Extinction (Star Trek: Enterprise)

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Star Trek: Enterprise episode
"Extinction"
Archer is turned into an alien creature.
Episode no.	55
Prod. code	303
Airdate	September 24, 2003
Writer(s)	André Bormanis
Director	LeVar Burton
Guest star(s)	Roger Cross Daniel Dae Kim Troy Mittleider
Year	2153
Stardate	unknown
Episode chronology
Previous	"Anomaly"
Next	"Rajiin"

"Extinction" is the title of an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise from the third season. It first aired on September 24, 2003. LeVar Burton directs. This particular episode was dedicated with a title card stating "In Loving Memory of Jerry Fleck", which appears at the end before the credits.^[1] One of their First Assistant Directors, Jerry Fleck, died in his sleep during the filming of the "Twilight" episode and was working on the pre-production on the next one, titled "North Star".^[2]

[edit] Plot summary

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The episode opens with a group in biohazard suits chasing a humanoid through a jungle. Upon reaching it, they use blowtorch-like weapons to incinerate it.

Back on Enterprise, Trip Tucker brings T'Pol some Georgia peaches to thank her for helping him sleep. After coaxing her into tasting one and before they can continue the session, T'Pol is called to the command center by Captain Archer.

Archer tells her that he found the location of a nearby planet that the Xindi recently visited from the information database (acquired from the Osaarian marauders in "Anomaly"). Despite her reservations, he decides to visit it to learn more about the species.

The two transport down to the planet with Reed and Hoshi Sato. They soon discover a Xindi shuttle along with two dead crewmembers, one of whom had been incinerated. Soon after, Archer, Sato, and Reed begin experiencing changes to their physiology. Before they can do anything, they are transformed into a different species with a different language. They attack T'Pol, rendering her unconscious.

When she comes to, she works to convince them that she wants to help them and that they should set her free. Archer, who seems most sympathetic to her, is able to convince the others, despite the protests of Sato, who seems a bit jealous of his interest in her and a bit suspicious that she was not transformed. After T'Pol is able to get the universal translator working, she learns that in addition to their physical transformations, her three companions have been inculcated with the overwhelming desire to reach a place on the planet called Urquat, which is the homeland of their species.

Meanwhile, the crew on board Enterprise determine that the human members of the away team had been transformed biochemically. Tucker takes a shuttlepod to the surface with a second away team of MACOs — this time equipped with biohazard suits. A scuffle ensues between the transformed humans and the new away team, but the crew are able to capture Reed and return him to the ship. T'Pol opts to stay with Archer and Sato.

Phlox determines that Reed was infected by a mutagenic virus which transformed his DNA. He also concludes that T'Pol's unique genetic makeup rendered her immune to virus, but that he will need a sample of her DNA to synthesize a cure. Meanwhile, two "containment ships" from an alien race arrive on the scene, demanding that they be allowed to board Enterprise and eliminate Reed because the virus wiped out millions of their people. Tucker refuses to allow this, but invites their leader, Tret, aboard. Tret tells Phlox and Tucker that the original inhabitants of the planet, the Loque'eque, created the virus, after they were rendered sterile, in an effort to transform alien visitors into their species and avoid extinction. Tret does not believe that it is possible to cure the virus and sends a "containment" team to the planet's surface to incinerate Archer and Sato.

After having a dream about Urquat, Archer leads Sato and T'Pol to it. However, they find that it is not a thriving city, but instead the ruins of an ancient civilization. When the containment team from Tret's ship arrives, the three fight them off. In the process, one of the men's bio-suits is punctured. The rest of his team incinerates him with no hesitation. The team soon traps the three Enterprise crewmembers. Before they are able to incinerate them, however, Trip transports down with a team of MACOs and takes out the containment team. The group then returns to Enterprise, which goes to warp four to escape the containment ships.

However, the containment ships are faster and more powerful than Enterprise and they pursue, firing on Enterprise and forcing it out of warp. Tucker asks Tret to allow Phlox more time to synthesize an antidote, but Tret will have none of it and prepares to board the ship. Before he can, however, Phlox presents Archer and Sato to him — now mostly back in human form. Enterprise parts company with the containment ship after providing it with a sample of the antidote.

In sickbay, Phlox continues to treat Archer, Reed, and Sato as they continue to undergo physiological changes in returning to their natural species (some of these effects would carry over to the following episode, "Rajiin"). The doctor tells Archer he plans to destroy the last sample of the virus, but the captain orders him not to, saying that it was the last effort of a now extinct species to preserve itself and should be preserved as a testament to their civilization.