Searching for Kov - Chapter 3

Searching for Kov

by myst123

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Mystery

T/T 2004 Summer Challenge

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No infringement intended.

AN: Thanks to poohka and Shmi for their ideas about how long travel takes between Earth and Vulcan. Thanks to pookha for giving me the idea that Trip would use a Vulcan shuttle to search for Kov. I’m still using descriptions of Vulcan and Vulcan societal problems from "Spock's World" by Diane Duane to write this story.

***

Chapter 3

“Who are the ‘Isolationists?’” Trip asked T’Pol.

“They are a inflexible group who wish Vulcans to withdraw from space travel to preserve our culture from contamination,” T’Pol replied

“What would they want with Kov?”

“The V’tosh ka’tur are unconventional Vulcans and the Isolationists disagree with their interpretation of Surak.”

And the Isolationists would kidnap Kov because of his interpretation of Surak?”

T’Pol and Surn exchanged a look.

“It does not sound logical. But it is reasonable to examine their movements to determine their non-involvement,” T’Pol decided.

****

Later Trip and T’Pol met up with Phlox and Malcolm in the café to discuss their findings. Phlox and Malcolm had found no biosigns for either Kov or the woman suspected of being involved in his disappearance. With no real clues to proceed, T’Pol recommended they should indeed rule out the Isolationists as suspects.

“I have former colleagues from whom I can request information. As Kov is not on Vulcan, we will need to accept Saco’s shuttle. I will locate my colleagues and discuss the situation with them while you locate and prepare the transport.

“Who are these ‘former colleagues,’” Trip inquired.

“Individuals who track and monitor activities of groups and individuals.”

“You mean government investigators?”

“That is part of their responsibilities.”

“What’s the other part?”

“Their job descriptions are not relevant to our purpose. Only the information they may be able to provide is important.”

“They sound a bit shady to me, sweetheart. I’ll come with you.”

“That isn’t necessary, Mr. Tucker. You would not be effective if they did intend me harm, and I would have to rescue you instead. The people I wish to see are…friends.” T’Pol was not comfortable using such a human concept to describe her association with her former colleagues, but such a word would be far more reassuring to the Commander than any other.

Trip didn’t appreciate T’Pol’s crack that she would have to rescue him, but in reality it was far more logical for him to retrieve and prepare the shuttle for possible travel. Still, the three men decided T’Pol wouldn’t meet with anyone alone and assigned Malcolm to accompany her. When T’Pol pointed out her colleagues may not meet her if their confidentially could be compromised, Malcolm agreed to stay close by and only come to T’Pol if she called for assistance on his communicator.

Trip leaned close to T’Pol and murmured in an undertone, “Now, T’Pol, we all know how persuasive you can be when you want something, but take care that you don’t promise anything you can’t deliver.” The glint in his eye and suddenly husky voice made T’Pol realize he was thinking of their sexual encounter and her subsequent behavior. A slight frown marred her brow and a retort sprang to her lips, but she controlled the urge to snap at him for bringing personal information into this situation. Startled because she thought she had been cured of her sharp, emotional impulses, she decided to think about that later and responded coolly, “I’ll endeavor to be successful. We’ll rendezvous back her in four hours.” Trip noticed the miniscule furrowing of her brow and smiled, pleased to realize he could still disconcert her. She had been so in control since they had met up again after returning to Earth he was uncertain how to deal with her. He nodded to accept the timeframe, and with a look at Phlox, and a jerk of his head towards the street, the two men turned and left together.

*****

Malcolm waited for T’Pol while the Vulcan woman made some calls on a vid-phone. She apparently located someone she could talk with and nodded at Malcolm to follow her. They took a surface transport vehicle to a point outside the city, remote and desolate. Malcolm found the heat oppressive, but discovered with relief that T’Pol led him towards a cave with somewhat cooler air. T’Pol indicated he should remain near the mouth of the cave and she walked out of sight, making Malcolm somewhat uneasy. He trusted T’Pol to be able to care for herself, and to call if necessary, but this plan smacked too much of the cavalier manner Captain Archer had used in disregarding his cautions over the years. Malcolm strained his ears for any noise, but heard nothing.

T’Pol walked a hundred meters towards the back of the cave, then turned sharply right. This was a place she had found as a child, and had used it when an operative for the VHC when complete privacy was required. Two of her former colleagues were already present, waiting for her. She greeted T’Ive and Kal'r with the traditional Vulcan gesture, and acknowledged their response.

“T’Pol, we heard you were on Earth after your return from the Expanse. When did you return to Vulcan?”

T’Pol lifted a brow, somewhat quizzically. “Surely my presence here is not a surprise. I traveled here in the ship of Saco of the VHC. That information cannot have been overlooked by you.”

“We have many important Vulcans and matters to attend to, and cannot monitor the comings and goings of those who are marginally of interest to the VHC. Still, your presence here is acceptable.”

With the Vulcan equivalent of bantering out of the way, the three conferred over the issue at hand. T’Ive and Kal’r had contacted the experts on the Isolationists and the V’tosh ka’tur. The two extremes were captious and suspicious of each other, but the ‘friends’ could find no link between Kov and the Isolationists. There had been no unusual activity with the Isolationists. T’Pol was getting disheartened.

“It appears we have reached a dead end,” she said.

“A ‘dead end?’”

“An abrupt discontinuation of a road.”

“T’Pol, you sound like a human when you make such references,” T’Ive remarked.

“I sound nothing like a human, but when I find a phrase used in that culture which is an economical means of conveying a concept, I employ it.”

“How economical can the expression be if you have to explain it?” Kal’r inquired.

*Really,* thought T’Pol, * T’Ive and Kal’r are as undisiplined as Mr. Tucker. How could I forget these two make unnecessary references to my responses to situations or to my behavior or verbal expressions?*

“Let us focus on the task. This is a serious matter, not a joke.”

T’Ive and Kal'r realized T’Pol was under some stress, so they ceased to tease her.

“Kov has not been tracked by our department, but we have found that his movements were monitored after he returned to Vulcan as well as when he moved to Earth. He had no position of authority in his work, and he did not preach to convert others to his way of life, so this examination of his movements is not usual.”

“Why was he followed, if that is so?”

“We do not know, but we speculate that he is influencing someone with a great deal of power within Vulcan society. His ideology is unsafe because of that connection.”

“Who was he influencing?”

“His father.”

*****

Trip and Phlox made their way towards the Vulcan transport compound and found the shuttle Saco had left for them to use. Trip instantly fell in love. The lines of the shuttle were sleek and the colors dramatic and powerful. For an alien race with no interest in the aesthetics of design, the Vulcans had a very keen eye for the beautiful. Trip checked over the vehicle and almost wept with envy. He coveted this shuttle. It had its own tractor beam (damn the Vulcans who still wouldn’t give him the specs), a very obedient food dispenser which provided him pasta with pesto and a mean glass of chianti (which he didn’t consume but he gazed at longingly), star charts he had never seen, and a micro warp coil while allowed warp 5 travel in comfort. He decided Vulcans were the meanest people he had ever seen. He would have shared this technology with the universe! But, no, the Vulcans gave nothing away. He would have to have a little discussion with T’Pol, when he saw her again.

Phlox loved the shuttle almost as much as Trip. It had a miniature medicine-cabinet sickbay. This shuttle was all things to all male alien life forms.

“I want this ship!” Trip exclaimed. “I could cruise around the universe and pick up lots of great looking women. They’d be impressed!”

“I’ve read about the human male belief that motorized vehicles are a means of captivating the interest of women. Denobulan women believe in sexual innuendo and lots of touching. Denobulan men prefer to be left alone except for intriguing gossip about various in law spouses and their angst.”

Trip and Phlox didn’t have a lot in common in terms of discussing relationships – Trip loved sex but not talking about it while Phlox loved talking about sex but not participating. This often led to some awkward gaps in their conversations.

“Yeah, well, this is one fine ship,” Trip reiterated weakly. “If T’Pol manages to get a lead on Kov, we’ll find him with this.”

“T’Pol is most determined to find Kov. I had no idea she knew him so well.”

“She never met him,” Trip corrected.

“Then why is she so determined to find him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because the idea of a *lost* Vulcan isn’t logical. Kov was very comfortable with who he was, but most Vulcans couldn’t relate. Maybe T’Pol needs to find him to make the universe make sense again, to put the universe in order. She’s kind of controlling that way, you know.”

“T’Pol? No, she doesn’t try to control. If her advice isn’t heeded, she doesn’t pursue the topic. Captain Archer usually ignored her cautions, and she recognized there is no sense in trying to impose her perspective. Vulcans believe in presenting the best point of view on an issue, and if it isn’t heeded they accept that decision.”

“Are we talking about the same T’Pol? The T’Pol who has been on me for ages about being human? And Soval? Soval has been harping on human space travel for 30 years. He hasn’t stopped.”

“But initially humans did listen to Vulcans and he still has that perspective of reality. It is the younger generation – you, Reed, Mayweather, Sato, Hayes, Cole - who are willing to *shake things up.* I’ve heard the stories about the first warp five flight and you are the one who challenged the Vulcans to allow humans to test their warp capability - you and Robinson who were willing to push the envelop and make the Vulcans acknowledge that humans are capable of space travel and innovative thinking. Soval isn’t too fond of you as a result, and he can’t *let it go.*”

“Soval? Hell, he doesn’t even know who I am. To him all humans look alike.”

“Soval is no fool. He keeps his eye on humans, and he definitely knows who you are.”

“Great, just what I need, a bitter old Vulcan breathing down my neck.”

“And he will probably be breathing *down your neck* for the rest of your life. But for now, let’s get this ship in shape. And T’Pol is fascinated by your human nature – what you see as criticism she sees as learning about you and understanding you.”

Trip sometimes found Phlox an enigma. The Denoblulan had been telling him something, but Trip wasn’t sure what.

****

The designated four hours passed and the four friends reconvened in the café. Trip was relieved to see T’Pol was safe and gave Malcolm a warm smile for doing his duty. Malcolm, realizing Trip had doubted his ability to guard T’Pol, was offended and withdrew. Trip saw Malcolm absorb the unintended insult and sighed. Malcolm was too easy to read, to easy to offend, and just too easy to love. Trip went over to Malcolm, put his arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug. Malcolm ignored the gesture, but the atmosphere lightened considerably. T’Pol, observing the exchange, realized that Trip and Malcolm shared a friendship which was very special and important to both men. She understood that Trip might be careless about his words and gestures, but he tracked what he said and did carefully; and when he unintentionally hurt another, he was quick to make right the wrong. But right now, she couldn’t take time to understand that part of his behavior - she’d think about that tomorrow. T’Pol brought the attention of the group back to the task at hand.

“My former colleagues were not convinced the Isolationists had anything to do with the disappearance of Kov, but they do cite his interpretation of Surak as statistically a primary reason for his disappearance. They found a significant amount of data about Kov gathered after his return to Vulcan and then his life on Earth.”

“Who gathered it?”

T’Pol was not prepared to reveal that information. Instead, she deflected the question.

“They believe that Kov may have been taken to P’Jem.”

“But the monastery was destroyed. Why would he be taken there?” Phlox inquired.

“The planet is still revered as a place of renewal,” T’Pol replied neutrally. She didn’t explain the Vulcan meaning of renewal, but Phlox knew and was concerned. He looked at her and saw the subtle tense set of her shoulders.

Trip looked at T’Pol and realized she was very upset about something she had learned. Was it about P’Jem? What was it with that planet? When the Andorians had destroyed it, Trip felt a weigh of the universe had been lifted. But he saw the weight upon T’Pol’s shoulders, and he wondered why it was so and how Kov fit into the picture.

TBC

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A handful of people have made comments

"And he will probably be breathing *down your neck* for the rest of your life." -- mwah ha ha ha ha! I loved this line, myst! Such foretelling!

Looking forward to more on this one... you've got Phlox down to a T! :)

Very good, I wish we could see what is happening with Kov from his point of view. As for T'Pol never having met Kov that had not occurred to me. I love it that T'Pol is as keen to get to the bottom of this mystery as Trip, even if it is for different reasons. Ali D :~)

Great story -- I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Nice to see Phlox being used and treated as part of a team -- I agree that you've got him down to a T!

Great chapter. And I too love how you write Phlox.

“And he will probably be breathing *down your neck* for the rest of your life. But for now, let’s get this ship in shape. And T’Pol is fascinated by your human nature – what you see as criticism she sees as learning about you and understanding you.”

Trip? Helloooooo? Time to wake up! ;-)))