The 37 ' s ( episode ) While investigating the origins of a 1936 Ford truck floating in space , " Voyager " discovers a 434 - year - old Earth mystery on a distant planet . ( " Season premiere " ) Summary . Teaser . The detects traces of rust in space . Because the absence of oxygen in space prevents iron from rusting , Captain Janeway decides to follow the particle trail . They discover an ancient Earth automobile , a 1936 Ford truck , floating in space . Act One . When investigating their find in one of " Voyager " s cargo bay s , Tom Paris manages to start the truck ( old Earth cars are his hobby ) , which promptly backfires and startles everyone . While investigating the truck ' s AM radio , he discovers an odd radio signal . When Janeway asks Ensign Kim why the signal was not detected , Kim explains that Starfleet vessels only monitor their standard frequencies . AM signals are not within this spectrum because they only travel at the speed of light , too slow for interstellar communications . The signal they have found turns out to be an old Earth distress call , called an " SOS " . The decision is made to follow the signal to its origin , but the planet it emanates from is Class L . The planet ' s atmosphere is charged with trinimbic interference , making communications on the surface and use of the ship ' s transporter s impossible . With use of a shuttle impractical due to the scale of trinimbic interference , Janeway decides to land " Voyager " itself on the planet , reasoning that whatever brought the truck to this planet could be used to bring them home . This is the first time Tom Paris , " Voyager " s helmsman , lands an ship on a planetary surface , but the operation proceeds smoothly . Act Two . An away team is sent out to locate the source of the signal and finds an old Earth airplane . Investigation of the plane leads to an alien power source which is powering its AM radio , still sending the SOS . Meanwhile , other members of the away team have found a mineshaft that seems to be the source of the tritanium readings detected by their tricorder s . After entering the mineshaft , they find five cryostasis chambers . One of them contains eight Human bodies , although with minimal life sign s . When Janeway rubs off some condensation of the stasis chamber containing a Human female , she notices a name tag on her jacket . It reads " A . EARHART " – Amelia Earhart , one of the first female aeronautical pioneers from Earth ' s 20th century . When the away team returns to " Voyager " , they discuss their findings in the briefing room . Janeway gives the crew a brief history of Earhart ; she was one of the first female pilots in Earth ' s history , flying across the Atlantic Ocean and later attempting to fly around the world . However her plane mysteriously vanished in the South Seas , and when no wreckage was found many theories were coined about what happened . Janeway notes that ironically the ridiculed theory appears to be correct . . . that she was abducted by aliens . It appears that all eight Humans are from the 1930s . Reluctant to leave them asleep for possibly more centuries , particularly when they could provide a clue about how they arrived in the Delta Quadrant , the decision is made to remove them from stasis . As a precaution , only Human crew members will be present , so as not to shock them . The exception is Kes , who can easily pass as a Human , as she needs to be present to check their medical status . When all the Humans are removed from stasis , they wake up easily . Janeway smiles as she goes to greet Earhart . Act Three . The 20th century Humans quickly object to their state , demanding to know what ' s happening . Janeway has trouble getting them to listen , but eventually tells them what she believes , that they were abducted by aliens from Earth in the 1930s , but they only seem to remember the day before . Now , over four hundred years later , Fred Noonan , Earhart ' s navigator , is very distrustful and draws a revolver , taking the away team hostage . Although Captain Janeway tries to prove the existence of aliens by having Kes show her Ocampa n ears , Earhart does not believe her , noting that she has seen before how people from all over Earth can mutilate themselves . Meanwhile , Commander Chakotay has detected alien lifeform s , and after warning Captain Janeway , he learns of the hostage situation . He , along with Tuvok , accompanies a security team to free the away team . Fortunately , Earhart ' s curiosity provides Janeway the opportunity to persuade her and the other revived Humans to leave the mineshaft and to return to " Voyager " so that she can prove to them everything she told was true . Meanwhile , Tuvok and Chakotay ' s team is watched as it approaches the mineshaft . The aliens open fire . Act Four . After leaving the mine shaft , they find Tuvok ' s security team pinned down by alien weapons fire . In this skirmish , Fred Noonan is hit but is dragged to safety by Harry Kim . With the help of the away team , the aliens are overpowered when Janeway covertly comes behind them and subdues one of the attackers with her phaser . It turns out the aliens are actually Humans as well , descendants from the Humans abducted from Earth in 1937 by the Briori . Back on " Voyager " , one of them , John Evansville , explains to Janeway and Chakotay that the people they revived are the 37 ' s , and are revered by them as monument s to their ancestors , who were held as slave s . They managed to free themselves from Briori oppression , destroying the Briori ship and its technology in the process . Janeway ' s hope of using the ship to get back to Earth is thus lost . Meanwhile , Noonan has been treated for his wounds by The Doctor in " Voyager " s sickbay . Thinking he will die , he confesses his love for Earhart , but takes it back when he finds himself cured . Earhart promises to forget what Noonan said to her . Since defeating the Briori , the former Human slaves have built a society , by now consisting of over 100 , 000 individuals and three cities that Evansville describes as " beautiful " . He invites the entire crew and the 37 ' s to tour the cities , with Evansville telling Earhart that he would be honored to show her around once she is introduced to him as one of the 37s . The tour itself is impressive and reminds many " Voyager " s crewmembers of their home back on Earth . When Evansville tells Captain Janeway that they are invited to stay and live out their lives on this world , she struggles to make the right decision . In her ready room , she discusses the invitation with Chakotay . Although she is the captain and responsible for the ship and its crew , she feels she cannot decide for everyone and worries that she may be leading the crew on a hopeless journey in the vain hope of getting home . Chakotay tells her that there ' s not a day goes by when he doesn ' t hear someone mention Earth , and while the settlement on the planet is certainly impressive , it doesn ' t beat seeing the sunrise over the Arizona desert or to swim in the Gulf of Mexico on a summer day . . . he wants to go home . Captain Janeway decides that everyone should decide for themselves whether they want to stay or not , but this in itself creates a problem ; if too many crewmembers decide to stay – Chakotay estimates that the ship needs a crew of at least a hundred – " Voyager " will become undermanned and so force the remaining crew to remain as well . Despite the risk , Janeway tells Chakotay to prepare the crew for a ship - wide announcement . Act Five . At 14 : 00 hours that day , Captain Janeway informs the crew that those wishing to stay should assemble in the cargo bay at 15 : 00 hours . In " Voyager " s mess hall , Neelix tells the 37 ' s he is staying on board because the captain would be lost without him . To stay or not to stay is also discussed by B ' Elanna Torres and Harry Kim . Kim is not looking forward to spending his whole life on a starship . There are more people who thought that way , according to Torres . While outside " Voyager " and looking to the blue sky , Captain Janeway is approached by Earhart . Earhart does not want to intrude upon the Captain ' s privacy . But , the Captain encourages Earhart to join her . The two talk briefly and the captain reveals that Earhart was a personal hero to her . Earhart then reveals that she and the 37 ' s have decided to stay . Although she would have liked to pilot " Voyager " through space , Earhart felt more connected to the Humans on the planet because they were , after all , a part of all the 37 ' s . While walking to the cargo bay , Janeway and Chakotay speculate on who will stay and who will leave . Chakotay speculates that Jarvin will want to leave , as he has had a harder time adjusting to serving on a Starfleet ship than most , and has started a relationship with another crewmember in quantum mechanics and they may decide to settle down . Janeway thinks that another likely candidate is the adventurous Walter Baxter who may welcome the challenge of creating a new life on a new planet . Both Janeway and Chakotay agree they ' d hate to lose Jarvin or Baxter . . . in fact , they ' d hate to lose anyone but neither could blame any individual who chooses to stay behind . The two come to a stop outside the cargo bay and Janeway hesitates , but Chakotay places his hand on her shoulder and assures her that no matter how many people are waiting on the other side of the door , they ' ll make it . With the support of her first officer and friend , Janeway summons the courage to walk inside the cargo bay . . . and it is empty – a fact that visibly moves Kathryn deeply . When Kathryn Janeway and her first officer enter " Voyager " s bridge , she nods to her bridge crew in acknowledgment of their decision to stay . She then orders condition blue and inertial damper s to flight configuration . " Voyager " lifts off watched by Evansville , Noonan and Earhart , and the crew resume their long journey back home . Memorable quotes . " " I think you ' ll find that ' s manure . Horse manure , if I ' m not mistaken . " " " " I doubt there are many 20th century farmers driving around the Delta Quadrant . " " " " I suggest we increase the ventilation in the cargo bay before we are asphyxiated . " " " " So , is this an early hovercar ? " " " " Captain , I think I should tell you I ' ve never actually landed a starship before . " " " " That ' s all right , lieutenant , neither have I . " " " " Who ' s Amelia Earhart ? " " " " How fast ? " " " " Warp 9 . 9 . In your terms , that ' s about four billion miles a second . " " " " Think I could take her out for a spin ? " " " " Well , uh . . . " " Links and references . References . 2103 ; 20th century ; ; 37 ' s planet ; alcohol ; alfalfa ; alien abduction ; aluminum ; AM radio ; argon ; Arizona ; asphyxiation ; atoll ; automobile ; battery ; blue alert ; ; Briori ; Briori ship ; carotid artery ; class L ; Colt Official Police ; compass ; compression phaser rifle ; corrosion ; cryostasis ; cryostasis chamber ; Delta Quadrant ; Earhart ' s husband ; Earth ; English ; Federation ; fish ; Ford ; Ford truck ; fruit cocktail ; fusion generator ; gasoline ; ; green bean s ; Gulf of Mexico ; hemisphere ; ; hovercar ; Human planet ; internal combustion engine ; ; jacket ; Japanese ; Japanese language ; Japanese Navy ; Jarvin ; Jarvin ' s girlfriend ; Jell - O ; key ; kilometer ; laceration ; landing strut ; leather ; Lockheed L - 10 Electra ; Maquis ; Mars ; Martian s ; manure ; meter ; metallurgical analysis ; methane ; mile ; Milky Way Galaxy ; monument ; Nambu pistol ; New Guinea ; Ohio ; Pacific Ocean ; Pearl Harbor ; petroleum ; pot roast ; quantum mechanics ; RCA Victor ; rice ; SOS ; Starfleet ; Starfleet regulations ; swimming ; thoracic cavity ; trianium particle ; trinimbic interference ; trinimbic turbulence ; United States Government ; universal translator ; vascular regenerator ; ; voice - command activation ; ; Washington , DC ; ; World War II ; wings