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English
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Part 11 of Spring Fever ‘25
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K/S Spring Fever 2025
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Published:
2025-03-26
Completed:
2025-03-26
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2,243
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6/6
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Lost in Translation

Summary:

The Universal Translator is on the fritz and seems to have it out for Spock personally.

Notes:

Prompt:

 

Somehow the Universal Translator gets messed up and turns out the resident Vulcan has often been slipping into his own language. Cue confusion as Spock randomly speaks Vulcan and only Uhura can really understand, and Jim finding out he likes hearing his First Officer speak Vulcan a little too much. (Bonus points if Spock uses this opportunity to gush about Jim to Uhura, purposely speaks in Vulcan just to mess with people, and Jim trying to learn Vulcan and in doing so catches some of the cuteness that is Spock gushing about him (more bonus points if he at first thinks Spock is insulting him))

DNW: MCD, unhappy ending, mpreg, highschool, kidfic, snw/disco

Chapter 1: Kaiidth

Chapter Text

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura frowned at her console, tapping at the controls with increasing frustration. The Universal Translator was acting up again—the third time this week. She'd filed a maintenance request, but with the Enterprise on the outer edge of charted space, non-essential repairs were lower priority.

"Lieutenant, I require your assistance with these transmission logs," Commander Spock said, approaching her station.

"Of course, Commander. Just give me a moment to—" She was interrupted by a sharp crackling sound from her console, followed by a brief shower of sparks. Both officers stepped back reflexively.

"Keft-ka," Spock muttered.

Uhura turned to him with wide eyes. "Commander, did you just curse in Vulcan?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I spoke Standard English, Lieutenant, as I always do."

"No, you definitely just said—" She stopped herself and lowered her voice. "You definitely just used a Vulcan expletive."

"Fascinating," Spock replied, his expression betraying the slightest hint of concern. "wuh wat k' wuh ek'mesukh-stari-vel "

This time, Spock's eyebrows both shot up when he realized his words had not been translated.

"The Universal Translator seems to be malfunctioning," Uhura translated for him. "I believe it's affecting your speech patterns specifically, Commander."

Captain Kirk chose that moment to enter the bridge, his usual energetic stride carrying him straight to the command chair. "Status report, Mr. Spock?"

Spock turned to face his Captain. "T'nash-veh, ang'jmizn. Nash-veh ri tor— " He stopped abruptly, realizing what was happening.

Kirk tilted his head. "I'm sorry, what was that?"my

"The Universal Translator is malfunctioning, Captain," Uhura explained quickly. "Commander Spock appears to be slipping into Vulcan without realizing it."

Kirk's eyes lit up with interest. "Really? I've never heard you speak Vulcan before, Spock."

"Ri k' t'nash-veh dvel, " Spock replied, then looked momentarily frustrated.

"He said it's not by his choice," Uhura translated, trying not to smile.

"Can we fix it?" Kirk asked, looking between them.

"I'll need to run diagnostics on the main translator matrix," Uhura replied. "It could take several hours."

“Kaiidth, " Spock said with resigned acceptance.

Kirk's face broke into a delighted grin. "Whatever that was, it sounded... fascinating. What did he say, Lieutenant?"

"Just 'what is, is,' Captain. A common Vulcan phrase."

Kirk's smile only grew wider. "Well, this should be an interesting few hours. Carry on, Lieutenant. And Spock—" he gestured to the science station, "—maybe limit your reports to what's absolutely necessary for now?"

"Ha, ang'jmizn." Spock replied with a slight incline of his head.

As Spock returned to his station, Kirk watched him go with undisguised fascination. Something about the musical, precise sounds of the Vulcan language coming from his First Officer was unexpectedly captivating.

Chapter 2: vaksurik

Chapter Text

Two hours later, Uhura was deep in the translator circuitry when Spock approached her workstation.

"wilat nam-tor etek, ot-lan? " he asked quietly.

"Progress is slow, Commander. I've isolated the problem to your specific linguistic pattern recognition subroutine, but it's going to take time to recalibrate."

Spock nodded, glancing around to ensure they were not being overheard. "du ma ri var-tor wuh ang'jmizn"

Uhura looked up, surprised. "You want to know if I'll tell the Captain what?"

"ik nash-veh stariben weht Vuhlkansu svi' ish-veh la'es."

She couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips. "That you sometimes slip into Vulcan when discussing the Captain in particular? No, I haven't mentioned that to him."

"Nemaiyo, " Spock replied, his relief evident only to someone who knew him well.

"Commander, if I may ask..." Uhura hesitated. "How long have you been occasionally speaking Vulcan without realizing it?"

"opi’ wuh svi'Starfleet Academy, " Spock admitted.

"Since the Academy?" Uhura's eyebrows rose. "And no one noticed?"

"Ra saven-tor etek tor weht ugau fasei-kitok ra nuh'paribisayek, " Spock explained.

"I see. The translator has been correcting these slips all along." Uhura's fingers paused over her tools. "And your Vulcan slips happen most often when you're discussing..."

"Jim, " Spock said simply, his tone softening on the name in a way that made Uhura smile knowingly.

"Your secret is safe with me, Commander." She said with a coy smile, "Though I have to say, some of your... descriptions of the Captain are quite poetic."

The tips of Spock's ears darkened to a deep green. " Rai riolozhikaik heh rai vaksurik, " he protested.

"Not illogical and not beautiful?" Uhura translated with a grin. "I'd say they're both, Commander."

"Kuv du tvai-tor Jim t'nash-veh... kuv du thi'vaksurik-tor, dungi— "

"If I tell Jim about your... affectionate descriptions, you'll what?" she teased gently.

Spock straightened his shoulders. "Dungi fai-tor etek tor ish-veh nam-tor muhl hal-tor, " he finished diplomatically.

"We would both know it was a severe malfunction," Uhura translated, laughing. "Don't worry, Commander. Your secret admiration is safe with me."

As they spoke, neither noticed Captain Kirk standing just inside the doorway, watching with fascination. Though he couldn't understand the words, something about Spock's tone when speaking Vulcan fascinated him. The usual precise, measured cadence remained, but there was a musicality, an almost emotional quality to the alien language that Kirk found himself wanting to hear more of.

He stepped fully into the room, clearing his throat. "How's our translator situation, Lieutenant?"

Spock stiffened slightly, turning to face the Captain.

"Making progress, sir," Uhura replied professionally. "But it will be at least another day before Commander Spock's interface is repaired."

"Ni'droi'ik nar-tor, ang'jmizn, " Spock said formally.

"He's apologizing for the inconvenience," Uhura translated.

Kirk waved a hand dismissively. "No need to apologize, Mr. Spock. In fact, I find it quite... educational to hear your native language." He stepped closer, genuinely curious. "Say something else?"

Spock hesitated, looking to Uhura, who nodded encouragingly.

"Du nam-tor u' vaksurik u' wuh yel, " Spock said, his eyes fixed on Kirk's.

Kirk looked to Uhura expectantly.

She smiled diplomatically. "He said the ship's functions remain optimal despite the translator issues, Captain."

Kirk nodded, though something in Uhura's expression made him wonder if that was a completely accurate translation.

"Well, carry on. I look forward to our chess game later, Mr. Spock, translator issues notwithstanding."

As Kirk left, Uhura turned to Spock with a raised eyebrow. "'You are as beautiful as the stars themselves' is hardly a ship status report, Commander."

The tips of Spock's ears turned green again. "Nemaiyo t'ki'yeskaf t'du. "

"You're welcome for my discretion," she replied with a knowing smile. "But Commander, have you considered that the Captain might appreciate hearing what you actually said?"

Spock's only response was a deeper shade of green spreading across his cheeks.

Chapter 3: Ri olozhika

Chapter Text

That evening, Kirk and Spock sat across from each other at their usual chess board in the Captain's quarters. The game had proceeded in comfortable silence for the most part, with Spock occasionally making moves without verbal comment—clearly avoiding the translation issue.

"You know," Kirk said, moving his knight, "I've been thinking about this translator problem."

Spock raised an eyebrow in question.

"Maybe I should learn some Vulcan," Kirk continued, studying the board. "Just the basics. Enough to understand you until the translator's fixed."

"Ri olozhika, " Spock responded, then looked frustrated at his inability to speak Standard.

"Not logical?" Kirk guessed, looking pleased with himself.

Spock's eyebrow rose higher.

"I asked Uhura to teach me a few phrases," Kirk admitted with a grin. "I'm a quick study."

"Kupi term-tor Nash-te'kru, " Spock commented, moving his bishop.

Kirk frowned in concentration. "Something about... an admirable quantity?"

"Close," Spock replied, surprising them both by successfully speaking in Standard English. He paused, then continued carefully, as if focusing intensely on each word. "That is... an admirable... quality."

Kirk's face lit up. "You can speak Standard if you concentrate hard enough!"

Spock nodded. "It requires... significant mental discipline. Not... sustainable for extended... periods."

"Well, then," Kirk leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "teach me more Vulcan while you can speak Standard. Seems only fair."

Spock hesitated, then nodded. "What phrases... would you like to learn?"

"How about..." Kirk considered for a moment. "How do you say 'You are an excellent First Officer'?"

Spock's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "du nam-tor wuh marom nerien. "

Kirk repeated the phrase carefully, his human accent mangling the pronunciation slightly. Spock corrected him patiently, and Kirk tried again, improving.

"What does vaksurik mean?" Kirk asked suddenly. "I heard you use it with Uhura earlier."

Spock tensed slightly. "It means... 'efficient,'" he lied, knowing his control over Standard was too tenuous to create a more plausible falsehood.

"Efficient," Kirk repeated thoughtfully. "And what was that phrase... something with vaksurik and wuh yel?"

Spock stood abruptly. "I must... meditate. Chess... another time."

Before Kirk could respond, Spock had retreated from his quarters, leaving the Captain puzzled—and more intrigued than ever.

Chapter 4: Vaksurik Pt 2

Chapter Text

The next morning, Kirk made his way to the linguistics lab where Uhura was still working on the translator. He found her deep in concentration, surrounded by circuit components.

"Lieutenant," he greeted her. "Got a minute?"

"Of course, Captain," she replied, setting down her tools.

"I'm wondering if you could help me with some Vulcan phrases I've been trying to learn."

Uhura smiled knowingly. "Certainly, Captain. What phrases are you interested in?"

"Spock told me vaksurik means 'efficient,' but I'm not sure that's right. His control over Standard was a bit shaky."

Uhura pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. "No, Captain. Vaksurik means 'beautiful.'"

Kirk's eyes widened slightly. "Beautiful? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure, sir. I'm fluent in Vulcan."

"And what about... Du nam-tor u' vaksurik u' wuh yel ? What does that mean, exactly?"

Uhura hesitated only briefly. "It means 'You are as beautiful as the stars themselves,' Captain."

Kirk sat down heavily on a nearby stool. "That's... not what you translated for me yesterday."

"No, sir," Uhura admitted. "I thought Commander Spock might prefer discretion in that moment."

"And has he been..." Kirk searched for the right words, "...saying things like that often?"

Uhura nodded. "When he thinks he's speaking Standard but slips into Vulcan instead? Yes, quite regularly. Especially when discussing you, Captain."

Kirk ran a hand through his hair. "So when he told me yesterday that learning Vulcan was ri olozhika —not logical—"

"He was probably concerned you might understand other things he's been saying," Uhura finished for him.

A slow smile spread across Kirk's face. "Lieutenant, I need to learn one more phrase perfectly. Can you help me?"

Chapter 5: Taluhk nash-veh k'dular

Chapter Text

That evening, Spock arrived at the Captain's quarters for their rescheduled chess game, having spent the day avoiding extended conversations and focusing intensely whenever Standard speech was absolutely necessary.

"Come in, Mr. Spock," Kirk called when the door chimed.

Spock entered to find the chess board already set up, Kirk sitting comfortably with a smile that seemed particularly... satisfied.

" Sarlah nash-veh svi'ma'os- " Spock began.

" K'dular vaksurik ashau-tor, " Kirk interrupted, carefully pronouncing each syllable.

Spock froze completely, his eyes widening. The phrase—"I find you beautifully fascinating"—was unmistakable, even with Kirk's human accent.

"Did I pronounce that correctly?" Kirk asked innocently.

" Sanu, kidishaya, " Spock whispered, asking for clarification.

Kirk stood and moved closer to his First Officer. "Uhura has been teaching me a bit more Vulcan than I let on. Enough to understand some of what you've been saying when you thought you were speaking Standard."

" Ra nam-tor vokau t'Uhura? " Spock asked, a hint of alarm in his voice.

"What did Uhura tell me?" Kirk translated confidently. "Enough to know that vaksurik doesn't mean 'efficient.' It means 'beautiful.'"

The tips of Spock's ears turned dark green.

"And enough to understand that you've been... what's the word? Vaksurik-is-tor dahshal khart-lan? 'Beautifully describing your captain'?"

Spock's composure was visibly cracking. " Jim, ni'droi'ik nar-tor— "

"Don't apologize," Kirk interrupted, stepping closer still. "I find it... fascinating. And I've learned one more phrase I'd like you to hear."

Spock stood perfectly still as Kirk leaned in and carefully said, "Taluhk nash-veh k'dular. "

Even with Kirk's imperfect pronunciation, the traditional Vulcan declaration—"I cherish thee"—was unmistakable.

For a long moment, they stood in silence, mere inches apart. Then, with careful focus, Spock managed to reply in Standard:

"I believed... my thoughts... were private."

Kirk smiled. "Maybe the translator malfunction was actually working perfectly. Saying what you couldn't."

"Illogical," Spock replied, but his voice had softened. "Nash-veh ma vesh' — heh kwon-sum dungau nam-tor — ish-veh "

This time, Kirk didn't need a translation. He understood enough of the Vulcan now to grasp the sentiment: sometimes beautiful things happen when we allow ourselves to be understood.

As Kirk reached out two fingers in the Vulcan gesture he had also learned, Spock met them with his own, their fingertips touching in a ozh'esta that required no translator at all.

Chapter 6: ikapik

Chapter Text

One week later, Uhura finally completed the repairs to the Universal Translator.

"All systems functioning normally, Commander," she reported to Spock on the bridge. "Your speech patterns should be properly processed now."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Spock replied in perfect Standard. "Your technical expertise is most appreciated."

"Will you miss speaking Vulcan on the bridge?" she asked quietly.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "As that was never my intention, I cannot logically miss it."

From the command chair, Kirk turned with a smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Spock. We still have our Vulcan lessons in private."

"Indeed, Captain," Spock replied, the faintest hint of warmth in his voice.

"Though I must say," Kirk added with a mischievous glint in his eye, " Nam-tor du vaksurik k'etwel t'wuh shi'yon. "

As the bridge crew looked on in confusion, the tips of Spock's ears turned a telling shade of green, and Uhura turned away to hide her smile.

Some things, after all, were beautiful in any language.

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