Synopsis: Ensign Sato tries to communicate with an alien that has boarded the Enterprise through an airlock and captured several crew members.
This episode can be seen as illustrations of diverse ways to communicate and miscommunicate, which can be compared to the differences between the Logos-driven rational conscious ego and the Eros-driven irrational unconscious.
“Vox Sola” begins with one group of visiting aliens, the Kreetassans, leaving Enterprise in a hurry after they have been offended. When their vessel detaches from Enterprise, another alien enters the airlock. Communications Officer Ensign Hoshi Sato thinks she hears something, but dismisses this feeling, due to her inability to understand what insulted the Kreetassans. The unknown alien then positions itself in a cargo bay and proceeds to engulf members of the crew, including Captain Archer. Lt. Malcolm Reed wants to create a weapon to destroy it, but Dr. Phlox will not allow him to torture a specimen of the creature to do so. Sato believes that the alien is intelligent and tells Sub-Commander T’Pol that it can be communicated with. Sato believes it communicates through higher mathematics and asks for T’Pol’s assistance. Meanwhile, Ensign Travis Mayweather located the Kreetassan vessel and asks them if they have had any dealings with the alien. They know the location of its homeworld but will only give Mayweather its coordinates if he apologizes. He does. Meanwhile, Reed has been able to devise an energy field, which will protect Sato when she tries to communicate with the alien. The alien gives her specific coordinates of its home and then releases the crew members. Sato, T’Pol, Reed, and Phlox take the alien to the coordinates it gave Sato and discover that the entire community is one entity.
In this episode, there are several examples of different ways of communicating and misunderstanding between species. At the very beginning, Sato cannot understand how the Kreetassans were offended. She also believes that T’Pol blames her for the misunderstanding. When the alien first arrives on Enterprise both Sato and Archer’s dog Porthos hear it but cannot understand its meaning. To try to make its needs known, the alien takes crew members into itself. In response Reed, the armory officer, cannot understand why Phlox, the physician, will not allow him to run tests on a specimen collected from the alien. Phlox cannot understand how Reed would believe torturing an alien is ever acceptable. But then something happens. Reed accepts Phlox’s offer of help if he does not harm the alien. Sato and T’Pol clear the air when T’Pol explains to Sato that she holds her up to a high standard because of her great skills. Sato then asks her for help with higher mathematics. Mayweather contacts the Kreetassan vessel and apologizes for the unintended offense. Sato is then able to communicate with the alien to tell it that the crew is bringing it home, and the alien releases the crew members. The resolution to the situation the Enterprise crew finds itself in can be compared to what happens when the conscious ego acknowledges that there are different aspects of the psyche that it has no control over, and then begins integrating bits of unconscious material into itself, which makes the ego stronger and the psyche more whole.
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