T'Pol's Trellium Addiction

[CoffeeCat]

Does anyone know if there was ever any indication that Trip or Captain Archer knew about T'Pol's Trellium addiction?

[73Bruin]

I don't remember anyone knowing except for Phlox, although its hard to see Trip not knowing something after T'Pol's meltdown in Azati Prime.

Since a number of authors have made Trip's discovery a plot point in their stories, I am pretty sure that he never knew. I don't recall Jon learning about it either.

[CoffeeCat]

Thought so.
How do you think Trip would react?
I think he'd be a little angry and question if their relationship was based on a drug induced delusion.
I think Archer would be pissed at her for putting the mission in jeopardy.

[Amberlioness]

How do you think Trip would react?
I think he'd be a little angry and question if their relationship was based on a drug induced delusion.
I think Archer would be pissed at her for putting the mission in jeopardy.

I would agree that Archer would feel betrayed and angry. It wouldn't be something he would have suspected. Archer was so absorbed in the search for the Xindi weapon and his accompanying ethical downward spiral it is doubtful he would have taken note of T'Pol's behavior. Could that knowledge possibly have served as a wake up call of sorts for him?

I don't think there is any specific evidence that Trip is aware of T'Pol's Trellium use. He did not seem aware of changes in her behavior until after their relationship became physical, and she distanced herself from him.

Some thoughts on T'Pol's Trellium use. While there are very definite parallels between Trellium D use and a drug addiction, I think there are some distinctions. Generally speaking, use of drugs deadens one's emotions and responses to reality, very often to avoid reality. With use of psychedelics to expand consciousness or use of alcohol to relax to promote creativity as possible exceptions. Not that I'm advocating any of these! (Anyone I've ever known who was a heavy user of anything was not an improvement over their sober selves.) T'Pol's use of Trellium was to access emotions and to engage more fully in her reality. For T'Pol, she sought to bring out a desired behavior, a component of her personality that existed but was not fully expressed. One could argue that, while not being a safe course of action, T'Pol's motivations were more understandable and not as fundamentally destructive as use of drugs to avoid reality. It's a subtle distinction, I know. So, how do I think Trip reacts to finding out about the Trellium use, which I have to believe one day he does? I think it depends on when he finds out, and what state the relationship is in at the time. But, not well. And it would be reasonable to ask that question, would they have gotten together without her Trellium use? Finding out something unexpected about the one you love can be extremely jarring, but most people will find a way to forgive, rationalize, or just understand those kind of actions. While I don't think Trip would react well, I want to believe he'd be very ready to understand and not to question the legitimacy of the relationship.

[73Bruin]

Amberlioness:

A number of authors have suggested that Trip's reaction to T'Pol's trellium addiction would be based upon the fact that she was displaying signs of an emotional breakdown at Azati Prime. Given that she was impaired and the number of crew that died, one could argue that a court martial was in order for dereliction of duty (regardless of what any simulations might of shown).

[Transwarp]

Given that she was impaired and the number of crew that died, one could argue that a court martial was in order for dereliction of duty (regardless of what any simulations might of shown)

I actually make the opposite argument (and even use it as a plot point in my story 'Convicted'). I posted my viewpoint of T'Pol's trellium use at Azati Prime way back in 9 Oct 2009 in a thread titled Could T'Pol really be first officer? Here is what I said:

T'Pol was not 'high' at Azti Prime in the sense she was drunk or inebriated. The Tri-D released her emotions, it did not impair her judgement. In my opinion, she was on solid ground when she refused to take the Enterprise in, with guns blazing, on a suicide mission to take out the Xindi weapon (which is what Trip wanted to do). Her plan to take a shuttle and negotiate was much more likely to succeed. (She had a valid point that, as a Vulcan, they might give her words more weight than those of a human.) And, in the event she failed, the gun-blazing suicide option was still available, so why NOT try to negotiate?

As for the battle, I must agree with WarpGirl (and it has nothing to do with the fact we both have 'warp' in our screen names). The outcome was a foregone conclusion, and had nothing to do with any impairment on her part. Horatio Nelson himself would have done no better.

[73Bruin]

I actually make the opposite argument (and even use it as a plot point in my story 'Convicted'). I posted my viewpoint of T'Pol's trellium use at Azati Prime way back in 9 Oct 2009 in a thread titled Could T'Pol really be first officer?

I remember and love the Convicted series (hoping you have another chapter in you). However, this is fanfiction, so please forgive those of us who have different views. In my mind (and experience) if your emotions are running totally out of control, your judgement is impaired. From an Enterprise perspective, consider the Vulcans need for emotional suppression as a species because their emotions controlled them and made them do things that were illogical. Now I am not saying that a non-addicted T'Pol could have won the battle or even mitigated most of the damage, but if even one less person might not have been killed, then she was guilty of dereliction of duty.