- After a bombing destroyed the Earth embassy on Vulcan, a group known as the Syrrannites are suspected. T'Pol receives a map from her Syrrannite mother, leading into a dangerous desert, the Forge.
- Admiral Maxwell Forrest is having a discussion with ambassador Soval in the Earth embassy on Vulcan about joint-fleet operations. Then a bomb explodes, killing 43 people including Forrest. The Vulcans suggest Syrrannites, a group that has a different interpretation of the teachings of philosopher Surak, may be responsible and evidence supports that theory. DNA of a certain T'Pau is found on a bomb, a well known Syrrannite. The Vulcan chief investigator Stel however demands that Vulcan takes the matter entirely into its own hands. T'Pol gets an unexpected visit from her husband Koss, bringing an artifact from her mother. She is a Syrrannite and is hiding. The artifact shows a map that leads into a dangerous desert known as The Forge, following the same route Surak once did 1800 years ago.—Arnoud Tiele (imdb@tiele.nl)
- At the Earth Embassy in Vulcan, Admiral Maxwell Forrest and Ambassador Soval are discussing the technical cooperation between their people when there is an explosion killing thirty-one Earthlings including Forrest and twelve Vulcans. Captain Archer is assigned to investigate the attack and the Vulcan chief investigator Stel suggests the Andorians or the dissident Syranites could be responsible for the attempt, with the support of the Administrator V'Las. Lt. Reed and Ensign Mayweather discover in the debris a hidden bomb that has not exploded with the DNA of the Syranite T'Pau. Meanwhile T'Pol's husband Koss gives her an ancient object originally from her mother. T'Pol finds a map with the location where her mother and the Syranites are hidden in the desert - the Forge, a place where technology does not work. Archer and T'Pol head to The Forge to seek out T'Pau. Meanwhile Dr. Phlox discovers that the DNA in the bomb has been manipulated and Ambassador Soval is convinced by Commander Tucker to perform the forbidden mind melting with a survivor to disclose the surprising truth.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Enterprise is ordered to Vulcan after 12 Vulcans and 31 humans die in the bombing of the United Earth Embassy, including Vice-Admiral Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong) (who was on Vulcan to discuss joint missions with Starfleet), who is killed saving the life of Ambassador Soval (Gary Graham). Soval always told Forrest that Vulcans are afraid of humans and they remind Vulcans of themselves, before they had evolved. But this evolution took 1500 years before Vulcans traveled to the stars and humans did that in 100 yrs.
Captain Archer meets with the head of the Vulcan High Command, Administrator V'Las (Robert Foxworth), who concedes that the Syrrannites, a Vulcan faction, might have been responsible. This is possible since, although they claim peaceful tenets, they follow a "corrupted" form of the teachings of the Vulcan philosopher and father of Vulcan logic, Surak. Further, initial video and DNA evidence lead to a Vulcan named T'Pau, a known Syrrannite (who are gaining reputation of leading attacks against non-Vulcans on their planet). But now this is a Vulcan matter and Stel (The Chief Investigator), locks Archer out of any further part in the investigations. Soval encourages Archer not to give up and continue his efforts.
Koss (Michael Reilly Burke) arrives on board Enterprise to speak to his wife, T'Pol. He gives her an IDIC pendant from her mother, who he explains is also a Syrrannite and has gone into hiding to avoid arrest by the Vulcan authorities. The pendant projects a map showing a path across a desert on Vulcan called "the Forge", which Archer believes will lead them to both T'Pau and T'Pol's mother. T'Pol and Archer leave the ship and begin to make the crossing, following the map. They soon encounter another traveler, calling himself Arev (Michael Nouri), who assists, but remains distrustful of them. A sand-fire storm kills Arev, but before he dies, he forcefully performs a mind meld with Archer to transfer his Katra (The essence of the Vulcan mind). Arev used to say that Surak died in the forge and transferred his Katra to a Syrrannite before dying. So anyone who mind-melds with a Syrrannite may touch Surak's mind. After burying him, a focused Archer leads T'Pol directly to the concealed T'Karath Sanctuary, where they are quickly captured.
Back on Enterprise, Doctor Phlox discovers that the DNA was planted. The planters used T'Pau's DNA from back when she was a kid (Vulcans have mandatory DNA testing and sampling at birth). Commander Tucker and he then examine security scans near a checkpoint in the embassy and single out a hooded man holding a suspicious package. Furthermore, they notice that the guard at the checkpoint seems to already know who the bomber is. Unfortunately, the guard is in a coma from the blast, and Archer and T'Pol are incommunicado (The Forge has a strong electrical phenomenon all around it, which means no communicators, and no weapons work inside it).
Though it violates standard Vulcan ethics, Phlox and Tucker consider a mind meld with the comatose patient (to access his memories), and Soval decides to perform it himself. To his surprise, he discovers that the suspect is Stel (Larc Spies), a Vulcan investigator attached to V'Las. Soval then resolves to inform the High Command.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content