Episode Report Card Keckler: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Flight Of The Simulator
By Keckler | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.03.2004
Stella Cartography. Hoshi wonders why Degra would encrypt coordinates if they were fake. "Perhaps he thought it would make them appear more convincing," T'Pol puts in. Trip flat-out thinks Degra's lying and only got tipped off during the malfunction. Quantum stares at the charted Red Giant that sits on the screen like a pimple pulsing with the pus of indecision. It's Quantum's captainly opinion that they can't waste three weeks' travel time if the weapon isn't there. Quantum then asks if Trip has learned any more about the sub-space vortices the Xindi use as their interstates. Trip mouths some techobabble, and says that the Xindi can travel half-a-dozen light years in a few minutes. Yeah, but can they do the Kessel Run in under ten parsecs? Sorry, I know that one is completely played, but Dr. Mathra's got a thing for chestnuts, so I indulge him. Quantum wants to see all the data in order to form a plan so cunning you could Scotch-tape a tail on it and call it a weasel.
From Engineering, Quantum tells the Bridge that they're ready. Perched in the Captain's Chair like a blue parakeet on one of those swingy things, T'Pol puts them on Reed Alert and engages. The ship shakes. May-did-you-ever-Nolan-Chen-my-hero FINALLY gets his close-up.
Quantum falls around Engineering. The Xindi fall out of their bunks.
Reed opens the Brig, shoves one Mr. Man unnecessarily aside, and orders two others to come with him.
Engineering. "We'll fracture the hull if this goes on any longer," Trip says, right before the Xindi enter with Reed. Knowing now that this was all a fake-out, Trip must have been getting into his role at the time if he was saying shit no one important was even going to hear. Yeah, that's it. Sparks fly. Alas, they are from the warp core, and no longer between Quantum and Degra. Well, it is better to have loved and tattooed than never to have been touched by the fickle ink needle of romance. Quantum explains to the Mr. Man engineer that they used their technology to open a sub-space vortex, and now the server is throwing a hissyfit, so basically, can he do them a favor and help them out? The Xindimen aren't inclined to help in the least. Quantum points out (loudly) that they'll all die if the ship falls a part.
There's much drama, falling down, and fireworks.
T'Pol announces that they're losing hull integrity. Once everyone is finally flat on their backs on the floor, the ship stops with the conniptions. They all get to their feet, and Trip frog-legs over to his con, twists to Quantum, and says, "I'll be damned! Travis inverted the warp field. It dropped us back into normal space!" WOW! That's so awesome -- TRAVIS DID SOMETHING! T'Pol asks Quantum to report to the Bridge. At this point, I was convinced that Travis was now dead, since there's no way he could have done something significant and lived to tell the tale.