The Enterprise NX-01 embarks on its first assignment, to return a Klingon, Klaang, who had crash-landed on Earth, back to the Klingon Homeworld. During the journey, Klaang was kidnapped by the Suliban, a group of aliens who follow orders given to them by a shadowy figure from the distant future, in exchange for genetic enhancements. Determined to retrive Klaang, Capt. Jonathan Archer orders the Enterprise to proceed to Rigel X, which was Klaang's last stop before crashing on Earth.
On Rigel X, Archer meets another Suliban, Sarin, who tells him of a Temporal Cold War in which the Suliban were being used to incite internal strife within the Klingon Empire. Klaang was bringing proof of this back to the Klingon High Council in order to avoid the Empire from being thrown into chaos. Sarin later gets killed when Archer and his away team were attacked by enemy Suliban. The away team returns to the Enterprise safely, and eventually, Archer rescued Klaang from the Suliban Helix, and delivered Klaang to the Klingon Homeworld. The Klingon Chancellor draws blood from Klaang, and his scientists find within his DNA Suliban data proving their conspiracy to undermine the Empire. The Enterprise then proceeds on with its mission of exploration.
More details would be revealed in "Cold Front" (ENT), as well as in other future episodes.
While observing a protostar, the Enterprise is boarded by the Suliban warrior, Silik. Silik apparently saves the Enterprise from a warp core breach, acting under orders from the future guy. Meanwhile, Crewman Daniels, a member of the Enterprise crew, reveals to Archer that he is actually from the 31st century (900 years in the future, ie. 22nd century + 900 years = 31st century), and that he was sent back in time to track and stop Silik from altering history. Using a futuristic device, Daniels projected a holographic "temporal observatory" around Archer and himself, and explained about the Temporal Cold War to Archer.
Initially skeptical, Archer eventually agrees to help Daniels. However, Silik apparently kills Daniels, and would have stolen Daniels' futuristic device had Archer not destroyed it. Silik escapes through the Launch Bay doors, while Archer managed to save himself from being sucked into space. Archer then orders Daniels' quarters to be sealed off indefinitely, as a safeguard against any other unknown powerful and mysterious devices that may lie within.
In the future, time travel technology had been developed, but as it was dangerous to alter historical events, the races who had the technology agreed that such technology would only be used for research, as set forth in the Temporal Accord. But there are factions who ignore the Accord, including the Future Guy who gave out orders to the Suliban. This was the basis of the Temporal Cold War.
The Future Guy belong to a time before the 31st century, they could not physically manifest themselves in the past, but they could only partially materialise themselves to deliver instructions. By the 31st century, the technology had been perfected such that people like Daniels could manifest themselves physically when sent into different time periods.
Daniels works for an organization in the 31st century which makes sure that historical events are not interfered with. It is not known whether the organization refers to the Federation, but apparently it does not refer to Starfleet since Daniels explicitly stated that he was not a member of Starfleet. The organization believes that the 22nd century is a front in the Temporal Cold War, whatever happen during this time could affect millenia to come. This is quite logical, since it is possible that Starfleet's early missions could had inspired the formation of the Federation, an organization which would play a role in the galaxy in the following centuries.
Strangely enough, because of the Future Guy's interference, the Enterprise was prevented from being destroyed. It is unknown what caused the anti-matter cascade that Silik was sent to prevent. Perhaps the Enterprise remains as a pawn in the future guy's plans. Also, while it appears that Daniels get killed by Silik, he makes a return appearance in "Shockwave" (ENT). Obviously, Daniels managed to survive Silik's attack, perhaps he got transported out in the last possible moment, or that he had always existed only as a holographic projection.
Of interesting note is another of Daniels' futuristic device, a hand device that enabled one to phase through matter. Too bad it got sucked out into space. Also, Daniels mention to Archer of a group of anthropologists from 2769 (the 28th century) who were observing the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Wow...
The Enterprise visits a Paraagan colony, but when the shuttlepod enters into the planet's atmosphere, a massive explosion occurs, scorching the entire planet and destroying the colony. Initially, it was suspected that a leak from the shuttlepod's plasma vents might have ignited the volatile gas in the atmosphere. Starfleet cancels Enterprise's mission and orders the starship home. However, after Archer's encounter with the previously-thought killed Daniels, who reveal that the explosion at the Paraagan colony was not supposed to have happened, and that someone has altered the timeline, the crew investigates and discover that the explosion was caused by the Suliban.
While Archer seemed to have disappeared, the Suliban capture Enterprise and docked it to the Suliban Helix. The Enterprise crew are confined to quarters, while Silik tries to contact the Future Guy for instructions. However, Silik was unable to establish contact with him.
The evidence show that Enterprise was not responsible for the Paraagan tragedy, and Starfleet Command Council decides that Enterprise's mission will continue, despite Vuclan Ambassador Soval's recommendation to recall the Enterprise because of Enterprise's involvement in numerous armed conflicts during only its first year in space.
Archer's removal from the 22nd century had disastrous consequences for Earth, such that by the 31st century, Earth laid in ruins, and the Federation was never formed. Another effect of Archer's removal was that the library Archer and Daniels visited still had books by the time of Earth's devastation, Daniels initially thought that no information could be retrived since all data had been stored electronically, at least in Daniels' original future. From the looks of it, the library could well have been devastated as early as in the 22nd century!
Archer's removal also seem to have some effect on the Future Guy, such that Silik could no longer establish communications with him. Perhaps, along with the Enterprise continued existence, Archer is also another pawn in the Future Guy's plans.
At least for the Future Guy, he could only partially materialise to give instructions and not physically travel through time during the 2700s. A group of anthropologists from 2769 were oberving the construction of the Great Pyramids in Giza ("Cold Front" [ENT]), but we do not know whether they physically travelled back in time, or if they were merely observing from their own time. We know from "Future's End" (VOY) that by the 2800s, the Federation explored time using timeships, and by the 3000s, people could be directly sent into different time periods using time portals. Daniels even mentioned to Archer that he learnt how to send messages into the past in high school. No doubt by Daniels' time, time travel technology could be over 200 or 300 years old and is generally accepted. This is an interesting study into the evolution of time travel technology and its gradual acceptance by the Federation.
I can assume that, with Archer's return to the 22nd century, the 31st century will return to normal around Daniels. It was fortunate that when Archer was first removed, Daniels continued to exist although timeline has been altered. I suspect that the suit Daniels wore protected him from the changes in timeline.
One can imagine that the Paraagans are furious at the Suliban for the murder of 3600 colonists and the destruction of their colony, and the Paraagans may just as well declare war on the Suliban, unless the Paraagans so happen to be a pacifist society. Silik may well stand trial for his role in the massacre, unless he escapes from custody or gets released for some reason.
I mention this episode here because it may have something to do with ENT's time. In the 27th century (the 2600s), scientist Kal Dano invents the Tox Uthat, a quantum phase inhibitor with enormous weapons potential because of its ability to halt all nuclear reactions within a star. Two Vorgons criminals attempt to steal the Tox Uthat, so Dano travels back in time to the 22nd century, and he hides the device on planet Risa. The device remains there until unearthed by Vash in 2366, whereupon it is destroyed by Capt. Picard.
Unbelievable! Imagine the barrage of criticisms that would befall on B&B for reusing yet another plot, when it is not absolutely necessary or desired. Already there are criticisms for having the ENT crew visit Risa, when there was already a Wrigley's Pleasure Planet, first mentioned in "The Man Trap" (TOS).
Here's another episode which just as well may end up as another ENT story. A researcher from the 26th century (the 2500s) travels back in time, to New Jersey, Earth, in the 22nd century. There his time pod is stolen by an individual named Berlinghoff Rasmussen. Rasmussen uses the time pod to travel to 2368, where he attempted to steal 24th century technology and return to his time, and then grow wealthy by claiming to have "invented" these devices. The crew of the USS Enterprise-D learned of Rasmussen's scheme and detained him, and the time pod leaves the 24th century without Rasmussen. It is unknown whether the time pod returned to the 22nd century, or the 26th century.
It is not known whether the 26th century researcher is affiliated with the Federation, or if he is an independent researcher. This is significant as the time pod could represent another level of acceptance of time travel for research purposes by the Federation, even if it was a secret project. Already, in "Assignment: Earth" (TOS), the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 travelled back in time from 2268 to 1968 for a historical research mission. But by the 24th century, the Federation seemed to abhor time travel for being too dangerous.
The time pod could also indicate the level of time travel technology possessed by the Federation by the 2500s.
I sincerely hope that B&B will never pursue such a storyline. I even hope that Rick Berman had forgotten that he wrote the story for "A Matter of Time" (TNG), and that he had forgotten about the existence of this episode. It may just happen though, given B&B's annoying affinity for time travel stories. As if fans really get awed and amazed with each and any other time travel episodes thrown at them.
