As the Enterprise crew lays a string of communications relay satellites in the ship’s wake to speed up contact with Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, the ship is intercepted by an alien vessel which refuses to answer any hails, and then disappears into warp again. Archer hopes that it’s an isolated incident, concentrating his energy on another mystery – finding a suitable birthday gift for Lt. Reed, which proves more difficult that the captain expects. But when the alien ship returns, it attacks the Enterprise, and two aliens board the ship, killing members of the crew. Archer orders a return course for Earth, so the Enterprise can receive upgraded weaponry from Starfleet before continuing on her course. But the alien ship appears yet again, forcing Reed and Trip to try to make the upgrades in mid-flight – and even in the middle of combat. If they can’t perfect the new weaponry in time to fend off the aliens’ attacks, Reed may not live to see his next birthday.
written by Andre Bormanis
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Velton Ray BunchCast: Scott Bakula (Captain Jonathan Archer), Jolene Blalock (Subcommander T’Pol), John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox), Dominic Keating (Lt. Malcolm Reed), Anthony Montgomery (Ensign Travis Mayweather), Linda Park (Ensign Hoshi Sato), Connor Trinneer (Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker III), Jane Carr (Mary Reed), Guy Siner (Stuart Reed), Paula Malcolmson (Madeline Reed), John Rosenfeld (Mark Latrelle), Robert Mammana (Engineer)
Notes: British actor Guy Siner has some cult SF in his past – he played fanatical Kaled General Ravon in the classic 1975 Doctor Who story Genesis Of The Daleks; Jane Carr, who played his wife, has much more recent SF in her resumè, having played one of Londo’s wives in the 1994 Babylon 5 episode Soul Mates.
LogBook entry by Earl Green