Drake Mission 01: "The Lotus Eaters"
Stardate 20411.01 Captain Alex Lorien reporting.
Having taken damage from an ion storm, the Drake took shelter near an unexplored planet while undertaking repairs. The Drake's sensors picked up unusual fluctuating life signs from the planet previously believed to be uninhabited. Upon investigation the crew found Illiad III to be a veritable paradise to put even Risa in the shade. Finding no intelligent life, Captain Lorien decided to grant 48 hours of shore leave for the crew. Unknown to them however, the strange life signs originated from a collective consciousness created by all of the living things on the planet. The collective intelligence wished the crew to stay and add to the species diversity and so came up with a way to keep them there. A particular type of plant, like a Giant Arum from Earth or smaller like Lotus Flowers, let spores into the air, which had an opiate effect on the visiting Star Fleet Officers. While everyone was having a good time they felt less and less inclined to ever leave.
Fortunately the meta-organism hadn't counted on the unique physiology of the inhabitants of the planet Trill, specifically those Joined with a Symbiont. After initial amnesia along with the rest of the crew, First Officer Kinziri Jal gradually became unaffected by the neurological control. Having effectively two 'minds' in contact with each other this provided some immunity to the spores. Commander Jal managed to convince another officer, CTO Commander Haren Mormel that they were being manipulated somehow and once he was subjected to the clean processed air of the Federation Shuttlecraft he too regained his memory. Contacting the orbiting Drake, the First Officer arranged for the majority of the personnel on the planet would be transported up to the ship. Those that were unable to be reached by the transporter, including the majority of the Bridge and Senior staff, were collected up in the shuttle piloted by Cdr Mormel.
In one last ditch attempt to prevent the Star Fleet personnel to leave, the planet tried using extreme weather conditions and a myriad of creatures and giant vines to keep the shuttle from leaving. Fighting their way through they managed to get away and reach the safety of the orbiting starship. Captain Lorien ordered a warning buoy be left in orbit of Illiad III to warn all other visitors against landing there.
