EPISODE: "Doctor's Orders" PROD#: ENT068 TRAN#: 3.16 RATING: PG AIRDATE: wed-18-feb-2004-20:00 EPDATE: [unstated; about five days, some weeks after 3.15] OFFICIAL: startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/3904.html FROM: Phillip Thorne, thorne@underbase.org POST-TO: rec.arts.startrek.current, .reviews, .tech, rec.arts.sf.tv REVIEW#: 59.0 FORMAT#: 5.1 URL: underbase.org/dept/trek/ent316_doctors_orders.txt I. INTRODUCTION This report has been split into two parts because otherwise (for whatever reason) it probably won't appear on Usenet after being posted. This document focuses on the technical aspects of a current episode; it is intended to support discussion, and to later serve as a reference; it accordingly contains PLOT SPOILERS, so CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Whenever possible, it indicates who did/claimed/knew what, because characters can lie or be mistaken. Spellings of technobabble and alien nouns are obtained from TV closed-captioning ("CC") -- which is imperfect: it may not match spoken dialogue, or the website, or be consistent within or between eps. In the Synopsis, I may condense or reorder scenes. If you have corrections or clarifications, please contact me, and I'll (eventually) make corrections. Abbreviations commonly used: -(m/f/?) name belongs to mel/fem/unclear, (os) on [viewer] screen, (vo) voiceover, -(?) quote is uncertain, -(sp?) spelling is unclear; VDB Vulcan database, VHC Vulcan High Command, XDB Xindi database; series: TOS TAS TNG DS9 VGR ENT. Although CC uses "Launch Bay," "Sick Bay," and "shuttle pod," I often condense those terms to single words. "Star Trek" and all related indicia are copyrights of Paramount Pictures, while this overview is (c)2004 Phillip Thorne. Feel free to use this document as a reference, but please give credit where due. II. TERMINOLOGY TECHNICAL: trans-dimensional disturbance, reconfigured space, ion storm, hand-scanner, bio-sign, warp theory, millicochrane, spatial compression index, class-C gravimetric field distortion. TECHNICAL/ENTERPRISE: impulse manifolds, G-Deck, dilithium matrix, plasma relays, deuterium pressure, antimatter constrictor coils, intermix, particle confinement, magnetic constrictor coils, hull plating, realign the warp coils. LOCATIONS: Bridge, Sickbay, Launchbay, Galley, Mess, Airlock, Engineering, Armory, Cargo bay, Turbolift, Corridors, Archer's quarters, Phlox's quarters, Sato's quarters and bathroom, double-berth, T'Pol's quarters. LOCATIONS, POLITIES and ORGANIZATIONS: Denobula. BIOLOGIC: Pycan space moth, intestine-cleaning leeches, neocortex, Pyrithian bat, Draxxan cloud viper, deep neuro-sedation, [Xindi-Insectoid]. CULTURAL: "The Court Jester" Danny Kaye (Paramount 1956), "The Exorcist" (Warner Bros. 1973). NAME-DROPPING: Dr.Lucas, Chef. III. ANALYSIS 1. What we get... Lots of Phlox. Warp engine operations. 2. What we don't get... A date. "Denobula Triaxa." 3. The shirtless files... We see Phlox visit Sickbay naked (modulo strategically-placed pedestals and an oversized padd). We see the red stripe down his front, and chevron-shaped spinal ridges. 4. Arcs... Azati Prime. Phlox's menagerie. Movie night. 5. Links... Phlox's colleague Dr.Lucas, 113-"Dear Doctor." The orange-bubbly trans-dimensional realm in 315-"Harbinger" (this one is purple-cloudy). 6. The Kaybin district (of whatever city Dr.Lucas worked in) is known for its nightclubs. Denobulans are gregarious, have crowded cities by choice, and dislike isolation. Two people may constitute a Denobulan marriage, but not a "proper" one. Phlox has at least five grandmothers, and had three separate weddings. 7. The properties of trans-dimensional space damage the neocortex of humans (permanent damage in minutes, death in hours) and Vulcans (severity unknown), but have only a subtle, slow effect on Denobulans. Canines and Phlox's menagerie are unaffected. Is this related to the "spatial interphase" of TOS-"The Tholian Web"? 8. When Phlox is studying how to start the warp engines, one of the windows displays a warp-power chart, as seen in the TNG:TM. There's a red line, with four exponential peaks, repeatedly crossing a yellow curve with a distinct S-bend. It's embedded within a wide band of blue. There are yellow circles at the tip of the second and third spikes, and where the third spike crosses the yellow curve. From the manual: "Output must be confined to between 300 and 312 millicochranes to prevent fusion of the dilithium matrix; unless the spatial compression index exceeds 5.62 percent" or the ship is within "two parsecs of a class-C gravimetric field distortion." The core-side engineering monitor has, in the lower right corner, a red-boxed speedometer: "W/FACTOR 1.9.8" it reads. The second decimal point is a bit odd. Since Phlox's understanding of warp operation is imperfect, anything he (and not-T'Pol) say must be considered unreliable. The warp nacelles are usually alight, even when the ship is at impulse; and Phlox speaks of establishing a warp field before going to warp -- this must be a "symmetrical non-propulsive field" as described in the TNG:TM. When the core starts, both the blue and red nacelle lights illuminate; this implies the forward caps are *not* just Bussard collectors (which never made sense on shuttlecraft, anyway). Add the properties of warp plasma (as cited elsewhere), and it sounds as though the plasma isn't *consumed* in the nacelles, but circulates, being energized by the antimatter reaction -- and the photon spill is constant, regardless of the shape/depth of the warp field. The core is kept ticking probably because (a) it might be needed at any time and (b) starting it up is difficult. IV. NITS 1. Why are the Galley shelves full of unsecured, open-topped glass flasks of powdered substances (salt, probably; etc.)? 2. Shouldn't ENT's database include simulators for all its systems? --so that Phlox could practice starting the warp engines. Or was he simply too agitated to think of it? 3. The speed-distance-times cited don't quite add up. 1 hour at warp 4 = 4 days (96 hours) at full impulse. 10 weeks at full impulse = 1/4 Ly. But that's ~1.25 c (unless relativistic effects are in play); the usual TNG:TM-implied assumption of 0.25c would traverse 1/4-Ly in 60 weeks, but only 1/20-Ly (2.5 light-weeks) in 10 weeks. V. THIRD-PARTY COMMENTS [...] VI. EPISODE SYNOPSIS TEASER: ENT is embedded in a purple cloud, its nacelles dark. The bridge is empty, Engineering vacant and the core inert, the mess unpopulated. A corridor -- and Porthos, followed by Phlox. The doctor lets the beagle into Archer's quarters to visit his master, sleeping with a metal disc on his forehead. ACT 1: Phlox's quarters: he's reading about dogs. He once heard of a "Pycan space moth" that "drifted" half a lightyear to return to its homeworld. Dictating a belated letter to "Dr.Lucas" into a padd, who returned to Earth after the Xindi attack. In the Galley, he takes down a jar labeled "Dr.Phlox / DO NOT EAT" and feeds one of the "leeches" within to Porthos, warning him that it'll "clean his intestinal tract," then munches one himself. TWO DAYS PREVIOUSLY... T'Pol reports on the sudden appearance of a region of "trans-dimensional disturbance," similar to that encountered "several weeks ago," where space is being "reconfigured" as they watch. It'll take two weeks to bypass, under one hour at warp 4, but four days at impulse. Tucker prefers the latter. The region disrupts the human "neocortex," so Phlox prescribes putting the crew into a comatose state -- "like shutting down the main computer to protect it from an ion storm." As a Denobulan, he's immune, and will stand watch. NOW: Phlox visits Mayweather. BEFORE: Quickly trained in ship's systems -- helm, Engineering. Tucker reminds him to check the "impulse manifolds" at least every two hours -- if they clog, the engines will overload. He asks to be awakened if there's a problem, although even "a few minutes'" exposure would cause permanent damage. Putting Archer to sleep, the captain voices his confidence in the doctor. NOW: Still dictating, he checks Engineering -- and hears a noise. He'll be glad when the ship emerges in 2 days, 16 hours and 43 minutes. Jogs down corridor with Porthos, singing in Denobulan. Feeding time in Sickbay, naked. Movie night (Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester") in the mess -- and another noise. Porthos is reluctant to investigate, "my Pyrithian bat," and Phlox suddenly regrets letting Tucker persuade him to watch "The Exorcist" the week before. [Given previous film selections, probably the original 1973 version.] He finds a valve venting in the launchbay -- and is startled when T'Pol(purple) appears. He presses a control to close the valve, as she explains that she's spent most of her time on the bridge or in her quarters, reading. Engineering: he sees a figure scamper across the upper level, and intercoms T'Pol, accusing her of creeping about like a "Draxxan cloud viper" -- but she's on the bridge. ACT 2: Phlox and T'Pol(red) dine in the Galley on a dish his "fifth grandmother" made for "each of his weddings," but which Chef has never quite equalled. (He agrees with T'Pol that his "plomeek broth" doesn't measure up, either.) "Deep neuro-sedation." On "Denobula," the cities are crowded by choice; they're gregarious, and isolation is stressful; two people aren't even enough for a "proper" Denobulan marriage. T'Pol responds that most Vulcans will go to great lengths to find solitude, and it's been a challenge to coexist with "80" humans. Exits Sickbay. Dictating letter, referring to the "nightclubs of the Kaybin district" on Denobula. Checks Archer: "neurochemistry," "theta waves." Metal screeches -- he moves to the window, and leaps back upon seeing something *outside*. On the bridge, T'Pol shows him that there's nothing on external or internal sensors. In the turbolift, its side-light-panel sweeping. Checking Sato, he finds a Xindi-Insectoid looming over her! It leaps at him, he flees, sees the shadow of a second one, and locks himself in the airlock. (Red label: AIRLOCK.) He steps out and intercoms T'Pol. Armory: He arms himself; she's skeptical (all the hatches are sealed), and refuses to take a phase-pistol; but nonetheless, he's going to start at "G-Deck" and work his way up. ACT 3: They check a double-berth in which both occupants snooze peacefully. They prowl through a darkened cargo bay, between drums and cases. Four decks down, three to go -- Phlox's "hand- scanner" gets a "bio-sign" -- and he almost shoots Porthos. He angrily accuses T'Pol of not helping, and she shouts back, reminding him of the time he told Sato that Denobulans consider the occasional hallucination to be healthy. Later: he receives a page from Sato. He rushes to her quarters to find her gone, but the shower is active. She steps out, fully clad -- but her skin is scaly and cracking, her eyes clouded and sightless. He stumbles back -- to see her still on her bunk, asleep; and the apparition is gone. He calls T'Pol (from the intercom just inside the bathroom) to meet him in Sickbay. At the turbolift, he's confronted by a phantasm of Archer. He discovers that he's not completely immune; the effect is subtle, and probably not permanent. He urges T'Pol to take over for the remaining six hours, but she admits that she's losing emotional control. SIX HOURS LATER... They discover the region has expanded faster than anticipated, and are now a quarter-lightyear from the far edge -- nearly 10 weeks at their current speed (full impulse (4)). They panic. ACT 4: They're already at full impulse, but need warp -- whatever the risk. In Engineering, however, T'Pol can do nothing but offer suggestions. "You hold a dozen scientific degrees." "But none in warp theory! ... You're suggesting I read the manual?" He pulls up a series of windows, including a warp-power chart. T'Pol can't find the "plasma relays," which must be closed before the startup sequence. He hallucinates an accusatory Tucker. If done wrong, the field could collapse and crush the ship. "Deuterium pressure nominal," "antimatter constrictor coils online." The core lights up. "Intermix stable," "warp field forming." Alarm, shake. T'Pol suggests increasing "particle confinement," and he looks it up. She suggests waking Tucker would be logical, even to sacrifice him; but Phlox succeeds in increasing power to the "magnetic constrictor coils." The field stabilizes and their go to warp, climbing to 2.0. But external pressure increases, and he transfers power to the "hull plating" - - glad that Reed insisted on showing him how to do so. Phlox awakens Archer, removing the forehead-disc and hypo'ing him. Porthos arrives. Later, he and T'Pol(red) escort Tucker. He escorts her to her own quarters -- where she's(blue) already asleep. Phlox joins T'Pol in the busy mess. Tucker has complained that it'll take days to "realign the warp coils." "You must have enjoyed having the ship to yourself," the Vulcan comments. He smiles. "It wasn't nearly as empty as I anticipated." VII. SFX SHOTS Teaser: ENT in purple cloud, nacelles dark. Act 1: ENT in cloud, impulse engines alight. ENT at impulse. ENT at impulse. ENT at impulse in cloud. ENT in cloud. Act 2: Act 3: ENT in cloud. ENT in cloud. Act 4: ENT in cloud. Engines (red and blue) flicker alight. ENT to warp in cloud. ENT at warp in normal space. ENT at warp. VIII. PRODUCTION REGULAR CAST: Scott Bakula as Cpt. Jonathan Archer Connor Trinneer as LtCdr. Charles Tucker III Jolene Blalock as Sub-commander T'Pol [Dominic Keating as Lt. Malcolm Reed] [not!] Anthony Montgomery as Ens. Travis Mayweather [briefly] Linda Park as Ens. Hoshi Sato [briefly] John Billingsley as Dr. Phlox Porthos GUEST CAST: [none] CREATIVE STAFF: Directed by Roxann Dawson ["B'Elanna Torres"] Written by Chris Black NEXT WEEK: In 317-"Hatchery," they discover a crashed ship full of Insectoid eggs. Finally in 318-"Azati Prime" and 319-"Damage," they reach their goal, but get pasted doing so.