Last time on Enterprise
There's been an attack on Earth. We've been recalled.
The probe was sent by the Xindi.
They learned that their world would be destroyed by humans in 400 years.
Is there going to be some kind of service?
My sister wasn't big on memorials.
She was no more important than any of them.
She was more important to you.
There's nothing wrong with admitting that.
Are you suggesting this is a Xindi?
I sure as hell would like to find out.
You are to return to Vulcan.
I believe that should be my decision.
We received a distress call.
Every crewman on board had been anatomically inverted,
their bodies splayed open, and they were still alive.
I want to remain aboard Enterprise.
I've decided to resign my commission.
Do you think you'll be comfortable with military on board?
I don't have a problem with non-Starfleet personnel.
I'm going to need all the muscle I can get when we cross into the Expanse.
I can't wait to get in there, Captain, find the people who did this.
Tell me we won't be tiptoeing around.
None of that noninterference crap T'Pol's always shoving down our throats.
We'll do what we have to, Trip.
It could simply be a coincidence.
You're being naive.
Their planet is 50 light-years away.
It is not a coincidence.
How do you know your contacts gave you accurate information?
It's the beginning of an invasion!
Hundreds of Earth ships will follow!
They have no way of knowing that we launched the probe.
We must destroy the ship!
How many humans are aboard?
It doesn't matter. They must be destroyed... before they find the weapon!
When will it be ready?
The next series of tests is being prepared.
We'll accomplish nothing if all you do is run tests.
We must be patient.
We must follow the plan that we all agreed to.
Our future is at stake. This council musn't be divided.
Learn everything you can about this human vessel.
How long till we get there?
Another three hours.
Did the freighter captain say who we're supposed to contact?
The foreman of the north mine.
He's expecting us.
What makes this captain so certain one of the miners is Xindi?
He's not.
He just said he thinks there was a Xindi aboard a transport he took there a few years ago.
Then it is safe to enter orbit.
There are no security considerations.
- He didn't mention any. - With all due respect, sir, we should approach with caution.
The freighter captain was of... questionable character.
Where are we, Malcolm? Sir?
This room, what did it used to be?
A storage bay, sir. Conduit housings, I believe.
But it got retrofitted.
Starfleet went to a lotf trouble to turn it into our new command center.
Why is that, Malcolm?
Because of our mission, sir.
To find the Xindi, right?
Right.
So this state-of-the-art equipment was put in here to help us gather all the pieces of the puzzle;
figure out who's trying to destroy Earth.
Right.
Six weeks. We've been in this Expanse for six weeks.
What data have we gathered?
What pieces of the puzzle have we started to put together?
Not a single one.
We don't have the luxury of being safe or cautious anymore.
And if the only lead we can find comes from a freighter captain of questionable character,
then that's good enough for me.
Understood?
Understood.
Is this seat taken?
Ma'am.
I'm Hoshi Sato.
We've familiarized ourselves with all the bridge officers, Ensign.
I'm Major Hayes. This is Sergeant Kemper. Corporals Romero and Chang.
Military Assault Command.
Captain Archer wanted the best.
Looks like you've all gotten your space-legs.
Some of us are still visiting Dr. Phlox every morning.
Wonders of modern medicine.
What do you think of our doctor, Sergeant?
I imagine you don't run into many Denobulans in Duluth, Minnesota.
Actually, I'm stationed outside of Atlanta.
No Denobulans, but we have our fair share of alien visitors.
You must have gone pretty deep into our records--
I haven't lived in Duluth since junior high school.
You may have left Duluth, but you've still got plenty of Duluth left in your inflections.
Oh!
Excuse me?
Ensign Sato's a linguist, Kemper.
You give her enough time, she could probably tell you what street you grew up on.
Do you have any idea where we're headed, Ensign?
I'm sure Captain Archer will let us know, when he has reason to.
Let's hope it's soon.
The quicker you folks find these Xindi, the quicker we can get to work.
We have a briefing in a few minutes.
If you'll excuse us?
Just Bay Two?
Yes, sir.
Cargo Bays One and Three seem unaffected.
When did it start?
About ten minutes ago.
Ensign McFarlane got pretty banged up, but he's going to be okay.
And you're sure it's not a problem with the grav-plating.
Trust me, Captain, it's not the grav-plating.
Careful, sir.
Stay close to the door.
Just give it a minute.
You're right, it's not the grav-plating.
Any volatile material in those containers?
I would've known by now.
Seal it off. Let's hope this little anomaly doesn't last any longer than the others did.
Ah, uh... come look at this.
The pigmentation is far more colorful than I would have suspected.
What are we looking at?
Oh, um, Xindi: epithelial cells harvested from the corpse they found inside the crashed probe.
It looks more like scales.
Precisely. When I'm finished constructing my physiometric profile, I wouldn't be surprised to find he has, uh, reptilian characteristics.
You wanted to see me?
Do you have any siblings?
No.
Commander Tucker had one sister.
She was killed in the attack.
I'm aware of that.
He's having difficulty dealing with the loss.
That's to be expected.
More specifically, it's affecting his sleep.
I've been giving him sedatives, but I'd like to see him start, uh, tapering off.
I'm not sure I understand.
I believe the commander would be a fine candidate for Vulcan neuro-pressure.
I doubt the commander would have the patience to sit in one place long enough to get through the first posture.
I'm certain, with your delicate guidance...
"Delicate" is not a word
I associate with Mr. Tucker.
The instruction of neuro-pressure is... a very intimate act.
And he's suffered a very intimate loss.
He needs your help.
Have him come to my quarters.
There's, um... one little problem.
Assuming that you'd agree to my request, I suggested all of this to Commander Tucker earlier today.
He was... less than enthusiastic.
I don't understand.
Perhaps if I could get him to go to your quarters, you might be able to convince him of the lasting benefits of Vulcan neuro-pressure.
We should have worn AV suits.
The doctor said it was safe for short periods.
Safe!
You call this safe?
I've been in...
Try not to breathe.
Yes, sir.
I'm Captain Archer of the starship Enterprise.
- We've come to see... - This way.
- Archer... - I'm Jonathan Archer.
This is Lieutenant Reed.
I've been told you might be able to make it worth my while if I were to arrange a certain introduction.
Depends what you mean by "worth your while."
Well, I've always had a fondness for platinum.
Specifically, in its liquified state.
I'm afraid we don't carry precious metals on board.
Mmm, pity.
I'm sure there's something else we could offer you.
I don't make a habit of allowing people to interrupt my workers!
Xindi or otherwise!
What about the antimatter relays?
The lining's all coated with a platinum-cobalt alloy.
Trip could probably strip them down and separate the metals.
How much platinum are we talking about?
Well, I'm a reasonable man.
I'm sure you could part with say, half a liter?
I'd need to see this man, scan him, confirm that he's Xindi.
That won't be necessary.
Why would you do this?
Unfortunate accident.
I expect to see you back tomorrow.
Good day.
Elizabeth! Lizzie, you've got to get out of there!
Elizabeth! Please! Get out of there!
A blood sample would have sufficed.
Some saliva.
Is it Xindi?
Yes... and no.
I need something a little more concrete, Doctor.
The genetic profile is nearly identical to the tissue samples taken from the corpse found on Earth.
Their base pair sequencing is far closer than, say, um, humans and chimpanzees.
Nearly identical, but not quite.
Like humans and Neanderthals?
A reasonable analogy.
After analyzing the remains of the Xindi corpse, I was able to provide the computer with enough data to create this rendering.
However, this humanoid is reptilian.
That finger is not. It's covered with skin, not unlike yours or mine.
But it's Xindi, all the same.
I wish I could be more helpful, Captain.
- Sir - How's it coming?
We're going to end up stripping more than 200 relays to get half a liter of liquefied platinum, but you'll have it by this afternoon.
Let me know when it's ready.
You okay?
I'm fine.
I got to have something stronger to help me sleep tonight, Doc.
Very well.
Come by at around 2200 hours. I'll see what I can do.
Thanks.
You're aware this stuff is volatile above 30 degrees Celsius?
I'm familiar with the properties of liquid platinum.
I've insulated the outer container.
It should keep everything pretty stable.
There's little more than half a liter in here.
What exactly do you want with our Xindi friend?
He's not very attractive.
Especially after his recent surgery.
I have something to discuss with him.
And what might that be?
I brought you what you asked for.
Now let me see the Xindi.
His work group should be awake in about an hour's time.
It took six of my men half the night to extract this platinum.
I think you could wake him an hour early.
Is trellium D the only thing you mine here?
The only thing. Trellium D.
I'm not familiar with it.
What's it used for?
Insulation.
Mostly for interstellar vessels.
What insulation does your ship use, Captain?
Our outer hull is lined with duranium.
I'd imagine you must have a very large crew.
And why would you imagine that?
Take your time.
Do I have you to thank for this?
The foreman said it was an accident.
Did he?
What do you want?
You a Xindi?
A nine-fingered Xindi.
What do you want?
Where's your homeworld?
You came all the way to this hideous planet, bribed the foreman to see me, for what?
Directions to my planet?
I find that hard to believe.
We have important business with your people.
But you don't know where to find them?
Well, if you want information, you're going to have to help me escape from this place.
What do you mean, escape?
Do these look like volunteers?
We're captives, slaves.
A simple set of coordinates, that's all I want.
I'm prepared to pay you.
The only payment I'm interested in is my freedom.
If you can't provide me with that, stop wasting my time!
I don't know what you're doing in this place and I don't particularly care, but we didn't come here to stage a prison break,
so why don't you just give us the coordinates and we'll all stop wasting each other's time?!
Not until you get me off this planet!
You know, I'm not sure why, but I'm just itching to kick the hell out of you.
Trip, take it easy.
Archer here.
Captain, there are three warships approaching at warp.
Their hull alloys match the mining towers on the surface.
How long before they get here?
Two hours, sir.
Go to tactical alert.
We're heading back to the shuttle pod.
Understood.
Shuttle pod?
You have a starship in orbit?!
Ooh, you made it so easy for them.
Usually they have to go out and find ships to replenish their labor force.
You flew right into their trap!
Archer to Enterprise:
Enterprise, respond.
You might consider waiting for your colleagues to rescue you, but it sounds like they're about to become quite busy.
If you have a shuttle pod on the surface, I can get you to it, but you'll have to take me with you!
There's an audio message coming in from the mine foreman.
This is Enterprise.
I'm afraid your captain and his associate are going to be slightly delayed.
We have three cargo vessels approaching and we've had to begin de-ionizing our landing decks.
How long a delay?
No more than an hour.
We detected your cargo ships.
They're heavily armed.
Trellium D is a highly valued substance, and I'm certain you've noticed that this is not one of the friendlier regions of space.
Can I talk to Captain Archer?
Not at the moment.
He requested to speak to a miner who resides on level 22.
I spoke with him a few minutes ago.
The de-ionizing process prevents us from communicating with the lower levels.
I'll have him contact you as soon as he returns.
Keep trying to reach the captain.
Something doesn't smell right.
I want you to come up with a plan to recover the Captain and Commander Tucker.
Have it in place in one hour.
Get Major Hayes to help you.
Sewage takes on a whole new meaning when it comes from a dozen different species.
31 to be exact.
Help me with this.
There's a lever below your knees.
Pull it up!
Plasma duct 13.
Hasn't been used since I've been here.
Why is there a hatch here?
There's one every eight levels.
What are you doing?
Opening the emergency baffle.
Up there.
It's a steel plate that locks into place during maintenance cycles.
Follow me.
That LZ looks a little close to the mine.
The ionized particles will cover our descent.
We'll be all right.
Have you heard from the captain?
Not yet.
And the foreman isn't responding to our hails.
The ships?
Less than an hour away.
Are you ready?
They're armed to the teeth down there, but it is doable.
We only have one bone of contention.
The major here thinks my security team is far too valuable to bring down and put in the line of fire.
He wants to take his men.
It's a simple matter of priorities.
If those warships get here before we return from the surface,
you could find yourselves dealing with a boarding party.
You'd be in far better hands with a security force who knows Enterprise inside and out.
I plan to have my men back on board with the Captain and Trip long before those ships arrive.
Will all due respect, sir, we can't be certain of that.
The decision is yours, Lieutenant, but I agree with Major Hayes.
Your team may not be back in time.
Select six of your men and meet me in Launch Bay One.
I'll be commanding the mission.
Very good, sir.
Coming from a military family, I've seen men like Hayes all my life.
Lieutenant?
That had nothing to do with who knows Enterprise inside and out.
It had to do with who the Major thinks is more capable of carrying out this rescue.
They're gone.
All three of them.
That's impossible.
We searched the entire cell perimeter.
Post guards at their landing craft.
If they get back to their starship, I'll lose nearly a hundred new workers.
If this leads to the surface...
why didn't you use it before?
The residue in the atmosphere is at least 30 times more toxic than it is down here.
This is the first time I've had the luxury of a ship waiting for me.
The lower levels are hypersaturated with ionized particles,
so you'll have to get within a hundred meters to pick up their bio-signs.
And we've got less than a half an hour to do it.
Duct 13.
They've opened two emergency baffles.
They're nearly to the surface.
We should destroy their landing pod.
No. Too valuable. How long would it take to redirect a plasma flow... ...into that conduit?
I'll see to it.
You've risked your lives to learn where my homeworld is because you say you have important business with my people.
Which species?
Have you ever even met a Xindi before today?
One.
And he didn't look very much like you.
Not all of them do.
There are five distinct species of Xindi.
And five distinct opinions on which one is dominant.
What was that?
That sounded an awful lot like those emergency baffles we opened.
Why would they open the rest?
It'll just help us get...
I thought you said this duct isn't used anymore.
It isn't.
They've obviously rerouted the plasma.
How far up to the next maintenance hatch?
How far?!
I don't know.
I think the safest bet is to head back down to the last one.
I think you're right.
That's where the plasma's coming from.
We should go up!
Suit yourself.
It's too late.
We'll be killed.
Shut up! Just shut up!
We're going to have to pick up the pace, gentlemen!
Wait a minute!
Get out of my way!
What the hell?!
You stupid son of a bitch.
I ought to open this hatch and throw you down into...
They forced me to come with them.
They said they'd kill me if I didn't.
Just now, this one, he tried to throw me into the plasma.
Said they didn't need me anymore.
Thank you! Thank you!
If you hadn't been waiting here, I don't know what I...
Pick him up.
I would've preferred having you join your crew members as new additions to my workforce,
but you turned out to be more trouble than you're worth.
Select a detail.
Take them to the surface.
Shoot all three of them.
- You okay? - Yes, sir
Nice shot.
Captain!
It took a little doing, sir, but we got through the outer hatch.
Where in the hell do you think you're going?
You promised to take me away from here.
That was before your little performance back there.
No, please, you have to help me!
You had your chance.
The coordinates of my homeworld--
if you want them, you'll have to take me with you.
You're lying.
No, I promise you.
- Reed to Mayweather.- Go ahead
We've got them.
Lock onto my location and set down.
Understood.
Ryan.
Captain?
Both shuttlepods have left the surface.
Is everybody aboard?
Everybody plus one.
The warships?
Still at warp four.
ETA approximately seven minutes.
Tell the pods to dock simultaneously.
Prepare to go to maximum warp.
Captain's Starlog, supplemental.
The three alien warships followed Enterprise for nearly an hour, but couldn't keep up with us.
I guess they'll have to look elsewhere for new additions to their "labor force."
Come in.
I'm terribly sorry, Captain, but there was nothing I could do.
I realize how important it would've been to have a Xindi to help us.
He wasn't a particularly helpful Xindi, Doctor.
You'd be surprised.
It was extremely difficult and painful for him to speak, but he managed to dictate this to me before he died.
He said you'd know what it meant.
I'll be damned.
They're the coordinates.
I must've been in the shower for two hours and I still have that crap in my hair, under my nails...
We cleared bio-scan.
That's all that matters.
Yeah. The two new guys who got hurt, are they okay?
The doctor's got them back in their quarters already.
You got to admit, their team did a pretty impressive job down there.
Nothing your guys couldn't have done just as well.
I'm not so sure about that.
See you in the morning.
All right.
Ah, how are you feeling, Commander?
Tired.
You said you'd give me something to sleep.
Very well.
If you wouldn't mind, Commander, I promised T'Pol
I'd take these bio-scans to her quarters, but I still have quite a bit of work to do here.
No problem, Doc.
Thanks.
Sick Bay to T'Pol.
Yes, Doctor?
Commander Tucker is on his way to your quarters.
He believes I just gave him a sedative, but it was only a placebo.
He's had a rather difficult day.
I believe you have your work cut out for you.
Sorry to drop by so late, but, uh...
Phlox said you were expecting this.
Thank you.
Please, sit down.
I don't think I'd be very good company right now.
Anyway, I still have a few more showers to take before I get all this... trellium D off me.
Would you like a cup of tea?
Thanks, but it might keep me up.
The doctor just gave me a sedative.
You're having trouble sleeping, as well.
I never would have pegged you as an insomniac.
I believe the Expanse has been disrupting my REM patterns.
Well, probably nothing a good hypospray couldn't cure.
Vulcan science teaches us to prompt our bodies to create their own medicines.
So, why are you still having trouble sleeping?
The neural nodes that need to be stimulated are difficult to reach.
Hmm.
Perhaps you could help me?
Well, I...
I don't really know if I can...
Three centimeters on either side of the fifth vertebrae.
You can apply considerable pressure.
I'm not sure which of these is, uh...
Right there.
Right here?
A little closer together.
Harder.
Harder.
If I push any harder
I'll knock you over.
Just like that.
Please continue.
That was... far more effective than a hypospray.
Glad to be of assistance.
It would be only fair for me to return the favor.
Please, disrobe.
I'm, uh... I'm really flattered, Sub-Commander.
And don't think under different circumstances I wouldn't jump at the chance to, uh...
Are you implying
I'm making sexual advances?
No.
No.
No, no, not at all.
I-I was just...
You see, the doctor gave me this sedative, and I... think it's starting to work.
The doctor injected you with a placebo.
He sent you here because he wanted me to persuade you to try Vulcan neuro-pressure.
As I predicted, it was a pointless exercise.
Why didn't he just ask me?
He did, you refused.
Oh, so this whole thing was just a setup.
The doctor knows how intransigent you can be.
Intransigent?
Unwilling to compromise.
I know what it means, but it just so happens it's not true.
I'm as willing to compromise as anyone else.
Then take off your shirt.
Sir, we're approaching the coordinates.
Tactical alert.
Stand by weapons.
Any indications that we're being scanned?
No, sir.
No vessels, no signs of technology, nothing.
How many inhabited planets?
I'm not detecting any planets, inhabited or otherwise.
That son of a bitch lied to us.
Phlox said the Xindi used his dying breath to give us these coordinates.
Why would he lie?
Sir, I'm picking up a debris field.
A ship?
It's a lot bigger than that.
Put it up.
It's nearly80 million kilometers long.
It was a planet.
Move us in closer.
How long ago did this happen?
Judging by the field dispersion, approximately 120 years.
I'm pretty sure there was a population here, Captain.
I'm picking up refined metals and traces of alloys.
And some of them match the hull of the Xindi probe.
They're building a weapon, planning to annihilate Earth because they think we're going to destroy their world in 400 years.
How is that possible if their world doesn't exist anymore?
Hasn't existed for decades.
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.
But if it's not here...
Prepare to go to warp four.
What course, sir?
Deeper into the Expanse.
Long-range sensors are showing increasing numbers of spatial distortions.
You heard me, Travis.
They scanned the debris and left nearly three hours ago.
Their heading?
Toward the Orassin distortion fields.
Then it's unlikely they'll survive.
We can't assume that!I'm sending vessels to destroy them!
If they are the first wave of an invasion,
it would be best for us to remain hidden.
Let them keep searching.
They won't find what they're looking for.Finish the weapon quickly!
Or I'll destroy the Earth Ship. whether this council approves or not!

---

---