Trans - dimensional disturbance A trans - dimensional disturbance was an astronomical phenomenon in the Delphic Expanse . These phenomena were created by the Sphere - Builder s as a prelude to invasion . The space within the disturbance was reconfigured , gradually at first . Such a disturbance was essentially a convergence of spatial anomalies , which were very common in the Expanse , created by spheres in that region . A trans - dimensional disturbance was also an unusually strong type of gravimetric disturbance and generated gravimetric wave s . It contained elevated levels of ammonium sulfide . Usually , inside a developed trans - dimensional disturbance , the atmosphere had an auburn hue and light - smears often appeared in mid - air . Helmsman Travis Mayweather once likened a trans - dimensional disturbance to soup . Physical effects of exposure . Unless appropriate precautions were taken , nothing from the prime universe could survive for any substantial time inside a trans - dimensional disturbance . For example , the reconfigured space within it disrupted the neocortex inside the Human brain . However , a Denobulan was almost entirely immune to the psychological effects of the phenomenon . Staying inside a trans - dimensional disturbance could cause epidermal decay , causing cracks to appear on a lifeform ' s skin , though a Denobulan was also immune to this happening . Vulcan s were more sensitive to the epidermal decay than Humans were . ( ) History . In December 2153 , encountered a trans - dimensional disturbance which had a diameter of more than seven hundred million kilometer s . Located exactly equidistant from five Delphic Expanse spheres , the phenomenon was expanding at a rate of several kilometers per second . It engulfed a once - inhabited planet , some while before " Enterprise " discovered the phenomenon , and also contained a Sphere - Builder transport pod . When " Enterprise " attempted to tow the pod out of it , the disturbance grew even bigger , immersing a large , forward portion of " Enterprise " ( almost a third of the vessel ) , including the starship ' s bridge . Sparks that burst out of a console therein didn ' t dissipate but gradually spread outwards in a slowly spreading cloud . The ship soon managed to break free from the disturbance , though , taking the pod with it . ( ) In January 2154 , a brand new trans - dimensional disturbance was suddenly detected by " Enterprise " , while the starship was traveling to Azati Prime . The disturbance was directly on the vessel ' s course to that destination . ( ) The phenomenon was similar to the disturbance previously discovered by " Enterprise " . ( ) Since the ship would take two weeks to go around the newly created trans - dimensional disturbance and the phenomenon was still undergoing early changes , the crew decided to take measures to allow the craft to instead traverse the disturbance at impulse speed . Doctor Phlox managed to counteract the effects of the disturbance by placing each of the crewmembers in a coma during the journey , which took four days . ( ) " In the 26th century of an alternate timeline , a trans - dimensional disturbance was used as the battleground for the Battle of Procyon V . That disturbance , during the conflict , stretched fifty thousand light years in all directions and was continuing to grow . Temporal Agent brought " Enterprise " NX - 01 Captain Jonathan Archer to witness the trans - dimensional disturbance and the battle inside it from the observation deck of the , which was one of the ships inside the disturbance . Unlike in other cases , though , conditions aboard the " Enterprise " - J did not include the auburn atmosphere and light - smears associated with most other trans - dimensional disturbances . Nonetheless , Archer – while aboard the craft – mentioned he ' d seen a similar phenomenon before , a fact Daniels was well aware of . He didn ' t know , however , that Archer was already aware the trans - dimensional disturbances were being used to reconfigure space as a prelude to invasion . " ( ) " Enterprise " NX - 01 ' s first encounter with a trans - dimensional disturbance was mentioned by Captain Archer to the Xindi Council , when he tried to persuade the Council members that the Sphere - Builders were duplicitously working against them all . ( ) The Sphere - Builders used Sphere 41 to generate another trans - dimensional disturbance , as the Sphere - Builders determined that the " Enterprise " crew wanted to destroy the sphere network by sabotaging that particular sphere . While " Enterprise " was heading towards the sphere , the ship detected the new disturbance , which was increasing in size . At first , Ensign Travis Mayweather couldn ' t determine precisely what the disturbance was and reported to T ' Pol , " " Could be spatial anomalies . . . but they ' re clustered much tighter than we ' ve ever seen them . " " The trans - dimensional disturbance was identified by Dr . Phlox , who warned T ' Pol that entering the disturbance would prove fatal for the entire crew in a matter of minutes . Synthesizing a neuroleptic compound would keep the crewmembers conscious for about twelve minutes , allowing them to carry out their mission of disabling the sphere network , though there wasn ' t anything Phlox could do to prevent epidermal decay . By the time " Enterprise " arrived at the new trans - dimensional disturbance , it had grown to become a thousand kilometers deeper than when the ship had first detected it . Phlox had enhanced the neuroleptic compound as much as he possibly could , enabling the ship ' s crew to remain inside the disturbance for up to fifteen minutes . Shortly after the doctor announced he had enhanced the compound as much as he could , the disturbance was penetrated by " Enterprise " . The phenomenon – despite the tight deadline , the crew suffering epidermal decay that Phlox had been expecting , plus the fact that several Sphere - Builders appeared aboard the ship itself and caused havoc there – facilitated " Enterprise " s journey to Sphere 41 . Once the ship eliminated that sphere , the disturbance disappeared , implying that the transformed space inside it was imploding , and the Delphic Expanse became normal space again . ( ) Appendices . Background information . In the script of " Harbinger " , the trans - dimensional disturbance was mostly termed a " spatial disturbance " . In the final draft script of " Doctor ' s Orders " , this wording was used interchangeably with " trans - dimensional disturbance " , the latter of which was additionally used in the script of " Azati Prime " , though the disturbance in that installment is not given a full name , on screen . As regards this type of anomaly , the term " spatial disturbance " was only ever used in script sources . The term " light - smears " comes from the script of " Harbinger " , too . In the teleplay of " Harbinger " , the disturbance was at first described as " colossal " and the same scene description went on to comment , " " It ' s reddish orange , suffused with whipping bands of light and pocked with what appear to be smaller , fiercer disturbances that spring up and burst like bubbles in magma . Weird , blister - like formations continually form across the surface of the disturbance . " " In the final draft script of " Doctor ' s Orders " , the trans - dimensional disturbance in that outing was initially described thus ; " " The background of stars seems oddly distorted – the stars glow with a reddish - hue ( similar to the spatial ' disturbance ' in ' Harbinger ' , though not as extreme ) . " " The trans - dimensional disturbance from " Harbinger " was again referenced in the final draft script of , as it characterized the Sphere - Builders ' trans - dimensional realm as " a surreal cousin " of that earlier phenomenon . In the final draft script of , the space inside a trans - dimensional disturbance was described as " strange , bubbling ' terraformed space , ' as seen in ' Harbinger ' . " The particular trans - dimensional disturbance seen in " Zero Hour " was described as " colossal " and " reddish - orange , with weird , blister - like formations " as well as being a " strange realm " .