Energy matrix An energy matrix , or power matrix , is a term used to describe the primary source of energy for a system . This system can be either organic or technological , and the matrix is responsible for the distribution of energy throughout . On a Federation starship , the engineering section , being the main source of power for the vessel , is considered the primary energy matrix . ( ) Overview . In 1647 , the anaphasic lifeform known only as " Ronin " took up residence with a woman named Jessel Howard , upon realizing that her biochemistry was compatible with his energy matrix . Using Jessel as an organic host in order to maintain molecular cohesion , he stayed with her until her death . He would continue this act with all of Jessel ' s descendants , until he was destroyed by Beverly Crusher in 2370 . ( ) In 2151 , in exchange for their release from custody , the crew of a Xyrillian starship arranged for their holographic technology to be adapted to the power matrix of a Klingon battle cruiser . ( ) In 2152 , Commander Charles Tucker , chief engineer of , began the process of reconfiguring the power matrix of a Suliban cell ship , in an effort to bring the ship up to operational standards so as to use it to rescue Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed from a pre - warp civilization . However , as Archer and Reed were scheduled to be executed in less than two hours , Tucker was forced to reconfigure the matrix " en route " to the planet ' s surface . ( ) Romulan power matrices utilized boridium cells . In 2154 , Commander T ' Pol and Captain Archer utilized this information to identify a marauder vessel which had been attacking various ships as being Romulan in origin . ( ) Within the Saltah ' na energy spheres , discoverd by the Klingon crew of the , there was an archive of the extinct ancient species . This archive was contained in a self - sustaining energy matrix . This matrix , described variously as a telepathic field or telepathic matrix , affected humanoid brain s . Under the control of the field , humanoids would re - enact the power stuggle which destroyed the Saltah ' na . The crew of the " Toh ' Kaht " killed themselves and , without the intervention of Odo and Julian Bashir , the staff officer s of space station Deep Space 9 would have suffered the same fate . ( ) Later that year , the became briefly caught in an energy matrix , created as a byproduct of the opening of a transwarp conduit , before themselves being pulled inside . ( ) In 2370 , after an encounter with a magnascopic storm , the " Enterprise " began forming a rudimentary intelligence , whose purpose was the creation of a new , emergent lifeform . The lifeform began to materialize in one of the cargo bay s , forming a coherent energy matrix . The lifeform , once fully developed , left the " Enterprise " for open space . ( ) In 2371 , shortly after having become stranded in the Delta Quadrant , the crew of the attempted to supplement the ship ' s energy reserves by hooking the holodeck reactor s into the ship ' s power grid . This experiment ended in failure , however , when half of the relays were blown out due to the holodeck energy matrix ' s incompatibility with the rest of the power systems . ( ) In 2372 , B ' Elanna Torres , " Voyager " s chief engineer , modified a series of anodyne relay s to make " Voyager " s warp plasma compatible with the energy matrix of Pralor Automated Unit 3947 . ( ) During their war with the Borg Collective in 2373 , it was a common tactic for Species 8472 to , upon boarding a Borg vessel , go directly to the ship ' s primary energy matrix and disable it . ( ) In 2374 , Seven of Nine designed an energy matrix designed to produce large quantities of thorium , upon which all Caatati technology was dependant . As the Borg had previously decimated the Caatati civilization , their ability to replicate thorium isotope s became nonexistent . With the matrix , however , the Caatati retained the ability to begin the process of rebuilding their society . ( ) That same year , the crew of the used the ship ' s deflector array to imprint a Federation warp signature onto the energy matrix of a power generator supplying energy to the orbital weapon platform s defending the Chin ' toka system . Doing so fooled the platforms ' sensor s into viewing the generator as a threat , and they immediately began firing upon the generator . After the platforms ' power source was destroyed , Federation and Klingon forces were successfully able to take the system from the Dominion . ( ) In 2375 , Lieutenant Torres managed to feed enough energy into the power matrix of a damaged Malon export vessel to reinitialize the emergency systems . However , the energy was only sufficient to bring one containment grid back online , which was not enough to handle two unstable tanks . This forced Torres to seal the tanks one - at - a - time . ( ) Later that year , Harry Kim conceived of the idea of beaming a photon torpedo onto an attacking Borg probe , in an attempt to disable the vessel for a salvage operation . However , the torpedo materialized near the probe ' s power matrix , resulting in a chain reaction which destroyed the entire Borg vessel . ( ) The Druoda series 5 long - range tactical armor unit was equipped with an advanced , extremely dense power matrix , which the merchant Onquanii claimed was capable of powering a fleet of starship s , and that it was worth a thousand dilithium crystals . When such an armor unit threatened to detonate aboard " Voyager " in 2375 , Captain Janeway ordered Lieutenant Torres to send an EM pulse through the warhead ' s power matrix in an attempt to short it out . Although the plan worked , the warhead ' s artificial intelligence hijacked The Doctor ' s program . Later , when Onquanii attempted to negotiate with the " Voyager " crew for the warhead , Janeway agreed , but refused to hand over the energy matrix , as she felt it would be too dangerous . ( ) In 2377 , in an attempt to disable a Lokirrim warship , Captain Janeway ordered Lieutenant Commander Tuvok to target ship ' s phaser s at the warship ' s power matrix . The tactic was successful , and " Voyager " was able to leave the area without Lokirrim interference . ( )