Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001): Season 1, Episode 13 - Faces - full transcript

Captain's Log, Stardate 48734.2.

Sometimes it's a good idea

to get away from being
a Captain for awhile.

To that end,
I've started participating

in a new holonovel.

The setting is ancient England.

The drawing room is in here.

Bridget, take
Mrs. Davenport's cape

and tell Lord Burleigh
that she's here.

Yes, ma'am.

There's tea.



That would be lovely.

Thank you.

Tea is usually served at 5:30,

and dinner is at 8:30.

His Lordship doesn't appreciate
being kept waiting.

I'll be sure to be prompt.

Yes, ma'am.

Let's make something clear,
Mrs. Davenport.

My job is to make sure

that this household
runs smoothly.

I have been with Lord Burleigh
for nearly 20 years

because this household
runs smoothly.

He has come to trust me

and I will not brook
any behavior



that might jeopardize
that trust.

So you will be expected
to follow the rules

that I have set down.

Mrs. Templeton...

I have no wish to do anything

that might disrupt
this household,

but let me make something
perfectly clear.

I have been hired
by Lord Burleigh,

and it's his orders
I will follow, not yours.

You would be wise
not to make an enemy of me.

I can make sure
we have another governess

by next week.

I suggest we try to get along,
Mrs. Templeton.

Surely there's room here
for both of us?

One lump or two?

Two, please.

Lord Burleigh will
be here directly.

Forgive me.

I've startled you.

I'm sorry.

I didn't hear you come in.

Mrs. Davenport,
I'll come to the point.

I am not an easy man
to live with.

Since my wife died,
I'm told I'm even worse.

She was a buffer for me.

I understand.

The children are the ones
who've suffered.

I've not been much
of a father to them,

and God knows,

I can't be a mother.

I'm not asking
that you replace their mother,

but I think they'll respond
to a woman's sensibilities.

You might fill a void
in their lives.

I'll certainly try, Your Grace.

Young Henry
is sometimes a bit stubborn,

and little Beatrice...
misses her mother terribly.

I hope they won't make
things difficult for you.

One thing above all
I must demand.

You are never,
under any circumstances,

to go onto the fourth floor,
is that clear?

Bridge to Captain Janeway.

Go ahead, Mr. Kim.

I've got Commander Chakotay

and Mr. Tuvok's shuttlecraft
on long-range sensors,

but they're not responding
to our hails.

The shuttle's
been badly damaged.

I'm reading
multiple hull fractures.

Life signs?

Two, but they're very faint.

Beam them to Sick Bay
as soon as they're in range.

I'm on my way.

Aye, Captain.

Doctor.

They've each taken
a blast to the head

by some kind
of energy discharge.

Cardiostimulator.

Mr. Tuvok has
a serious concussion,

but it's nothing I can't handle.

As for Commander Chakotay...

all of the bio-neural energy

has been extracted
from his brain.

Extracted?

Yes, from the looks of it,
someone drained the energy

from every single
axon and dendrite

right down to the synapses.

I can keep his heart beating,

and I can keep him breathing,

but other than that,
there's nothing I can do.

He's brain dead.

The attack lasted
no more than a few seconds,

but it was highly effective.

I feel Commander Chakotay and I
are fortunate to be alive.

What happened, Lieutenant?

We had completed our trade
mission with the llidarians

and were on course
to the rendezvous point

when we encountered
a dark-matter nebula.

As we began a routine analysis,

an unidentified ship emerged
and attacked our shuttle.

Any idea why?

No. They would not
respond to our hails.

We were hit
by an energy discharge,

which penetrated our shields,
and filled the cabin.

Commander Chakotay
lost consciousness

immediately,
and I was barely able

to activate the autopilot
before I was overcome as well.

And the alien ship?

The last image I saw

was the ship
flying back into the nebula,

but the details
are difficult to remember.

Can you tell me anything
about the energy discharge--

its modulation
or phase distribution?

No.

There was no time
for a detailed analysis.

However, the shuttle's sensors
may have recorded information

that could be helpful.

I will download the sensor logs.

Why would someone
want to extract

his bio-neural energy?

I don't know,
but if I'm to have

any hope of reviving him,
I must know precisely

how his neurons were depleted.

It would be a great help
if I could examine the weapon.

We're going back to that nebula

to try to find the ship
that attacked you.

to try to find the ship
that attacked you.

Janeway to Bridge.

Prepare to lay in a new course.

Mr. Tuvok will provide
you with the coordinates.

Aye, Captain.

We'll keep you posted, Doctor.

The energy discharge

overloaded the shuttlecraft's
central computer core.

All sensor data
have been erased.

Lieutenant Torres
is in Sick Bay now.

When she reports,
tell her to go over

those damaged sensor logs
with a fine-tooth comb

to see if she can reconstruct
any of the data.

Aye, Captain.

Well, this is going
to make things

a little more difficult.

I've been using
the long-range sensors

to analyze the nebula
you discovered.

It's sending out strong
electromagnetic radiation.

We won't be able
to scan inside it.

You know, it sounds to me
like a perfect hiding place.

I agree.

I don't like the idea
of going in there blind.

Let me see if I can
reconfigure the sensors

to a multiphasic bandwidth.

Is there a problem?

I've lost all sensor contact
with the nebula.

I don't understand.

Wait a minute.
We've altered course.

Mr. Paris?

Our new heading is 121 mark 6.

We've completely
come about, Captain,

but it wasn't me.

Mr. Kim, check
the navigational computer.

Who ordered the course change?

According to my readings,

the command was issued
from the conn.

I'm telling you, it wasn't me.

And the helm controls
are working perfectly--

no sign of a malfunction.

Ensign, transfer helm control

to your station,
and reset our original course.

Course laid in.

Mr. Paris, I want you to run

a full diagnostic
on the conn station.

See if you can isolate
the problem.

Aye, Captain.

You might have asked
before adorning my Sick Bay

with animal remains.

It's a medicine wheel--

a talisman
used by Chakotay's tribe.

He once...
showed me how it works.

He said if anything
ever happened to him

that I should perform
a special healing ritual.

The wheel represents
both the universe outside

and the universe
inside our minds as well.

They believe each
is a reflection of the other.

When a person is sleeping
or on a vision quest,

it's said that his soul is
walking the wheel, but if he's

in a coma, or near death,
it means that he's gotten lost.

These stones are signposts...

to help point the way back.

Not exactly standard medical
procedure, I know, but...

You've placed the coyote stone

at the crossroads
of the Fifth and Sixth Realms,

which would divert
Commander Chakotay's soul--

that is, his consciousness--

into the Mountains
of the Antelope Women,

according to his tradition
an extremely attractive locale.

He might not want to leave.

How do you know
about the medicine wheel?

It's my business to know

about a variety
of medical treatments,

including those based
on psycho-spiritual beliefs.

Unfortunately, in this case,

the medicine wheel
won't be much help.

There's just not enough
of his mind left to work with.

Find your way home, Commander.

Hello?

Is someone here?

It's like...

sensing some kind of presence--

as if someone else were here.

Your telepathic senses again.

Is this like last week,
when you went into Sick Bay,

and you knew Lieutenant Hargrove
had been there

only he'd left hours before?

It's not the same.

That was like...

like hearing faint music
from a faraway place.

When I was
in my quarters just now...

Mm-hmm.

it was almost tangible.

I felt like there was someone
in the room with me.

Who was it?

I don't know.

A presence.

That's all I can say.

Warp engines still within
normal parameters, Captain.

We just changed course again.

Mr. Kim?

Our new heading is 121 mark 6.

Get us back on course.

The helm's not responding.

I'm locked out.

This command station
has been blocked.

From where?

The lockout originated
on Deck 12, Section B-7--

navigational control.

See if you can
reestablish control.

I've checked every ODN junction
in the helm control network

and I still can't find
the problem.

Seems we've developed
a new problem

while you were gone.

Helm control reestablished.

Get us back on course
for the nebula.

Janeway to Torres.

Torres here.

Who's in the
navigational control?

No one right now.

I was there this morning,
and Lieutenant Paris

was in there
just a few minutes ago.

That's not true.

Are you certain about that,
B'Elanna?

Positive. I just saw him leave
about five minutes ago.

Janeway out.

Explanation, Mr. Paris.

I passed by
the navigational control

on my way back from the
Jefferies tube, but that's all.

Am I being accused of something
here?

We are merely following

a line of deductive
reasoning, Lieutenant.

Both deviations from our course

were apparently issued
from locations

where you were working.

I'm telling you, I didn't do it.

Well, I'm willing to rule out
mutiny for the time being.

I believe you, Mr. Paris,

but we have to consider
the possibility

that you might be having
a problem with your memory.

I want you to go
down to Sick Bay.

Have the Doctor check you out.

All right.

Lieutenant Durst.

Neurotransmitters at normal.

Synaptic functions stable.

Hold still.

This is an extremely
sensitive scan.

What I wouldn't give to see
good old Doc Brown right now.

What?

Doc Brown.

Lollipops in the waiting room,

no holocomic books
more than six months old,

house calls.

I caught a bad cold one time
when I was nine years old.

The doctor whipped up
a pot of garlic soup

and brought it over himself.

Your report, Doctor.

I still have
a series of tests to perform,

but other than his irritating
lapses into nostalgia,

I see nothing wrong with him.

I guess you're going to have to
round up another suspect, Tuvok.

On the contrary, Lieutenant.

I ran a forensics sweep
of the navigational control.

I found traces of your DNA
on the console.

That's impossible.

The cellular residue
you left behind

is less than 12 hours old.

Do you still wish to maintain
your innocence?

To be honest,
I don't know what to think.

Perhaps my biomolecular scan
will reveal something.

Keep me informed, Doctor.

I believe I have found
the ion trail

of the ship that attacked us.

It leads directly
into the dark-matter nebula.

This is the nebula...

and this is the ion trail.

As you can see,

their flight path
is highly erratic.

These planetoids
inside the nebula,

they may be generating

a dangerous
gravitational effect--

like storm currents.

Chances are they've
mapped those currents

and they're taking
the only safe way through.

A reasonable assumption.

I recommend we follow
their exact flight path.

Agreed.
Lay in a course to the...

Captain, we're dropping
to impulse power.

I'm reading a massive
energy drain all over the ship,

and the warp core
is shutting down.

Bridge to Engineering.
Report.

Lieutenant Torres,
please respond.

Mr. Kim, take the Bridge.

Tuvok, you're with me.

Torres, what's going on?

Captain?

You've initiated
an emergency warp core shutdown.

What?!

Too late.
The warp core is off-line.

It'll take at least two hours

to regenerate
the dilithium matrix.

Ensign, get the rest
of the systems back on line.

Apparently, you've just crashed
the main computer,

locked out the Bridge
and stopped this ship cold.

Do you want to tell me why?

Captain, I don't know
what you're talking about.

What the hell is going on here?

I've found something
and you're not going to like it.

This is Mr. Paris' memory engram
for the last 24 hours.

As you can see,
it has a very consistent

and distinctive modulation,
except at 1350 hours.

For one minute, 47 seconds,

a different memory pattern
appeared.

1350 hours is also
the exact moment when Mr. Paris

presumably tampered
with navigational control.

It gets worse.

In addition to that,

there is another disruption
at 1202 hours,

the moment
when he allegedly entered

the new course at the helm.

I also found there's
an identical disruption

in Lieutenant Torres' pattern,
at the moment

she shut down warp power.

I should point out that this

is a neural electrical
signature--

what I believe to be
another brain wave

that was superimposed
on their own.

Another brain wave?

Whose?

I don't know.

It has an unusual
energy signature,

one I've never seen before.

Doctor...
what are you saying?

One possible explanation--

and the only one
I can think of at the moment--

is that an unknown
alien entity

momentarily took control
of their minds.

Intruder alert.

All security personnel
go to Condition 4.

Captain, it is possible

the intruder returned with us
in the shuttlecraft.

If we're right...

and there is an alien here,

it seems intent on preventing us
from going back to the nebula.

What's more,
it seems to have the ability

to jump from person to person.

If that's true,
it could be in any one of us,

controlling our actions
without us realizing it.

Well, except for me.

That's true.

So far it's only affected
organic beings.

If it could control the computer

and navigational systems
directly,

it probably would've
done it already.

Which means...

the Doctor is
the only person on board

we can trust at this moment.

Doctor...

until we have eliminated
this alien presence,

I can't take the risk

that it could take over
any of the senior officers.

I'd like to transfer
all command codes to you

until further notice.

W-What would that mean?

That I am in command?

No. But you will act
as a fail-safe.

If you feel at any time

that any of us are under
the influence of the alien...

you can countermand our orders
and take control of the ship.

Do you feel up to it?

Well, of course.

I make life and death
decisions every day.

I feel better already.

Computer, transfer all command
codes to the holographic doctor.

Authorization: Janeway-eight-
four-one-alpha-six-five.

Command code transfer complete.

Let's see if we can get
the warp core

back on line ahead of schedule.

Aye, Captain.

Captain, I heard
what's happened.

I think you're right.

There is an alien presence here.

I've been sensing
something unusual all day.

I don't know
how to describe it,

but I know there's
something here.

Do you know where?

No. Just that it's on the ship.

Captain, Kes's
telepathic abilities

are undisciplined.

If I could initiate
a Vulcan mind-meld with her,

I may be able to help her focus
those abilities

to detect the alien
more accurately.

I'm willing to do that.

Very well.

Proceed, Mr. Tuvok.

The Captain wants to seal off
all critical areas of the ship.

Make sure the access hatch

of Jefferies Tube
A-17 is secured.

So what exactly
are we securing against?

We're not sure yet,
but we think

it's some kind of
noncorporeal alien.

Noncorporeal?

That means it can probably move
right through a bul...

Medical emergency, Deck 7
Section 13-Alpha.

Captain's Log, supplemental.

It appears that Mr. Tuvok
and Kes were both hit

by an unidentified
energy discharge.

Tuvok was not badly hurt,
but Kes is in a coma.

It was similar to the attack
on the shuttlecraft--

an energy discharge
came through the bulkhead,

filled the turbolift
and hit both of us.

We didn't pick up
a discharge of any kind

on the internal sensors.

Perhaps this type of energy
is beyond our sensor bandwidth.

Perhaps.

But that discharge
had to come from somewhere.

The most thorough
scanning device we have on board

is a magneton scanner.

We could search the ship
centimeter by centimeter,

but that wouldn't do much good.

This alien could be
anywhere at any time.

But what if we could perform
a magneton scan

on the entire ship all at once?

What do you suggest?

A magneton flash-scan.

We could reconfigure
every sensor array

on the ship to emit
a single burst.

It might be enough to illuminate
any anomalous energy.

Harry, what do you think?

Whoa!

What did I do?

Stay where you are, Mr. Kim.

I don't see anything unusual,

but that doesn't mean anything.

Mr. Kim?

What were you doing just now?

I was just thinking.

I was remembering
an old study I saw

about magneton scanners.

I guess my mind
started to wander a bit.

I'm very disturbed
by what just happened here.

We don't have
any idea what occurs

when someone is occupied
by this alien presence.

If we start pointing
a finger every time

someone gets distracted,

it won't be long
before outright paranoia

starts sweeping the ship.

Tuvok, B'Elanna, I want
you to get started

on that magneton flash-scan.

It's worth a try.

Dismissed.

And that's not all.

Ensign Parsons
ordered his pejuta cold.

So?

He always drinks it hot, hot!

With lemon... but not today.

Today, it's cold pejuta,
hold the lemon.

Mr. Neelix, just because a
man changes his drink order,

doesn't mean he's
possessed by an alien.

Nevertheless, don't you think

you should... scan him
or dissect him or something,

just to make sure?

I could examine
every crew member

you've mentioned so far,

every person on board
for that matter,

and it wouldn't do any good.

From what we can tell,
the alien can jump

from person to person at will.

Sounds to me like you're
defending Ensign Parsons.

I'm not defending him.

I'm just pointing out

that you're acting
a little paranoid.

In fact...

one could say you're acting
a little too paranoid.

Are you suggesting that I...?

That I could possibly...?

Doctor, I can assure you,
not even an alien intruder

could make me do
anything to hurt Kes.

All I'm suggesting, Mr. Neelix,

is that paranoia is only
going to aggravate

your already precarious
emotional condition.

Try to relax.

I don't think Kes has suffered

any permanent
neurological damage.

I'll let you know the moment

I've had any success
in reviving her.

I'll be back
as soon as you wake,

dearest, and don't worry.

You're in good hands.

Thank you, Doctor.

What are you doing?

I am reconfiguring the
sensor relays on the ship.

This will only take a minute.

Must you do it now?

I'm in the middle
of a treatment.

I am sorry, Doctor.
Captain's orders.

How is she?

No irreparable damage.

In fact, her injuries
are quite different

from Commander Chakotay's.

Her bio-neural energy
is completely intact,

and I'm curious
about these contusions

on her neck and shoulder.

They're not consistent
with an energy discharge.

They look more like wounds

sustained during
a physical struggle.

Odd. There was no physical
struggle that I can recall.

I just don't understand it.

The only thing these injuries
come close to resembling

is an extreme trauma
to the trapezius nerve bundle.

It's as though her nerve fibers
have been ruptured.

Come in.

Lieutenant Torres and I
will be ready to initiate

the magneton scan
in approximately two hours.

You should be aware
that it will be

a high-intensity burst.

It will cause dizziness
and disorientation

in all crew members,
including myself,

for several seconds.

Make a shipwide announcement
before you initiate the scan.

Aye, Captain.

There is another matter
of some concern.

It appears that Kes's injuries

were not caused
by an energy discharge.

The Doctor has found evidence

that she was
physically assaulted.

Assaulted...

but you weren't
physically assaulted.

That is correct.

Is it possible that you
inflicted her wounds?

Me?

Maybe you were inhabited
by the alien at that moment.

It is possible.

Perhaps we should
have the Doctor

run a neurological scan to see
if I show a memory disruption.

Agreed.

Janeway to Sick Bay.

Computer, activate emergency
medical holographic system.

Unable to comply.

The EMH program
has been disabled.

Disabled? By whom?

Unknown.

The Doctor's initialization
routine has been locked out.

It's encrypted.

I can't reactivate the program.

It appears the lockout

originated
somewhere above Deck 4.

Why would someone
deactivate the Doctor?

The Doctor does hold
the command codes to Voyager.

Yes, but once
he was deactivated,

the codes automatically
reverted back to me.

If we assume the alien

could not take over
the holographic doctor,

then logically, it would try
to force the command codes

back into a humanoid host.

Me.

It's too dangerous
for one person

to retain the command codes
at this point.

I suggest we divide
my command protocols

into two code groupings.

A sensible precaution.

You would be
the reasonable choice

to hold the second grouping,

if there's any such thing as
a reasonable choice right now.

The alien could occupy
either one of us at any time.

But, presumably, not both
of us at the same time.

I'll tell
the Bridge crew the plan.

We'll all have to act as checks
and balances for each other.

I want you all to be aware
of something that has happened--

something I must assume
was due to the alien.

The Doctor has been deactivated,

and we can't get him
back on line.

I have decided to divide
my command protocols.

Captain...

Stun her.

She's the alien.

That should do it, Captain.

Thank you, Mr. Paris.

I feel better already.

Any luck getting
the Doctor back on line?

Not yet.
Whoever did this

put up one hell of a roadblock.

I'm going to have
to break through

at least six levels
of encryption

to access the holo-emitters.

How long is it going to take?

Two, maybe three hours.

Torres to Janeway.

Go ahead.

Captain, can you come down
to Engineering?

There's something here
I think you should see.

I'm on my way.
Mr. Paris?

You're our temporary medic
until the Doctor returns.

Right.

Ensign, I need you
on the Bridge.

I've been trying
to reconstruct

the damaged sensor logs

from Tuvok and
Chakotay's shuttlecraft.

I didn't have any luck
until I ran a parity trace scan.

Captain, the sensor logs
weren't destroyed

by an energy discharge.

Someone erased them,

and then overloaded
the sensor matrix

to make it look
like they'd been damaged.

It gets worse.

There was
enough information left

in the backup logs
for me to reconstruct

what happened during the attack.

They were near
a dark-matter nebula,

and an energy discharge
did breach the hull,

but there was no other ship.

No ship?

I'm certain of it.

From what I can tell,

the energy discharge
came from the nebula itself.

Why would Tuvok lie
about an attack?

He must have been under
the alien's influence.

Bridge to Janeway.

We're approaching
the dark-matter nebula.

Acknowledged.

How long until the magneton
flash-scan is ready to go?

The sensor arrays
are charging now.

15, maybe 20 minutes.

When it's ready,
transfer control of the scan

to the Bridge.

In the meantime,
I think we should

take a look
at exactly what it is

we're not supposed to see.

Mr. Tuvok, can you locate
the ion trail

of the alien ship
that attacked you?

I believe so.

Mr. Kim, lay in that course.

Shields are at maximum, Captain.

All preparations
for entering the nebula

are complete.

Captain, I finished
the bio-analysis

the Doctor was running on Kes
before he was deactivated.

I think he was onto something.

If I'm interpreting
his data correctly,

the bruises on Kes's
neck and shoulders

were the result
of a Vulcan neck pinch.

Lieutenant?

I have no memory
of injuring Kes.

Perhaps I was occupied
by the alien at that time.

Perhaps so.

But then... why does it
keep attacking you?

In three separate instances now,
it's assaulted you.

I am the Chief of Security.

It may see me
as a particular threat.

So far, you've posed no greater
threat than anyone else.

And yet, it keeps
going after you.

Captain, I believe
you are having

a typically human response
to circumstances

which are frightening
and inexplicable

commonly known as paranoia.

Maybe...

but I don't think it's paranoia
that's keeping me

from picking up
this ion trail of yours.

What bandwidth are you on?

I am using a multiphasic scan.

If you examine the Alpha-K band,
you will see it.

Yes, here it is.

A very interesting ion trail.

There's no sign of any subspace
distortions in its wake.

According to these readings...

it's a ship without engines.

You're lying, Tuvok.

There is no alien ship

and there never was.

We're not going
inside that nebula

until we get some answers.

Mr. Kim, reverse course.

Belay that order.

That is exactly what the alien
has been trying to do--

keep us from entering
the nebula.

I suspect the Captain
has been occupied.

I am relieving her
of command.

Ensign, proceed into the nebula,
one-half impulse.

Don't do it, Harry.

Now, Ensign.

No, sir.

I won't do it.

I must inform you.

This phaser is
on wide-beam dispersal

and set to kill.

I am taking command
of this Bridge.

I must ask you all
to stand together

where I can see you.

Step away
from the console, Ensign.

Captain, we're entering
the nebula.

Captain, I'm picking up
some kind of energy pulses

in the nebula-- highly coherent
with a bio-matrix.

Life-forms...

And they're heading this way.

Those beings out there--
are they your people?

We are the Komar.

This is our domain.

What's happening?

The warp core has been ejected.

No.

No. We must continue.

Torres to Bridge.

Captain,

I think I was just
taken over by the alien.

One second, I was working
the plasma relays,

and the next thing I knew,
I was ejecting

the warp core.

Acknowledged, Lieutenant.
Stand by.

I don't get it.

If the alien's in Tuvok,
how could it be

down in Engineering
at the same time?

I don't know.

Unless there are two aliens.

Two?

Wait a minute.

Lieutenant Torres
isn't authorized

to eject the warp core
on her own.

That requires a command
code authorization.

Computer, who authorized the
ejection of the warp core?

The authorization was entered
by Commander Chakotay.

Chakotay...

How is that possible?

The alien in Tuvok
wants us in that nebula,

but there's another presence

that's been trying
to keep us out.

It doesn't make sense
unless it's Chakotay.

And he knows we'll be in danger
if we go in there.

But he's in Sick Bay.

He's brain dead.

Maybe not.

Maybe his neural energy
was displaced somehow,

and he's able to move
from person to person.

Tuvok's engaged
emergency thrusters.

We're moving again, Captain.

You brought us here-- for what?

To extract our neural energy?

Very perceptive, Captain.

The collective neural energy
of your crew

will sustain my people
for years to come.

You don't have to do this.

Maybe we can help you
find another source of energy.

Captain, we're under attack.

We're being bombarded
by the energy beings.

The magneton scan identified

the entity
before it left the ship.

It was a trianic-based
energy being.

Looks like he's joined
his friends outside.

Shields are holding,

but they won't last long
at this rate,

and the electromagnetic
radiation

is blinding our sensors.

I can't find a way out.

Come about.

Maybe if we reverse course,
we can just backtrack.

Yes, ma'am.

I don't know if that'll work,
Captain.

Tuvok was navigating
a complicated course.

We could be going deeper
into the nebula.

Mr. Kim, maybe you can
reconstruct Tuvok's

navigational logs.

I'm on it, Captain.

Shields down to 65 percent,
Captain.

The energy beings are starting
to penetrate our defenses.

I'm not having any luck.

Tuvok deleted the navigational
logs as he went along.

He wanted to make sure
we didn't get out of here.

Neelix to Bridge.

Go ahead.

Captain, I can't be sure,

but I think I was just
taken over by the alien.

And I've done something
very strange.

I've rearranged the stones
on the medicine wheel.

If it's Chakotay,

maybe he's trying
to tell us something.

Mr. Kim, activate
Sick Bay Visual Relay 16

and put it on the viewscreen.

Aye, Captain.

What is it?

What does it mean?

Is it a code?
A message?

Or a map...

Computer, overlay a star map
of the nebula

on the current viewscreen image.

The stones are

in the same position
as those three planetoids.

Chakotay must be using them
to point a way out.

Mr. Kim, lay in a course
that takes us along a line

connecting
those three planetoids.

Engage.

Shields failing!

The aliens
are penetrating the hull.

Mr. Kim, report.

We're passing the third
planetoid now, Captain.

The dark matter density
is thinning.

Reading normal space ahead.

Bridge to Torres.

Transfer all remaining power
to the thrusters--

including life support.

We've cleared the nebula,
Captain.

Main power coming back on line.

Shields at full strength.

Hull integrity normal.

The alien beings
are not pursuing.

Captain's Log, Stardate 48735.9.

We have returned
to the coordinates

where we ejected the warp core

and have successfully
retrieved it.

Now we're hoping the Doctor
will be able to successfully

reintegrate Commander
Chakotay's consciousness.

Did it work?

It appears so.

Commander...

can you hear me?

Yes.

I'm a little dizzy, but I think
I'm all here...

How did you manage

to reintegrate
his consciousness?

It involved
three neural transceivers,

two cortical stimulators,

and 50 gigaquads
of computer memory.

I would be happy
to take you through the process,

but it would take
at least ten hours

to explain it all to you.

Needless to say, it was
a remarkable procedure.

I would consider
writing a paper about it,

if there were a convenient forum
in which to publish it.

What happened, Commander?

After the attack on the shuttle,

I had the sensation of...
floating above my own body.

I thought I was dead.

And when the shuttle
returned to Voyager,

you were still disembodied?

Yes.

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't touch anything.

But then I found that if I
concentrated on someone

who was in the room with me...

I could share
their consciousness.

At first, I could only
do little things

with the host's body--

push buttons, work a console.

As time went on...

it became easier to do more.

Sorry I had
to knock you around, Tuvok.

No apologies necessary.

Good job, Commander,

and welcome back.

To be honest,
I feel like I never left.