Klicks Title: Klicks Author: Qzeebrella Fandom: Star Trek the Original Series Disclaimer: the show and its characters belong to Paramount, no infringement intended, no profit being made. Pairing: spock/mccoy Summary: Spock thinks of the various things he heard during the Klingon peace talks of Star Trek VI Challenge: Write a S/Mc dealing with the issue of xenophobia. Author's note: Janet's comment "I think we should just change Klingon to Klick in fan-speak. It sounds better." And the "I'm sorry that we lost a vessel to the Klicks, but no lives were lost. It is worth noting that they were able to fire on an unmanned vessel, don't you agree, Mr. Chekov?" Asked Kirk." In Artemis' Hearts and Flowers. This is not intended to offend anyone, just a different way of looking at the phrase. Warning: offensive words *** "Damned Klingons" "Dirty Klingons" "They smell awful." "They all look alike." "Do they ever bathe?" "You can't trust a Klingon." "Did you see what they eat? It's disgusting." "I don't see how we could ever be friends with them." "We could never be allies." "The women are supposed to be very aggressive in bed." "I've heard they can't get enough." "All they do is fight." "They don't even understand the word honor." "You can't trust them." "They're vicious, unprincipled, and treacherous." "They'd stab you in the back then spit on you." "Damn Klicks." "Damn Nigger." "Where do you draw the line? I wish I knew." Leonard says, "I think it should be before the Damn Klicks though. I said at least one of the other things though. Am I just as guilty of a racist remark? Is it racist to say all Klingons look the same? Yes." "Is it racist to say, damned Klingons? Maybe not. But where do you draw the line? I'm just glad we have a start on a treaty. A possibility of peace. If our peoples do become friends, it will mean fewer battles between us. Less death and killing between us, hopefully, and a whole new physiology to learn. I need to hit the books and learn Klingon anatomy, practice surgery; I don't ever want to be caught flatfooted again. If I ever am faced with a severely injured Klingon again, I want to know how to treat him or her." "When I was first volunteered by Spock to come along on this mission, I did wonder at the logic behind what we were asked to do. I admit that I didn't think peace was possible, that I thought of the Klingons as being untrustworthy, violent, and likely to go back on any agreement. I saw them as being all the same, saw them as being all alike, and now I see them as individuals. It was a hard lesson to learn but I'm glad I learned it." "End log." Leonard says and sighs, "Now to find Spock and apologize for all those times I called him elf, hobgoblin; demon eared, and cold blooded. He can be so stubborn and drive you to wanting to hit him over the head, but to have let my reaction be to yell insults at him well that may have crossed the line. He might have pointy ears and green blood, but he's also a good man, a fellow officer and someone I deeply care for. I sure do hope he took none of my insults as racist. But I'll wonder till the day I die whether they were racist. I'll always be unsure if there is a part of me terrified of new life. A part of me who's first reaction is labeling, pigeon holing and verbal attacks when their actions are not like humans. And here, I thought part of the reason why I joined Starfleet was because I wanted to learn about different peoples, but did I do that? Or did I let my own preconceived notions of what others should be like prevent me from learning what they are normally like?" "Hell, except for the colonies and the transplanted humans, everyone we've met is alien. We should never have expected them to have the same values and beliefs as we do." "Should I have even categorized the people from Betazed Humanoid?" "Is categorizing all the races that are similar to us, Humanoid appropriate?" "There are times I'd love to be able to turn my brain off." Leonard mumbles as he leaves the room. "That would be unfortunate." Spock says, scaring the doctor out of his wits. "You have a fascinating mind and if you turned your brain off, you would cease to exist and I would miss your presence." "Why, thank you Spock." Leonard smiles at him, "I was intending to go find you, to let you know that I never intended to offend you. That when I tore into you, calling you elf or hobgoblin or whatever, that I never intended to verbally abuse you. I never thought of how you would see my saying that. I never considered how the terms could be taken as racist insults. I am sorry I never took the time to try to see things from your point of view." "I never saw your words as attacking my race, doctor." Spock says, "nor did I see them as abuse. I saw them as one of our ongoing battles. As you likely recall, I called you a witch doctor and other offensive things as well. If I hurt you with my remarks, I apologize." "Apology accepted and you never offended me either. Would you join me for some tea? Let me complain to you about how odd Klingon anatomy seems to me? It'll be almost as hard to learn it as it was for me to figure out yours. You sure are put together oddly, from my point of view." "And you are aesthetically pleasing, from my point of view doctor." "Thanks." Leonard says, blushing. Thrilled he and Spock were finally talking instead of trading insults. He was really looking forward to talking with his friend and sharing tea with someone who might become more than friend. The end.