Review – On the Radio

Radio.  It can bring back a memory in a snap.

On the Radio Background

On the Radio

A friend passed away earlier in 2013, and I was having some trouble processing it.  I decided to attempt to process it through art.

As a result, I worked in my own feelings by trying to tease out Hoshi and T’Pol‘s feelings about Tripp‘s passing.

And, the reason why I call this canon character Tripp instead of Trip is because of this very man who, in real life, is no more.

Plot

As Tucker has died, the two women who knew him best mourn him in different ways. T’Pol’s canon relationship is well-known. She ends up breaking down in front of Jay Hayes‘s replacement, Major Strong Bear Dawson, who everybody calls Bud. Bud is the sole eyewitness to her breakdown, and he tells her he won’t say anything to anyone. She asks how she can repay his kindness and he tells her to just go and have a good life.

Hoshi’s relationship with Tripp is outlined in Together. But the song that is the title of the piece, and is woven throughout this songfic, was played during the party outlined in More, More, More! Hoshi reveals that she and Tripp danced to it. She comes to the realization that it served as a prelude to their time together, and that Tucker may have liked her before then. For her, the music, and a dance with Travis, are how she feels she can cope.

When she and T’Pol are alone together, she passes the music from the party to the Vulcan, urging her to listen so that she can, in a way, understand another facet of Tripp’s personality, something she may not have already known. It is a final act of generosity between women who were not exactly romantic rivals, but rather were romantic steps or links in the chain that was Tripp’s life.

Music

Apart from the Donna Summer song, the entire playlist from More, More, More! is as follows –

• Alicia Bridges – I Love the Night Life
• The Trammps – Disco Inferno
• The Bee Gees – More Than a Woman
• Andrea True Connection – More, More, More!
• Silver Convention – Fly, Robin, Fly
• Patrick Hernandez – Born To Be Alive
• Thelma Houston – Don’t Leave Me This Way
• Lipps Inc. – Funky Town
• Van McCoy – The Hustle
• The Bee Gees – Night Fever
• Kool & the Gang – Celebration
• Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
• The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
• Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
• Lobo – Me and You and a Dog named Boo
• Melanie – Brand New Key
• The Captain and Tennille – Love Will Keep Us Together
• Commodores – Brick House
• Tavares – It Only Takes a Minute
• Donna Summer – On the Radio
• La Flavour – Mandolay
• Earth Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove
• K.C. & the Sunshine Band – That’s the Way I Like It
• Village People – YMCA
• The Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive
• Chic – Le Freak
• Rick James – Super Freak
• Tavares – Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel
• Vicki Sue Robinson – Turn the Beat Around
• Barry White – Can’t Get Enough of Your Love
• Hues Corporation – Rock the Boat
• Sister Sledge – We Are Family
• Diana Ross – Love Hangover
• Kool & the Gang – Ladies Night
• A Taste of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie
• Donna Summer – Last Dance

Story Postings

• On the Radio origin posting
• On the Radio on Fanfiction.net
• In addition, On the Radio on Fictionpad
• On the Radio on Wattpad
• On the Radio in context

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

As a story, I think it works pretty well. Reactions have been mixed; some critics have said they thought T’Pol would not act as forcefully as she does, but Star Trek: Enterprise canon dictates that this is a former trellium addict and so her emotions are still not fully under control, even years later.

In this story, I am probably more like the Hoshi character. Removed but mournful, and saddened by the wasted potential more than anything else. I have no problem with Tucker being killed off in canon. People die and they should die in space. Space is far from safe, particularly during that era. But I wanted to see a lot more of the aftermath. I hope this aftermath/afterimage type of story can work for readers.