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An arctic research team on Earth
discovers debris from an alien vessel, nearly a century old,
buried in a glacier along with the bodies of two cybernetically
enhanced humanoids. Once those beings are thawed for
investigation, they come to life and abduct the scientists and
their transport vessel.
After visiting the research
site, Admiral Forrest calls in Enterprise to find the transport.
On the way, the crew receives a distress call from a Tarkalean
freighter, which is under attack from an unknown species. Once
they track down the freighter, the crew notes that it is being
attacked by a modified version of the arctic transport.
Enterprise fends off the transport and brings the two Tarkalean
survivors onboard. Phlox notes that they should live, but that
nanoprobes from this cybernetic species have infiltrated their
systems. They are being transformed into a cybernetic hybrid,
and the formerly human researchers are most likely going through
a similar transformation. Phlox is attempting to come up with
something that will slow the nanoprobes' progress. Though Phlox
doesn't believes these beings are a danger to the crew, Archer
orders Reed to post a guard in Sickbay.
As Enterprise continues to search for the transport, Archer
realizes that there's something familiar about this incident. He
points to a speech Zefram Cochrane made years ago, wherein
Cochrane referred to "cybernetic creatures from the future."
T'Pol is skeptical of Cochrane's comments, but Archer remains
troubled — Cochrane said that the creatures' ultimate goal was
to "enslave the human race."
Back in Sickbay, Phlox is attacked by one of the cybernetic
beings, who injects him with some strange tubules. The two
altered Tarkaleans also attack the security guard and escape.
When Phlox comes to, he realizes that he's been infected with
nanoprobes. While he works furiously to figure out a treatment,
Archer orders Reed and his security contingent to scour the ship
for the altered Tarkaleans. As they search, the beings manage to
modify most of Enterprise's primary systems. When Reed finally
tracks them down, phase-pistols seem to have no effect on them —
in fact, they're able to adapt very quickly and shield
themselves from weapons fire. Desperate, Archer is forced to
seal the modified Tarkaleans off from the rest of the ship and
eject them into space.
Soon, Enterprise manages to locate the transport and sets out
after it. While Trip and Reed prepare for the inevitable
encounter with the strange beings, Archer and T'Pol wonder if
they'll be able to save the now-altered humans aboard the
transport. Meanwhile, Phlox has figured out a way to reverse his
transformation — he will need to subject himself to an intense
dose of radiation. If the procedure should fail, he warns
Archer, the captain will have to end Phlox's life.
The crew finally tracks down the altered transport, which has
increased in size. The transport targets the modified systems on
Enterprise, effectively shutting the ship down. An incoming
transmission informs the crew that they will be assimilated —
resistance is futile. But Archer isn't ready to give up just
yet. He and Reed transport over to the ship, determined to shut
it down. While there, they encounter the now-altered arctic
researchers, as well as other cybernetic lifeforms that used to
be human. Reed and Archer head for the ship's EPS manifold,
fighting off these lifeforms all the way. They manage to attach
several charges to the manifold, then transport back to
Enterprise. Once they do, the charges explode, ripping through
the vessel. Still, Reed notes that the systems on the transport
are quickly restoring themselves. With Enterprise's weapons
coming back on-line, Archer orders Reed to target the
transport's warp core. Enterprise fires, and the transport
explodes.
Meanwhile, Phlox has managed to cure himself using the
radiation. His experience has left him somewhat unsettled,
however. He tells Archer and T'Pol that while he was infected,
he seemed to have a connection with the rest of the aliens, as
if he was part of a collective consciousness. They seemed to be
trying to send some sort of message. As Archer later deduces,
the message was actually a set of coordinates — the creatures
were telling their homeworld how to find Earth. Though the
danger seems to have passed for the time being, Archer worries
that he's only postponed the inevitable invasion...
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