Anomaly

Zealousgirl’s SPECIAL EDITION --> contains spoilers!

I’ve had a few glasses of red wine tonight (business dinner), so I apologize in advance for any errors as I am a bit tipsy at this time. (Hee! Hee! Hee!)

Anomaly
Production 054
First Air Date: Sept 17, 2003
Mission Date: unknown

Director: David Straiton
Written By: Mike Sussman

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!!! (and, a Trip/T’poler!) I will try to focus on what is happening with Trip in these spoilers; please check Li’s Trekpulse for more details.

About ‘Anomaly’: Fast paced, with exciting and dramatic music – this season’s shows seem to have a much better production quality to them so far. I liked this episode, because it did seem Trekky. Archer is so intense now – very captainly. This episode shows us how well everyone works together.

I do find it hard to write down the action sequences so I am sorry if I don’t paint a good enough mental picture for you. I did get the entire Phlox/Trip conversation though.

Synopsis (from StarTrek.com):

The mission to find the Xindi takes a treacherous turn when Enterprise is crippled by inexplicable, destructive spatial anomalies that distort the laws of physics. With systems down, Osaarian pirates board the ship and and raid it of valuable supplies. The crew captures one of the marauders, and Archer's sense of morality is tested when he interrogates the prisoner.

TRIP'CENTRIC ENTERPRISE SPOILER

{a bunch of scenes in quick succession}

In Archer’s room, Porthos is lying on the floor watching Archer at his desk. Porthos starts to bark, obviously freaked out by something. Archer calls him to him, and Porthos obliges. Archer asks him what’s wrong, then we hear something thump. He gets up to check on the sound, finds a book on the floor, picks up the book and puts it on the shelf.

In Engineering, one of his men shows something to Trip on a PADD. “This can’t be right. Did you run a diagnostic?” The man says twice. Trip tells him to check the relays.

In Sickbay, Phlox is perplexed by his highly excited menagerie (see cages shaking, and scared squeaking noises emanating from them).

In the Messhall, people are startled by the fact that the trays full of food start to jump off the table, food flying everywhere, and the trays eventually sticking to the ceiling.

In a corridor, the camera is moving quickly as we see the floor in front of it morphing, and even throwing a few unsuspecting crewmembers off their feet.

Back in Archer’s room, he is again at his desk when this now morphs, sending his coffee mug into mid air where it freezes (coffee partially spilling out, but also now frozen there).

T’pol call him to the bridge and reports that a variety of anomalies have been noted all over the ship. Suddenly the ship starts to shudder. Travis: “The warp field is fluctuating.”

Back in Engineering, Trip and a crewman are standing on the platform in front of the warp engine (which has lightening bolts shooting off it). Trip is puzzled that the half the plasma relays have reversed polarity. Archer tells him to shut down the engine (which he eventually is able to do). Enterprise falls out of warp.

************************************

Malcolm, on the bridge, activates Emergency power, but most other systems including weapons are off-line. Trip, in engineering, informs Archer that he isn’t sure of what happened. Travis reports that there is a ship nearby on sensors that seems to be adrift. Hoshi can not contact them, and notes that all the systems are off-line there. Archer decides to investigate. As they approach, T’pol detects no biosigns. And, there is no evidence as to what happened.

{in a change room}

Several of the MACO team are in their gray underclothes preparing to put on the EV suits (including one attractive woman who Archer chats with). Archer, shirtless, asks them all if they have been in zero gravity before, and after they answer he warns them of some of the dangers of boarding the alien vessel. Malcolm reiterates this. They all set their weapons to stun.

{after the pod docks on the alien vessel}

The group, in their EV suits and gravity boots, are clunking their way through the darkened alien vessel. Malcolm detects weapons fire, and then finds an alien body. They make it to the bridge where there are more floating alien bodies, and they access their computer to download whatever they can.

{back on Enterprise}

Archer reports to T’pol that they counted 17 bodies, most of whom died when their life-support ran out, the others by particle weapons. (the rest of the away team are there taking off the EV suits) Archer tells Travis to go back to the original course.

T’pol tries to reason with Archer that it would be best to repair Enterprise prior to setting off again. Archer is worried about sticking around there as those who attacked the alien vessel could still be nearby.

{Engineering}

Trip (yelling up to a crewmember standing on the platform in front of the engine): “Let’s try it again. Watch the intermix ratio. . . looking good (hear engine revving). . . up 4%. . . (lightening bolts shoot off the engine again). . . Shut it down! Shut it down!”

Archer arrives and asks him how it’s going.

Looking dejected, Trip replies: “Could be better. Creating a stable warp field isn’t easy when the laws of physics won’t cooperate. The Cochrane equation – it’s not constant here. The problem is in the quantum variables. Every time I try to compensate, spatial gradients get thrown out of whack. Either we get away from these anomalies or we’re gonna have to rewrite the book on warp theory. And I don’t have to tell you how long it took Zephran Cochrane the first time around.”

Archer seems disinterested and asks to make the weapons a priority. Trip asks him if he’s worried about something. Archer reiterates that weapons need to be ready, and then leaves.

Trip mutters, “Where’s Isaac Newton when you need him?”

{Captain’s room}

Archer walks in to still find the mug of coffee floating above his desk. He looks pissed off, sits down and snatches the mug angrily.

{see another ship approach Enterprise}

Archer enters the bridge. The other ship is charging weapons, and Enterprise is helpless as they don’t even have hull-plating. Hoshi is unable to hail them.

{elsewhere on Enterprise}

We see groups of aliens beam onto the ship (various parts of the ship), weapons raised. They shoot a crewman, and then proceed to start to take things. A few more beam to other parts of the ship, and take more cargo. Finally the security team arrives in the armory where a small group of aliens are and a phaser battle ensues. Archer thinks he has them cornered but the sub-group in the armory beam away just in time.

While one group of aliens is trying to download the database, another is in Engineering trying to swipe more stuff. Trip is seen climbing on top on the engine, hidden from the aliens. One of the aliens is within his sight, and he jumps on him and then whacks him with a metal rod. While being shot at he jumps onto the engine platform, turns it on so that the lightening bolts have trapped a few more aliens. Unfortunately these ones also beam away, leaving only the unconscious one that Trip hit with the metal rod. (Yeah Trip is the one who captures the only alien)

***********************************

{Sickbay}

Phlox is busy tending to the injured, and giving an update to Archer, who then goes to one of the beds that has a body on it with a sheet completely covering it. Phlox tells him that he couldn’t save Crewman Fuller. Archer is furious, and wants the prisoner sent to the brig. Phlox tells Archer that he recognizes the species – Osaarian (usually live outside the Expanse).

Archer leaves the sickbay and finds Trip just outside waiting for him. Trip reports that the ‘pirates’ took everything from food stores, to weapons, but worse of all they took most of their anti-matter storage pods, so that all that’s left are those in the main reactor – after 1 month they will be out of gas.

{Captain’s room}

Archer and T’pol are talking about the Osaarians. Vulcan high command have very little info on them. She has been unable to track them so far as they have been masking their ion trail. Archer tells her to keep looking. The ever logical T’pol informs him that that could be dangerous as they seem to have adapted well to the anomalies. She suggests that there is an alternative to chasing the pirates down – to replenish their depleted stores elsewhere. He won’t budge on his decision.

{Brig}

Archer is angry, and starts to question the prisoner. He wants him to help him find the Osaarian ship; of course the alien refuses. Archer tries to intimidate him, and threaten him, but the alien thinks it’s a bluff, saying that Archer and his crew are too civilized to torture anyone etc… They chat more, and we find out that the Trellium D is important as an insulator, to prevent the anomalies from affecting ship’s systems. We find out that the Osaarian were forced into the Expanse, and we unable to leave. They had to resort to ‘hunting’ disabled ships to survive. They have been hardened by living in the Expanse. The alien tells Archer that Enterprise has not been in the Expanse long enough to be able to ‘kill without remorse’ when needed. Archer tells him that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he needs.

{Bridge}

T’pol reports that the data downloaded from the initial disabled vessel has shown them how to find the ion trail. Archer asks about weapons, which T’pol states are still not able to compensate for the anomalies. Archer leaves for the armory.

{Messhall}

Trip is looking pretty frustrated as he sits reading 4 PADDs, his head leaning on his right arms. Malcolm enters, and gets some tea.

Malcolm: “You finished rewriting the physics books?”

Trip: “I don’t think I’ll be taking home the Nobel Prize any time soon.”

Malcolm: “A few hours rest may do you a world of good.” (takes a seat next to Trip)

Trip: “No kidding.”

Malcolm: “You still can’t sleep.”

Trip: “T’pol’s been trying to help. Show me how to stimulate. . . my neural nodes.”

Malcolm stares blankly at him.

Trip: “It’s not what you think.”

Malcolm (slyly): “I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Trip (gives him a knowing look) asks him how the weapons are coming. Malcolm says that he and the captain has gotten some back up and running, and then reminisces about Fuller. Then he says that considering all the hostile aliens that they have met, it’s fortunate that they have not lost more people.

Trip (shakes head): “I doubt he’ll be the last.”

Malcolm (a bit unsettled by Trip’s tone): “There’s no reason to get cynical.”

Trip: “Every species we run into seem to be gunning for us. We might as well paint a giant bull’s-eye on the hull.”

Malcolm: “What do you suggest we do? Turn around and go back to Earth?”

Trip: “All I’m saying is that this mission, whether it succeeds or not, is looking like a one way ticket all the time.”

{Captain’s log – still no sign of them}

{Bridge}

They find the ion trail that ends suddenly, skips an area of space and they starts up again. However the decay of the trail indicates that the latter is much more recent than the former. Archer tells Travis to follow the trail, and bring the weapons online. The ship starts to shake violently, and then suddenly it disappears into an area of space. Inside the bridge the walls are morphing, and some consoles are having small explosions, and then it stops. The space outside is calm again, and they find a ‘man-made’ sphere.

******************************

They can’t scan the sphere, but decide to stay and investigate. They do find a portal in the sphere, but Enterprise is too big to enter.

They take a pod down to the portal, and try to get in. Finally the portal doors open, and they enter the sphere (too complicated to describe). They find a ‘module’ with breathable air, and decide to check this out.

They fire their way into the ‘module’ and find a bunch of stolen merchandise. They start to look for Enterprise’s stolen goods. Travis locates a computer, and downloads the data from it, while the others continue to search. (Meanwhile Hoshi is translating the download) They also are beaming a ton of stuff back to Enterprise. (busy, busy, busy. . . but pretty boring. . . and really boring to write. . .)

{Sickbay}

Trip comes in panting in pain, clutching his left wrist (now there’s action!). “I had a little accident Doc. I was re-installing the Deuterium injectors. One of them must have had some juice left in it.”

Phlox: “Second degree burn. Hmm?”

Trip sits on a biobed, while Phlox gets his supplies ready. “I coulda sworn that injector was depolarized. I guess I’m getting a little punchy.”

Phlox: “When was the last time you slept?”

Trip (thinking hard): “I got a full hour last night.”

Phlox: “I’m surprised the neuro-pressure isn’t helping. T’pol told me your first treatment went well.”

Trip: “Well, we’ve only had the one session. Haven’t had a lot of free time lately.”

Phlox: “Are you certain that’s the reason?”

Trip: “What do ya mean?”

Phlox: “Vulcan neuro-pressure requires a certain degree of intimacy. I can understand that it might make you uncomfortable.”

Trip: “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I just can’t afford to spend an hour every night in T’pol’s quarters. (pause, and then pleadingly asks) Can’t you just give me one of them injections? They put me out like a light.”

Phlox: “They’re not meant to be taken for extended periods.”

Trip sighs.

Phlox: “There is another treatment that might be helpful.” (said with much enthusiasm – so you can guess where this is heading. . .)

Trip: “Alright. What have you got?”

Phlox (lifts a clear container up to Trip’s eye level, showing him some eel-like creatures): “Alderberan mud leeches.”

Trip (without missing a beat): “What am I supposed to do with them?” (a look of disbelief on his face – Ha!)

Phlox: “Place one on your chest and one on your abdomen an hour before going to bed. (Trip gulps) Their secretions act as a natural sedative. . . oh, uh, please be careful to sleep on your back. If you roll over, you might anger them.”

The look on Trip’s face is priceless, one of disgust and confusion. “Maybe an hour a night with T’pol isn’t so bad.”

{Captain’s room}

Archer and T’pol are staring out at the sphere. T’pol says that they have recovered almost everything. Archer wants everyone to hurry so that they can jump to warp ASAP. They chat about the structure of the sphere, age of it (over 1000 years old), and other things.

Hoshi calls them to the bridge where she shows them that the database that Travis found have symbols that are consistent with the Xindi probe recovered on Earth.

{Brig}

Archer storms into the brig to talk to the prisoner, wanting to know everything he knows about the Xindi. He refuses to be helpful, and taunts Archer. Finally Archer gets fed up, takes him at gun point out of the brig to an airlock, threatening to decompress it if the alien does not comply. The alien takes his bluff, but is wrong when Archer starts to decompress the airlock. Malcolm arrives as he is doing this and tries to reason with the captain. Just before there is no more air, the alien agrees to talk and Archer lets him out.

*******************************

Archer wants to get close enough to the Osaarian ship so that they can get a hold of their databank and figure out where they had encountered the Xindi ship. The alien has given them the access codes to the computer. Enterprise needs to be at least 1 km away from the ship to do this.

The plan is to wait until the Osaarian ship comes back to drop off more cargo into the sphere. Travis notes that something is coming through the cloaking field (the area of disturbance that they passed through earlier that hides the sphere from normal space).

(exciting music starts to play)

(( I am not going to describe everything here, as I find it difficult to do for action sequences)) Basically, Enterprise engages the Osaarian ship. Lots of weapons fire, lots of Travis trying to get closer, lots of Hoshi trying to find the Xindi database and then downloading it. A small bout in the cloaking field where Enterprise shakes violently, with hull breached etc. . . And finally, they are able to disable the Osaarian ship after they lure them back close by pretending to what to destroy the sphere.

{Brig}

Archer confronts the prisoner one more time, and asks him to be escorting back to the launch bay so that he may return to the sphere. The alien taunts him: “Mercy is not a quality that will serve you well in the Expanse. Captain.”

{Tactical room}

Archer enters and starts to review the Xindi database. (for dramatic effect he stands in front of the a large monitor, staring at the rapidly changing symbols, a greenish light reflecting on his face. . .)

THE END

Three people have made comments

Thanks again for the effort. I am pleased you aren't posting these a day early these days. I wouldn't be able to resist spoiling myself.

Simply splendid, and a great way to refresh one's memory of an ep without the snarky comments of TWOP (although those are a hoot at times). Thanks!

THANK-YOU!!!
I missed the episode last night, I'm so mad at my self, so this was my only way to catch up! Thank-you so much. If not for this, it would have ruided this season for me! I hate to miss Episodes!