Because I’m not a fan, I had no idea that one of the recurring plot elements of the 726 Star Trek TV shows and 11 films are the numerous nebulas, ionic disturbances and gaseous anomalies encountered by the crew of the Starship Enterprise. In this totally silly clip, Vernon Wilmer digs deep into the existential pants of the men whose job it is to confront and monitor these often deadly vapors.

In the early 2290s, Starfleet were keen to investigate gaseous anomalies and equipped all starships with specialized probes that could monitor them. They also dispatched the USS Excelsior on a three-year mission to chart anomalies in the Beta Quadrant in 2290.

Normally I’d be too ashamed to share something like this with Dangerous Minds’ high class readership. But there is a narrative arc, some real tension and drama, in this video that can’t be denied. The memory of it still lingers in my pores like the insistent scent of a week-old omelet made of sulphuric acid, brussel sprouts and Limburger cheese.