#intergalacticsock

It hadn’t been long since Josh had returned from shore leave, and the crew was happy to have him back. Especially Zlark and Mick. Currently, Mick was making their way down to where the engineers were working. They slid their hands into their pockets to double check the snacks they brought were still there and skidded down a ramp. 

A door slid open with a hiss and Mick stepped through a light cloud of steam. 

“Knock, knock! Anybody home?”

In reply, Mick received a short series of quiet clicks and a squeak from Zlark as he waved from behind a piece of equipment. He held up a finger to signal silence, and Mick went over curiously. Josh was on the other side, propped up against the equipment, fast asleep. A screwdriver was in his hand, and a wrench hung from a bolt near his head.

“He didn’t hit his head did he?” Mick asked. 

Zlark clicked and shook his head. 

“Just sleeping then.” Mick wasn’t surprised, there was a lot of work to be done and Josh had been all but slammed with it when he got back. They knelt down and nudged Josh’s shoulder. “Hey.”

Josh only snorted lightly. 

“Hey,” Mick shook him gently, “C’mon, let’s get you to your bunk.”

Josh didn’t respond and Zlark squeaked questioningly. 

“No, he’s fine, just exhausted,” Mick said. They stood and yanked a platform cart over. “Command is going to get a talking to. Help me get him on the cart?”

The two carefully got Josh onto the cart, with minimal response from the other human, only a few mutterings about cookies. Mick snorted as they put their jack under his head. 

“How long have you been working, Zlark?”

Zlark clicked and Mick nodded. “Within regulation. As long as the ship’s not about to blow up, get rest when you’re done. And here’s a snack.” They tossed the alien one of the packages from their pocket.

Zlark clicked in thanks and Mick waved before pushing the cart with Josh out of the room. 

The two humans didn’t run into many crew members on the way, but whoever glanced their way quickly turned away and chose not to question the odd sight or Mick’s glare. Once they got to the bunk, Mick was quick to get Josh onto the bed and dim the lights. 

Later after Josh had woke, he paused by the bridge as he wandered by. Mick stood arms crossed, and looking slightly taller than normal, in front of the command chairs. They weren’t yelling, but spoke in such a tone they didn’t need to. They snapped about work regulations, and what that meant for humans, not that the higher-ups crew should need reminding, for they know all this of course. 

* who has shipped Spirk since that night in 1967 that Amok Time first aired * and helped storm NBC to keep TOS on the air for a 3rd season * and wrote fanfic way back in the day * and was privileged to be around for the earliest days of fandom, when Leonard used to come to your house if that’s where the fan club was meeting and sit on the sofa with you in that Spock hair cut and eat cake

All of you who are writing TOS/AOS fan fiction and creating fan art now: remember, YOU are the ones shaping the traditions of fandom. You have inherited the kingdom. Bless you for keeping it vibrant, growing, alive. In fifty years, you will be the ones who are remembered for molding it and handing it down to the future. It probably doesn’t feel like now, but you are making history.

Your current addiction to TOS and the feels you get when you contemplate the love between Jim and Spock will be with you for life. It won’t always be in the forefront; you will sometimes go years, sometimes go a decade, without Star Trek being more than a passing thought. But then something will remind you and every consuming feeling you feel right now will come rushing back, every bit as powerful and deep and strong as it is today. All there, right where you left it.

The friendships you make in fandom will be with you for life. Like all friendships, they will wax and wane as the focus of your life shifts over time, but you will always be able to pick up the thread. You will — to give you a hypothetical example — be 77 years old and discover Tumblr and get a rush of Spirk feels after a decade of not giving TOS a thought, and contact your 83-year-old fangirl friend in the nursing home, to whom you haven’t spoken in several years. You will open the conversation with, “So, Jim and Spock love each other and that just makes me so happy.” And your friend in the nursing home will sigh and say, “Yes. They do love each other. It’s such a comfort.”

That look that Jim and Spock give each other, of absolute adoration and acceptance and love? That’s real. It’s rare, but it’s real. One of my greatest joys in life is to see my son and his husband give each other looks like that. Of course I don’t know you; I don’t know your strengths and struggles or your place on the spectrum of gender or anything about your sexuality or what you look like or what your life has taught you to believe about yourself, but I do know this: YOU DESERVE TO BE LOVED AND LOOKED AT THE WAY JIM AND SPOCK LOOK AT EACH OTHER. Please don’t accept less than that in your life.

The future of our planet does not seem very hopeful at the moment. But please remember that when Gene created Star Trek, the world was in turmoil and the future seemed very bleak. Star Trek is, was, always shall be about hope. Reach for it. When TOS first aired, we hoped to see some form of a Starfleet on the horizon in our lifetimes. That vision must be passed on to you. Do it. Make the world worthy of launching the human race out into space. CREATE STARFLEET.

You are all creative and funny and amazing. Far more amazing than you know. Be kind to yourselves. Live long and prosper, kids.