The Andorian Incident
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| Star Trek: Enterprise episode | |
| "The Andorian Incident" | |
| Episode no. | 6 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 107 |
| Airdate | October 31, 2001 |
| Writer(s) | Rick Berman Brannon Braga Fred Dekker Teleplay by: Fred Dekker |
| Director | Roxann Dawson |
| Guest star(s) | Jeffrey Combs Bruce French Steven Dennis Jeff Ricketts Richard Tanner Jamie McShane |
| Year | 2151 |
| Stardate | unknown |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Terra Nova" |
| Next | "Breaking the Ice" |
"The Andorian Incident" is the sixth episode (production #107) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Captain Archer and Commander Tucker, after finding the Vulcan star maps incomplete, talk Sub-Commander T'Pol into taking a trip to P'Jem, a Vulcan monastery. When Archer, Tucker, and T'Pol arrive at P'Jem, they find the Vulcans have visitors: the Andorians.
One of the most significant of the first season episodes, the events of "The Andorian Incident" would continue to resonate into the fourth season. This would, in particular, affect T'Pol and her family.
[edit] Plot
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- Teaser
The P'Jem Monastery, daytime. Vulcan priests are lighting candles and meditating when they are interrupted by a violent banging on the front doors. They fly apart to reveal five humanoid figures with blue skin and antennae. They are Andorian and the leader of the group is Captain Shran. His antennae point forwards as he moves towards the priests.
- Act One
Trip and Archer are discussing Vulcan star charts in the Captain's Ready Room. Archer points out that a protostar that they discovered the previous week isn't marked, making Trip wonder what else the Vulcans have left out on purpose. T'Pol enters, and Archer mentions that he would like to visit P'Jem. T'Pol describes it as a Vulcan spiritual retreat, a place for Vulcans to perform the Kolinahr ritual to purge their emotions. T'Pol thinks that the Vulcans may object to intrusion but she will research the proper protocols for introduction.
T'Pol eats with Phlox in the Mess Hall. She says that being seen by other Vulcans with a human crew could create "a certain awkwardness" for her. Phlox reminds her of the Vulcan motto 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations". Phlox goes on to say that the human mission is to seek infinite diversity in new life and new civilisations, so a human/Vulcan cultural exchange is simply furthering the mission.
In the shuttlebay, T'Pol tells Trip and Archer that it wasn't possible to hail P'Jem as the monks consider technology a distraction from spiritual pursuits. T'Pol briefs Archer and Trip on protocol - don't speak unless spoken to, don't touch anything, maintain quiet at all times and receive the J'Kah stone when it is offered on parting.
On P'Jem, the landing party discover evidence of the Andorian break-in. They push open the door and find a Vulcan monk in the atrium. He tells T'Pol that the monks are observing the final stage of Kolinahr, so they cannot stay. T'Pol asks for Archer and Trip to receive the J'Kah stone as a parting gift. As they wait for the monk to return, T'Pol notices further signs of struggle in the atrium. The monk returns and explains the broken pottery as evidence of the Kohlinar purging of emotion. The landing party wonder around the atrium, talking loudly. Archer sees the reflection of an Tolos, an Andorian trooper, hiding behind a screen. He signals silently to Trip, who walks over and helps Archer to surprise Tolos. T'Pol reaches for the weapon but is stopped by Shran and his troops who enter through the main doors.
- Act Two
The landing party are led to a room containing the rest of the monks. Shran asks Archer why they came to P'Jem and doesn't believe that they only came to see the sanctuary. Shran asks if they have brought more surveillance equipment for the Vulcans; he is suspicious about T'Pol being aboard the Enterprise. When Archer asks why the Andorians are on P'Jem, Shran hits him hard. Shran says that his scans have revealed that the Enterprise is too well-armed just to be visiting, so their presence confirms his theory about the monastery.
The Andorians leave, locking the door. The Vulcans tell Archer that Andoria is the neighbouring system to Vulcan and that they have negotiated a peace treaty in order to stop the Andorians from thinking that Vulcan will invade their homeworld. Their presence on P'Jem is because of their belief that the monastery hides a long-range sensor array. The monks say that the Andorians have visited twice before and left within a day both times. The arrival of the Enterprise has made them more suspicious.
Onboard the Enterprise Reed tells Mayweather and Hoshi that he has detected the Andorian ship less than a kilometre from the shuttlepod. He complains that scanning for alien ships is not part of standard procedure yet. He goes on to say that they haven't heard from the landing party yet, and that should be standard procedure as well.
On P'Jem, Shran interrogates Archer using physical violence. Archer doesn't know anything about the sensor array. He is knocked to the floor when asked why he has T'Pol as a science officer and notices the candle flames in front of a bas-relief of a Vulcan head flickering in wind from the mouth. Archer's communicator chirrups on the table as Shran goes to hit him again.
Shran speaks to Reed and tells him that the hostages will be killed if Enterprise arms its weapons or shows signs of reaching the surface. Shran then smashes the communicator and T'Pol's and Trip's as well. Reed orders Hoshi to review the Vulcan database for information on Andorians. Shran's troops arrive to say that they have searched the eastern tower and found nothing. Shran sends them to check the living quarters. Tolos suggests killing some monks to persuade Archer to tell the truth. Archer insists that he is doing so.
The Vulcan monk asks T'Pol how she can stand the smell of the human ship after living there for nine weeks and four days. T'Pol says that she is used to it now, and has a nasal numbing agent to help her. Archer is returned and tells about his interrogation. The Vulcan monk says that there is nothing to find. Archer expects Reed to put another landing party together. "If anyone has any other ideas then go ahead, I'm all ears.", says Archer. "No offence", he continues. The Vulcan monk says that P'Jem has an ancient transmitter. The transmitter is hidden in the catacombs, which can be reached via a secret entrance in the prison room. Trip is led away, after saying that Vulcans have a flair for the dramatic.
- Act Three
In the tunnels, Trip sees ancient Vulcan relics gathering dust. He stumbles in to the mummified corpse of Master Haadok, one of the founders of P'Jem. Trip notices another door that his guide says leads to the Reliquary, where P'Jem's most precious artefacts are kept. Trip sets to work on the transmitter.
Tolos enters the prison room at night, counting the prisoners. All are present and he leaves. Trip gets up and continues working on the Vulcan transmitter. Archer asks T'Pol if the Andorians have a transporter. She says no and goes on to say that if the Enterprise landing party use theirs, the sound alone would alert the guards. Archer offers T'Pol half of his blanket as the room is unheated. T'Pol would prefer to suffer the cold rather than the smell, but Archer insists. Archer wonders why the Vulcans are letting the Andorians walk all over them. T'Pol says that they don't believe in responding to violence with violence. Archer asks if he can count on T'Pol's support in getting out of their situation. T'Pol says that she has never disobeyed Archer's orders before stealing the blanket as she rolls over.
On the Enterprise, Hoshi receives a weak modulated EM signal from the surface. Trip apprises Reed of the situation and tells him to sit tight as the Andorians don't negotiate.
At daybreak, Archer asks if any tunnels lead to the outside. The Vulcan monk says no. Trip mentions the Reliquary and is told that to enter would be blasphemy. Trip also says that he saw another set of stairs almost beneath the atrium, with three lights in a triangular pattern, identical to the large face in the atrium.
Shran and Tolos are in the atrium, arguing about searching the same rooms repeatedly. Shran refuses to give up and then hears Archer's voice calling for help. The Andorians enter the prison chamber suspiciously. Archer turns to Shran and asks to speak with him alone, as he has information. Before he is taken away, he hides a small icon in his sleeve. Archer is led to the Atrium where he proceeds to speak loudly about trivia, ignoring the Andorians' demands for information. As he is beaten up, Archer makes his way to the bas-relief face and throws the icon through the mouth before being led away. Trip enters the catacombs again and finds the icon on the floor. On the ship, Reed and two ensigns step on to the transporter pad. Reed orders Hoshi to energise.
- Act Four
On P'Jem, the Andorians detect an energy fluctuation. Shran runs to the prison chamber and Reed and the ensigns make a hasty exit in to the tunnels. Shran leaves Tolos to watch the prisoners. In the catacombs, Reed and the ensigns find the stairs up to the atrium. They watch Shran and Keval through the eyes of the bass-relief; Keval detects their bio-signs. Reed places charges against the bas-relief. As Keval detects the humans, he looks up to see the glow of the charges. At that moment, the charges detonate, throwing Shran through the air. Tolos looks around and Trip grabs his gun as Archer tackles him. A firefight ensues in the atrium and Shran escapes in to the tunnels.
Reed arrives in the prison chamber in time to stun Tolos before he shoots Archer. Archer, T'Pol and Reed enter the catacombs again to find Shran. Trip's Vulcan guide picks up the Andorian weapon and follows them, stating that "we must protect what is ours.". Archer tries to get inside the Reliquary but is stopped by the Vulcan guide. "The Andorians have already seen your sacred relics, two humans won't make much of a difference", he says before entering.
- Act Five
Shran and Keval walk amongst the relics. Reed and Archer spot them and start a firefight. The Vulcan guide's misplaced phaser shot reveals a high-tech metal door in the ancient room. T'Pol provides covering fire for Archer to open the door. The firefight stops and both parties gather outside the opening, staring inwards at a vast chamber containing advanced Vulcan technology. All are amazed at what they see, including T'Pol. He realises that Shran was right all along and that the Vulcans were lying. Archer orders her to "take all the pictures you can". The Vulcan guide holds Archer hostage, asking everyone to drop their weapons. Archer drops him quickly. Archer orders T'Pol to give Shran her scans and to signal the Enterprise to let the Andorian shuttle go. Before he leaves, Shran tells Archer "We're in your debt.".
[edit] P'Jem
P'Jem, a fictional location in the Star Trek universe, is a Vulcan monastery about 3000 years old. Vulcans go there to find solitude, peaceful meditation and to go through the Kolinahr. Inside, the monastery is adorned with numerous important artifacts and relics, many of them hidden in the catacombs and vaults underneath. To visit P'Jem there is a strict protocol to follow involving bowing, praying, and formal greetings. The Stone of J'Kaa is a stone given to guests upon leaving as a part of a blessing ritual. Although cited occasionally as a rare and important artifact, it is more likely a commonly found stone on the planet with some unstated significance to the founding of P'Jem, which is then given by the monks as blessings or tokens of good will, similar to a souvenir.
Additionally, P'Jem was being used covertly by the Vulcan High Council as a base for a mass surveillance system, with only one monk in the entire monastery being aware of this. The station was located beneath the monastery in a large subterrainian cavern that had presumably been excavated solely for this purpose, and was accessible through a hidden doorway in the monastery's lower vault (normally only used for storing ancient artifacts relating to P'Jem's founding monks--though it is very likely that there were other entrances given the number of personnel operating the equipment, as well as the inconvenience of passing through both a hidden chamber and the preceding catacombs which were accessible only through a secret passage in the monastery's rear chambers.
In the episode "The Andorian Incident", a group of Andorian commandos were sent to P'Jem to locate the listening station that the Andorian government had come to suspect existed. Shortly after their arrival, most of the Senior Officers of the NX-01 came to visit, unaware at first of the Andorians who arrived a few hours earlier. The listening station was uncovered later, after a brief fight in the lower vault, where Captain Archer then ordered T'Pol to give the photographic evidence they collected to Captain Shran (who led this particular Andorian mission to P'Jem). Thereafter, the Andorian government gave the monastery's inhabitants a short notice for evacuation, after which they proceeded to destroy both the monastery and the listening post.
This episode's events, as well as those shortly after in Shadows of P'Jem, proved to be the basis for many future occurrences and plot devices to follow in Star Trek: Enterprise, including many underhanded reprisal attempts directed against both Captain Archer and T'Pol by the Vulcan High Council. Additionally, many fans of the show have taken note of the resemblance of the listening post at P'Jem to its real-life counterpart ECHELON and other NSA programs, even though the story was written more than a year before the events of September 11, 2001.
[edit] External links
- The Andorian Incident article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
