Episode Report Card Keckler: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Cannon in D-fense
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 12 | Aired on 01.15.2002
Trip scurries to repair various damage. Quantum asks, "How bad is it?" "If that last shot had been a half a meter higher, we'd be looking at stars," Trip tells him as engineers solder the splintered metal. Quantum -- being the hands-on kind of guy he is -- ask the engineers to stop so he can examine the wound. "There were thirteen people working in this section including yers truly," Trip tells him. "If that bulkhead had blown…" he trails off. Quantum looks startled, while T'Pol manages to look pensive. Quantum walks and talks with T'Pol. "Did your people run into as many hostile aliens when they went into deep space?" T'Pol states, almost catching the Spock, "It was a different time." "How so?" Quantum asks. "There were fewer warp-capable species," she tells him. They stop in front of a turbo-lift; Quantum tells her that Enterprise isn't equipped to handle the threats they're coming up against, and it's time they did something about it. T'Pol asks him not to be so oblique. Quantum tells her that the ship was fitted with phase cannon ports. "But since we left space-dock a few weeks ahead of schedule, the cannons were never installed." Stepping inside the turbo-lift behind her, Quantum tells T'Pol, "I think it's time they were. We should head back to Earth."
Engineering. Reed and Trip argue with the captain that they can handle outfitting the ship with its phase cannons. Quantum tells them that the armory on Jupiter is better suited to serving their needs. "If we're going to do this, let's do it right," the captain says. Trip protests, "My engineers are just as good as they are!" Quantum agrees, but says, "But we have other systems that could use overhauls. Look at the bright side; you've got a chance to say goodbye to Natalie." I've never seen how saying goodbye or breaking up "in person" is a bright side, particularly when it's already happened. Quantum turns to leave Engineering. Reed calls him back and asks if they can have his permission to start work on the phase cannons immediately. "It'll cut down the time we have to spend in space-dock," Trip chimes in. Quantum relents and decides to let them have their day, but coms Mayflower on his way out: "We're heading home." Trip and Reed throw themselves into their work. Trip dashes to a com panel, and Reed scampers up a ladder. Enterprise comes full-about and warps off.
Reed and Trip jointly address their teams. Gesturing at a spinning graphic, Reed explains, "This, ladies and gentlemen, is a phase-modulated energy weapon. It's rated for a maximum power output of five hundred gigajoules. Enterprise was designed to carry three of them -- we have one and it's only a prototype." He practically has to hold a drool cup under his mouth during this explanation. Trip takes over and says that they have to get the weapon "up and runnin'" as well as "build two more from scratch." "The captain is taking us back because he thinks this work oughta be done by the boys in space-dock," Trip says. Um, and girls? "Far be it for me to question the Captain's judgment, but Commander Tucker and I believe we can do this ourselves," Reed says. "That means double shifts," Trip explains. "By the time we reach Jupiter Station, I don't want their engineers to have a thang to do but give us a warsh and a wax." Chuckles all around. Trip asks for questions. A red-shirt pipes up and asks if they are going to get attacked again. "We all signed up for this trip [the actual voyage, not the Chief Engineer] because we wanted to do something no one had ever done before, not because we thought it would be easy or safe. But we're not here to take foolish risks. The Captain and the rest of the crew are depending on us to keep Enterprise ready for anything," Trip says, totally and presidentially avoiding the red-shirt's question. "And once we get these phase cannons online we'll have more fire-power to do just that," Reed finishes. Vaguely patriotic music plays in the background as Trip asks, "So what are you standing around for?" The combined armory-engineering team saunters off.
Hoshi talks to Reed's sister, who tells her she thought Reed liked octopus because of the little suction cups. "But I think he was pulling my leg," she amends. "You can never tell if my brother's joking or not," Sis Reed says. "Can I talk to him?" Hoshi apologizes and explains that it's all a big secret. Sis Reed says she remembers when Reed starved himself for a week for some survival course. "Got by on nothing but a little apple juice," Sis Reed laughs. Hoshi asks if she remembers the first thing he wanted when he rejoined the sane and started eating again. Sis Reed says, "He was so weak, he could barely get out of bed. For two days all he had was protein concentrate." Hoshi probes some more, but learns fudge-all about Reed's dining habits. "Malcolm isn't the easiest person to get to know," Sis Reed says, and Hoshi agrees. Hoshi's next visual phone call is to Reed's "best friend," who leans awkwardly against his bunk wall throughout the whole conversation and consequently really gets on my nerves. Reed's Best Friend slurs about some restaurant in San Francisco Reed liked to go to when they were in training together. "They had a specialty, some kind of fish, I think." Hoshi asks what kind of fish. Reed's Best Friend Forever pauses. "Halibut? Swordfish?" Hoshi offers. "No…" Reed's BFF muses. "Mahi-mahi? Scallops?" Hoshi rambles desperately. "I had sea bass," Reed's BFF says thoughtfully. "Great! And Malcolm?" Hoshi asks. "I don't remember," Reed's BFF says. "Try! Please," Hoshi urges. "Maureen," Reed's BFF says, finally. "Is that a fish?" Hoshi asks, suspiciously. "No, she was the waitress," Reed's BFF pauses and chuckles, "That's why Malcolm wanted to go there. He had a thing for her!" Reed's BFF turns comically serious all of a sudden: "I think he hates fish." Hoshi thanks him, switches off the link, and puts her head in her hands. Mayflower steps onto the bridge and asks Hoshi how her "secret mission" is going. "I've talked to his sister, his best friend, his Uncle Archie, his two spinster aunts -- the most anyone seems to know about his eating habits is that he occasionally eats," Hoshi groans. Balancing her whippet-thin body on the Captain's chair, T'Pol asks Hoshi why she just doesn't ask Reed what he likes. It would be the only logical conclusion, after all. A phaser-bulb goes off over Hoshi's head, and she darts off.