This was probably the simplest story so far. Enterprise approaches the location of the lost Terra Nova colony, mankind's first attempt to colonize a planet outside of Earth's solar system. After five years, the colony was a definite success, so Earth wanted to send more. Terra Nova said no. They argued back and forth until Terra Nova cut all communications.
Seventy years later, Enterprise arrives. They find the planet bathed in low-level radiation and hostiles living underground. The hostiles injure Reed, who ends up their captive. Archer discovers that the hostiles are in fact humans. Most of them are descendents of the colonists, but one old woman was a young girl from the colony. It turns out that radiation from an asteroid impact at the same time that the colonists landed poisoned the rain and drove the colonists underground. They were convinced that Earth was responsible, trying to drive the 'Novans' off the planet. Young kids survived underground, believing that humans had wiped them out.
Archer eventually convinces them that they're dying from radiation in the ground water, and they allow Enterprise crew to move them to another continent that is unaffected by the radiation.
Everybody lives happily ever after.
So what is there to say about "Terra Nova"? Not much, in fact. It is a simple story. I liked the ship, a Discovery Class. It is a good, clean design, and I was interested that the colonists used the ship itself to build the colony. It is also interesting to think that this ship was the pinnacle of technology twenty years after Zephrame Cochrane. Aside from that, the story was good enough if unoriginal. Nothing to get excited about, just an average 'not bad' story. Little to talk about, and quite honestly not much to recommend. Not a waste of time, but I don't see myself going back to it. I'll still give it a thumbs up, but with little enthusiasm.
Next Up: "The Andorian Incident"
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