Author's Note:
1.
This is the third chapter of a multi-chapter story and won't really make sense unless you've read the first two chapters.
2.
This chapter is mostly a BDSM scene, with a fair amount of conversation and a small amount of (male on male) sex. If that's not what you want to read, well, this site has LOTS of other stories. :-)
3.
See the Chapter 1 notes for warnings, disclaimers, definitions, and the like.
4.
This story takes place right after the fourth year of the first five-year mission, in the Original Series (NOT reboot) universe.
5.
Thanks for reading!
Whipping Boy, Chapter 3
One month later
From a distance of 20,000 kilometers, the planet of Porrima was a swirl of green and blue, seeming all ocean and forest. As the shuttlecraft descended, it became apparent that there were occasional clearings in the forests, but the land was still as thickly forested as any Kirk and Spock had ever seen. When they got close to the surface, the blur of green resolved into spiky coniferous forest: cool, peaceful, and still.
Kirk piloted the shuttlecraft
Copernicus
to the coordinates Spock had given him, setting it down in a clearing near the hut they'd rented. As they gathered their luggage from the back of the shuttle, Spock said, "Because Porrima is a meditation retreat, the dwellings are manually constructed, and every hut is unique. There was but a single hut with a stanchion supporting the ceiling in the center of the main room, which I decided would be ideal for our purposes."
Kirk stilled for a moment, not sure whether to be amused or appalled. He decided to go for amused. He resumed collecting his half of the luggage. "Spock, are you telling me that you've rented the one cabin on all of Porrima that comes complete with its own whipping post?"
Spock gave Kirk his Vulcanly amused look. "Affirmative. It is unnecessary to secure me to it, but its physical support may prove beneficial."
"Some dinner would be beneficial right now, so let's get inside. You said you'd ordered supplies?"
"Some of those who visit this world for quiet contemplation prefer to spend as little time as possible on mundane tasks, so our hut is equipped with a food synthesizer, in spite of the fact that it is otherwise somewhat primitive. Others, however, believe that performing mundane tasks has a grounding effect, so there are also modest kitchen facilities. We can cook or employ the synthesizer, as you wish."
"A whipping post AND a food synthesizer. Y'know, there are days when I think you're so prepared you could whip an extra shuttlecraft out of your back pocket."
That earned him an eyebrow. "Jim, conservation of mass would dictate..."
"Don't even start; I
know
you know I'm joking. Come on, I want some food."
The interior of the hut was constructed entirely of local wood and consisted of three rooms: a large main room and a small bedroom and bathroom. The walls were planed but not sanded or finished; the floor, however, was both sanded and varnished. As Spock had said, a round pole in the center of the main room helped to hold up the roof; the pole had clearly once been a tree, with the branches removed, the bark peeled off and the surface slightly smoothed.
The main room had a kitchen alcove and small table with chairs on the wall to the left of the front door, a fireplace and seating area on the wall opposite the door, and doors to the bedroom and bathroom on the wall to the right of the front door. Two long, rustic benches on either side of the front door completed the main room's furnishings. One of the benches held candles, mats, and other mediation aids; the other was empty.
After dinner, Kirk unpacked his duffel bag while Spock cleaned up after the meal. Kirk spread the floggers and cane that Spock had given him on the empty bench and turned to Spock. "I've been practicing, and my aim is pretty good now. I won't ... hit anything but what I'm aiming at."
Spock inclined his head. "Of course. I have an additional implement for you, and you may wish to spend some time becoming accustomed to it."
"Another toy? But we haven't been to any place that has even a basic market in the past month."
"This implement is of my own construction."
"You MADE it?"
"Affirmative. The
Enterprise's
scientific experiments frequently require the construction of novel equipment, so our laboratories contain a variety of tools and raw materials, specifically to facilitate the assembly of such equipment." Spock looked at him. "You know this."
Kirk ran a hand through his hair, then grinned. "I knew you could make a mnemonic memory circuit out of stone knives and bear skins, so I guess I should have known that you could make this, but it's nothing like what you usually make. I'm impressed, Spock."
Spock looked pleased, in his low-key way. "The implements sold for recreational practitioners of BDSM are intended to minimize physical damage, but as we discussed previously, you require a certain amount of damage for optimal satisfaction. I judged that a somewhat more injurious implement would be desirable, and as one was not commercially available, I constructed it."
Kirk cocked his head. "If we're not 'recreational' practitioners, what are we, then?"