Episode Report Card Keckler: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Tempus fudges-it
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 11 | Aired on 11.27.2001
He activates his Discman, and suddenly, he and Quantum are surrounded by a Pink Floyd laser light show. Threads, spheres, and whirligigs of different colors, shapes, and light intensities revolve around them. Man, slug down some of that red Vindaloo-Sinteel and stand in the middle of that trip-ocity. Daniels explains that this "Temporal Observatory" is how they keep track of all the stitches in time that save nine. He points out a few events, and shows where he's from: "Approximately nine hundred years from now." Now that's exactly what I need for my living room. Maybe then I will finally understand "Time's Arrow" and "Yesterday's Enterprise." Quantum dazedly asks if Daniels is human. "More or less," Daniels says, unhelpfully. Daniels also points out Silik and Co.'s century, explaining, "They can't manifest themselves physically in the past. They can only partially materialize to deliver information." "But not you," Quantum states. Daniels says that they finally managed to perfect the materialization process. Which means, of course, that you are more susceptible to the red shirt's fate. With partial materialization, my guess is that you could only partially die if mortally wounded. Full materialization would make you very vulnerable. Quantum comments that it sounds dangerous. Daniels explains that, with the advent of time travel, laws had to be laid down and enforced to prevent people like Silik from going back and forth and screwing things up, so it was decided that time travel could be used only for research. "But it wasn't," Quantum muses. "That's what the Temporal Cold War is all about." Daniels nods delightedly and points out researchers from the twenty-eighth century observing the barn-raising of the Great Pyramid at Giza. "They're doing it using the proper procedure set for in the Temporal Accord," Daniels says, "but there are factions that ignore those procedures." Quantum asks why he's telling him all this, and Daniels shuts down the laser show.
Quantum looks around the cabin in confusion, not comprehending where "Learning To Fly" went. Man, he's like a dog tricked into thinking a ball was thrown when it's really still in his owner's hand. Daniels tells him that Silik prevented the reactor breach, and Quantum is befuddled as to why Silik was sent to save Enterprise. Daniels can't answer that and says he was just assigned there to capture Silik when he came aboard. He needs Quantum's help to do this. "You're from nine hundred years in the future and you need my help?" Quantum asks. Daniels clarifies that the Suliban's genetic tinkerings allow them to slip under most sensor sweeps. "They're nearly impossible to detect," he says. Quantum snorts that he's noticed that. Daniels says he has equipment to help him detect Silik. "But it would be far more effective if I can tie it into your internal sensor grid. I'll need access to main engineering and your command codes." Handing over command codes, or even just the request to divulge the command codes, was a major no-no on TNG. Daniels says they have credible evidence that the twenty-second century is being used as a front in the TCW (Temporal Cold War), and what happens in the twenty-second century "could affect millennia to come." Daniels says they need to find out who Silik is working for and what he's after. Quantum says, "If I decide to help you, I can't do it alone. I'll need to inform some of my crew." "The fewer the better," Daniels says. "You're asking me to capture someone who just saved my ship. Why should I trust you?" Quantum asks. Well, you should remember that Silik did try to murder you last time you saw him. But Daniels has a better reason: "You like your scrambled eggs soft. Have I ever brought them to you any other way?" he asks. LAME! I am simply agog with astonishment at how easily Quantum is persuaded into things. Simply agog. Flash a few pretty lights at him, mention a breakfast food, and he's ready to believe anyone who's got a Temporal bridge to sell him. I really hope he consults and actually takes T'Pol's advice on this one, because based on the drool hanging from his lower lip, I can't say I put much faith in his mental abilities.