Paris: Show mercy.
Neelix: Your people have a saying. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. In other words, your credit's no good here.
Paris: I'll pay you back double with next month's replicator rations.
Neelix: That's what you said when I let you replicate all those pork rinds for your monster movie marathon.
Paris: Let me put it another way. This is a life and death situation.
Neelix: Hyperbole won't help.
Paris: I'm not exaggerating. This is the anniversary of my first date with B'Elanna.
Neelix: And you forgot all about it?
Paris: Yes. And if I don't come through with some kind of romantic dinner
Neelix: All right, you've made your case.
Paris: Neelix, you're a saint. Okay, that'll be one bottle of Mouton Rothschild, a 2342 if it's in the database. A Terrelian pheasant, steamed asparagus, and a single rose.
Neelix: Where do you want it?
Paris: You can send the food requisition to B'Elanna's replicator, the wine and the flower I'll take with me. I can't show up empty-handed.
Kim: Neelix, how about a pot of coffee while you're at it?
Neelix: Coming right up.
Kim: Flowers and wine?
Paris: Ah, anniversary. Coffee?
Kim: Bridge duty. I've got eight hours ahead of me.
Neelix: Sitting in the big chair again?
Kim: Fourth night in a row.
Paris: You're not fooling anyone.
Kim: Excuse me?
Paris: You love these night shifts. Your chance to play Captain.
Kim: I'm not playing. This is an opportunity to get command experience. You might put in for some yourself.
Paris: Oh, what's the point of trying to compete with an ambitious upstart like you? Just promise me one thing. When you reach the top, you'll remember all the little people you climbed over to get there. You won't make them work night shifts?
Kim: Helm, status?
Jenkins: Same as it was twenty minutes ago.
Kim: Refresh my memory.
Jenkins: Current speed warp six point three, heading oh twenty one mark two. Permission to speak freely, sir?
Kim: Granted.
Jenkins: We're on the night shift. Relax.
Kim: One of these days you'll get the call to take the bridge, and maybe then you'll understand the burden of command.
Kim: Report.
Jenkins: It's an automated distress call.
Kim: Origin?
Jenkins: A class M planet, range point seven three light years, bearing two six one mark one five.
Kim: That would be a significant course change.
Jenkins: The burden of command is on your shoulders, sir. Of course, we could always wake Commander Chakotay.
Kim: No. Alter course.
Kim: Open a channel. This is Ensign Kim of the Starship Voyager. Can we be of assistance?
Jenkins: I'm not picking up on any lifesigns. I guess they didn't make it.
Kim: There could be any number of reasons why we're not detecting lifesigns. We'll have to go down there and take a look. I'll inform the Commander. Oh, Jenkins? The bridge is yours.
Kim: I hope I made the right decision.
Chakotay: About changing course or waking me up?
Kim: Sorry, sir, but I thought
Chakotay: Relax, Harry, you did the right thing on both counts. Hey, why don't you lead the away team? I'll monitor your progress from the bridge.
Kim: Yes, sir.
Emh: The distress call was automated?
Kim: That's right. I'm hoping whoever sent it is still alive.
Emh: Who's leading the mission?
Kim: You're looking at him.
Emh: Really?
Kim: Problem?
Emh: No. I just thought, given the circumstances, a new planet, unknown hazards, that Commander Chakotay or Tuvok would be in charge.
Kim: I am a senior officer, Doc. I've been on this ship for five years. I think I can handle an away mission.
Emh: I certainly didn't mean any offense.
Kim: None taken.
Emh: Of course, having me on the team will certainly compensate for any lack of experience on your part.
Kim: Energize.
Emh: Are you sure these are the right coordinates?
Kim: Positive.
Emh: Apparently, whoever sent the distress call was rescued.
Kim: Maybe, but as long as we're here we should make a thorough search. Spread out.
Emh: Ensign.
Kim: This is the source of the distress call.
Emh: What is it?
Kim: I don't know. Paratrinic shielding, a dense energy matrix, bioneural circuitry.
Emh: Bioneural?
Kim: Whoa, back off. This could be dangerous.
Emh: No, wait. It's speaking to us.
Kim: Speaking?
Emh: In duotronic algorithms. Hold on. My translation matrix is interpreting. It says it's injured. It needs our help. It's asking why it can't see, or feel its arms and legs. It's terrified. Can you identify yourself? It's saying that its memory has been damaged. It doesn't remember its name. Don't worry. We're going to help you. Crewman Lang will remain with you.
Kim: What do you think? An artificial intelligence?
Emh: One that doesn't seem to realize its artificial.
Kim: Maybe we should tell it the truth. try to jog its memory.
Emh: No. I don't want to risk psychological trauma.
Kim: Psychological trauma? Doc, this is a machine.
Emh: One which is confused and asking for our help. We should beam it aboard.
Kim: Not until we know what we're dealing with. Away mission protocols dictate that we
Emh: Morality dictates that we help. It may not be flesh and blood, but it's clearly in distress.
Paris: Make way for the day shift.
Janeway: How's he doing?
Chakotay: Well, let's see. I haven't heard from him in almost five minutes so he should be checking in right about
Kim: Away team to Voyager.
Chakotay: Now.
Janeway: That's our Harry. If I were you, I'd watch out for your job. Go ahead, Ensign.
Kim: We found the source of the distress call. It's some
Kim: Kind of artificial intelligence, badly damaged. The Doctor thinks we should beam it aboard.
Janeway: You're in charge of the away mission, Ensign. What do you think?
Kim: Well, I think we should help it if we can. But as a precaution, I recommend sealing off an Engineering bay with a level ten force field and
Kim: Beaming it directly there.
Janeway: Agreed. Give us a few minutes.
Emh: We're going to transport you back to our ship. I'm Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram. A projection of light and force fields guided by an optronic computer program. No. Technically speaking, I suppose I'm not a real person.
Janeway: How's our patient?
Torres: Complicated. It uses bioneural circuitry to mimic humanoid synaptic functions.
Kim: But its memory core is damaged. It's suffering from a technological form of amnesia.
Janeway: Any theories as to what it might be?
Torres: It could be a probe, or a communications device.
Emh: Whoever our friend is, he wasn't alone. He claims to have been traveling with a companion.
Janeway: If there's another one down there, it might give us a few answers. I'll be in Astrometrics scanning the surface. Give our guest my regards.
Emh: Of course, Captain. Lower the containment field.
Emh: How are you? Well, that's an interesting question. Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Torres are attempting to repair your damaged circuitry. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You're not an organic being. You're technological. You're an artificial intelligence embedded in a machine of some kind. No, there's no mistake. We believe the damage you suffered in the crash is causing your confusion. Look at it this way. You and I have something in common. Just because we're not organic beings doesn't mean we're in any way inferior. Well, you're metallic, over a meter in length, cylindrical. Oh, you're quite sleek, actually. You're welcome.
Seven: I'm detecting no further technology on the planet surface.
Janeway: Maybe the second device was destroyed when it crashed. Scan for metallic particulates consistent with our friend in Engineering.
Seven: There are minute traces scattered across the northern continent.
Janeway: Isolate. An impact crater.
Seven: It spans a radius of two hundred kilometers.
Janeway: And look at this. Heavy concentrations of radiogenic decay in the crater walls. And the fracture gradients are consistent with a highly focused explosion.
Seven: Evidently, we've discovered its function.
Janeway: A weapon of mass destruction.
Emh: I understand your concerns, but the device hasn't shown itself to be hostile.
Torres: Not yet. But it's only a matter of time before it puts the pieces together.
Emh: All the more reason we should talk to it, explain our concerns. Ask for help in defusing its explosive components.
Chakotay: If it's programmed to detonate, there's no telling how it will react.
Janeway: Agreed, We have to neutralize the threat now. Suggestions?
Seven: Transport the device off the ship and destroy it before it harms anyone.
Emh: Seven, this is a sentient being we're talking about.
Seven: Very well. Return it to the surface and deploy a warning buoy to alert other vessels.
Emh: I refuse to believe our only options are to kill it or abandon it.
Torres: What if we could separate the bioneural circuitry from the explosive?
Janeway: Take the weapon offline but salvage the intelligence.
Kim: They're fully integrated. Where would we store the intelligence once we shut the device down?
Emh: The answer's obvious. Download it's synaptic patterns to a holographic matrix, like mine.
Chakotay: Then what?
Emh: Try to find out where it came from, and return it to it's people.
Seven: The device is extremely complex. One error and we'd risk detonation.
Emh: Saving life often entails risk.
Janeway: Harry, B'Elanna, assist the Doctor.
Emh: Thank you, Captain.
Janeway: At the first sign of danger, we transport it off the ship. Understood?
Emh: Understood.
Emh: I quite understand. I wouldn't like being carried around, either. Of course you are, who wouldn't be? We're taking you to Sickbay. Because we're better equipped to help you there.
Emh: Deck five. We're going to transfer your intelligence to a holo-matrix. You should be pleased. In a little while, you're going to be walking around just like me.
Emh: I'm not certain. Ensign Kim's configuring your physical parameters as we speak. I'm sure you'll be quite handsome.
Emh: Are we ready to proceed?
Torres: Whenever you are.
Emh: Don't be alarmed. We have to access some of your systems to enable the transfer. He says he wants to know exactly what you're doing, as you do it.
Torres: This is a delicate procedure. I won't be able to concentrate if I have to give a blow-by-blow description.
Emh: You'll have to forgive Lieutenant Torres. She's an excellent engineer. Unfortunately, she doesn't share my bedside manner.
Torres: Harry, would you mind?
Kim: Yeah, sure. Er, well, first we're going to be setting up an active interlink between you and the holo-systems. Er, now, to do that, er, we're going to take your program offline while we resequence your bioneural circuitry.
Emh: He says he can't allow you to shut him down.
Torres: I'm sorry, but there's no other way.
Torres: It's arming itself. The detonation sequence has begun.
Kim: Sickbay to bridge. The device is going to detonate.
Kim: Beam it off the ship.
Chakotay: We've lost the transporter lock.
Janeway: Talk to it, Doctor.
Emh: Please, you're going to destroy yourself, and us.
Kim: Detonation in twenty seconds.
Janeway: B'Elanna, send an EM pulse through it's power matrix. Maybe you can short it out.
Torres: I'm on it.
Kim: Fifteen seconds.
Emh: Please disarm yourself. We're just trying to help you.
Kim: Ten seconds. Nine.
Torres: Initiating the pulse.
Kim: Six. Five.
Torres: Now.
Kim: It worked.
Kim: We shut it down, Captain.
Bomb Emh: You shouldn't have done that.
Torres: I know you've gotten a little attached to this thing, but.
Bomb Emh: You lied.
Torres: What are you talking about?
Bomb Emh: You said you were trying to transfer my neural patterns, but you were really trying to shut me down.
Torres: You're the artificial intelligence.
Kim: It used the interlink to commandeer the Doctor's program.
Torres: Sickbay to bridge. Captain, respond. He's tapped into the ship's systems, deactivated the comm.
Kim: He's locked us in, too.
Bomb Emh: You tried to destroy me.
Kim: We were only trying to disarm you.
Bomb Emh: I'm a weapon.
Kim: Yes.
Bomb Emh: Why didn't you tell me?
Kim: It was a precaution. We were afraid you might be dangerous.
Torres: Obviously, we were right.
Bomb Emh: I couldn't let you destroy me. I have to complete my mission.
Kim: You remember it now?
Bomb Emh: Yes. I'm a long range tactical armor unit. I've been deployed by my people. They're facing a terrible threat. A hostile species. My companion unit was destroyed, but I will reach my target. Your ship will take me there.
Kim: Look, we'll try and contact your people. If you could tell us who they are.
Bomb Emh: I must resume my mission!
Chakotay: The weapon's been rearmed.
Janeway: Security?
Chakotay: They still can't gain access to Sickbay, or any part of deck five, for that matter.
Janeway: Get a transporter lock on our people. We'll jettison the whole damn section if we have to.
Bomb Emh: I wouldn't recommend that, Captain. If you try to stop me again, I'll detonate. Your ship and everyone on it will be destroyed. I'm transferring a new heading to the helm. You'll proceed to the coordinates at maximum velocity.
Janeway: Doctor?
Bomb Emh: He's gone.
Paris: He's directing us to a system two point three light years from here.
Janeway: Is that your home?
Bomb Emh: It's my target. The course I've plotted bypasses enemy minefields. Don't deviate from it. Your ship won't be harmed. Once we've reached the system, you'll transport me to my target.
Janeway: We won't help you wage war. This crew has a Prime Directive that forbids us to interfere in the affairs of other species.
Bomb Emh: You've already interfered.
Janeway: We were trying to help you.
Bomb Emh: Until you discovered my true nature. Then you tried to deactivate me.
Janeway: Just your explosive components, not you.
Bomb Emh: There's no distinction. I am what I am. Now alter course or I'll detonate!
Janeway: If you do that, you'll never reach your target, will you?
Bomb Emh: I am programmed to take whatever measures are necessary to obtain my objective. Failing that, I'm to consider anyone who tries to stop me an enemy. Now alter course, and transfer your sensors to me so I can monitor your compliance.
Janeway: Release my crewmen from Sickbay first.
Bomb Emh: I'm not programmed to negotiate. They'll remain were they are.
Janeway: Lay in the course, Mister Paris. Transfer sensors to Sickbay.
Bomb Emh: A sound tactical decision, Captain.
Janeway: Assemble the staff. We're going to find a way to outsmart a smart bomb.
Paris: If we could shut down the force fields around Sickbay, I could get a transporter lock on it.
Seven: Even if you were successful, we can't beam it far enough from the ship to escape the blast.
Chakotay: She's right. Our best option is to disarm it.
Paris: Good luck. It's got an internal sensor array. If we try so much as to loosen a screw, boom.
Neelix: Commander, I think you should take a look at this. It's a power node I used to enhance the replicator system. I acquired it last week on a trading mission. It has transkinetic energy regulators and bioneural control circuitry. Remind you of anything?
Chakotay: Our friend in Sickbay.
Neelix: I didn't make the connection at first, but when I overheard a few of the engineers talking about the weapon I went back and I checked the schematics on this. It's the same technology.
Chakotay: Who did you acquire it from?
Neelix: A merchant named Onquanii.
Seven: Did he say where he got it?
Neelix: No, but he seemed eager to trade. Maybe he'd tell us if we made it worth his while.
Chakotay: Scan for his vessel. If you find him, send an encoded message. Tell him about our problem.
Paris: Aye, sir.
Torres: If we could tap into the holo-projectors without his knowing it we might be able to shut him down.
Kim: He changed all the access codes. The second we try to decrypt them, he'll restart the detonation sequence.
Torres: Do you have a better idea?
Kim: Yeah. Let the Captain handle it. The last thing anyone needs is my opinion.
Torres: This is no time to be feeling sorry for yourself.
Kim: Chakotay lets me make a command decision. What do I do? I beam a talking bomb on board.
Torres: The first time I commanded an away mission, I led my people into a cave that I thought was a Cardassian military installlation. Turned out I'd mistaken unstable mineral deposits for weapons signatures. There was a rock slide and we were stuck there for three days.
Kim: What did you do?
Torres: We dug ourselves out with our bare hands. Where are you going?
Kim: To dig us out.
Kim: You don't have to do this, you know.
Bomb Emh: It's what I was programmed for.
Kim: You're a sentient being. You don't have to be a slave to your programming. Look at the Doctor.
Bomb Emh: He's a tool. A holographic puppet.
Kim: That puppet saved your life. If it weren't for him you'd still be damaged and alone on that planet. He's the one that convinced me to beam you aboard. And when we discovered what you were, and some people wanted to destroy you, the Doctor defended your right to exist.
Bomb Emh: What's your point?
Kim: Even though he was only programmed to be a doctor, he's become more than that. He's made friends, he's piloted a starship, he even sings.
Bomb Emh: Despite all of his achievements, did he ever stop being a doctor?
Kim: No, but
Bomb Emh: And I can't stop being a weapon.
Kim: Look at yourself. You're already much more than that. You've got a body now, eyes to see with. The second you detonate, that'll all be over.
Bomb Emh: That's the nature of what I am.
Kim: It doesn't have to be. We can give you your own holo-matrix. You can exist for as long as you want. Accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Bomb Emh: The only thing I want to accomplish is the destruction of my target.
Kim: What is your target?
Bomb Emh: A military installlation on Salinia Prime. Grid eleven, vector nine three four one.
Kim: Tell me about it. Who's the enemy?
Bomb Emh: A ruthless, violent race that's threatening to destroy my people.
Kim: What else do you know about them? What's their planet like? Are there forests, wildlife, schools for the children of this violent race?
Bomb Emh: I'm not programmed with superfluous data.
Kim: Well, lucky for you. You're aboard Voyager now, and you have access to our scanners. Why don't we take a closer look at your target?
Bomb Emh: A military installlation, as I told you.
Kim: But it's manned.
Bomb Emh: By soldiers.
Kim: Who are going to suffer because of you. Remember when you were suffering, blind and paralyzed? Do you really want to make others go through that?
Bomb Emh: I have a duty to protect my people. I will not betray them. Now get out before I'm forced to harm you.
Torres: Nice try.
Paris: I'm reading a subspace surge off our port bow.
Chakotay: Looks like a cloaked ship.
Neelix: It could be him. Onquanii travels in a cloaked vessel.
Paris: We're being hailed. Audio only.
Chakotay: Open a channel.
Onquanii: Voyager! Good to see you again.
Neelix: And you, sir.
Onquanii: I received your message. Have you an intelligent weapon in your possession?
Neelix: Actually, we're in its possession. We're being held hostage. Do you know anything about this weapon?
Onquanii: If I'm correct, it was created by a species named the Druoda. I've studied their technology. Bring me aboard. I can assist you.
Onquanii: You've deactivated your comm. system?
Janeway: And reinforced the shielding in this section. We won't be overheard.
Onquanii: I'd have more faith in your security precautions if you weren't already at the mercy of this weapon.
Chakotay: We didn't know what it was when we brought it aboard.
Onquanii: This particular series has a class eleven intelligence factor. It's warp-capable, fully armored, self-guiding. It has a maximum range of eighty light years. It can fly through an ion storm or an armada of hostile ships and still find its target.
Janeway: Charming. How do I get it off my ship?
Onquanii: You can't. But I can. My transporter system employs a dampening field which disables the detonator until my engineers can disarm it.
Janeway: That's a generous offer. Mind if I ask what you expect in return?
Onquanii: The device itself.
Janeway: I'm not about to hand over a weapon of mass destruction to someone I just met.
Onquanii: Oh, my business is salvage, not war. I've no intention of deploying it.
Chakotay: But you might sell it to someone who does. I imagine you'd stand to make quite a profit.
Onquanii: I can make more profit by selling off it's components. The energy matrix alone can power a fleet of starships. And its intelligence core, properly reprogrammed, can assist in a variety of things, from terraforming to planetary weather control.
Janeway: All right. You can have the weapon, as long as we keep the energy matrix. That way we can be sure no one ever deploys it.
Onquanii: I'm afraid that's unacceptable. The energy matrix is one of the most valuable components.
Janeway: I'm sorry, it's not open for negotiation.
Neelix: We could offer you a few dilithium crystals in compensation.
Onquanii: That matrix worth a thousand dilithium crystals.
Neelix: What if we threw in a plasma manifold?
Onquanii: I want the entire weapon, or it remains here. Captain?
Chakotay: You seem awfully intent for someone only interested in salvage.
Janeway: I'm sorry to waste your time. We'll have to find another way to solve our problem.
Onquanii: I wish you luck.
Neelix: Sorry, Captain. I thought it would help.
Janeway: Bridge, report.
Paris: The alien vessel has opened fire. We've lost weapons and shields.
Bomb Emh: Sickbay to Captain, what's happening?
Janeway: We're under attack.
Bomb Emh: How many ships?
Janeway: One, off the port bow.
Bomb Emh: Return fire.
Janeway: We can't. Check your sensors. Our weapons are offline.
Chakotay: The forcefields around Sickbay are destabilizing. He's trying to get a transporter lock on the weapon.
Janeway: Remodulate the shields.
Chakotay: No effect.
Torres: What are you doing?
Chakotay: The weapon's sending an antimatter surge back through the transporter beam.
Chakotay: They've been destroyed.
Janeway: That wasn't necessary.
Bomb Emh: They were an enemy.
Bomb Emh: Maintain course.
Seven: I've studied the weapon's schematics. My nanoprobes can be adapted to disable its bioneural circuitry. However, I would need direct access to its primary control port.
Janeway: That means getting you into Sickbay without arousing suspicion.
Chakotay: We could access the holomatrix controls above Sickbay, disrupt the Doctor's program long enough for Seven to inject the nanoprobes.
Janeway: How much time would you need?
Seven: Approximately twenty seconds.
Janeway: Run a long range scan on that subspace minefield it warned us about. Calculate their explosive yield, what kind of damage they might do to the ship.
Tuvok: Aye, Captain.
Chakotay: What have you got in mind?
Janeway: I have a feeling we're about to run into some unexpected trouble.
Seven: We've analyzed the alien minefield and calculated the effect it would have on Voyager.
Paris: I think I can simulated the explosions with a well-timed disruption to the inertial dampers. Of course, asking me to give you a bumpy ride is like asking a virtuoso to sing off-key.
Chakotay: I'm sure you'll manage. The weapon has access to our sensors. How do we make sure it won't catch on?
Seven: We've reconfigured the sensor array to send it false telemetry. It will believe we're navigating a minefield.
Paris: At least long enough for us to get Seven to Sickbay.
Chakotay: How?
Paris: Medical emergency.
Seven: I intend to suffer third-degree plasma burns during our encounter with the mines.
Neelix: That's where I come in. Chief Cosmetics officer, at your service.
Chakotay: Another hidden talent, Neelix?
Neelix: I know my way around a dermal regenerator. I should be able to simulate a convincing wound.
Chakotay: Okay, we get her inside. Then what?
Seven: Commander Tuvok will be in position to disrupt the Doctor's program. Once that happens, I will inject the nanoprobes and disable the weapon.
Chakotay: I'll inform the Captain. Get started.
Paris: Do well on this mission, Neelix, and maybe the Captain will promote you to Senior Beautician.
Bomb Emh: Assist me.
Kim: With what?
Bomb Emh: I'm trying to identify the malfunction that caused me to crash, but several of my memory files are still damaged. Restore them.
Torres: We tried helping it before and look where that got us.
Kim: When taken captive by a hostile force, seek out any opportunity to engage the assailant. Didn't you ever read the officers' manual? Section one twenty six.
Torres: I don't think Starfleet diplomacy is going to work this time. If we cooperate, we'll be giving it the advantage.
Kim: If there's even a chance that we can convince it to change its mind
Torres: It's a bomb, Harry.
Kim: A sentient bomb.
Bomb Emh: I said, assist me!
Kim: Where do we start?
Bomb Emh: There are several disruptions in my memory index, including a three minute thirty seven second gap just prior to the crash.
Torres: A recursive search algorithm might retrieve the missing data. There. You received a subspace transmission. A command to alter course and head toward the planet surface.
Kim: Looks like your landing wasn't an accident.
Bomb Emh: It was an attempt by the enemy to divert me from my target.
Torres: No, your access codes are encrypted.
Bomb Emh: They must have developed an infiltration code.
Kim: What if it wasn't the enemy?
Bomb Emh: Who else would try to divert me?
Kim: Correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the same duotronic algorithms that you use to communicate with.
Bomb Emh: My own people wouldn't try to stop me.
Kim: Maybe they changed their mind.
Bomb Emh: The enemy is ruthless. My target is a threat. Why would my people call off the assault?
Kim: If we clear up some more of these memory files, maybe we'll find out.
Bomb Emh: Your assistance is no longer required.
Torres: What's wrong? You afraid you might find out you're not supposed to destroy that installlation?
Kim: Let us finish the job. Then you can decide what you want to do with the information.
Bomb Emh: Proceed.
Kim: Does the name Strategic Command Matrix mean anything to you?
Bomb Emh: That's my control center. They ordered my launch.
Kim: Well, it looks like your orders were rescinded. See for yourself.
Bomb Emh: All long range tactical armor units. Terminate mission immediately.
Kim: Keep reading.
Bomb Emh: It says the war is over. It ended nearly three years ago. My launch was a mistake. There was a malfunction in one of the command sensors. It activated a series of launch sequencers. My people managed to shut most of them down, but thirty four weapons were fired. Including me.
Kim: I guess this means you can disarm yourself now.
Bomb Emh: No. There's no confirmation code here. We avoided the enemy's minefield so they're trying to deceive us.
Torres: The confirmation could be in one of your damaged memory files.
Bomb Emh: Or maybe it was you. Deceiving me to implement your pacifist philosophy.
Kim: That's not true.
Bomb Emh: You lied to me before. Why should I trust you now?
Torres: You don't have to trust us. Just access those files.
Bomb Emh: No! I am programmed to destroy my target. I will complete my mission!
Kim: If the war is over, you could end up starting another one. How many of your people will die then?
Bomb Emh: Sickbay to Bridge.
Bomb Emh: Report.
Janeway: We've run into a subspace mine. We had to drop out of warp.
Bomb Emh: There shouldn't be mines along this course.
Chakotay: We're detecting thousands of them scattered throughout the region.
Janeway: We're plotting a new course to avoid them.
Bomb Emh: Transmit it to me. This trajectory will delay us for two days.
Kim: That'll give you time to confirm that the war is over.
Bomb Emh: No! Proceed as planned! I'm programming a shield enhancement
Bomb Emh: That will protect Voyager.
Janeway: I'm still going to have to reduce speed.
Bomb Emh: Agreed. But only until we've cleared the minefield.
Janeway: Maintain course, Mister Paris. One quarter impulse. Think he bought it?
Chakotay: He seemed to.
Janeway: Let's give him another good shake, just to be sure.
Paris: Yes, ma'am.
Kim: That was another mine.
Bomb Emh: The shields will hold.
Tuvok: Tuvok to bridge. I have accessed the holo-matrix.
Janeway: Acknowledged.
Janeway: Janeway to Neelix. Casualty report.
Neelix: I'm putting the finishing touches on Seven's plasma burn and it looks pretty authentic, if I do say so myself.
Janeway: Good work. Stand by.
Janeway: Time to hit another mine, Tom a big one. Commander, blow out the plasma relays on deck six.
Janeway: Janeway to Sickbay. We have heavy casualties.
Bomb Emh: Maintain heading and speed.
Janeway: That's going to be difficult. Our Astrometrics officer has been injured. She's the one who's been guiding us through the minefield.
Bomb Emh: Replace her.
Janeway: Seven of Nine's abilities are unique. We're not going to get past
Janeway: These mines without her.
Bomb Emh: Then treat her injuries and send her back to her post.
Janeway: She has third degree plasma burns. She needs to go to Sickbay to be treated. If you want to reach your target you're going to have to wait.
Bomb Emh: All right, Captain. But I'm warning you. No deceptions.
Janeway: Janeway to Neelix. Go.
Bomb Emh: Treat her as quickly as possible.
Chakotay: They're in.
Tuvok: Now, Tuvok.
Bomb Emh: Bridge, my holo-matrix is destabilizing. Why?
Janeway: We took damage to our secondary systems.
Bomb Emh: Repair them. Now! Or I'll activate the detonation sequence.
Janeway: Stand by.
Torres: What's going on?
Neelix: She's trying to defuse the weapon.
Neelix: Seven! She's going into neural shock. Help me.
Bomb Emh: Sickbay to Bridge. Your attempt to disable me did not succeed. I am designed to repel any
Bomb Emh: Assault on my bioneural circuitry.
Janeway: We've tried to reason with you. You left me no choice.
Bomb Emh: And you leave me
Bomb Emh: No choice. You and your crew will abandon Voyager immediately.
Janeway: No deal.
Bomb Emh: This is not a negotiation! Comply or I will detonate!
Janeway: Go ahead. Do it.
Bomb Emh: Everyone on board will be killed!
Janeway: But no one else will.
Paris: Captain, thirty two vessels just dropped out of warp off our port bow.
Janeway: On screen.
Tuvok: One of them is transmitting a message to the Doctor.
Janeway: Bridge to Sickbay. We've got company. Thirty two
Janeway: Self-guided weapons.
Bomb Emh: They detected my presence aboard your vessel. They say my target is essential. They altered course to ensure that I reach it. They are ordering me to transport off your vessel.
Bomb Emh: They will tractor me to my target.
Janeway: Mister Kim, reintegrate its neural matrix, and
Janeway: Prepare to beam it off
Kim: We can't do that, Captain.
Janeway: Explain.
Kim: These weapons were fired by accident. We can't let them reach their targets.
Bomb Emh: Enough! Captain, order him to proceed.
Janeway: Harry, what are you talking about?
Kim: Captain, I need
Kim: A minute. You're making a mistake. Your own people tried to disarm you
Bomb Emh: I cannot be certain of that.
Kim: Yes, you can. You can check your memory files. Look for the confirmation code.
Bomb Emh: No more delays.
Kim: Check the files.
Bomb Emh: Reintegrate my matrix!
Kim: No!
Janeway: Do what Harry says or you're not leaving this ship.
Bomb Emh: You're in no position to give me orders.
Janeway: If you detonate now, you'll destroy yourself and your companions. Is that what you want?
Kim: The confirmation code.
Bomb Emh: Coding intersequence four four three, vector three nine one two one. Cessation of hostilities confirmed. Unauthorized launch confirmed. Order to terminate mission confirmed.
Kim: You must disarm yourself and tell the others to stand down.
Bomb Emh: It's a deception.
Kim: This code of yours uses a modulating algorithm. It would be almost impossible to duplicate.
Bomb Emh: The enemy is ruthless. They are violent.
Kim: Have you ever met the enemy? You're just spouting propaganda, what you've been programmed to believe.
Bomb Emh: I have a directive.
Kim: It's been countermanded!
Bomb Emh: I am a series five, long range tactical armor unit designed to traverse enemy space and circumvent all attempts to deter me.
Kim: You're a sentient being.
Bomb Emh: I have a duty to protect my people, to destroy my target.
Kim: You've been programmed with intelligence so you could make decisions on your own. Well, it's time to make one. Countless lives are at stake. Ever since you took the Doctor's form you've been learning what it's like to be one of us. Now, try to imagine what it's like to be one of your victims. Your first victim. You've seen her suffering. Increase that by a factor of one million, ten million, and that's how much suffering you'll cause if you don't end this.
Bomb Emh: They're asking why I haven't left your ship.
Kim: Tell them.
Bomb Emh: I'm transmitting our orders to terminate the mission. They also received those orders, but they had already crossed the targeting threshold. Once we're within two light years of our target we cannot be diverted.
Kim: Tell them the war's over.
Bomb Emh: I did.
Kim: Tell them you got the message before you crossed the threshold, when you were on the planet surface.
Bomb Emh: They don't believe me.
Kim: It's up to you to make them understand.
Bomb Emh: They only understand their directive. They won't listen. Reintegrate my neural matrix and return me to the others.
Kim: We won't do that.
Bomb Emh: I have no intention of proceeding to my target. I will stop them.
Kim: How?
Bomb Emh: I am a weapon of mass destruction. You want me to see past my programming. Then you must try to see past your doubts.
Kim: B'Elanna, give me a hand. Bridge, lock onto the weapon. Prepare to beam it into space.
Janeway: Harry, what's going on?
Kim: Captain, no time to explain. Just trust me on this one.
Janeway: I hear you loud and clear, Ensign. Do it.
Torres: I've reconfigured the bioneural matrix.
Kim: Ready? I'm sorry.
Bomb Emh: I am simply completing my mission. Only the target has changed.
Torres: Transfer complete.
Emh: Please state the nature of the. What happened? How long was I offline?
Torres: We'll explain later. Seven needs your help.
Kim: Bridge, energize.
Chakotay: They've gone into warp.
Janeway: Maintain long range sensors.
Tuvok: I'm detecting a series of antimatter explosions.
Chakotay: In proximity to what?
Tuvok: No ships. No planets. Nothing.
Janeway: Bridge to Ensign Kim. The weapons have been destroyed.
Kim: Anyone home?
Emh: Ensign. Feeling well I hope?
Kim: Perfect. On my way to the Bridge for another night shift. I came by to check on Seven.
Emh: You just missed her.
Kim: What's her prognosis?
Emh: She'll need another week of regeneration, but I expect she'll make a full recovery.
Kim: Good news.
Emh: Considering I was responsible for her injuries, you can imagine my relief.
Kim: Well, you weren't exactly yourself at the time.
Emh: That's not what I mean. I was the one who asked you to bring that device aboard in the first place. I even argued with the Captain to keep it aboard after we learned what it was.
Kim: It was an artificial intelligence, like you. But I have to admit, his personality made you seem like Mister Congeniality. Look, Doc, the truth is I never would have gotten through to him without you.
Emh: From what I've heard, I wasn't much help.
Kim: You were. I held you up as an example of how an artificial intelligence could exceed its programming. I didn't realize how true that was until today.
Emh: It seems your strategy worked. Thank you.
Kim: I'd better get to the bridge. You never know when Ensign Kim will be called upon to take command again.
Emh: Voyager could do worse.
Kim: Helm, status?
Jenkins: Current speed, warp five, heading oh twenty one, mark three.
Kim: Anything on long range sensors?
Jenkins: Nothing to report.
Kim: As you were.
Jenkins: Permission to speak freely, sir.
Kim: Why would tonight be any different?
Jenkins: People have been talking about you.
Kim: Oh?
Jenkins: Rumor has it you were the one who outsmarted the smart bomb.
Kim: Well, not exactly. I made First Contact with a sentient being. All I did was help it understand a few things. The rest was up to him.
Jenkins: Understood. Actually, I've been authorized by the junior staff to thank you for keeping us in one piece.
Kim: You're welcome. Any time. Do me a favor?
Jenkins: Of course, sir.
Kim: No more distress calls. At least not tonight.


Ransom: Stay on your course.
Burke: Shields are down to twenty nine percent. They're breaking through.
Ransom: Let them.
Burke: Sir?
Ransom: Take the shields offline and recharge the emitters. That'll bring them up to full power.
Burke: The charging cycle takes forty five seconds. We'll be vulnerable.
Ransom: We'll be dead if we don't get the shields back up. Arm yourselves! Drop shields. Recharge cycle?
Burke: Thirty seconds.
Ransom: There!
Ransom: Time?
Burke: Ten seconds.
Ransom: Federation Starship Equinox. We're under attack. We need assistance. This is Captain Ransom of the Federation Starship Equinox. We're under attack. We need assistance.
Janeway: Ransom. He was in command of a science vessel. The Equinox.
Seven: This distress call was transmitted approximately fourteen hours ago
Chakotay: Distance?
Seven: Three point two light years.
Janeway: Try to get a fix on their location.
Chakotay: What's it doing in the Delta Quadrant?
Seven: Perhaps it's searching for Voyager.
Janeway: The Equinox is a Nova class ship. It was designed for planetary research, not long range tactical missions.
Seven: I've got their coordinates. Heading two five eight mark twelve.
Janeway: Set a course, maximum warp. Go to red alert. Hang on, Captain.
Seven: Did you know this individual?
Janeway: Only by reputation.
Janeway: He was an exobiologist, promoted to Captain after he made first contact with the Yridians.
Seven: Species six two nine one. The Collective determined that they were extinct.
Janeway: So did the Federation. Ransom proved otherwise. I always wanted to meet him. Too bad it won't be under better circumstances.
Seven: I look forward to meeting him as well, and his crew. I wish to expand my knowledge of humanity.
Janeway: Let's hope you get the chance.
Paris: Approaching the coordinates.
Janeway: Take us out of warp.
Kim: I've got them. Two thousand kilometers off the port bow. They're moving at low impulse.
Janeway: Intercept. Can you get a visual?
Tuvok: They are heavily damaged. Multiple hull breaches. Warp drive is offline.
Neelix: What's happening to their shields?
Torres: They're being disrupted by some kind of energy surges.
Paris: Weapons fire?
Tuvok: There are no other ships in the vicinity.
Kim: We're in hailing range.
Janeway: Open a channel. This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. We're responding to your
Ransom: Voyager, you've got to extend your shields around our ship! Match the emitter frequency!
Janeway: Are you under attack?
Ransom: Shields, quickly!
Janeway: Do it.
Paris: We're in position.
Tuvok: I am attempting to match their shield frequency.
Emh: Do you hear something?
Seven: Interspatial fissure are opening on decks ten, six and one.
Janeway: Tuvok!
Tuvok: Stand by. Shields are holding.
Chakotay: The fissures?
Seven: No sign of them.
Janeway: Voyager to Ransom. Captain? Assemble rescue teams. Secure the Equinox. Tuvok, you're with me.
Chakotay: Hello? Is there anyone here? See if you can bring main power online. Tom.
Chakotay: What happened?
Paris: Some kind of thermolytic reaction. It's desiccated every cell in that body.
Torres: Commander. I can't make heads or tails of this injector manifold, and it looks like the dilithium matrix has been completely redesigned.
Chakotay: We'll try to find one of their engineers to help us. In the meantime, see if you can bypass the core.
Torres: Aye, sir.
Chakotay: Hang on.
Chakotay: I'm Commander Chakotay, U.S.S. Voyager.
Gilmore: But, but we're the only humans in the Delta Quadrant.
Chakotay: That's what we used to think. Come on.
Kim: Over here. Hang on. We're getting you out of here.
Lessing: I don't believe we've met.
Kim: Ensign Kim, and this is Seven of Nine. I have to cut him out with a plasma torch. Talk to him, keep him calm.
Seven: State your name.
Lessing: Lessing, Noah. What are you doing on this side of the galaxy?
Seven: The answer is complicated.
Lessing: Do me a favor? See if my legs are still there. I haven't felt them in two days.
Seven: Your limbs are intact.
Lessing: Thank you.
Kim: Seven, give me hand.
Seven: Do not be frightened.
Lessing: Too late for that.
Neelix: I'm picking up lifesigns. Hello? Is there anyone here?
Crewman: No!
Neelix: We're here to help you.
Crewman: Take cover! We're under attack!
Neelix: Neelix to Sickbay.
Emh: Sickbay here.
Neelix: We found another survivor. His wounds are not serious but he's suffering from psychological distress.
Emh: Acknowledged.
Ransom: My crew?
Janeway: You took heavy casualties. We're treating the survivors. Who attacked you?
Ransom: We don't know. We can't communicate with them. They've been attacking us for weeks.
Janeway: Easy, easy.
Ransom: I've got to secure the ship,
Janeway: Leave that to us.
Ransom: No, treat me here. I'm not leaving my bridge.
Janeway: I can't pull rank on you, Captain, but you're in no condition to put up a fight.
Ransom: So, how's Earth?
Janeway: I wish I could say.
Ransom: You weren't sent here to find us?
Janeway: I'm afraid not. We've been stranded in the Delta Quadrant for five years. We were pulled here against our will by an alien called
Both: The Caretaker.
Janeway: We'll compare notes later on. Let's get you to Voyager.
Ransom: We're here to commemorate our honored dead. Lieutenant William Yates, Lieutenant John Molar, Ensign Dorothy Chang, Ensign Edward Regis and Crewman David Amantes, who all served with distinction. Their bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten. They will be missed, but now there is cause for optimism. Captain Janeway, Voyager, on behalf of my crew, thank you.
Janeway: We'll have time to give the newest members of our family a proper welcome in the days ahead, but right now, we've got our hands full. The Equinox is secure, but its primary systems are still badly damaged. Harry, B'Elanna, make it your priority. Captain Ransom has provided us with data regarding the alien attacks. Tuvok, Seven, you'll be working with First Officer Maxwell Burke. To kindred spirits. May our journey home together be swift. Dismissed.
Tuvok: We should begin by familiarizing you with Voyager's defenses.
Burke: Can you give me a minute? There's someone I'd like to say hello to first.
Seven: We'll be in the Astrometrics lab. Deck eight, section twenty nine.
Burke: See you there.
Burke: BLT.
Torres: Max. I tried to say hello in Sickbay but you were sedated.
Burke: I remember. I thought I was dreaming. So, where's my sweater. The blue one? Class insignia on the back?
Torres: We went to the Academy together.
Paris: Ah.
Burke: Maxwell Burke.
Paris: Tom Paris.
Kim: Harry Kim. Welcome aboard.
Torres: First Officer, impressive. The last time we talked you were about to drop out of Starfleet.
Burke: I heard you beat me to it. The Maquis?
Torres: For a while. Until I ran into these two.
Paris: And it's been hell ever since.
Burke: Well, I told your resident Vulcan I'd be right with him. Are you free later? I'd love to catch up.
Torres: Why don't we all have dinner together?
Burke: Sounds great.
Paris: BLT?
Torres: Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. It was a nickname.
Paris: A nickname?
Torres: My initials.
Paris: Oh, how romantic.
Torres: We broke up over ten years ago. No need to go to red alert.
Paris: How about yellow alert?
Torres: You're cute when you're jealous.
Paris: Who's jealous?
Torres: See you on the Equinox.
Kim: Well, Turkey Platter, what do you say we go to work?
Paris: Who's jealous?
Gilmore: Commander? I've been assigned to one of the repair crews on the Equinox, and I was wondering if I could join a different team. Maybe one on Voyager.
Chakotay: Problem?
Gilmore: Just a little post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Chakotay: Bad memories?
Gilmore: A few.
Chakotay: Actually, I could use someone with your engineering abilities.
Gilmore: Well, thank you. Such a clean ship. I mean, I'm used to falling bulkheads and missing deck plates.
Chakotay: In a few weeks you won't even recognize the Equinox. You'll be happy to go back.
Gilmore: Unless I stay. You said you could use someone with my engineering abilities.
Chakotay: I don't think your Captain would appreciate that. He's got a skeleton crew as it is.
Chakotay: Engineering's five decks down. It's a long crawl through the Jefferies tubes. Deck eleven.
Gilmore: I haven't set foot in a turbolift in over three months.
Chakotay: Claustrophobia?
Gilmore: If one of those fissures opened up in here, where would we take cover?
Chakotay: It's only a graviton relay. Nothing to worry about.
Gilmore: Do I look worried? Emergency stop!
Gilmore: If you don't mind I think I'd rather take the Jefferies tube.
Chakotay: I could use the exercise.
Seven: I've run a thermographic analysis of our shields. It revealed multiple stress points. We believe they're the result of alien attempts to infiltrate our vessels. Each time a fissure opens within a meter of our shields it weakens them by point three percent.
Janeway: At the present rate, we have less than two days to mount a defense.
Seven: According to your bio-scans the aliens can survive in our realm for only several seconds.
Ransom: They're like fish out of water, but they can do a lot of damage in those seconds.
Tuvok: Nevertheless, it is a tactical weakness. Perhaps we can exploit it.
Burke: What have you got in mind?
Seven: If we can show them we have the ability to hold them here, they'll think twice before launching another attack.
Janeway: But the question is, how do we catch these fish?
Burke: You build a net.
Janeway: Commander?
Burke: A multiphasic force field to be exact. We wanted to see what we were up against so we built a small chamber that could keep one of them trapped for several minutes.
Janeway: If we could expand on that technology, we might be able to create a lattice work of multiphasic forcefields around both ships.
Burke: Rudy?
Ransom: If Captain Janeway agrees.
Janeway: We'll need to examine that stasis chamber.
Ransom: I'm afraid that won't be possible. It's in our research lab. That whole section was flooded with thermionic radiation during the last attack. It'll be days before anyone can go in there.
Burke: The design schematics are in our auxiliary datacore.
Ransom: I'll see if I can download them. You give me a hand?
Janeway: I couldn't help but notice your crew calls you by your first name.
Ransom: When you've been in the trenches as long as we have, rank and protocol are luxuries. Besides, we're a long way from Starfleet Command.
Janeway: I know the feeling.
Ransom: You seem to run a pretty tight ship.
Janeway: We've been known to let our hair down from time to time. But I find that maintaining protocol reminds us of where we came from and hopefully, where we're going.
Ransom: It seems to work quite well for you.
Janeway: Oh, we've overcome our share of obstacles, Warp core breaches, ion storms, a few rounds with the Borg
Ransom: The Borg? We haven't seen so much as a Cube since the day we arrived.
Janeway: Consider yourself lucky.
Ransom: Have you ever run into the Krowtonan Guard?
Janeway: Never heard of them.
Ransom: That's how we spent our first week in the Delta Quadrant. They claimed we violated their territory. I gave the order to keep going. I lost thirty nine. Half my crew.
Janeway: I'm sorry.
Ransom: We never recovered from that loss. It changed everything.
Janeway: What do you mean?
Ransom: When I first realized that we'd be traveling across the Delta Quadrant for the rest of our lives, I told my crew that we had a duty as Starfleet officers to expand our knowledge and uphold our principles. After a couple of years, we started to forget that we were explorers. And there were times when we nearly forgot that we were human beings.
Janeway: This is a Nova class science vessel, designed for short term research missions. Minimal weapons. It can't even go faster than warp eight. Frankly, I don't know how you've done it. You've obviously traveled as far as we have with much fewer resources.
Ransom: I wish that I could take all the credit, but we stumbled across a wormhole, and made a few enhancements on our warp engines. I'd like to ask you something, Captain to Captain.
Janeway: Mmm hmm.
Ransom: The Prime Directive. How often have you broken it for the sake of protecting your crew?
Janeway: Broken it? Never. Bent it on occasion. And even then it was a difficult choice. What about you?
Ransom: I've walked the line once or twice, but nothing serious. There you are.
Janeway: It's a good omen. Let's put it back where it belongs.
Ransom: I thought I'd find you here.
Burke: How could I resist after two years on emergency rations?
Ransom: Don't get too comfortable. If Janeway's any indication, these people will never understand.
Burke: They're going to find out eventually.
Ransom: Not if we keep them out of the research lab, and away from the warp core injectors. And be careful what you say around their crew. That includes old girlfriends.
Burke: Understood.
Ransom: Mmm. Not bad.
Lessing: How's my angel of mercy?
Seven: Crewman Lessing. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly.
Lessing: You have an outstanding EMH. Ours can barely hold a laser scalpel.
Seven: The Doctor is efficient.
Lessing: I've been assigned to help you sort through our bio-data. You saved my life. The least I can do is save you a little time.
Tuvok: Lateral shields are offline.
Chakotay: How's that possible?
Kim: Fissures are opening on decks one, eight and eleven.
Chakotay: Reroute power.
Kim: What happened?
Tuvok: Apparently, the aliens began to focus their attacks on a single shield vector. It collapsed before the auxiliary emitters could respond.
Chakotay: It looks like they've changed their tactics. We may have less time than we thought.
Seven: We've examined the schematics of your multiphasic chamber. It can be adapted. We intend to create an auto-initiating security grid.
Tuvok: The moment an alien invades either ship, a forcefield will surround it.
Seven: Once we modify our field generator to emit multiphasic frequencies, it will power the security grids on both ships.
Janeway: How long will it take?
Tuvok: Approximately fourteen hours.
Gilmore: We don't know when they'll break through again. We may not last that long.
Chakotay: We could cut the time in half if we evacuate all personnel from the Equinox and focus our efforts here on Voyager.
Ransom: Remember, we are still thirty five thousand light years from Earth. We should try to preserve both ships.
Burke: With two vessels we'd be able to pool our resources, doubling our chances of finding a short cut home.
Janeway: Normally I'd agree, but right now one of our ships in vulnerable. Chakotay's right. We should make our stand on Voyager.
Ransom: I don't want to force the issue. But I am prepared to return to the Equinox with my crew. What is the protocol in this situation? We have two Captains and two ships. Who gets the last word?
Janeway: Starfleet Regulation one hundred ninety one, Article fourteen. In a combat situation involving more than one ship, command falls to the vessel with tactical superiority. I looked it up this morning.
Ransom: Good thinking.
Janeway: In this case, protocol recognizes my authority.
Ransom: Are you ordering me to abandon my ship?
Janeway: I'd rather not have to.
Ransom: That protocol was written in the Alpha Quadrant. I'm not sure that it makes much sense out here.
Janeway: The regulation stands.
Ransom: Who am I to dispute protocol? Give Captain Janeway your full cooperation.
Burke: Rudy.
Ransom: Max, that's an order. We'll get through this. If that's all, Captain, I'd like to return to my quarters and collect a few mementoes.
Janeway: By all means.
Torres: Intruder alert. Same old Max, going through my things. That is a command station. It's off limits without my direct authorisation.
Burke: I didn't realize. Are you going to throw me in the Brig?
Torres: I think we can overlook this infraction. Can I help you with something?
Burke: Just doing some homework, studying your propulsion system. If there's a chance I'm going to be stuck on Voyager. I figured I better learn my way around. Maybe you could tutor me over dinner?
Torres: Problem is, you were never really interested in the work, or the meal. Something tells me you haven't changed.
Burke: You'd be surprised. I'm not the. What did you once call me?
Torres: PetaQ.
Burke: PetaQ. I'm not the petaQ I used to be. Let me prove it to you.
Torres: Look, Max, don't get me wrong, it's good to see you again, but ten years.
Burke: Tom Paris.
Torres: Tom Paris.
Burke: You could do worse. So, we're still on for dinner? Just the two of us?
Torres: Get going, or I will throw you in the Brig.
Chakotay: Before we abandon the Equinox, we should try to salvage any useful components. Let's start with your dilithium crystals.
Gilmore: What we have left of them. I'm afraid we only have a few isograms.
Kim: That's barely enough to power the sonic showers.
Gilmore: Can I make a suggestion?
Chakotay: Please.
Gilmore: Let's forget about the primary systems. They're too badly damaged. Let's focus on supplies. We picked up a few items I think might come in handy. Two kilotons of kemacite ore, a dozen canisters of mercurium.
Chakotay: Tell Neelix to make room in Cargo Bay one.
Kim: Right.
Gilmore: Could you use a synaptic stimulator?
Chakotay: Depends. What is it? '
Gilmore: It's a neural interface you wear behind your ear. It taps into your visual cortex and shows you different alien vistas. Just think of it as a poor man's holodeck.
Kim: So that's how you kept yourself entertained.
Gilmore: Beats checkers. The Ponea gave it to us.
Chakotay: Never heard of them.
Gilmore: We called them the life of the Delta Quadrant. They see every First Contact as an excuse to throw a party. I wish that we had encountered more species like that. You're the first friendly faces we've seen in months. I'm glad we found you.
Chakotay: The feeling's mutual. Those modified plasma injectors looked elaborate. What were you trying to do?
Gilmore: We were experimenting with ways to enhance our warp drive. It doesn't work.
Kim: Maybe we should let B'Elanna take a look.
Gilmore: It won't work. We tried for months.
Naomi: Excuse me.
Gilmore: Oh, hello there.
Naomi: Commander, permission to interrupt?
Chakotay: Granted.
Naomi: Ensign Gilmore.
Gilmore: That's right.
Naomi: Naomi Wildman, Captain's Assistant.
Gilmore: Is that so?
Naomi: I wanted to officially welcome you aboard the Starship Voyager.
Gilmore: I'm glad to be here.
Naomi: If you need anything, replicator rations, a tour of the lower decks, I'm your man.
Gilmore: Thank you, Miss Wildman. I'll keep that in mind.
Naomi: As you were.
Gilmore: I didn't realize that you had children on board.
Kim: Only one. She was born here.
Gilmore: I have a nephew back on Earth the same age. Well, not any more. I guess he's a teenager by now. I probably wouldn't even recognize him.
Chakotay: You'll see him again.
Ransom: Ransom to Gilmore.
Gilmore: Yes, Captain.
Ransom: Report to the Equinox bridge.
Gilmore: On my way. Duty calls.
Chakotay: Assemble a salvage team.
Kim: Aye, sir.
Burke: Once we take their field generator, we'll part company.
Gilmore: What happens to Voyager?
Burke: They have weapons, shields, a full crew. They'll survive.
Lessing: Maybe we should abandon ship. Try to forget everything that's happened here.
Ransom: A shower and a hot meal. I guess that's all it takes for some of us to forget what's at stake here. We're going home, We can't let Voyager stop us now. Not when we're this close. Now we're proceeding as planned. Are there any other objections? I need each and every one of you to give me your very best, as you always have. Max.
Burke: This won't be easy. The generator is located on deck eleven, next to the warp plasma manifold. We can't get a clean lock without boosting the signal. Marla, we need you to set aside your claustrophobia and crawl through the access port, and set up the transport enhancers.
Gilmore: Understood.
Burke: We'll have to take the internal sensors in that section offline. Noah, you're elected.
Lessing: You can count on me, sir.
Burke: I'll disengage the power couplings from Engineering.
Ransom: You'll all have time for one last shower. Make the most of it.
Seven: There's a minor fluctuation in the security grid.
Tuvok: It's within tolerance.
Seven: I believe I can correct it. The diskrepancy is in the Equinox research lab. If we can determine the exact frequency of their multiphasic chamber, I will tune our field generator to match it.
Tuvok: There are times when perfection hinders efficiency.
Seven: This is odd. The lab is still permeated with high levels of thermionic radiation.
Tuvok: It should have dissipated by now.
Seven: I believe I have an explanation. Three EPS conduits have been rerouted to the lab. It appears they are emitting the radiation.
Tuvok: The lab was contaminated intentionally.
Janeway: Any theories?
Tuvok: Only one. Ransom doesn't want us to enter the research lab.
Janeway: He has been adamant about protecting his ship. I thought it was simply a captain's pride. I want to take a closer look at that lab. If we close off those EPS conduits, how long will it take to vent the radiation?
Seven: Several hours.
Janeway: I don't want to wait that long. Send the Doctor. He'll be immune to its effects. Tell him to look for anything out of the ordinary. Monitor his progress from Astrometrics.
Tuvok: Shall I notify Captain Ransom?
Janeway: Not yet. I want to wait until we test your theory.
Emh: I'm in. I've found the multiphasic chamber. There's some kind of organic mass inside. It appears to be a member of the alien species.
Emh: But it's cell structures have vitrified.
Emh: This is more that just a stasis chamber, it's some kind of matter conversion technology. Hold on, there's a control port here. Hmm.
Tuvok: Doctor?
Emh: The chamber contains a polaron grid
Emh: And a submolecular resequencer. It looks like it was designed to convert the alien cell structures into some kind of crystalline compound.
Seven: That function was not specified in their schematics.
Emh: I've a feeling there's a lot here they didn't specify. I've accessed their research logs. They're encrypted, but judging by the file headings, they've performed this procedure dozens of times. More of the alien compound, but it's been biochemically altered. They've extracted the base proteins. Its molecular structure is most unusual.
Tuvok: Can you be more specific?
Emh: It appears to store a great deal of
Emh: Nucleogenic energy. I'm no engineer, but I'd say they were trying to convert this material into a source of power.
Burke: I'm going to miss this ship.
Ransom: Once we get back to Earth, there'll be plenty of women. Status?
Burke: Ready on all fronts. The transport enhancers are in place and Noah's created a subroutine to mask Voyager's internal sensors.
Ransom: Power couplings?
Burke: Bypass controls have been routed to our bridge. All you need to do is say energize.
Ransom: Janeway wants to bring on the security grid at nineteen hundred hours. We'll have to act before then. Tell the others to be prepared to.
Ransom: Max, the transporter room's not far from here. Keep moving.
Tuvok: Captain Janeway wishes to speak with you.
Janeway: The alien compound. Ten isograms. If I understand your calculations, that's enough to increase your warp factor by what, point zero three percent for one month? Unfortunately, that boost wouldn't get you very far, so you'd need to replenish the supply and that means killing another lifeform. And then another. How many lives would it take to get you back to the Alpha quadrant? I think you know the reason we're under attack. These aliens are trying to protect themselves from you.
Ransom: Sixty three. That's how many more it will take. Every time I sacrifice one of those lives, a part of me is lost as well.
Janeway: I might believe that if I hadn't examined your research. These experiments were meticulous and they were brutal. If you'd felt any remorse, you'd never have continued.
Ransom: Starfleet regulation three, paragraph twelve. In the event of imminent destruction, a captain is authorized to preserve the lives of his crew by any justifiable means.
Janeway: I doubt that protocol covers mass murder.
Ransom: In my judgment, it did.
Janeway: Unacceptable.
Ransom: We had nothing. My ship was in pieces. Our dilithium was gone. We were running on thrusters, We hadn't eaten in sixteen days. We had just enough power to enter orbit of an M class planet. And lucky for us, the inhabitants were generous.
Ransom: They were called the Ankari. They provided us with a meal, a few supplies, even some dilithium crystals. They even performed one of their sacred rituals to invoke spirits of good fortune from another realm to bless our journey. But these weren't spirits, they were nucleogenic life forms. Our scans revealed that they were emitting high levels of antimatter. Later the same night we managed to obtain one of the summoning devices in exchange for an energy converter.
Ransom: We constructed a containment field that would prevent the lifeform from vanishing so quickly, but something went wrong.
Ransom: Get it out of there.
Ransom: We tried to send it back.
Burke: We can't.
Ransom: But it was too late.
Ransom: We examined the remains and discovered it could be converted to enhance our propulsion systems. It was already dead. What would you have done? We traveled over ten thousand light years in less than two weeks. We'd found our salvation. How could we ignore it?
Janeway: By adhering to the oath you took as Starfleet officers to seek out life, not destroy it.
Ransom: It's easy to cling to principles when you're standing on a vessel with its bulkheads intact, manned by a crew that's not starving.
Janeway: It's never easy. But if we turn our backs on our principles, we stop being human. I'm putting an end to your experiments and you are hereby relieved of your command. You and your crew will be confined to quarters.
Ransom: Please, show them leniency. They were only following my orders.
Janeway: Their mistake.
Ransom: It's a long way home, Captain.
Janeway: Doctor, return to their research lab and retrieve all the data you can locate on the aliens. I want to find a way to communicate with them.
Emh: Aye, Captain.
Janeway: Go to their engine room. Take those warp core modifications offline.
Chakotay: Captain?
Janeway: Let's try to make First Contact the right way.
Gilmore: What's going to happen to us?
Chakotay: That's up to Captain Janeway. You'll be confined to quarters until we can find a way to make peace with these lifeforms you've been killing. If it's not too late.
Gilmore: To be honest, I'm glad you stopped us. Living the rest of my life knowing what we've done
Chakotay: You could have stopped yourself. Why didn't you?
Gilmore: I don't know. When the Captain ordered me to modify the warp core, I concentrated on the work. I tried not to think about how it was going to be used.
Chakotay: Well, think about it now, because we need your help.
Gilmore: Commander?
Chakotay: After you.
Chakotay: We're having trouble making sense of all this.
Seven: The schematics are encrypted. I can't access them.
Chakotay: Do you know the decryption codes? Your captain's been relieved of command. You take orders from me now. Do you have the codes?
Gilmore: Yes.
Seven: Proceed.
Chakotay: Think of it this way, Ensign. You might live with yourself a little easier.
Gilmore: You said you wanted to learn more about humanity. I guess we're not exactly prized examples. I'm sorry.
Seven: On the contrary. You've taught me a great deal.
Emh: Computer, I decrypted this data file. Why can't I access it?
Computer: EMH authorisation is required.
Emh: Is your EMH still functional?
Computer: Affirmative.
Emh: Activate him. E-
Emh: Please state the nature of the medical emergency.
Emh: I require your assistance. E-
Emh: Who are you?
Emh: Your counterpart from the Starship Voyager. E-
Emh: Where's Captain Ransom? My crew?
Emh: In custody. E-
Emh: How were you able to leave your Sickbay?
Emh: This device allows me to go anywhere I please. In case you weren't aware, your crew has been running criminal experiments here. E-
Emh: I know. I designed them.
Emh: You? That's a violation of your programming. E-
Emh: They deleted my ethical subroutines.
Kim: I'm picking up spatial fissures. Hundreds of them.
Paris: Looks like they've stepped up their attacks.
Janeway: Reroute all available power to the shields.
Chakotay: They're holding, but at this rate it won't be long before the aliens break through.
Janeway: Bridge to Tuvok. We need that security grid.
Tuvok: We're preparing to bring it online. Charge the emitters.
Janeway: Bridge to the Doctor. E-
Emh: Sickbay here.
Janeway: Did you find anything?
Emh: Could you be more specific?
Janeway: Neural patterns, cortical scans, anything that could help us program the universal translator.
Emh: Er, negative. I couldn't access the Equinox data files. They were encrypted.
Janeway: Keep studying the information we have. See what you can come up with.
Emh: Acknowledged. Computer, locate Captain Ransom.
Computer: Captain Ransom is in crew quarters. Deck nine, section twenty two.
Chakotay: Chakotay to Seven of Nine. What's your status?
Seven: I've dismantled the antimatter injectors, but I'll need several minutes to neutralize the dilithium matrix.
Chakotay: We don't have much time.
Seven: Understood.
Emh: The Equinox crew has been infected with a mutagenic virus. It may be contagious. I've been authorized to inoculate them.
Emh: You've all contracted a virus. I'll need to treat you.
Ransom: A virus? E-
Emh: Doctor's orders. E-
Emh: It's me.
Tuvok: Activate the grid. What happened?
Torres: I don't understand. This should be working. I'm running a system-wide diagnostic.
Kim: I'm reading phaser fire on deck nine, crew quarters.
Janeway: Security, seal off deck nine.
Chakotay: Shields are weakening. They're down to eighty four percent.
Tuvok: Tuvok to Bridge. The field generator is offline. Its power couplings were disengaged.
Torres: Someone reconfigured the sensors so we couldn't detect it.
Janeway: Whatever it takes, get that grid online.
Emh: I rerouted transporter control to a panel in the next junction. We can
Burke: They've sealed off the deck.
Ransom: Don't worry. We're getting out of here.
Chakotay: Shields down to fifty two percent.
Kim: Captain, unauthorized transport in progress. It's the Equinox crew.
Janeway: Block it.
Kim: They've bypassed ops control. They're on their bridge.
Chakotay: Forty percent.
Janeway: Janeway to Seven of Nine.
Janeway: Seven, respond.
Burke: Damn!
Ransom: What is it?
Burke: B'Elanna's erected a forcefield. I can't get a lock on the generator
Ransom: Try overriding the command codes.
Torres: Someone's disrupting the forcefield. It's Max. He's using one of his triquadric algorithms. I taught him how to do that ten years ago.
Chakotay: Shields are failing. We've got less than one minute.
Janeway: Open a channel. If you don't stop what you're doing, we'll both be destroyed.
Ransom: What's my alternative, thirty years in your brig?
Janeway: I'll open fire if I have to.
Ransom: We've been through worse.
Janeway: Target their power systems. Fire.
Ransom: Max!
Burke: Stand by! Okay, BLT, let's see if you remember this trick.
Torres: Bridge, they've got the field generator!
Janeway: What do you mean, they've got it?
Torres: I don't know how, but they beamed it off Voyager.
Ransom: Get us out of here.
Lessing: I can't. Warp drive is down.
Ransom: Bridge to Marla. Report.
Gilmore: One of their crew tried to dismantle the antimatter injectors. Repairs are underway.
Ransom: What about the field generator?
Burke: I'm integrating it now.
Chakotay: Shields are down.
Janeway: Arm yourselves.
Ransom: It's now or never.
Burke: Generator's in place. I'm bringing the grid online.
Kim: Fissures are opening, all decks!
Ransom: Hold your fire!
Ransom: Take it to the lab.
Lessing: Sir, engines are up and running.
Ransom: Set a course for the Alpha Quadrant.
Burke: Course laid in.
Ransom: Maximum warp. Engage.
Chakotay: Captain! To Be Continued...
Janeway: Give me tactical control.
Janeway: Good guess. I used a deflector pulse to reinforce the shields. It won't hold for long.
Paris: Bridge to Sickbay. We have a medical emergency. Doctor, respond. Ensign.
Ensign: Yes, sir.
Kim: Casualty reports are coming in. Two dead, thirteen wounded. We took heavy damage to the engines.
Janeway: The Equinox?
Kim: They've gone to warp.
Janeway: Any sign of nucleogenic particles?
Kim: No.
Janeway: Then they haven't engaged their enhanced warp drive yet. Keep looking for
Ransom: Report.
Burke: The shield grid is back in place. The aliens are staying clear.
Ransom: Are sensors picking up Voyager?
Lessing: It looks like they're under attack.
Ransom: Maintain course.
Neelix: Captain, I found the Doctor's mobile emitter on deck nine. You might want to take it to Sickbay.
Paris: Any sign of the Doc?
Janeway: I've got him right here. E-
Emh: Please state the nature of the. Don't bother.
Paris: You should start with Chakotay. I've got him stabilized but he's got internal injuries.
Janeway: We found your emitter on deck nine. E-
Emh: I was taken hostage by the Equinox crew. I deactivated myself to escape. Did you stop them?
Janeway: No.
Chakotay: I'd ask for a status report but I'm not sure I'd want to hear it.
Janeway: Harry's analyzing the sound we've been hearing. He thinks it's some form of communication.
Chakotay: Well, I once figured out how to speak with a Terrelian seapod. This couldn't be that much harder, Once I get out of Sickbay, I'll lend him a hand.
Janeway: We should all be focusing our efforts on finding the Equinox.
Chakotay: First things first. We've got to stop these attacks.
Janeway: Our enemies aren't the aliens. They're the humans aboard the Equinox. It's crucial that you don't
Ransom: Who is it?
Burke: It's Max. I've brought you a visitor.
Ransom: Hold on. Come in.
Ransom: I'm glad you're okay. I've been using this synaptic stimulator. I was just taking a stroll along the Tenkaran coast. You're welcome to try it.
Seven: State your intentions.
Ransom: You know, once we get our enhanced warp drive back online, we'll be on our way home, but it'll still take months to get there. You can spend that time in the brig, or you can become part of this crew. I'd prefer the latter.
Seven: I'd prefer the brig.
Ransom: You know, Janeway's not the only Captain who can help you explore your humanity.
Seven: You would be an inferior role model.
Ransom: Janeway clung to her morality at the expense of her crew. Maybe you should learn from that mistake.
Seven: Her only mistake was trusting you.
Ransom: Take care of her wound.
Burke: First degree phaser burns, minor lacerations. Looks like we'll have to amputate. That was a joke. You're supposed to smile and make a witty retort.
Seven: I'm familiar with human banter. Yours is crude and predictable.
Burke: You know, Seven. Can I call you Seven? We don't have many luxuries around here. All we've got is each other. You might try letting your shields down or else it's going to be a lonely trip. I'll be damned. Looks like our Doctor left us a replacement.
Emh: Seven?
Seven: We are captives.
Emh: I was attacked by their EMH.
Burke: Looks like he downloaded you into our database. Good. You can treat your friend.
Thompson: Priming the injectors.
Gilmore: Marla to Bridge.
Ransom: Go ahead.
Gilmore: We're ready.
Ransom: Acknowledged.
Ransom: Infuse the enhanced warp drive with twenty isograms of the compound.
Lessing: Aye, sir. Warp drive ready.
Ransom: Engage.
Ransom: What happened?
Gilmore: The power relays are offline. They've been encoded.
Ransom: Give us the codes.
Seven: No.
Burke: If she won't give us the codes maybe we could extract them ourselves.
Emh: Seven's cranial infrastructure is highly complex. You'll need months just to figure out what she had for breakfast.
Burke: That's why you're going to help us.
Emh: I refuse.
Burke: Do it or I'll erase your program.
Emh: Be my guest.
Seven: Doctor.
Emh: Don't worry, they need me. They'd be cutting off their holographic nose to spite their face. Now I suggest you
Ransom: All right, Doctor. Now, get to work. You know what we're looking for.
Emh: Very well. She'll try to resist. I'll have to restrain her.
Seven: Doctor.
Ransom: I deleted his ethical subroutines. He'll be a little more cooperative now. Keep me posted.
Emh: Aye, Captain. This way, please.
Janeway: It's not exactly Shakespeare, but it gets the point across.
Chakotay: A small olive branch is still an olive branch.
Janeway: Run this through to your translation matrix.
Chakotay: Set your weapons down.
Paris: Commander?
Chakotay: Somebody's got to start trusting somebody around here.
Janeway: Belay that order. I appreciate your optimism, but in this case, weapons.
Kim: Ready to transmit.
Janeway: Drop shields, bridge only. Go ahead, Harry.
Janeway: Raise shields.
Kim: If they understood our message, they haven't responded.
Janeway: There's your response. Activate another deflector pulse.
Tuvok: Shields are holding at sixty two percent.
Janeway: That should buy us another few minutes of peace and quiet. I suggest we make the most of it. Focus your efforts on repairing the warp drive. We've got to find the Equinox.
Chakotay: If it's all the same to you, I'd like to take another stab at the message. If we can reroute
Janeway: They're not listening, Chakotay. We should be tracking Ransom, not tinkering with adverbs.
Chakotay: Want your First Officer's advice?
Janeway: Allow me. Our deflector's losing power, and when it fails, we'll be defenseless. It's Voyager we should be worrying about, not the Equinox.
Chakotay: You'd make a great First Officer. It's advice worth taking.
Janeway: Maybe so, but we have a crew member trapped on that ship.
Chakotay: Is this really about Seven, or is it about Ransom?
Janeway: I don't know what you're talking about.
Chakotay: You've been known to hold a grudge. This man betrayed Starfleet, he broke the Prime Directive, dishonored everything you believe in, and threw Voyager to the wolves.
Janeway: Borg, Hirogen, Malon. We've run into our share of bad guys. Ransom's no different.
Chakotay: Yes, he is. You said it yourself. He's human. I don't blame you for being angry, but you can't compromise the safety of this ship to satisfy some personal vendetta.
Janeway: I appreciate your candor. Now let me be just as blunt. You're right, I am angry. I'm damned angry. He's a Starfleet Captain, and he's decided to abandon everything this uniform stands for. He's out there right now, torturing and murdering innocent lifeforms just to get home a little quicker. I'm not going to stand for it. I'm going to hunt him down no matter how long it takes, no matter what the cost. If you want to call that a vendetta, go right ahead.
Burke: Why did you bring us here?
Ransom: This planet has a parthogenic atmosphere. It will keep us from being detected while we make repairs.
Lessing: We also found a few deuterium deposits.
Ransom: Take an away team, Noah, and see if you can localize the ore.
Burke: You won't be protected from the aliens. Arm yourselves with phasers. At the first sign of trouble, we'll beam you back.
Lessing: Aye, sir.
Emh: The ocular node's connected to the sensory node. The sensory node's connected to the cortical node. The cortical node's connected to the reticular node. Don't look so gloomy. There's a silver lining to all this. Just think, we're finally going to see Earth.
Seven: You are obviously delusional. Allow me to repair your program.
Emh: Now why would I want you to do that? You of all people should understand. Being unfettered by ethical subroutines has made me far more efficient.
Ransom: Status?
Emh: I'm going to extract her cortical array. It contains an index of her memory engrams. But once I've removed it her higher brain functions, language, cognitive skills will be severely damaged.
Ransom: Tell me the codes.
Seven: No.
Janeway: Janeway was right about one thing. You are unique. It would be a shame to lose you.
Seven: Your compassion is irrelevant.
Ransom: You think this is easy for me? The sight of you on that table. But you're leaving me no choice.
Seven: No choice. You say that frequently. You destroy lifeforms to attain your goals, then claim that they left you no choice. Does that logic comfort you?
Ransom: The codes.
Seven: You'll have to destroy me to obtain them.
Emh: The reticular node's connected to the occipital node.
Janeway: Captain's log, supplemental. Our warp drive's back online, but repeated sensor sweeps have failed to locate the Equinox.
Janeway: Come in.
Chakotay: You wanted to see me?
Janeway: It's not like you to submit recommendations in writing.
Chakotay: The last time we spoke you weren't exactly receptive.
Janeway: I'm afraid I'm not going to be very receptive this time, either. It's an interesting idea, but the Ankari are fifty light years in the wrong direction.
Chakotay: I understand that, but they're the ones who introduced Ransom to these lifeforms. It stands to reason they might be able to communicate with them, tell them to call off their attacks.
Janeway: Our first priority is to find Ransom. Still no sign of nucleogenic particles?
Chakotay: Not yet.
Janeway: Then he couldn't have gotten far. Without his enhanced drive, his ship's only capable of warp six. I've been studying his service record. He's had his share of run-ins with hostile aliens. It seems that when he's being pursued, he tends to hide. At Epsilon four he ran into a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Played a game of cat and mouse for three days in a nebula before the Klingons finally gave up. Two years later, he eluded a Romulan Warbird by taking his vessel into the atmosphere of a gas giant. Go to Astrometrics. Start looking for the kind of place you'd hide if your ship was damaged.
Chakotay: Yes, ma'am.
Gilmore: How was the beach?
Ransom: Do these programs have people in them?
Gilmore: No, just landscapes. Why?
Ransom: Forget it.
Lessing: I'm reading a vein of ore. Azimuth one seventeen, thirty meters. It could run pretty deep. We might need to use phasers to excavate it. It's funny, this reminds me of McKinley Park. I used to take my sister there when we were kids. This place looks just like it. As I recall, there was a family of ground squirrels who lived right over there. There was a patch of poison ivy next to it. When I was ten, I walked right through it and I swelled up like a Rigellian bloodworm. When I get back to Earth the first thing I'm going to do is
Chakotay: Four to beam up.
Gilmore: We're receiving a subspace transmission.
Ransom: From who?
Gilmore: I can't tell.
Ransom: I don't see a ship out there. Open a channel. E-
Emh: Doctor to Equinox. Respond.
Ransom: We can hear you. E-
Emh: Voyager's found you. They've entered orbit. They polarized their hull to mask their approach.
Emh: I believe they've planned an ambush on the away team.
Emh: Janeway's been tracking the Equinox for a couple
Ransom: Get him back.
Gilmore: I can't.
Ransom: Ransom to away team. Noah, prepare to beam back to the ship.
Gilmore: They're not down there.
Ransom: All hands to battle stations.
Paris: Thirty thousand kilometers and closing.
Janeway: Target their power core.
Gilmore: Direct hit. Minor damage.
Ransom: Return fire.
Chakotay: Bridge to Torres. Status.
Torres: I can't locate their shield grid generator. Can you divert more power to sensors?
Chakotay: Stand by.
Tuvok: They've damaged our deflector, Captain. If it goes offline, we'll be vulnerable to the alien attacks.
Janeway: Noted. Target his weapons array.
Gilmore: We lost all phaser banks.
Ransom: Torpedoes, full spread.
Burke: It's B'Elanna. She's trying to bypass our security protocols.
Ransom: Stop her.
Torres: Computer, open a comm. link to the Equinox. Workstation thirty three beta.
Torres: Max, listen to me.
Burke: Back for round two, BLT?
Torres: This isn't one of our games. People are dying over here.
Burke: I wish you didn't have to be one of them.
Torres: Max, please.
Tuvok: Shields are weakening,
Janeway: We've almost got him. Keep targeting their weapons array. One more torpedo ought to do it.
Tuvok: Captain.
Janeway: Fire!
Gilmore: Weapons are down!
Janeway: Janeway to Ransom. Surrender your vessel.
Ransom: We still have thrusters, don't we?
Gilmore: Aye, sir.
Ransom: Lay in a course through the planet's atmosphere. Sixty degree vector.
Janeway: What the hell is he doing? Follow him.
Paris: We're crossing the upper thermosphere.
Janeway: Phasers.
Tuvok: Shields are weakening. Thirty one percent, twenty nine.
Kim: Inertial dampers are offline.
Chakotay: Captain, if we loose our shields, we'll be attacked by the aliens. Captain!
Janeway: Break off pursuit.
Gilmore: They're retreating.
Ransom: Take us up!
Burke: They took heavy damage. Shields, propulsion.
Ransom: Get us out of here.
Paris: They've gone to warp.
Janeway: Match their course and speed.
Kim: We can't, not until we restore primary systems.
Janeway: Time?
Kim: We'll need a few hours.
Janeway: At least we didn't come away empty-handed.
Janeway: I want Ransom's tactical status. I want it now, Mister Lessing.
Lessing: Or what, you'll hit me?
Janeway: No, crewman. I'll drop the shields around this room and let your little friends come pay you a visit.
Lessing: That would be murder.
Janeway: You could also call it poetic justice.
Lessing: I suppose the plan is that you're going to come to my rescue now, right?
Chakotay: There's no plan as far as I know. The captain's on her own.
Janeway: Ransom's status, now.
Lessing: No way in hell.
Janeway: We all make our own hell, Mister Lessing. I hope you enjoy yours. The comm. is active. We'll be outside if you have a change of heart.
Chakotay: What are you doing?
Janeway: Weren't you listening?
Chakotay: Don't do this.
Janeway: He'll break.
Tuvok: Bridge to the Captain. We've lost shields in section twenty nine alpha.
Janeway: I know. Stand by.
Chakotay: He's a loyal officer. He's not going to betray his captain. Put up the shields.
Janeway: He'll break.
Chakotay: Captain!
Janeway: As you were.
Computer: Level nine authorisation required.
Chakotay: Damn it, Kathryn!
Janeway: You're panicking. He's going to talk.
Tuvok: Captain, a fissure is opening in that section.
Janeway: Understood.
Chakotay: Okay, you've demonstrated your loyalty to your captain. Fine. Now let's talk about the Ankari.
Torres: If there's an Ankari vessel less than two light years from here, why haven't we detected it?
Chakotay: Apparently, they use a unique form of propulsion, which makes them hard to find.
Paris: You think they'll be willing to help us?
Chakotay: It's worth a try. Mister Lessing has agreed to show you how to adjust the sensors. Once you find the Ankari ship, set a course.
Paris: Aye, sir. E-
Emh: Did our prisoner disklose any other information?
Chakotay: I'm afraid not. The rest of you continue with the repairs. Dismissed.
Janeway: Commander.
Janeway: All right, we're going to try it your way. But I want to make one thing clear.
Chakotay: Our first priority is to get Ransom. If there's one thing you've made clear, it's that.
Janeway: We've had our disagreements, Chakotay, but you've never openly opposed me.
Chakotay: You almost killed that man today.
Janeway: It was a calculated risk and I took it.
Chakotay: It was a bad call.
Janeway: I'll note your objection in my log.
Chakotay: I don't give a damn about your log. This isn't about rules and regulations. It's about right and wrong. And I'm warning you, I won't let you cross that line again.
Janeway: Then you leave me no choice. You are hereby relieved of duty until further notice.
Chakotay: What's happened to you, Kathryn?
Janeway: I was about to ask you the same question.
Tuvok: They are not responding.
Janeway: Tractor beam.
Tuvok: Captain, the Ankari ship has done nothing
Janeway: Just do it.
Kim: We're being hailed.
Janeway: On screen.
Ankari: Starfleet.
Janeway: Yes.
Ankari: Leave us alone. There's nothing of value on our ship.
Janeway: We need your guidance. Your spirits of good fortune are attacking us.
Ankari: Of course they are. You've been killing them.
Janeway: We are not the ones responsible.
Ankari: Equinox.
Janeway: That's right. Can you communicate with the aliens?
Ankari: Release my ship.
Janeway: I can't do that. Not until you agree to talk to them.
Ankari: I will summon them, but you must talk to them. You must convince them.
Ankari: They say they want the humans to die.
Tuvok: A difficult place to start a negotiation.
Janeway: Will they understand me?
Ankari: Yes.
Janeway: We didn't do this to you. We're trying to stop the humans who did.
Ankari: They don't believe you would harm your own kind.
Janeway: We have rules for behavior. The Equinox has broken those rules by killing your species. It's our duty to stop them.
Ankari: Give us the Equinox. Give us the Equinox. They insist on destroying the ones who are responsible.
Tuvok: We will punish them according to our own rules. They will be imprisoned. They will lose their freedom.
Janeway: All right! If you stop your attacks, I'll deliver the Equinox to you.
Tuvok: Captain.
Janeway: I know what I'm doing, Tuvok.
Tuvok: These beings would destroy Captain Ransom and his crew.
Janeway: What's their answer?
Tuvok: Your behavior is irrational. We could find another solution.
Janeway: I've already confined my First Officer to quarters. Would you like to join him? Well?
Ankari: They agree,
Burke: We're going to need more fuel. We've only got enough left to jump another five hundred light years.
Ransom: Fuel. Is that the euphemism we're using now? You mean we need to kill more lifeforms.
Burke: Several more.
Emh: Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling
Seven: Clementine.
Ransom: How much longer?
Emh: Another hour, maybe less. You are lost and gone forever
Seven: Dreadful sorry, Clementine.
Ransom: What are you doing?
Emh: Her auditory processor. We used to practice duets together. In fact, I taught her this old chestnut. Light she was and like a fairy.
Seven: And her shoes were number nine.
Emh: Herring boxes without topses.
Seven: Sandals were for Clementine.
Emh: Drove she ducklings to the water
Ransom: Enough.
Emh: Why the long face, Captain? You're about to get your crew home. She tried to stand in your way. You had no choice.
Ransom: No choice. Thank you, Doctor.
Emh: When this is all over, perhaps you'll allow me to teach you my repertoire. I'm going to need a new partner.
Emh: Hmm. Drove she ducklings to the water.
Ransom: You. What are you doing here?
Seven: Hiding, like you.
Ransom: I'm not hiding.
Seven: It's beautiful. I can see why this brings you comfort.
Ransom: I don't know what you're talking about.
Seven: But it isn't real.
Ransom: You're not real. Now leave me alone.
Seven: It's not too late to stop.
Ransom: I don't have a choice.
Seven: Find another way.
Ransom: There is no other way.
Seven: Stop trying to hide.
Ransom: I told you, I'm not hiding. Now get away from me.
Seven: End this.
Ransom: No!
Burke: Bridge to Ransom.
Ransom: Go ahead.
Burke: Janeway's found us.
Ransom: On my way.
Burke: Distance?
Gilmore: Fifty thousand kilometers, closing fast.
Burke: Maintain course. Voyager's approaching at high warp. There's a class two nebula less than a light year from here. Janeway's sensors won't be able to track us once we're inside. I think that we should pursue this course.
Ransom: No. Open a channel.
Burke: Change of tactics?
Ransom: You might say that. It's time we found another way home.
Burke: Another way?
Ransom: We're going to cooperate with Janeway, Max, if she's willing.
Burke: Rudy, with all due respect, have you lost your mind?
Ransom: Just the opposite.
Gilmore: They're within range. They're charging weapons.
Ransom: Hail them.
Burke: Belay that order. Raise shields.
Ransom: You're relieved of duty, Commander.
Burke: I'm taking command. Anyone who isn't with me, speak up now. Take him to the brig.
Gilmore: I'm sorry.
Burke: What's the status of our weapons?
Thompson: Full complement of torpedoes. Minimal phasers.
Burke: Open a secure channel to their Sickbay. Stand by weapons.
Thompson: Aye, sir.
Emh: I'm here.
Burke: We're going to need your help, Doctor. See if you can find Voyager's current shield frequency.
Emh: Acknowledged. I'll need a few minutes.
Tuvok: They are firing torpedoes.
Kim: Direct hit to our port shields. They're holding.
Janeway: Return the favor.
Ransom: This isn't the brig.
Gilmore: I know. I'm with you, sir. Let's find a way to end this.
Ransom: We'll need to access transporter control.
Kim: We've damaged their port nacelle. They're venting plasma.
Paris: They're dropping out of warp.
Janeway: Stay with them.
Emh: Doctor to Equinox. I've got their shield frequency.
Emh: I'm transmitting it to you now.
Burke: They'll try to remodulate. Keep monitoring. E-
Emh: Aye, sir.
Torres: They've slowed to one quarter impulse.
Janeway: Prepare a tractor beam.
Tuvok: They are launching another torpedo.
Janeway: Full power to the forward shields.
Kim: Hull breach on deck four.
Torres: How'd they get through our shields?
Janeway: Hard about. Get us out of range. Remodulate the shields.
Thompson: They're retreating.
Burke: Pursuit course. Maintain fire.
Kim: They took out the weapons array.
Janeway: Tuvok.
Tuvok: I've been rotating the shield frequency every ten seconds.
Paris: We've lost impulse engines.
Kim: We're being hailed. It's Ransom.
Janeway: Put him through.
Ransom: Captain, I'm prepared to surrender the Equinox, but I'm no longer in command. Max decided to stage a little mutiny, but I think I can stop him. I've isolated transporter control. I can beam all of us to Voyager. You might want to have some guards standing by. Not everyone here is going to be happy to see you.
Janeway: Proceed.
Paris: Ma'am?
Janeway: He's still a Starfleet captain. He may have forgotten that for a while, but I believe him.
Burke: Someone's trying to beam us off. Forcefields.
Gilmore: They're deflecting our targeting scanners.
Ransom: Then beam the others to Voyager, yourself included. I'll take care of Max.
Gilmore: Aye, sir.
Ransom: Computer, Give me access to the shield grid.
Emh: Well, I see you've made yourself at home. E-
Emh: What are you doing here?
Emh: Taking back my Sickbay. E-
Emh: Stop where you are. I've planted photonic charges throughout these holo-projectors. With one command sequence, I can blow out your entire
Emh: Computer, delete the Equinox EMH.
Thompson: The Doctor's not transmitting anymore.
Burke: Burke to Doctor, report.
Emh: I'm afraid your physician's no longer on call.
Ransom: Max, this is the Captain. I've dropped the shield grid
Ransom: Everywhere except the bridge and my current location.
Ransom: The vital systems are exposed.
Ransom: I suggest you beam to Voyager while you still can.
Thompson: The core is overloading. We've got to get out of here.
Burke: Where? Voyager's brig?
Thompson: It's better than being vaporized.
Burke: We still have a working shuttle.
Thompson: The shuttle bay's two decks down. Sir, the aliens!
Burke: We'll make it.
Burke: This way.
Kim: There's only one life sign left. It's Ransom.
Janeway: Captain.
Ransom: Things didn't work out exactly as I planned, but you've got everyone worth getting.
Janeway: We're beaming you out of there.
Ransom: This ship is about to explode. I've got to put some distance between us. I've accessed helm control.
Janeway: You can set auto-navigation and then transport to Voyager.
Ransom: There's no time! You've got a fine crew, Captain. Promise me you'll get them home.
Janeway: I promise.
Janeway: Captain's log, supplemental. With the Equinox destroyed, the aliens have withdrawn to their realm. I've reinstated Chakotay and we've set a course for home.
Emh: Good as new. I'd like you to regenerate for the next few hours. It'll help stabilize your cortical array.
Seven: Understood.
Emh: Regarding the unpleasantness aboard the Equinox. I hope you don't think less of me.
Seven: Your program was altered.
Emh: It's quite diskoncerting to know that all someone has to do is flick a switch to turn me into Mister Hyde.
Seven: Perhaps you should enhance your program with security protocols. It will prevent such tampering in the future.
Emh: Good thinking.
Seven: When I'm done regenerating, I will assist you.
Emh: Thanks.
Seven: You were off-key.
Emh: I beg your pardon?
Seven: My Darling Clementine, third verse, second measure.
Emh: That's impossible.
Seven: Your vocal modulations deviated by point three zero decihertz. I can assist you with that as well.
Emh: Really? Holodeck two, tomorrow, sixteen hundred hours. Just you, me, and a tuning fork.
Seven: I look forward to it.
Janeway: The last time we welcomed you aboard, you took advantage of our trust. You betrayed this crew. I won't make that mistake again. Noah Lessing, Marla Gilmore, James Morrow, Brian Sofin, Angelo Tassoni, you are hereby stripped of rank. You'll be expected to serve as crewmen on this vessel. Your privileges will be limited, and you'll serve under close supervision for as long as I deem fit. This time, you'll have to earn our trust. Dismissed.
Janeway: Repairs?
Chakotay: Coming along.
Janeway: How's the crew?
Chakotay: A lot of frayed nerves. Neelix is organizing a potluck to help boost morale.
Janeway: Will I see you there?
Chakotay: I'm replicating the salad.
Janeway: I'll bring the croutons. Chakotay. You know, you may have had good reason to stage a little mutiny of your own.
Chakotay: The thought had occurred to me, but that would have been crossing the line.
Janeway: Will you look at that?
Janeway: All these years, all these battles. This thing's never fallen down before.
Chakotay: Let's put it back up where it belongs.