Episode Report Card Keckler: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Xinderella
By Keckler | Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.09.2003
Enterprise flies. I thought they were in the Expanse -- where's all that Pretty Purple Haze? From the Bridge, May-Off-Screen announces that they're approaching the coordinates. Quantum orders a tactical alert. Reed notes that they aren't being scanned, and he's not picking up signs of technology or vessels. T'Pol's not detecting any planets either. "That son of a bitch lied to us!" Quantum spits out. "Phlox said the Xindi used his dying breath to give us these coordinates. Why would he lie?" Trip asks calmly. To protect his homeworld from invaders? May-On-Screen picks up signs of a debris field much larger than what a ship would leave behind. "It's nearly eighty million kilometers long -- it was a planet," T'Pol announces. Quantum tosses a furrow in her direction and orders them in closer. They fly through rocks. T'Pol reports that the planet's destruction took place one hundred and twenty years ago. Trip picks up metals and alloys, and since some of them match the hull of the psycho bocce ball, he thinks they're all signs of civilization. Quantum ponders his conundrum: "They're building a weapon, planning to annihilate Earth because they think we're going to destroy their world in four hundred years. How's that possible if their world doesn't exist any more -- hasn't existed for decades?" Um, considering that time travel isn't new to this ship, captain, and storyline, wouldn't that be the explanation? Blame everything on temporal distortions, that's my motto. "Who drank the last Balthazar of champagne?" "Oh, I did. But it was in an alternate timeline."
T'Pol explains, "We know the probe that attacked Earth was built somewhere in this Expanse and it was built recently. It's logical to assume the new weapon is being developed at the same location." Wait, how do they know the psycho bocce ball was built somewhere in the Expanse? Just because of the trace metals Trip is picking up? I'm sure those metals could be found elsewhere. I hope T'Pol's not basing what they know on what Shower Guy told them, because I don't think he's what you would call -- oh, what's the word -- trustworthy. Quantum ominously orders them deeper into the Expanse. Reed reports an increase of spatial distortions on his long-range scanners. Quantum reiterates his order to May-Pilot.
The Xindi of the Round Table. Snake Eyes reports that "they" scanned the debris and left three hours ago. Mr. Man asks where they're heading. "Toward the Orassin Distortion Field," Snake Eyes answers. Monkey Boy comments, "Then it's unlikely they'll survive." Bug House gets annoyed and clicks that they can't assume that; he's sending ships to destroy them right now. "If they are the first wave of an invasion, it would be best for us to remain hidden," Mr. Man says. "Let them keep searching." Aqua Man whale-sings his support of Mr. Man's statement. Bug House orders that the weapon must be finished quickly or he'll personally destroy the Earth ship, "whether this council approves or not!" What's he going to do -- sting them to death? Crawl all over their food? Buzz annoyingly in their ears?