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AIRED ON
May 22, 2002
RUNTIME
44 minutes
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163
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2024-09-12 18:53:51
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SUMMARY
Starfleet orders Enterprise to return home when the crew seemingly causes the destruction of an alien planet. However, a visit from Crewman Daniels leads Archer to believe that this disaster was the plot of one of the factions from the temporal cold war.
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REVIEWS
Lucy Knight
Written by
Pike on 2018-04-06
★
★
★
ANNA'S DISAPPEARANCE
Season five starts and all of the storylines from season four completely disappeared. Vanished. The biggest of it all being Anna. I didn't understand the disappearance of Anna Del Amico. It seems that the actress left the show, but I thought that it was clearly not well managed. Her character started in a dull way but gradually became interesting, especially since the moment we got to see her place and her relationship with John Carter.
LUCY KNIGHT
The season starts and focuses heavily (almost solely) with the introduction of the character of Lucy Knight. The baby-like actress, Kellie Martin, is definitely providing a new kind of character. We will see throughout the season how interesting she will be. Adding a new main character is always a tricky situation. By default, most characters are not appreciated by the main audience, which is always rooting and longing for the original characters. When the main actors will slowly leave the show, the "replacement characters" will usually be slightly to heavily less interesting.
But there are misses, and then there are misses. As an example, both Dr. Romano and Elizabeth Corday, introduced in season four, were excellent characters right from the start.
SUMMARY
A very good episode but at the same time very frustrating, because it doesn't continue any of the storylines we had at the end of season four. The time gap is too big to enjoy it. I give it 6 out of 10.
TRANSCRIPT
[Captain's mess]
(It's coffee break time for the senior staff.)
ARCHER: They don't have a problem with us dropping by?
T'POL: On the contrary. The operations foreman said they haven't had visitors in nearly six months.
TUCKER: Is it really a matriarchal society? I mean, the women make all the decisions?
T'POL: Until recently, but in the last decade the Paraagan males have made great strides to acquire equal rights.
TUCKER: Still, it would probably be best if we didn't get too flirtatious.
ARCHER: Probably. I read that this colony started off twenty years ago with just thirty miners. Now there are over three thousand. They've got schools, landscaped communities, even some kind of museum.
TUCKER: You think twenty years from now there'll be Earth colonies out this far? Human kids growing up on New Sausalito?
ARCHER: If my father were alive he wouldn't doubt it for a minute. We're making history with
TUCKER: Every light year. You know, I think I've heard you say that at least half a dozen times.
(comm. beeps)
ARCHER: Archer here.
TRAVIS [OC]: The Paraagans have given us clearance to enter orbit.
T'POL: Have you received their landing protocols?
TRAVIS [OC]: They're coming in now.
ARCHER: We're on our way.
[Shuttlepod]
(The pod is descending towards an M-class looking planet with wispy cloud cover.)
REED: (piloting) This should take a bit longer than usual.
ARCHER: It wouldn't be very polite to ignite their atmosphere. When are you supposed to close the plasma ducts?
REED: The protocol said fifty kilometres, but to be on the safe side I'm going to lock them off at about seventy five.
T'POL: Although the matriarchal elements in the culture have diminished it might be best if I were to ask
(Sudden explosions around the shuttlepod, and we see the planet's atmosphere burn away as the pod tumbles helplessly.)
[Deleted scene - Bridge]
HOSHI: Enterprise to Shuttlepod one. Captain Archer, please respond.
TRAVIS: Did you see that?
HOSHI: The shuttlepod's attitude isn't right.
TRAVIS: I'm coming around. Bring the grappler online.
(Hoshi goes to T'Pol's station.)
TRAVIS: Hoshi.
HOSHI: Not yet. Now.
[Sickbay]
REED: I closed both plasma ducts. I'm certain of it.
ARCHER: Are you sure there's nothing left?
HOSHI: We could see the colony in full magnification, sir. The ground was scorched for at least a hundred kilometres in every direction.
ARCHER: Could one of the dampeners been malfunctioning?
REED: I closed both ducts. Any kind of malfunction would have triggered an alarm. Two alarms. There are backups to prevent these kinds of accidents. The ducts were closed.
T'POL: This is no time to be placing blame. A thorough investigation should explain what happened. How is he?
(Tucker is out cold on a biobed.)
PHLOX: He has a mild concussion, but he should be fine.
ARCHER: Have you tried hailing the colony? There has to be someone down there.
HOSHI: Sir, I tried to explain. There's nothing left. No buildings, no trees, no people.
ARCHER: That's impossible. There were thirty six hundred colonists.
[Bridge]
ARCHER: Have you finished the diagnostics?
T'POL: I've analysed six of the pod sensor logs. I have two left.
ARCHER: Well, get them done. You've had three hours. (to Tucker) What about the Enterprise sensor logs? They must have recorded how much tetrazine was in the atmosphere. Was the concentration greater than the Paraagans specified? Was it present at higher altitudes than it was supposed to be?
TUCKER: That's the weird part, sir. The tetrazine levels were less than three parts per million. That's half what the protocol specified.
ARCHER: What about the point of ignition?
REED: The flash point was directly beneath the shuttle, sir, but it seems to have originated at the starboard plasma duct.
ARCHER: A plasma duct you're certain was closed.
T'POL: Every log on the shuttle indicates that both ducts were sealed and locked.
ARCHER: Then you'd better start re-examining those logs, because something doesn't add up here. Get me Admiral Forrest. This is not going to be fun.
[Ready room]
FORREST [on monitor]: Tetrazine?
ARCHER: It's a by-product of their mining operation. It settles between forty five and fifty kilometres in their atmosphere. Exhaust plasma is about the only thing hot enough to ignite it.
FORREST [on monitor]: But you said your plasma ducts were closed.
ARCHER: Yes, sir. We're doing everything we can to determine what went wrong, but that's not going to change the fact that there are thirty six hundred corpses down there.
FORREST [on monitor]: Continue to analyse your logs. I'm going to call an emergency meeting at the Command Council. You realise they'll undoubtedly bring the Vulcans into this. We'll have to figure out who's going to contact the Paraagan homeworld.
ARCHER: That should be my responsibility, sir.
FORREST [on monitor]: You're right, it should, but let's take this one step at a time.
ARCHER: How do you tell all those families that
FORREST [on monitor]: You followed all the protocols that you were given.
ARCHER: We came here to meet these people, to learn something about them, not to kill them.
FORREST [on monitor]: You followed the protocols. You've got a crew that's going to be looking to you to figure out how to react to all this. Don't let them down. I'll get back to you soon as I can. I'm sorry, Jon.
[Sickbay]
T'POL: His behaviour has been erratic. He seems to alternate between agitation, despondency and guilt. He spends most of his time alone. I've tried to remind him that this was an accident, but his responses have been illogical. He seems to be ignoring his responsibilities as captain.
PHLOX: Ah, to be Vulcan. It's been my experience that humans have a great deal of difficulty separating emotional despair from what you call responsibility.
T'POL: Nevertheless, as his physician you should monitor him closely, to be certain he remains fit for command.
PHLOX: I understand how uncomfortable his behaviour must be for you, but trust me, it would be unnatural for the Captain not to be affected by grief under these circumstances. It's, er, human nature. He'll be fine.
[Archer's quarters]
(Archer is scrolling through the crew manifest, with Porthos on his lap.)
ARCHER: What is it?
HOSHI [OC]: It's Admiral Forrest, sir.
ARCHER: Thank you.
[Bridge]
HOSHI: The atmospheric analysis of the probe is coming through.
REED: Put it up here, would you?
TRAVIS: What is it?
REED: The air near the surface is filled with traces of boro-carbons.
TUCKER: When tetrazine is ignited by plasma exhaust, there's only one outcome you can be sure of.
TRAVIS: Traces of borocarbons.
TUCKER: You got it.
REED: I don't care whether that probe picked up traces of bread pudding. Both our plasma ducts were locked down, and there were no leaks in the system. Not unless they miraculously mended themselves afterwards.
(Archer emerges from the turbolift.)
ARCHER: T'Pol. Trip.
(They follow him out.)
[Ready room]
ARCHER: The mission's been cancelled.
TUCKER: Cancelled?
ARCHER: From what the Admiral tells me, Ambassador Soval will use this to convince Starfleet that we need another ten or twenty years before we try this again.
TUCKER: Twenty years? Starfleet won't buy that for a minute.
ARCHER: Won't they?
TUCKER: Tell him he's crazy! Tell him that's guilt talking, not Jonathan Archer!
ARCHER: The Vulcan ship will meet us in three days to get you and Doctor Phlox. Please inform Mister Mayweather to head for these co-ordinates.
TUCKER: I can't believe you're letting them do this to us. You've waited all your life to command this ship.
ARCHER: Dismissed.
TUCKER: But, sir.
ARCHER: I said you're dismissed. Both of you.
[Mess hall]
TRAVIS: You think they've replaced you in Brazil yet?
HOSHI: Even if they have, they'd take me back. I'm a prodigy, remember? How about you?
TRAVIS: After a year on Enterprise, the thought of a cargo ship is pretty unappealing.
HOSHI: What if they made you Captain? You're going to be the most famous Boomer around, you know.
TRAVIS: Or maybe infamous. From what Commander Tucker tells me, people back home think that we're doing nothing out here but getting in trouble.
HOSHI: Then it's our job to let the people back home know what really happened. Anyone who tries to bad-mouth Captain Archer in front of me is going to get an earful in any language they want.
[Deleted scene - Launch bay]
T'POL: Lieutenant?
REED: Over here. It's not exactly a smoking gun, but this EM signature does not belong here.
T'POL: Where did you find it?
REED: On the outer hull, about twelve centimetres below the starboard plasma duct.
T'POL: It might simply be boro-carbons formed by the explosion.
REED: I already checked. There isn't a carbon atom to be found. Whatever it is, its profile doesn't match anything in our database.
[Archer's quarters]
ARCHER: Come in. What was so important it couldn't wait till morning?
T'POL: If you'd prefer, I'll come back.
ARCHER: No, I'm sorry. What have you got?
T'POL: Lieutenant Reed and his team have discovered an unidentified EM signature on the ventral hull of Shuttlepod One.
ARCHER: (looking at PADD) It could be anything.
T'POL: Mister Reed felt you'd be interested.
ARCHER: In what? Does he think that Starfleet Command's going to take a look at this, apologise, and send us on our way? Tell him it was a nice try.
T'POL: Is this what humans refer to as feeling sorry for themselves?
ARCHER: You're out of line, Sub-Commander.
T'POL: I apologise.
(She moves to leave.)
ARCHER: I wish I was simply feeling sorry for myself, but actually, I'm feeling sorry for a whole lot of people. Every member of Starfleet, in fact. Their futures depended upon my ability to succeed at this mission.
T'POL: As soon as we learned about the consequences of the explosion, I knew the Vulcan High Command would take advantage of the situation.
ARCHER: What's your point?
T'POL: You have a responsibility to dispute their recommendation.
ARCHER: Starfleet already bought their recommendation. Hook, line and sinker.
T'POL: Then you have a responsibility to convince them as well.
ARCHER: And how do you suggest I do that?
T'POL: You are very adept at listing the questionable decisions you've made, but there have been other decisions, many of them, that no one would question. I'm willing to try to convince my government of that. Are you willing to try to convince yours?
ARCHER: You know, this has got to be the first time a Vulcan has ever attempted to cheer up a human.
T'POL: I'll see you in the morning.
[Sickbay]
(Bird-like squawks from a container when Tucker goes near it.)
PHLOX: That's all right, Commander. Your company is appreciated, but it would be best if you left the packing to me.
TUCKER: I would have thought you'd be a little more upset about leaving Enterprise.
PHLOX: Well, I did expect this posting would last a while longer, but I'm sure an equally adventurous opportunity will present itself.
TUCKER: I wish I had your attitude.
PHLOX: Humans seem to be naturally optimistic. I'm surprised you don't share my outlook that something exciting always waiting around the next nebula.
TUCKER: That's just the point. There won't be any nebulas in Starfleet's future. At least not for a decade or so.
PHLOX: Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that.
TUCKER: You're wrong, Doc. You worked with Vulcans. You know what they think of us. Enterprise coming back to Earth with it's tail tucked between its legs. It'll be Soval's crowning achievement. They'll probably give the son of a bitch some gaudy medal and then cart him off to wherever they send bitter old Vulcans to retire.
PHLOX: Ambassador Soval's service record contains an impressive list of accomplishments.
TUCKER: You have to find something good in everybody, don't you. I got to tell you, that's one of your unique qualities that drives me crazy.
PHLOX: I'll certainly miss your outspoken personality, Mister Tucker.
TUCKER: I'll see you later, Doc.
[Archer's quarters]
ARCHER: Come on, Porthos. Time for bed.
(He turns out light.)
ARCHER: Porthos, up. What's the matter, boy? Don't tell me you're
(He turns the light back on, and he's in a different bed, wearing different pants. The view out of the window is of a city.)
ARCHER: Porthos? What's going on here? (comm. beep) Hello?
TUCKER [OC]: Sorry to call so late, Captain, but all three inspection pods are getting their weekly overhauls tonight. They tell me they won't be ready till noon, so I figured you might want to sleep in.
ARCHER: Might want to sleep in. What do you say to breakfast at nine thirty, Spacedock cafeteria?
TUCKER [OC]: You must be reading my mind. I was just about to suggest the same thing.
ARCHER: See you in the morning. (to Porthos) If you're trying to tell me the last ten months was a dream, I'm not buying it.
(He activates a monitor.)
RECEPTIONIST [on monitor]: IME,. Can I help you?
ARCHER: This is Captain Jonathan Archer, Starfleet authorisation alpha six four
RECEPTIONIST [on monitor]: I know who you are, Captain. What can I do for you?
ARCHER: Do you have a Denobulan doctor in the Interspecies Medical Exchange?
RECEPTIONIST [on monitor]: Yes, a Doctor Phlox. He's assigned to Starfleet Medical here in San Francisco. Would you like me to contact him for you?
ARCHER: No, that's all right. Thanks for your help.
(Ends communication.)
ARCHER: I didn't even know Phlox existed before they brought Klaang in. And that was the day after the late night call from Trip.
DANIELS: You're not dreaming, Captain.
ARCHER: Daniels.
DANIELS: This must be very disorienting. I apologise, but I had no choice.
ARCHER: Commander Tucker told me you were dead, that Silik killed you.
DANIELS: He did, in a manner of speaking. We have to talk, Captain, and it's essential that none of the other factions know about it. I doubt any of them would think I'd bring you here.
ARCHER: So, you're telling me you brought me back, what, ten months ago? How about Jonathan Archer ten months ago? Where's he?
DANIELS: He's you.
ARCHER: Then who just climbed into bed aboard Enterprise?
DANIELS: That hasn't happened yet.
ARCHER: That's a load of crap and you know it.
DANIELS: I've had this same conversation with half a dozen people. It always ends up the same way.
ARCHER: Can't you ever give a straight answer?
DANIELS: It depends on the question.
ARCHER: All right, try this one. Why am I here? I thought you were supposed to protect the timeline, not screw with it.
DANIELS: It's already been screwed with, Captain. That explosion at the Paraagan colony, it wasn't supposed to happen.
ARCHER: Of course, it wasn't. It was an accident.
DANIELS: That's not what I mean. History never recorded the disaster. Someone violated the Temporal Accord. Someone who doesn't want your mission to succeed.
ARCHER: Are you telling me that Enterprise didn't cause that explosion?
DANIELS: Do you remember the Temporal Cold War I spoke of?
ARCHER: It's kind of hard to forget.
DANIELS: Then listen to me carefully. We don't have much time.
(Back on board Enterprise)
ARCHER: All senior staff report to the situation room in fifteen minutes. Mister Reed, I'd like you in my quarters immediately.
[Situation room]
(Reed comes in holding a eight-sided object about two inches wide.)
REED: It was just where we detected the EM signature. But I don't understand. It was completely invisible. How on Earth did you know that a phase-discriminator would expose it?
ARCHER: (handing it to T'Pol) If I'm not mistaken, you'll find this thing was designed to generate a plasma stream. Put a team together, Trip. I'll need two quantum beacons. They'll have to be positron-based and have an output of two hundred gigawatts apiece.
TUCKER: Positron-based, sir?
ARCHER: Just get started. I'll bring you the specs in a few minutes. We're going to need our comm. frequencies on the fritz for a day or so. See to it.
HOSHI: Aye, sir.
ARCHER: Put the Armoury on full alert. Turn the ship around, Travis. We're going back to the Paraagan colony. What are you all waiting for?
TUCKER: Sir?
ARCHER: It wasn't us, Trip. We didn't do it.
[Engineering - Tucker's office]
(Archer is manipulating image on a monitor.)
ARCHER: Take a look at the dispersal curve here and here. You'll have to isolate the sub-assembly tolerances from the emitter algorithms.
TUCKER: Whoa, hold on a minute. You're saying the assembly's independent of the emitters?
ARCHER: Exactly.
TUCKER: That's impossible.
ARCHER: Not if you generate a stable flux between the positron conductors. Then all you'll have to do is renormalise the tertiary wave functions.
TUCKER: With all due respect, sir this is a level of quantum engineering that's beyond anything I ever learned. How the hell do you know this?
ARCHER: Remember Crewman Daniels?
TUCKER: Yeah. I saw him get vaporised by our friend, Silik.
ARCHER: Well, for a cloud of vapour, he's one wealth of information. I just spent two hours with him.
TUCKER: He's on Enterprise?
ARCHER: Not exactly. Listen, I'll explain later. Right now we've got to get back to building these beacons.
TUCKER: Whatever you say.
[Bridge]
(T'Pol is holding the Suliban device.)
ARCHER: The circuitry in there isn't compatible with our technology. We'll have to create an interface.
HOSHI: What for?
ARCHER: We're going to be retrieving some Suliban data discs. I have no doubt you'll be able to handle the content, but before you can do that we'll have to find a way to access the data.
T'POL: And Daniels claims this is Suliban technology?
ARCHER: Everything he's told me has checked out so far. I have no reason to doubt him this.
HOSHI: We'll do our best, Captain.
T'POL: Captain. The Vulcan ship we were headed for, it's no doubt detected we've altered course.
ARCHER: Have they tried to hail us?
HOSHI: I wouldn't know, sir. Our comm. is on the fritz.
[Corridor]
REED: Why did Daniels leave it in his quarters?
ARCHER: I don't recall him having much time to pack before he left.
REED: No. Well, if it is there and it contains what he said it does, it could be invaluable to Starfleet.
ARCHER: I gave Daniels my word, Malcolm. We download the schematics for the Suliban Stealth Cruiser, nothing else.
REED: Pity. Assuming he's right and we manage to find the Cruiser what makes you think the Suliban won't come after us?
(Reed enters the code for the security lock on Daniel's quarters.)
ARCHER: Just like those old Bible movies, Malcolm. It wasn't written.
[Daniel's quarters]
(Archer takes a case out of a cupboard and opens it on the desk. He removes a fat paddle-shaped device.)
ARCHER: So far, Daniels is batting a thousand.
(He puts it down and switches it on. It is a holographic database projector. He scrolls through the contents.)
REED: Wait a minute. Did you see that? They've got schematics on half a dozen different Klingon ships.
ARCHER: The Stealth Cruiser, Lieutenant. Nothing else.
REED: There. There it is.
(They isolate the data and copy it onto a scanner.)
[Engineering]
ARCHER: Trip?
TUCKER: I feel like a chef who's just made a meal with ingredients he's never tasted.
ARCHER: You follow the instructions?
TUCKER: To the letter.
T'POL [OC]: Bridge to Captain Archer.
ARCHER: Go ahead.
T'POL [OC]: We're approaching the colony.
ARCHER: Have Mister Mayweather locate a binary system two point five light years away and set a course.
T'POL [OC]: Understood.
ARCHER: Let's get these mounted on the grappler arms.
[Bridge]
ARCHER: Head for the smaller star, then the inner moon of the second planet.
[Armoury]
ARCHER [OC]: Bridge to Armoury.
REED: Reed here.
ARCHER [OC]: Have you plotted all the target points?
REED: Aye, sir.
ARCHER [OC]: Stand by.
[Bridge]
ARCHER: (to Tucker) I'll meet you two in the launch bay. (to T'Pol) If this goes well, I shouldn't be long. (to Travis) Lower the beacons. (to Hoshi) Modify the viewscreen. Bring up these coordinates. Full magnification.
(They show a craggy landscape.)
ARCHER: Activate the beacons.
(A ship appears, docked to a station.)
ARCHER: Right where they're supposed to be.
HOSHI: Aren't we in range of their sensors, sir?
ARCHER: They can see us, but they have no idea we can see through their cloak. Just keep on the same course, Travis. Malcolm?
[Armoury]
REED: The closer, the better, sir.
[Bridge]
HOSHI: They're charging weapons.
ARCHER: Now, Mister Reed.
(Multiple phase cannon shots hit the cruiser.)
[Armoury]
CREWMAN: Their cloaking generator's down.
REED: All four weapon banks, as well.
CREWMAN: Port and starboard engines disabled.
REED: Okay, here's the tricky part.
(A photon torpedo is launched and strikes the underneath of the cruiser.)
[Shuttlepod]
REED [OC]: Reed to Shuttlepod two.
ARCHER: Archer here.
REED [OC]: She's all yours, Captain. Good luck.
(Archer hands phase pistols to T'Pol and Tucker.)
ARCHER: That last shot should have sealed off the two lower decks. If Daniels is right, there shouldn't be more than twenty Suliban for us to deal with.
TUCKER: (piloting) Is that all?
(The shuttlepod launches and flies to dock with the cruiser)
[Suliban cruiser]
(Archer uses his scanner to open the doors.)
TUCKER: The stun grenade's on a three-second delay.
(He throws it out and five Suliban fall from the corridor ceiling. They head out down the corridors.)
[Armoury]
(Reed is watching their progress on a monitor.)
REED: Just ten more metres.
[Suliban cruiser]
(It's a running firefight as the trio head along the corridors.)
ARCHER: Go.
(They enter a control room, and Trip throws out another stun grenade to stop anyone following them in.)
T'POL: Which one?
(Archer sits in front of a set of panels.)
ARCHER: Here.
(He opens it up and removes three discs.)
ARCHER: Go.
(Back out in the corridors, Suliban are moving along the floors and ceilings towards them.)
T'POL: Captain, they're all around us.
ARCHER: Archer to Reed.
REED [OC]: Go ahead.
ARCHER: We need some help here.
[Armoury]
REED: I see them. You'd better take cover.
(He fires a phase cannon at the cruiser's docking clamp and the explosion knocks out the Suliban.)
[Suliban cruiser]
ARCHER: Go.
(They make it back inside the shuttlepod just as the Suliban get into the airlock room and open the hatch.)
[Shuttlepod]
ARCHER: What's the problem?
TUCKER: I can't release the docking clamps.
(The Suliban try to force their way in.)
ARCHER: Ignite the thrusters. Go to full power.
(They finally rip free, leaving Suliban floating in vacuum.)
ARCHER: Archer to Mayweather.
TRAVIS [OC]: We see you, Captain.
ARCHER: Set a course back ward the Vulcan ship. Go to warp four as soon as we're aboard.
TRAVIS [OC]: Yes, sir.
[Bridge]
T'POL: It took a while before we realized that the three discs had to work in unison. The interface seems to be holding.
ARCHER: Hoshi?
HOSHI: The Stealth Cruiser was definitely in orbit of the Paraagan colony when the explosion took place. They were monitoring us very closely. There are sensors logs that tracked our course, our altitude, even our hull temperature. Look at these.
(Lovely shots of Enterprise viewed from underneath with the planet behind.)
ARCHER: I can't believe how close they got.
T'POL: They got a lot closer than you think.
(She calls up images of the shuttlepod on it's way to the surface.)
HOSHI: Those cloaking devices sure come in handy.
T'POL: They were docked with the shuttlepod for nearly two minutes.
ARCHER: Just long enough to attach this and cloak it. Good work. Keep at it. Get me Admiral Forrest.
[Ready room]
FORREST [on monitor]: Sounds like pretty solid evidence. Where the hell did you get it?
ARCHER: It's all on three data discs we took from a cloaked Suliban Cruiser.
FORREST [on monitor]: But how did you know about that cruiser? And if it was cloaked, how could you find it?
ARCHER: I've got friends in high places.
FORREST [on monitor]: This is going to be a very interesting debriefing. Get to the Vulcan ship as quickly as you can. I'll let them know what you've got. I can't tell you how pleased I am, Jonathan. After all you've done, I would have hated to see this end.
ARCHER: Thank you for believing in us, Admiral. Archer out.
[Temporal chamber - Suliban Helix]
SILIK: They boarded a cloaked vessel and they knew exactly where to find the discs.
FUTURE MAN: They weren't acting alone.
SILIK: My ships are fast. We can overtake them and destroy Enterprise.
FUTURE MAN: Have your ships bring me Archer. Allow Enterprise to continue.
SILIK: But we need to recover the discs.
FUTURE MAN: Archer. You know what happened the last time you failed me.
[Ready room]
ARCHER: It was ten months ago. He brought me back ten months, but I knew everything I know now. How is that possible?
T'POL: As I've told you, the Vulcan Science Directorate has concluded that time travel is impossible.
ARCHER: Well, good for the Vulcan Science Directorate. Maybe they can tell me how I woke up yesterday knowing exactly where that Suliban ship was, or how I suddenly had the ability to construct a quantum beacon to see through its cloak. And while they're at it, they might as well tell me how I knew where to find those discs.
T'POL: All valid questions, but to conclude that the only answer is that you acquired this information from a dead crewman who transported you back through time is illogical.
ARCHER: Why don't you give me another explanation?
T'POL: I can't.
ARCHER: Because there isn't one. I got a call from Trip, something about inspection pods. It was the exact same call I got the day before they found Klaang. Word for word.
T'POL: Perhaps you were dreaming.
ARCHER: Listen. I never thought this was possible, either, but I travelled through time and I need you to believe me.
T'POL: Why?
ARCHER: Because it's hard enough trying to fathom all this without having my Science Officer, a colleague who I trust and rely on, the person who got me to stop feeling sorry for myself, accusing me of being an hallucinating madman.
T'POL: I don't remember accusing you of anything.
REED [OC]: Bridge to Archer.
ARCHER: Yes?
REED [OC]: We're getting some strange readings, sir. It might not be a bad idea for you to come out here.
[Bridge]
REED: I've taken the liberty of asking Commander Tucker to join us.
ARCHER: What's the problem?
REED: We're having trouble balancing the warp field.
ARCHER: Looks okay to me.
REED: It's odd. It'll be stable one moment, and then, for no reason, it'll go slightly out of alignment.
TUCKER: What are you guys doing to my engines?
T'POL: The auto-stabilisers aren't functioning properly.
TUCKER: The computer ran its last diagnostic on them less than ten minutes ago. They look fine.
REED: Well, they're not. We've had to realign the field a dozen times over the last hour.
ARCHER: Load torpedoes, and stand by all weapons. Deploy the beacons, Travis. Modify the Viewscreen and aim the beacons aft.
(The viewscreen shows six green blobs in formation just beyond the nacelles.)
ARCHER: Swing them down slowly.
(Another six blobs come into view.)
TUCKER: It looks like we're in a swarm of cloaked bees.
ARCHER: Charge the phase cannons.
HOSHI: We're being hailed.
ARCHER: Put it through.
SILIK [on viewscreen]: I wouldn't advise using your weapons, Jonathan. Perhaps if we decloak, you'll understand why.
(There are dozens of the pods. Hoshi suspends the transmission.)
ARCHER: Malcolm?
REED: They're all armed with high-yield particle weapons, sir.
ARCHER: How many could you take out?
REED: Before they open fire? Not enough, sir.
(Transmission resumed.)
SILIK [on viewscreen]: One of my ships is approaching your starboard docking port. I'd like you to board it immediately.
ARCHER: What do you want with me?
SILIK [on viewscreen]: You have five minutes. If you don't comply I have permission to destroy Enterprise.
ARCHER: How do I know you won't destroy Enterprise either way?
SILIK [on viewscreen]: You have my word, Captain. And you also have four and a half minutes left. (ends transmission)
ARCHER: (to T'Pol) I'm placing you in command. I advise you to maintain your present course and speed. I don't know what's going to happen, but try to keep an open mind. Especially when it comes to things the Vulcan Science Directorate says are impossible.
T'POL: I'll try.
TUCKER: Captain, this is crazy. How do you know what they're going to do?
ARCHER: T'Pol's in command now, Trip. Do whatever you n to help her. That goes for all of you. (to Hoshi) Keep an eye on Porthos for me, would you? Remember, no cheese.
(Archer steps into turbolift, and walks out into - a devastated building.)
SILIK [on viewscreen]: Your captain's playing a very dangerous game, Sub-Commander.
T'POL: Game?
SILIK [on viewscreen]: He has thirty seconds left. Did he think I wasn't serious?
(Hoshi pauses transmission.)
TUCKER: The turbolift's on E deck. It's empty.
T'POL: Where is he?
TUCKER: I'm not reading his biosigns. He must be on the Suliban ship.
T'POL: (resuming transmission) Captain Archer is no longer aboard Enterprise. Perhaps you should check with the vessel you sent for him.
SILIK [on viewscreen]: I thought he was smarter than this. He could have saved all your lives. What a waste.
(Ends transmission.)
TRAVIS: The docked ship is moving away.
REED: It's targeting our warp core. They're all targeting the warp core.
[Devastated building]
(Archer steps through the tangled mass of girders until he comes to a broken window, and looks out on a cityscape of wrecked skyscrapers and a sullen grey cloudy sky.)
DANIELS: Ten minutes ago, that vista was more beautiful than anything you could imagine.
ARCHER: Where am I?
DANIELS: I had breakfast in that room less than half an hour ago. Then I was instructed to bring you here. They told me that the timeline wouldn't be safe if you boarded that Suliban ship. Someone was very mistaken.
ARCHER: Where is here?
DANIELS: You're in the thirty first century, Captain, or what's left of it.
ARCHER: You said the Suliban wouldn't follow us, that we'd make it safely to the Vulcan ship.
DANIELS: As far as I was told that was exactly what was supposed to occur.
ARCHER: So you're telling me this just happened? It doesn't look like it just happened.
DANIELS: No. It looks like it happened a long time ago.
ARCHER: If bringing me here caused this, then send me back. I'll take my chances with Silik.
DANIELS: You don't understand. All our equipment, the time portals, have been destroyed. Everything's been destroyed. There's no way to send you back.
To Be Continued
2024-09-12 18:53:51 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
