Whoda thunk a Hoshi story could begin with such an exotic and exciting teaser? Exploring ancient ruins, an oncoming storm saturated with technobabble energy threatens her landing party and an emergency transporter evacuation leads to a few seconds of unpleasant transporter delusion. (Just a nitpick - I understand the need for a translator, but why post the engineer and not the science officer? "Tall guys are popular" - Trip's contribution to archeology.) In short: Anxious about being taken apart and then put together again, Hoshi has a real bad trip.

Noting that the tale is told exclusively from her perspective, the developing action plays as pure psychological exposure of a character we already know to be somewhat afraid. Her fears finally get the best of her as she fails to translate linguistic goop from the surface, is relieved from duty, and from there it only gets worse. After not being recognized in the corridors, and dealing with doors that don't respond, she altogether vanishes in the gym talking with Trip. (Trip is on Hoshi's mind alot it seems.) But in the end she's brave and clever in a pinch (the armpit SOS signal) and eager to prove herself.

Cast into a dreamlike story involving unintelligible bomb-planting aliens, this is how she views herself with respect to the crew. Some seem uninviting, stand-offish, even cliquish, despite Malcolm's amiable on-board greeting, "Welcome to the club". Stories swapped in the mess inflate her discomfort with the story of Cyrus Ramsey, an early transporter experimenter who "went nowhere" in an early test. Even leech-feeder Phlox jests with her as she frets about a moving birthmark (insecurity or vanity?). Archer gets a positive review - with compassion he follows up on her experience and offers her rest (as do Trip and Phlox). These must be the "good guys" to her mind. The scene in the Ready Room where Archer tries breaking the bad news to Sato-san was handled delicately.

So the second season hits continue with another strong performance plus all the fresh haircuts look great. In fact this would have made a great first season episode. The transporter is not an automobile or airplane - one would think that, with but five years from Ramsey to Sato, the century to McCoy will solve these problems. Thank you thank you! for not delivering some "Wink of an Eye" type ending. One last thing I like about this excellent episode: Like Carbon Creek, at the end it leaves you guessing a little. Was there ever really a Cyrus Ramsey?