What are you...

[Silverbullet]

Alelou, let us say that T-Pol would live to be 200 years old, average vulcan age at death.

So, she and Trip marry when he is 34 and she is 68 52 years later she is 120, that
leaves her with 80 years of life left. what about Trip? He would only be 86 and that is stilll a middle aged man for the 22nd century. so he lives longer. in the 22nd century the average life span probably would be over 100 given that today the average life span for a male is 74 and was only 64 when I was born. So Trip lives to over 120 how old would T-Pol be then? that would be at least 35 years so she would be at 155 years old maybe more. giving her about 45 years or less left to live. Not 80. she could live it out missing and mourning trip every day. why should she remarry at that late age? She would simply sit and wait for death to take her.

Perhaps t-Pol herself does not believe in an afterlife but has chosen to believe in trips afterlife in hopes that it is real and that they can spend eternity together. Believe me, the older you get the more an afterlife sounds appealing.

Don't mind my arithmatic, part of my dyslexia.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

...reading?

Well, I just read this joke I stumbled upon online:

Two atoms are walking down the street and they run in to each other.
One says to the other.
"Are you all right?"
"No, I lost an electron!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm positive!"

L L

[Alelou]

[Aquarius]

Bond aside (and we already know Vulcans who survive the end of their marriage bonds, since T'Les presumably survived the loss of her husband), why would you be so keen to see T'Pol kick it after Trip dies? That seems kind of cruel to me -- especially given how much shorter he was likely to live. And I would hope the idea would absolutely horrify HIM. It sort of reminds me of that old Indian custom of expecting the widow to go to her death on the man's funeral pyre. Hello? Isn't a woman's life still worth something on its own? Would you expect Trip to kill himself if T'Pol died? I sure as hell wouldn't.

I love my husband, but assuming I still have my health I'm quite certain I'll still find it possible to enjoy life without him. And if I got hit by a truck tomorrow, I'd certainly hope he could find happiness with someone else (assuming it's someone who would treat my kid okay, anyway).

Yes, there is evidence that Vulcans survive the deaths of their mates. However, it has been long-held in fan lore, and furthermore fed by profic, that in the cases of particularly strong bonds, the surviving mate can be either driven mad or even killed by the sudden severance of such a bond. While not canon, I personally find it to be quite valid, especially with the mysticism that surrounds the katra.

That said, I'm personally opposed to the idea of T'Pol taking her own life. However, I do find it a bit "romantic" (for lack of a better word) and like to think that she and Trip could have a bond so strong that yes, it's possible it could take her with him. "Soul mates," and not in the cheesy melodramatic sense.

[JadziaKathryn]

Glad people are enjoying my avatar!

I'd just like to point out that among humans it's not unheard of for couples to die close in time to one another, if they've been married 50-60 years, say. Okay, you're not going to find "broken heart" listed as the cause of death, but the surviving spouse in some cases dies within six months. So I don't find the idea that Vulcans could die from a severed bond impossible, if they had a strong bond.

Oh... there's a TOS book (Reanok, oh resident book expert, maybe you know what I'm talking about?) where after a Vulcan woman dies her husband has to mind-meld with their adult children or else he too will die.

[anaM]

I don't find romantic the idea that T'Pol would be unable to survive when Trip died, I think it is frightening- and a little cruel. I prefere that she would continue living a full life, being a useful member of her society and always remembering her husband, so that he too would live longer in her heart and memories and in the stories she would say to their grand-children.

[Aquarius]

:D Glad people are enjoying my avatar!

I'd just like to point out that among humans it's not unheard of for couples to die close in time to one another, if they've been married 50-60 years, say. Okay, you're not going to find "broken heart" listed as the cause of death, but the surviving spouse in some cases dies within six months. So I don't find the idea that Vulcans could die from a severed bond impossible, if they had a strong bond.

Oh... there's a TOS book (Reanok, oh resident book expert, maybe you know what I'm talking about?) where after a Vulcan woman dies her husband has to mind-meld with their adult children or else he too will die.

I believe the book in question is "The Vulcan Academy Murders" by Jean Lorrah...or maybe "Demons". Both were favorites of mine, and cool Vulcan mojo figured prominently in both.

And in the human example you gave, the same thing happened to Johnny Cash. It took a few months, but he went shortly after June. I've also heard stories of when it took a couple of days or less. Grief has that much power over our bodies.

[Alelou]

You literally can die of a broken heart -- loss is extremely stressful on the heart. And yes, I know sometimes people just lose the will to live when they've lost a loved one -- particularly if they're lonesome, depressed, and were depending on their mate for all their companionship in life, if not literally meals and entertainment and paying the bills and so forth, too. I just prefer to think T'Pol wouldn't be that kind of person, myself, and I can't see her already being decrepit at that point.

Personally I think it's more romantic when two people choose to be together while maintaining their separate identities. I'm not a fan of the whole "you complete me" version of romance with its attendant "I can't live without you" mystique.

On the other hand, if you lose your beloved mate when you're already old and sick yourself, I can totally understand just deciding to let nature take its course.

[Silverbullet]

I am looking at this from the viewpoint that TnT had married when he ws 34 and she was
68. Trip lives to be 120. Life spans in the 22nd century would be considerabvy longer than today. So TnT would have a long and hopefully happy marriage with their love and bond growing stonger with each passing year. Their Bond is out of the Norm she is Vulcan and he is Human never happened before. It has to be powerful else how could thier minds join in her white room when he is on the columbia in dry Dock around Earth she is on Enterprise in deep space perhaps a light year or more away. that is one hell of a distance. So with a Bond that strong is is not inconceivable that when it is broken she would not be able to withstand the loss of it and die. Or even with it gone feeling so alone that she wanted to end her life in hopes of there being an afterlife so she could join him again. Romantic? Yup. in Spades.

[Alelou]

Yup, romantic.

Unless medical science has REALLY made remarkable strides, and so we can only hope, I wouldn't expect a guy who's been knocked out as often as Trip has to live to 120 -- at least not with his faculties intact. Brain injuries have cumulative effects and tend to catch up with you as you age. But we could theorize those aliens gave him a nice clean slate when they resurrected him in The Observation Effect, so who knows.

I should be outside gardening. However, the mosquitoes are so thick out there in marsh-and-puddle land that they're even bouncing up against the windows on this (rare) sunny day. I'm going to have to slather on the DEET.

[Asso]

Yup, romantic.

Unless medical science has REALLY made remarkable strides, and so we can only hope, I wouldn't expect a guy who's been knocked out as often as Trip has to live to 120 -- at least not with his faculties intact.

Strange point of view, at least for me. Once again rationalism bursts heavily into the FanFiction, which is - at least for me again - the exact opposite of rationalism. Sure, there must be some plausibility, but not too much, because - otherwise - the writers might write non-fiction, instead than SF, or - even more - FanFiction. And, on the other hand, frankly plausibility is not the fort of anything we saw on the screen.

I don't find romantic the idea that T'Pol would be unable to survive when Trip died, I think it is frightening- and a little cruel. I prefere that she would continue living a full life, being a useful member of her society and always remembering her husband, so that he too would live longer in her heart and memories and in the stories she would say to their grand-children.

Ana, what you wrote is as romantic as it's romantic the idea that Trip and T'Pol cannot be severed, on pain of death or madness. This is not new here and in many other sites, and this is not new in all literature (not even in Scottish or Swedish literature, Alelou. ).
Frankly it is a simple matter of perspective, for me. But... please... allow me: you and I are the epigons of two literatures which were the greatest as for the way they treated death and destiny themes.
I think you can understand what I mean.

[Silverbullet]

I admit that Trip got knocked nn his Butt a few times but that does not mean he suffered Brain damage. In Sim he recevied nice spanking new Neural tissue from the clone so any damage there was repaired. In Observer effect both he and hoshi would have been returned to the state they were in before they were hit with the virus. Given that Trip would have no Brain damage. As I say, as time goes by humans or least here in the Western world average life span increases. Remembr in King Lear when Lear says he feels "the full weight of my Nine and forty years." He was getting on in years. Today I keep reading of the well known living in to their 90's. the 22nd century should see life spans beyond 100 on average and longer for those who have been taking care of themselves.

[Reanok]

The Book Jadzia mentioned is Vulcan Academy Murders. There's another new Tos book about Spock called Troublesome Minds by Dave Galanter that you find mind more background on Spock's Vulcan telepathy and Mindmelds.There mental shileds and what lengths it takes to maintain that rigid control Vulcans have to use to maintain it.And as for T'Pol I don't think she'd take her life either as others have said already.I think she and Trip would have a nice long happy life together have children and grandchildren. I like Happy endings not sad ones for TnT.

[Asso]

...And as for T'Pol I don't think she'd take her life either as others have said already.I think she and Trip would have a nice long happy life together have children and grandchildren. I like Happy endings not sad ones for TnT.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

...watching?

The very underrated movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I really like this one, a celebration of the pulp era and I love the retro-futuristic design aesthetics. And Angelina Jolie in an eye-patch is smokin' hot!