Episode 1x05 - "War On Cloud Nine"

[Serris]

Sunday, April 2nd @ 3:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM BST

It's been a week since the incident in B'omar space. While damage to the ship has been repaired, Muri-Giaz stated that the ship had already dipped into a third of its stock of duranium alloy less than two months into its journey. It would be necessary to mine ore to refine more metals soon. While Commander Quinn scanned for suitable mining sites, long-range sensors detected an unusually electrically active J-class nebula. Captain Tolendo altered course to investigate, seeing an opportunity to engage in scientific research and grant the hard-working engineering crews some much needed respite.

Quinn and scientist Wilson studied the nebula with great interest, finding that the electromagnetic energy within the nebula was acting independently of natural reactions that could have caused it. The patterns seemed to be concentrated around pockets of electrically reactive gasses, and powerful discharges arced between them, causing the combustible elements around these pockets to explode. Because these discharges would prove dangerous to a probe, Quinn and Wilson opted to use a tachyon pulse from the deflector to map the energy patterns in the nebula.

Little did they know, they were about to cause chaos.

Electromagnetic lifeforms hitched a ride on the deflector dish directly into the ship's computer systems and took the ship hostage, isolating access to the primary systems and dispatching crew members that obstructed their activities. Commander Muri-Giaz was struck by a discharge from the warp core and left barely alive, while beta shift helm officer MacKenzie was killed by a surging helm console.

Using the computer to communicate, the aliens seemed to suggest that they were in a state of war, and intended to use the Amarante's deflector as a weapon. The aliens armed the self-destruct systems, forcing Captain Tolendo to comply with their demands, using an intensely powerful tachyon beam to scatter energy patterns the computer had singled out as targets. Once destroyed, the aliens left the ship the same way they came, ceasing the deflector beam and restoring control of the ship on their way out.

As the Amarante limped away, Captain Tolendo reflected on how helpless the ship's circumstances were, and the fact that the crew's first casualties were from someone else's war...

[StringTheorist]

 I think what makes this a great episode over a good episode for me is the sense of real consequences. When Voyager did plots with nebula life forms it was all about being a taxi (Haunting of Deck 12) or performing veterinarian services (The Cloud). Here, the only way out was to actively fight and possibly kill in a war because of scientific curiosity.


Furthermore, the comments made at the start by Muri-Giaz imply dwindling resources, an issue no doubt worsened by the damage taken during the episode. The consequences feel so much more real than similar episodes of Voyager with no moral conflict and a magic reset button returning the ship to day-one conditions and supplies (magic appearing torpedoes, shuttles, etc.). I predict mining for duranium in our future!


5/5

[Serris]

The most tragic thing about Scott missing this episode is that it only started five minutes late and ended three minutes before the end of our time slot. He would have been proud.

[Shoot]

Oh my God I loved the episode last night! Thanks for the scientific episode again! Solid 5!

[Scott Archer]

The most tragic thing about Scott missing this episode is that it only started five minutes late and ended three minutes before the end of our time slot. He would have been proud.

Sorry to have missed it sounded good!