The episode opens with T'Pol, Tucker, and Archer sharing dinner with an alien trader named D'Marr, as the Enterprise is in need of duratanium, in order to patch fractures on the hull. D'Marr says that he prefers to deal in more exotic things like silk and spices, but he knows of a ship in a nearby system that has the merchandise they want. When asked why he didn't retrieve any of the merchandise to sell himself, D'Marr asserts that the ship is haunted and that the Enterprise should keep its distance.
Upon arriving at the planet on which the ship crashed, the crew find there are no life signs, but the ship's atmosphere is breathable - and scans reveal there's plenty of duratanium available. They split up into two teams, with Tucker and T'Pol heading towards the abandoned ship's engineering section.
They are soon sidetracked when they begin to see strange things. Tucker notices a small hatch and blasts it away, revealing an entire oasis, with ample trees, water and food - only it appears to be completely deserted.
Tucker goes exploring through the foliage and sees a woman. T'Pol and Tucker chase after the woman, and suddenly find themselves surrounded by armed aliens. But they manage to convince the aliens of their good intentions, and learn the aliens are called the Kantare. They have been stranded on the planet for three years and created the oasis to shield themselves from alien attacks and provide them with the tools they need to survive.
Tucker quickly becomes close to Liana, the woman he followed, with quite some sexual tension between them - something that leads T'Pol to remind Tucker of the last time he got involved with an alien species (see 'Unexpected'). There's even a suggestion of jealousy from T'Pol towards Liana.
They all beam back to the Enterprise, agreeing to help the Kantare with repairs and get supplies. Archer calls Tucker into his ready room to ask him if he's noticed any strange behaviour from their new friends. Tucker asks what's going on, and Archer explains that Reed had done an analysis of their hull plating and discovered that ship has been down there for 22 years. He tells Trip there is an escape pod in orbit they are tractoring to the ship, hoping it will get them some answers.
On the surface, T'Pol makes a stunning discovery when she analyses some of the alien's data, and the Kantare immediately seize her to prevent their secret getting out. But at the same time, the crew of the Enterprise open the escape pod to find a man in there - identical to one of the crew members of the derelict ship! Can he shed some light on the secret of the aliens on the surface and their past?
'Oasis' was written by executive story editor Stephen Beck, from a story by Brannon Braga and Rick Berman and Stephen Beck. It is Beck's second script for the series; he previously wrote the eleventh episode 'Cold Front'. It was helmed by The District director Jim Charleston.
Tom Bergeron, host of Hollywood Squares, will reportedly feature as the alien trader D'Marr (story). Deep Space Nine's René Auberjonois (Odo) has previously been linked with a part in this episode, although it is not directly obvious which role he would be playing.
As usual, please be aware that Paramount has released no official information about this episode yet, and until that happens, any such information from unofficial sources should be treated as you would any rumour.
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