Lwaxana Syndrome
Crew members on a Starfleet Vessel risk dangerous assignments on a daily basis. It is what they signed up for and is an accepted part of the job. But what the Academy didn’t prepare young officers for was the chance of constant parental interference. One need only ask Deanna Troi about that. In this case, it is the Cerritos Chief Engineer Lt. Commander Andy Billups who has to deal with this phenomena, known in some circles as Lwaxana Syndrome.
But Billups situation is somewhat different. He is the son of the Queen Paolana of Hysperia. When choosing Starfleet, he abdicated his Royal position as heir. However, if he were to engage in sexual activities, by Hysperian Law, he would be forced to assume his place as King. Because of that, his Mother has made it her goal to trick Billups into slipping up and to lose his virginity. Which is why Billups is constantly on guard when around his Mother.
Lord Agimus
Meanwhile, the Cerritos also had an assignment. The removal of an evil super-computer known as Lord Agimus (Jeffery Combs). He had caused a 100 year war between to alien factions with his manipulations. But thanks to Captain Freeman and the Cerritos, the aliens had realized the situation and agreed to a secession of hostilities. The Cerritos would now transport Agimus to the Daystrum Institute. The home of all out of control A.I’s. Pretty sure, if Landru, Nomad or the M5 unit had survived, they would be at the Daystrum institute. Which would be ironic since the M5 was created by Dr. Richard Daystrum. Until they BOTH were found with a screw loose. But I digress.
The job of transporting the talkative computer was assigned to Mariner and Boimler. Actually, it was originally assigned to just Mariner, until Boimler’s assignment was mysteriously changed. He was originally supposed to go to the planet Dansk to assist with corralling giant centipedes. Boimler knew that this assignment would look good on his record. But for some reason, he was now going with Mariner to deliver Agimus. Why the switch? More on that later.
Rutherford’s Opportunity
Back with Billups, his Mother claims that her ships engines are in need of repair and only he can fix them. Finally, a chance to prove to his Mother that he is doing the job he was meant to do. He requests Rutherford to accompany him. Afterwards, Rutherford expresses his doubts to Tendi on whether he is the right man for this assignment. She assures him that he is as capable as any crewman in engineering and can handle the job. He just needs to step outside his comfort zone.
Crash Landing
Mariner and Boimler are on a Shuttlecraft on the way to Daystrum. Boimler is still a bit bummed that he missed out on the Centipede mission. But Mariner assures him he isn’t missing anything. Once they deliver Agimus, they can stop off for something to eat. However, before they can finalize their plans, they hit a gravity well and lose control of the Shuttlecraft. Unable to recover, they crash on an alien world with a desert like terrain. And judging by the other derelicts in the sand, they were not the first ship to crash there. Fortunately, neither Boimler or Mariner were seriously injured other than Mariner’s fractured arm. But it was nothing that Mariner couldn’t pop back into place, as cringe worthy as that was for Boimler.
As bad as things seemed, at least the food replicator was still in tact. If you had a hankering for black licorice. Plus they still had Agimus, the manipulative Evil Computer on board the shuttle. He claimed that if they were just to hook him up to the shuttle’s main computer, he would send out a distress signal and save them all. This coming from the brains behind a 100 year war! No wonder Mariner and Boimler were under strict orders not to engage with Agimus…as tempting as it might be.
Problems with the Dragon’s Blood Flame
Back on the Monaveen, Billups and Rutherford enter the ship and begin to diagnose the problem with the ships Dragon’s Blood Flame…or as Federation Engineers refer to it, the primary fusion reactor. Rutherford scans the engine and reports that the subspace field matrix SHOULD be online, but it wasn’t. Billup’s Mother questions if he can handle the ships problem. Nonsense! Billups decides that a full diagnostic will be required, ignoring his Mother’s female guard’s sexual innuendos, they have a job to do.
Agimus the Antagonist
As for Mariner and Boimler, they have nothing to do but wait and shelter from the planet’s heat…and listen to Agimus drone on. Still trying to convince either Boimler or Mariner to connect him the shuttles computers. If they do, he can whip up a sonic shower for them. Wouldn’t that feel marvelous after baking in the heat? But before they can even contemplate such a thing, one of the planet’s predators arrive. When their weapons prove useless, the gather up Agimus and seek shelter inside the shuttle. Unfortunately, leaving their food rations outside for the creature to consume. Not to worry declares Agimus, Mariner could stand to lose a few pounds anyway. He’s just lucky she isn’t 100% or he would be suffering from major boot upside his linear chips. However, the distraction allowed him to briefly hook up to her tablet, learning all about Boimler.
The Search for Water
The next morning, Mariner is feeling especially parched, so she once again tries her luck with the food replicator. She is rewarded with a cool, refreshing piece of black licorice. Of course, Agimus once again assures them he can fix the replicator. Just think of it. Cool, clear water. Perhaps with a twist of lime. All they need to do is put him near the computer. Mariner tells him to shut up. But Agimus was right, they did need to find some water…or something close to it. Boimler contemplates their situation. There’s life on the planet. Where there’s life, there’s water. Agimus recommends that THEY go looking for the water while he stays and protects the ship. Just leave him near a computer and he will take care of everything. Single minded, isn’t he? Instead, Boimler uses part of his jacket to make a sling to carry Agimus. He would get no computer access where THEY were going.
Low Hanging Fruit
They journey across the desolate planet until they reach a fruit tree. Mariner’s tricorder detects that the hanging fruit is edible. She tells Boimler that SHE will climb the tree to retrieve the fruit. He reminds her that she has a broken/fractured arm, HE will climb up. She reminds him that HE falls out of his bunk. Boimler acknowledges this, saying that it seldom happens anymore. Besides, he took up rock climbing on the Titan! Mariner frowns at his reference to the Titan. She is tired of hearing about it. Regardless, Boimler climbs up and almost reaches the fruit…before the branch he was clinging to snapped and down he went. Of course, Mariner couldn’t help but rag on him for falling which caused Boimler to kick the tree out of frustration, dislodging the fruit. They grabbed at it hungrily, only to realize it tasted like…wait for it…black licorice. But beggars shouldn’t be choosers. So they ate the fruit. As Agimus reminded them if they just had let him fix the replicator, they could be eating cheeseburgers. This earned him a burial in sand.
Reason for Reassignment
While they slept, some alien crustaceans uncovered Agimus and attempted to abscond with him. Boimler chased them away and Agimus thanked him by telling him that Mariner was not what she seemed. Boimler assumed he was talking about the secret spy rumors that Mariner herself started. But that wasn’t it. He showed Boimler that it was Mariner that talked Commander Ransom to reassign Boimler to go with her to the Daystrum Institute. She didn’t think Boimler was ready for Dansk and Centipedes. Ransom made the change somewhat surprised. He had thought Boimler was ready. Needless to say, this enraged Boimler.
He woke Mariner up and confronted her about getting his assignment changed. She reminded him that Agimus was just trying to get them to fight. Besides, she did him a favor. He wasn’t ready for that mission. The fact that he is getting lead around by the nose by Agimus proves that. In fact, from this point forward, SHE will carry Agimus. She is putting Boimler in “Time Out until he stops siding with the enemy.”
Unexpected Tragedy
Meanwhile, Billups and Rutherford are working on the Monaveen’s engines. Billups locates the trouble which was a faulty resonator. While Billups is surprised that the problem didn’t show up in their initial scans, he is pleased that his Mother seems pleased. Perhaps she will now realize he is doing what he was MEANT to do. As he basked in the praise, he received a message from Captain Freeman, requesting for him to come to see her. However, upon entering the Captain’s ready room, Freeman told him that she was just giving him a means to escape, in case his Mother was up to her old tricks. Billups appreciated her for doing that but explained that his Mother had been surprisingly non-scheming. Even respectful of his engineering skills. But just as he said that, an explosion rocked the Monaveen, blasting open a hole in the ship’s hull. Billups raced back to the ship, only to be told that his Mother had died in the explosion.
Tendi was working in sickbay, doing her normal duties when Dr. T’Ana came to see her, explaining that there had been an accident on the Monaveen and that Rutherford was a casualty. Tendi was heart stricken. Rutherford only took that assignment because she had prodded him to do so. She stared out the viewport, taking in the damage that the explosion had caused. Even as she perused the scene, she refused to believe that he was dead. This is verified when she asks the computer to locate Ensign Rutherford. It pinpoints him, or at least his cybernetic implants on the Monaveen. Tendi rushes to check it out. (Makes you wonder why no one else thought to do that?)
Mariner vs. Boimler
Back on the planet, Mariner and Boimler came across a derelict ship. Agimus informed them that the engines on the ship were intact. Just give him access to the derelict ships computers and he could save them. Mariner refused to listen to him but Boimler considered his words. He told Mariner to give Agimus to him. She refused, telling him that this was the reason she had him reassigned. Finally, Boimler had reached his breaking point. He was tired of Mariner bossing him around. Acting as if she was better than him. The fight commenced with Agimus loving every minute of it. As Mariner tried to take Agimus and leave, Boimler stunned her with a phaser. He picked up Agimus and let him open the door to the ship.
King Billups
On the Cerritos, Captain Freeman was viewing the casualty report. Rutherford, Queen Paolana, and the ubiquitous L. Playa were on the list. Billups came to see the Captain, announcing his need to resign from Starfleet and assume his place as King of Hysperia. Not because he wants to, but because he HAS to. Which also means that he will need to give up his virginity. Which in the end, was what his Mother had wanted for him. As he leaves the Captain, Billups asks the question that any young man would ask when facing his first time: “will it hurt?!”
Augimus Rules the World
Laying on the ground, Mariner awakens from being stunned. Seeing the open ships door, she realizes what has happened. Boimler has obviously fallen for Agimus’s tricks. Inside the ship, Boimler questions whether the ship will actually still fly. Agimus assures him it will IF he connects him to Navigation. But after looking at the panel, Boimler tells Agimus that he can not connect him as long as the panel blocks the system. He would need an auxillary power source to open the panel. Agimus offers access to his battery to accomplish this. Boimler considers for a moment and then connects his battery. Agimus revels in the power the connection gives him. He had done it. Thanks to Boimler, he will once again rule the universe.
Rutherford to the Rescue
On the Monaveen, Tendi is trying to find the source of Rutherford’s trace, still feeling remorse for her part in all of this. As she opens the door to where the computer located Rutherford, she finds him, along with the Queen. All very much alive. Tendi rushes to Rutherford, so relieved that he is not dead. Rutherford, for his part, doesn’t know what she is talking about. He was invited to this part of the ship to celebrate his work on the Monaveen. The explosion, all of it, was just another scam to get Billups to surrender his virginity. Rutherford rushes to help Billups, hoping he’s not too late. Has to be the only time in history that another guy would charge in to stop a friend from getting laid. He rushes into the bedroom to find out that Billups was still a virgin. Apparently he need more time to…umm…prepare. Much to the chagrin of the Queen’s guards. His Mother had failed…AGAIN!
Boimed!
On the alien ship, Mariner comes in to find Agimus hooked into the ship’s computer, extolling his greatness and promising to once again rule. Boimler was a FOOL to trust him. Mariner could have told him that! But, it was not Boimler who had been tricked, it was Agimus. Boimler had needed to get access to Agimus battery to send out a distress signal. In fact, the over confident AI was no where near the navigation system. All he had access to was the ship’s lights dimmer switch. He had been BOIMED! And actually, so had Mariner. Although, Boimler apologized for stunning her. He had to sell it to Agimus so he could get access to his battery. Mariner couldn’t help but be impressed.
Being your own Man
Back on the Cerritos, Billups chastised his Mother for what he considered a new low as far as what she would do to get him to become King. Blowing up her own ship? Faking her Death?? Bad Mother. BAD!! Queen Paolana shrugged it off. She would get her way, sooner or later. As for now, Billups was where he wanted to be: Chief Engineer on the Cerritos. Tendi apologized to Rutherford for pushing him to do something he didn’t want to do. She was no better than the Queen. Rutherford disagreed. He loved it. He got to work on an expensive ship’s engine, attended a feast, he saved his boss and even got “blew up!” Tendi was glad he was ok and acknowledged that sometimes, she would have to accept the possibility of her friend dying…again. That’s Starfleet. But for now, they were safe.
In space, Boimler’s distress signal was received and a shuttlecraft was sent to pick them up. Agimus admitted the errors of his ways. He had learned about true friendship from Mariner and Boimler. He would erase all his manipulative programs and now wanted to join Starfleet, just like them. IF they would just drop him off at the Academy, he could be the next Seven of Nine or better yet, Agimus of ONE!! Instead what he got was locked inside a vault in the Self-Aware Megalomaniacal Computer Storage. A place where ALL such devices can claim their superiority and plans to rule the Federation. One small cubicle at a time.
Thoughts
Star Trek Lower Decks continues with their cycle of consistent quality episodes. Where Pleasant Fountains Lie gives us another chance for the Boimler, Mariner relationship to grow as she realizes, that Boimler is not some naive Ensign she needs to coddle. He has grown through his experiences (Even from his time on the Titan) and might no longer need Mariner’s training wheels. In fact, that was the running theme of this episode. From Billups, to Rutherford and Boimler, each should be allowed to make their own choices. Even if the females in their lives think they are making a mistake. That is how we learn and grow. While Mariner and Tendi seem to realize this, Queen Paolana might take more time. Its hard for a Mother to let go.
This was a nice call back to the endless string of computer intelligences that have found their way into Star Trek. Agimus took his place next to the aforementioned Landru, Nomad, M-5 and V-Ger. Also a nice touch by using Star Trek veteran actor Jeffery Combs as the voice of Agimus. He killed it as the Ego driven box-sized Manipulator. Wouldn’t mind a bit to see him again in some future episode. I give Where Pleasant Fountains Lie a solid 4 out of 5.
Star Trek: Lower Decks streams of Paramount+ with new episodes released on Thursdays.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
