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
Mess Hall. Hoshi shows T'Pol a breakthrough in their code-breaking slash language studies. "Just a few more and the UT can start building a syntax," she says. Phlox comms in to report that crewman Kelly's metabolic rate has dropped into a serious danger zone and suggests they put whatever plan they have into effect soon.
Armory. Reed and a random security officer painstakingly test and adjust the technobabbles of the slapped together force-field. T'Pol comms Reed that they've had a breakthrough in Communications With Boogers 101, but need the protection of his portable force-field in the cargo bay. Reed reports that he's doing his final calibrations, and T'Pol repeats Phlox's report that their slimed officers don't have very much time left.
Cargo Bay. Having had their heads free this entire episode, Trip and Quantum are finally getting the slime facials their pores are in such desperate need of. Trip calls out to Quantum but gets no response. The camera pans up the mucus trail to show all the bodies encased in the Globlin's web. Reed and Random Security Guy enter the cargo hold and slap some EM around on various bulkheads. A tendril starts to snake toward them, so Reed quickly activates the force-field in time to block it. A red pattern of static flicks up between Reed and the Globlin. Reed tells Random Security Guard to adjust something, and the pattern of static now turns blue as the Globlin tendrils test it.
Outside in the corridor, T'Pol, Hoshi, and Phlox prepare for the next move. Reed comes out to tell them that the force-field is up and running, but he doesn't know how long it will hold out. They all enter the cargo hold and get an eyeful of the Globlin with its assliminated ones. Hoshi looks repulsed and looks at T'Pol, who nods to her to begin talking. Hoshi pushes a button on her UT, and a high tone emits. "That just sounds like a constant tone," Reed comments. "I'm going to create distortions in the tone, hopefully the organism will understand what I'm trying to do," Hoshi tells him. Reed looks unconvinced. A tendril comes right at Hoshi's face and bumps against the force-field. She jumps. She sends out the tone again, this time accompanied by three bops. Nothing. She repeats this. Phlox looks down at his medical PDA, which shows the status of the five humans. He pulls a face. Hoshi tries some more distorted tones. This time the creature repeats them. It sounds like what happens when you take a helium-filled balloon and stretch the opening to slowly let the air out. Also reminds me of what dolphin communications are supposed to be -- not whale songs, but dolphins, which are much higher and squeakier. Hoshi looks at the data downloading onto her UT and says, "Come on, just a little more!" Finally, she says she's "got enough to try something simple." T'Pol tells her to ask what it wants. More dolphin-song-balloon-squealing. Hoshi announces that the Globlin is talking to them, giving them coordinates. "Its home world?" Reed asks. T'Pol says, "The Kreetassans already gave them to us." Hoshi shouts above the constant squeaking to say, "These look more like the latitude and longitude -- I think it's trying to give us an exact location on the planet." T'Pol instructs her to tell the Globlin that they're taking it home. More noise. Phlox looks down at his medical device and says, "Commander Tucker's heart rate is increasing." Reed asks if that's a good thing or not. "It's good! Crewman Kelly's bio-signs are stabilizing as well," Phlox sings out. Hoshi keeps punching at her UT, and suddenly the Globlin stops talking. They all look around, and there's a collective sound of ooze as the Globlin wetly releases the humans. T'Pol orders the force-field lowered. Reed pauses. "Lieutenant!" T'Pol commands. Reed lowers it. T'Pol and Hoshi walk cautiously forward, and Phlox orders his medical team to the cargo bay. Trip is deposited on the ground; Hoshi kneels next to him. A little further away, T'Pol reaches out to wipe Quantum's face, who struggles up to look at her and chuckle a bit. T'Pol and Hoshi exchange looks. Weird looks. T'Pol looks blank, and Hoshi still looks sulky.