Metreon A metreon is a particle which can take the form of both radiation and gas . Metreon particles have been demonstrated to react with dark matter , and even to have temporal properties . In their gaseous form , metreon particles are extremely volatile , and are easily ignited via weapon s fire . Overview . Prior to 2153 , Vulcan scientist s had successfully excited small quantities of dark matter by bombarding it with metreon particles . In that year , Jonathan Archer , captain of , expanded upon those experiments and , with his science officer , Sub - Commander T ' Pol , was able to illuminate a dark matter nebula using spatial charge s rigged to spread the particles over a wide area . ( ) A year later , while attempting to reach a subspace corridor located in a nebula controlled by the aggressive Kovaalan s , " Enterprise " and a temporally - displaced counterpart entered the nebula above a layer of metreon gas . This had the effect of reflecting the ships ' engine signatures , creating multiple sensor ghosts and false readings . This gave the two crews a decisive advantage , initially leading the Kovaalans to believe that the appearance of " two " " Enterprise " s was simply a result of the reflections . ( ) In 2356 , the Haakonian scientist Ma ' Bor Jetrel designed a devastating weapon known as the " metreon cascade , " to be used against the Talaxian s , with whom the the Haakonians were at war . The weapon was deployed on the Talaxian moon of Rinax , killing all inhabitants , and leaving Rinax enveloped in a poisonous metreon cloud . Jetrel and others who were exposed to high levels of metreon isotope s developed a fatal blood disorder , which Jetrel came to call " metremia . " Fifteen years later , in an attempt to appease his conscience , Jetrel conceived of an idea whereby he could restore the victims of the cascade , in a process to which Jetrel referred as " regenerative fusion . " Claiming that the electrostatic properties of the remaining cloud were such that the disassembled biomatter had been held in a state of animated suspension , Jetrel used medical records to identify the genetic coding of a specific victim . He then used the ' s transporter to target the identified atom ic fragments , and attempted to rematerialize him . Jetrel ' s experiment failed , however , as the degree of fragmentation was too great . ( ) In 2371 , the , which had been on an extended , long - range exploration of the Beta Quadrant , crashed on a planet surrounded by an exogenic field composed of subspace metreon radiation , which disabled the vessel ' s engine s . The only survivor of the crash was Lisa Cusak , the " Olympia " s commanding officer . Cusak transmitted a distress signal , but when her subspace radio signal passed through the metreon radiation , it was shifted forward in time three years , where it was picked up by the crew of the . Responding to the distress call , the " Defiant " crew was able to communicate with Cusak , although neither party realized that a time shift was occurring , until the " Defiant " arrived at the planet , only to find that Cusak had died three years previously . ( ) In 2375 , in a tactic which Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge referred to as " the Riker Maneuver , " Commander William T . Riker utilized metreon gas to evade two Son ' a battle cruiser s while in the area of space known as " the Briar Patch . " In command of the , Riker ordered the ship ' s ramscoop s utilized to collect as much unstable metreon gas as possible . Upon filling the storage cell s to maximum capacity , Riker activated the ship ' s manual steering column to perform precision maneuvering , and ordered the ramscoops released . Riker then piloted the " Enterprise " in close proximity to the Son ' a ships , leaving a cloud of metreon gas between them and the " Enterprise " . Subsequent to one of the pursuing vessels firing at the " Enterprise " , the gas ignited , destroying one of the ships and disabling the other . ( ) Later that year , in a trap laid by the group of aliens known as " the Think Tank , " " Voyager " became trapped in a cloud of metreon gas upon the explosion of a small planetoid , resulting in the collapse of their warp field and the disabling of their impulse engine s . Upon coming under attack by the Hazari , Captain Janeway ordered ship ' s phaser s utilized to ignite the gas cloud , escaping at warp speed as soon as the blast threw " Voyager " clear of the cloud . ( )