The Void (episode)

Voyager becomes trapped in an empty region of space where other stranded starships prey on each other to survive.
==Summary==
===Teaser===
While traveling through the Delta Quadrant, with the captain and some of her bridge crew being treated to a special dinner put on by Seven of Nine, is sucked into an area of space that is devoid of stars, planets or any other form of energy. Almost immediately on being pulled in, Voyager is attacked by a starship.
===Act One===
In the ensuing fight, Voyagers shields are damaged. This gives the attackers the opportunity to transport away almost 90% of the food supplies aboard Voyager, as well as some of its deuterium stocks. This puzzles the crew, as Paris remarks that deuterium can be found almost anywhere. 
However, it soon becomes apparent that deuterium can't be found within this anomaly, along with any other resources a starship would need. General Valen, who had been watching the fight between Voyager and its attacker, tells Captain Janeway that the only way to obtain energy and supplies within is to attack new arrivals. He and his crew have survived for five years in The Void using these tactics. Janeway refuses to consider stealing supplies to survive. Instead she intends to try to escape The Void. Valen tells her that escape is impossible, but Janeway is not deterred. Valen tells Janeway that he has tactical data on some of the more dangerous predators and will trade the information for photon torpedoes. Janeway refuses. 
Using the sensors in astrometrics, Seven of Nine is able to predict when the next funnel, similar to the one that sucked them in, will appear. Voyager flies into the funnel, but is unable to break through to normal space.
===Act Two===
Faced with a situation where the ship will run out of energy in a little over a week, Janeway decides to find the supplies that were stolen from Voyager. The ship that attacked them is tracked down, but is adrift, the crew dead, and almost all useful components stripped from the ship. The only useful item left is the casing around the warp core, which Torres beams over. Upon inspecting the casing, she and Seven of Nine find a stowaway hiding inside. His leg is injured, so he is transported to sickbay. He appears unable to talk, but The Doctor determines that his physiology is such that he is able to survive for long periods without oxygen.
Meanwhile, the current holder of Voyagers supplies is tracked down. It turns out to be Valen, who stole the supplies from the ship that attacked Voyager. When he refuses to return them, Janeway knocks out his shields and beams the supplies aboard. Despite retrieving only half the original supplies, she refuses to take any of the other supplies aboard Valen's ship. 
Tuvok and Chakotay, as second and first officer, come to her ready room later to ask if the usual operating procedure is going to change due to the extreme circumstances. She replies that she has been consulting the Federation Charter to look for loopholes, but as there are none, she says that they will continue to follow Federation protocols. Instead, she has hit upon the idea of forming an alliance with some of the other ships trapped within The Void.
===Act Three===
Voyager contacts some of the other ships, without much success. Janeway tries to convince the captain of a Nygean ship, Garon, to join the alliance, offering him some of their food as a gesture of her goodwill. However, he is skeptical, only saying he'll think about it. 
In sickbay, The Doctor, together with Seven, has developed a method of communication with the stowaway, whom he has christened Fantome. Using a system of different musical notes he is able to converse with him. 
When a new ship is sucked into The Void, it is attacked by Valen. Voyager comes to its aid, but Valen has a second ship, which puts Voyager in danger. Fortunately, Garon arrives and helps to fight off Valen. 
===Act Four===
:"Captain's log, Stardate 54562.7. Since Garon and the survey ship became our charter members, finding new allies has gotten a little easier. My latest prospect is Commander Bosaal, whose ship has technology that could help us escape."
With Garon and the new ship, a Hierarchy surveillance ship, and others allies such as the Kraylor, also in the alliance, Voyager is able to attract new members more easily. While the ships share different technologies to conserve power, Voyager is given technology to reduce the power required by its replicators by a significant amount.
The Doctor takes Fantome under his wing, and teaches him various 'words'. However, when a visiting prospective alliance member, Bosaal, sees Fantome, he calls him and his species vermin. Janeway, although put off by this reaction, offers to beam aboard any members of Fantome's species that may be hiding aboard his ship. He agrees to this and decides to join the alliance.
Torres needs to build a polaron modulator in order to escape The Void. Although she works with Garon to build it, Janeway looks for a ship that has one so she can trade for it. Later she discovers that Bosaal has provided a fully compatible modulator. On questioning him, she discovers that he stole it and killed the crew of the ship it belonged to. Enraged, Janeway throws him off the ship and tells him to take the modulator with him.
===Act Five===
Even though they need the modulator to escape, she refuses to use it, obtained in the way that it was. This causes some of the other members of the alliance to leave, too. Janeway is annoyed with herself, telling Chakotay she should have trusted her instincts on Bosaal and never let him join in the first place.
Torres finishes building the modulator, but needs time to test it. However, Chakotay comes across the members of the Hierarchy survey ship utilizing Voyager's astrometrics lab without permission. While their intention was to spy on other ships within The Void to find more potential members for the alliance, what they discovered was Bosaal meeting with Valen, plotting to attack Voyager, which they show Chakotay. As the alliance ships don't have enough power to fight off the attack, Janeway decides that they'll have to forgo the test and try to escape as soon as possible. Fantome and the three other members of his species offer to help. Another funnel forms and the alliance move towards it.
As the alliance attempts to escape, Valen and Bosaal attack. Voyager manages to weaken their shields and beam Fantome and his friends aboard the two ships. They immediately sabotage the engines of the two ships, giving the alliance a chance to escape. As Fantome's species believe they are native to the void, they choose to remain there. Voyager extends its shield bubble around the other ships and they all manage to escape from the void. 
Back in normal space, Janeway thanks Garon and the Hierarchy for their help, as they return the gratitude. After they leave, Janeway muses that being in the alliance almost felt like they were part of a Federation again and Chakotay reminds her that the real Federation is only 30,000 light years away as Voyager resumes its course for the Alpha Quadrant.
==Log entries==
* "Captain's Log, Stardate 54553.4. For the past several days, we've been making every effort to recruit members into an alliance, but it hasn't been easy."
* "Captain's Log, Stardate 54562.7. Since Garon and the survey ship became our charter members, finding new allies has gotten a little easier. My latest prospect is Commander Bosaal, whose ship has technology that could help us escape."
==Memorable quotes==
"The vultures are circling."
"Vultures eat the dead, Mister Paris. We're not dead yet."
: - Paris and Janeway
"I'm so glad we taught them the value of cooperation."
: - Janeway
"Preparing meals myself is the best way to ensure quality."
: - Seven of Nine
"Each course has been paired with a specific wine. Substitutions are not recommended."
: - Seven of Nine
"We may lose a little weight, gentlemen – but we won't lose who we are."
: - Janeway, to Chakotay and Tuvok
"It was almost like being part of a Federation again."
"The real one's only 30,000 light years away."
"Then what are we standing around for?"
: - Janeway and Chakotay on the success of their alliance (last lines)
== Background information ==
=== Production ===
* Filming for the episode began on November 29, 2000 on Stages 9 and 16. A working title for the episode was "Federation." ()
=== Music ===
* When Janeway and Chakotay are saying that the Alliance was almost like being part of the Federation again, the original series theme is heard playing in the background.
* During the musical conversation between Fantome and the other members of his species several musical phrases from the origional series' opening theme can be heard as well.
=== Cast and characters ===
* Jonathan Del Arco previously played Hugh in the episodes and . He later reprised the role in the first season of .
=== Continuity ===
* Voyager had previously been stuck in a starless void in the fifth-season premiere .
* The first ship encountered by Voyager in the Void has a Vaadwaur signal. Voyager first encountered the Vaadwaur in the sixth-season episode and this is their second appearance.
* Voyager encounters Overlookers in this episode. Voyager first encountered the Overlookers in the sixth-season episode and this is their second appearance.
* This episode continues the established Voyager tradition of darkened or blacked-out set pieces, a production tool first used in the third season episode and continued in and (both fourth season). Of particular note are (season 5) and (sixth season) where a large part of the action takes place in almost complete darkness, adding atmosphere and tension to events.
* This episode has a similar premise to , in which the is sucked into a dimension whose inhabitants have accepted their inability to escape. In that episode, the inhabitants had instead established a government based on non-violence.
* The Doctor's quest to find a name, which started with his request for one in the first season episode , is referenced in this episode when he tells Seven that "choosing the right name for myself is extremely difficult."
* This episode contains several links to the science fiction series Babylon 5:
** Guest star Robin Sachs (General Valen) has played a and two characters on Babylon 5.
** In Babylon 5, is the name of a holy figure among the Minbari.
** Episode director Mike Vejar has also directed many Babylon 5 episodes.
** The second ship that attacks Voyager after they first enter the void and steals their supplies has a design reminiscent of the White Star class ship from Babylon 5.
=== Award ===
* This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup For A Series.
=== Video and DVD releases ===
* UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 7.8, 
* As part of the VOY Season 7 DVD collection
==Links and references==
===Guest Stars===
* Robin Sachs as Valen
* Paul Willson as Loquar
* Scott Lawrence as Garon
* Jonathan Del Arco as Fantome
===Co-Star===
* Michael Shamus Wiles as Bosaal
=== Uncredited Co-Stars ===
* Michael Bailous as operations division officer
* Richard Bishop as operations division officer
* Jon Bruegl as command division ensign
* Andrew English as operations division officer
* Tarik Ergin as Ayala
* Anna Lumarque as chief petty officer
* Louis Ortiz as Culhane
* Stephen Pisani as operations division officer
* Unknown performers as
** Kraylor officer
** Loquar's assistant
** Fantome's species void inhabitant 1
** Fantome's species void inhabitant 2
** Fantome's species void inhabitant 3
** Two Nygeans
=== Stand-ins ===
* Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan
=== References ===
ability; accessory; adversary; airponics bay; The Alliance; Annari; ; apron; appetite; aria; Baxial; bearing; chadre'kab; Chardonnay; chicken; circumference; cream of leola soup; computer console; deuterium; deuterium tank; escape velocity; evasive pattern; Fantome's species; Federation; Federation Charter; fetran risotto; fractal algorithm; grammar; gremlin; gourmet cook; graviton; gremlin; Overlooker; Hierarchy surveillance ship; humming; intruder alert; Jelinian; Jelinian ale; Jelinian freighter; kilometer; Kinjal; Kinjal frigate; Kinjal frigate crew; Kraylor; Kraylor starship; lead ship; life signs; logic; loophole; Loquar's ship; Luhvian quail; lung; lung capacity; meter; Milky Way Galaxy; morality; murder; navigational sensor; nomad; Nygean; Nygean starship; nutritional supplement; Olian guava; opportunist; orchestra; oxygen; palate; parasite; peanut butter and jelly sandwich; ; phase compensator; photon torpedo; physiology; Pinot noir; plasma; polarity; polaron modulator; red alert; replicator; Rigoletto; salt; scanning range; senior officer; sensor array; shields; shield polarity; subspace; syntax; telepathic; transporter; transporter lock; tricesium; truffle; United Federation of Planets; "Veglia, o donna, questo fiore"; verbal skills; ; Vaadwaur; Vaadwaur ship; vegetable; visual range; vulture; waiter; warp core; weapons signature
=== External links ===
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Void, The