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Observer Effect (Enterprise episode)
Encyclopedia
Observer Effect is the title of the 87th episode from the television series Star Trek: Enterprise
. "Observer Effect" first aired on January 21, 2005 on the American
television network UPN
.
and Travis Mayweather
discussing the triviality of chess while playing the game at a quick speed. The scene takes a macabre turn when it becomes apparent that they were serving as host bodies to two alien entities, and the topic of conversation shifts to that of an imminent danger, one which seems to have been encountered by other spacefarers and that "someone always dies".
A viral infection hits Trip
while on an away mission with Hoshi
in the shuttlepod and he collapses while coughing heavily. Soon, Hoshi begins to exhibit the same symptoms. Upon examination by the ship's medical officer, Dr. Phlox
, it is found that the virus is highly contagious and is a silicon-based life form
, rather than a carbon-based one. Archer
explains to Trip that T'Pol
and Phlox are looking for a cure, taking care not to mention that they were estimated to die within mere hours, given the rate of viral growth. Trip realises the futility of the situation however, since it is basic knowledge that the human immune system is not adapted to fight a silicon-based virus.
The aliens, still residing within the bodies of Malcolm and Travis continue their observation of the human response to this unknown virus. From their conversation, it is understood that the non-corporeal aliens are members of an advanced species who are looking to make "first contact" with other species that have reached a certain level of advancement. A species' response to the unknown virus serves as a standardised test of intelligence. So far, within the 10,000 years of their observation, no species has yet been deemed worthy of first contact. As observers, they are neither responsible for the introduction of the virus, nor are they prepared to save anyone unfortunate enough to become exposed to it. The outcome is always one of two possibilities: Either the virus spreads until the entire crew dies, or those who are exposed to the virus will be isolated or killed to control the spread of the disease, as in the case of a recent Klingon
encounter. Initially, the aliens chose Malcolm and Travis as host bodies as they were always present on the bridge and would be kept well informed, and their position as the armoury officer and the helmsman respectively would not interfere with the unfolding events of a medical situation. However, when they failed in their attempts to extract information through casual conversations with Trip, Phlox and Archer, they decided to gain the information first hand by temporarily shifting to the bodies of Phlox and T'Pol.
To keep each other's spirits up, Trip and Hoshi take the time to learn more about each other. Hoshi recounts how during her Starfleet
training, she broke a commander's arm after he caught her running poker games on weekends, and was thrown out. However, in light of her exceptional linguistic skills, which was rare and in high demand, Starfleet looked the other way and she was reinstated into Starfleet. Later Hoshi becomes delirious and uses her code breaking skills to break out of the decontamination chamber, thus threatening the rest of the ship with a release of the virus. Archer successfully seals off the entire section, while Hoshi deliriously sets about trying to open the airlock. Trip manages to calm her down and return her to the decontamination chamber whereupon Phlox instructs Trip to administer a knock-out sedative to Hoshi and then to himself as a matter of precaution.
There is a noticeable difference in opinion between the two aliens. The more senior of the two seems determined to follow their protocol of non-interference and hence allow Trip and Hoshi to die despite the fact that they could be saved. Conversely, the other alien sees something unique about the human species and feels the protocol is outdated and inhumane. As it is difficult to debate such topics on the bridge, the aliens decide to seek privacy in the decontamination chamber by invading what they thought were the merely sleeping bodies of Trip and Hoshi. As Trip and Hoshi are supposedly under heavy sedation, Phlox, via a video link in the sickbay, is shocked to see them up and talking profusely. Listening in on their conversation and performing a comparison of their brain wave patterns against their base references confirms Phlox's fears. The aliens, realising that their identity has been compromised, presumable through their sense of telepathy, approach Phlox while inhabiting Archer and T'Pol. They question Phlox to determine how their cover was blown and when satisfied, destroy the incriminating evidence and wipe Phlox's memory of the events, but not before Phlox gave them a piece of his mind.
Ultimately, Phlox and T'Pol find a possible way to disrupt the mechanism of the virus through the use of a narrow-frequency band of radiation, one which is detrimental to the virus, but not lethal to humans. The operation would need to be carried out in the medical scanner of the sickbay. Having extended the quarantine area and put on environmental suits, Archer and Phlox carry Trip and Hoshi, who has begun to go into shock, to the sickbay. On arrival, Hoshi has lost vital signs and Phlox struggles to load an intra-cardiac syringe while in his bulky gloves. In desperation, he attempts to remove his gloves, but is stopped by Archer who reminds Phlox that the ship will need its doctor. Taking a risk that the cure devised will work, Archer takes off his gloves to load the injection and proceeds to thump the syringe into Hoshi's heart to deliver a form of adrenaline. This act of selflessness seems to capture the aliens' interest. A future form of the defibrillator is used in what proves to be a futile attempt to resuscitate Hoshi. Placing a sheet over the dead Hoshi, the pair work with renewed urgency to save Trip. They place him into the medical scanner and administer a dose of radiation, balanced to target the viral cells without becoming lethal to the host. However, all is in vain as it becomes apparent that the radiation is ineffective against the virus, at least in vivo and at the dosage prescribed.
With Archer now exposed to the virus, Phlox has only a matter of hours to work on alternatives. He leaves to work from the bridge, in order to minimize the chances of accidental exposure to the virus, leaving Archer alone with a dying Trip and a dead Hoshi. Suddenly, Trip awakens and conveys his respect for Archer for his act of heroism. Hoshi also sits up and rebukes Trip for breaking the protocol. The aliens, having given themselves away, now explain the situation to Archer, who is furious and makes an impassioned speech. The aliens become convinced that humans are worthy candidates for first contact. They save Trip and Hoshi, but wipe the memory of the encounter from Archer. With a warning beacon now in place to caution others of the biohazard, the site can no longer serve as a testing ground for the aliens. In the concluding scene, the aliens, again in the bodies of Malcolm and Travis, agree to start working on their proposal for formal first contact with humanity, a process that would take approximately 5,000 years, a short time for the long lived aliens. (Actual first contact with these aliens the Organians would occur about a century later, during the events of the original series episode "Errand of Mercy".)
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
. "Observer Effect" first aired on January 21, 2005 on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television network UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
.
Plot
The episode begins with Malcolm ReedMalcolm Reed
Malcolm Reed, played by Dominic Keating, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. He is often confused with Martin Short, with whom he shares an uncanny appearance....
and Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather is a fictional character, played by Anthony Montgomery, in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, serving as a navigator and helm officer aboard the starship Enterprise. He holds the rank of Ensign, and is in the command division...
discussing the triviality of chess while playing the game at a quick speed. The scene takes a macabre turn when it becomes apparent that they were serving as host bodies to two alien entities, and the topic of conversation shifts to that of an imminent danger, one which seems to have been encountered by other spacefarers and that "someone always dies".
A viral infection hits Trip
Charles Tucker III
Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...
while on an away mission with Hoshi
Hoshi Sato
Hoshi Sato , played by Korean American actress Linda Park, is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise....
in the shuttlepod and he collapses while coughing heavily. Soon, Hoshi begins to exhibit the same symptoms. Upon examination by the ship's medical officer, Dr. Phlox
Phlox
Phlox is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants found mostly in North America in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and autumn....
, it is found that the virus is highly contagious and is a silicon-based life form
Alternative biochemistry
Hypothetical types of biochemistry are forms of biochemistry speculated to be scientifically viable but not proven to exist at this time. While the kinds of living beings we know on earth commonly use carbon for basic structural and metabolic functions, water as a solvent and DNA or RNA to define...
, rather than a carbon-based one. Archer
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...
explains to Trip that T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...
and Phlox are looking for a cure, taking care not to mention that they were estimated to die within mere hours, given the rate of viral growth. Trip realises the futility of the situation however, since it is basic knowledge that the human immune system is not adapted to fight a silicon-based virus.
The aliens, still residing within the bodies of Malcolm and Travis continue their observation of the human response to this unknown virus. From their conversation, it is understood that the non-corporeal aliens are members of an advanced species who are looking to make "first contact" with other species that have reached a certain level of advancement. A species' response to the unknown virus serves as a standardised test of intelligence. So far, within the 10,000 years of their observation, no species has yet been deemed worthy of first contact. As observers, they are neither responsible for the introduction of the virus, nor are they prepared to save anyone unfortunate enough to become exposed to it. The outcome is always one of two possibilities: Either the virus spreads until the entire crew dies, or those who are exposed to the virus will be isolated or killed to control the spread of the disease, as in the case of a recent Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
encounter. Initially, the aliens chose Malcolm and Travis as host bodies as they were always present on the bridge and would be kept well informed, and their position as the armoury officer and the helmsman respectively would not interfere with the unfolding events of a medical situation. However, when they failed in their attempts to extract information through casual conversations with Trip, Phlox and Archer, they decided to gain the information first hand by temporarily shifting to the bodies of Phlox and T'Pol.
To keep each other's spirits up, Trip and Hoshi take the time to learn more about each other. Hoshi recounts how during her Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
training, she broke a commander's arm after he caught her running poker games on weekends, and was thrown out. However, in light of her exceptional linguistic skills, which was rare and in high demand, Starfleet looked the other way and she was reinstated into Starfleet. Later Hoshi becomes delirious and uses her code breaking skills to break out of the decontamination chamber, thus threatening the rest of the ship with a release of the virus. Archer successfully seals off the entire section, while Hoshi deliriously sets about trying to open the airlock. Trip manages to calm her down and return her to the decontamination chamber whereupon Phlox instructs Trip to administer a knock-out sedative to Hoshi and then to himself as a matter of precaution.
There is a noticeable difference in opinion between the two aliens. The more senior of the two seems determined to follow their protocol of non-interference and hence allow Trip and Hoshi to die despite the fact that they could be saved. Conversely, the other alien sees something unique about the human species and feels the protocol is outdated and inhumane. As it is difficult to debate such topics on the bridge, the aliens decide to seek privacy in the decontamination chamber by invading what they thought were the merely sleeping bodies of Trip and Hoshi. As Trip and Hoshi are supposedly under heavy sedation, Phlox, via a video link in the sickbay, is shocked to see them up and talking profusely. Listening in on their conversation and performing a comparison of their brain wave patterns against their base references confirms Phlox's fears. The aliens, realising that their identity has been compromised, presumable through their sense of telepathy, approach Phlox while inhabiting Archer and T'Pol. They question Phlox to determine how their cover was blown and when satisfied, destroy the incriminating evidence and wipe Phlox's memory of the events, but not before Phlox gave them a piece of his mind.
Ultimately, Phlox and T'Pol find a possible way to disrupt the mechanism of the virus through the use of a narrow-frequency band of radiation, one which is detrimental to the virus, but not lethal to humans. The operation would need to be carried out in the medical scanner of the sickbay. Having extended the quarantine area and put on environmental suits, Archer and Phlox carry Trip and Hoshi, who has begun to go into shock, to the sickbay. On arrival, Hoshi has lost vital signs and Phlox struggles to load an intra-cardiac syringe while in his bulky gloves. In desperation, he attempts to remove his gloves, but is stopped by Archer who reminds Phlox that the ship will need its doctor. Taking a risk that the cure devised will work, Archer takes off his gloves to load the injection and proceeds to thump the syringe into Hoshi's heart to deliver a form of adrenaline. This act of selflessness seems to capture the aliens' interest. A future form of the defibrillator is used in what proves to be a futile attempt to resuscitate Hoshi. Placing a sheet over the dead Hoshi, the pair work with renewed urgency to save Trip. They place him into the medical scanner and administer a dose of radiation, balanced to target the viral cells without becoming lethal to the host. However, all is in vain as it becomes apparent that the radiation is ineffective against the virus, at least in vivo and at the dosage prescribed.
With Archer now exposed to the virus, Phlox has only a matter of hours to work on alternatives. He leaves to work from the bridge, in order to minimize the chances of accidental exposure to the virus, leaving Archer alone with a dying Trip and a dead Hoshi. Suddenly, Trip awakens and conveys his respect for Archer for his act of heroism. Hoshi also sits up and rebukes Trip for breaking the protocol. The aliens, having given themselves away, now explain the situation to Archer, who is furious and makes an impassioned speech. The aliens become convinced that humans are worthy candidates for first contact. They save Trip and Hoshi, but wipe the memory of the encounter from Archer. With a warning beacon now in place to caution others of the biohazard, the site can no longer serve as a testing ground for the aliens. In the concluding scene, the aliens, again in the bodies of Malcolm and Travis, agree to start working on their proposal for formal first contact with humanity, a process that would take approximately 5,000 years, a short time for the long lived aliens. (Actual first contact with these aliens the Organians would occur about a century later, during the events of the original series episode "Errand of Mercy".)