Extreme Risk ( episode ) The crew races to build a new shuttle designed by Tom Paris , in order to retrieve a multispatial probe trapped inside a gas giant . Meanwhile , B ' Elanna Torres ' s attitude worries the crew . Summary . Teaser . On board an orbital shuttle , B ' Elanna Torres is preparing for orbital skydiving in the holodeck , when she tells the pilot to increase altitude , something which he objects to since they are already at 200 , 000 meter s and any higher would risk thermolyzing . Torres overrides his objections , and then disengages the safety protocol s , in spite of the computer ' s warning that such an action poses an " extreme risk " . Shortly after jumping out of the shuttle , Commander Chakotay calls her and orders her to report to main engineering . While heading to engineering , Torres meets Seven of Nine , who informs her that the probe is ready to launch , but that there is a problem with the telemetry link . Torres surprises Seven by asking her to take over with the launch , offhandedly remarking that she is not feeling well , but refusing Seven ' s offer to call The Doctor . Act One . In space , one of ' s probes is caught by a Malon tractor beam . Since " Voyager " is two hours away at maximum warp , the probe is left to its own devices , under Harry Kim ' s direction from the bridge . Tuvok suggests that the probe emit a polaron burst to disrupt the tractor beam and escape . Although this works , Tom Paris notes that the probe will never be able to outrun the Malon export vessel , eleventh gradient . Captain Janeway , however , remembers that the probe passed a class 6 gas giant that morning , and suggests that the probe could hide there . The atmospheric pressure would be dangerous , but the probe ' s Borg shielding is believed to able to withstand the atmosphere , although the Malon ' s hull would not . The probe successfully enters the gas giant , and , in spite of warnings from " Voyager " , the Malon freighter follows it in and is destroyed . Later , in the briefing room , the senior staff discusses the probe ' s situation . Although it is caught 10 , 000 kilometer s beneath the surface in a layer of liquid hydrogen and methane , the probe appears to be intact . Torres arrives , late , and when asked if transporter range could be increased to reach the probe , she replies with a stern " no " . Troubled by her brief response Chakotay probes further , but she assures him that the transporter could not be boosted through such atmospheric conditions . Paris then suggests that the only course of action is to go down to retrieve the probe directly , to which Tuvok responds by asking if Paris had noticed the Malon export vessel ' s implosion . Paris replies that they can use their new shuttle , and unveils his plans for the " Delta Flyer " . The staff begins to respond enthusiastically to the design offering technical suggestions , and Janeway approves the plan , hoping to have it constructed within a week . Torres , however , seems unenthusiastic , and makes no comment , even when prompted by Paris . In the holodeck , Tuvok and Paris are working on the hull design and begin to argue about the merits of dynametric tailfins . Tuvok ultimately removes the feature , justifying the action with the statement that the shuttle is not a " hot rod " . Paris protests , but Seven turns the conversation to structural integrity , noting that Torres ' plan to use tritanium was flawed , and that a tetraburnium alloy would better withstand the atmospheric pressures . To everyone ' s surprise , Torres doesn ' t protest , but quietly agrees , and leaves to go work on the thruster specs . Torres later delivers the said specs to Paris in his quarters , and makes ready to leave when Paris suggests that she stop and have dinner with him . She declines , claiming to be tired , but Paris confronts her about her reclusive attitude . She defends herself by claiming that she is still on schedule with her work , but he presses the point , saying he is concerned as her friend , not as her superior . Torres leaves , but on the way to her quarter passes by the holodeck and hesitates . She decides to run program " Torres 216 " , again deactivating the safeties in spite of the computer ' s warning . The program turns out to be a cave , in which she is attacked by a number of Cardassian s in hand - to - hand combat . Act Two . " Voyager " enters a high orbit around the gas giant , in an effort to recover the probe . A Malon freighter hails the ship and demands they leave . They blame " Voyager " for the loss of the first ship and its crew . The Malon captain insists that they will take the probe as compensation . Janeway tells the captain that in the future , his species should stay away from vessels with " Voyager " markings , ending the transmission . Chakotay suggests that the reason they are after the probe is due to its multispatial technology , supposing that perhaps the Malons think it will help them find new places to dispose of their garbage . In the mess hall , Torres surprises Neelix , who says he has not seen many people due to the work on the new shuttle . Torres states that she is there to catch up with him . She states that she would like him to make banana pancake s , like her grandmother used to make , as they always put a smile on her face . Neelix does so , and is befuddled when she doesn ' t eat them . Encouraging her to take a bite , she halfheartedly tells him that they are delicious and that she must get back to work . Meanwhile on the bridge , Janeway tries to decide what to do with the Malon crew still in orbit . Seven contacts the captain that she has information concerning the Malon vessel . Once arriving in the astrometrics lab , Seven informs her that the Malon crew is creating a similar shuttle to Paris ' , and that they will finish before the " Delta Flyer " is ready . Janeway states that it looks like it is time for a race . Act Three . During construction of the " Delta Flyer " , Torres snaps at Vorik for making too much noise while other members of the crew each have personal opinions regarding the vessel . Tuvok and Paris disagree over when to launch the " Delta Flyer " . Torres goes to the holodeck to run a simulation of the " Delta Flyer " entering atmosphere and disengages safety protocols in the holodeck for the third time . She discovers the locations of microfractures on the " Flyer " but is injured and passes out . Vrelk threatens " Voyager " by releasing a small amount of anti - matter waste and suggest that " Voyager " s shields will not be capable of handling larger amounts of anti - matter . The Malon and " Voyager " have both been spying on each other and it seems the Malon shuttle will be finished in two days , before the " Delta Flyer " will be ready . Janeway suggests that construction be sped up and Chakotay goes to find Torres in the holodeck just before a hull breach . In sickbay , The Doctor revives her . He informs her she has been there , unconscious , for almost twelve hours . Torres gets up to go back to work . However Janeway says The Doctor has found internal injuries , some months old , life - threatening and badly treated . Janeway is worried about Torres and places her under The Doctor ' s supervision and off the shuttle project until Torres becomes more forthcoming . Act Four . Paris tells Janeway that engines are operating at almost 90 % efficiency . Janeway mentions Torres and Paris indicates they have not been talking . Chakotay agrees to dig through Torres ' personal holodeck programs to find the reason behind her self - inflicted injuries . Chakotay visits Torres , who reveals that The Doctor thinks she has clinical depression . Chakotay takes Torres to the holodeck and activates program " Torres Zeta - 1 " : a program in which Torres ' and Chakotay ' s Maquis comrades are being slaughtered . Torres only ran the program for 47 seconds before using other holodeck programs without the safety on . Chakotay locks Torres in the holodeck and interrogates her . Torres explains that she is trying to feel she is still alive . She states that she has no feelings about her dead friends , Paris , Chakotay or her job . Chakotay suggests that Torres can not shut off her emotions and that she has to grieve . Torres believes she has lost all the family she ever had after Chakotay informed her of the Maquis massacre . Chakotay replies that " Voyager " is her new family and she is not going to lose them . Chakotay tells Torres she needs to figure out another way to deal with this and Torres says she does not know how . Act Five . The Malon attack " Voyager " to distract them from their shuttle launch . Torres begs Chakotay to go on the " Delta Flyer " and says she is the best engineer for the jobs and that she needs to do this . Inside the " Delta Flyer " , Harry Kim spots the Malon ship , which proceeds to launch spatial charges . Seven of Nine loads photonic missile s and the Malon ship takes three direct hits . However , the " Delta Flyer " starts to lose structural integrity . The probe is retrieved , but secondary systems are still down . Seven and Torres seal a panel and Torres , using a phaser and an EPS conduit , erects a force field just before the panel has a breach . The Malon ship is having trouble leaving the atmosphere and Janeway orders " " Get us out of here " " . Torres thanks Chakotay for what he did with the holodeck but says if he ever does anything like it again she will break his neck . She smiles as she digs into a plate of banana pancakes . Memorable quotes . " " Look , we could spend weeks trying to solve this , but we ' ve got a ticking clock . Engines are working ; weapons systems are online . I say we launch now and hope for the best . " " " " Mr . Paris , that is perhaps the most illogical statement you have ever made . " " " " We are not designing a ' hot rod , ' lieutenant . " " " " B ' Elanna . . . why are you intentionally trying to hurt yourself ? " " " " Vorik , turn that damn thing off ! " " " " My security training is going really well . Tuvok told me the other day that I ' m " " not completely inept . " " " " Links and references . References . antimatter waste ; Astrometrics ; attitude control ; banana pancake s ; ; " Captain Proton " scenario ; Cardassian ; cave ; cell block ; Class 2 shuttle ; class 6 gas giant ; clinical depression ; coherent neutrino beam ; Controller ; contusion ; cranial trauma ; " Delta Flyer " ; Delta Quadrant ; dynametric tailfins ; engineer ; EPS relay ; exosphere ; force field ; high orbit ; holodeck ; holodeck safety protocol ; hot rod ; house call ; hull breach ; hydrogen ; immersive shielding ; immersion shielding ; injury report ; internal bleeding ; ionosphere ; isomagnetic EPS conduit ; kellinite ; kilometer ; logic ; Malon ; Malon crewmembers ; Malon export vessel , eleventh gradient ; Malon shuttlecraft ; Maquis ; meter ; methane ; microfracture ; multispatial probe ; multispatial technology ; neutrino beam ; nurse ; orbital skydiving ; parametallic hull plating ; Paris 1 - 1A ; phaser ; plasma manifold ; polaron burst ; polythermal image ; photonic missile ; plasma manifold ; polaron ; salvage operation ; ship ' s counselor ; shuttlecraft design simulation ; space race ; spatial charge ; sprain ; structural integrity ; structural integrity field ; suicide ; tetraburnium ; thermalize ; theta radiation ; thruster ; titanium ; ; " Torres 216 " ; " Torres Zeta - 1 " ; toxic waste disposal ; tractor beam ; unimatrix shield ; vertebra