Searching for Kov (Plot #7)

Searching for Kov

by myst123

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery

T/T 2004 Summer Challenge

Plot #7: Trip discovers Kov has disappeared. Kov’s father asks Trip to find his son. Trip turns to T’Pol for help. Kov was last seen at the 602 Club talking with an unknown alien woman who Trip and T’Pol determine must be from Oran'taku because of many references to her hypnotic personality. As Trip’s last frame of reference for his friend, he and T’Pol work together to explore the world of V’tosh ka’tur, or Vulcans Without Logic. The two travel from Earth to the monastery at P’Jem to Vulcan and beyond. Trip discovers T’Pol is a natural at espionage and sleuthing, and T’Pol discovers a bit about herself as a Vulcan. The fate of Kov and the mystery of his disappearance are up to the author who selects this synopsis.

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

***

Chapter 1

The late morning fog hung low over San Francisco. Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker shivered as he walked towards the café on the corner near his home. After all the years he had lived off and on in the Bay Area, he still was always taken aback how penetratingly the fog could be. As Samuel Clemens was alleged to have said, the coldest winter one could ever spend is a summer in San Francisco.

Head down, thinking about that hot cup of coffee, Trip ran into another pedestrian. Looking up to apologize, he was surprised to see an older Vulcan man rigidly, immovably planted in the center of the sidewalk. Trip apologized for not looking where was going and stepped to one side to go around the Vulcan, but found himself butting up again the same form once again. A frown marred his brow.

“On Earth, we walk around each other, not through each other,” he snapped. Even though Trip had come to appreciate T’Pol, he still found himself feeling defensive around the more traditional Vulcan males. And this Vulcan was definitely in the traditional mold. Heavy robes to ward off the knife-like cold air, gray hair cut in the regulation bowl fashion, flaring nostrils and brows, pointed ears, at present slightly green from the chill, and the characteristic furrow between the brows, indicative of the bitter old Vulcan.

Surprisingly, the other man took no offense, but instead addressed Trip by name.

“Commander Tucker?”

“Yes?” Trip was wary.

“I am called Saco. My son spoke to me of you, and I seek you out for your assistance.”

“Your son?”

“He is called Kov.”

“Kov is your son? I’ve been trying to get in touch with him in the past couple of days! How is he?”

“It is of Kov I wish to speak. May I ask for your time now to do so?”

“Of course! I’m just going to sit and have a cup of coffee. Want to join me?”

A stiff bending of the head was the response. Trip, taking that as agreement, swept an arm out to indicate the direction to walk. Once in front of the café, Trip pulled open the door to allow the older man to enter.

The two men ordered their respective beverages at the counter, then carried their mugs to a table in the corner. Trip looked at the older man with new eyes. Kov was the first Vulcan friend Trip had met in the first year Enterprise was exploring. Kov belonged to a cultish-type group of Vulcans, the V’tosh ka’tur or “Vulcans without Logic” who sought to explore their emotions in hopes of balancing logic with emotions. Their methods were frowned upon by Vulcan society, and as a result Kov and his father had not spoken in many years. However, since then, the two had reconciled and Kov had returned to live on Vulcan for a time, and then on Earth. He was not still practicing the V’tosh ka’tur, but he was still a curious, friendly man, willing and eager to learn about other societies.

“So, you’re Kov’s dad. I’m pleased to meet you. Kov is a good man and I’ve been hoping to see him again.”

“He told me you advised him to contact me when I was unwell. We were able to discuss our differing perspectives of emotions, and I believed we had achieve a mutual understanding. My thanks for your advice.”

“No problem. I was in touch with Kov for several months before the Xindi attack, but I lost touch with him after…my sister died. I wish I’d had the chance Kov had to….”

Saco picked up his cup and took a sip of the tea he had ordered. Trip, accustomed to the subtle signs which indicated extreme distress in a Vulcan, saw that Saco was uneasy.

“Sir, are you OK?”

“I was on my way to visit you at your home when I encountered you on the street. Kov had a picture of the two of you, which is how I recognized you. I have not heard from Kov and that disturbs me. It has been five days, fourteen hours, and twelve minutes. We were to meet over a meal in the North End, but he never came. I have made inquiries, and he indicated to those who know the evening prior to our meeting he was going to visit a place called the 602 Club.”

“I know the place. I suggested he give it a try.”

“Yes, he told me. He found attending that venue stimulating and asked that I accompany him. We were to meet there this week.”

Trip was puzzled. “The 602 can be rough, but usually tempers flare, there’s a free-for-all, then the place settles down and someone buys a round to make the peace. I’ve never heard of anything more than that. Do you think something happened to Kov at the Club?”

“Mr. Tucker. My son has not been seen for five days, fourteen hours, and twenty minutes. I require your assistance to locate him.”

Trip stood, stared into the concerned eyes of the man across the table.

“Let’s go to the 602 and see for ourselves what we can find out. Sorry your first time you have to go without Kov.”

“I’ll explain why I could not wait,” Saco deadpanned.

*****

The 602 hadn’t changed in years. The formica table tops and Venetian blinds provided a mid-20th century atmosphere. Since returning from the expanse, Trip hadn’t visited his old haunt. The death of his “Cap’n” was too painful to him, and he avoided those places he associated with his friend.

Trip glanced around the dark interior, made even more dim and shadowy by the foggy day. He recognized no one. Kov had told him Ruby married and moved on, so both people he most associated with the place were gone.

He gestured Saco to sit and went to the bar to order a couple of beers. Taking the brews back to the table, he smiled to himself as he saw the Vulcan brow raised in surprise at the sight of alcohol.

“We’re in a bar, Saco, and humans drink alcohol in a bar. But don’t worry, I got you a non-alcoholic version.”

Saco lifted one eyebrow inquisitively. “Non-alcoholic beer? Is that logical?”

Trip laughed. “No, but for those who can’t drink, for whatever reason, the taste at least offers a pale imitation that satisfies some need. Many human couples drink this when expecting children, during a time they can’t drink liquor.”

“I’m not expecting, Mr. Tucker. If I am going to drink a beer, I prefer to drink the real beverage. Please.”

Trip smiled and signaled a passing waitperson to place the new order. Kov’s father was clearly far more willing to delve into human culture than the stereotypical Vulcan anthropologists Kov had mentioned, who observed but did not participate. When the beer arrived, Trip raised his glass and clicked it against Saco’s, who was apparently aware of this human custom.

“So this is the scene of the crime,” Saco observed. Trip was startled by the phrase. Saco understood and explained. “Kov took me to see some human movies.”

“Let’s hope there’s no crime. Maybe Kov felt he needed a break and didn’t let you know his plans.”

“That is my…hope.”

Trip wasn’t sure how to respond but was distracted when the door of the bar opened and in strode T’Pol and Ambassador Soval. Trip had not seen his colleague since their return to Earth. When he tried to contact her, she either was unavailable or too busy to talk. After the fifth attempt, he got the message.

T’Pol paused momentarily upon seeing Commander Tucker. He nodded his head towards her and returned his attention to his companion. A Vulcan? Who is he? T’Pol wondered silently.

“I see we are not the only Vulcans in this establishment. Who is that sitting at the table at 43 degrees?”

In response to T’Pol’s inquiry, Soval’s head whipped around to the proper coordinates. “That is Saco, a member of the VHC. What is he doing on Earth?” T’Pol approached the table to find out.

“T’Pol, what on Earth on you doing here?” Trip demanded.

“The Ambassador and I were passing by and sought some respite from the elements,” T’Pol prevaricated. Soval, recognizing her tactics, did not reveal that she had pressed him to bring her here.

“How nice. Maybe we can do lunch sometime. Take care,” Trip responded, dismissing her and turning back to his companion.

T’Pol pulled out a chair and sat, gesturing Soval to do likewise. Trip glared at T’Pol, while Saco withdrew into his Vulcan shell.

“Perhaps, Commander Tucker, we could meet later,” Saco said.

“Excuse us a moment.” Trip smiled through gritted teeth and pulled T’Pol to her feet and away from the table by her elbow.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m in the middle of a very important conversation here. Please leave.”

T’Pol returned Trip’s gaze without blinking. “Saco is one of the most powerful members of the VHC. Why are you here with him?”

“Just…go away, T’Pol. I’m busy.”

Returning to the table, T’Pol sat down, arms crossed casually across her body. Trip decided at that moment that Vulcan women were impossible. A hovering waitperson took T’Pol’s order for tea for herself and Soval.

“I am T’Pol, a colleague of Commander Tucker’s, and this is Ambassador Soval. Mr. Tucker has informed me of the situation. Please, carry on.”

“I…” Trip sputtered, only to have his foot nearly broken by T’Pol stepping on it. He smothered a yelp.

“The Commander and I work very closely on Enterprise, and he has no secrets from me.”

Trip, still gasping from pain, glared at T’Pol. Saco, familiar with the matriarchal aspects which linger in Vulcan society, recognized T’Pol as the alpha partner in the relationship between the human and Vulcan and included both in the subsequent discussion.

“My son, Kov, disappeared five days, sixteen hours, ten minutes ago from this club.”

“Kov?”

“Kov was one of the V’tosh ka’tur who came aboard Enterprise our first year out. Do you remember them?” Trip decided it was more logical to have T’Pol on his side than to fight her.

T’Pol stilled, but so slightly it was undetectable. The tea arrived and both she and Soval sipped their beverages. Although not many Vulcans frequented the 602, the tea was drinkable. “Continue,” T’Pol prompted.

“That is all I know,” Saco responded. “I contacted Commander Tucker to see if he can find my son. Vulcan Intelligence officers do not investigate when those who have been identified as V’Tosh ka’tur are involved.” Trip, T’Pol and Soval all remained silent in the face of this bald statement.

“What do you require of Commander Tucker?” T’Pol asked.

“That he find my son.”

“We will do so,” T’Pol responded. Trip looked at her with widened eyes. “Let us see what we can discover from the personnel presently at work in this establishment.”

It was soon discovered that Kov was known to the staff as a gentle and respectful Vulcan. He didn’t visit the bar often, but he was memorable as a Vulcan “out of water.“ The staff gathered around the table to try to recall the last they saw of him, which indeed was about 9 pm on the previous Friday. The men recalled that a beautiful woman, with blonde hair and hypnotic eyes, joined him soon after his arrival and the two left shortly thereafter. While the two were in the bar, the woman constantly touched Kov, stroking his back and touching his face. No one had seen the woman before, but from her description, Trip and T’Pol were concerned.

Although Kov had at one time embraced the “Vulcan without Logic” ideology, his father refused to believe he would allow a person unknown to him to touch him so intimately. Neither Trip nor T’Pol expanded upon their personal knowledge, but did put forth the possibility that they had encountered this species before. “You think it could be a female Oran’taku?” Trip asked T’Pol.

“I’m uncertain. The female Oran’taku we encountered was genetically altered by the Xindi to gather intelligence. It is possible the woman is Rajiin, but how would she have arrived here? And why take Kov?”

“Kov is a very good engineer. Has he been working on anything confidential?” Trip asked Saco.

“No, for he was not trusted because of his association with the V’tosh ka’tur.”

“Has anyone seen Kov since that night?”

“No, no one.”

Where to start to look for a man who disappeared without a trace? Trip asked Saco to take him to Kov’s quarters, and T’Pol corrected Trip to include them both. Soval, who had been silent throughout the proceedings, declined to accompany them. His only comment, for T’Pol’s ears alone, was to tell her she came from a long line of logical Vulcans, and that the life path she had apparently decided upon was not in accordance with the laws of logic. Outwardly T’Pol ignored him, but did absorb what he said.

***

Trip and T’Pol visited Kov’s quarters, which revealed nothing other than he led the Spartan life of most Vulcans. Very little of his personality was evident in the room. They then began to talk with colleagues and friends to find out if anything had happened in recent days to change his routine or cause his disappearance. Again, nothing was discovered.

“When you Vulcans disappear, there aren’t a whole lot of clues about your existence, are there? You don’t seem to make a ripple in the cosmic way of things.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Tucker, Kov did leave clues for us to follow, just none you recognize.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Vulcans lead a very orderly life. Therefore, Kov, who led a very orderly life after his return from the V’tosh ka’tur, was unaware of what would happen that night at the 602. The woman is the key. Cherchez la femme.

Trip looked at T’Pol with awe. “Where do you get this stuff? Cherchez la femme? What are you, on the trail of Mata Hari? What exactly do you do in your spare time that you picked up a phrase like that?”

“Mr. Tucker, we need to find the woman in the 602 Club. How do you propose we do so?”

“T’Pol, you know one day you are going to aggravate me beyond belief so that I don’t answer one of your questions until you answer mine. For now Kov is more important. I don’t know. How do we cherchez la femme?”

“Since Kov returned to Vulcan and moved to Earth, he doesn’t seem to have done anything out of the ordinary other than work and visit human venues. We don’t know who the woman is, so somewhere in his recent past is the clue we need. We can start here on earth and go backwards, or go to Vulcan and start from there and work forwards. What do you wish to do?”

“Go forward, I guess.”

“How logical of you, Mr. Tucker.”

Trip really, really hated Vulcan women at that moment.

TBC

Continue to Chapter 2

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

oooh . . . looks like they've had some kind of a lover's quarrel.

the coldest summer one could ever spend is a summer in San Francisco.

I think it's "the coldest WINTER I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

Great start!

I think there is more to this then meets the eye. I also loved the line"....recognized T'Pol as the alpha partner in the relationship between the human and Vulcan......" I wonder if Trip knows about this.

Yes, AM, you are right. Thanks! I've corrected that to read "winter...summer" rather than "summer...summer."

Excelllent start, Myst. I love mysteries, so I'm all into this one.

Oooh, I love mysteries! Great start. I love the feeling of exasperation in Trips voice towards T'Pol. The "cherchez la femme" exchange between the two... very funny.

Myst I just love how you have T/T interact! Please keep this going!

Hmm. This is interesting. I take it we're ignoring the Alien Nazi guy but still assuming Archer's dead?

Looks like Trip and T'Pol have a mystery to solve! Lets hope they don't end up killing each other before they find Kov. Sounds like they've had a bit of a falling out.

Excellent start Myst. I am eager for the next installment. Why is T'Pol so eager to assist in the search?

Ah, that´s beyond wonderful! What great dialogues and actions! Great, great, great! Can´t wait for more!!

And a special thank you for this conversation:

“I am T’Pol, a colleague of Commander Tucker’s, and this is Ambassador Soval. Mr. Tucker has informed me of the situation. Please, carry on.”
“I…” Trip sputtered, only to have his foot nearly broken by T’Pol stepping on it. He smothered a yelp.
“The Commander and I work very closely on Enterprise, and he has no secrets from me.”

:-)))))))))))

Love this but I have to be suspicious of T'Pol's timing in turning up when Trip was talking with Socar about his missing son Kov. That was hardly coincidental. So what does T'Pol know that she is with holding from Trip and by extension Socar? And why do I get the feeling she either knows or suspects what is really going on? Great start, can't wait for more! Ali D :~)

good to see you writing again..and like the idea of trip trying to find kov.
kov's father is interesting and really interacts well with trip.
and while i see tpol as being the alpha partner we also saw in countdown that trip has limits about how far he will allow tpol to push him around too.