Template:Featured Article/05 2011



Doctor Elizabeth Dehner was a member of the Federation Starfleet and a psychiatrist stationed aboard the starship USS Enterprise. She began serving aboard the Enterprise in the year 2265 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Dehner met Kirk's First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell who, like she, demonstrated high marks in extrasensory perception. Dehner and Mitchell did not immediately get along with one another and Gary regarded her as a "walking freezer unit".

The crew of the Enterprise recovered a disaster recorder left behind by the SS Valiant, a ship that disappeared near the Galactic Barrier more than two-hundred years ago. Exploring the region, they came upon a giant magnetic anomaly that swept across the ship, wreaking havoc with the onboard electrical systems. Dehner was caught in the power surge wrought by the anomaly and collapsed on the bridge of the ship. Mitchell was also affected by the anomaly, but to a greater extent and had to be taken to Sick Bay. Exposure to the magnetic radiation mutated him, evolving him into a higher order of being. He found that his innate ESP capabilities were greatly enhanced and he could read the thoughts of others and move things with his mind. He could also discharge bursts of electricity from his hands. Mitchell's personality was adversely altered as a result of this as well and he came to regard himself as a god, viewing all others as nothing more than insects. Dehner sympathized with Mitchell's situation and was the only crew member who did perceive him as a threat. At a special meeting to discuss the situation, Dehner posited that there was nothing wrong with a man evolving to a higher state of being. Read more...