Template:Realworld When Trip Tucker assists an alien vessel with repairs, a "friendly" encounter with one of the crew leads to rather unexpected consequences.
Summary
Archer in the shower without gravity
A sudden wave of odd malfunctions are effecting Enterprise, such as a gravity outage while Captain Archer is showering. It is soon discovered that this is caused by a cloaked alien ship which is using Enterprise's plasma exhaust to replenish its teraphasic coils because its own engines are malfunctioning. The aliens deeply regret the incident and Captain Archer graciously offers to help them. Commander Tucker is sent to the alien vessel to assist them with the repairs.
At first, Trip Tucker has an unpleasant experience as he adjusts to the ship's environment: refusing to rest after going through a three-hour decompression makes him feel nauseous and feverish. However, he finally accepts the suggestion to rest a little and begins to feel better soon afterward. The female Xyrillian engineer on board the ship helps Tucker recuperate. Between repairs she also shows him around the ship and introduces him to some interesting features of their technology: notably a kind of holodeck where various environments are simulated. She also plays some sort of a "game" with him whereby both reach into a pool of pebbles that enables them to read each other's minds. It is an interesting and enjoyable experience for Trip. When the coils come back online and thus the repairs are concluded, Trip finally returns back to the Enterprise, having thoroughly enjoyed his three-day trip.
After the Xyrillian starship leaves, Tucker discovers a strange growth on his lower arm. He thinks it is an allergic reaction but after being examined by Dr. Phlox, he learns that it is actually a nipple and that he is pregnant. After being asked some rather uncomfortable questions by Archer and T'Pol about his stay on board the alien vessel, he states that the only thing that could come close to having had physical contact would have to be the pebble "game" he played with the female engineer. The doctor tells him that apparently the "game" served to transfer genetic information to him. Tucker is not biologically related to the embryo but is merely being used as a host to grow the embryo, as it is typically done by the Xyrillians. However, not knowing enough about the process, they cannot do anything about it. They realize that they have to find the Xyrillians to find information about the gestation process. While searching for the Xyrillian ship, a hormonal Trip finds himself irritated frequently. He grows another nipple, eats a lot and is sure that T'Pol told everyone about his pregnancy. Finally, they discover the Xyrillians hitchhiking on a Klingon battle cruiser as they did with Enterprise.
After a difficult explanation of the situation to the Klingons who find all this very amusing, the Klingons decide not to destroy the Xyrillian ship if the Xyrillians promise to share some of their technology, in particular the hologram program, with them. Tucker can then go back on to the ship to get some answers. When he explains his situation, Ah'len apologizes, saying she didn't know that was possible. After examination, she finally concludes that the embryo could safely be transferred to another host – it is also revealed that the embryo is a girl.
As they depart, T'Pol informs Tucker that he may be pleased to know that after some research she found that this is the first recorded incident of a Human male becoming pregnant – "just how I always wanted to get in the history books", Tucker responds.
Log entries
"Captain's starlog, supplemental. We've spent eight days looking for the Xyrillian ship. But so far, we've... had no luck."
Deleted scenes
There was one deleted scene presented on the season one DVD release of Enterprise. The scene number indicates the scene's original place in the episode before being cut.
Scene 44
This scene takes place in Enterprise's situation room and shows Tucker (who is not feeling very well), T'Pol and Reed discussing whether or not they are actually tracking the stealth alien vessel. Tucker attempts to dismiss himself, only for T'Pol to recommend a meal, revealing she has been told that Rigelian sausage, which has recently been prepared by the ship's chef, is notably "succulent". Tucker replies that he plans to lie down for a while but, as he waits for the turbolift door to open, Reed comes up with a faster way to detect the alien ship's plasma trail - by modifying Enterprise's UV sensors. He asks for the engineer's help to do so, but Tucker, about to vomit, rushes to a door in the situation room, opens it and exits. He can then be heard to vomit.
Memorable quotes
"There's an old saying: 'When in Fellebia, do as the Fellebians do.' "
"It's difficult enough having to smell all of this. Eating it is out of the question."
- - Phlox and T'Pol
"I'm not sure if congratulations are in order commander but, you're pregnant."
- - Phlox, to Tucker
"Three days. You were only there for three days, and you couldn't restrain yourself."
"I'm telling you, captain, I was a complete gentleman the entire time."
"I imagine that's a question of how you define 'gentleman' "
- - T'Pol and Tucker
"Take a nap, Trip. That's an order."
- - Archer
"Post-natal responsibilities?"
"You may be putting those nipples to work before you know it."
- - Tucker and Phlox
"I considered myself a diplomat from the minute I set foot on that vessel. Well... there was that box of pebbles."
"Pebbles?"
- - Tucker and Archer
"One of the first things a diplomat learns is not to stick his fingers where they don't belong."
- - T'Pol, to Tucker
"You'll probably feel a bit nauseated in the mornings, so get sufficient rest and exercise and see me at least once a day. That nipple may not be the only surprise your body has in store for you."
- - Phlox, to a pregnant Tucker
"I can see my house from here!"
- - Vorok, upon seeing a holographic representation of the capital city of Qo'noS on board the Xyrillian ship
"If the starship profiles the Vulcans gave us are correct-"
"They're correct, lieutenant. That's a Klingon battle cruiser."
- - Reed and T'Pol
"Perhaps a little lunch might help. I hear Chef has prepared Rigelian sausage. (Tucker groans) Being vegetarian I can't speak from experience, but I'm told it's quite succulent."
- - T'Pol, in a deleted scene in which she seems to be teasing (or punishing) Tucker
Background Information
- Randy Oglesby (Trena'L) would later play the recurring character Degra during the third season.
- Julianne Christie (Ah'len) previously appeared as Dexa, a Talaxian in VOY: "Homestead".
- The Klingon battle cruiser that appeared in this episode was a very much 'unexpected' reuse of the Template:ShipClass model. For more information, see Vorok's battle cruiser.
- A script from this episode was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1]
- This is the first episode of the series to be directed by Mike Vejar.
- T'Pol would later bring up Trip's dalliance with the female Xyrillian engineer in "Oasis", which causes him to angrily reply that T'Pol will "never let that go."
- A deleted scene from this episode has Tucker, Reed and T'Pol discussing upgrades to the sensors at the aft console on the bridge. Towards the end of the conversation, T'Pol mentions what chef is serving for lunch which causes Tucker to feel queasy and rush for what is presumably a toilet, located at the aft-port side of the bridge. [2]
Chronological firsts
- This is the first known hostile encounter between a Starfleet and a Klingon vessel.
- This episode shows the first interspecies pregnancy involving a Human, and the first case of a Human male being pregnant.
- This is the first appearance of holodeck technology, which passes into the hands of the Klingons in this episode. It is unknown whether Federation holodeck technology was later developed from this basis, or developed independently.
Video and DVD releases
- UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.3, 10 June 2002.
- As part of the UK VHS collection Enterprise 1.1-1.3 Collectors Edition: 19 August 2002
- As part of the ENT Season 1 DVD collection.
Links and references
Starring
- Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
- John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
- Jolene Blalock as Subcommander T'Pol
- Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
- Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
- Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
- Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Guest stars
Co-stars
- Regi Davis as a Klingon first officer
- T.L. Kolman as an alien man
- Mike Baldridge as Dillard
- John Cragen as a crewman
- Drew Howerton as a steward
Uncredited co-stars
- Jef Ayres as Crewman Haynem
- Michael Braveheart as a Klingon officer
- Solomon Burke, Jr. as Billy
- Christina Carmel as a Female Xyrillian
- Cecilia Conn as a command division crewman
- Amy Kate Connolly as a science division crewman
- Mark Correy as Alex
- Stacy Fouche as an operations division crewman
- Hilde Garcia as Rossi
- Jack Guzman as a science division crewman
- Bryan Heiberg as an operations division crewman
- Aldric Horton as an operations division crewman
- Martin Ko as a command division ensign
- Cynthia Uhrich as an operations division crewman
- David Walrod as a Male Xyrillian
- John Wan as an operations division crewman
- Prada as Porthos
References
Almack; artificial gravity; bioscan; blueberry pancakes; catfish; chef; chicken tetrazzini; dutara root; exhaust port; Fellebia; Fellebians; hair follicle; Hart; holographic; hologram; inter-species reproduction; Klaang; Klingons; Klingon chancellor; Klingon Empire; Klingon High Council Chamber; mirazine; plasma exhaust; plomeek broth; resequenced photons; polarized hull plating; Qo'noS; Starfleet database; stealth; Sto-vo-kor; telepathy; teraphasic coils; Thera; vegetarian; Vorok's battle cruiser; Vulcans; Vulcan; water; Xyrillians; Xyrillian starship
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