Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001): Season 1, Episode 12 - Cathexis - full transcript

An encounter with a peculiar nebula suddenly leaves Chakotay brain dead and unconscious. The crew is left with a mysterious but powerful force of onboard that can take over the minds of the crew members.

Captain's log, stardate 48693.2.

We've altered course to investigate
photonic activity in a nearby protostar.

Lieutenant Torres and I are
beaming aboard samples for analysis.

- We're ready for transport.
- Energise.

That's strange. Both containers
should have been filled.

It's a breach
in the annular confinement beam.

I'm aborting transport.
OK, let's try that again.

Energising.

All right. I'll get a phase spectrum
analysis on this as soon as possible.

If this works, it could boost the
efficiency of our power converters 15%.

- I'd say more like 20.
- How long for a preliminary analysis?



- Six hours. Maybe more.
- I'd like to get it sooner than that.

Ensign Kim is off duty.
Could you use his help?

Can you convince him to help?

I think I might be able to.
Janeway to Kim.

That's odd.
Computer, locate Ensign Kim.

Unable to comply.
Ensign Kim is not aboard the ship.

There is no unauthorised transporter
activity and all shuttlecraft are there.

If Kim left the ship, he did not do so
by conventional means.

His last shift ended four hours ago. He
was scheduled for time on a holodeck.

- No one has seen him since.
- Scan the holodeck.

- What's the matter?
- There is interference in the holodeck.

- I cannot obtain a clear scan.
- Is it a system malfunction?

I do not believe so.

Commander.



The holodeck is active. There appears
to be a program in progress.

Can you shut it down?

Manual overrides are not functioning.
I cannot terminate the program.

All right. Let's go in.

Computer, identify program.

The program in progress is a holonovel

based on the epic Earth poem Beowulf.

Beowulf?

An ancient English epic, set in
6th Century Denmark, if I am correct.

Beowulf fights a creature that terrorises
a kingdom and murders its subjects.

Monsters and swordplay.
That sort of thing.

I'm not detecting lifesigns,
but there's still interference.

I can't determine the source.

Speak as a friend...

or stand challenged!

Computer, delete character.

The command systems
are not functioning.

It is also possible that
the safety programs are malfunctioning.

I am Freya, shield maiden,
daughter of King Hrothgar.

I guard against intruders who would
bear us harm. So declare yourselves.

I will hear your answer
before you march any further.

We have no desire to trespass,
but we are on an urgent mission.

If you allow us to continue,
we would appreciate it.

What land do you call home?

Your faces tell me
you are not men of the Danes.

Are you.. Kinsmen of Beowulf?

Yes. We are Beowulf's kinsmen.

My name is Chakotay and this is
Tuvok. Have you seen Beowulf?

Yes.

He was like no other.
Hair straight and raven black.

Eyes bright with fierce fire.
The burning gaze of a hero.

That would qualify
as a description of Mr Kim.

How did you know he was Beowulf?

This is Harry's holonovel.
It'd make sense that he's the hero.

She may help us figure out
what happened.

- A reasonable assumption.
- Your kinsman was a noble warrior.

It is right you avenge his death.

Yes. But first we'd like to know
more about how Beowulf died.

Of course.
Come. I will take you to the king.

Hail, Lord Hrothgar!

I bring Chakotay and Tuvok, kinsmen of
Beowulf who come to avenge his death.

Greet them well.

I would bid you welcome, but the days
of glad tidings are gone from this place.

We grieve with you for your kinsman.

We had hoped that a warrior
of Beowulf 's strength and renown

would be able to deliver us
from our curse.

Could you tell us what happened?

He met with the same fate
as did 30 of our own warriors.

- Grendel.
- That's the monster who attacks you?

Repelled by light and laughter,
the beast waits until we slumber.

Then, bereft of remorse,

Grendel comes in murderous rage
to my hall to take my people.

And there is nothing
anyone can do to stop it.

If you are wise, you will forego
your vengeance and return home.

- Death lives here now.
- My Lord is fatigued. It is time to retire.

Would it be possible
to examine Beowulf's body?

Beowulf's body is gone,
dragged to Grendel's foul lair, no doubt.

- The beast leaves no traces.
- Did anyone see the battle?

No.
Beowulf chose to face Grendel alone.

- We'd like to see Grendel for ourselves.
- To what purpose?

To raise false hopes in our king again,
as did your kinsman?

- Leave us alone in our misery.
- Unferth, these men are our guests.

- They deserve our hospitality.
- They deserve nothing!

If Beowulf was the champion he
claimed to be, Grendel would be dead.

His head mounted on a spear!

Instead, we spend
yet another night in terror.

If you allow us to assist you,
we could alleviate your terror.

Your names mean nothing to me.

There are no songs of your deeds,
nor stories of your battles.

Who are you to believe
you can slay Grendel?

We don't intend to slay anyone.
We wish to examine the creature.

Grendel might not wish to be examined
without a fight.

And if you would fight Grendel,
then you will prove your worth to me.

Defend yourselves!

You are able warriors.
You may stand sentry tonight.

You are brave men.
I hope to see you again, fate permitting.

- Chakotay to Janeway.
- Go ahead.

We haven't found
any definite signs of Harry,

but we've encountered characters who
claim to know what happened to him.

Mr Kim was running a holonovel
based on the poem Beowulf.

He attempted to battle a creature
and was killed in the process.

- Killed?
- Safety programs are malfunctioning.

We must consider it.

But you haven't found a body?

No. If we shut down the program,
we'd know if he's here.

Run a diagnostic
on the imaging control systems.

If they're not working, repair them
and relay your scans to the bridge.

- I'd like to analyse your readings.
- Aye, Captain.

Primary imaging matrix
should be behind this wooden panel.

I will attempt to locate
the auxiliary matrix.

This Earth culture
is fascinated with monsters.

Every culture has its demons. They
embody the dark emotions of its people.

Giving them physical form in literature
is a way of exploring those feelings.

The Vok'sha of Rakella Prime believe
hate is a beast living in the stomach.

Their greatest mythical hero
ate stones for 23 days

to kill the beast and became a saint.

Fables are necessary only in cultures
which emphasise emotional behaviour.

There are no demons
in Vulcan literature.

That might account for its popularity.

- Bridge to Chakotay.
- Chakotay here.

Commander, we've analysed your data.

A deep-level scan shows
minute quantities of photonic energy.

How could it be in the holodeck?

We beamed aboard
the samples from the protostar.

There was a breach
in the annular confinement beam

and photonic energy
leaked into the system.

And into other systems.
We found some in the replicators.

That raises
an uncomfortable possibility.

Ensign Kim
may have inadvertently undergone

the process of matter conversion.

He may have been
converted into energy?

We have to consider it a possibility.

After all, the holodecks are
an outgrowth of transporter technology,

changing energy into matter
and back again...

every time a program is run.

- It shouldn't convert people.
- Hold on, Captain. Something's coming.

It is an object approximately
one metre in diameter.

I think Grendel is paying us a visit.

The characters told us
Kim was killed by Grendel.

An examination of this part
of the program is advisable.

Proceed.

I'm picking up signs
of matter-energy conversion.

- Emergency transport. Get them out.
- I can't get a lock.

Commander Chakotay, report.

- Mr Tuvok.
- I've lost their lifesigns. They're gone.

This is a scan of the holodeck
just before we lost contact with them.

The readings are garbled,

but I still think there is a malfunction
in the matter conversion nodes.

Photonic energy in the subsystems
could damage the nodes.

It might have created a defect in
the program when Grendel shows up.

It dematerialised our people.

I won't accept
that Harry and the others are gone.

Their molecular patterns
might still be there.

If they are,
we might be able to rematerialise them.

The only thing we can do
is go back into the holodeck,

study this... energy surge
and find out what happened.

Anyone who goes in there
will wind up like the others.

Maybe not anyone.

- Me?
- A hologram can't become energy.

It already is energy.
You're the perfect choice.

How will you
transfer me out of sickbay?

We'll have to modify
your imaging systems.

Going to the holodeck simplifies it.
The projection systems are in place.

You have control
over your magnetic containment field.

You can make yourself solid
or let matter pass through you.

Nothing will be able
to touch you unless you want it to.

- I see.
- Think of it as your first away mission.

I can understand your hesitation.
But there are three lives at stake

and you have the best chance
to save them.

- Do you understand that?
- Yes.

Good. Your job is to find the photonic
energy surge and scan it closely.

We need all the data we can get.

You'll have to interact
with the characters,

so make sure you're familiar
with Beowulf.

Your modifications
will be ready in three hours.

Yes, Captain.

Computer, access full text
of ancient Earth epic Beowulf,

including historical annotation
and cultural references.

Data compilation in progress.

- Doctor.
- Kes. Come in.

I don't know how long I'll be gone,
but don't suspend your studies.

- How is the protein synthesis text?
- I finished it yesterday.

Then learn how to operate
the base-pair sequencer.

The manual
is in the technical database.

- Was there something else?
- Something's bothering you.

Not at all. Excuse me.
I have a lot of preparation to do.

- You're nervous about this mission.
- Nervous?

I can perform emergency surgery
and not get nervous.

I can make life-or-death decisions
and not get nervous.

- What makes you think I'm nervous?
- Those things are familiar to you.

You've been programmed to do them,
but...

...this is different, isn't it?

I can describe every detail
of all the equipment in this sickbay,

from bio-bed to neurostimulator.

But I've never even seen
a sky or a forest...

let alone Vikings and monsters.

I can't afford to fail.

But I don't know what to expect
in that holodeck.

You were saying you deserve
to be treated like the crew.

Here's your chance.

I can tell you none of the crew
knows what to expect

when they go on an away mission.

Doctor, have you chosen
a name for yourself yet?

I have narrowed the list
to three possibilities.

Then let me suggest
you choose one before you go.

It might help you feel like an officer.

You may be right.
I'll give it some thought.

And, Kes...

Thank you.

Good luck.

Paris to Janeway.
We're ready for the transfer.

- Good. Go ahead.
- Are you ready, Doctor?

Of course.

I've already transported
a tricorder in there.

Engaging transfer circuits... now.

Is everything all right, Doctor?

Yes. There were no problems
with the transfer. I'm on my way.

Speak as a friend,
or stand challenged.

- I am...
- Freya, the king's daughter.

A female warrior, or shield maiden.

We have never met
and yet you know my name?

- Are you a sorcerer?
- No.

It's simply
that your reputation precedes you.

A warrior of your skill. You're quite
famous where I come from.

Has word of my deeds carried to other
lands? Tell me what you have heard.

Well, your battle with...

- Scyld, the Gar-Dane?
- A legend. An incredible story.

I burned his hall to the ground.
There was nothing left but ashes.

Charming.

Did you hear of my campaign against
the Heatho-bards. I fought them...

I'd love to hear about it, but I'm on an
urgent mission. I'm looking for Grendel.

Only a warrior would seek that
which others flee. What is your name?

I'm glad you asked.
My name is... Schweitzer.

Doctor Schweitzer.

Schweitzer.

A hero's name.
Come, I will take you to the king.

The hall is not far from here.

Look. Fortune is with us.

- Atuta, a most powerful plant.
- What do you intend to do with it?

We brew it into a broth
and drink it before battle.

It brings on the spirit of the bear
and strength to swing our swords.

It brings on profuse sweating,
convulsions and acute delirium.

Amanita muscaria is a fungus common
to subarctic climates and poisonous.

Yes, but those it does not Kill,
it makes strong.

A most hardy plant.
Are you a master of herb lore?

In a way, I suppose I am.

You are a man of many talents,
Lord Schweitzer.

- Your people must value you greatly.
- You would think so.

Hail, Lord Hrothgar!

I bring a new friend, Schweitzer,
who has come to destroy Grendel.

Greet him well.

I would bid you welcome to my hall,

but the days of glad tidings
are gone from this place.

I'm sorry to hear that. But with your
permission, I'd like to wait for Grendel.

To what purpose?

To raise false hopes again,
as have others before you?

- Leave us alone in our misery.
- I'm afraid I can't do that.

- I have a mission.
- Your name means nothing to me.

There are no songs of your deeds,
nor stories of your battles.

Who are you to believe
you can slay Grendel?

I'm simply a... warrior.

- I have no quarrel with you.
- Indeed you do.

And if you will fight Grendel, then
you will first prove your worth to me.

Defend yourself!

Fate be with you.

If this is your best,
then you should thank me.

Grendel would destroy you
with far greater ease than I.

This is absurd.

So be it.

Put some ice on that.
It'll take down the swelling.

Our time of deliverance is at hand.

We have been given a new champion,
one whom weapons cannot hurt!

The one who will destroy
Grendel and end our suffering!

All hail the hero!
All hail Schweitzer!

Eat.

- What is it?
- Elk.

When I built this hall,
the forest ran thick with them.

But today, game's more scarce.

Enjoy it, Lord Schweitzer.
It is a great delicacy in our land.

- It's quite good.
- We rarely hear stories of other lands.

Honour us with a tale of your home
to gladden our hearts.

I'm not much of a storyteller.

- Please, indulge us.
- Tell us a tale of your prowess in battle.

There was the time I managed
to stop the spread of Parinisti measles

before it became epidemic.

For a while, things were touch and go.
Six people came down with it.

I isolated the endoplasmic virus
and replicated it to form an antibody.

Even then, it wasn't altogether clear
I could create an effective vaccine,

but I worked at it for 74 hours straight

and managed to create an inoculation
to protect the crew.

You'll excuse me, my Lord,
if I take leave of this folly!

A truly unique tale.
Come, Lord Schweitzer.

Allow me to show you my home.

If you are in need of anything,
please do not hesitate to ask.

- All I need is to find Grendel.
- A true champion. Always ready to fight.

Would you like mead
to fortify yourself for battle?

- No, thank you. I'm fine.
- Away!

You're disturbing Lord Schweitzer!

It was with that weapon
I made my first Kill.

I was 11 years old.

You killed someone when you were 117.

Well, it's a poor weapon, I agree,
but a token of my youth.

You must have trophies
from your childhood.

I... don't remember
much about my childhood.

I'm certain you distinguished yourself
in battle and did honour to your father.

My Lord! It grows late.
It is time to retire.

Always with you, it is time to sleep.

Perhaps you have forgotten
the work of a warrior is battle not rest.

You would do well to learn
from Lord Schweitzer!

This was a beautiful hall once,
before Grendel.

You will make it so again.

You have our thanks.

I appreciate your faith in me, sire.

Come, my Lord.

You may have deceived them
with your tricks...

...but the king is old and desperate
for hope. And the rest are just fools!

You have nothing to worry about,
Unferth.

- Once I'm done with Grendel, I'll leave.
- We shall see.

The morning will prove if your deeds
are as strong as your words.

The nights here are cold.

I wanted to make certain
you were comfortable.

I appreciate your concern.

I thought everyone had gone to sleep.

Sleep does not come easily
in this place.

Not any more.

I was taught the world
would end in winter.

First there would be a desperate cold,

followed by a demon
who would devour the sun.

It has been long since we felt summer.

And a demon does walk these halls.

Freya,
your world isn't coming to an end.

Perhaps not. But it has changed.

Every night, the monster comes.

And every day, our numbers are
lessened and no one will speak of it.

No one speaks of the fear
that he will be next.

Each meal becomes quieter
than the last.

And after a time, we barely speak at all.

Have you ever been alone among
many and unable to speak your fears?

- I think I do.
- How do you survive?

I'm still learning how.

I'm sure that's not very helpful.

Sometimes I believe I can see
the moment of my own death.

It comes in battle, I think,
my sword raised high.

It is said fate often spares a doomed
warrior if his courage can prevail.

But there have been days
when I felt my own courage falter.

- And then you came.
- I'm glad I could help.

Perhaps I can help you.

Before combat,
it is most important to stay warm.

You've done an excellent job
with the fire. I'm sure...

Fire is not the only heat,
Lord Schweitzer.

You know where I sleep.

- Holodeck to Bridge.
- We're monitoring you.

I'm picking up readings
of photonic energy.

It's right in front of me. It's some kind
of... photonic energy formation.

Emergency! Get me out of here!

- Now!
- Sickbay, emergency transfer.

I'm on it.

Sickbay, report.

I have him, Captain... more or less.

I think you'd better take a look at this.

- How does it feel?
- Just like the old one.

The photonic energy
disrupted your magnetic cohesion.

We're not sure
if that happened to the others.

Take a look at the readings
from the Doctor's tricorder,

when the energy surge
made contact with him.

They're showing a synaptic pattern.

I wouldn't expect to see this
in photonic energy.

Is this the first time
they have shown up?

It's the first time we've had
clear readings from contact.

I wonder if I could produce these
same patterns in the samples we have.

You might get information about how
photonic energy damaged the systems.

I'll give you a hand.

OK, I've initiated a polarisation field.
I'm introducing it into the container.

We're getting a reaction.

It's producing a synaptic pattern,
all right. Highly complex.

What's that?

- It's cutting through the bulkheads.
- Let's contain it.

- It's heading for Deck 14, Section C-5.
- I've got a containment field blocking it.

It changed direction.
It avoided the containment field.

Let's give it another try.
Now it's blocked on three sides.

It's changing course,
heading for the open side.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Those synaptic patterns
could be some sort of neural net.

We may be dealing with a life-form.

- Bridge to engineering.
- Torres here.

We detected an energy mass
moving through the ship.

It broke through the sample container.

It's showing the properties
of a life-form.

A life-form?

It has a neural net and demonstrates
signs of intelligent behaviour.

It's heading for the outer hull.
It'll breach in 15 seconds.

Any critical systems in its path?

- Negative.
- Let it go.

Be ready to seal the hull breach.
A damage control team will do repairs.

Let's track it on sensors
when it gets out.

- It's penetrating the outer hull.
- Force field is in place.

The energy form
is 100 meters off our port side.

Let's get it on screen.

What was that?

It appears to be
some kind of photonic lattice.

It seems that the energy
form was trying to get back to it,

as though it's a shelter of some kind.

Or maybe a transportation device.
Their equivalent of a ship.

At any rate, we had sensor contact
for a few seconds

and we picked up three distinct
bio-electrical patterns inside it.

Bio-electrical?
What are you suggesting?

We have three missing crewmen.

Our best guess is they were converted
into energy on the holodeck.

We find no sign of them on this ship.

Then we pick up three discrete patterns
in that lattice

that don't match anything else in there
and which have biological components.

I don't think it's a stretch to hypothesise
those are our crew members,

converted into a kind
of photonic energy.

What are they doing over there?
How did they get there?

We have good evidence that there are
photonic beings living in that protostar.

Life-forms that have intelligence.

We didn't know that when we beamed
those energy samples on board.

We had no idea that what we were
doing was capturing those life-forms.

We locked them in a containment field
and experimented on them.

If my people were taken like that,
I know what my response would be.

I would do whatever was necessary
to get them back.

Then you think
they have retaliated against us?

They can manifest themselves on the
holodeck in the matrix of a character.

That's how they took
our crew members hostage.

If you're right, we should return
the remaining life-form.

A gesture to show we mean well.
It's certainly worth a try.

If I took it onto the holodeck

and released it, maybe they'll
understand and release our people.

Officers have intensive training before
they're put into a first contact situation.

You're the only one who can do this.

I'd like to finish what I started, Captain.
I can do this.

I agree.

Transfer the life-form to a container
so the Doctor can carry it.

But remember, if you're holding the
container you have to stay in solid form.

I understand.

Freya!

Lord Schweitzer!

- We thought Grendel had taken you.
- Not entirely.

- How did you survive?
- That would be difficult to explain.

But that's not important right now.

- This is a talisman to destroy Grendel.
- You lie!

No man could survive Grendel unless
he were in league with the beast.

You have brought that talisman
to destroy us!

- That is not true. He has come to help.
- No! You speak his lies now.

He has bewitched you.

Unferth,
I need to get this talisman to the hall.

Then that gives me reason enough
to make sure it never gets there.

No. Please, you don't know
what you're doing.

Prepare to die, demon.

Freya...

My Lord...

- My time has come.
- Freya, I'm sorry.

- There's nothing I can do.
- It is a good death.

Take my sword.
Stop Unferth and Grendel.

I won't forget you.

Then I die happily...

with your name on my lips.

Farewell, Schweitzer.

Here, sire.

My Lord,
you know me as a true warrior.

I am your one hope
to rid your kingdom of Grendel.

The talisman will aid me
in my conquest. I must have it.

Do not listen to him.
He has already killed Freya.

Stop him, my Lord! He is a madman!

The only reason you won't die
is that I've taken an oath to do no harm.

Grendel, I'm ready for you.

I don't know if you can understand me.

But watch. I'm setting this one free.

There's no need for any more of this.

Please.

We ask you to return our crew.

- The photonic lattice has reappeared.
- Scan it. All sensors.

I'm reading a massive particle surge
on our holodeck.

The lattice is gone again.

- Holodeck to bridge.
- Go ahead, Doctor.

- What is it?
- We have them back, Captain.

- All three of them.
- Good work, Doctor.

Yeah, good work.
Would you mind telling me where I was?

Captain's log, stardate 48710.5.

Since the return of our crewmen,

we've been unable to locate
any traces of the photonic aliens.

I don't know if the being understood
language or just my behaviour.

It would have been
interesting to pursue further.

It's an exciting aspect of space
exploration, meeting new species,

establishing communication,
sharing differences and similarities.

- I'm sorry none of that happened.
- But it did.

It just didn't happen in predictable ways.

But if you think about it, we entered
into conflict, communicated

and then established
a peace treaty with them.

I'm placing a commendation in the logs

for exemplary performance by the chief
medical officer during an away mission.

- Thank you.
- I'd like to cite you by name.

Kes tells me you've chosen one.
Is that true?

I had, but I'm not sure I want to keep it.

The last time I heard that name spoken
was a painful one.

I don't think I want to be reminded.

Sounds like you had
quite an adventure on that holodeck.

Yes, I would say so.

Well, something tells me
you haven't had your last one.

Something tells me the same thing.