Panem et Circenses by SpockSnapeStephen

Hunger Games: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its one-story mission: to kill innocent children, to seek out new allies and new supplies, to bo-...wait...WHAT?!?

WARNING: I do not own either the story in which I am reviewing or the characters that are in it. Neither do I own the properties of Hunger Games or Star Trek: The Original Series. Also on a side note, if you do not have a stable background in either Hunger Games or Star Trek: The Original Series you may not understand what is going on.

Fanfic #2: Panem et Circenses by SpockSnapeStephen

As I promised in the previous fanfic review, we are going to look over a crossover with the Hunger Games! The Hunger Games, if you have been sleeping under a rock for the last couple of years, is a kids/teen book about a game where children murder eachother in the name of sport!...Wait…What? Ok, ok I started off wrong. Let me start over again. The Hunger Games is about Katniss Everdeen and her experience in the Hunger Games where each ‘district’ sends two kids, a boy and a girl, to compete in this survival game. That’s all you need to know backstory wise on that because the story is going to explain about the books later.

So that is the Hunger Games series, but what about what it is crossing over with? Well, as I searched through the many fanfictions I found the one that looked the most interesting. It is, of course, Star Trek: The Original Series! Star Trek: The Original Series follows the crew on the starship Enterprise and their ventures through space. The crew on the starship includes Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhara, Ensign Chekov, etc. The show had follow-up series such as Next Generation and Voyager, which is why I am calling this specific one The Original Series, so you don’t get confused.

With you hopefully knowing the backstory now, you can see why this crossover does seem promising. It is combining two incredibly famous entertainment icons and clashing them together! However, is this crossover fanfic going to be as good as it looks? Will it deliver on what we want for this fanfic? Are these questions getting kind of annoying?

Well, question no longer as we dig into Panem et Circenses!

Our story begins with the Starship Enterprise approaching an Earth like planet.

Don’t they always?

They put the planet on screen to see that the planet has a landmass that looks exactly like North America!

Oh no. They found planet Malibu! Run before the extremely unfunny hijinx ensue!!!

After this astonishing discovery, the helm stopped responding. Scotty is about to check it out when the Enterprise “bucked.”

YEEEA DOGGIE! We got ourselves a buckin’ bronco!

This causes a series of events to cause the Enterprise to crash on the foreign planet (or at least I assume they do, the crash isn’t even noted in the story at all.) After the Enterprise gets their bearings together they decide to head out and look for help. Kirk puts a team together including Spock, Uhara, Chekov, and a security team to do so.

That’s right, make sure there are as little red shirts as possible, lord only knows how many of ‘em died during that nonexistent wreck.

The team decides to head off towards the sea as the chapter ends. Chapter 2 begins with the team plitting up with one team heading towards the docks and finding an old man and a girl. Uhara makes contact with them and asks them for help. The old man says that he cannot but says he can take them to someone who can. Uhara tells Kirk via communicator that they found help. As the old man takes them to help he says that his sister was Annie Cresta. The group says that they do not know who that is and the conversation ends there.

NOPE! Chuck Cresta.

As the old man takes them to the edge of town, he says that is as far as he can take them due to what happened in the ‘Nova Rebellion.’ The old man then asks that they do not mention his name to anyone, and then leaves. The group then realizes that an electrical fence blocks their path.

An electrical fence? Please. Kirk has killed a Gorn in the wilderness and legions of Klingon. I think that he’s gonna be fine.

After much deliberation it is decided that a hole will be blasted through the fence using a phaser. Then Kirk is sitting in the mayor of District Four’s office explaining his situation.

Scotty, jump cut me up.

The mayor, of course, does not believe his story. Due to this, he sends them to the Capitol.

Brilliant plan. Send the foreign people who you do not know and are heavily armed to the capitol of the FRIGGIN’ PLANET.

The group takes the train and while riding there, Bones reaches Spock via communicator and asks to let him talk to Kirk. Bones reports that everything is fine but the people “want reassurance, and their captain.” When Spock is asked his assessment of their situation by Kirk, Spock tells his that their survival on the planet weighs heavily on the “compliance of President Flint.”

But they do not need compliance of Vice President Steel.

When they finally reach the Capitol they enter a pink mansion of the president. While walking there, Kirk notices a saying inscribed on some white moonstone with the words being in Onyx saying ‘PANEM ET CIRCENES,’ which means ‘BREAD AND CIRCUSES.’

And there is the name of the story! Take a good look kids, it never comes back up again.

The group gets an audience with President Flint but only Kirk and Chekov can come and when they do they must come unarmed.

Finally some one notices that they are armed.

The President greets them warmly but the only thing they can notice about her is her eyes one was a dark purple color and one was black and reminded Chekov of a dead man’s eyes. After Kirk and Chekov explain the situation, President Flint gladly accepts to help them. In fact, she even grants the whole East Wing of her mansion to them. The chapter ends with President Flint saying that it is a pleasure to have them and says the classic line: “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Unfortunately the line will be used over and over until it is not classic anymore.

Chapter three begins with Spock realizing why the President wanted to meet Kirk with Chekov and not him. “The government, Spock conjectured, would attempt to keep Captain Kirk and myself apart.”

Ok Spock, you aren’t THAT important.

Kirk then returns with the good news and tells them to all get some rest. That night Spock visits Kirk in his room because Kirk wants a word with him. The two begin discussing whether or not they should trust President Flint. During this conversation Kirk says that President Flint’s eyes remind him of Khan’s eyes. “’Do you remember Khan?’ ‘Of course Captain.’ Spock had an idea of where this was going, his mind being just as intelligent as the aforementioned maniac. ‘And his eyes, do you remember those?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘They were, at first glance, kind, polite, and intelligent. But they masked a calculating madman. That is what her eye reminded me of.’”

FLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINT!

Later, after Kirk gets news from the ship about how everything is going, Spock returns after gathering information on the planet’s history. (There is no transition to show when he leaves and when this is taking place, so I am assuming right now.) The information that Spock could find on the planet’s history is as follows (Now I do not know if all of these facts are correct seeing as how I am only in the second book right now, but for now I am assuming they are): “‘It is difficult to find any information; it is all carefully controlled by President Flint. From what I have gathered, there have been three rebellions and one cataclysm. All information from before the Capitol era was lost. The next piece of information gathered was about the so-called Dark Days. The districts rebelled but the Capitol quelled all resistance and destroyed District Thirteen. The government then instituted the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are an annual sacrifice of one boy and one girl from each district. They are put in an arena to fight to the death. The last standing is declared winner and lives a life of luxury.’ Kirk interrupted, ‘Is, Spock?’ ‘Yes, sir. Present tense. The Hunger Games are still in effect,’ Spock affirmed. Kirk, disturbed, motioned for him to continue. ‘Seventy-five years later, a rebellion was led by the "obliterated" District Thirteen. Previously District Thirteen produced nuclear weapons for the Capitol. When it rebelled, the Capitol arranged an agreement; District Thirteen would disappear underground and the Capitol would pretend it didn't exist." Spock paused a moment, his dark hair glinting in the sunlight filtering in from between the blind slats. ‘This was a mistake. District Thirteen rose, gained the support of some of the other districts, and overthrew the Capitol with Hunger Games victor Katniss Everdeen as their symbol. The leaders of that Mockingjay Rebellion voted to have a last Hunger Games with Capitol children, including the former president's granddaughter, Bellona Snow. Bellona won the Games and several years later led a third rebellion to revert the government back to the way it was before the Mockingjay Rebellion. Bellona instigated a purge of victors. All victors had to swear their loyalty to Bellona or be killed. Some did. Many did not. Katniss Everdeen, Mockingjay President Paylor, and Annie Cresta were not given a choice, being deemed too dangerous to continue. Peeta Mellark, Katniss' husband, was not given a choice either but was kept alive, crushed, for the districts to look at when thoughts of rebellion entered their minds.’”

Eh...Peeta can get over it…

Then chapter three ends with it being recalled that the man who helped them out at the beginning was Annie Cresta’s brother and that Bellona Snow’s daughter is President Flint.

DUHN DUHN DUHN!

Chapter four begins with Kirk, Uhara, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov and Spock being shown a documentary for the Hunger Games in the presence of President Flint. Caesar Flickerman, the narrator/host of the film, shows different past winners of the games and the mentors for each district. Sulu, being disgusted leaves the room for a breather.

Sulu, I think you’ve seen worse. You flown across the galaxy killing different species and watch your captain bang every single one of them.

Sulu returns and it is revealed in the documentary that the mentors for District 12 are Gemma Stone and Peeta Mellark. Spock deduces from Peeta’s picture, which is shown in the documentary that Peeta is suffering from Wilson’s disease. The documentary ends and the people return to their rooms. While in their room, Spock and Kirk discuss how President Flint cannot be trusted. In the middle of this conversation, a man bursts into their rooms to end chapter four.

Finally some action!

Chapter five begins with it being revealed that it was only Scotty trying to get into the room to talk to Kirk.

Finally some letdown!

Scotty explains to Kirk that one of the district people that was helping out with the Enterprise was cutting wires. When Scotty asked him why he would do that, he said that he was under orders by President Flint to keep them there by any means necessary. The man further explained to Scotty that President Flint “was gonna do somethin' bad. He said he dunno what but those Games last year weren't vairy int'restin'! He was goin' te say somethin' else but a chunk o' metal dropped on his head. The poor lad's dead now.”

That’s convenient.

Kirk was about to take action when President Flint asked to see Kirk alone in private. When Kirk reaches President Flint, she greets him. “’Good day Captain. Are the odds in your favor?’ President Flint questioned.”

Ok, I know it’s a classic line and all, but when you use it in such a pointless fashion it loses its classic-ness.

President Flint then gives Kirk a slip of paper which said this on it: “Captain James T. Kirk- 50 slips

*Mr. Spock- 40 slips

*Doctor Leonard McCoy- 30 slips

*Mr. Montgomery Scott- 30 slips

*Lieutenant Nyota Uhura- 20 slips

Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu- 20 slips

*Ensign Pavel Chekov- 10 slips

Yeoman Janice Rand- 10 slips

And so the list went on until it ended with

*Doctor Helen Noel- 2 slips.” Kirk asks what the ‘slips’ mean, but President Flint does not answer.

Clearly, Kirk, those slips are the pink slips that you got when you were at school.

President Flint then warns Kirk about the future of his crew in a very odd way. “’Doctor McCoy and Mr. Spock are good friends of yours, are they not?’ inquired Jade Flint. This time Kirk did not answer. ‘It would be a shame if something happened to them, wouldn't it.’”

My god. President Flint is a creeper! RUN KIRK RUN!!!

President Flint tells Kirk that she has taken some of his crew hostage and that if he wants their safety that he will have to gather the people who don’t have stars on the list, because they are the ones that are captured, at the square at 10 o’clock the next day. The next day Kirk gathers together everyone who isn’t captured, and gives a stirring speech to his crew. During this time however they also find Uhara and Spock.

Wait, didn’t they have a star next to their name?...unless…

The chapter ends with the Capitol having their first reaping and begins with the names being selected. The names that were selected were Uhara’s and Spock’s.

Hold on a second. Aren’t the Hunger Games a competition between kids? Not adults? And does nobody even care that people who are not from the Capitol are going to be any of the Capitol’s own kids? The point of the Hunger Games is to discipline the different districts because of what has happened in the past. And yet, somehow they get a ‘Get Out of Jail Free card’? This is about as fair as Les Miserables! Come on people!

The chapter then swiftly ends with Kirk and McCoy volunteering to be the other two’s mentors. The following chapters are essentially preparation for the Hunger Games which is exactly like the movie/book so I will give you the short version. Spock and Uhara are apart of “District Enterprise” (Cute), Uhara gets a 10 during the private session with the gamemakers and Spock gets a 12. The two get interviewed along with everybody else and they are getting ready for the games until the two finally get thrust into the 124^th Hunger Games. Though one thing I would like to point out before we leap ahead is that Kirk and McCoy, during Chapter 10, meet Peeta. Peeta in this chapter is mournful and is just given a couple of lines of dialogue, and for what it is worth his character is well done. I mean his personality doesn’t jump off the pages, seeing that he has only twelve sentences throughout the whole chapter, but he is good none the less. If he had more lines, I believe that he might be more developed, but he is just a side character making a cameo so I don’t think it matters.

And did I mention that people like saying “May the odds be ever in your favor”? Because they do. They really do.

Anyways, Chapter twelve begins with everyone on their metal pads jumping out to the Cornucopia to get some supplies and weapons. The tributes begin clawing on eachother except for Spock who just walks slowly into the Cornucopia, gets a backpack and a spear then just walks away with Uhara without hurting anyone and without getting hurt himself.

Like a boss.

Later when Uhara and Spock get their bearings together, the casualty gong rings out and it is revealed that only five tributes were killed on the first night. The two keep going and decide to set up camp in a cave. Later in the cave, Spock opened the pack he brought and both him and Uhara then find out that they have two sets of winter clothes, a couple of packages of dried-up food, water bottles, a sleeping bag, a bowl and a pouch with caustic stones.

Ah yes. During the Hunger Games, I can see when one might need ROCKS. That is completely useful.

As the chapter ends, a girl named Miriam joins their group and explains that the caustic stones actually explode when thrown at a high enough speed from a sling.

As I said before, very useful.

Chapter thirteen begins with McCoy watching the Games and needing to take a break from the violence and asks Kirk to stay and watch the Games to make sure nothing bad happens to their two crewmates. McCoy enters the Game Headquarters and runs into the previous victor from District Five, Valentine. The two discuss how their tributes are teaming up for a while until Kirk calls up McCoy to tell him that “Something’s happening.”

Kirk, tell me that this has nothing to do with “The Happening, please?

The chapter ends with the ‘something’ being two people are about to ambush Spock, Uhara and Miriam. Chapter fourteen starts with Miriam taking a shift and thinks she hears something. She reports what she heard to Spock and Uhara who find two kids. The two kids (named Rose and Aidan), after some misunderstandings and almost killing Miriam, decide to become allies with Spock and Uhara.

I would trust the insane children who tried to kill my buddies too…if they had said please.

Miriam, feeling bad that she almost got her team and herself killed begins to mope.

How could this happen to meee…

The group did nothing for a while, which made the gamemakers bored so they send in a tornado that tares Rose in half and literally spraying her entrails into the river near their cave as the chapter ends.

...This is the stuff you kids read these days?...What is wrong with you people?...

The final chapter, so far, of the story begins with the group making their way to a new camp with Miriam moping over Rose dying. Aiden attempts to cheer her up, but fails. The group then goes fishing in the stream. During this time, the group run into another person, named Athena and try to make peace with her. She refuses saying that she wants to do things her own way.

Ah, we got ourselves one of them emo, loner teenagers in the Hunger Games, eh? Quick kill her before she gets any character development!

Athena finally gives in and joins the group.

Too late…darn it…

Athena becomes a great addition to the group due to being good at getting food and fighting. However, she then complains that Miriam is just holding them back.

Don’t mess with Miriam, Athena. Haven’t you heard? Miriam’s got stones.

Athena gets in a big fight with the group and the chapter ends with her disappearing.

Surprise, Surprise.

Final Thoughts: This story is not half-bad. Heck, I’d go as far as to say it is really good. It remembers its audience, it keeps you interested, when it can, and it is downright fun to read. It is also extremely well written, as far as fanfictions go. You may not be able to tell how good the writing was due to me paraphrasing everything, but I understood everything and I just loved it. Except for that whole ship crash not being written down at all…and when Kirk magically teleported to the one Mayor’s office, but other than that it was spectacular. Now that is not to say that this fanfiction is flawless, on the contrary. I just feel that for a fanfiction, this is really well done. It may have some confusing plot points and maybe two or three wooden side-characters, but overall I recommend it if you are up for a little Hunger Games action.

Though personally, if I were to do a Star Trek crossover with the Hunger Games, I would do it with the Next Generation. It would have Picard visiting to Panem, and he is the guest to watch the next Hunger Games. And when he watches it he is abhorred and the story would have him give one of his speeches to the President on how topsy-turvy their whole world is, and the Hunger Games part of it would mainly follow this one person from some district trying to survive and that person, Picard follows this person for some reason and wants him/her to live…but that’s just my opinion.

Tips for the writer(s):

1. TRANSITIONS! At the beginning of the story, the crash of the Enterprise is completely missing along with some other things later in the story. I know you want the chapter to move on, but we need those transitions! It makes the audience confused otherwise. Later as the chapters progress, the transitions return, but I’d thought I should remind you just in case you had something planned out and you forgot to put some transitions in there.

2. Add some flavor to some of your side-characters! Aiden and Miriam are starting to get a little boring. Miriam is an emo little girl who gets depressed about everthing and Aiden is just this nice guy who smiles and gives moral support. Athena is also just a ‘loner’ who is a ‘loner’ because…not explained. Explain these characters! Give them depth! Give them purpose! Also, if you do add Peeta again, try to make him more of this old soul that was crushed when he was young and he still doesn’t know how to handle it. I could sense that that was what you were trying to do, but you need to accent it more if that was what you were trying to do.

Well that is it for now! I’ll see you guys next time as we dig into one of the worst forms of human creation…yaoi…better leave your sanity at the door…until next time.

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