Truth and Manipulations
Jan. 25th, 2026 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: Leonard works out what Kirk was trying to tell him and has another encounter with Khan.
Word Count: 1964
Rating: Teen
Minor McCoy/Kirk (McKirk)
Starfleet is, strictly speaking, not supposed to be a military force, at least not primarily. No matter what certain warmongers parading themselves around as responsible admirals instead of the power-mad glory hound he is might have to say about the whole thing. So it’s not like most get the in-depth training on resisting torture. That kind of thing is typically reserved for security personnel and higher-ranking officers. On Earth, that kind of barbarism fell out of favor not because of the humanity of it all or anybody had signed any treaties but because some people finally got it through their thick skulls that in a lot of cases their victims were liable to say absolutely any bullshit once they broke just to get the pain to stop, so any information gained was questionable at best. The Augments, being from an uncivilized and bloody time in Earth’s history, hadn’t exactly gotten the memo. Doctor McCoy could share the statistics, but suspects that such advice wouldn’t be welcomed. At least he happens to be one of the most stubborn people he knows. That might just give him an advantage.
One of the things he does remember is that there’s a duty to try to withhold what information they can. To try to escape, if they can. He just hopes that Jim manages to come up with a better plan that doesn’t require the entire universe being attracted to one Captain James T. Kirk. The man might have charisma in spades and be extremely experienced with seduction, but even he has to admit some kind of limit, surely?
And yet. The certainty didn’t seem like bravado or bragging. If anything, he’d seemed a little...ashamed. It wasn’t just the possibility of using his own attractiveness in front of someone he’d been flirting with and who had previously displayed jealousy that was bothering him, though that’s probably a factor. And Leonard’s no psychologist, but he’d wager it’s not that the man is ashamed of his own sexuality. He is not, no matter what the rumors would say, the kind of leader who would place his subordinates in a position to overhear unwanted personal details, but he also doesn’t strike Leonard as a man as a prude or a man to disavow his own desires, say, on shore leave.
No, he’d been acting almost as if he had an unfair advantage, one that he prefers not to use and sees as an ethical dilemma, but is perfectly willing to use it as a weapon if he has to. It’s not simply the time travel thing either; it’s something Leonard hasn’t been told. Something that can’t be mentioned out loud for fear of being overheard, even when his own plans for escape are perfectly fine to discuss verbally. McCoy hasn’t seen Kirk’s medical file, on account of not actually having taken the post as CMO yet, but he’s fairly certain it wouldn’t be in there, either. He’s a smart man, and he’s got a PhD to prove it. He can manage a little thing like working out something Kirk wasn’t able to say out loud given a number of clues. Though he’ll appreciate a confirmation he’s not off on the wrong track, here.
His first guess of a psi rating, at least a typical human psi rating, can’t be it, either, now that he’s had more time to think while being frogmarched to something that had better not be an execution. That’d make it easier, sure, but it wouldn’t be a surefire thing, and it’s more of a passive ability than an active one. Now that he’s fully sober, trying to avoid thinking about any potential broken bones or extracted nails in his own future, he can look back over his own behavior, that of others around the man, and it’s odd even if he is a little off kilter thanks to being yanked from his routine, however miserable he’d been without even realizing.
Maybe it was all calculated. Maybe Leonard’s getting played. It doesn’t come off that way. That could be a game, too, the anxiety and vulnerability boiling down to manipulation to get Leonard to go along with whatever Jim suggests, but it doesn’t read that way. A man inclined to misuse it, say, a narcissist, wouldn’t have stopped with just romance. The very fact that there are Admirals like Marcus who don’t worship the ground the man stands on is proof enough that, unlike certain dictators on board, mere lack of ability isn’t what’s holding the man back from playing the same sort of benevolent dictator Khan is.
Keeping that in mind, it’s easy to go back over their conversations again with a fine-tooth comb and run across places where he’d misinterpreted statements on account of not having all the facts. Like their conversation about motivation. ‘Pushing’ might be Jim’s euphemism for pushing his own will onto others. If he’s ‘trying’ not to, that means that, to some extent, some of it is innate, not exactly something he has control over. It’s possible there’s a more traditional component to it, since he’d mentioned not seducing anyone unless they’re open to it, which could refer directly to being able to sense it or is just more generally people skills. Either way, it’s more likely to be on the empathy side of the equation than the telepathy side.
And, Lord knows, it’s not like Leonard has no experience with pinpointing a relationship that has gone sour. Sooner or later, persuasion or no persuasion, his stubborn mind would reassert itself, and he’d get himself out of there right quick. If not him, his nana would catch on, too protective and with too much common sense to be easily fooled.
Looking at all of this in a vacuum, it’s not just the presence of the man and whatever charismatic empathic field he has that’s affecting him here. Bratty blue-eyed blonds with a sense of time and place and an ability to buckle down when it counts are definitely one of Leonard’s weak spots, and it’s not like the idea that he’s needed, that he won’t just be sent away, hurts either. Empathy—not of the telepathic kind, just your average plain ol’ virtue. Intelligence and curiosity. The willingness to argue, but also to listen. McCoy is respected, not just for his ability but also for who he is. There’s definite mutual attraction, there. Even if he wanted to, he can’t blame it all on outside influence. It can’t help that it’s been so long since he’s let himself start falling in love again he doesn’t know how to handle himself, exactly.
From there, he’s got to assume that Kirk’s used to projecting confidence, sure, but probably even boosting morale. He might not even be aware that he’s doing it, which makes McCoy frown. That’s got to be energy intensive. No wonder he’s got such an appetite. It can’t be shipwide; if nothing else Leonard’s own experience says it doesn’t necessarily last long outside of his presence, and Jim had indicated it probably got stronger with touch. Even then, if he’s doing it at all times, that could be a health risk. He has to have a talk with the man without supervision at some point. Chances are, if he finds the thought of forcing his will onto others distasteful, it’s a subconscious thing, something along the lines of having to inspire others as a leader manifesting itself in ways it wouldn’t in your average human.
It’s more than the ability to push and read emotions, because Kirk can draw from them in some way, too. Heal, probably get strength. But he’d been trying to avoid even that on account of morality. It’d probably be possible to go too far, but a man with no morality wouldn’t care about that, other than maybe the possibility of getting caught.
As for the cause, well, that depends on the family tree. The most likely option would be some kinda mutation in your average psionic gene, causing the psionic ability to manifest in a completely new way, but Leonard’s leaning toward non-human inheritance somewhere down the line. It’s far, far less likely, but it’d explain some things. He’d been right to call out McCoy on his remarks on the Vulcans, no matter how the cold, calculating walking computers annoyed him, but the defensiveness suggested he was taking it personally. That could be why.
Khan is smart enough to not have him brought up to the bridge, but to a ready room close by. It’s not too surprising he’s being brought to the leader again, though if asked he’d certainly say that he enjoyed the first tour of the ship a hell of a lot more. He knows he’s managed to intrigue Khan one way or another and there’s probably some sort of bullshit test being conducted. He just has no idea whether it’s one he’s passed or failed. Not that he’d change his actions either way. “Good afternoon, Doctor.”
“It’d be better if I didn’t have to keep cleaning up after your sloppy attempts at torture,” he growls, finding his heart beating quick.
Khan smiles again, dangerous but amused. “It’s true that some of my subordinates aren’t exactly too skilled. Their talents lie elsewhere.” He pauses, and then adds, “Your skills as a doctor are considerable, as is your dedication to the profession. Tell me, Doctor McCoy, how far do your ideals extend? If, for example, one of my crew was injured, would you find it in yourself to lend a hand?”
“The Hippocratic Oath doesn’t come equipped with exceptions. Even if I do happen to be held hostage at the time.” And maybe if he earns some trust, or learns something, that could be useful.
“Excellent. It is good to understand, and be understood. Succeed, and you are owed a debt. Fail, and your good Captain’s life is forfeit. I believe that makes everything perfectly clear.” Kirk, too, is a dangerous man, but he’s not exactly like Khan. Khan is...a snake. Hypnotic, but lethal. “It might surprise you to learn, Doctor, that your Federation has been in the habit of keeping slaves. The parasites implanted in us make us extremely susceptible to suggestion, but they are also slowly killing us. I believe they are genetically modified, violating your own laws, and gathered from a Klingon planet after an encounter by one of your own Admirals. Even if it had been possible to remove such a trait from these creatures, it was thought of as, rather, a bonus, something by which to dispose of us after our usefulness had reached its end.”
At this point, why not? The universe sure has its sense of humor, to the detriment of anyone who actually has to live there. Why not throw power-hungry madmen who in all other circumstances would be in the wrong an actual utterly understandable reason for revenge? “I don’t know why you’d think it was anything but a surprise. I’m not in the habit of just overlooking violations of the Nuremberg Code. The bastard needs to be court-martialed, not given commendations, and I can guarantee you Kirk agrees.”
Khan smiles slightly, narrowing his eyes. Probably pleased by his response and still wanting to wring the Admiral’s neck. “And you really think you have the power to achieve such a result?”
“Doing the right thing isn’t about winning or losing. If the outcome was certain, you wouldn’t need doctors. You’d do fine with just robots. It takes a heart to be a doctor.” McCoy pauses and then adds, “You wouldn’t mind me double-checking your conclusions, now?”
“Be my guest. If the promise of death was simply an empty threat, I would be delighted to learn that.” And then revisit it a hundredfold on the Admiral, probably.
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: Leonard works out what Kirk was trying to tell him and has another encounter with Khan.
Word Count: 1964
Rating: Teen
Minor McCoy/Kirk (McKirk)
Starfleet is, strictly speaking, not supposed to be a military force, at least not primarily. No matter what certain warmongers parading themselves around as responsible admirals instead of the power-mad glory hound he is might have to say about the whole thing. So it’s not like most get the in-depth training on resisting torture. That kind of thing is typically reserved for security personnel and higher-ranking officers. On Earth, that kind of barbarism fell out of favor not because of the humanity of it all or anybody had signed any treaties but because some people finally got it through their thick skulls that in a lot of cases their victims were liable to say absolutely any bullshit once they broke just to get the pain to stop, so any information gained was questionable at best. The Augments, being from an uncivilized and bloody time in Earth’s history, hadn’t exactly gotten the memo. Doctor McCoy could share the statistics, but suspects that such advice wouldn’t be welcomed. At least he happens to be one of the most stubborn people he knows. That might just give him an advantage.
One of the things he does remember is that there’s a duty to try to withhold what information they can. To try to escape, if they can. He just hopes that Jim manages to come up with a better plan that doesn’t require the entire universe being attracted to one Captain James T. Kirk. The man might have charisma in spades and be extremely experienced with seduction, but even he has to admit some kind of limit, surely?
And yet. The certainty didn’t seem like bravado or bragging. If anything, he’d seemed a little...ashamed. It wasn’t just the possibility of using his own attractiveness in front of someone he’d been flirting with and who had previously displayed jealousy that was bothering him, though that’s probably a factor. And Leonard’s no psychologist, but he’d wager it’s not that the man is ashamed of his own sexuality. He is not, no matter what the rumors would say, the kind of leader who would place his subordinates in a position to overhear unwanted personal details, but he also doesn’t strike Leonard as a man as a prude or a man to disavow his own desires, say, on shore leave.
No, he’d been acting almost as if he had an unfair advantage, one that he prefers not to use and sees as an ethical dilemma, but is perfectly willing to use it as a weapon if he has to. It’s not simply the time travel thing either; it’s something Leonard hasn’t been told. Something that can’t be mentioned out loud for fear of being overheard, even when his own plans for escape are perfectly fine to discuss verbally. McCoy hasn’t seen Kirk’s medical file, on account of not actually having taken the post as CMO yet, but he’s fairly certain it wouldn’t be in there, either. He’s a smart man, and he’s got a PhD to prove it. He can manage a little thing like working out something Kirk wasn’t able to say out loud given a number of clues. Though he’ll appreciate a confirmation he’s not off on the wrong track, here.
His first guess of a psi rating, at least a typical human psi rating, can’t be it, either, now that he’s had more time to think while being frogmarched to something that had better not be an execution. That’d make it easier, sure, but it wouldn’t be a surefire thing, and it’s more of a passive ability than an active one. Now that he’s fully sober, trying to avoid thinking about any potential broken bones or extracted nails in his own future, he can look back over his own behavior, that of others around the man, and it’s odd even if he is a little off kilter thanks to being yanked from his routine, however miserable he’d been without even realizing.
Maybe it was all calculated. Maybe Leonard’s getting played. It doesn’t come off that way. That could be a game, too, the anxiety and vulnerability boiling down to manipulation to get Leonard to go along with whatever Jim suggests, but it doesn’t read that way. A man inclined to misuse it, say, a narcissist, wouldn’t have stopped with just romance. The very fact that there are Admirals like Marcus who don’t worship the ground the man stands on is proof enough that, unlike certain dictators on board, mere lack of ability isn’t what’s holding the man back from playing the same sort of benevolent dictator Khan is.
Keeping that in mind, it’s easy to go back over their conversations again with a fine-tooth comb and run across places where he’d misinterpreted statements on account of not having all the facts. Like their conversation about motivation. ‘Pushing’ might be Jim’s euphemism for pushing his own will onto others. If he’s ‘trying’ not to, that means that, to some extent, some of it is innate, not exactly something he has control over. It’s possible there’s a more traditional component to it, since he’d mentioned not seducing anyone unless they’re open to it, which could refer directly to being able to sense it or is just more generally people skills. Either way, it’s more likely to be on the empathy side of the equation than the telepathy side.
And, Lord knows, it’s not like Leonard has no experience with pinpointing a relationship that has gone sour. Sooner or later, persuasion or no persuasion, his stubborn mind would reassert itself, and he’d get himself out of there right quick. If not him, his nana would catch on, too protective and with too much common sense to be easily fooled.
Looking at all of this in a vacuum, it’s not just the presence of the man and whatever charismatic empathic field he has that’s affecting him here. Bratty blue-eyed blonds with a sense of time and place and an ability to buckle down when it counts are definitely one of Leonard’s weak spots, and it’s not like the idea that he’s needed, that he won’t just be sent away, hurts either. Empathy—not of the telepathic kind, just your average plain ol’ virtue. Intelligence and curiosity. The willingness to argue, but also to listen. McCoy is respected, not just for his ability but also for who he is. There’s definite mutual attraction, there. Even if he wanted to, he can’t blame it all on outside influence. It can’t help that it’s been so long since he’s let himself start falling in love again he doesn’t know how to handle himself, exactly.
From there, he’s got to assume that Kirk’s used to projecting confidence, sure, but probably even boosting morale. He might not even be aware that he’s doing it, which makes McCoy frown. That’s got to be energy intensive. No wonder he’s got such an appetite. It can’t be shipwide; if nothing else Leonard’s own experience says it doesn’t necessarily last long outside of his presence, and Jim had indicated it probably got stronger with touch. Even then, if he’s doing it at all times, that could be a health risk. He has to have a talk with the man without supervision at some point. Chances are, if he finds the thought of forcing his will onto others distasteful, it’s a subconscious thing, something along the lines of having to inspire others as a leader manifesting itself in ways it wouldn’t in your average human.
It’s more than the ability to push and read emotions, because Kirk can draw from them in some way, too. Heal, probably get strength. But he’d been trying to avoid even that on account of morality. It’d probably be possible to go too far, but a man with no morality wouldn’t care about that, other than maybe the possibility of getting caught.
As for the cause, well, that depends on the family tree. The most likely option would be some kinda mutation in your average psionic gene, causing the psionic ability to manifest in a completely new way, but Leonard’s leaning toward non-human inheritance somewhere down the line. It’s far, far less likely, but it’d explain some things. He’d been right to call out McCoy on his remarks on the Vulcans, no matter how the cold, calculating walking computers annoyed him, but the defensiveness suggested he was taking it personally. That could be why.
Khan is smart enough to not have him brought up to the bridge, but to a ready room close by. It’s not too surprising he’s being brought to the leader again, though if asked he’d certainly say that he enjoyed the first tour of the ship a hell of a lot more. He knows he’s managed to intrigue Khan one way or another and there’s probably some sort of bullshit test being conducted. He just has no idea whether it’s one he’s passed or failed. Not that he’d change his actions either way. “Good afternoon, Doctor.”
“It’d be better if I didn’t have to keep cleaning up after your sloppy attempts at torture,” he growls, finding his heart beating quick.
Khan smiles again, dangerous but amused. “It’s true that some of my subordinates aren’t exactly too skilled. Their talents lie elsewhere.” He pauses, and then adds, “Your skills as a doctor are considerable, as is your dedication to the profession. Tell me, Doctor McCoy, how far do your ideals extend? If, for example, one of my crew was injured, would you find it in yourself to lend a hand?”
“The Hippocratic Oath doesn’t come equipped with exceptions. Even if I do happen to be held hostage at the time.” And maybe if he earns some trust, or learns something, that could be useful.
“Excellent. It is good to understand, and be understood. Succeed, and you are owed a debt. Fail, and your good Captain’s life is forfeit. I believe that makes everything perfectly clear.” Kirk, too, is a dangerous man, but he’s not exactly like Khan. Khan is...a snake. Hypnotic, but lethal. “It might surprise you to learn, Doctor, that your Federation has been in the habit of keeping slaves. The parasites implanted in us make us extremely susceptible to suggestion, but they are also slowly killing us. I believe they are genetically modified, violating your own laws, and gathered from a Klingon planet after an encounter by one of your own Admirals. Even if it had been possible to remove such a trait from these creatures, it was thought of as, rather, a bonus, something by which to dispose of us after our usefulness had reached its end.”
At this point, why not? The universe sure has its sense of humor, to the detriment of anyone who actually has to live there. Why not throw power-hungry madmen who in all other circumstances would be in the wrong an actual utterly understandable reason for revenge? “I don’t know why you’d think it was anything but a surprise. I’m not in the habit of just overlooking violations of the Nuremberg Code. The bastard needs to be court-martialed, not given commendations, and I can guarantee you Kirk agrees.”
Khan smiles slightly, narrowing his eyes. Probably pleased by his response and still wanting to wring the Admiral’s neck. “And you really think you have the power to achieve such a result?”
“Doing the right thing isn’t about winning or losing. If the outcome was certain, you wouldn’t need doctors. You’d do fine with just robots. It takes a heart to be a doctor.” McCoy pauses and then adds, “You wouldn’t mind me double-checking your conclusions, now?”
“Be my guest. If the promise of death was simply an empty threat, I would be delighted to learn that.” And then revisit it a hundredfold on the Admiral, probably.
