The ship is struck by a lightning-like discharge within a nebula, which triggers emergency protocols: the bridge is sealed off, power consumption is reduced to a minimum, and Natasha is rebooted to an infantile mindset. Trapped on the bridge, Zalian introduces Stewart to an arcane means of controlling the ship – via actual tactile controls instead of a computer panel. Karen takes command below decks, only to find that her most important order – not to increase power consumption – is one that the rest of the crew seems simply unwilling to follow, regardless of the fact that powering up too many devices might blow up the ship with no warning.
written by Shelby Fero
directed by Matt Sohn
music by Orr Rebhun & Erica Weis
Cast: Trace Beaulieu (A.R.T.), Neil Casey (Kent Woolworth), Eugene Cordero (Michael Newman), Joel Hodgson (Zalian Fletcher), Conor Leslie (Natasha), Bess Rous (Karen Lipinski), Karan Soni (Stewart Lipinski), Milana Vayntrub (Tina Shukshin), Sherry O’Connor (A.R.T. Puppeteer #2)
LogBook entry by Earl Green