Episode Report Card Keckler: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I'm Sorry, Trip, I'm Afraid I Can't Do That
By Keckler | Season 4 | Episode 13 | Aired on 02.03.2005
Drone. Trip works fast and furiously, complaining that he didn't think to bring his helmet as the radiation climbs. Reed wants to give the Romulan Thingies what they want. "Malcolm," Trip says weakly, "no. That's an order." He collapses. "Do your duty, Malcolm -- save your commander's life," says Val-dor-EE. I don't know about you, but I really don't think he should be threatening their life in one breath and first-naming them in the next. Reed fiddles with stuff.
As Quantum goes over the ship grid he's set up, Wilbur harshes on the Andorian comm codes. Shran tries to storm in, assuring the Uh-Oh blocking his path that he only wants to talk. Quantum allows him in, but gives him a warning look and motions the Uh-Ohs in for complete furrow protection. Shran circles the two sitting Tellarites and insists they sit and listen to him tell the tale of much woe. Of Indigo Girl and her Bluemeo. She was a blueblood, born to a prestigious family, and could've lived in the lap of luxury, but she felt the call of duty and decided to serve her race. She could've had anything or anyone but she chose him. "I just wanted you to know," Shran finishes. Shran puts his hand on his hip, and Quantum furrows into action, grabbing a bottle from Shran. As Quantum uncorks the bottle and sniffs, Shran says, "It's her blood." Okay, Billy Bob. Shran goes on that when a Guardsman dies far from home, her companions bring "a part" of her back to the ice of Andoria. Just so we're clear, "a part" doesn't necessarily mean blood, right? I mean, technically they could bring back a foot, an arm, or an antenna? As Quantum turns his back on Shran, presumably to think his Deep Furrowing Thoughts, Shran says, "I wanted you to know that, too," to the Tellarite who killed his Indigo Girl. He grabs the piggy hand and dumps the blood on it. "Before you die!" Quantum throws Shran off of the Tellarite and tells him, "That's enough!" Shran tells him it's not nearly enough until the Tellarite blood pays for Indigo Girl's. "That's not gonna happen on my ship!" Quantum bellows. Shran tells him that if he doesn't get Andorian justice, the Imperial Guard are going to pick up their Andorian ships and go home. From a purely metaphorical standpoint, since the Tellarite already had Indigo Girl's blood on his hands, wasn't it overkill to then dump the actual blood on his hands? Does he want the Tellarite to have a "out damn spot" moment, or does he just not care about wasting the blood he's supposed to bring back to Andoria?
Drone. Reed finishes reconnecting the energy matrix and Val-dor-EE opens the door to the secret room. Reed grabs both helmets and rushes to Trip's side. In Romulusetts, Val-dor-EE says they don't need the humans anymore, and seals Reed in with Trip. Just the way he wants it. "Why didn't you listen to me?" Trip gasps. "We're better off here than on the Bridge," Reed says. Back on the Bridge in the panel Reed was fiddling with, we see that he's jammed his phaser in and, from the sounds, set it to overload. Val-dor-EE orders the drone ship set for home. "We're back at warp," Trip mutters, "I ordered you not to help them." "I apologize for saving your life, Commander, it won't happen again," Reed snaps. Trip mutters, "Sorry," weakly. Reed finds an access panel leading away from the Bridge. "What does that get us?" Trip wonders. "We should assume we're being monitored," Reed says. "Did you ever read the manual that came with that thing?" He gestures at Trip's phaser. "The warning about inadvertent overload?" Reed adds and shows Trip his ass. Oh. I guess he's showing him where his phaser isn't on his EV suit. And, hey, nice lip service you JUST gave to being monitored, Reed. Don't you think the Romulan Thingies are going to get right on whatever you are indicated was overloaded? Also, we know that the Romulan Thingies no longer have a visual on Trip and Reed, but they don't know it, which, again, stupid Reed. Reed says they have less than a minute, and as the overloaded phaser whines higher and higher, they go through an access panel. The Romulan Thingies aren't worried about this as it leads them away from any critical equipment. Trip and Reed crash through the tubes in the access panel and Trip says, "We've gotta be a safe distance by now." Reed shakes his head and says he wired it directly into the power conduit. Val-dor-EE hears this and looks Romulish.