Episode Report Card Keckler: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mucus of Borg
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 22 | Aired on 04.30.2002
Sick Bay. Reed joins Phlox in front of the slime segment's incubation tank and asks how old Slime's doing. Phlox reports that Slimy has entered a dormant state, probably as a result from being severed from the bigger Globlin. "But it's alive?" Reed asks. "Very much so," Phlox confirms. Reed tells Phlox he wants to use Slimy for some unethical tests, in order to see how strong his new force-field has to be to stun the Globlin in the cargo bay without killing it or the humans it is assliminating. Sir Phlox McCartney will not put up with this sort of behavior from the weapons expert, and gives him what-for. Reed doesn't understand Phlox's reason for being a card-carrying member of PETA (Phlox for the Ethical Treatment of Aliens), so Phlox explains the fine print: "This is more than just a severed limb. It exhibits all the signs of an intelligent being." "Intelligent being or not, its big brother is in the cargo bay, strangling the captain and four other crewmen. If we don't do something to contain it now, it could pose a threat to everyone on board!" Reed shouts. Phlox suggests other, more humane methods Reed could use. Reed demands to know how long they would take. "Less than an hour," Phlox tells him. "In less than an hour, that thing could spread across half a deck!" Reed stutters. "I am willing to help you, Mr. Reed, but not if it means torturing this organism. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't our mission to try to better understand unique forms of life?" Phlox says, raising his voice a shade. "Not if they're trying to kill the captain!" Reed says. Well, I guess they'll never better understand me, then. Phlox tells Reed that they don't know anything about the Globlin's intentions.
"I admire your interspecies ethics, but until Hoshi tells me she's found a way to communicate with it, I have assume its intentions are hostile!" Reed shouts, stepping in front of the incubator and calibrating something on his PDA. "Now, if you don't mind," he says. Phlox puts his hand over the incubator and says, "If you want information to help you construct your force-field, you'll acquire it under my supervision." Reed feels the need to remind Phlox that he can pull rank. "Not in my sick bay," Phlox says firmly. "Unless the Captain says otherwise." Reed shouts that Quantum is in no condition to give his opinion. "Precisely," Phlox says. Reed looks at him for a minute, then backs down: "Fine. Your rules, but we better get to it!" Yeah, think of all that time you lost arguing. And if I was them I wouldn't want to cross Dr. Phlox, ever. They really don't know enough about Denobulans yet to railroad their ethical standards with rank pips. Remember that smile in "Broken Bow"? Just imagine what else they might be capable of.