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In the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “Threshold” \u2014 often considered one of the worst episodes of the series<\/a> \u2014 the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager discover a rare power-synthesizing crystal that, in theory, could allow the ship to travel faster than Warp-10. In the lore of “Star Trek,” Warp-10 is faster than anything has ever traveled, reaching the point of infinite velocity. An object traveling at Warp-10 would essentially pass through every point in the known universe simultaneously. For a lost ship trying to traverse a 70-year trip across the Milky Way back to Earth, this is a tantalizing proposition.<\/p>\n To test out these crystals, the Voyager’s engineers equip a shuttlecraft with them, and order Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) to pilot it. The experiment proves successful, and Tom Paris returns with a brain full of information about every single point in the universe. Something weird begins happening to his body shortly thereafter, however. His skin begins to flake off and his eyeballs glass over. His fingers grow together, and he spits out his own tongue. It is very reminiscent of David Cronenberg’s “The Fly.”<\/p>\n Tom Paris is hyper-evolving, turning into the species that humanity will eventually become in millions of years. Tom, still somewhat humanoid, kidnaps Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and takes her on a Warp-10 voyage, forcing her to evolve as well. As the climax of “Threshold” reveals, humans are destined to evolve into three-foot pink salamanders. As salamanders, Tom and Janeway mate, and have three little salamander babies. This is before being rescued and, mercifully, turned back into humans. The episode is hated for its silliness and for its brazen scientific inaccuracies.<\/p>\n “Threshold” writer and “Voyager” showrunner Brannon Braga doesn’t hate it as quite much as most Trekkies. Braga spoke at the STLV “Star Trek” convention in Las Vegas (covered by TrekMovie<\/a>), and he argued that the first half of “Threshold” isn’t bad. The back half is where it begins to suffer.<\/p>\n