Sacred Ground ( episode ) Kes is injured when she accidentally commits sacrilege on an alien planet ; in order to save her life , Janeway must go through a mysterious ritual that challenges her faith in science . Summary . Teaser . The crew of the accepts an invitation from a humanoid race called the Nechani to take shore leave on their planet . To learn more about the Nechani culture , several of the crew members take a tour of some of the Nechani religious sites and caverns . Curious about a particular shrine , Kes attempts to enter it and is knocked unconscious by a biogenic field at the entrance . Act One . B ' Elanna Torres and Harry Kim quickly transport Kes to sickbay and demand to know more about the shrine , and are anxious to remain on the planet to analyze the field and gather information that may be able to revive Kes from her comatose state . However , the Nechani feel that Kes is being punished by the Ancestral Spirits for inappropriate behavior . They state that there is simply nothing that can be done about it . The Doctor stabilizes Kes and determines she ' s undergone severe neuroleptic shock and is in a kind of coma . He will need more information about what happened before he can treat her . Captain Janeway must try the diplomatic route and talk to the Magistrate while Torres and Kim scan the area from the ship . Neelix insists on helping , so she has him find information on the shrine in their records . Her pleas to the Magistrate to let them back to the surface so that they can take some scans of the shrine in order to find answers to Kes ' condition are rejected . He claims further he is not a spiritual leader , and does not know why the spirits do what they do . Unfortunately , those that do , the Nechisti Council , consider the matter closed . Back in sickbay , The Doctor unfortunately must tell Janeway that he has no answers , and the ship ' s scans can ' t be clear through the rock . Fortunately , Neelix has some information in the form of a story about a king , Nevad , whose son made the same error as Kes : To save his son , this king decided to undergo the ritual that the monks endure in order to enter the shrine without harm . The king was successful with his plea and able to see his son awaken from his " death sleep . " Janeway decides to try this approach in order to covertly gather scientific data about the shrine . She tells the Magistrate what she ' s found , and insists that she can claim the same kind of relationship Nevad had and go through the same ritual . Act Two . Janeway prepares for the ritual , fully not expecting to talk to spirits , but rather some kind of physiological change as a result of some physical test of endurance , by reviewing these kinds of rituals in the Federation database . Chakotay notes to have some precautions ready , but also reminds her that maybe the Spirits really do exist there . Just then , the Magistrate has called in with an answer : The Council is fascinated by Janeway ' s proposal and eagerly awaits to help her . He adds that he is deeply troubled by what ' s happened , and will be very pleased if it is successful . The Doctor and Kim have prepared an implant to monitor Janeway ' s biological readings and help the transporter to lock on to her if needed . Tuvok offers a phaser , but Janeway would rather not appear hostile . A guide meets Janeway at the entrance to the cave at sunset . She is seemingly friendly , though tricks her into giving her the tricorder . She brings her to a few others who change her clothes into a robe and give her markings on her skin . Interestingly , the guide says she does not know what happens in the ritual , but cryptically says she will guide her through it . Then , she leads her to a room full of elderly people who invite her to join them as they wait . When she asks them how long they ' ve waited , they squabble and bicker among themselves , and , oddly , reply that they have been waiting for as long as they can remember . Act Three . Janeway doesn ' t understand the comment , as she ' s seen young monks there , so they haven ' t been waiting that long . She grows impatient , not planning to wait for half an eternity , and tries to open the other door . The guide answers , and allows her to leave . She leaves the room – eager to begin the challenges that might lead to a cure for Kes . Her guide informs her that everything she does during this ritual will be meaningless , and that the only thing that matters is finding her connection to the spirits . Yet Janeway is eager to go through each of the physical challenges imposed on her – believing them to be the key to a cure for Kes . The guide asks her to hold a rock and Janeway tells her what she sees . Meanwhile , on " Voyager " , The Doctor is monitoring the readings , but so far nothing jumps out . As Janeway is next asked to finger - paint freely and then rock - climb , she becomes increasingly exhausted from the physical exertion . The Doctor then sees her neuropeptide levels rise to an abnormal level , possibly creating a natural barrier to the biogenic energy . Finally , she is asked to place her hand inside a container that houses a hissing creature called a nesset ; it bites her , and she soon feels hot and falls unconscious . She wakes in a kind of hole , and states she is dying . The guide simply replies " everyone dies eventually " and the doors close . Act Four . Chakotay is getting impatient , and considers going down to get her , but The Doctor insists he sees no reason for alarm . Further , he ' s getting more interesting data on what ' s happening , particularly from a certain amino acid which is changing the flow of neurotransmitter s to create an hallucinogenic effect . However , she is conscious and capable of signaling them via the implant if she chooses . Chakotay has a hard time believing it , but , as Tuvok points out , she would want to complete the ritual . Janeway finds herself on a seashore , where her guide ostensibly acts as the voice of the spirits , who tell her that her request to have them reawaken Kes is inconsequential as Janeway possesses all the information she needs to help Kes . She relates what happened to the guide , and she gives her back her uniform . Janeway returns to " Voyager " confident that she finally got all she needs to help Kes . The Doctor seems equally confident , believing that the immense amount of data gathered can be utilized to find a cure . He states that the toxin from the creature ' s bite appears to have been the key , for it creates a biochemical immunity to the energy burst that hit Kes . He eagerly begins developing a treatment regimen . When much to his surprise his " cure " doesn ' t work , Janeway returns to the planet to question her guide ; after all , she did everything that the guide told her . But the guide tells her that she in fact didn ' t lead Janeway anywhere , for this was Kathryn ' s ritual : she herself set these challenges , the guide simply fulfilled Janeway ' s expectations as Janeway would have simply settled for nothing else . But Janeway tells her that she is not ready to give up , and admits she now doesn ' t know what she is seeking . The guide tells her that now she is finally ready to begin . Janeway returns to the waiting room , where the elderly people greet her again . Act Five . Now , Janeway asks more from these people about what she ' s supposed to accomplish in the room . They in turn derisively banter about her reliance on reason . They know that she is the kind of person who believes that she will eventually find the answers to Kes ' situation with enough time , study and the right sort of tools . After all , that is what she believes as a scientist , even when her science fails right in front of her eyes . Janeway acknowledges that she is willing to try another path if science doesn ' t work , so they tell her to take Kes through the energy field again , to kill her . They can ' t tell her what it will do because the biogenic field , according to " Voyager " s scans , is lethal . They ask her , however , to let go of all her beliefs about the facts and simply trust the spirits to return her soul . If she believes she is ready , she is . But if she goes in with any doubt , with any hesitation , they will both be dead . Janeway orders Commander Chakotay and Neelix to beam Kes back to the shrine . There , Chakotay realizes she intends to take Kes back into the field , in the belief that it will awaken her . Chakotay reiterates the uncertainties and asks for more time for scans , enough to the point where he ' s considering declaring her unfit for command . Janeway says she can ' t explain it , but she now believes it . So she carries Kes through the field , where a burst of energy hits them . However , they remain unharmed and Kes finally awakens . Later , in sickbay , The Doctor goes into elaborate detail and gives a plausible scientific explanation for why taking Kes through the biogenic field again , combined with the ritual Janeway went through and the toxin released into her body saved Kes ' life . Janeway nods and listens – somewhat absentmindedly – to The Doctor ' s explanation , stating that it is indeed very plausible and scientific . Yet she walks out of sickbay unsure really whether it was the science or her faith that was at work here . Memorable quotes . " " We aren ' t going to stand by and do nothing . " " " There ' s nothing you can do , she ' s been punished by the spirits , she ' s going to die . " " " " I don ' t suppose you know anything about chromodynamic light , do you ? " " " " No , not really . I suppose I could look at it . " " " " That device you ' ve got , what is that ? " " " " It ' s called a tricorder . . . . it ' s a scanning device . " " " " Aah , atmospheric readings , energy field analysis , full technical data base . This is certainly a convenient thing to have . " " " " I ' ll need that back . " " " " No , you won ' t . " " " " You ' re my guide . " " " " I ' m sure there is spiritual significance behind the challenges involved . " " " " Challenges ? That ' s what you expect . " " " " I don ' t have any idea what to expect . " " " " I ' m willing to do whatever is necessary . " " " " I don ' t doubt that . But do you realize that all of this is meaningless ? " " " " Your request is inconsequential . You have what you need to save her yourself . " " " " I haven ' t led you anywhere , Kathryn . You ' ve taken me along wherever you wanted to go . This was your ritual . You set these challenges for yourself . " " " " It ' s true that I came here with certain expectations . Are you saying that you simply fulfilled my expectations ? " " " " You ' d have settled for nothing else . " " " " A test ? She thinks we ' re a test ! What is she talking about ? " " " " She must like tests . I suppose tests make sense to her . " " " " Even when her science fails right before her eyes she still has full confidence in it . Now there ' s a leap of faith . " " " " Let all of that go , Kathryn . Take Kes back into the shrine and trust the spirits to return her soul . " " " " The ritual I went through was meaningless and Kes has done nothing to prepare herself . How could either of us be ready to go through the field ? " " " " If you believe you are ready , then you are . There ' s no more to it than that . But if you go in with any doubt , with any hesitation , then you ' re both dead . So , what are you going to do , Captain ? " " " " You know I won ' t stand by and watch Kes die if there ' s anything I can do to save her . I want to believe it ' s possible . I ' m going to try . " " " " I don ' t know about this , Kathryn . " " " " Neither do I . That ' s the challenge . " " " " Captain ? If there ' s something about my analysis you disagree with . . . ? " " " " lt ' s a perfectly sound explanation , Doctor . Very . . . scientific . " " Links and references . References . adenosine triphosphate ; advisor ; amino acid ; Ancestral Spirits ; artist ; biogenic field ; bio - scanner ; ; Chakotay ' s mother ; chromodynamic light ; combadge ; cortical stimulator ; Delios VII ; dielectric effect ; doctrine ; electrolyte ; epidermal layer ; extensor muscle ; Federation ; fertility symbol ; guide ; holodeck ; immunity ; iridium ion ; Karis Tribe ; king ; lactic acid ; lectrazine ; magistrate ; megajoule ; monk ; muscle strain ; Nechani ; Nechani homeworld ; Nechisti Council ; Nechisti shrine ; Nechisti Order ; neodyne light ; nesset ; neuroleptic shock ; neuropeptide ; neurotransmitter ; Nevad ; plasma discharge ; poison ; psychoactive drug ; shore leave ; soul ; subdermal bioprobe ; spirit realm ; sunset ; synaptic pathway ; tarchee cat ; thoron radiation ; tricorder ; vision quest