"Divergent Paths" Discussion

[Rigil Kent]

I have to ask, though, just in case it situation ever arises, how did you avoid getting bit?

My dad's awesome reflexes. He saw it in time, grabbed it by the tail/body/whatever, and then promptly smashed its head up against a nearby pier thing until it was not a threat to anyone. Then, he fed it to our dog.

Man, my dad was cool.

I only have one idea... Start hinting how they are going to get home.

Chapter 56.

[panyasan]

What I liked about this chapter

SPOILER!!!:

I don't if it's done on purpose, but the mentioning of him being a old baptist (to baptize is to go under in water) before he goes under in the water is rather poetic.

While I'm quite pleased this chapter went over well, I can only wish that I had intended something like this. I'm nowhere near that skilled with the written word (else I'd be writing for a living instead trying to find a job), so chalk it up to one of those happy coincidences.

Well, you made this odd language-geek very happy. Any way, I was just thinking how much I envy you for your writer skills. Hope your job-hunt turns out well.

[WarpGirl]

Your dad sounds awesome. My mom had almost the same thing only the snake wrapped itself around her legs and her uncle shot it off with his gun.

Looking forward to CH 56. Oh you are going to help poor T'Pol with the Pa'nar right?

[WarpGirl]

OMG Rigil as good as ch 47 was 48 is much much better! BTW we do have something in common... I had the same idea that you did here...

SPOILER!!!:

Automatically, her eyes locked on the door that he had vanished through and she struggled to fight down the fear threatening to overwhelm her control. If she had unconsciously melded with him while they slept as it appeared, then there was a good chance that she might have infected him with the same terminal condition that she had acquired from Tolaris. How would Pa'nar affect a human? Had her foolish attachment to Trip endangered his life? She didn't know and had no idea how to find out. It was bad enough that her stupidity had significantly curtailed her own life expectancy, but if she had permanently damaged Trip? There were no words for such an appalling loss of judgment.

I used the same premise when I "re-did" Harbinger. I always thought that if she ever touched his mind before she was cured she'd freak out! It also made more sense if that was why she resisted T'Pol 2's advice in E2. I loved how her decision to...

SPOILER!!!:

use a healing meld

was based on the fact that she is unselfish and protective of those who mean the most to her. T'Pol's unselfishness is very underused in fics.

Brilliant lovely encore bravo MORE PLEASE!

[Reanok]

This was an excellent chapter Rigil I can't wait to see what happens next.Things are certainly going to change for both Trip&T'Pol.

[Dinah]

I want to pose a question, but my goal is not to start a fight or make anyone uncomfortable. Ever since Rigil started this story, I've wondered if the story would have followed a similar path if she had crashed with Archer, Reed, Mayweather, or some other male from the crew. This is a situation where there is no real expectation on their part that they will ever see Enterprise again. Would T'Pol grow as close to the other man as she'd grown to Trip? If not, what does Trip offer that the other might not? "They're meant to be together" isn't really an answer. Rigil has set up a survival situation of the very best kind. My question is would it have been much the same with another male in the mix or does T'Pol just feel differently about Trip from the beginning?

[pdsldl]

I don't see it as an inevitable situation where a man and woman who are dependent on one another necessarily developing a romantic attachment. Sexual for mutual satisfaction of biological urges yes but that doesn't mean they would fall in love and in TnT's case manifest itself in a bond. T'Pol being Vulcan though makes it seem less likely to me that she would get sexually involved without a further commitment though. And I just didn't see any real attraction between her and the other males on Enterprise. I've always thought that there was a chemical component as well as a mental one as to why we're attracted to a particular person even when we don't want to be. You can't make yourself love someone it just is.

[Alelou]

I could see T'Pol resigning herself to a liaison with whomever she got stuck with it, but not being bonded and attracted the way she is here. And I do think that a Vulcan would assume you just make do with the partner fate has dealt you -- and maybe she truly would develop affection for and attraction to whomever after a period of time. (I can certainly imagine Archer or Reed making due with her without too much trouble, though I bet Jon would find her really frustrating as a romantic partner.) In both cases, there'd probably be some awkwardness since they'd be way ahead of her on it.

It would be weird when they got back to the ship, though probably not a lot weirder than it was for Trip through most of this story, when he was assuming she was involved with Archer.

Intriguing question. I'm curious what Rigil thinks.

Gotta go dig.

[panyasan]

We see on the show T'Pol has been with Archer is couple of surival circumstances (I can name three at least), when they need to survive (and rescued), but I saw never any indication of feelings between them. As for the story, T'Pol has been on distance, keeping a professional profile for 47 chapters. Remember Taskmaster T'Pol? The only reason she let her guard down now, is because she deeply cares about Trip and she thinks he is dying. She is not some one who would admit feelings and she knows a romantic relationship with a human, any human, in a survival situation would create complications you don't need in survival. I think she would keep Archer or any male even more on a distance (Sleeping together to get warm? Get your own blanket!)- not only for 47 chapters, but all the way until they get back. T'Pol would try to make the best of it, helping where she can, but letting some one close or starting a romance with some one, no.

On a very side note: I went to a museum today and saw

SPOILER!!!:

a prehistoric skeleton of a huge bear, in full attack mode. First thought:he looks like the bear that attacked Trip.

[Silverbullet]

Are Trip and T'POl mated and bonded in rigel's story? If so I believe that T'Pol would remain faithful to him even if she was crash landed with Archer or the others. She is vulcan and probably can go a long time alone so she woulld not need companionship and probabl would have no need for sexua gratifiction either. If there was no hope of rescue or leaving the planet she might consider it but perhaps not. If I remeber correctly in e2 the old T'Pol never mentioned re-marrying or taking another male. She seemed to live only for her son. If that is so she had been alone for at least 100 years. T'Pol appparently could and would do the same. She would remain faithful to Trip or to his memory.

[Alelou]

Why don't you read the story, SB? You would enjoy it.

[Pitseleh]

The thing with Trip and T'Pol is that this 'ship had a lot of development, even if it was superficial and just to create rapport, on the first season. As blatant as it might have been, they did shove them into decon in the pilot, and I'm pretty sure T'Pol was very curious about Trip since the start--she did touch the boy's ears while they were in there. There were hints of their mutual attraction here and there during that season. They had to deal with each other in "Strange New World"--an episode in which I'm pretty sure Archer would have shot T'Pol because of his dislike for Vulcans at this point. Trip had to deal with the Koss situation in "Breaking the Ice". I think they had a much better understanding of each other than T'Pol had with Archer or Travis or Malcolm at this point.

Now, I have to admit that my mind is highly predisposed to think on TnT terms, so my saying that I don't see T'Pol going this far--offering neuropressure, training, or sleeping with--any other male might be preconditioned. I really don't see it happening, though. And if it hadn't been Trip down there, I think Malcolm would be the second best choice for survival.

[WarpGirl]

Hmm well... Do I think that if T'Pol were with Archer or Reed in Rigil's tale they would mate? Possibly! I think that if Reed or Archer displayed traits that T'Pol came to rely on and they treated her with kindness, friendship and developed affection for her, she might find it logical to take either of them as a mate. We all know that she as a scientist knows human males need sex to be healthy. I think she'd do whatever she felt was necessary to ensure their survival. But to tell the truth I can't see Reed thinking of it as an option. Archer sure could see him wanting that. But again like pdsldl said I think it would be a case of biological imperatives. However, unlike pdsldl I don't think a chemical reaction determines attraction. It just gets the ball rolling.

Do I think she'd form a full on mating bond? No. Trip is unique and it is him that pulls her to intimacy mentally, emotionally, and physiologically.

Pitseleh Is very right. But I remember him touching her ears.

SB Read it!

[panyasan]

Hmm well... Do I think that if T'Pol were with Archer or Reed in Rigil's tale they would mate? Possibly! I think that if Reed or Archer displayed traits that T'Pol came to rely on and they treated her with kindness, friendship and developed affection for her, she might find it logical to take either of them as a mate. We all know that she as a scientist knows human males need sex to be healthy.

I am not saying sex isn't healthy, but people can do without real sex and stay healthy. The crew on Enterprise seemed to live months without real sex, I can't remember Reed having any, and Archer only once or twice in four years. So males can live without, besides there are other ways of relieving tension. The logical course would be for T'Pol to point out their own methods of doing so, instead of feeling forced to mate some one.

[WarpGirl]

I know that I'm just saying from what we saw in Two Days Two Nights that T'Pol equates sex with the health and efficiency of the crew. I'm 26 and still completely chaste it hasn't made me sick yet... Personally I think people place way too high an importance on sex in just about everything. Honestly do you need sexual imagery to sell a car?

As for alternate methods... Well T'Pol knows that for humans sex is supposed to have an emotional component. Hence her remarks in E2 I think if she thought mating with someone would keep them mentally and emotionally healthy she would consider it. She is extremely unselfish.