Below Deck with Lower Decks: Photon, Photoff

It's diplomatic babysitting time aboard the Cerritos on this week’s all-new episode of ! On this occasion, Captain Freeman and her crew are hosting peace talks between the "Orbs" and the "Cubes," two different species of photonic life forms who exist as beings of pure energy.

Why can't all the photons get along, exactly? The two species have been at war with one another since the collision of the nebulae their respective civilizations called home during the 23rd Century. After such a prolonged conflict, Freeman has her work cut out for her. Things don't get any easier after the apparent murder of a Cube, with a ship full of Orbs as likely suspects. The crew investigates the crime, which includes Lieutenant Mariner teaming up with a new addition to the crew, Ensign Olly. This is probably a good time to mention Olly is the granddaughter of , the Greek god.

Never a dull moment aboard the Cerritos, you know.

As for the Cubes and Orbs, longtime fans know that "beings of pure energy" are nothing new to Star Trek. We've got the Organians, for example, from the first-season episode "." They long ago evolved into non-corporeal life forms without the need of physical bodies, though they were certainly capable of presenting themselves that way for the benefit of regular folks like you and me. If you ask them, they'll tell you they hate doing that, let alone hanging out with lesser-evolved beings they consider to be barbarians; in this case, Kirk, Spock, and the Klingons who come to conquer their planet.

 Whoops.

Then you've got your , like Ambassador Kollos, whom we meet in the third season episode "" Unfortunately for him and his fellow energy beings, their appearance was so traumatic to humanoids that simply looking at them caused insanity. We don't know much about the Medusans, but it's likely they're very similar to the Cubes and Orbs from this episode, who apparently have always existed as photonic life forms.

Another version of such beings is one you'll likely know pretty well — ! It's not as though Star Trek hasn't had over the years, right?

Hardcore fans know used for recreational purposes was introduced way back in 1974 with the second-season episode, "The Practical Joker." However, it was which took the notion and ran with it, to include creating (or recreating) holographic characters as part of whatever scenario might be generated. Its most prominent example might be , the legendary antagonist to the great Sherlock Holmes, whom Geordi La Forge creates in a "misguided" attempt to challenge Data's intellectual and deductive prowess in the second-season episode "."

Whoops, again.

"," from 's second season introduced us to Rurigan, an exile from a Dominion-conquered world who created an entire village of holographic beings to represent friends and family he'd lost. To him, they've become as real as any living person he's ever known. Even after they become aware that they're holograms, he wants to take them with him back to his home world.

took things a bit further with its . Introduced in the first episode, "," this program intended for limited use becomes essential to the crew's wellbeing after the ship's chief medical officer is killed. Remaining in a near-constant active state throughout Voyager's seven-year sojourn through the Delta Quadrant, , becoming as real to Captain Janeway and her crew as any other living being. Unlike previous holograms, it becomes apparent early on that The Doctor is self-aware, capable of learning and adapting to new situations, and grows to view the rest of the crew as his family. Several years after Voyager returns home, The Doctor will serve under Admiral Janeway during the second season of , and will be seen again in the forthcoming series .

Voyager also introduced us to trans-dimensional photonic lifeforms in the fifth-season episode "" Unaware of the existence of organic beings, these aliens find their way to the ship and become entangled in a holodeck program, The Adventures of Captain Proton, created by Tom Paris. Hijinks ensue, as they often do aboard Voyager whenever Paris and holodecks are involved.

Oh, Tom. You rascal, you.

Meanwhile, over on Deep Space Nine, Julian Bashir creates , a holographic representation of a 1960s Las Vegas lounge entertainer who becomes something of an advisor and friend to the crew. In particular, following the loss of his leg as a consequence of battle during the Dominion War. Like Voyager's The Doctor, Vic exhibits an ability to grow beyond the limitations of mere programming, becoming much more than a simple collection of photons and computer code.

As for the Cubes and Orbs on the Cerritos, with accusations of murder flying around, the two alien races escalate their conflict. It's a Shape War, threatening to spiral out of control and catching Freeman and her crew right in the middle. Can the truth behind what happened bring an end to the hostilities?

Perhaps, but not without the help of one particular ensign whose granddaddy was once a Greek god. To find out what happens, you'll just have to tune into this week's episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks!