The crew stops at a research outpost in the Neutral Zone for supplies, not realizing that the Federation isn't the only party interested in their ship.
Tropes:
- All Your Powers Combined: Thanks to the dermal implant, Dal briefly gains access to every trait of the species in his genetic makeup. This includes telepathy (Vulcans) and strength (Klingons), in addition to more benign physical changes like Andorian antennae.
- An Aesop: "Science rules, but science needs rules."
- Bait-and-Switch: Dr. Jago initially seems interested in Murf, only to then move past him to admire Dal.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: Gwyn assures Dal that he'll never be as good as Okona, because he's already better than him for sticking by them while Okona cut and ran when things got tough.
- Boarding Party: Tal Shiar operatives sneak onto the Protostar, disabling Janeway, Jankom, and Zero. Since they can't unlock the controls, they have to travel planetside to find the captain.
- Call-Back: Okona tells the kids about his first appearance and how he helped two Star-Crossed Lovers get together.
- The Cameo: Admiral Jellico appears to deny Janeway's request to pursue the Protostar into the Neutral Zone, and orders her to destroy the ship should it appear that the Romulans will seize her.
- Continuity Nod:
- Dr. Jago identifies Dal's creators as protégés of Dr. Arik Soong, the geneticist Soong ancestor introduced in season 4 of Star Trek: Enterprise. Dal's base DNA source comes from a Human Augment, Arik having stolen a number of them when he went rogue.
- Among the species in Dal's genetic makeup is proto-Organian, implicitly the still-corporeal ancestors of the Energy Being Organians from "Errand of Mercy".
- Jellico's promotion to Admiral was previously mentioned in "Grounded" in a news ticker.
- The Tal Shiar hit squad is similar to how they appeared in Star Trek: Picard both in appearance and weaponry.
- Damage Control: Zero and Jankom are trying to repair the damaged third nacelle after the Dauntless torpedoed it last episode.
- Godzilla Threshold: Asencia abandons her gentle approach with the Diviner and forcibly snaps him out of his amnesia using Drednok, as Janeway has demonstrated a willingness to destroy the Protostar should it become necessary and she is just as vested in its survival as he is.
- Gone Horribly Right: Dr. Jago's implant is able to activate recessive DNA traits. When Dal pushes it to maximum, it does exactly that. All 26 of them. The mutations quickly grow out of hand.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Dal is jealous of Okona for being sure of himself, while Dal still doesn't know what he is or what to do next.
- Imagine Spot: In the opening, Dal imagines Okona accidentally flushing himself out an airlock.
- Juggling Loaded Guns: In the opening, Rok is attempting to catch Murf as he walks around with a phaser in each hand, firing wildly as he stumbles about.
- LEGO Genetics: Dal is the product of the recessive traits of 26 different species layered on top of Human Augment DNA to create a unique specimen.
- No MacGuffin, No Winner: Admiral Jellico orders the Protostar destroyed if there's a risk that the Romulans will seize her technology.
- No Ontological Inertia: Downplayed. Dr. Jago's implant causes the recessive traits in Dal's DNA to activate all at once, and stimulates cell growth to manifest those traits. When the implant is removed, the physical changes remain, but Zero is able to easily reverse Dal's appearance back to standard.
- The Reveal:
- Dal is an engineered lifeform, the result of baseline Human Augment DNA mixed with 26 other species to create a unique lifeform. Those who created him were protégés of Dr. Arik Soong, the geneticist.
- Ensign Asencia is another Vau N'Akat like the Diviner who was also sent back in time to find the Protostar.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Okona heads for the hills as soon as Dal makes it clear Okona isn't the captain. Both Gwyn and Rok are annoyed by his lack of loyalty.
- Space Elevator: Noble Isle is a research outpost on a planet with heavy ion storms, necessitating a space elevator be used to travel through the atmosphere, which blocks all other forms of travel. It becomes the scene of a firefight with the Tal Shiar as the crew attempt to escape back to the Protostar.
- There Is Another: The Diviner, previously thought to be the last of his kind (from the future, at least), learns that he wasn't the only one sent back when Asencia reveals herself to be Vau N'Akat and even has her own Drednok.
- Thrown Out the Airlock: Dal imagines Okona accidentally opening an airlock and flushing himself into space when he leans on a panel while flirting with Gwyn.
- Too Good to Be True:
- Holo Janeway warns Dal that "cutting-edge research" is synonymous with "unregulated", and anything promised by said research is probably too good to be true. Unfortunately, Dal has to learn that lesson the hard way.
- Rok declares this about Okona when he leaves the group alone with the Tal Shiar.
- Took a Level in Badass: Murf is able to mop the floor with three Tal Shiar operatives thanks to his stretchy, slippery body letting him attack with surprising speed. Gwyn crowns him the new security officer.
- The Un-Reveal: Though we now know what Dal is, it doesn't entirely explain why Starfleet has such a vested interest in his existence. The only immediate possibility is that he is a violation of their No Transhumanism Allowed policy, which his very nature violates on several levels.note There's also no explanation for why someone would create such a complex hybrid, when the product is, by all appearances, a unique but otherwise fairly mundane humanoid. However, if Dal actually had the capabilities of every species in his genetic makeup, Starfleet would no doubt take issue with an unknown party essentially breeding Super Soldiers.
- Wham Shot: When the Protostar escapes once more, Asencia goes to the Diviner's quarters and orders Drednok to activate, at which point it's revealed he's been disguised as the table. She then activates an implant on her neck, and shifts from Trill to Vau N'Akat, revealing the Diviner wasn't the only one sent back.
"You weren't the only one sent back to find the ship."
