SERIES: "Enterprise"
 EPISODE: "Civilization"
   PROD#: ENT009
     EP#: 109
  EPDATE: c.31-july-2151
 AIRDATE: wed-14-nov-2001-20:00
OFFICIAL: startrek.com/library/enterprise/episodes_ent_detail_009.asp

    FROM: Phillip Thorne
 POST-TO: rec.arts.startrek.tech, rec.arts.sf.tv
 REVIEW#: 1.2

It's been 20 hours since this ep aired, so heavy discussion is probably already in progress in multiple threads; but I haven't seen this format in use.  I've observed a lot of unnecessary confusion created (and bandwidth consumed) when the spelling of terms is unclear, or their attribution; so I've tried to derive everything from the closed captions, and distinguish between what we *see* and what is *claimed* by characters.

This technical overview format is intended to be easy-to-read, unambiguous, and precise, and a foundation for further freeform discussion.  It is arranged in the order in which events are shown, unless I combine several points on the same technology.  It distinguishes between what is said/claimed by characters.  Whenever possible, it uses spellings from the closed captioning.  If the spelling is unclear, I'll append (sp?) -- if I remember.  Corrections are welcome, but only if you include a citation -- the idea is to *avoid* half-remembered inferences.

Note: in the ep, after Garos identifies himself as a Malurian, the Ent crew continue to use that term -- but there is no independent confirmation of their race or planet.  Hence, I refer to them merely as "the aliens", to distinguish them from the Akaali.

PLOT SPOILERS BELOW!

I. TERMS (from closed captioning):
J'ral-class supernova remnant, Minshara-class planet; acoustic relay, Akaali; Riaan (on official page as "Riann"); Garos, Malurians, tetracyanate 6-2-2; veridium isotope, Tellarite, weapons platforms, weapons array.

II. NITS:
* Teaser, T'pol says: "several phenomenon".  The plural is "phenomena".
* Act 3, Archer: how did he know the combinations to unlock the door, using the Malurian remote control?

III. NOTES:

TEASER:
* J'ral-class supernova remnant.
* A triplet of neutron stars (very unusual) is detected.
* Ent's sensors can detect humanoid "lifesigns" on a Minshara-class planet from 4.5-Ly.
* The planet's population is scanned at 500 million.

ACT 1:
* Archer orders a 500-km orbit.
* No electromagnetic transmissions are detected.
* Ent's optical sensors have a resolution of <1-cm from 500-km, enough to see specific facial featurs of the natives, including their cranial ridges.
* It is a Vulcan protocol, but not Starfleet, to delay contact until a civilization achieves warp travel.
* The "acoustic relay" picks up "dozens of languages" for Hoshi to analyze.
* The natives call themselves Akaali.
* Neutrino emissions indicate a possible antimatter reactor.
* From 500-km, Ent's sensors can't distinguish between humanoid lifesigns.
* From orbit, can tell that all Akaali carry identity papers.

ACT 2:
* Phlox provides makeup that replicates the "dermal ridges" of the Akaali, two segmented vertical ridges, one on each side of the forehead.  (A cross between Cardassian and Bajoran features.)  It itches at first, but he claims that will subside.
* The Akaali world is 78-Ly from Earth.
* Some Akaali are suffering from a disfiguring disease.
* The Ent handheld sensor units (not called tricorders) can detect neutrino emissions.
* The emissions emanate from 8-m below an antiques shop.  Trip picks the lock, but the metal hatch inside is protected by "some kind of magnetic shield". 
* They meet Riaan, an Akaali apothecary.
* She wields a sort of collapsible mini crossbow.
* The effects of the Ent crew's translators are invisible to Riaan.
* Phase-pistol stun works on the Akaali.
* They meet Garos, an antiques dealer.
* The handheld sensors can perform DNA scans, sufficient to distinguish species, from several meters.
>* Phlox provides makeup that replicates the "dermal ridges" of the
>Akaali, two segmented vertical ridges, one on each side of the

CORRECTION: Dr.Phlox calls them "the anterior ridges".  (The distinction implies the possibility of other ridges, hidden beneath the hair.)  He uses a long-handled paint brush, as though blending makeup.

>* The Akaali world is 78-Ly from Earth.

CORRECTION: Archer(?) notes that "we came 78 light years".  We don't know if he's measuring from Earth, from the Ent's previous planetfall, its total odometer reading, etc.  (Noted by D.Joseph Creighton.)

ACT 3:
* Garos claims to be from the Malurian system, that he led a survey mission to the Akaali world 2-y earlier, and decided to stay.
* He explains that his antimatter reactor powers "a fabrication device" to make food and clothing.  Trip makes an offhand comment that it's overpowered for that purpose, and could clothe half the continent.
* Phlox determines the Akaali are being poisoned by "tetracyanate 6-2-2" contamination of the groundwater; it's a toxic synthetic compound usually used as an industrial lubricant.  The molecular structure on his monitor has a highly branched structure and 3 6-sided rings.
* Archer's translator is included in his communicator.  While skulking with Riaan, it breaks down, and her words suddenly come through unaltered.  To conceal his distress, he kisses her while fiddling with the controls.  She does not object.
* Archer and Riaan see a large alien shuttlecraft, which hovers (probably antigravs, no sign of thruster wash) and uses a green-tinged tractor beam to fetch several large crates into a ventral hatch.
* Archer stuns an alien (Malurian?), and peels off a mask to reveal bumpy grey reptilian skin.
* Archer steals the alien's remote control; he and Riaan sneak into the installation, find the reactor, and see mining underway in a huge cavern.
>* Phlox determines the Akaali are being poisoned by 
>"tetracyanate 6-2-2"  [...]

CLARIFICATION: in the captions it's spelled "tetracyanate six two two".  I don't know if the number is "622" (like "Invar 36"), denoting one of an entire series of compounds; or "6,2,2" (like "2,2',4,4',6-pentabromodiphenylether"), an IUPAC-like shorthand denoting which sites on the backbone have been functionalized; or "<6,2,2>" indicating the direction of crystal axes; etc.

ACT 4:
* Archer reports that "a veridium isotope" is being mined, and the drill bits are saturated with tetracyanate.
* The reactor is a self-contained cylindrical affair about 2-m tall.
* Archer does *not* intuitively understand the alien symbology of the controls, and can't decide which button shuts off the "dampening field" around the shop: blue or yellow?
* The Ent can't detect the alien ship that was (they conclude) hidden in "geosynchronous" orbit on the far side of the planet.
* T'pol is in command of the Ent.
* Garos asks if a certain "fat Tellarite trader" tipped Archer off as to his operation.  Archer makes no reaction to the name.
* The alien ship has shields.
* Once the dampening field is down, Trip is able to beam the antimatter reactor up, then out into space.  They detonate it with a torpedo, which knocks out the alien ship's shields.
* A phase-pistol is able to detonate flammable street lamp oil which ignites (Riaan reveals) at "398 degrees".
* The alien hand weapons fire yellow beams; phase-pistols fire orange.
* The aliens have bio-capable transport; Garos and his two cronies beam out.
* (Presumably Phlox) provides medicine that will cure the Akaali; only one dose is needed.  Archer tells Riaan that Ent has removed the remaining alien equipment, and the Vulcans will check in periodically to guard against the return of the aliens.

>* A phase-pistol is able to detonate flammable street lamp oil 
>which ignites (Riaan explains) at "398 degrees".

ADDENDUM: Archer seems to adjust some controls(?) on the right side of the phase-pistol before firing, implying it has more than just "stun" and "kill" settings. OR, if he's switching from "stun" to "kill", that the process is complicated.  (Noted by Love Robin Miller, loverobin@aol.com.)

* The alien GUIs have a black background with yellow, grey-green, and blue graphics.  The text consists of letters with a predominantly triangular form (horizontals, verticals, 60-degree diagonals, but no curves or diacritical dots), and is written in horizontal lines. Three font sizes are visible.

* The alien ship is larger than the Ent.  It is basically ovoid, with a vertical gap at the nose (surrounded by two pontoon-like lateral flanges that meet at the bow) and a horizontal gap in the tail (with a flattish narrow dorsal "tail").  Its shields flare green when hit by weapons fire.

* Reed notes that the alien ship has multiple "weapons platforms".  T'Pol orders its "weapons array" targeted.

* The Ent has two aft-pointing missile tubes, located on the curve of the ventral saucer.

* The Ent's transporter effect consists of blue-tinged white sparkles, with a vertical sweep and a swirl at the center, as though the matter were going down (or coming up from) a drain.  The effect takes about 3 seconds.

* The transporter can be recycled, from "receive" to "transmit", almost immediately -- about 3 seconds.

* The alien transporter effect consists of waving swirls of white against a glow that shades from purple (at the center) to yellow (at the edges).

IV. NEXT WEEK:
Nausicaans!

V. ANALYSIS:
* Ent's sensors can count the (presumably humanoid) lifesigns of a planet from 4.5-Ly, but can't distinguish between species at only 500-km.
* Ent has "acoustic relays" (surface probes? long-distance sensors?) that record the languages of a planet, but apparently doesn't have any probes/bugs to beam into locked dwellings (which would be easier than breaking-and-entering in person).
* The Starfleet handheld sensors can detect "neutrino emissions" (which requires something exotic to intercept particles with a tiny reaction cross-section, the simplistic "several lightyears of lead to stop" is usually cited; a "subspace shadow" perhaps).  They can perform a sufficiently detailed DNA scan to distinguish two humanoid species, from several meters with no contact.  (Unless Archer found some of Garos's tissue lying around.)
* Garos claims to be a Malurian, but we have no independent confirmation (eg, from T'pol); that might be a cover story for fellow starfarers.
* Tetracyanate is perhaps related to tricyanate, a toxic substance that can be neutralized with hytritium (TNG:"The Most Toys").