You'll win in eight moves.
You're really starting to get a feel for the game.
32 pieces, 64 squares. It's not as if it's difficult.
Total number of possible outcomes is limited.
- 10 to the 123rd power. - That's what I mean.
Chess is so predictable.
I'm surprised anyone bothers to play it.
Their average lifespan's only about a hundred years.
There's not enough time to play all the possible games.
- What a waste. - Careful. No emotional involvement.
I know the rules: observation without interference.
You'll win in five moves.
I'm the ship's champion.
I win all the tournaments.
How do you think they'll react to what's on this planet?
Well, that's what we're here to find out..
..but in my experience, all physical species are alike.
I don't expect humans will be any different.
Do you think our host will die tonight?
It's possible.
For some of the species that have come here..
..I've seen the whole crew die.
For others.. only a few.
But somebody always dies.
Always.
You move.
I can't wait to get back.
Two days ago, you couldn't wait to get off the ship.
Sifting through a Klingon garbage dump.. not my idea of 'exploring strange new worlds'.
Getting tired of exploration, Ensign?
All the planets starting to look alike?
- Not a chance, sir. - I didn't think so.
Oh, I feel like I'm still breathing dirt.
Shuttlepod One to Enterprise.
"Welcome back. How did your 'treasure hunt' turn out?"
Oh, nothing worth bringing home.
Klingons must've been here years ago.
All they left an old power cell and a bunch of empty ration packs.
- And a latrine. - Yeah.
A long hot shower's looking pretty good.
Shuttlepod One out.
Commander?
What.. what's wrong?
Take over.
Got to dock.
Shuttlepod One to Enterprise. "I have a medical emergency."
"Commander Tucker's collapsed."
Can you bring the shuttlepod in?
Yes, sir. At least in simulations...
Slow and steady, Ensign.
- I'll see you in Decon. - Understood.
Call Phlox.
Trip.. how you feeling?
"Like I've been gut-punched by a Tellarite."
"Doctor, should we start with the bio-gel?"
Not until we know what we're dealing with.
The three other landing parties returned from the surface with no ill effects.
We need to check out the shuttlepod, too.
See if any of its environmental systems.. "..were at fault."
Well, I can do that, Captain. I should've thought of that myself.
"Stay where you are, Trip. Phlox needs bloods samples."
"Here's the medkits."
"Hoshi?"
"What is it?"
Before Commander Tucker passed out, he started coughing.
"Are you feeling any other symptoms?"
I'm going to guess that's a 'Yes.'
"I'll prepare anti-nausea medication. Get me those blood samples, hmm.."
"..as soon as you can?"
Anything?
Whatever's afflecting them, it's not showing on the standard scans.
- Doesn't sound good. - It's not.
I studied your report on how the Klingons reacted to the infection.
Their response was typical for a species at their level of development.
The Klingon commander didn't let his landing party back on his ship.
- Your point? - Captain Archer did.
Captain Archer's done nothing different from the Klingons.
The Launch Bay and Decon Chamber are completely isolated from the rest of the ship.
So it doesn't matter if an infected landing party comes aboard.
Precisely.
Humans don't want to interract with dying crewmates any more than Klingons did.
If it was left to me..
..I'd stop our observations immediately.
We have nothing more to learn from humans.
Oh, I don't know.
They're showing concern for each other.
The Cardassians did that when they were here, didn't they?
Yeah, but in the end, they killed their infected crew, just as the Klingons did.
The only difference is the time it took to reach that decision.
Maybe the humans will surprise us.
I've been observing aliens for 800 years.
I'm yet to be surprised. Still..
..we should follow protocol.
Start questioning the infected crew, and I'll check in with the Doctor.
Okay.
This is for nausea, muscle pain.. and a cough supressant.
I'm not coughing any more. Neither are you.
Maybe we're getting better.
Well, Doctor's orders.
Commander? "Hoshi?"
"Just wanted to say hi."
"Uh, we're a little busy right now, Travis."
"Can you tell me what's in the hypospray?"
"Something for our symptoms."
"Yeah, Phlox doesn't know what's wrong with us yet."
"Have either of you faced serious illness before?"
Aren't you supposed to be on duty?
"I was curious to know how you'd compare this experience.."
"..with other illnesses you might've contracted."
"Travis.."
"..we really need to get some sleep."
I only have.. "..a few more questions."
- Thanks for stopping by. "- But..."
Lieutenant Reed.
Something I can do for you?
Headache.
Of course.. just a moment.
Are these the blood tests for Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato?
That's correct.
I'm not detecting any vascular involvement.
Your headache. Not a bad one, I take it?
No, not yet..
..although it feels like it could get worse.
Preventive measure. A lot to do today.
A mild analgesic it is...
Doctor, I'm curious to know how you think these tests will help you develop an effective treatment.
So am I.
I mean, are you approaching this strictly on a symptomatic level..
..or do you believe there's any similarity to other conditions you've seen in the past?
Lieutenant, I believe I can put your mind at ease.
If your colleagues have returned with a contagious illness..
..there's no way it can spread into rest of the ship. We're all quite safe.
I'm not worried about that. No..
- ..I'm interested in the methodology... - Out, out, out! I have a lot to do as well, hmm?
You ever see The Andromeda Strain?
Strain of what?
It's a movie.. mid-20th century.
Let me guess..
..Dr. Andromeda builds a monster, and it kills him in the end.
It's about an extraterrestial disease.
All your movies are the same. I can't keep the stories straight.
This reminds me of my dorm room at Starfleet Training.
Got into a lot of trouble at old STC.
I got kicked out.
Well, you can't stop there.
In my second month, I..
..I had a difference of opinion with the Company Commander.
I broke his arm.
Can I ask why?
Poker.
You broke his arms playing cards?
He tried to shut down a game I was running for some of the recruits..
- ..and a couple of the training staff. - Hold on.
You ran a floating poker game at STC?
The way the regulations are worded..
..gambling was an honor violation only if it took place during duty hours..
..so I ran the game on weekends.
One night, my CC showed up, tried to sweep all the chips off the table, and I...
Well, I have a black belt in Aikido.
I think he was just upset that I hadn't invited him to play.
What happened?
I got a bad conduct discharge.
How the hell did you end up on Enterprise?
Starfleet needed language specialists more than they needed to make an example out of me.
They let me back in on probation, and..
..here I am.
The closest classification it matches is a virus.
Highly contagious.
Silicon-based.
This is an M-Class planet...
All life forms down there should be carbon-based.
I can only surmise the virus was brought here, perhaps by a meteorite..
..which could explain why only one of our landing parties encountered it.
Is there a treatment?
There's no record of anything like it in the Denobulan database.
Then it's up to you.
I'll do all I can, Captain, but at the rate the pathogen is reproducing..
..Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato have less than five hours to live.
The Doctor identified the pathogen.
That happens 37% of the time.
But no one's made a decision to abandon the infected crewmembers.
Then this'll likely be one of the times when everyone dies.
"Travis.. if it's you again..."
It's me.
"Next time I ask to go on a landing party.."
"..talk me out of it, okay?"
"You're usually too stubborn to be talked out of anything."
"But I'll do my best."
"How's Hoshi?"
Sleeping.
"Whatever Phlox gave us.."
"..at least it's helping with the pain."
"Phlox identified what's causing all the trouble."
A silicon-based virus.
"I don't suppose he's on his way over here with the cure."
"He's working on it."
"So is T'Pol."
"So, there is no cure."
"Not yet."
"I'm getting the idea you're up against a deadline."
If you mean how much time do you have..
"..it's to early for that kind of talk."
Your own immune system could knock this thing out.
"I remember Exobiology 101, Captain."
"Humans are carbon-based."
"Our immune system can't fight silicon."
"Don't you give up on me."
"Still a bunch of planets out there we haven't seen."
"Get some rest."
We're looking for signs of elevated intelligence in the species we observe.
Rational intelligence, yes..
..which Archer has not demonstrated.
The longer the infected crew remain on board..
..the greater the risk that quarantine will fail.
I'm sure Captain Archer knows exactly what the risk is.
Maybe it's not as important to him as standing by his crew.
It's just as probable that he hasn't realized how hopeless the situation is.
There's a way to be sure.
We chose the Helmsman and the Armory Officer for good reason.
They're both stationed on the Bridge..
..yet neither plays a critical role in a medical emergency.
Which is why we should inhabit the Doctor and the Science Officer.
Archer relies on their findings to make his decisions.
We could witness that as it happens.
The more people we inhabit..
..the greater the chance that we will inadvertently interfere.
The more people we inhabit, the more we'll be able to observe.
How many languages can you speak?
That's not how it works.
There are a lot of common patterns. I'm just good at hearing them, that's all.
Good?
You're a genious.
The way you can pick up an alien language you've never heard before..
..and start spouting it back to them...
I got to tell you, I've always been jealous you can do that.
I wish I could fix warp engines..
..with duct tape and a pocket knife.
It's.. a bit more complicated than that.. sometimes.
Seriously, engineering, building things...
Have you always been good at that?
When I was a kid, not so good at building.
But I was a terror when it came to taking things apart.
My folks used to put all our kitchen appliances on the highest shelves.
One Thanksgiving.. I have no idea what I was thinking, but..
..I removed every screw from this.. big dining room table we had.
It was so old, the wood sort of stuck together, so it stayed standing..
..until my dad put the turkey down.
I spent the next month in my room.
How old were you?
24-25.
"How long have they been there?"
"We didn't see you there."
"We didn't want to interrupt you."
How's the research coming?
"We're waiting on new test results."
"We thought we'd see how you two were progressing."
You're the ones with the medical scanners.
"We were more interested in discussing your state of mind."
"Look, if you really want to know how we feel.."
"..we'd be a lot better knowing you two were back in Sick Bay working on the cure for this."
"Of course. We're going there now."
"Commander. Ensign."
They both came to see us.
Maybe that means they're almost finished.
Yeah, unless there's nothing more they can do.
They're very brave, the way they're facing death.
Their courage isn't at question. Their intelligence is.
You want the humans to fail.
This isn't a competition.
Either a species' intelligence is developed enough for First Contact, or it isn't.
Perhaps we should consider other qualities in making our decision.
This is the measure we have used for 10,000 years.
- It's not our responsibility to change it. - Then whose responsibility is it?
There.
If Phlox is right about the virus coming here on a meteorite..
..that crater might be the source of it.
Which means the Klingons at this campsite must have been infected, too.
Set up a priority channel to Starfleet Command.
We need to find out which Klingon ship explored this world..
..and whether or not they developed a cure.
Right away, sir.
Those are the new test results my host is waiting for.
We should leave these creatures to their work, undisturbed.
The Helmsman and the Armory Officer are back on the Bridge.
The altered immune receptors weren't effective.
This could indicate the virus is sensitive to ionizing radiation.
At levels that would be fatal to humans, but it's a start.
I'll prepare new samples for testing.
Shiranai...
- Oboenai... - Hoshi!
Ich werde spät in die Klasse kommen! (I'm getting late for my class.)
Hoshi, wake up.
I was back in Brazil.
The shuttle was coming to take me to Enterprise.
That's where we are.
Captain Archer needed me early.
I didn't get the chance to say good-bye to my students.
You'll see them again.
I've heard from Starfleet.
They're working through diplomatic channels to contact the Klingons.
But it might not be necessary.
This spectrograph identifies a Klingon alloy.
That's the signature of standard hull plating.
I found it..
..here.
You've detected a debris cloud in orbit.
It's what's left of a Klingon shuttlecraft..
..their response to an infected landing party.
The Commander killed his own shuttle crew.
They didn't even plead for mercy.
I mean, they wouldn't, would they?
Being Klingon.
Captain..
..does knowing what the Klingons did help us at all?
At least we know we don't have to bother asking them if they have a cure.
But if they had developed one, you'd ask them for it, right?
On bended knee.
Yo se que estoy atrasada. (I know I'm late.)
Enterprise no se va hasta ma~ana. (Enterprise won't start until tomorrow.)
Solo necesito cinco minutos. (I just need five minutes.)
Hoshi...
We're in quarantine for a reason.
I have no idea what you're saying..
..but you can't break the lock-out code.
Math is just another language.
Quarantine breach on D-Deck.
Decon Chamber has been unsealed.
- Someone's overriding the safety interlocks. - Shut down all power to D-Deck!
I want those doors sealed!
Hoshi..
..you have to stop.
That's an airlock.
You open those doors, we die.
Haye nuzhno skazat dosvidaniya. (I have to say goodbye.)
Hoshi, come on.
I need to tell them..
..while there's still time.
The Captain won't let us down.
Trip to..
..whoever's out there.
We're back.
Commander, I want you to set your hypospray for three units of sonambutril.
"- That could drop a horse." - We can't risk Hoshi wandering off again.
Especially since it seems she can override every security safeguard on Enterprise.
Yeah, she's..
..full of surprises today.
Sweet dreams, Houdini.
"Anything else?"
- It's your turn, Trip. "- Come on, Captain."
Commander, the virus is incompatible with carbon-based life.
It's attacking your bodies in ways I can't predict.
"You think I'm going to wander off, too?"
"Start opening the wrong doors?"
- Not if you're sedated. - Sorry, Trip.
Commander...
I'm just wondering if either one of us will ever wake up again.
"You should lie down rightaway."
I won't argue with that.
How close are you to stopping this?
T'Pol and I have isolated a specific frequency of radiation..
..that disrupts the silicon matrix of the virus.
Sounds promising.
Unfortunately, the dosage required would be lethal.
There's got to be some kind of a trade-off..
..a way to produce enough radiation to slow down the virus without killing the patient.
That's what I'm working on.
Work faster.
We can stop what this virus is doing to them.
That's not why we're here.
We came to observe their response to the unexpected, not to watch them suffer.
This is not the place to be having this discussion.
I know where we can talk undisturbed.
The sensations in this host are different from the others.
I'm experiencing.. physical pain.
So am I.
Why should any species have to endure this weakness?
Because the desire to overcome it..
..will spur them to move beyond the limitations of the physical world.
Maybe that isn't true for all species.
It was true for us.
You can't be awake.
Not with that much sonambutril.
"Our ancestors were physical beings."
"What worked for us might not work for everyone."
"- Humans have different qualities. - Nothing I haven't seen before."
"What do you have against this species?"
"What disturbs me most about the humans.."
"- ..is their capacity for violence." - Extraordinary.
"Klingons embrace.." ..violence. The humans try to avoid it.
Humans say they avoid it, but their words don't ma...
We're being observed.
Ah, Captain, T'Pol. I was just coming to see you.
These are brain wave readings of Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato.
What is the significance?
The patterns aren't human.
- Did you know they had this capability? - He must've used Denobulan technology.
I see.
Are you responsible for what happened to my patients?
We had nothing to do with it.
We come here only to study how physical species react to the unknown.
You can help by telling us how you detected our presence.
That happens in less than 2% of our missions.
Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato were sedated.
They shouldn't have been able to stand and talk.
It's been so long since we had physical form..
..we weren't able to distinguish sleep from sedation.
We'll remember next time.
Is there anything you can do to help my patients?
We're here to observe. We can't interfere.
You're interfering with me!
Our subjects are human. You're Denobulan.
You were inhabited a few hours ago. An intriguing experience.
- I have no recollection of that. - Memories are simple to adjust.
You're going to 'adjust' mine again, hmm?
So I won't remember a word of this encounter.
Or what you observed in the Decon Chamber.
If you have that ability, you must be able to help my patients!
We could.
But we won't.
Thank you for your help, Doctor.
No wonder you erase memories.
Your behavior is appalling.
According to what I read on the Doctor's medical PADD..
..he's learned how to stop the infection.
I've seen seven other species develop the radiation cure.
But never in time.
- Did we make First Contact with any of them? - Of course not.
Expending resources to attempt an impossible task is not a sign of intelligence.
The Captain and Science Officer have decisions to make.
We need to return to our original hosts.
For the radiation to destroy the virus without killing the patient..
..it must be precisely focused.
The emitters in the Decon Chamber aren't suitable, but the bio-scanner in Sick Bay is.
To move them from Decon to Sick Bay..
..we'll need to expand the quarantined area.
That won't be a problem.
We're gonna make this work.
"Ensign Sato's condition is deteriorating. We need to hurry."
"Engaging quarantine."
Reed to Bridge. I confirm.. "..a positive seal."
Environmental systems are isolated.
"Entering the quarantine zone."
"She's going into oligemic shock."
"Captain, she's dying."
"Get her on the bio-scan bed."
"She's stopped breathing!"
Someone always dies.
"Hoshi!"
"Phlox!"
"What are you doing?!"
"This equipment's not designed for EV gloves!"
"I'll be your hands."
"No, Captain, no!"
"Right now, Enterprise needs a doctor more than it needs a captain!"
"Attach the leads 20 centimeters apart."
I don't understand.
In 800 years, no one's ever done that before?
No.
Not once they know it's hopeless.
"You need to inject 40 units of trinephedrine into her heart, hmm?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That can't go deep enough."
"Old-fashioned, but effective."
"Angle it slightly more to the right."
"Now in one quick motion, insert it three centimeters."
"Press the activator."
"Clear."
Come on, Hoshi.
"300 millijoules."
"- Captain." - Again!
"340."
"She's gone."
"Captain, help me with Commander Tucker."
How many have to die before you'll admit humans are different?
We need to stop this.
I will not depart from protocol.
The incident isn't over.
When the first death occurs on the ship..
..there's a 68% chance the rest of the crew will become infected.
What more will that teach us about them?
All this would have happened whether we were here or not.
We are not responsible.
Maybe we should be.
"We need to move him into the scanner."
"It didn't work."
"I'm sorry, Captain."
Not your fault, Doctor.
"There's nothing more I can do for Commander Tucker, but.."
"..you've still got a few hours. There has to be something else I-I.. I can try."
You should continue your work on the Bridge.
Less chance of something going wrong with your suit.
"I won't give up."
You know where to find me.
Archer to T'Pol.
T'Pol here, Captain.
"I take it you've been watching."
I have.
"Then you know you're in command?"
Yes, Captain.
"I would like to think you'll stay in command."
"Don't let Admiral Gardner.. sneak in someone over your head."
I'll do my best.
"I know you will."
"I need to look after Trip now."
We'll talk again bef...
We'll talk again.
Captain..
..if Commander Tucker becomes conscious...
"I'll let you know rightaway."
"Archer out."
I have such respect for you, Captain Archer.
Trip?
Not exactly.
I'm an Organian..
..a nonphysical life-form.
Trip is my host.
What did you do to him?
Nothing.
We never interfere in the natural development of other species.
We only observe.
Did you know about the silicon virus?
That's why we come here.
To see how different species react when they encounter it.
You knew about the virus that killed two members of my crew, and you didn't warn us?
I wanted to.
But it's not up to me.
You're breaking every rule we have.
Because they don't apply to this species.
That is not our decision to make.
- If we don't challenge the rules... - I don't care about your rules.
Tell me what happens to Trip and Hoshi when you're finished with their bodies.
We have to leave them as they are.
Dead?
I understand..
..why you won't get involved with a species' natural development.
I've faced that decision myself.
- It isn't an easy one to make. - Then we agree.
No, we don't.
Our encounter with the virus was an accident..
..one that you could have prevented.
Then how would we ever learn about you?
Ask us. Talk to us!
Just like you're doing now.
Talking is a limited form of communication for us.
- We're much more advanced than humans. - Not from where I'm standing.
Maybe.. you've evolved into beings with..
..abilities I can't comprehend..
..but you've paid a hell of a price.
You've lost compassion and empathy..
..things that give life meaning.
If that's what it takes to be advanced..
..I don't want any part of it.
We're leaving now, Captain.
You won't remember a thing about our presence.
And in three hours, you'll die, as well.
No.
We have the power to save them all.
Are you defying me?
I'm defying the entire protocol.
What Archer has done today..
..his act of compassion..
..you've never witnessed that before.
In time, we'll study other humans.
There's another way.
Experience compassion for yourself.
You want to know what it means to be human..
..you need to do more than observe.
"Archer to the Bridge."
- T'Pol. Go ahead. "- You wanted to know when Trip was awake."
- Yes. "- Well, you'd better get down here.."
"..because he's talking up a storm, and so is Hoshi."
- Captain, Hoshi's... "- You, too, Phlox."
"Maybe one of you can tell me what the hell just happened."
You're all completely free of the virus.
It has to have been a delayed reaction to Commander Tucker's radiation treatment..
..but how it spilled over to you and Hoshi...
I have no explanation.
Obviously, the pathogen's behavior is more unpredictable than we assumed.
I'm sure someone at Starfleet Medical will figure it out..
..but for now..
..we're going to leave a warning beacon in orbit here and make sure what happened to us..
..never happens to anyone again.
You realize the consequences of what we've done.
We will never be able to observe another species encounter this virus.
Good.
I'm looking forward to making my first report.
After 10,000 years, the rules need to change.
These humans have not been a good influence on you.
I would not encourage further encounters.
I don't think we can avoid them.
I'm going to recommend that we start preparations for an Official First Contact mission.
Indeed.
At the rate they're progressing, that'd barely give us 5,000 years to prepare.
Then we'd better get started.

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