Johann entered the room where the mission would take place.

The first time she came here, it was just an empty room; now, it was furnished. Jo immediately noticed that a shower and a cabinet had been installed. Of course, there hadn't been time to build a separate space, but they had at least separated them from the main room with curtains. Against the west wall, there was a large table filled with supplies—clothes, sheets, towels, and other similar items, along with a closed box like those given to all crew members, likely containing personal hygiene items. A shiny polymer container stood next to it, probably for food. Basic, but the essentials were here.

Opposite, against the wall, there was a bed. Apparently, they had only had time to put a sheet on it, as the standard-issue bedspread was still folded on the table. On the bed, Spock lay unconscious. He was shirtless, still wearing his boots and his tattered pants. His body was covered in greenish cuts, but they seemed to have healed rapidly, and though the wounds were fresh, they looked like they were several days old. Even the much more serious one on his arm seemed almost healed. Jo shuddered. He looked like some kind of barbarian, shirtless, scratched, and with tattered pants, stained with blood.

'Miss Stone.'

McCoy, who'd been by Spock's side, rose as she entered.

'Doctor,' she said, forcing a smile.

He walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder as if to encourage her.

'Are you holding up?' he asked, concerned.

'Yeah, I'm okay,' she said, though not entirely sure.

He gave her a supportive smile, which she returned with a grimace. She felt like bursting into tears but held back, thinking that the doctor looked so upset he might start crying with her, and honestly, she didn't need that.

'You've done a really good job with the room,' she said.

' Spock personally oversaw the setup to ensure you had as many comforts as possible.' McCoy assured her, as if to balance out his colleague's deplorable behavior.

'Yeah, that's thoughtful of him.'

McCoy looked down at the floor, just as uncomfortable as the captain had been.

'Let me show you what I've brought for you,' he said, trying to compose himself.

He approached the polymer box and opened it. He showed her all the items he had thought of. There was everything from personal lubricant to relaxant capsules, 'just in case.' Finally, he pulled out a hypodermic syringe.

'Just to make sure this doesn't lead to any unfortunate event; I also brought an intravenous contraceptive dose.'

Jesus, handling a mini-Vulcan on top of the full-sized one—hard to imagine anything worse.

'Yeah. Thanks, doctor, because that would really be a nightmare.'

McCoy nodded sympathetically and pulled the syringe from its case. She extended her arm, and he pressed the syringe against her skin. The clear liquid flowed into her veins like magic.

'There are two alert buttons hidden in the room,' he said as he put the syringe away. 'The first is in the ventilation duct, and the second is behind the headboard.'

'And how long until he wakes up?' she asked, casting a nervous glance at the sleeping commander.

'It's hard to say with Vulcans. I estimate it'll be in about thirty minutes, more or less.'

'I really need to take a shower because…'

She ran her hand through her greasy hair. Her slicked-back bun came undone, releasing shoulder-length hair that looked almost terrifying in its stickiness.

'Of course. Go ahead, don't worry. I'll stay by his side to make sure he doesn't wake up,' Bones offered, understanding.

'Thank you, doctor.'

'Spock insisted the shower wouldn't be timed. Take all the time you need.'

Jo smiled, thinking this was the first chivalrous gesture the Vulcan had made toward her, and that thought reassured her a bit. Except, that wasn't the case, as this decision mostly came from the difficulty of adjusting the shower timing for exclusive use by two people. Bones found it unnecessary to point this out. She grabbed clean sweats from the table and closed the curtain behind her. She stripped off her sticky clothes, feeling immediate relief and jumped into the shower.

She had feared the slime might stick to her hair, but it washed out easily. As she soaped up, she thought of Puf, whom she'd never see again. She felt a pang of sadness but quickly reconsidered, knowing, of course, that nothing better could have happened to her loyal ant. She lingered in the shower, the longest she'd taken in a year, and, unable to delay the inevitable any longer, she got dressed and stepped out.

McCoy stood up from the bed where he had been sitting to keep an eye on Spock.

'Thank you for your help, Doctor. I can handle it from here.'

He gave her a worried look, as if he too couldn't bring himself to leave her alone with the enraged Vulcan.

'Go ahead, Doctor. I'll be fine.'

McCoy sighed heavily.

'Just don't hesitate to sound the alarm if you feel you're in danger.'

'Danger? Yeah, I'll be in danger, but if we stop him, Mr. Spock will die, right? So even if I hit the button, I don't see what you could do. Unless you want to stay and hold my hand?'

McCoy raised his eyebrows, encountering Stone's unique style for the first time. Still, she was right. There was nothing more anyone could do for her.

'If he becomes too violent, you must sound the alarm. No matter the consequences. Promise me.'

Jo shrugged.

'Don't worry. I can defend myself.'

McCoy had no choice but to accept.

'All right. In that case, I'll leave. Keep us updated as soon as possible. We've installed an intercom for that.'

'I won't forget, sir.'

McCoy stood there for a moment, finally cast a disgusted look at the unconscious Vulcan, and left quickly, both furious and worried.

Jo's defiant expression faded, and she swallowed hard as she realized the big moment had arrived. The commander would be waking soon... Jo found herself wishing the doctor had stayed to hold her hand after all, then shook her head. Jesus, she was going completely nuts.

Spock groaned and nodded his head, frowning as the bond pounded louder. Damn, it was time to get a move on! It was now or never. She opened the box and grabbed the lubricant. She poured a generous amount and applying it as best she could. At least with this, she'd avoid the worst of it.

Spock opened his eyes, yet rather than look around, he found her through the bond. Jo felt it latched onto her like never before. He slowly got up on all fours, as if he were dizzy. He kneeled on the bed and turned his head to stare at her. Jo swallowed hard as he fixed her with a dragon-like gaze.

'Commander, please, stay calm this time.'

She pressed herself against the wall as, with unsettling slowness, he stood up. The bond pulsed harder. The young woman felt her whole body vibrate as if standing in front of a massive sound system with the bass cranked to the max. She noticed the bulge deforming his pants and felt a dull anxiety.

'No need to get upset, okay?'

With a sudden, jerky motion, he tore off what was left of his clothes and kicked off his boots with a few sharp movements. Jo glanced down and felt a huge sense of relief. Other than its slightly greenish hue, the organ most relevant to her appeared quite normal from a human perspective. And thankfully, the size was reasonable, she noted with a silent thanks to the heavens. Of course, she had been afraid of facing something enormous, which, given the circumstances, would have caused more harm than good.

She tried to reassure herself by recalling the terrible vision he had shared with her. That was how he felt. He was burning up, and the need to mate was obliterating his mind with such force that he felt his body was about to explode. And frankly, he looked exactly like that. Except, come to think of it, that wasn't exactly reassuring.

'We're going to have sex, Commander. I promise. But there's no need to be rough. You agree?'

Completely naked, he stood up, staring at her with an inhuman expression while the furious pounding of the bond became so strong it hurt. Jo felt like she was facing Priapus, that dumb Greek god with his dick in hand, ready to pounce on any creature with an orifice unlucky enough to cross his path.

'You wouldn't want to rape me… right?' she said, trying to appeal to reason.

He began to tremble, and Jo realized, yeah, he was definitely going to rape her. He was nothing more than a fucking animal in heat, and behind his crazed eyes, there wasn't a shred of a brain left. He wanted the hole, and he was going to have it. End of story.

Still, he wasn't as terrifying as a man would be. In his eyes, there was no sick desire, no lust, no perversion. She couldn't even see the need to dominate or control her like a human criminal might. The only thing in his gaze was the urgency to mate. He had said the mission would be like a violent storm, and that's exactly what it was. A violent storm.

Without warning, he lunged at her and grabbed her by the shoulders, but Jo was ready. She drove her knee into his balls with all her strength. He doubled over with a muffled scream, and she managed to slip free.

While he was incapacitated, she darted for the air vent. She ripped it open so violently the grate flew across the room. She saw the alarm switch, reach the hatch above, open it, and grab the duranium rod supporting the cover. Armed with a solid twenty-five-inch metal bar, she turned just in time to see him getting back up.

'Calm down!' she ordered, firmly.

Fighting through his pain, he straightened, but she could see her words had no effect.

'Stay where you are!,' she warned, raising the bar threateningly.

He locked his merciless gaze on her.

'Come any closer, and you'll regret it, you crazy bastard!' she growled, ready to strike.

Unfazed, he advanced, and she swung the bar hard into his shoulder. He staggered to the side. His eyes darkened, a flash of violence crossing them. He moved back, taking a stance like he was about to attack, ready to fight for the right to mate. Captain Kirk had told her he'd had to wrestle the Vulcan in heat, and Jo understood that's exactly what he was gearing up to do. Holy shit! These lunatics didn't come to blows with their females, did they? But the way he stood, arm raised, gave her the answer. Yes, they did. Without a doubt. Realizing he was about to tear her apart like a shrimp, she dropped the bar at her feet.

'No!' Jo cried, jumping onto the bed. 'No, no! There's no need to hit me,' she said, raising her open hands before her. 'I agreed to the mission, remember? I told you we'd have sex. No problem.'

He straightened, looking completely confused, standing there uncertain in the middle of the room.

'Just… calm down a bit, okay?'

Deciding that he was going to take the sex rather than the fight, he moved toward her with a determined stride. She tried to leap to the other side of the bed, but he caught her arm before she even hit the ground.

'Commander Spock!' she shouted with all the authority she could muster. 'Under Starfleet regulations, a commander cannot physically or mentally harm a crew member. Commander!'

He released her instantly, and barely believing her luck, she dashed back to the other side of the bed. He stared blankly into space for a moment, then looked at her again with those predator eyes and climbed onto the mattress to follow.

'I'm filing a complaint against Commander Spock!' she shouted as authoritatively as she could. 'I'm filing a complaint for assault!'

He froze, losing his panther-like expression and trembling even harder. With an incredible effort, he stepped back down from the bed, then leaned against the wall, clasping his hands in front of him, eyes rolling back in his head. His erection faded, and the throbbing of the bond quieted as if someone had hit the mute button.

Jo exhaled, watching the Vulcan, utterly miserable. Her compassion got the better of her, and despite the fact he'd just given her the fright of her life, she couldn't help but think he really looked pitiful. She knew what he was feeling and how horrible it was.

'Are you able to stay calm, Commander?' she asked firmly.

He nodded weakly, and she assumed that meant he'd try his best.

'Okay. Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to get ready, and you'll come over when I tell you, not before. Until then, you stay put.'

He nodded again, trembling in his corner.

She stripped off her clothes, letting them fall to the ground, then cautiously crawled across the mattress. Even though he was right there, leaning against the wall, he didn't move a muscle. She wondered how she should position herself. One thing was certain: the less she had to look at him, the better. Under the circumstances, getting on all fours was clearly the best option. She placed her knees at the edge of the mattress and leaned on her arms.

'Alright, come over—and take it easy, okay? Don't forget.'

He turned and pressed against her. He entered her gently, but the way he trembled like a leaf didn't bode well. Jo closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and braced herself for the worst.

He was inside her, but he wasn't doing anything. He just stood there, completely still. She figured it was just a brief pause before he got going, but he didn't, leaving her completely disconcerted.

Along the way, she'd prepared herself for him to go wild. And, at worst, for him to act like those assholes in old porn movies. But this? This was just too weird. It was undermining all the mental prep she'd done.

She looked back. His hands were hanging at his sides, and he was staring straight ahead like a plaster statue. Really? All that for this? Well, damn. She ducked her head, stifling a laugh before regaining her composure.

'You can go ahead. It's fine now. I'm ready,' she said, just in case.

Spock held back with all his might, as if restraining a raging bull. Every part of him wanted to let go, but a powerful barrier—just as powerful as the orders of a Vulcan priestess—held him back: he must not harm his partner. It was against the Star fleet rules. And he knew that once things got going, he would lose all control, so he waited for a signal, anything.

When he heard her words, he closed his eyes and unleashed everything.

Spock felt the furious energy of the Koon-ut-so'lik explode through his body, and he cried out in pain. Jo screamed in terror, realizing that nothing she'd imagined even came close to the reality.

Just like when they had touched fingers, the bond surrounded them like a bubble, but it was no longer a cozy blanket fort. It was enormous, furious. It expanded around them, vibrating with monstrous energy, and the rhythm pulsing through it was like deafening thunder, terrifying the poor human.

Around her, pure energy pulsed—violent, uncontrollable, incomprehensible. She couldn't see it with her eyes, but she felt it, and when you felt something like that, you realized you'd never truly felt anything before in your life. It was like being caught in a whirlwind of electricity shooting through her body, messing with her mind, and shocking her senses. She was sinking into the raging maelstrom. The energy surged through her with unbelievable power, vaporizing her mind, burning her veins. She screamed; sure she was about to die.

Hearing her scream, Spock, equally tossed around with brutal force, made a supervulcan effort and fought against himself to regain control of his body. He managed to pull away from her and, following some primal instinct, he suddenly flipped her onto her back, and lay on top of her.

He clumsily pushed to enter her body, and immediately, as if two bare wires had touched, the contact was made.

The frantic energy of the Koon-ut-so'lik began to swirl around them, pressing them together rather than relentlessly trying to fry them. Clearly, this position was suited for this mess, not the other, Jo thought fleetingly. But they weren't out of the woods yet. The furious energy pressed on them with such force that she felt as if Spock was going to pass through her. To her utter astonishment, that's exactly what happened. She felt him pass through her and was completely stunned. Holy shit! What was this new madness!

She had never been particularly fond of spiritism, but this crazy thing was exactly that. It was his "soul," his "spirit," his "energy body," or something like that, trying to pass through hers. But fucking hell, she had agreed to have sex, not to participate in an extreme spiritism session. Disturbed, she closed herself off as she had done when she felt the Vulcan too clearly at the end of the link, and he was pushed back.

Barely aware of what he was doing, Spock placed his hand on her cheek and she had no choice. They fused.

Everything stopped. Everything disappeared.

A great silence fell and suddenly, they felt nothing. Nothing at all. No thoughts crossed their minds, and they were deprived of emotions. Jo felt no fear because she could no longer feel anything and had no thoughts to formulate this absence. She was just being.

They were.

Only.

Of course, this meditative state typical of Vulcan mating was particularly intense during pon farr. But like everything related to rut, no one ever talked about it, and every Vulcan, when it came time to mate, discovered to their great surprise that it was from the mating state that Surak's teaching was born.

The master had relied on the natural biological dispositions of his race to develop his discipline. He had somehow exploited that sublime moment where the most total barbarism culminated in its absolute opposite: the absence of everything that had engendered it. Simply, the great master had proposed to reach it with discernment. Through logic. And every Vulcan found a profound satisfaction in constantly seeking this deep state of fullness where mating culminated: the absence of all emotion.

After an impossible-to-evaluate lapse of time, their minds individualised, separated, and Jo realised that she could think and feel again. She perceived the drumbeat of the Koon-ut-so'lik but thank God, the storm had calmed. She immediately opened her eyes, eager to extricate herself from the Vulcan abyss and return to her world.

Spock was above her, eyes closed, and his face had such an expression of peace that he almost looked like an angel. She observed him for a moment, astonished by his beauty. He held her left hand tightly in his while their index and middle fingers were in contact. She also felt his right hand's fingers on her cheek. She could read in his mind but saw no thoughts; it was as if his head was empty. She gently pushed his hands away.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at her without really seeing her. In his eye, she saw a glimmer that she recognised immediately. It was the look of a male who had thoroughly enjoyed himself. At a glance, she didn't quite see what could have put him in this state, but the fact was clear. He had a soft, velvet look that was unmistakable. He took a deep breath as if to return to reality, then withdrew slowly and rolled onto his side. He lay on his back and closed his eyes as if he wanted to savor the sensations this strange mating had given him.

Jo had no idea what could have made him climax to this extent, and for her part, she felt much less at ease. She had been half-assaulted, then electrocuted, had fused without being asked, and all that to get lost in the depths of a cosmic void, so honestly, she wasn't up for any post-coital relaxation.

She noticed her thighs were strangely wet. She sat up and saw that the sheets were soaked. Somewhat worried, she placed her hand in front of her and came into contact with a thick substance. It was more liquid than human juice but there was no doubt. Damn, he had cum liters! She got up, somewhat uncomfortable at the idea of being lying in a pool of semen.

As she did, more came out in such quantity that it left her stunned. It was to the point where the term 'pool' might have been a bit weak. Where had all that come from? she wondered, eyeing his nuts. One thing was certain, to get a facial from a Vulcan, you'd need insurance against drowning.

'Holy shit, this is crazy,' she said, looking at the puddle on the bed.

He finally gave her a look and observed the phenomenon with an indifferent air. Maybe he didn't care, but as far as she was concerned, she certainly wasn't going to lie down on that.

'We need to remove the sheet because, no joke …,' she said, troubled.

He looked at her thoughtfully without reacting.

'Really,' she insisted.

He blinked thoughtfully and then got up as if emerging from a fog. Jo removed the sheet and made a discouraged face at the soaked mattress. Feeling that the Vulcan's affection was starting to trickle down to her ankles, she used the sheet to dry herself.

'We should flip the mattress too,' she said, wiping her legs.

Spock made no movement and remained still, staring vacantly. Clearly, it was better not to count on Hercules. She flipped the mattress herself and threw on a clean sheet without bothering to smooth it out. He made no move to help, but as soon as the layer was in place, he slowly sat back at the head of the bed and stretched his legs out in front of him without saying a word.

After all this effort, she dried herself off again, admiring his look of contentment. He had the face of someone who had found peace; or perhaps touched nirvana. That said, one couldn't help but notice that some people had more luck than others, she thought, somewhat enviously.

She wondered how long all this had lasted but she didn't have a tablet with her.

'What time is it?'

Spock looked at her for a moment and shrugged vaguely. Damn, he was really out of it. She went to the bathroom, quickly cleaned herself in the shower then headed to the intercom and pressed the button.

'Stone.'

'McCoy/Kirk!' they responded almost in unison.

'Just letting you know everything's okay.'

'Do you need medical support?' asked the doctor.

'No, I'm fine.'

'Are you sure?'

Physically, things were perfect, but she wondered for a moment if he had something against mental energy storms.

'Yes. Everything's under control. Doctor, can you tell me how long it's been since you left?' she asked.

'One hour, thirteen minutes exactly,' said McCoy, who had anxiously counted every minute.

They had been like that for an hour?! Damn, that was crazy!

'Thanks.'

'We'll stay on standby in case you need anything. Don't hesitate.'

'Received, Captain.'

She removed her finger from the button and realized she was starving. She headed to the gleaming polymer cabinet and opened the lid. All the necessary food was there. She took a plate from the table and filled it with all the synthesized food cubes she preferred. She added a bottle of minerals and vitamins and placed a napkin on a chair before sitting down.

After three days of a diet of fluorescent mushrooms, she devoured everything gratefully. Spock was still sitting on the bed, unmoved. He was staring ahead with a dreamy look, and she figured he must be hungry too.

'Spock, do you want some?' she asked, indicating the contents of her plate.

He looked up and frowned.

"You committed to addressing me formally."

She stared at him with an almost comical expression. He was naked as the day he was born, half-reclining on a mattress that had to be flipped because he had covered it with discharge, and he was demanding formalities. Really, this guy was something.

She raised an eyebrow, taken aback by how alien he could be. His rut must have subsided, and he was becoming as annoying as before. But on the other hand, stretched out like a pasha on the bed, it had to be admitted that he looked pretty damn hot.

Muscular yet so tall, he still had a certain grace. The fur on his chest tapered down to run across his belly like a thread and then flared out again, highlighting a nice cock casually lying on the side. In this languid state, he gave off an impression of nonchalant strength that had something feline about it. Jo realized that looking at him like this gave her quite a few ideas.

Finally, he had turned her on with his tantric fusion. It had been really intimate. And she had come to terms with the idea of an utterly wild mating. In fact, it had been wild but rather minimalistic from a human perspective.

Munching on a cube of synthesized food, she considered the best way to get what was missing. She tried to imagine what he would react to best, and a somewhat bold idea came to her. Finding no better option, she took a glance at him. He hadn't moved and seemed to be meditating on the fate of the world. She put on a nonchalant expression.

"Could I have a coït?"

She looked at him sideways. He seemed thoughtful.

"If you want."

She smiled as she bit into a pink cube. And that's how you convince a Vulcan: you throw out the honey pot and the white gloves and go straight for the goal.

Notes:

Jo hasn't retained anything from her ancient history lessons because the god Priapus, who has a huge constantly erect member, did try to rape poor nymphs and innocent goddesses, but he certainly didn't do it to all the creatures that pass by.

And also, just a small note to specify, in case anyone didn't know, that canonically speaking, nothing is known about Vulcan mating as such. Of course, the link between Surak's philosophy and Vulcan mating is pure invention.