (Y/N) Prime help Kirk get back to the Enterprise. Spock and (Y/N) have their own problems to deal with.

            “Hello!” said Kirk as he, Spock Prime, and (Y/N) Prime entered the Federation outpost on Delta Vega.

            A small officer speaking in an alien language greeted them in return and began to lead them through the post until they found another officer working on some of the machinery. The smaller officer tapped him in the back, and the officer turned around.

            “What?” He noticed the three looking at him, and he crossed his arms. “You realize how unacceptable this is?”

            “Fascinating,” said Spock Prime.

            “Wow,” said (Y/N) Prime.

            “What?” said Kirk, confused.

            ((Y/N) Prime was amused by the general confusion Kirk display whereas Kirk Prime just pretended like he knew what he was doing instead of showing confusion)

            “Yeah, I’m sure you’re just doing your job, but could you not come a wee bit sooner?” demanded the officer. “Six months I’ve been here, living off Starfleet protein nibs and a promise of a good meal. And I know exactly what’s going on here, okay. Punishment, isn’t it? Ongoing, for something that was clearly an accident.”

            “Scotty,” chuckled (Y/N) Prime.

            “Huh?” said Scotty.

            “You are Montgomery Scott,” said Spock Prime.

            “You two know him?” said Kirk.

            (Y/N) Prime smiled at him, and he understood. They knew the alternate timeline’s future version of him.

            “Aye, that’s me. You’re in the right place.” Scotty scoffed. “Unless there’s another hard-working, equally starved Starfleet officer around.”

            “Me,” said the smaller officer.

            “Keenser, shut up!” said Scotty. “You don’t eat anything. You eat like a bean, and you’re done. I’m talking about food. Real food.” He glanced at the new people. “But you’re here now, so thank you. Where is it?”

            “You are, in fact, the Mister Scott who postulated the theory of transwarp beaming,” said Spock Prime, fondly remembering his friend.

            “That’s what I’m talking about.” Scotty sighed. “How’ you think I wound up here? I had  a little debate with my instructor on the issue of relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel.”

            That sounds like Scotty, thought (Y/N) Prime.

            “He seemed to think that the range of transporting something like a, like a grapefruit, was limited to about a hundred miles. I told him that I could not only beam a grapefruit from one planet to the adjacent planet in the same system, which is easy by the way, I could do it with a lifeform.” Scotty coughed. “So, I tested it on Admiral Archer’s prized beagle.”

��           “Wait, I know that dog. What happened to it?” asked Kirk.

            Scotty avoided eye-contact. “I’ll tell you when it reappears.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I do feel guilty about that.”

            “Poor dog,” said (Y/N) Prime, shaking their head.

            “What if I told you that your transwarp theory was correct?” said Spock Prime. “That it is indeed possible to beam onto a ship that is travelling at warp speed?”

            “I think if that equation had been discovered, I’d have heard about it,” said Scotty.

            “The reason you haven’t heard about it, Mister Scott, is because you haven’t discovered it yet,” said Spock Prime.

            “I’m a, uh, what…” Scotty furrowed his brow. “Are you from the future?”

            “He’s taking it well,” said (Y/N) Prime, smiling.

            “Yeah. They are. I’m not,” said Kirk tiredly.

            “Well, that’s brilliant,” said Scotty. “Do they still have sandwiches there?”

            They had Scotty on board. Spock Prime and (Y/N) Prime explained the problem with Kirk filling in details they hadn’t seen from the planet below. Scotty understood that they needed to get Kirk back on board the Enterprise. All of them were willing to work together to do the right thing, and Scotty quickly escorted them to the Delta Vega transporter area.

            Spock Prime and (Y/N) Prime were particularly glad to have Scotty back. Every time they encountered one of their old friends, they felt a little stronger, a little more hopeful that Nero could be stopped. There was nothing the Enterprise crew couldn’t achieve. With all of them together…Nero couldn’t win.

            “Well, she’s a wee bit dodgy,” explained Scotty as he gestured to the transporter. “Shield emitters are totally bandjacked, as well as a few other things.” He began to fiddle with the controls and punch in equations. “So, the Enterprise as had its maiden voyage, has it? She is one well-endowed lady. I’d like to get my hands on her ample nacelles, if you’ll pardon the engineering parlance.”

            Some things never change, thought (Y/N) Prime. Scotty and his love for the Enterprise were a constant in every universe.

            Scotty looked at (Y/N) Prime and Spock Prime as Spock Prime sat down to work out some equations. “Except, the thing is, even if I believed you, right, where you’re from, what I’ve done, I don’t, by the way, you’re still talking about beaming aboard the Enterprise while she’s traveling faster-than-light, without a proper receiving pattern.” He glared at Keenser climbing some equipment. “Get off there! It’s not a climbing tree.” He looked back at the older officers. “The notion of transwarp beaming is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse?” Spock Prime stood, and Scotty peered at what he’d programmed. “What’s that?”

            “Your equation for achieving transwarp beaming,” said (Y/N) Prime, smiling.

            “Imagine that,” mumbled Scotty. “It never occurred to me to think of space as the thing that was moving.”

            “You’re coming with us, right” asked Kirk, staring at (Y/N) Prime and Spock Prime.

            “No, Jim. That is not our destiny,” said Spock Prime, shaking his head.

            “We’ll make our own way off Delta Vega. But Nero cannot know we’re involved. It’ll only stoke his anger and make him harder to deal with since he could act rashly,” said (Y/N) Prime.

            “You’re desti—He, the other Spock, is not going to believe me. Only you can explain what’s gonna happen,” said Kirk.

            “(Y/N) will believe you,” said (Y/N) Prime.

            “And they can help get Spock to see reason,” said Spock Prime, nodding.

            He knew all about Spock’s softness for (Y/N), and he was absolutely certain that this timeline had the same love between them. Theirs was a love that couldn’t be changed. It transcended universes—they had seen it in the Mirror Universe, and they’d see it here.

            “But—”

            Spock Prime cut off Kirk. “Under no circumstances can those two be aware of our existence. You must promise us this.”

            “You’re telling me I-I can’t tell you that I’m following your own orders. Why not? What happens?” said Kirk.

            “The Enterprise of this timeline must be allowed to reach its full potential,” said (Y/N) Prime. “You have to learn to work together to defeat Nero, and knowing about us…it will only cause problems.”

            “Jim, this is one rule you cannot break. To stop Nero, you alone must take command of your ship,” said Spock Prime. That would put the Enterprise on the right track to being the talented, strong crew and ship it was in their timeline.

            “How? Over your dead body?” said Kirk sarcastically.

            “Preferable not,” said Spock Prime.

            “Please don’t kill him. I and this timeline’s (Y/N) would be upset,” said (Y/N) Prime brightly.

            “However, there is Starflet regulation 6-1-9. 6-1-9 states that any command officer who’s emotionally compromised by the mission at hand must resign said command,” said Spock Prime.

            (Y/N) Prime looked at their husband in surprise. “Spock…” He was completely serious. He was suggesting forcing himself—a version of himself—to show emotions, something he disliked.

            “It’s what must be done, T’hy’la,” said Spock Prime.

            (Y/N) Prime nodded, but they still reached out and touched their first two fingers to his, and Spock Prime relaxed at the touch.

            Kirk looked between the two. He was putting together the relationship between them, which had taken a moment since he wasn’t used to Spock Prime or Spock’s softer side, but he could see the mutual care.

            Okay, so he really does have feelings, thought Kirk, and he began to understand Spock as a man beyond the Vulcan. “So…so, you’re saying that I have to emotionally compromise you guys?”

            “Jim, I just lost my planet,” said Spock Prime, his voice heavy. “I can tell you, I am emotionally compromised. What you must do is get me to show it.”

            “How?” said Kirk.

            “Spock cares about his friends and family,” said (Y/N) Prime, and Kirk looked at them. They smiled. “He doesn’t show it like others, but he does. If you insinuate he doesn’t…that would do it.” That's what they had done with the whole plants-controlling-mind's thing on Omicron Ceti III and what had made Spock Prime break down when unhibited after the trip to Psi 2000.

            “You know me very well, T’hy’la,” said Spock Prime. He was fortunate to have them by his side. If he was alone in this world…their loss would weigh heavily on him. He loved his t’hy’la.

            “Aye, then, Laddie. Live or die, let’s get this over with,” said Scotty, coming over as he finished his preparations. He and Kirk stepped onto the transporter pad. Keenser tried to follow, but Scotty pushed him back. “You cannae come with me. Go on.” He wouldn’t put his friend in harm’s way—only himself.

            “You’re coming back in time, changing history. It’s cheating,” said Kirk, staring at Spock Prime and (Y/N) Prime.

            “A trick I learned from an old friend,” said Spock Prime fondly, and (Y/N) wink smiled.

            “You would do the same, Captain Kirk,” said (Y/N) Prime with a wink.

            Spock Prime lifted his hand in a Vulcan salute as the transporter powered up. “Live long and prosper.”

            Kirk and Scotty dematerialized, and Keenser let out a sad sigh. (Y/N) Prime looked at him and smiled to alleviate the sadness clouding his aura.

            “They’ll be alright. And Scotty will come back for you,” said (Y/N) Prime.

            “Until then, we should make our own exit,” suggested Spock Prime. “Do you have a shuttle to refurbish?”

            Keenser nodded and rushed off. Spock Prime watched him go.

            “How are you feeling?” asked (Y/N) Prime.

            “I worry for the future of Vulcans and our culture,” said Spock Prime, straightforward with (Y/N) Prime. They were his spouse. They shared their troubles.

            “The Enterprise will stop Nero. Together, we’ve always handled everyone we’ve gone up against. From Khan to resurrection, we’ve faced everything, and we succeed because we’re together,” said (Y/N) Prime. They touched their fingers to his. “And while this Enterprise protects the galaxy and those within it, we can help Vulcan. Together.”

            Spock Prime’s gaze softened. “I am fortunate to have you by my side, T’hy’la.”

            “I’m here because I love you. Luck has nothing to do with it,” said (Y/N) Prime.

            Spock Prime leaned in and smiled slightly. “I love you, too, T’hy’la.” He kissed them.

            He had lost so much, from his previous timeline to his planet, but his love was still standing. They’d help Vulcan find a better future. Together.

l

            Aboard the Enterprise, this timeline’s Spock and (Y/N) were hard to work trying to regain proper communication with Starfleet Command while the ship flew towards the Laurentian system in a desperate race to beat Nero.

            Chekov frowned as his display beeped with an alert. “Captain Spock, detecting unauthorized access to water turbine control board.”

            “Bring up the video,” said Spock.

            The security video appeared on the viewscreen, and it showed Kirk and another man soaking wet in the turbine section.

            “How did he get on board? We’re at warp,” said (Y/N), in surprise (and impressed).

            Spock furrowed his brow and pressed the comms button. “Security, seal the engineering deck. We have intruders in turbine section three. Set phasers to stun.”

            The security cameras showed officers coming to get Kirk and his new friend. They responded by running, but with the deck sealed, there wasn’t much they could do, so they were caught and dragged to the bridge where everyone stared at the soaking wet men.

            Were they in the water turbines? thought (Y/N).

            “Who are you?” said Spock, looking at Scotty.

            “Uh, Scott? I’m with him,” said Scotty, nodding to Kirk.

            “He’s with me,” said Kirk.

            “We’re traveling at warp speed. How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?” questioned Spock.

            “You’re the genius, you figure it out,” shot back Kirk.

            (Y/N) blinked. His emotions were filled with the anger they had been before. Is he…trying to rile up Spock? What good would that do him?

            “As Acting Captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question,” said Spock.

            “Well, I’m not telling, Acting Captain,” retorted Kirk. “What di….What, now, that doesn’t frustrate you, does it? My lack of cooperation. That-that doesn’t make you angry?”

            Spock ignored Kirk and looked at Scotty. “Are you a member of Starfleet?”

            “I, um, yes. Can I get a towel, please?” asked Scotty awkwardly.

            (Y/N) tilted their head. Scotty seemed uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem surprised about the confrontation going on. What were those two thinking? Were they planning something? Who really was Scotty? Why was he helping Kirk?

            Something had happened while Kirk was gone. There was so much more focus in his mind.

            “Under penalty of court martial, I order you to explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp,” commanded Spock.

            “Well—”

            “Don’t answer him,” said Kirk.

            “You will answer me,” reiterated Spock.

            “I’d rather not take sides,” said Scotty as nervous emotions flittered through his aura.

            “What is it with you, Spock? Hm?” Kirk took a step closer to Spock. “Your planet was just destroyed, your mother and best friend nearly murdered, and you’re not even upset.” He followed (Y/N) Prime’s advice: challenge his feelings towards those he did care about.

            (Y/N) sucked in a breath and stood, their own anger flaring at the disrespect and callousness of the words directed at Spock. “Kirk!” they said, but Spock raised a hand to tell them to stand back, and (Y/N) bit their tongue, still furious.

            “If you’re presuming that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship, you are mistaken,” said Spock, words still carefully monotone.

            “And yet you were the one who said fear was necessary for command,” said Kirk, still pushing at Spock. “Did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?”

            “Yes, of course I did,” said Spock curtly.

            “So, are you afraid or aren’t you?” challenged Kirk.

            “I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion,” said Spock, tone clipped in a way only (Y/N) noticed.

            Their brow creased in worry for Spock’s state of mind. The situation was hard enough without Kirk pushing him, trying to get him to react.

            “Then why don’t you stop me,” said Kirk, again stepping closer.

            “Step away from me,” said Spock, his tone not a warning but a statement. Anything he felt was still contained.

            “What is it like not to feel anger or heartbreak or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the threat to the life of the woman who gave birth to you, of the only person who actually acts like your friend?” said Kirk, voice low and cold.

            “Back away from me…” said Spock, tone low, and (Y/N) took a step towards the pair. They didn’t like where this was heading.

            “You feel nothing! It must not even compute for you!” said Kirk. “You never loved her or cared about them!”

            Spock let out a cry of anger and swung at Kirk. He stumbled back, and Spock attacked him again, throwing him onto a console and grabbing for his neck. The sudden swarm of anger and sadness made (Y/N)’s head spin. The intensity of Spock’s emotions surged outwards with his loss of control.

            “Spock!” said (Y/N), running forward to pull him off Kirk. Spock froze as their hands pulled him back, the feeling of their presence in the midst of his loss of control causing shame to run through him. (Y/N) held him still as Spock took several deep breaths, the heat of fury still running through his veins. “Kirk, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

            “I’m doing what I have to,” said Kirk.

            Upon hearing his voice, Spock tried to step forward again, and (Y/N) knew if he attacked, they couldn’t hold back his Vulcan strength.

            “Spock,” said a firm voice.

            Everyone froze and stared at the newcomer on the bridge. It was Sarek, Spock’s father. Spock straightened and immediately tried to compose himself. (Y/N) let go of him and stepped back respectfully. Sarek gazed at Spock, who averted his eyes.

            “I…am no longer fit for duty,” he said, voice tight. “I hereby relinquish my command, based on the fact that I have been emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ship’s log.”

            (Y/N)’s eyes softened, and they fought the urge to follow Spock to check on him as he left. Sarek followed. It seemed the father and son (and likely Amanda would join them) were going to discuss all that had occurred.

            “You want to go after him, don’t you?” said Uhura quietly. “I can cover you if you’d like.”

            (Y/N) shook their head. “No. He needs time with his family. But…I will check on him after if he doesn’t return to working.” Because then something will be really wrong.

            Uhura nodded and squeezed (Y/N)’s shoulder in consolation.

            “I like this ship!” said Scotty brightly. “You know, it’s exciting.”

            “Well, congratulations, Jim,” said Bones with considerable less friendliness and a good helping of sarcasm. “Now we’ve got no Captain and no goddamn first officer to replace him.”

            “Yeah we do,” said Kirk, sitting down in the Captain’s chair.

            “What?” said Bones.

            “Pike made him first officer,” said Sulu.

            Was that…to become Captain? (Y/N) furrowed their brow. Just how much was Kirk planning? He had so much focus and intentional strategy. Something had definitely changed on Delta Vega.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Bones, staring.

            “Thanks for the support, Bones,” said Kirk.

            “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Captain,” said Uhura, narrowing her eyes.

            (Y/N) moved back towards their station and paused behind the Captain’s chair. “This better have been for a reason.”

            “It was,” said Kirk, and his sincerity was startling. Then, he focused on the comms and began an announcement. “Attention crew of the Enterprise, this is James Kirk. Mister Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to Acting Captain. I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I’m ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Celia. I want all departments at battle stations and ready in ten minutes.” His gaze was set and defiant as he looked out at the stars on the viewscreen. “Either we’re going down or they are. Kirk out.”

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[ansonmountdaily]

Anson Mount and Ethan Peck at Star Trek: Las Vegas 2023

Photos of Anson and Ethan's Strange New Worlds panel at STLV convention, August 6 2023.

To great fan excitement, Ethan also joined fellow Spock actor Zachary Quinto at his panel, inspiring social media discussion on a possible crossover between Strange New Worlds and the Kelvin timeline Star Trek films! \o/ This was the first time the two actors sat down together and talked to each other. :)

Source: Creation Entertainment [2] [3], TrekMovie

[pityroadart]

"Forgive me. Emotional transferrance is an effect of the mind meld."

A commission for a friend: Kirk, post-mind-meld with Spock Prime, in the cave on Delta Vega

watercolour on paper, mostly a limited palette of Schmincke phthalo turquoise + vermillion, 7 x 18cm // August 2022