Harris ( Section 31 ) Harris was a highly - placed Section 31 operative in the 2150s . History . Harris had been a member of Starfleet Security until 2149 , at which point his official record ended . At some point prior to 2151 , Harris recruited Malcolm Reed , then a young ensign , for certain " covert operations . " Harris did not contact Reed again until 2154 , when Reed was posted to . Activities . Harris had entered into a covert alliance with , a Klingon fleet admiral , who was attempting to contain an outbreak of a deadly plague which was sweeping throughout the Klingon Empire . Harris agreed to facilitate the abduction of Doctor Phlox to Qu ' Vat Colony , where Phlox was to assist Doctor Antaak in developing a cure . In exchange , Krell led Harris to believe that both the Empire and Starfleet would benefit . When then - Lieutenant Reed began investigating Phlox ' s kidnapping , Harris contacted his old student , ordering him to stall " Enterprise " so that Phlox could complete his " assignment . " When Reed asserted that he did not work for Harris anymore , Harris told him that Section 31 ' s " recruitment policy " did not allow agents to leave . Reed reluctantly carried out his assignment , and attempted to sabotage " Enterprise " s mission to find Phlox , but his treachery was discovered by Captain Archer , who had Reed put in the brig . Eventually , Reed informed Archer about Harris , and Archer told Reed to put him in contact with Harris . Reed did so , and Harris told Archer that , if Phlox was successful in finding a cure to the plague , the Klingon Empire would stabilize , which would be a benefit to Starfleet . Archer , however , was suspicious of Harris ' motives . When Harris contacted Krell to inform him that " Enterprise " was " en route " to the colony , Krell informed Harris that he never intended to honor their original agreement , and was planning to destroy the colony . Eventually , however , the starship s " Enterprise " and were successful in saving the colony , and Phlox was able to cure the plague . Afterward , Harris contacted Reed again , but Reed rebuffed him , saying that he only answered to his commanding officer , Jonathan Archer . ( ) However , barely a month later , Reed contacted Harris for information concerning Susan Khouri , a nurse who had worked for Terra Prime . Khouri had been killed attempting to deliver information on the daughter of Commander s Tucker and T ' Pol , whom had been created as a binary clone . At the request of Archer himself , Reed asked Harris for all the information he had on the infant , and Harris agreed , but only on the condition that Reed would willingly work for Harris again . ( ) Later , Reed contacted Harris for help in approaching Terra Prime ' s base on Mars undetected . Harris informed him that , due to terraforming , Mars ' atmosphere was much thicker than the detection grid was originally designed for , and that a would be able to approach undetected as long as it stayed close to the surface , but that they would still need to reach the surface undetected . When Reed told him that they had devised a way to accomplish that without Harris ' help , Harris responded by saying , " " The student has surpassed the teacher , " " before wishing Reed good luck . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Harris was played by Eric Pierpoint . The final draft script of " Divergence " referred to a " hint of fanaticism beneath Harris ' s outwardly friendly persona . " While Harris ' covert organization was not explicitly called " Section 31 " ( though he did tell Archer that " Article 14 , Section 31 " of the Starfleet Charter justified his actions ) , this was confirmed by production personnel . ( ENT Season 4 DVD audio commentary ) In one scene , Harris asks Reed to meet him at the following address : Although Maple Street in San Francisco today does not have house numbers as high as 1044 , the real Maple Street abuts the Presidio , which is where Starfleet Headquarters is supposedly located . The final draft script of " Affliction " referred to Harris ' office as also being in San Francisco . The novel " Patterns of Interference " gives him the first name Matthew .