Borderland (episode)

Archer needs the help of a criminal to prevent war with the Klingons. (Part 1 of 3)

Summary
While on patrol in the Borderland, an area of space between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey discovers a transport shuttle containing two Human bio-signs. While the two Humans are being escorted to the brig, they attack and murder the crew.

Back on Earth, Dr. Arik Soong sits in his prison cell, working on plans for improvements of the human genome. At that time, Jonathan Archer visits. After Soong reveals his sarcastic and pretentious personality, Archer tells Soong about the Bird-of-Prey. According to Archer, it was attacked by Augments whose DNA matched ones that Soong stole from a medical facility. Soong is removed from prison and is to work on board the repaired and refitted Enterprise to help locate the augments. Soong tells Archer to search the Borderland for the Bird-of-Prey.

On the Bird-of-Prey, a power struggle ensues when the augment leader Raakin scolds Malik for stealing the vessel. Malik takes great offense to this action and contemplates Raakin's future as their leader.

In Enterprise's sickbay, Phlox and Soong have a discussion about genetic engineering and the Augments. Phlox is not pleased about Soong's work and behavior.

After entering the Borderland on May 17, 2154, the Enterprise is attacked by two Orion interceptors. The Orions abduct nine of Enterprise's crewmembers, including Commander T'Pol and Ensign Jeffrey Pierce. The crewmembers are taken to Verex III to an Orion processing station where they are auctioned off as slaves. T'Pol is a high demand individual and is sold for a high price.

On the Bird-of-Prey, Malik is able to earn the respect of many of the Augments and spearheads a mutiny against Raakin. The mutiny leads to Raakin's death and command of the ship is handed to Malik. The female Augment Persis becomes Malik's partner after Raakin is killed.

Arriving at Verex III, the Enterprise is able to enter the auction due to an old command code used by Soong. Archer and Soong beam down and locate most of their crew. All prisoners are wearing neurolytic restraints, so Enterprise is not able to beam the crew back. When Pierce is up for auction, Archer buys him and bribes an Orion to deactivate his restraint. He is beamed back to the Enterprise where, upon removal from Pierce, the restraint is analyzed. A means to deactivate all the restraints is discovered and Archer returns to the auction, along with Soong. Archer is able to deactivate all restraints for the slaves and a riot ensues. The Enterprise crew is beamed back to the ship while Soong deactivates a transponder he received. Archer pursues Soong, activating his arm restraints. Soong uses this to get over a wall, but Archer catches him in the act. Archer deactivates the arm restraints and Soong falls from a support on the wall. They return to the Enterprise.

Locked in the brig, Soong pleads with Archer to just leave the Augments alone; they are the future of mankind. They're stronger, faster and live longer than the average human. Archer tells him they are dangerous and have to be stopped and proceeds to leave. Soong tries to insist that genetic engineering could have saved Archer's father, who was suffering from Clarke's Disease; those who had banned genetic engineering had condemned him to death. Yet the captain refuses to listen.

Resuming their search for the Bird-of-Prey, the Enterprise is, again, attacked by two Orion Interceptors claiming they stole Orion property. Enterprise is suffering damage until a Bird-of-Prey appears and chases off the Interceptors. Docking with Enterprise, they find out it is the Augments. In Archer's ready room, the Captain talks to Malik about returning to Earth, but Malik is hesitant. He warns Archer that he is going to hurt him, then a few moments later, he grabs Archer's neck threatening to kill him if Malcolm Reed or anybody else interferes. Malik, with Archer as a hostage, exits the ready room onto the bridge and then to the turbolift.

At the docking port, the other Augments hack into the door controls and storm the Enterprise's dock, stunning all guarding MACOs. They proceed to the brig and release Soong. At the docking port, Malik arrives with Archer in front of the rest of the augments and Soong. Malik leaves Archer and returns to the Bird-of-Prey with the others. The ship warps out with Enterprise unable to pursue due to damaged engines.

On the Bird-of-Prey, Soong takes command and tells the Augments that they are going to retrieve their "brothers and sisters."

Memorable Quotes
"Jonathan Archer. What brings you here? They naming the prison after you?"
 * - Dr. Arik Soong

"Dr. Phlox's reputation rivals my own – before I was imprisoned, of course. I'd enjoy trading notes with him."
 * - Dr. Soong, to Captain Archer

"Here we are again. Wouldn't have it any other way."
 * - Captain Archer, to his crew on the bridge of Enterprise as they prepare to leave drydock

"I didn't realize you shared Humanity's reactionary attitude towards this field of medicine."

"On the contrary, we've used genetic engineering on Denobula for over two centuries, to generally positive effect."

"But you don't approve of what I've done."

"You tried to redesign your species! The first time that was attempted on Earth the result was 30 million deaths."

"We can't let past mistakes hold us back."

"It's your responsibility as a scientist to learn from past mistakes."

"Now what makes you think I haven't?"

"I can read."


 * - Soong and Phlox

"It comes with everything but its own protein resequencer. For that, I'll need another day."
 * - Tucker, when Archer sees the redesigned captain's chair for the first time

"You don't like me very much, do you, Commander Tucker?"

"No, I don't."

"You probably blame me for what happened to your Vulcan friend."
 * - Soong and Tucker

"Your crew could use a sense of humor."
 * - Dr. Soong, to Captain Archer

"You're doing well. Oh, three million six – not even my last wife sold for that much!"
 * - The Orion Slaver, to T'Pol

"If you don't sell as a slave, I will sell you as food."
 * - The Orion Slaver, this time to Ensign Pierce

"What kind of people are these?"

"I'd say they're not unlike some of your ancestors, judging from your accent."

"Well if I remember my history these Augments you love so much had plenty of slaves."

"They were more like subjects."

"Ah... they were just treated like slaves."
 * - Tucker and Arik Soong

"You've got spirit. I might just keep you for myself."
 * - The Orion Slaver, apprehending T'Pol

"I'm not for sale."
 * - T'Pol's retort, after freeing herself by kicking him in the crotch

"To quote one of your philosophers, Nietzsche: 'Mankind is something to be surpassed.' "
 * - Malik, to Archer

"It's been a pleasure, Captain. Take my advice: go home and start learning how to speak Klingon."
 * - Soong, to Captain Archer, as he leaves Enterprise with his newly-found family

Background Information

 * J.G. Hertzler makes his last Star Trek appearance here as the Klingon captain. At this point, he had been a Star Trek guest star for twelve years ( was filmed in ), with his best-known character being General/Chancellor Martok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
 * One of the aliens seen in T'Pol's cell is of the same race as Tarquin.
 * The man who buys T'Pol at the slave auction is a Tellarite.
 * Big Show is the second WWE wrestler to guest star on Star Trek: Enterprise, and the third to appear on Star Trek overall. (The Rock guest starred in and Tommy "Tiny" Lister, Jr. guest starred as Klaang in .)
 * Several new changes have been made to the Enterprise sets, including a new captain's chair, redesigned transporter pad, new door frames for sickbay, all hatches changed from dark gray to metallic blue, and several light panels and blue carpeting in the bridge set.
 * This is the first episode since the third season installment that Enterprise appears without severe damage to its hull and interiors.
 * The new captain's chair is a reuse of Picard's new chair seen in a deleted scene in . In the episode, Tucker warns Archer not to press a certain button on the chair's left armrest. This was apparently a reference to the button that Picard pressed to activate the chair's seatbelts. The chair was also seen on the Starfleet vessel Intrepid in.
 * While Brent Spiner had played several characters other than Data to this point, this was his first Star Trek appearance in which he did not also play Data. Nevertheless, Spiner here continues the tradition begun in and  of playing characters that might be thought of as part of Data's family. Consequently, this is Spiner's first Star Trek appearance without Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) and Jonathan Frakes (Commander/Captain William T. Riker).
 * This is the first episode since in which the Xindi are neither seen nor mentioned. However, several references are made to the events of.
 * This episode received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Stunt Coordination by Vince Deadrick, Jr.
 * Among the costumes and props from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay was an Orion PADD and two neurolytic restraint props.
 * Phlox's comment to Soong about the deaths of millions of Humans as a result of genetic engineering is a reference to the Eugenics Wars and Khan Noonien Singh. The Eugenics Wars and the final fate of Khan (as of 2154, at least) are further discussed in The Augments, the third episode in the storyarc.
 * This episode confirms MACOs are still stationed on Enterprise, even though the Xindi mission has ended. This will remain so for the duration of the season/series.

Starring

 * Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
 * John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
 * Jolene Blalock as Subcommander T'Pol
 * Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
 * Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
 * Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
 * Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest Stars

 * Alec Newman as Malik
 * Abby Brammell as Persis
 * Joel West as Raakin
 * Big Show as Orion Slaver #1
 * Dave Power as Jeffrey Pierce
 * J.G. Hertzler as the Klingon captain
 * Dayo Ade as the Klingon weapons officer

Special Guest Star

 * Brent Spiner as Arik Soong

Co-Stars

 * Gary Kasper as Orion Slaver #2
 * Bobbi Sue Luther as an Orion Slave Woman
 * Thom Williams as Klingon Soldier #1

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Troy Brenna as Klingon soldier #5
 * Fernando Chien as Saul
 * Jason Collins as R. Ryan
 * Shawn Crowder as a MACO
 * Vince Deadrick as Alien slave trader #1
 * Vince Deadrick, Jr. as Alien slave trader #2
 * Kevin Derr as Kelly
 * Thomas DuPont as a slave
 * Max Freeman as a Boslic slave trader
 * Yoshio Iizuka as V. Brown
 * David LeBell as Klingon soldier #6
 * Ricky Lomax as W. Woods
 * Andrew MacBeth as E. Hamboyan
 * David Mattey as Orion guard #1
 * Tom McComas
 * Derek Mears as Orion guard #5
 * Angela Meryl as an Augment
 * Tom Morga as Klingon soldier #2
 * Dorenda Moore as S. Money
 * Trey Murphy as an Augment
 * Jack Nolan as R. Azar
 * Ron Sarchian as Klingon soldier #4
 * Scott L. Schwartz as Orion guard #2
 * Tim Sitarz as Orion guard #4
 * Paul Sklar as R. Richards
 * Pablo Soriano as Tellarite slave trader
 * Monika Spruch as a science division crewman
 * Scott Workman as
 * Klingon soldier #3
 * Orion guard #3
 * Dan Walters as an Alien slave
 * Nina Xining Zuo as an alien slave
 * Unknown performers as
 * Earth Starfleet brig guard
 * Augment #1
 * Augment #3
 * Jaya
 * MACO
 * MACO
 * Tarquin's species slave
 * Slave traders

Stunt doubles

 * Shawn Crowder as stunt double for Dave Power
 * Christopher Leps as stunt double for Alec Newman
 * Brian J. Williams as stunt double for Brent Spiner