Episode Report Card Keckler: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT A Hero Ain't Nothing But A Sandwich
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 23 | Aired on 05.07.2002
Bridge. Quantum asks how far the Sh'Raan is, but T'Pol says their sensors are just as jammed as their comm link. "Then use their last position and do the math," Quantum orders. T'Pol looks in him questioningly. "Ah, what a quaint twenty-first century expression," Mathra croons. It is a truth universally acknowledged that any reference to math is a shout-out to Mathra. "Take a guess!" Quantum explains himself. T'Pol does so and says at their current speed, they will reach the Vulcan ship in just under an hour. Reed says that the Mazar-afia will be within firing range long before that. Quantum asks what would doing the math produce IF they could get a message to the Sh'Raan and IF they could tell them to meet Enterprise at top speed. T'Pol tells him the Sh'Raan can go warp seven, which computes to being able to meet them in twelve minutes IF Enterprise maintains warp five the entire time. Hoshi sees no way of getting a message through the interference, but V'Lar gets up and says, "There's a diplomatic frequency we sometimes use. It's in a lower sub-space band, I doubt the Mazarites are aware of it." V'Lar busies herself at Hoshi's console.
Quantum tells Reed that if they manage to get a message out to the Vulcans, they don't want the Mazar-afia to detect the Sh'Raan's approach. Reed suggests deflecting their jamming signal to blind their own sensors. Quantum tells him to get to it. Hoshi is unsure whether they got a message through. "Wouldn't they respond?" T'Pol asks as the lights flicker off. All hell breaks loose in Engineering, a fire starts up and is put out, and Trip tells Quantum that the port injector blew. Hoshi reports that the comm is down, Mayweather says, "They're right on top of us," and T'Pol reports that the Sh'Raan is still eight minutes away. The Mazar-afia fire, Reed reports a direct hit to their port nacelle, and Mayweather announces the drop to impulse. Enterprise speeds out of warp, nacelle smoking, and the three Mazar-afia ships drop out right next to it. Cool effects. The comm system must be up again, because Hoshi reports the Mazar-afia are hailing them. Quantum asks T'Pol for an update. "If they received our message, another ten minutes," T'Pol replies. "I thought it was down to eight," Quantum says. Duh -- that was at warp five, and in case the lack of shaking ship didn't give you a hint, you're at impulse now. Reed says they can't hold out against them for that long. V'Lar thanks Quantum for doing his best and makes to turn herself over to the Mazar-afia, but Quantum isn't beaten yet and orders the Ambassador to Sick Bay. She starts to protest, but Quantum says, "If there was ever a time to start trusting us, this would be it!" V'Lar goes. Quantum tells Hoshi to answer the phone, and Quantum babbles at the Mazar-afia to buy time. They grow weary of it and hang up, telling him to prepare to be boarded. Quantum tells Reed he's counting on him. Reed nods. Quantum and T'Pol leave the bridge.