Dawn

Dawn
Production 039
First Air Date: 1/7/2003 in Canada (1/8/2003 in US on UPN)
Mission Date: unknown

Directed by Roxann Dawson
Written by John Shiban

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Star Trek or Paramount. I do this for amusement and not for profit. Be forewarned that this will be seen through the biased eyes of a proud Tuckerite!!!

Note: At the request of some in this forum, I will try to focus on what is happening with Trip in these spoilers. This is a Trip’centric episode so the spoiler is longer than I had hoped for my first posting. I would love to know if you think it is too detailed.

Synopsis (from StarTrek.com):

Trip Tucker is alone on a test mission aboard Shuttlepod One when he is fired upon by a territorial alien and forced to land on the night side of a moon. As he tries in vain to contact Enterprise, he discovers his alien foe has also made an emergency landing nearby, and the two nemeses must contend with each other as the extremely hot rising sun threatens their survival.

SPOILER

Shuttlepod is orbiting a moon. Trip is recording a log about the testing of autopilot upgrades (he’s in his usual blue uniform, but still looks adorable). Archer calls him to warn of a small vessel approaching. Then there is a ‘beep, beep’ from the console. On the view screen, a small vessel is seen. It then fires on SP1. Trip sends a Mayday call, and prepares for an emergency landing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on Enterprise, Hoshi is trying to reach Trip. Malcolm states that he detected weapons fire, and then both ships disappeared, and can’t track them. T’pol notes that interference from the 62 moons in the system is causing sensor problems. Archer says that he guesses that they will have to check every moon.

On the dark side of a moon, Trip steps out to look around. He has a bump on his head. In his log, he notes that the SP took a lot of damage on impact, and that the main power is offline. Sitting now in front of a fire, he is trying to fix the transceiver. He hears rustling, and goes to investigate (taking a tool for a weapon – I have no idea why he didn’t bring a pistol). He finds an alien, who yells something incomprehensible to him and then fires at him, again. Trip runs into SP1 to hide. The alien steals the transceiver that he had left outside.

Back on Enterprise, they discover that they are in alien territory – The Arkonians. They are hailed by one of their ships. The Arkonian captain warns Archer that they have to leave ASAP, and is particularly upset at seeing a Vulcan on the bridge (they have bad relations). Archer pleads with the captain that they should work together to find both of their crewmen.

Back on the moon, Trip finds the alien. But the area around him is protected by a perimeter sensor (a laser). Trip returns to SP1. Again, he logs the events and laments about not having the UT

He returns to the alien’s hide-out. (Somehow he bypasses the perimeter sensor) He sets up a decoy on which he recorded his voice. When the alien goes to investigate, Trip tries to take the transceiver but the alien figures out it is a trick and returns. Trip hides in the alien’s craft and surprises the alien. (He now has a gun) He introduces himself and says that all he wants is to get back his transceiver. The alien attacks him and they struggle. The alien grabs the weapon and shoots Trip.

~~~~~~~~~~

The angry alien is beating him up, and then starts to yell at him and ask questions. Trip finally figures out that he wants Trip to fix his transceiver. He unties Trip, and shows him to his craft.

On Enterprise, they have assessed 5 moons with no signs of Trip (I personally feel that T’pol seems upset, if that is possible for a Vulcan…). She does warn Archer that Arkonians can be volatile and unpredictable. Archer reminds her that the Arkonians have agreed to assist them with the search.

On the moon, Trip is busy fixing something, and it shorts out. He says ‘damn it’ and the alien repeats ‘damn it’. Trip chuckles: “Unfortunately your first words wouldn’t be something that you would want to use in polite company”. They then do the usual ‘Trip’, ‘Zho’kaan’ interplay and finally figure out what each others’ names are. Trip asks for a drink and gets thrown a canteen. It tastes awful, so he spits it out and then throws the canteen. Zho’kaan is upset by this, and drinks some of it himself.

Now in his undershirt (yeah), Trip looks tired, but is urged to continue working. He cuts his forearm. Zho’kaan spits on the wound and it heals up!!!

Trip is frustrated and says that the transceiver is a ‘lost cause’. He tells Zho’kaan that he should have a look at it himself. They are both frustrated at the language barrier. Trip quips: “It’s like talking to Porthos”. Trip then has Zho’kaan looks at it and squirts him with some sort of fluid and gets the gun away from him.
~~~~~~~~~

On Enterprise, T’pol reports that if Trip had landed on one of the moons, that they have huge fluctuations in temperature. As low as -10 degrees Celsius at night, and as high as +170 during the day.

Back at SP1, Trip has tied up Zho’kaan. He offers him food, but Zho’kaan does not like it and spits it out. Trip then talks technical about what the problem is…

Dawn is approaching, and Trip is still trying to fix things. It shorts out and Zho’kaan laughs at him. But then the transceiver does work but the interference from the volcanic rock causes a problem. Trip tries to convince Zho’kaan that they need to work together, so puts down the weapon and unties him.

Zho’kaan growls and then jumps at Trip. They struggle, and struggle. Trip thinks he has won, but Zho’kaan spits in his face and Trip is temporarily blinded. They fight some more. Trip is dirty and bloody. Then Zho’kaan has him in a choke hold (great look on Trip’s face). After hitting him with a rock, Trip is freed. They fight to the point of exhaustion, and collapse next to each other. Trip gets the strength to stand and retrieves the weapon. He taunts Zho’kaan with ‘Is that the best you can do?” and then throws the weapon away.

Trip pleads with Zho’kaan to work together. They set off to climb to higher grounds, climbing a large rock face.

On Enterprise, Hoshi picks up a transmission, but she doesn’t know from who. She tries to get a lock on the transmission.

On the top of a rock, Trip is now shirtless (showing a bit of chest hair – I love him in his various stages of undress!!). He is entering another log, complaining about how hot it is getting and that his friend doesn’t appear to be able to sweat. He comments that Hoshi would be proud that he had been able to pick up about a dozen words in this alien language. He is worried that Zho’kaan is looking worse and the alien collapses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again on the moon, Trip tries to keep Zho’kaan awake. (Trip is now very sweaty, bloody, dirty, slightly hairy, and still shirtless) They then hear Hoshi’s voice. Archer wants to use the transporter. But Phlox says that the Arkonian physiology will not tolerate the transport, and Zho’kaan will surely die. Archer wants to bring Trip up, but he refuses saying that he will not leave Zho’kaan. T’pol interjects and emphatically points out that the temperature is quickly rising (again she looks ‘concerned’). Trip suggests that the Arkonian ships could tolerate the atmospheric disturbance, if they were modified.

Trip is now dripping with sweat (he actually looks awful at this point). Zho’kaan is unconscious and Trip wakes him by splashing him with water. Trip then starts to babble (He thinks he is going to die): “I don’t suppose the captain’ll trust me to go out on my own, for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked me down to steward. Your orange juice, sir. Jam or marmalade, sir?” … (this is quite funny)

He goes on about not regretting coming on this adventure. That he has seen things that he couldn’t have imagined… Trip lies back and looks up at the sky. He then talks about some of the things that he had done, such as riding in a Suliban cell ship. “Spent the night… spent the night with a princess.” (He chuckles with a goofy grin on his face) “I even got pregnant once. Now there’s a story.” He then asks if Zho’kaan has any stories. Both are slipping into unconsciousness when he spots a ship. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on Enterprise, Archer is speaking with the Captain of the other ship. He informs the alien that Zho’kaan is well, as is Trip. The alien captain says that Zho’kaan will be disciplined if it is discovered that he fired on Trip without provocation. He then tells Archer that Enterprise must leave the system as promised.

T’pol now speaks to Archer alone. She states that he was able to establish better relations in one day than the Vulcans did in an entire century.

Trip visits Zho’kaan in Sickbay. With the UT working they now can have a conversation. Trip is very nice, and invites him to supper, but Zho’kaan politely refuses. Zho’kaan states that when he fired on Trip’s vessel that he was glad that he did not destroy it. Trip smiles and replies “That makes two of us”.

The episode ends with the two ships leaving the orbit of the moon.

THE END

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