Tuvok
is the only member of USS Voyager NCC 74656's senior staff with children
and a long-term marriage back in the Alpha Quadrant. Despite this
separation, and the other Delta Quadrant hardships, Tuvok is determined
to maintain his steady demeanor by relying on logic and discipline.
During the
long journey, Tuvok suffers repeated mental and physical assaults,
including being taken over by the Komar in 2371, mind-melding with a
Betazoid psychotic murderer in 2372, having his DNA combined with Neelix
in a transporter accident, enduring a parasitic memory virus, resisting
Borg assimilation, encountering the Ba’Neth in 2376, being used by a
Bajoran named Teero to take over Voyager, and almost losing his identity
after treatments for so-called Dysphoria Syndrome in 2377.
During his
personal time, the Vulcan pursues solitary hobbies from his previous
life including botany and meditative games like Kal-toh and Keethara.
Even at these quiet, restorative moments Tuvok must con tend with
prankster Tom Paris, the ever-bubbly Neelix, and undisciplined Maquis
who are determined to find, or create, a chink in Tuvok’s Vulcan
armor.
One of
Tuvok’s greatest accomplishments is discovering qualities to respect
in most of his colleagues, even Neelix, and his ability to tolerate the
rest with equanimity. He never develops close relationships, but does
work on off-hours projects with Tom Paris, B’Elanna Torres, and Seven.
Only once, briefly in 2373, is Tuvok the focal point of Voyager’s
normal social activities when his ‘Insurrection Alpha’ training
holoprogram becomes an underground hit with the crew, who run the
scenarios like a serial holo-novel.
Tuvok’s
self control is challenged by two women- Marayna, who appeared on the
ship as a hologram in 2373; and Noss, the survivor from the gravity well
planet in 2375. Though he makes a true connection with them both, even
admitting that the possibility of returning to his wife appears to be
slim, Tuvok’s code of conduct forces him to decline their invitations.
Though
overcoming each Delta Quadrant challenge, Tuvok’s hopes of returning
home unchanged are doomed simply because his many extraordinary
successes make him stronger and better Vulcan.
