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Ah, that sacred rule of Star Trek: the “Threshold” of Warp 10. A barrier that cannot be broken. A foundational rule that grounds the universe and franchise in hard science and Newtonian physics. Or… space salamanders. It’s one of those two options.
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Threshold”:
Voyager‘s crew discovers a rare, more stable form of dilithium that they postulate could power a warp drive beyond Warp 10. This would allow Voyager to reach the Alpha Quadrant near instantaneously. Although holodeck simulations prove disastrous, Lieutenant Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) comes up with an idea after an off-the-cuff discussion with Neelix (Ethan Phillips). The next simulation is successful and a shuttlecraft, dubbed the Cochrane, is prepared for a full test flight. The Doctor (Robert Picardo) identifies a rare medical condition in Lieutenant Paris indicating a 2% chance that he will suffer lethal effects from the test-flight and recommends assigning Ensign Kim (Garrett Wang) as test-pilot. Paris convinces Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to allow him to fly the shuttle despite the small risk.
Paris successfully breaks the Warp 10 barrier with the Cochrane, rapidly disappearing from Voyager‘s sensors. The crew begins to try to track the shuttle, but soon the Cochrane reappears, Paris unconscious at the controls. Once awake, Paris explains that he had already seen everything at every point in space, and the shuttle’s database similarly contains a massive amount of information about the Delta Quadrant. However, Paris starts to suffer allergic reactions, and he is raced to Sickbay, where the Doctor determines that Paris is now allergic to common water. Paris’s body soon changes again, and no longer can process oxygen, forcing the Doctor to create a special environment that Paris can exist in.
Paris’s body continues its strange transformations, the Doctor postulates that he is becoming a new form of life. Before the Doctor can use an “anti-proton” treatment to return Paris to his human form, Paris escapes, disrupts Voyager‘s internal systems, and kidnaps Janeway on the Cochrane. After the crew repairs Paris’ damage, the Cochrane has taken off to Warp 10. As Voyager follows the shuttle’s trail, they come to a planet covered in swamps. The Doctor explains that mutation‘s in Paris’ DNA are consistent with those of evolution. Near the shuttle, they discover two amphibian beings, with trace DNA of Paris and Janeway. The two mated and had three offspring. The crew members recover a transformed Janeway and Paris. The Doctor returns them to their human forms. The offspring are left behind.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Threshold” and violating canon. Plus! The guys chat about infamous Star Trek episodes, Lynch versus Cronenberg, and hard outs.