The BLTS Archive - If I Fell
by Charlene (charlene.vickers@gmail.com)

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He lay on his side, unable to sleep, watching the stars through the
unfamiliar windows of her cabin. Cold air swirled over his skin
raising tiny green goosebumps on the upper surface of his right
shoulder as he reflected on the course of events which had brought him
to this place.

It had all started, he believed, with the invention of the water
replicator.

If logic was the backbone of Vulcan society, efficiency was its heart,
and family life was no exception. Cultural anthropologists had long
hypothesized that the pon farr had once been merely an emotional
catharsis; sex had originally played only a minor role. As the
planet's surface became more arid, however, it was seen by many as
illogical to waste precious bodily fluids on what was essentially an
emotional desire. But strict sexual control meant release would
eventually be necessary, and what better time for release than at the
pon farr? Over time, those able to control themselves until the pon
farr were better able to conserve water and were more likely to
survive to sire the next generation. It was also efficient in that
children were spaced far enough apart to ensure maximum chances of
survival. The pon farr had remained a time of emotional release, but
the added sexual element turned it into an intensely personal matter.
It had been so for millennia.

Then a Human had invented the water replicator. A worthy invention, of
course; planets less hospitable than Vulcan had become open for
colonisation, and Vulcan itself could finally afford an increase in
population. But the water replicator had also taken away the only
reason for sexual abstinence outside the pon farr. Why conserve bodily
fluids when water is freely available?

As with most societal change, it was the very wealthy and the very
poor who first understood the possibilities. The middle classes,
including families such as his own, had only recently been affected.
Too recently for his marriage, he sometimes thought with regret. As
had been the tradition in their families since time immemorial, he and
his wife had only mated when necessary and had otherwise controlled
themselves as befit a proper Vulcan couple in their social set.

Atypical events, however, tend to accelerate change within individuals
as much as within society. She had been blunt in her letter: "I have
already established a new relationship, as I do not intend to die. See
to it that you also survive. It would be logical to acquire a partner
before the need becomes urgent." In other words, take a lover now
before the pon farr makes it impossible to choose wisely. Sensible
advice, he had conceded after the shock had dissipated. It would also
be wrong to in effect abandon Voyager and its crew by dying when an
alternative existed.

But who? Starfleet regulations prohibited fraternisation between
officers of different rank, but as he had no intention of taking
Commander Chakotay as his bondmate he would have to disregard that
rule. He could not choose a consort who worked within his chain of
command, so that left science, engineering, and command. The
individual would have to be reproductively compatible, since he felt
it necessary to at least attempt to procreate, considering the age of
many crew members and the very real possibility of their not finding a
shortcut home. Temperamental compatibility was also an issue. He could
not tolerate an overeffusive Bolian, and an emotionally complex
Betazoid would be driven to madness by Vulcan stoicism. Young Humans
were often flighty and thoughtless; young Bajorans suspicious and
closed-minded. His most likely candidate would have been Lieutenant
Torres for her valour, physical strength and obviously superior
intellect, but he had eliminated her from contention when the depth of
her feelings for Lieutenant Paris had become clear.

Not once had he considered the woman who now lay beside him.


It had been a productive evening. He had taken the bridge crew on
Gamma Shift through a number of battle scenarios and had been pleased
to see reaction times dropping. Mr. Batehart's achievement had been
especially praiseworthy. When the Captain asked for him to stop by her
quarters to discuss the results, he had considered it a routine
request. But when he entered her cabin, he had found her stretched out
on her sofa, legs crossed, wearing a short lilac negligee constructed
from what appeared to be Vulcan silk. Her hair had been softly brushed
back; as she greeted him, she had stretched her legs almost
imperceptibly and smiled. A recording of birdsong played in the
background; he could pick out the calls of the kondra bird, the
African swallow, and the marvara.

He had not known what to make of it. Perhaps she was running a fever
and her regulation uniform was too warm; perhaps she had been
sleeping. No matter, he had thought, as he began to recite the results
of the evening's drill. But with one fluid movement she had risen from
the sofa and taken the PADD from his hands.

"What we have here, Tuvok, is failure to communicate," was all she had
said before slipping a hand behind his neck and kissing him. He had
been taken by surprise, but soon responded; she pulled away, just for
a second, whispering, "It's even better when you help." And they had
kissed again, and she had pressed her body against his, and he had
felt desire and need as he never had before outside his Time, and he
had carried her into her bedroom, and they had made love. And it had
been the most marvelous experience of his life. He had only asked her
one question afterwards: why? She had said she thought they would make
a compatible couple, and she could think of no other way to get
through what she had called "that thick Vulcan head of yours".

Now, as he watched her sleep, he smiled faintly as he thought of how
he had so carefully avoided her name in his deliberations. He had no
idea why; he felt great regard for her, respected her as he did no
other woman - and after the events of this evening, one day he would
add, "and I love her" to that list. He expected that day would come
very soon indeed.

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Write a story about Janeway and Tuvok which doesn't involve  the pon
farr, and include references to various movies  [can you find them?
It's even better when you try ;-)]

Issued by:  Sasscat Bu-toy and Mosca

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The End