“Cogenitor” is episode twenty-two of season two of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Enterprise is surveying a star in the process of going supernova. T’Pol estimates some time withing the next 100-200 years; the captain comments that it’s too bad they won’t be around. T’Pol says to speak for himself; she may well be. No Earth ship has been within ten lightyears of a hypergiant and the captain wonders if they can get closer. No; it’s too dangerous. But Reed detects another ship that is another 20,000 km further in.
T’Pol doesn’t recognise the ship and they hail it. The other ship is Vissian and their captain, Drennik, says he saw them alive and assumes they are there to study the hypergiant. He offers some technology that could be used to modify their sensors so they could do so better. Captain Archer is grateful, but doesn’t know what he could offer in return. How about a visit to his ship? Meeting new species is one of the Vissians’ primary goals.
Archer has dinner with Drennik, who talks about his ship’s technology; he is sure that humans’ technology will evolve to match. What’s important is that they are explorers. Drennik is going to take one of his ships stratopods deeper into the star and would be pleased if the captain joins him.
In the mess hall, Trip is showing two Vissian women how to eat sundaes when Reed comes over and asks to be introduced. Traistana, a xeonobiologist, and Veylo, the tactical officer. Reed was talking to the Vissian chief engineer and his wife and Trip goes over to say hello. There’s a third Vissian at the table. They aren’t introduced, and when Trip asks, he’s told it has no name and is their cogenitor. They’re hoping to have a baby.
The Vissian engineer invites Trip to see the engine room and suggests Trip be inoculated against omicron radiation. He speaks to Phlox how says not every species has two sexes. He’s willing to talk further, but Trip doesn’t want to know. Nor does he wish to see Phlox’s pictures. Phlox recommends he keep an open mind.
Archer and Drennik are heading into the star; Drennik quotes Shakespeare. Hoshi provided literature and it seems he’s already read Shakespeare. Trip is looking at the Vissian warp engine and asks about the cogenitor. The engineer and his wife are the only couple planning to have a child and its doubted anyone else will need it before they return home. It remains in their quarters and just eats and sleeps. Nor is it schooled.
The captain tells T’Pol he’s heading out again with Drennik on a three-day trip. T’Pol is in charge. He wants the Vissians to have some films. T’Pol heads to engineering and asks Trip to select some. Trip brings up the cogenitor; he’s not pleased with how it’s treated. T’Pol says it’s not their place to judge others’ customs and as for having human rights, Vissians aren’t human. The captain wants to develop relations, so she suggests Trip keep his opinions to himself.
Phlox agrees this is good advice. Trip wants to discover if the mental capacity of the cogenitor is the same as that of the other Vissians. Phlox agrees this can be done.
Reed had got Veylo a plate of fragrant cheese, as she said Earth food had a bland smell. She tries a couple, then feeds him a piece. Then comments that the smell of one piece is sensual. She’d like to see Reed’s tactical array. He says they have a saying; I show you mine if you show me yours. Yes, that conversation had two meanings.
The captain is in the stratopod getting on well with Drennik and Trip manages to get himself invited to dinner with the Vissian chief engineer and his wife. The food is blander than Trip expected; for Vissians, smell is more important than taste. He asks about the cogenitor, because he’s curious. The engineer tells his wife that humans are bigendered, so the wife heads to get it.
It turns out that the Vissian cogenitor, which Trip managed to scan, seems to have the same mental capacity as the males and females. So, Trip decides to do something about it. Captain Archer is having a fun time in the stratopod with Drennik, heading into the star; the two are getting on very well. Meanwhile, Trip is potentially making an utter mess of things back on Enterprise. There are reasons that the Prime Directive was created, and this may be one of them.