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Starfleet spatial charge

A 24th century Starfleet spatial charge

Spatial charges (or subspatial charges, when fired into subspace) were variable-yield explosive devices utilized by various agencies, including Starfleet, the MACOs, and the Malon. Spatial charges could be utilized as missiles, programmed to explode at a predetermined point in space, or could be utilized as mines or planted as bombs.

The Starfleet spatial charge prop was also used to represent a Starfleet plasma charge in VOY: "Collective". It first appeared in TNG: "The High Ground" as an Ansata terrorist bomb, but was only referred to as an explosive charge in the episode.

Applications[]

Shuttlepod firing spatial charges

22nd century spatial charges fired by a shuttlepod

In 2153, Charles Tucker modified six spatial charges, rigged to spread metreon particles upon detonation. The field emission extended up to five hundred kilometers from the explosion. Captain Archer and Sub-Commander T'Pol fired the charges from a shuttlepod, and successfully illuminated a dark matter nebula by exciting the dark matter with the metreon particles. (ENT: "First Flight")

Later that year, Major Hayes suggested using spatial charges in concert with blast suppressors to destroy a kemocite facility on a Xindi-Arboreal colony, though he was overruled by Captain Archer. (ENT: "The Shipment")

During a simulation later in 2153, Archer claimed to Degra that spatial charges had been used by the Xindi-Insectoids in a successful attempt to destroy Enterprise NX-01. According to Archer, the spatial charges had been planted (by the Insectoids) around the ship's warp reactor, prior to detonation. (ENT: "Stratagem")

In 2372, the crew of the USS Voyager dropped spatial charges while engaged in combat with a Kazon vessel. (VOY: "Relativity")

Malon weapons fire

Malon spatial charges

Malon spatial charges against night aliens

Malon spatial charges used against Night Alien ships.

The Malon relied on spatial charges. In 2375, to disperse three Night Alien ships which were attacking Voyager in the star-less area of the Delta Quadrant known as "the Void," a Malon vessel fired thirteen spatial charges, for which the ship's controller, Emck, demanded compensation from the Voyager crew. Later, Emck attacked Voyager itself with spatial charges, when the Voyager crew implemented a plan to destroy a spatial vortex which the Malon were utilizing to gain access to the Void in order to dump antimatter waste, an act which had the effect of seriously damaging the health of an indigenous species. (VOY: "Night")

The script described the firing of spatial charges as "a rapid-fire series of explosions, like phaser flak."

Not long after this incident, the Voyager crew found themselves engaged in combat with another Malon vessel, which was attempting to appropriate a multi-spatial probe which had become trapped in the atmosphere of a gas giant. Firing a series of spatial charges, the Malon attempted to distract the Voyager crew while they launched a shuttle with which to retrieve the probe. (VOY: "Extreme Risk")

That same year, the Voyager crew utilized spatial charges to destroy the primary shield generator of a Borg sphere, as a part of Operation Fort Knox, their plan to steal a transwarp coil. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")

Later that year, the Voyager crew planted spatial charges in a debris field, ambushing an Hazari vessel. Later, after allying themselves with the Hazari, they utilized subspatial charges to cause subspace disturbance in order to force the "Think Tank" out of subspace. (VOY: "Think Tank")

Unlike the bright blue Malon spatial charges, Starfleet charges seen in "Think Tank" detonated in yellow-orange fiery explosions.

See also[]

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