I was thinking

[Asso]

She was broken inside, and she knew that now, and for the future, Trip would only keep the fractures open. Their child was dead. And she knew that their feelings for each other must, by necessity, by logic, die as well
The Good Men That Do

I was thinking... about that!
But, honestly, do you believe it could be true?

Read this: and for the future
And this: by logic

I don't know.
I am...
and

[Distracted]

It's quotes like these that have discouraged me from reading the book. I chose not to accept this author's interpretation of what is "logical", and I wrote my own version. I told myself that I was going to read TGTMD once I finished my version of events. I still haven't read it, though. I'm reluctant to ruin my happy ending.

[Dinah]

I think this is just another way to continue the angst. A number of us have even used this sort of thing in our story. At the moment of her child's funeral, T'Pol might thing that this is "fracture" business is true, but we know that she is always drawn back to Trip. Seeing him again in at the end of the book was a real wake up call for her. She knows how much she missed him when she thought he was dead. I think she rued the day she pushed him away when Elizabeth died.

[JadziaKathryn]

It's quotes like these that have discouraged me from reading the book. I chose not to accept this author's interpretation of what is "logical", and I wrote my own version. I told myself that I was going to read TGTMD once I finished my version of events. I still haven't read it, though. I'm reluctant to ruin my happy ending.

I second this. In my world they have a happy ending, and that's how it stays. Besides other things about the book that don't make any sense to me -

SPOILER!!!:

Trip as a spy? Come on!

But we saw them mourning together in Terra Prime.

[CX]

I choose to ignore this book right along with the botched TNG episode it's based on.

[Elessar]

What TNG episode is it based on? You talking about 'The Defector' ?

For those who haven't read TGTMD, I would say that that line is not a globally characteristic description of how the book treats the relationship because there are other things that go on... There are serious bond-moments that occur after that which preclude that line as being the 'final, end-all, be-all' statement of what's gonna happen to Trip and T'Pol in the TGTMD-universe.

I think that line is as much a work-in-progress for the author's opinion on how TnT are going to turn out more than it is a hard and fast statement with any finality.

Long story short: nothing's certain until Kobayashi Maru comes out, which is... supposed to be soon, I think.

[CX]

What TNG episode is it based on? You talking about 'The Defector' ?

No, *the_abomination*, which is a bastardized version of The Pegasus.

For those who haven't read TGTMD, I would say that that line is not a globally characteristic description of how the book treats the relationship because there are other things that go on... There are serious bond-moments that occur after that which preclude that line as being the 'final, end-all, be-all' statement of what's gonna happen to Trip and T'Pol in the TGTMD-universe.

I think that line is as much a work-in-progress for the author's opinion on how TnT are going to turn out more than it is a hard and fast statement with any finality.

Long story short: nothing's certain until Kobayashi Maru comes out, which is... supposed to be soon, I think.

The problem is that they followed *the_abomination* too closely, and that pretty much all the characters are OCC. We also have the ending of LFM, which doesn't make things look very promising as far as TnT go. Yeah, it's cool that they listened to our Not. Dead. campaign, but the novelty has long since worn off for me, pretty much ever since I stated learning more details about both books.

[Elessar]

OH, you were talkin about Pegasus - I gotcha. You're sayin that it tried too hard to follow closely to the abomination, gotcha. That makes sense, I think they just wanted to be able to say "see, it was just switched around a little in history..." but we dun care about that

I just looked it up... Kobayashi Maru is supposed to be out Sept. 2008.

[Asso]

I read the replies and I think I must make some explanations about this topic.
Why did I feel the need of asking this question?
When I became aware that there was a book (not a "FAN-FICTION", but a - please, forgive me - a "SERIOUS BOOK") which was trying to provide a remedy for "THE ABOMINATION", I was very glad.
But, someway, a little bit scary.
I was afraid that the line chosen by the Authors was that of "THE ABOMINATION".
And I was right.
I found myself with a book which was trying to restore Trip to life in, on my opinion, the most absurd way.
And, please, don't tell me there were no other ways.
Suffice it to think of Spock (obviously, it's only an example, but I believe it clearly shows what can do Writers' fantasy , if they want).
And, besides, as if that didn't be enough, in this book T'Pol is following this strange "LOGIC", condemning herself and Trip to life on the same ship with gratuitous grief.
But WHY?
Well, you must forgive me. Honestly I am somewhat… rabid, sometimes.
I threw far away that book.
"FAN-FINCTION" is very much more serious than the so-called "SERIOUS FICTION".
Thanks for sharing your feelings with me.
Aver compagni al duol, scema la pena: to have companions to dolour, lessens pain.

[evcake]

Misery loves company?

[HopefulRomantic]

But WHY?

1. The first lesson I learned about storytelling was: Drama is conflict. Or, as Joss Whedon put it, "Happy people make for boring TV." (In this case, books.) If TGTMD had ended, or begun, or whatever, with Trip and T'Pol blissfully together, a prime source of drama would have gone right out the window, in the first of what will hopefully be a lot of books. Not a smart business move if you want to sell those future books.

2. The Thing is canon. The Relaunch books needed to be consistent with canon. That meant a) focus on the six years before The Thing...meaning, readers know no one on the crew will die, or visibly age, or change their hairstyles...yawn... or b) focus on the time after The Thing, after Trip is dead (boo!), or c) do something else. Margaret hated The Thing. She decided on a fix-fic, bless her heart. You can quibble about the exact nature of the fix-fic, but Trip is alive, and that's better than The Thing managed to do.

3. I agree with Elessar that T'Pol's state of mind--her deep grief over the loss of Elizabeth--prompts her thoughts in the passage quoted above. Anyone who has been as emotionally broken as T'Pol is at this point, knows that you can honestly believe that you will never feel "fixed" again. But by the book's end, T'Pol's perspective has changed because of several revelations. She's not thinking in terms of "fractures" any longer;

SPOILER!!!:

her and Trip's feelings for each other are definitely not dead, and she is hopeful that she will see him again.

Which is a great cliffhanger for that storyline, for those who are interested in what happens next.

Margaret has a game plan for these Relaunch books. Keep in mind that she accomplished for TNG what 7 years and 3 movies couldn't do--

SPOILER!!!:

she finally got Jean-Luc and Beverly together.

That right there gives me hope for T/T. But I am expecting them to get dragged through hell first, because drama is conflict.

My .02

[CX]

I'll just say that I disagree and leave it at that.

[JadziaKathryn]

2. The Thing is canon. The Relaunch books needed to be consistent with canon.

And that, of course, is the beauty of fanfic. We are completely free to ignore *the_abomination*. This is precisely what it deserves, aside from never being made, of course, but sadly that ship has sailed.

[Asso]

:D Misery loves company?

Yeah! Exactly!


I also want to reply to HopefulRomantic. I feel it necessary for me.

It's a good thing the debate and it's a good thing that people have different ideas.

You said: Drama is conflict.
True. But conflict, not angst, or, better, as already I said, not gratuitous angst.

You said: If TGTMD had ended, or begun, or whatever, with Trip and T'Pol blissfully together, a prime source of drama would have gone right out the window...
I disagree: too easy , for me, to grasp people's attention with exhibition of the obvious.
Isn't it possible to imagine a solid and blissful (finally!) couple, which is fighting together and with the others in the contest of a greater DRAMA?
But this, allow me these words, asks for an effort much more powerful in the writing and describing, something very extra...

You said: ...in the first of what will hopefully be a lot of books. Not a smart business move if you want to sell those future books.
Please, allow me that I don't give my opinion about that.

You said: The Thing is canon. The Relaunch books needed to be consistent with canon. That meant a) focus on the six years before The Thing...meaning, readers know no one on the crew will die, or visibly age, or change their hairstyles...yawn... or b) focus on the time after The Thing, after Trip is dead (boo!), or c) do something else. Margaret hated The Thing. She decided on a fix-fic, bless her heart. You can quibble about the exact nature of the fix-fic, but Trip is alive, and that's better than The Thing managed to do.
What I previously said well explains what I think about that, I hope.
But I need to add something. Trip is alive. Yes. What Trip? A spy? Oh certainly! It's true that things change with the passing of time, but, I think, within certain limits.
The CANON is the chain, I understand that. But, in my opinion, a large-link chain. A so large-link chain that the biggest things could go through.

In the end you said: I agree with Elessar that T'Pol's state of mind--her deep grief over the loss of Elizabeth--prompts her thoughts in the passage quoted above. Anyone who has been as emotionally broken as T'Pol is at this point, knows that you can honestly believe that you will never feel "fixed" again. But by the book's end, T'Pol's perspective has changed because of several revelations. She's not thinking in terms of "fractures" any longer;
At last! What a tortuous pathway for an yet questionable ending!

Please, you must forgive my vent!

And, last but not least, you said: That right there gives me hope for T/T. But I am expecting them to get dragged through hell first, because drama is conflict.
You must understand: I am a son of Dante. There are a lot of hells. Some correct and some... gratuitous and unfair.

Anyway, a fact is sure. It's great that we are here, debating in this way. I think it's the big force of Trip and T'Pol's Fans.

[Reanok]

But WHY?

1. The first lesson I learned about storytelling was: Drama is conflict. Or, as Joss Whedon put it, "Happy people make for boring TV." (In this case, books.) If TGTMD had ended, or begun, or whatever, with Trip and T'Pol blissfully together, a prime source of drama would have gone right out the window, in the first of what will hopefully be a lot of books. Not a smart business move if you want to sell those future books.

2. The Thing is canon. The Relaunch books needed to be consistent with canon. That meant a) focus on the six years before The Thing...meaning, readers know no one on the crew will die, or visibly age, or change their hairstyles...yawn... or b) focus on the time after The Thing, after Trip is dead (boo!), or c) do something else. Margaret hated The Thing. She decided on a fix-fic, bless her heart. You can quibble about the exact nature of the fix-fic, but Trip is alive, and that's better than The Thing managed to do.

3. I agree with Elessar that T'Pol's state of mind--her deep grief over the loss of Elizabeth--prompts her thoughts in the passage quoted above. Anyone who has been as emotionally broken as T'Pol is at this point, knows that you can honestly believe that you will never feel "fixed" again. But by the book's end, T'Pol's perspective has changed because of several revelations. She's not thinking in terms of "fractures" any longer;

SPOILER!!!:

her and Trip's feelings for each other are definitely not dead, and she is hopeful that she will see him again.

Which is a great cliffhanger for that storyline, for those who are interested in what happens next.

Margaret has a game plan for these Relaunch books. Keep in mind that she accomplished for TNG what 7 years and 3 movies couldn't do--

SPOILER!!!:

she finally got Jean-Luc and Beverly together.

That right there gives me hope for T/T. But I am expecting them to get dragged through hell first, because drama is conflict.

My .02

I agree with Hopeful Romantic I think Margaret Clark definitely ahs her own plans when it comes to the relaunch books.I definitely plan on getting Kobayashi maru to find out what happens next Trip & T'Pol's story arc.