Trellium-D
|
|
Trellium-D is a fictional chemical substance from the Star Trek universe, introduced in the series Star Trek: Enterprise.
Trellium-D is very rare, however, another mineral called Trellium-A is more common. With the right equipment, it can be synthesized in a liquid state. However, unless the synthesizing procedures are followed exactly, Trellium-D is very explosive in the liquid state.
Even though it is volatile, Trellium-D was used in the mid-22nd century for starship insulation in the Delphic Expanse, as it offers protection against the region's spatial anomalies.
It has unusual properties on Vulcan physiology. In the episode "Impulse", Trellium-D was revealed to be the cause of severe psychotic effects in Vulcans, which led the crew of a Vulcan ship in the expanse to go insane and kill each other. Short-term exposure to the compound, which had been used by the Vulcan vessel as insulation, led to uncontrolled emotionalism on the part of Enterprise science officer, T'Pol, and Captain Jonathan Archer determined that it was too dangerous to use to protect his own vessel from the effects of the Expanse.
T'Pol suffered side-effects and flashbacks from her exposure to Trellium-D, but over the next few months found herself desiring to access more of the new emotions she experienced while under its influence. She secretly devised a way of liquifying small amounts of the compound which she injected directly into her bloodstream. The result was a level of increased emotions on her behalf, which initially were beneficial in her dealings with the crew. However it also caused her to experience intense negative emotions, such as jealousy. Prior to the attack on Enterprise seen in "Azati Prime", T'Pol's emotions appeared to get out of hand. She pleaded emotionally with Archer to stop him from going on a suicide mission. She also wept after his departure and entered an emotional tailspin that left her incapacitated as a commanding officer, although her crewmates were not aware of the extent of her problems. As a result, it could be argued that T'Pol's condition was in part responsible for the deaths of nearly two-dozen Enterprise crewmembers in the ensuing Xindi attack.
In "Damage", T'Pol's addiction to Trellium-D reached a breaking point when she nearly died trying to access some of the compound from a damaged part of the ship. She confessed her addiction to medical officer Dr. Phlox who treated her addiction and agreed not to reveal it to the captain.
Long-term exposure to Trellium-D is known to be damaging to Vulcan brains, and T'Pol's injecting of the chemical likewise caused permanent brain damage to her, to the extent where she is expected to have difficulty controlling her emotions for the rest of her life.