“Divergence” is episode sixteen of season four of Star Trek: Enterprise.
In the previous episode, “Affliction”, Enterprise‘s engine had been tampered with by the Klingon boarders. Captain Archer is heading to see Reed in the brig. He explains in 47 minutes there will be a reactor breach and if they go below warp 5 the reactor will explode. Trip can fix it and is heading to meet them on Columbia. Reed knows that Trip needs to come aboard to do so, and they can’t use the transporter at warp. Trip told the captain that Reed had experience transferring personnel at warp speed. In training exercises, yes, but that was at warp 1 after weeks of rehearsal in simulations. However, they need to do it. The ships will need to be 50m apart.
Trip is suited up on Columbia and Reed is also suited up on Enterprise, both open to space. The ships rotate belly to belly and the warp fields merge. Reed shoots a tether across to Columbia and Trip starts to cross. He manages to get all the way over just before the tether is ripped out of Enterprise. Two MACOs are waiting for Reed; he tells he will explain to Reed later.
In engineering, Trip explains to T’Pol that they are going to cold start the reactor inside the warp field of Columbia and purge the Klingon subroutines that are causing the problem. A shutdown and restart, all within two minutes. Columbia extends her warp field around Enterprise as Enterprise shuts down the warp engine. Trip and T’Pol restart the warp engine just in time.
Antaak find a damaged Phlox in a cell; he apologises for how General K’Vagh treated him. Antaak’s people need Phlox; they have no healers with his level of ability. Phlox will not create Klingon Augments. Antaak explains that he reviewed Phlox’s work; Phlox has discovered a weakness in the virus causing the plague. They will be able to stop it after appearance has been changed, but before anything like enhanced strength, speed and endurance. Phlox says K’Vagh will never allow it, as he won’t get his Augments. Antaak says they won’t tell him. He understands what will happen if K’Vagh discovers he was deceived, but the cure will save millions of lives. What more honourable death could there be for a healer, Klingon or Denobulan?
Reed is escorted to see Captain Archer. Archer has been going through Reed’s personal files; T’Pol has recovered everything Reed tried to erase. He wants to know about the person that Reed dealt with. Archer has had his face and voiceprint run. They know his name is Harris and he worked for Starfleet Security up to five years ago. Then the file ends. Reed explains he’s under orders. Even if Archer is his commanding officer. The captain says he will go to Starfleet, and whatever Reed is hiding will come out. Reed can’t tell the captain what he doesn’t know. Archer wants to speak to someone who can. Send a message to Harris.
Phlox is talking to Antaak, about families and houses. Antaak is warrior caste and his father disowned him when he became a healer. And that it’s his fault this plague is happening and Phlox is here; Antaak failed to screen his subjects properly. The Klingon Augments are reporting to K’Vagh. He’s told that Enterprise has been destroyed and Starfleet will think it was the engines. K’Vagh asks where the missing one is. He’s told his son was too slow and the humans killed him. K’Vagh asks if his son died with honour. He’s told his son let the humans killed him. The Augments don’t appear to fully respect the general any longer.
K’Vagh heads to see the doctors for an update, and is told of the progress. He contacts an admiral who says the High Council has shut down the project and will sterilise the colony. K’Vagh says all the research will be lost if that is done. He’s told the fleet arrives in three days; if K’Vagh is successful by then, the colony will be spared.
With Trip on Enterprise, T’Pol speaks to him. In a roundabout way, about him appearing in her meditation, without actually saying that. Neither tells the truth.
Columbia is accompanying Enterprise as they search for Phlox. Harris has been making deals with the Klingons, to benefit both. Qu’vat colony is going to be scorched down to the bedrock unless a cure is found in time. The episode mentions something that cropped up in DS9 and explains why the Klingons in TOS looked different.