OK, so the spokes on my wheels are likely zinc plated and this zinc (and probably some of the underlying steel) have rusted. The best, cheapest policy is to ride them as is, rust and all. This will leave whatever protective coating they have on them as intact as possible. Otherwise I can take steel wool to them, but I'll be stripping away this protective layer as well as any rust. The color of the spokes now is largely rust with some gray spots showing through. When I'm done "shining" them they'll be the dark gray color of the underlying carbon (along with some even darker stained areas from the rust, so it appears).
So I think I've got it, thanks. My plan is to shine and ride these wheels until 1) I can find cheap replacements or 2) they give out and I decide to rebuild them, a feat I've never attempted before.