Would TnT have kept their relationship to themselves?

[WarpGirl]

I did say Trip would tell his family, and I think they were very close. Maybe in the Xindi attack he knew they were with his brother in Ireland. I know he wasn't too worried about Lizzy at first because she traveled constantly for work. Maybe his parents also enjoyed traveling. Either way Lizzy's death was a blow for the entire family I'm sure and it would have definitely changed the dynamics.

I don't remember Terra Prime announcing to the world that they had created Baby Elizabeth by using TnT's DNA. If someone knows different please correct me. But I would think the general public at large would not know she was TnT's child.

[Alelou]

Well, in as much as the obvious question when you're told that a baby is half human and half Vulcan is "which human and which Vulcan?" closely followed by, "Oh yeah? Prove it," I would think it would be a necessary part of their whole little propaganda attempt there.

Because otherwise she pretty much just looks like a little blonde Vulcan baby.

Also, since Starfleet clearly knows AND Starfleet is dealing with the threat, I think it would be expected to make the disclosure in some way, if Paxton's group hadn't already. The knowledge would have become too widespread even just on on Enterprise to be kept secret.

At least I hope so. I'm hoping paranoid secrecy at all costs is not our future.

[WarpGirl]

But Paranoid Secrecy is fun! At least in fiction... When was Starfleet dealing with the threat? And why do they have to say who the father is? I mean it's obvious the only canadate is T'Pol for the mama, but really do you think in that political climate they'd name the human father? What about all the yahoo's who weren't Terra Prime members but still bigots.

[pdsldl]

I don't know how they could keep it a secret. The public had to know what was going on after the telecast demanding all aliens leave Earth. Paxton would have had to make it a world-wide telecasts so all the aliens on Earth were made aware. Plus he was going for the biggest impact possible. Once the world knew about a Vulcan/Human hybrid there would be no way to hide her paternity as she died on Enterprise and DNA would be available. I can't imagine the public wouldn't demand to know details and there would have been a lot of people, at the conference, etc..., who were aware of the situation to keep it quiet.

[Zane Gray]

They didn't announce it, but I have a strong suspicion that the world would know about Trip and T'Pol. If you imagine that the media of the future is similar to the media of today, they would have taken a major interest in the launch and mission of Enterprise. What's more, the Xindi crisis and the Enterprise's successful mission to save Earth would have turned the senior crew into world-wide media heroes. They would be on TV, there'd be profiles of all the senior crew and those who died. When the crew returned, there'd be interviews with each of them, and I'd bet reporters like Gannet Brooks would be trying to interview everyone and anyone who was on the ship in the Expanse trying to wring out every little bit of detail about the mission. My suspicion is that either Trip or T'Pol would have inadvertantly given away their regard for one another (T'Pol by what she didn't say in response to a specific question or a brief but unmissable emotional reaction, and Trip by overreacting - both having trouble hiding their emotions) or someone on the ship would have mentioned the rumors about them to a friend or family member just in the course of natural gossip, and it might have eventually been passed to the media. It would get out there. Certainly, Terra Prime knew about Trip and T'Pol - that's why they would have been targeted. Their DNA was specifically chosen to create a hybrid child for a reason. Paxton even called them "star crossed lovers" or some such. What's more, Dr. Soong knew they were in love before he ever met them. He teased them directly and he specifically mentioned that the crew was being covered in the media (Malcolm wasn't getting his share of coverage). You could even imagine other Terra Prime supporters specifically naming Trip and T'Pol as part of a deliberate campaign to smear the reputation of the Vulcans and Starfleet. I think there would be media (and certainly tabloid) speculation about Trip and T'Pol from the time Enterprise came home from the Expanse, and after the Terra Prime broadcast that speculation would have kicked into overdrive. I doubt either of them would have been up to giving interviews in the aftermath of her death, and Starfleet's likely response to media questions about Trip, T'Pol and Elizabeth would almost certainly have been "no comment" - that would have poured gas on the fire. I also think that there'd be an explosion of public sympathy for Trip and T'Pol after Elizabeth's death, and that more than anything would be the final straw that broke Terra Prime's back. Paxton's plan to use Elizabeth to separate Earth and Vulcan would backfire in a way he could never have imagined. You could further imagine that every media organization on the planet would want to cover Elizabeth's memorial service. The public would go nuts over the idea of the first human/vulcan love story - especially if it had a tragic element, and if Trip and T'Pol continued to serve together. An interstellar "Romeo and Juliet"? No way the media would let that go unexplored. They'd be a media sensation. It wouldn't surprise me if, in the decades afterwards, there weren't even books written about them. That's the kind of story that endures for centuries in the public consciousness - perhaps not accurately, but the public appeal would be undenyable.

[WarpGirl]

I guess that all hinges on whether we think the media would be like it is today. Gannet is Starfleet Intelligence I don't see her breaking that story. I personally think that the media would be very different from today, so I can't see them hounding Starfleet personel. Or Vulcan citizans for that matter. There is a wonderful thread about it here though. I just don't see that happening though.

[Zane Gray]

I guess that all hinges on whether we think the media would be like it is today. Gannet is Starfleet Intelligence I don't see her breaking that story. I personally think that the media would be very different from today, so I can't see them hounding Starfleet personel. Or Vulcan citizans for that matter. There is a wonderful thread about it here though. I just don't see that happening though.

Gannett might be working for Starfleet Intelligence, but in order for her cover even to work she'd have to act like a real reporter and thus I think you can safely say that she's representative of the media of the time. You're right, I doubt Gannett would have said anything, but hundreds of her peers would be all over it. And while it's a nice idea to think that the media would be different, there's no way. Human nature doesn't change. Especially in the wake of the Xindi Probe attack, the media would be in overdrive. And I think the clues offered in the show's last season support this - Paxton, Soong, Hernandez's comments in Home, etc. Paxton's whole plan hinges on changing public opinion by using the media. Without a hungry press, there's no point of it.

[Alelou]

If puerile tabloid curiosity is an inevitable part of still having a free press operating independently of the government, I'll happily put up with the puerile tabloid curiosity.

But I would hope Starfleet would have some smarts about its public relations. If you can't keep it secret, and you can't make hay with it, then disclose things in such a way as to make them as dull as possible as quickly as possible and then move on.

Also, Gannet wouldn't have been the slightest bit effective as an intelligence plant if journalists were routinely working in league with the government.

Zane Gray is right -- I think the clues all point to something similar to what we have today.

[WarpGirl]

Well far be it from me to say that isn't true. However, I just have a nagging feeling that the Xindi War which obviously was based in part on 9/11 would have changed things like 9/11 did. I don't see Starfleet or the Vulcans allowing tabloids and such near the crew. I was under the impression that all of that reporting on the crew would be for lack of a better term "censored" I don't think the world democracy of ST universe is the same as the so called democracy's of today. They probably have a whole new constitution, and freedom of the press could be very different, then it is today.

[Zane Gray]

Well far be it from me to say that isn't true. However, I just have a nagging feeling that the Xindi War which obviously was based in part on 9/11 would have changed things like 9/11 did. I don't see Starfleet or the Vulcans allowing tabloids and such near the crew. I was under the impression that all of that reporting on the crew would be for lack of a better term "censored" I don't think the world democracy of ST universe is the same as the so called democracy's of today. They probably have a whole new constitution, and freedom of the press could be very different, then it is today.

I don't think you can argue that the media today is better or less tabloid than the media prior to 9/11. If anything, there's been a major decline in the professionalism of journalists since. The most reactionary voices are heard the loudest today. The same might be said of the media reaction in the wake of the Xindi attack. And if Starfleet or the Vulcan Embassy tried to "censor" anything about the story, again that would send the media into overdrive. The media may rarely get the story 100% right, but they're very good at knowing when there IS a story. Just my thoughts.

Personally, I really love the idea that the world would have an interest in Trip and T'Pol's relationship, and that there would be an outpouring of sympathy and support for them after Elizabeth's death. Further, that this would be part of the catalyst for the change in public attitudes that would eventually make the Federation possible - all intelligent races and species working together in harmony. The idea that love is universal, and that we're all more alike than we are different.

[WarpGirl]

I appologize I wasn't intnending to imply I thought the media was better or worse post 9/11 only that it had changed. As for the ST universe I always got the sense that the media had kind have turned back to the way it was in the first half of the 20th century. Where sex scandles were hardly if ever reported and everything seemed "cleaner" in other words the government wouldn't tell the media what to write but there was certainly an aspect of what not to write there. I just don't see the ST universe caring about every detail of public figure's lives.

[pdsldl]

It doesn't matter how nice the press was there would have been a lot of unease with the space program after the Xindi attack and Paxton demanding aliens leave and threatening to destroy Starfleet would have put the media into overdrive. And to have a free press you have to allow for the obnoxious and unscrupulous media types using anything to further themselves and their agenda. Starfleet wouldn't have to say anything there are always going to be those that wish to undermine the status quo and/or those in power so finding a source to feed them info wouldn't be difficult in any century.

[WarpGirl]

I agree with that but let's face it there's a difference between going after an orgaization like Starfleet and going after people. And like I said "free press" has many different meanings. Just because there is "free press" doesn't mean stories aren't quashed by people in power.

[Silverbullet]

Many imes it is the situation that drives what is allowed to be printed. In Wartime the government does it's best to supress many things. so during the Xindi crisis I imagine Earth government was censoring a great deal of information it felt would frighten or panic the citizenary. that also allows those in Power to cove rteir butts for any mistakesthey may have made.

today's media is driven by profits so the press is suspect. Yellow ournalism will always be with us. they feed on the desire of many for the scandelous and thhe dirty linen of the clebrrity. Trip and T-Pol would be celebrities due to the successful defeat of the Xindi threat. Paxton would be a fool not to exploit the two. so his press outlets would be loaded with as much slime as he could throw at them. As he said Elizabeth was an abominatyon and would be treated as such. How then would he treat the Parents? Abominations too.

[Asso]

That sounds logical.