Summary
We open with a shot of the crew apparently unconscious
and T'Pol making her science officer's log. In this log,
she states that Enterprise remains on course for a trinary
star system. She states that she transmitted a distress
signal, but unfortunately the nearest Vulcan ship is nine
days away, and when they arrive they may only find debris.
Also she states that if the ship does survive the gravitational
sheer of the black hole in this system, the crew may not
survive.
We then flashback to two days earlier when sensors indicate
a strange trinary star system with a class four black hole.
Archer asks T'Pol why should this system be studied, since
Vulcans have surveyed over 2000 black holes. This system
is important due to the fact none have been surveyed with
a black hole. Due to the gravitational sheer and radiation,
they only can travel at impulse. After the meeting, Archer
asks Trip to take a look at the Captain's Chair. Archer
tells Trip that the chair is uncomfortable and asks Trip
to take care of the chair.
Later, T'Pol stops by Archer's quarters to drop off the
day's duty roster. She mentions that Reed has a new security
protocol and would like to run it by Archer for approval.
She also reports that Chef is sick and did not report to
duty and Hoshi has volunteered to fun the galley in his
absence. Archer then asks T'Pol's opinion about a preface
Archer is writing for a biography for his father. He asks
her advice about how to write only one page about his father
and she suggests he focus on one event and write about
it.
In the galley, Hoshi is preparing the meal for the crew.
She decides to prepare one of her Grandmother's recipe
and wants to make it from scratch. Then we move to sickbay
where Travis enters to get something for a headache he's
been suffering from. Phlox mentions that he had wanted
Travis to come by for an examination since the neural implants
were taken out from "Dead Stop." Phlox starts
speculating about other diseases which symptoms include
headaches and starts to examine Travis.
On the bridge, Trip is busy working on the Captain's Chair.
The noise from the tool he is using begins to bother T'Pol,
who asks Trip if he could finish the work later. He says
that Archer ordered him to work on the chair, which T'Pol
counters by saying he ordered detailed scans of the black
hole and that Vulcans have sensitive hearing. Trip doesn't
seem affected by this and continues his work and T'Pol
goes to her quarters. In the armory, Reed is working on
torpedoes when Archer stops by to discuss Reed's new security
protocols. Reed states that they need one order or command
that would automatically polarize the hull plating, bring
weapons online and to secure the ship during a crisis.
Archer states that Enterprise is not a warship, but Reed
insists that some protocols need to be enforced. Archer
tells Reed to run it by the Senior Officers to get some
feedback.
In the galley, Trip and Reed are discussing the new protocols
and the Captain's Chair. The two begin to argue about which
is more important, the tactical alert or the Captain's
Chair. Hoshi comes by and asks how the meal is. Trip seems
to like it, but Reed says that it's a bit salty. She insists
that it tastes fine, and Reed says it must be him. In sickbay,
Travis insists that he needs to go back on duty, but Phlox
cannot find a cause for the headache and insists Travis
stay for further examinations. Trip then stops by T'Pol's
quarters to help install a sensor interface there. She
asks for his assistance, but he says the Captain's Chair
is more important and leaves. She seems surprised by his
reaction. Travis seems to be getting really impatient in
sickbay and worries about a reprimand and wants to finish
his upgrades, but Phlox still insists that Travis is carrying
some dangerous disease and will not stop to find out what's
wrong with him. Travis says no, and starts to the bridge.
Phlox offers to give him something for his headache, but
knocks him out instead.
Reed stops by engineering to run the tactical alert klaxon
by Trip. Trip doesn't like either alarm, and says he'll
get back to him and resumes his work on the Captain's Chair.
Reed, angered by Trip's attitude, storms out of engineering
In the galley, Hoshi is growing impatient and insists the
meal still isn't right. The galley crewman says that the
crew is growing impatient, and Hoshi angrily dismisses
the crewman. T'Pol comes by the armory to get Reed to assist
her. He asks for a security code, a part of the new security
protocols. Reed is suspicious about her wanting to access
the sensors in her quarters. T'Pol notices Reed is armed,
another part of his security protocols. Archer comes by
engineering to get Trips' opinion about his preface, when
Trip says that Archer's chair has been in service for more
than a decade and he deserves a better chair since Enterprise
is the pride of the fleet. In the galley, T'Pol wants a
meal, but Hoshi is more concerned with her family's recipe.
Archer asks where the meal is, and she tells him to fix
a sandwich. Then a noise comes from the speakers, and Reed
announces that this is a tactical alert drill.
At this point, T'Pol notices that the entire crew is becoming
increasingly obsessed with trivial matters, and begins
to realize something is wrong. Conditions continue to deteriorate,
which eventually lead to an argument on the bridge between
Reed, Archer and Trip about what is more important, security
protocols, the Captain's Chair and Archer's preface. Archer
becomes angry and orders T'Pol not to disturb him unless
it's an emergency and that he's going to his quarters.
T'Pol comes by Archer's quarters and tells him that the
crew's behavior has become erratic and everyone has become
concerned with trivial matters. She suggests that a medical
emergency be declared, and Phlox examine everyone, starting
with Archer. He gets angry and insists he's busy and kicks
her out of his quarters. She then goes to sickbay to confer
with Phlox, who is about to take a microsample of Travis'
prefrontal cortex. He states that Travis has a chemical
imbalance of his prefrontal cortex. She states to him that
the entire crew is ill, but he insists on performing the
surgery on Travis. As he begins, she gives Phlox the Vulcan
neck pinch and disables him.
At this point, the entire crew is either unconscious or
on the verge. She notices everyone's biosigns have become
erratic and states that Phlox's obsession with Travis has
given some insight about the problem. She then determines
that the radiation from the trinary star system is causing
this imbalance and Enterprise cannot reverse course because
it would take two more days to leave the area. T'Pol goes
to Archer's quarters and tries to explain the situation
to him, but he is not cooperative and T'Pol puts Archer
in the shower to try to get him to come to his senses.
He is confused and she states that she has charted a course
that will get Enterprise out of the area in seventeen minutes,
but she cannot do it alone. Archer must pilot the ship
while she determines the course corrections. On the bridge,
Archer takes the helm and with T'Pol's assistance, clears
the area. Almost immediately, the crew begin to revive
and everything slowly returns to normal.
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