“Exile” is episode six of season three of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Hoshi is in her quarters when she hears someone call her name and asks if she can understand him. And see him. There’s a man in her room. She calls security, but he’s gone.
The captain finds T’Pol in the command centre. She’s plotted the locations of the spatial anomalies they’ve encountered, and those encountered by the Xindi ship. It seems random, but T’Pol did a vector analysis of the gravimetric waves from the sphere they encountered. The interference patterns implied another wave source. A second sphere. Where the waves intersect is where the anomalies are. The sphere is less than 4 lightyears away and precise measurements would mean they could start predicting the locations of the anomalies.
On the bridge, Reed has found no sign of Hoshi’s intruder. He suggests that maybe it’s a reaction to the stress. Yes, technically paranoia. Hoshi is sure she saw something, though. Reed will keep an eye out. Hoshi’s next stop is sickbay; Phlox can find nothing wrong. She explains she has the strangest feeling of being watched, a whispering. Has she been exposed to something that could make her hallucinate? There’s no evidence of that. Phlox says on Denobula, hallucinating because of stress is considered healthy. He wishes he could.
T’Pol has asked Hoshi to translate part of the Xindi database. Hoshi is working in the command centre when she hears someone and a planet appears on every screen. The voice says that’s where he is. Hoshi contacts Reed. The voice says not to be afraid and Hoshi’s face appears on every screen. The voice says he’s nowhere near their ship and he can help them find what they’re looking for. Hoshi starts to run and is suddenly elsewhere, a building built into a mountain. Then Reed grabs her.
In sickbay, Hoshi says she’s not imagining it. The captain wants her under observation and increased security. Once the captain and Reed have gone, Hoshi is talking to Phlox about what she experienced. It was like the other was inside her head. Phlox says he’s been with her for several days. His telepathy only works in rare instances and she’s the first mind he’s encountered in years. Phlox is the alien and he says he’s only 3 lightyears away. He wants to talk about their mission. Hoshi finds the captain and tells him the alien thinks he can help them find the Xindi, but he wants to talk in person. The captain orders a new course.
Captain Archer, Reed and Hoshi take a shuttlepod down to the building in the mountain. The alien looked human in Hoshi’s mind; he is not. His name is Tarquin and he chose a form she would be familiar with. He may be able to find the Xindi weapon, but needs an object associated with the Xindi. Objects become imprinted by the people who use them. He’d also like Hoshi to stay whilst he’s working; it will take a few days.
On the ship, Hoshi is willing but the captain is more uncertain. Reed says they could stay in orbit for a few days but Hoshi says they no longer have the luxury of doing one thing at a time. It’s worth the risk. The captain and Hoshi head back down with a piece of the Xindi weapon, then the captain leaves her with Tarquin.
Tarquin knows a lot about Hoshi and she wants to know about him. His homeworld is about 30 lightyears away. A wonderful place to live – if you’re not born telepathic. It’s very rare and telepaths are considered a threat to the others. They’re exiled to places like this. Hoshi should feel free to wander, but stay inside. The winds can be treacherous.
Enterprise has meanwhile broken orbit and is headed to the location of the second sphere. This is not an easy journey. Hoshi is by herself with an alien who, whilst pleasant enough, does have an ulterior motive.