[ST:Ent][Tech] Overview of 113:"Dear Doctor" SERIES: "Enterprise" EPISODE: "Dear Doctor" PROD#: ENT013 EP#: 1.13 RATING: PG AIRDATE: wed-23-jan-2002-20:00 EPDATE: [not stated] OFFICIAL: startrek.com/library/ent_episodes/episodes_ent_detail_122434.asp FROM: Phillip Thorne, thorne@underbase.org POST-TO: rec.arts.startrek.tech, rec.arts.sf.tv REVIEW#: 7.1 FORMAT#: 3.1 This technical overview format is intended to be easy-to-scan, unambiguous, and precise, and a foundation for (in later revisions, a summary of) further freeform discussion. The NOTES are listed in seen-on-screen order, and ANALYSIS summarizes topics. It distinguishes between what is said/claimed by characters, from what is actually shown. Whenever possible, it uses spellings from the closed captioning (which may not be entirely consistent, or match those on the official website). Corrections to typos, phrasing, etc. are welcome, but only if you include a citation -- the idea is to *avoid* half-remembered inferences. Abbreviations used: (m/f/?) name belongs to male/female/unclear, (sp?) spelling is unclear, Cwn crewman. This overview is (c)2002 Phillip Thorne, thorne@underbase.org. If you wish to reuse large hunks of text, please notify me and include a citation. PLOT SPOILERS BELOW! I. TERMS TRICKY CC says "Sick Bay" but the website VR tour says "Sickbay". TECHNOLOGY Denobula, niaxilin, dermoline gel, pyrithian bat, Minshara-class, U.T., priaxate, tri-fluoranate compound. CULTURE Denobula, Kaybin bar, Valakis, M'klexa, Ferengi, Menk. CHARACTERS Injured engineering crewman(m), Cwn.Elizabeth Cutler, Valakian astronaut #1, Director Esaak, Larr, misc Menk villagers. MENTIONS Dr.Jeremy Lucas. II. SCENES [ignored] III. NOTES TEASER 001. Phlox enters a dark Sickbay and turns on the lights. He talks to feeds creatures in three separate cages. ACT 1 002. Sato enters Sickbay to give Phlox his mail. It's from DR.JEREMY LUCAS, the first human to serve on DENOBULA in the INTERSPECIES MEDICAL EXCHANGE. (News to Sato.) Phlox is teaching Sato a language (presumably Denobulan), and their next lesson is gerunds. In the letter, Lucas complains about Denobulan mating season. 002. Corridor to Engineering. Phlox(vo) notes that a dose of NIAXILIN can separate the "combatants". He recommends the lively KAYBIN BARS along the riverfront; but don't go unescorted. On the upper level, Tucker is kneeling by an injured male crewman; Phlox treats his first-degree burns with DERMOLINE GEL. 003. Mess. Reed turns down Phlox's invitation. Several crew in civvies. 004. Sickbay. Archer stands by as Phlox treats Porthos for GI distress. Phlox(vo) notes how humans become attached to and anthropomorphize lower creatures; but even he sometimes talks to his PYRITHIAN BAT. 005. Movie night (see 1.11) in the Mess(?). Phlox sits next to Cutler (see 1.04), who's eating popcorn. He notes that Denobulans had something similar to movies "a few hundred years ago", but they went out of fashion when people realized their own lives were more interesting. In the row ahead, Tucker is crying. 006. Corridor. Phlox quizzes Cutler on the human circulatory system. Next week's movie is "Sunset Boulevard". Denobulans don't like to be touched, but since Phlox admits he's trying to overcome his habits, Cutler gives him a good-night peck on the cheek. Phlox(vo) wonders if she's interested in him, but "the pheromones of human females aren't as potent as Denobulans'". 007. EXT space FX. Small alien ship drifting. 008. Bridge. Archer asks T'pol, and she reports a "Minshara-class" world less than 1-Ly distant. Sato reports they don't respond to hails; T'pol that there are two bio-signs aboard, very faint. Archer orders it brought into Launch Bay Two. Mayweather, Reed. 009. Sickbay. Humanoid male ("ALIEN ASTRONAUT") on biobed. Sato gets four samples for the U.T., then he explains: with three other ships, he left VALAKIS over a year ago, looking for medical help. He asks if Ent is a "warp ship"; his planet has already met the M'KLEXA and FERENGI. (T'pol claims not to recognize the names.) He requests help. Archer consults with T'pol; since they've had prior contact, she concludes the "risk of contamination seems -- acceptable." ACT 2 010. Sickbay. The alien slides out of the scanner. Phlox(vo) notes that emergencies come in all sizes; he once was almost overwhelmed by 50 patients in a refugee camp on MATALAS; Archer is now asking him to help over 50 million. 011. Mess. Phlox coaches Sato in Denobulan. Sato confuses "nostril"/"fruit", and "washboard"/"couple (of people)". The menu includes eggplant. 012. EXT space FX, Valakis. 013. Bridge. Reed reports orbit crowded with ships and satellites. Phlox(vo): two days ago we didn't even know these people. 014. EXT city FX. 015a. Clinic ward. (Called a "clinic" in 017.) Phlox, Archer, Sato and T'pol are escorted by DIRECTOR ESAAK. He explains that the illness has infected one-third of the population. He confirms Phlox's guess that it's being treated with synthetic antibodies, but continues that it mutates, then moves to the respiratory system where it can't be controlled, and pulmonary failure fails within days. Phlox suggests PRIAXATE to ease symptoms, at least temporarily. 015b. Clinic ward. Sato tries to speak to an orderly (LARR), but the "U.T." fails. Esaak explains that Larr is a MENK, the second humanoid species on Valakis. They're "not as evolved", and not susceptible t the disease; but study of them hasn't been of help. The Ent crew are surprised at their co-existence, and Esaak is surprised Archer and T'pol aren't the same species. 016. Sickbay. Phlox detects tooth decay (in an anterior tricuspid) in T'pol, who protests it's impossible; 23 years earlier, they were sealed with a TRI-FLUORANATE COMPOUND. Phlox guesses normal wear-and-tear, and uses two cylindrical tools to fix it. He asks the "sub-commander" if humans have been known to mate outside her species. Her derisive assessment is that humans lack the maturity to do so, but many are infatuated with novelty. 017. Ready room. Phlox reports to Archer that the disease isn't a virus or a bacterium: the proteins that bind Valakian chromosomes are "degenerating". The rate of "mutation" has accelerated over the last few generations, and he projects they'll be extinct within 200 years. Genetic abnormalities are very difficult to reverse -- but at Archer's insistence, he admits the Menk could be the key. ACT 3 018. EXT night Menk village FX. Phlox, Cutler and Sato arrive escorted by Larr to take blood samples from the Menk villagers, who are very obliging. Sato practices Menk (the U.T. never does its dubbing trick). They learn the Valakians force the Menk to live on this land that isn't good for farming, but provide well for them; the Menk are happy. Phlox(vo) notes the two humans seem disturbed by this. He tells Cutler that on most worlds with two humanoid species, one drives the other to extinction; he advises her not to be judgemental. He asks if she's married (she's not); tells her he has three wives, each of whom has two other husbands, and this is quite normal. They work out their relationship. 019. Clinic. Archer meets the astronaut, who is impressed that his year-long trip was retraced by Ent in "a day". He asks for warp drive. 020. EXT Ent in orbit FX. 021. Bridge. Archer relieves T'pol. Mayweather, Sato, Reed. 022. Ready room. Archer tells T'pol of the request. She tells him they lack the technical expertise to implement the schematics. He admits they have no experience with antimatter; don't realize how dangerous it is. Reluctantly, he admits he's beginning to understand how the Vulcans felt about humans (T'pol sets the period at 90 years). 023. Sickbay. Phlox examines DNA through a microscope. ACT 4 024. Mess, night. Phlox meets Archer. Archer wears white T-shirt, jeans and belt. Phlox reports tha the Menk are evolving: he's seen evidence of improving motor and linguistic skills. They argue whether the compassion to help the Valakians would be interference in evolution, and would stunt the Menk. Phlox cites the Neanderthals 35,000-ybp on Earth (and correctly pronounces it "-tals"). 025. Sickbay. Phlox(vo) notes they encountered "the alien shuttle" "two days ago". 026. Sickbay. Phlox and Archer. Archer predicts the future Prime Directive, and decides not to play God. 027. Clinic. Archer, Phlox and T'pol hand over to Esaak a medicine (and instructions to reproduce) that should ease the symptoms for about 10 years. He to asks for warp drive. 028. EXT Ent in orbit FX. 029. Sickbay. Phlox hands Sato the chip containing his dictated letter to Dr.Lucas. He calls Cutler on the intercom for a snack in the "Mess Hall"; he needs a friend. He leaves and turns out the lights. V. CONNECTIONS Crewman Elizabeth Cutler (exobiology): see 104-"Strange New World". Movie night: see 111-"Cold Front". Cutler's corner quarters: see 111-"Cold Front". Silly pictures of DNA: see 102-"Broken Arrow, pt.2". Medical treatment to aliens: see 109-"Civilization". VI. ANALYSIS 1. Valakian appearance: Basically human, with a single H-shaped growth on the face: a pronounced browridge, with two verticals at the edges of the forehead, and two angles around the orbits. Same idea as the Cardassians and Denobulans, but not ridged, and with nothing (ridge or groove) at the centerline of the forehead. 2. Valakian language: Trenakadua ta? Morana dunnat? Kandala a gonsh. Yorata vala? Sato: Dak mul ahna. 3. Menk language (translations guessed): Esaak: Dukat ah pra kee, Larr. Sato: Kuhl toh-bah. Larr: Kuhl pra toh-bah aren so l'tee. (The blood sampling will be painless) Menk: Y'lyn parum ta see etta'j. (We're happy to help) Sato: Pra du matta. Larr: Pra ducat matta ku mam-pah. Menk: Koh u'ta? (What are you doing?) Sato: Doctor e'satta prah ku -- ku Valakii(?). (Doctor is looking inside you.) Tik-tik. (Thank you.) Nan dah. (You're welcome.) Neek, ra'sata. (Food.) Sato: Larr, ku ra'sata goldach? (Where do you grow food?) Larr: Pah ku mano. N'da tom-ah. (The soil here isn't good for planting.) Gol dach puu kani Valakii. (The Valakii tell us where to live.) H'rat ahtyba si ohno. Valakii fora t'let ra'sata kee, akem, pinj erana. (The Valakii give us whatever we need: food, clothing, medicine.) Menk a'kala y' Valakii. (The Valakii are good to us.) 4. Denobulan language: (Not shown in captioning; English translation in subtitles.) 5. Denobulan culture: The mating season can be very trying (for bystanders at least, and possibly participants), and niaxilin can separate combatants. A married man has three simultaneous wives, each of whom has three husbands (unclear: the same three, ie 3+3, or a wider net). They require little rest except for the annual hibernation cycle (which for Phlox at least, will last six days). VII. NITS 1. It apparently takes Ent one day to traverse the less-than-a-lightyear distance to Valakis. Upon arrival, Phlox(vo) notes (not while he's on the bridge; presumably later) they didn't even know these people two days earlier. Later, after the clinic (day) and village (night), he(vo) still says it's two days. It should be several more, unless he's (a) really fast and (b) the village was halfway round the planet. 2. The Trek artists don't know how to draw DNA. The helices on Phlox's screen are (a) symmetrical, (b) about 14 base pairs per turn, and (c) the bases are too narrow (they don't touch). Real DNA (in its common A-conformation) has a "major" and "minor" groove, 10 pairs per turn, and the nucleotides are packed "vertically" tightly . (They separate when the backbone unwinds.) Either Valakian (or Menk) DNA isn't really "deoxyribonucleic acid", or Phlox's scanner partially altered the image. (There seemed to be condensed chromosomes in the background.) 3. Trek perpetuates its flawed notion that evolution always tends to greater intelligence. OTOH, maybe their scientists have been misled by the unsuspected genetic programming of the world-seeders (TNG-"The Chase"). VIII. NEXT WEEK More Klingons! A new Klingon ship! Oodles of CGI targ! Relaxing in the infamous decontamination chamber!