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I would imagine that in the future in either culture, if correcting such scars is both easy, safe, and affordable, it would be more commonplace than it is for us today, when the cost of elective surgery stops some people, and the risks might stop others.

However, I would also think that just as with all things individual mileage might vary. Sometimes people get attached to their own scars. We buy into our own tropes. How many heroes/heroines of action movies/novels have that characteristic scar that helps defines them?

bluetiger wrote:Thanks Dis, that's sort of what I was thinking. A designer of Warp engines would not be such a public figure and maybe not see the need.

SB, you got in ahead of me . So do you think T'Pol would want MU Trip to have his face fixed?

I think she would encourage him to have it fixed if it bothered *him*. Truth be told, I think she'd be concerned about the functionality of his eye than anything. Aesthetically, I don't think the scars bother her. She would love him the way he is.

The way Honeybee wrote her MU story T'Pol seemed to be happy with Trip's face as it was. She didn't seem to think it made him any less attractive to her and possibly unattractive to other, humman, females a plus for her.

Trip did not seem to care one way or the other.

It is true that in my story T'Pol has an affinity for Trip's scars and finds the white space version of Trip, without them, disconcerting. However, there are a few passages (especially the pon farr flashback) that indicate that he is self-conscious about them. It definitely says that human women started rejecting him after his accident, and that fact allows him to get involved with alien women when it is looked down upon.

I imagined the MU as a place where they wouldn't bother researching how to fix scars like that because it's just an occupational hazard and/or the medical treatment would be too expensive for Starfleet to bother with. I also wrote that the old wounds were painful at times, too.

honeybee, I agree that Starfleet would not bother with Trip. However the rich and powerful are always catered too, so I would imagine that there are plastic surgeons for that class. That's why I thought that the new Empress would have access to their skills.

Absolutely, BT. A grunt starfleet engineering would not have the same access to care as a member of the Imperial Family. So, you've given me a great idea of the sequel.

I think medical care on a starship is more about stitching you back together and getting you well enough for duty ASAP than anything else. Anything aesthetic? Forget about it. Plus, as...aggressive as their society is, I think they probably value their "war wounds" more than we would.

Maybe, but I honestly prefer a Trip who is affected by a disfigurement that extensive. It's hard to believe anyone wouldn't be, even if they don't betray that to the world around them. When something changes the way strangers react to you, you can't help but become conscious of it.

I'm not saying MU Trip wouldn't be affected by it, but there is a certain amount of "don't mess with me" badassery that comes with scars like that, which is also advantageous in a world as brutal as theirs.

Alelou, years ago, in Germany, there wre student "Dueling societies" One of the objects of these was to gain Diueling scars on the face. The males were very proud of thier scars. It showed, to them, manhood, acceptance and respect. The scars were on thier faces for life and were admired by the males of German society of that age.

When the males "dueled" they wore goggles and the swords were held over thier heads so all that was hit would be the face. Doubt if those societies have been around for quit some time but were the vogue once. Of course, in the Prussian and German Army at that time one hd to be tough and a good scar stood out.

Well would a Vulcan have cosmetic surgery, well... It depends on the Vulcan doesn't it? I mean what is their life like? What is the level of their control? All "logic" is not created equal. If a scar brought back memories and emotions of a trauma then it would be reasonable to get rid of it. But quite honestly given the state of the universe in the RU and the medical tech available I don't think there would be any thought to completely healing an injury. If such a thing was impossible well then a person is stuck with the scars.

To me, a scar on a Vulcan, would actually mean that it is not removeable by cosmetic surgery. If a scar can be removed by whatever acceptable medical means, including corrective cosmetical surgery, it would be done without the question even presenting itself. It would be illogical, to leave a disfigurement due to an injury. It would be a logical part of the treatment of the wound that caused the problem.

Personally I think slice kind of scars -- which are sometimes inflicted intentionally in other cultures too, as a kind of decoration -- are less of a big deal than large burn scars. Serious burn scars actually reduce the function of your skin. It won't stretch as well, or protect you from infection as well, it can be painful to attempt any movement (assuming your nerves didn't get burned away too), and it's usually a hell of a lot less appealing to look at. I could see where the bad-ass part of it might come in, but Tucker always gave me the impression of being disgusted at the low social status and low expected lifespan associated with work in Engineering, and this scar would have been an emblem of all that.

It is the dark pride of the "maudits."
Grin and snarl at your fate.

maudits?