Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001): Season 1, Episode 4 - Phage - full transcript

With dilithium reserves running low, Janeway follows Neelix's advice and proceeds to the nearest known supply. When they arrive in orbit, scans reveal a massive supply; however when the away team transports down to the planet there is none there. Completely confused, Commander Chackotay orders the away team back to Voyager but before they return to Voyager, Neelix is attacked by an alien who removes his lungs. The EMH then comes up with a solution - holographic lungs, but this means that Neelix has to stay in a restraint whilst he has the lungs and he is unable to move no more then 0.2 nanometers in any direction. Captain Janeway along with Commander Tuvok and a security attachment return to the planet to find the alien who did this and they make a very gruesome discovery; a laboratory full of alien organs and then realize that there was a life in that very room less then 10 minutes ago. Scans detect the life form and when they catch up with him, Tuvok knocks the alien's weapon out of his hand. The alien escapes and leave on a ship. Voyager gives pursuit but the ships are both equally matched for speed. The alien ship then takes refuge in an asteroid; Voyager continues to scan once inside the main cavern of the asteroid. The crew see many reflections of Voyager and the alien ship however electro-magnetic interference stops them from detecting which one is the correct ship so they send out a low energy phaser beam which will past through any reflections but hit the alien ship without damaging it. Once they detect the alien ship and they beam the grew aboard, they get two very strange looking aliens called Viidans who go around harvesting organs from aliens and then grafting them on to themselves because they have a genetic disease called 'The Phage'. This disease affects them on the cellular level, so to survive they need to replace their organs regularly. Horrified by what these aliens do and how they are able to throw their morals aside and that she is unable to get Neelix's lungs back. she then sees that there is nothing she can do but to let them go, but with a harsh warning to never cross her ship again. In what appears to be an act of compassion, the aliens offer to help with the transplantation of one of Kes' lungs into Neelix.

Holding course 351,
mark 10, warp 7.

We'll pass a red dwarf system soon.

I can't tell if there are
any M-Class planets.

- You ready?
- I want to do the transtator diagnostic.

- I can't do this alone.
- Sorry.

You're making a mistake.
Can't you see what's going to happen?

We're the only humans out here, Harry.
People will start pairing off.

If we don't get to the Delaney sisters
soon, somebody else will.

- I've got a girl back home.
- I've got five.

- I plan on seeing mine again.
- Harry, Harry, Harry.

- You think she'll wait?
- I hope so.



Let her go. Let her have a husband
and kids and a good life...

while you and I
have the Delaney sisters.

- I need to run a transtator diagnostic.
- And a self-diagnostic.

Look, they come as a pair.
It's a double date or no date.

Come on. I told them all about you.

What did you tell them about me?

How you broke the single pilot
speed record at the Academy.

- Record? I never broke any record!
- Who are they going to check it with?

- Report.
- We're at the edge of a shock wave.

Hull breach on deck 3. Contained.
Shields are holding.

Engineering is undamaged.
All systems operational.

Can you identify
the source of the wave?

I'm not sure.

There's a debris cloud
in the red dwarf system.



It consists of differentially charged
polaric ions.

Differentially charged? That would
suggest a massive detonation.

Are you familiar with any life-forms
in this system?

Familiar? Not exactly familiar.

Considerably less than familiar,
actually.

- Adjust course to investigate.
- Aye, Captain.

Entering the system, Captain.
Heading 010, mark 4.

- What are you doing here?
- I had to know.

Know what?

The origin of the shock wave
is an M-Class planet.

On screen.

- All vegetation has been destroyed.
- No satellite system. No spacecraft.

- Lifesigns.
- None.

- But there may be interference.
- Take us into orbit.

There are artificial waterways
and a global aqueduct system.

- There is a civilisation down there.
- Or there was.

- Surface conditions?
- Radiation level is acceptable.

- Atmosphere, breathable.
- Mr Paris, Tuvok, you're with me.

Ms Torres,
meet us in transporter room 2.

Commander, you have the bridge.

The entire surface of the planet
was just seared.

There was a chain reaction in subspace,

very likely ignited by the detonation
of polaric ion devices.

The people here never had a chance.

They're gone. Vaporised.
Everything organic has been obliterated.

At least it happened quickly.
It would have taken seconds.

- It recalls the Chaltok IV incident.
- Chaltok IV?

A Romulan research colony
was nearly destroyed during a test.

It led to the Polaric Test Ban
Treaty of 2268.

So we're looking at the end of a war.

- I wonder who won.
- I'm not sure there was a war.

Look at these readings.

Polaric ion concentrations are so high

I can't get an accurate reading.

These conduits caused the explosion?

A civilisation powered
by polaric ion energy?

That's what it looks like.
A time bomb underneath every street.

Running into every home.

What do you mean you saw it?

- How could you see it?
- I don't know.

What did you see?

I saw them...

...burn.

Their bodies...

Ashes where they stood.

You felt the shock wave in your sleep.

It's just your imagination.
A strange coincidence.

- I don't think so.
- What else could it be?

It was almost telepathic.

Telepathy is a message, words, voice.

What you're describing is almost like
the visions of Drakina Forest dwellers.

- Who?
- A tribe with paranormal abilities.

- They can walk into a room...
- Neelix.

My ancestors were said to have
unusual mental abilities.

- No one believes those stories.
- I always have.

Look. This may be
some kind of timepiece.

It stopped at the moment
of the explosion.

- What was that?
- What?

- Didn't you hear that?
- Hear what, Lieutenant?

Kids playing.
They were as close as...

I don't understand.

I was here in the square
but there were people.

- You never left here.
- But I saw them.

Lots of people. Children playing.
The sun was shining.

There was no explosion.
Everyone was alive and happy.

You were standing here all the time.

Your nervous system is showing
a temporal flux but it's normalising.

- Subspace is shattered.
- Everyone, stand where you are.

There may be subspace fractures
floating across the planet's surface.

Away team to Voyager.
Four to beam up.

Tuvok. B'Elanna.

Hey. Calm down. It's all right.
What's the problem?

I saw them appear out of thin air!

They're demons!
I saw them with my own eyes!

- We just came around the corner.
- They're lying!

Calm down. You've been reading
too many dark storm tales.

- There's no such thing as demons.
- But I'm telling you...

Run along now.
Have a confection bar and calm down.

All right. Back to your business.
Nothing else to see here.

- Sorry about that.
- No problem.

- Who knows what's in their heads?
- Perhaps the uniform scared him.

- Come in on the continental transport?
- This morning.

Is that what they're wearing
in Kalto Province?

This is a little more formal than most.
You know how it is when you travel.

We were looking for a clothing shop
to get something more appropriate.

There's one over there.
I hope your stay is enjoyable.

I wish I could say it will be.

Need a timepiece?

Maybe you could help me.
I'm from... Kalto Province.

- I'm not used to your timepieces.
- They're the same.

Are you sure?
What do these numbers stand for?

Rotations, intervals, fractions.
Same as any timepiece.

14 kelodas.

A fair price. I might stop back later.
If there's time.

This world is going to be destroyed
some time tomorrow.

First officer's log, supplemental.

There's been no sign
of Janeway or Paris

since they were lost in subspace.

This is one of the subspace fractures
we've located.

This is the time of the explosion.

As the shock waves dissipate,
the fracture grows more narrow.

We believe that they're trapped
at the narrow end.

Shockwaves usually dissipate
into the future.

But we're speculating,
based on what Paris saw,

that these dissipate into the past.

- That's consistent with observations.
- But Paris was able to return once.

He wasn't all the way inside a fracture.
We still saw Paris standing there.

So they may be existing only hours
before the explosion occurs.

We can't measure exactly
how far back these fractures go.

How do we find them?

If I know Captain Janeway,
she would activate a subspace beacon.

We hope so. First we must find
a fracture somewhere they've been.

Then we have to microscan the fracture
to pick up their signal.

Once we know where
and when they are,

we have to widen the fracture.

How do you suggest we do that?

We're not sure yet.

- What? Is something wrong?
- Yes, terribly wrong.

Your brain is not on file.

Either your government failed
to transmit the crew personnel report

or someone at Starfleet Medical
fouled up.

- I'm not a member of this crew.
- We came aboard at mid-expedition.

And no one asked you
for your medical histories?

Of course not.
That would be the ship's doctor's job.

My job. If anyone had bothered
to tell me about new passengers.

But I'm the last
to know everything.

- So, how many others are there?
- Just us.

- And the crew from another ship.
- Another crew? That's nice.

This is the Emergency Medical
Hologram to Captain Janeway.

She's missing
on the surface of a planet.

Missing. The Captain is missing.

I've found myself
on the voyage of the damned.

Very well. Please advise the highest
ranking officer who is not missing

to see me at his earliest convenience.

- You may shut off my program.
- But what about her condition?

She's the healthiest member of her
species I've ever seen. The only one.

You have a lovely brain.
It will make a fine addition to our files.

If your species has a history
of extraordinary mental abilities

this may be your way
of flexing those muscles.

Living in space requires the body
to make adjustments.

This could be a side effect
of that process.

Go home, get a good night's sleep
and drink plenty of fluids.

- Fluids?
- Everybody should drink fluids.

- Don't forget to turn me off.
- Computer, end program.

And call me in the morning.

Voyager will be looking
for a way to reach us.

I'll set my combadge to emit
a beacon. Maybe they'll pick it up.

- I know.
- Maybe there's some way...

No. The Prime Directive is clear.

We cannot alter this planet's
course of events.

- Even if that course is annihilation?
- Yeah.

My father used to talk
about the Prime Directive. Once a year.

He considered it our guiding principle.

To be honest, I tuned out
most of his sermons years ago.

Well, tune back
because I agree with him.

You have no idea what
the consequences might be...

They'd be better
than mass destruction.

You're not to warn these people.
That's an order.

Oh, God. Come on.

- I know you're lying.
- We're here on a business trip

and we have a lot to do.

You came on the continental transport?

Yes. From Kalto Province.

I talked to the transport attendant.
Four people came today from Kalto.

Two were older than you
and they had a child with them.

The attendant was wrong. That was us.

- So where's the child?
- We ate him.

We are demons and we eat children
and I haven't had my supper yet.

- I figured it was the quickest way.
- Let's concentrate on getting out.

The same subspace fractures that
brought us here might still be around.

If they were caused
by a polaric explosion...

Could we use polaric energy
to get us back?

With a polaric ion generator we could
modify a tricorder to emit a polaric field.

It might help us scan for a fracture.

I wonder where these conduits
get their power.

- This is a lawful demonstration.
- We have a right to be here!

Normally I'd say
we should come back tomorrow.

This uses the same energy
that destroyed the planet.

- It can open a subspace fracture.
- Wide enough for them to get through?

This is capable of bringing them back.

Logically, we should begin
where they disappeared.

But at the necessary intensity, this will
burn itself out after 30 seconds.

- Can't we try again?
- Not at the same location.

Once we make one attempt,
a second attempt will be impossible.

How do we avoid getting trapped?

Our tricorders will detect the fractures

and we'll all wear these,
which put out an anti-polaric field.

It should repel the fractures
if they get close.

- Nice work.
- Commander.

- Are you going back to the planet?
- We're going now.

- I have to go with you.
- There's nothing you want to see.

- That's what I said.
- I've seen it. I have to go.

We're sorry to involve you in this.
Pe'Nar Makull. My colleague, Ny Terla.

You were at the wrong place
at the wrong time?

I was just thinking the very same thing.

- What were you doing?
- We're from Kalto.

We were hoping to compare
your power facility to our own.

I've never seen a Kalton
with your colour hair.

Now you have.

My friend thinks
you were sent to infiltrate us.

Infiltrate? You were there
when she got this.

Perhaps you were told
to put on a good show.

We don't know why someone
would want to infiltrate you.

Really? Even in Kalto there are protests
against polaric energy.

- We're not spies.
- When were you last in a power plant?

- Before we left home.
- You weren't in there yesterday?

We were just getting there
when we stumbled into you.

We know you're not telling the truth.

Our safety monitors
measure polaric energy.

When you got here, they registered
five times the normal readings.

You were either inside
that plant yesterday

or at the site of a polaric disaster
worse than any in our history.

What is it?

It's as though I can sense
the people who were here.

I know. It's like walking
through a graveyard.

No. It's more than that.

I almost feel as if I could touch
the people who were here.

- What have you found?
- There are no fractures here.

So the subspace damage
is beginning to dissipate.

It will be harder to locate
Tom and the Captain.

I'm picking up a combadge signal.

- A subspace beacon?
- No, it's not on subspace.

It's here. Now.

Kim to Janeway.

- Kim to Paris.
- Can we locate the source?

Yes, sir. This way.

- What's your name?
- Janeway.

- Unusual name.
- Not where I'm from.

- Where was that again?
- I don't see any point in this.

There is a very important point.

It has to do with our schedule
and whether we can keep it.

- Can we?
- I don't know.

- Do they know our plan?
- I have no idea.

- Let me go!
- Look what I caught sneaking around.

I'm still not showing any lifesigns.

- He has nothing to do with this.
- Is he yours?

- No. We met him here.
- Don't trust them.

- They aren't who they say they are.
- Really?

- Thanks, kid.
- This is all a misunderstanding.

They lied about how they got here.

I talked to the attendant myself.
Let me go!

What do we do with him?
We can't let him go.

Just put him over there with the other.

Now stay quiet.

The combadge self-activates
when the casing is destroyed

to help searchers locate victims.

I guess it means
they were in the explosion.

Their combadges were in the explosion.
Speculation serves no purpose.

We should search
for tangible evidence.

None of us have seen these before.
Terla believes they're spy equipment.

They're for surveying property.
I'm thinking of buying land.

- I need to survey it.
- I'd like to know how they work.

Would you show me?

But one of them might be a weapon.

I wouldn't want you
to show me how that works.

Hey, kid.
You were right about one thing.

I was lying. I don't eat children.

You don't scare me. My father
works for the Media Bureau.

- When I tell him...
- Is he a journalist?

Yes. And so am I.

- Is that right?
- I report for my school journal.

Everyone's gonna find out about you
when I write about this next week.

- What's your name?
- Latika.

- I'm sorry.
- For what?

- I just am.
- I realise how this must appear.

But I'm just a patriot.

I believe polaric energy has
the potential to destroy this world.

I take it few people agree with you.

We've had more support
since the accident at Markov.

We know the companies
are afraid of us.

We know they've increased security.

But it will not be enough to stop us.

We can't wait.
We have to reschedule.

They're not telling the truth, so we'll
assume the government sent them.

Tell everyone we begin
at 0400 tomorrow.

Wait a minute.

Captain?

Kes.

Do you have something to tell me,
Janeway? If that's your real name.

It is my real name.

Captain Kathryn Janeway
of the Federation starship Voyager.

I can feel their presence.

Please elaborate.
How can you feel them?

I don't know. I just can.

They've been in this room. I know it.

- Is there a subspace fracture in here?
- Affirmative.

Set up the equipment.

You wanted the truth.
All right. Here's the truth.

We're from the future.
Exactly one day in the future.

- You mean I was right?
- We weren't allowed to tell.

At least I thought we weren't.

In a few hours from now, there will be
a serious accident on this world.

It will be caused by a polaric detonation.

We came here in an interstellar ship
to investigate.

When we arrived, we were
exposed to the polaric radiation.

Showing a subspace fracture.
Coordinates 141 by 21 by 14.

- 5% drift, range: Four metres.
- Initiating generator.

Initiating microscan of the fracture.

Whatever you're planning to do
could be responsible for this tragedy.

And you were able
to come back here to warn us?

The explosion had
an unexpected aftereffect.

It created fractures in time.
We fell through one of those fractures.

Interstellar ships? Fractures in time?
Do you expect us to believe all this?

I found them. Scanners are picking up
a subspace beacon.

Adjusting penetration coordinates
to match.

I'll try to open up the other end.

Chakotay to Janeway.
Captain, can you read us?

- Eavesdropping devices.
- No. But they are for communication.

- My crew is trying to contact me.
- From the future.

Get the particle injector.

Bring them with us.
The boy, too. They can help.

Chakotay to Janeway.
Can you read me?

Please respond.

I don't get it, Captain.

This morning you gave orders about not
interfering, now you're telling them.

We'd already violated the Prime
Directive in the worst possible manner.

- How?
- Just by being here.

If we hadn't been here, this world
may not have been destroyed.

Think about it, Tom.

Before we got involved, they planned
to commit sabotage next week.

We forced a change in their schedule.

Because of us, they decided
to begin today at 400 rotations.

We know the detonation takes place
today just after 401.

401-22-84.

We're responsible for an explosion that
happened before our ship arrived here?

We've travelled back
to before the explosion.

So yes, we can be responsible for it.

Let's say we never came
and their plans didn't change.

Wouldn't the accident have occurred
next week?

They could have been arrested before
they got a chance to carry it out.

Conditions at the plant
might not have been the same.

But it's our problem now and we have
got to find a way to solve it.

The subspace fractures are closing.
We've lost 70% of them.

We should concentrate
our search at the flashpoint.

What do you expect to accomplish?

The Captain and Paris might have
tried to stop the explosion.

That would be highly questionable
in light of the Prime Directive.

If it were me, I would have tried.

The issue is whether Captain Janeway
would. Not you, Commander.

- Can you locate the flashpoint?
- We already have.

Let's go.

Your job is to get us past the guards.

We'll say we're here to negotiate
a settlement of our dispute.

I cannot and will not
do anything to help you.

Terla has a weapon trained on the boy.

If shooting begins,
he'll be the first victim.

- Can I help you?
- She's a government representative.

I am a hostage. These men are here
to break into the plant.

Their lives are on your conscience,
Janeway.

- You saved my life!
- Don't waste time with me, Captain.

- Gotta stop them.
- Will you stay with him?

Sure he will. The kid and I...

...we're old friends now.

I'll be back for you.

We'll be here.

The polaric levels are highest here.

This was the flashpoint
of the explosion.

Whatever went wrong, it started here.

- Are there subspace fractures in here?
- They are numerous.

Set up the equipment.

I need the injector.

Just hand that bag to me.

41 by 310.2% drift.
Range six metres. Mark.

- I have it. Initiating generator.
- Scanning for the subspace beacon.

I don't think they were here.

- It is highly unlikely that Captain...
- No.

The Captain did come. She was here.

This is where she died.

Everybody on this planet will die
if you go through with this, Makull.

Don't.

What do you think
we are planning to do here?

I assume you're going to detonate
some kind of device.

- We wouldn't blow up anything here.
- Maybe.

- But something will go wrong.
- Nothing will go wrong

unless you fire that
near a polaric conduit.

- For everyone's safety, put it down.
- Give me the bag.

All right, then. We'll wait.

If Kes is right, the Captain was here
when the explosion occurred.

Can we break through subspace
before the detonation?

Couldn't we open a hole just before
the widest point of the fracture?

We couldn't pinpoint the time we'd be
penetrating but we could guess.

It is my duty to point out there is no
logical reason to believe Kes is correct.

However, since I can recommend
no other course of action,

- I suggest we proceed.
- Commander?

What time is it?

401 rotations plus 21.

We'll just wait until 23.

237 What's the importance of 237.

This is all about the alleged time
of our self-annihilation.

All right. Let's just see if we can
all get through the next...

- What's going on?
- They're cutting through subspace.

My God.

It's going to intersect
with the conduit wall.

Our own rescue attempt.
That's what sets it off.

My weapon may be able to seal
that hole. It's our only chance.

I'm getting resistance
from the other side.

Increasing generator
to maximum output.

- The generator's overloading.
- I don't understand.

We're not penetrating the fracture.

Harry, Harry, Harry.

- You think she'll wait?
- I hope so.

Let her go. Let her have a husband
and kids and a good life...

while you and I
have the Delaney sisters.

- I need to run a transtator diagnostic.
- And a self-diagnostic.

Look, they come as a pair.
It's a double date or no date.

Come on. I told them all about you.

What did you tell them about me?

How you broke the single pilot
speed record at the Academy.

Record? I never broke any record!

Who are they going to
check it with?

Chakotay to Captain Janeway.

Yes, Commander.

We've identified an M-Class planet
in the red dwarf system.

Do you want to investigate?

Are you familiar with any life-forms
in the system?

Familiar? Not exactly familiar.

Considerably less
than familiar, actually.

- What are you doing here?
- I had to know.

- Know what?
- The planet...

Everyone was killed.
There was a terrible explosion.

- You had a bad dream.
- No, it was more than a dream.

Mr Tuvok, any indications of trouble
on that M-Class planet?

- Negative.
- Is it populated?

Sensors do show humanoid life.

There is no satellite system
and no indications of spacecraft.

It appears to be a pre-warp civilisation.

Which means we don't
involve ourselves in their affairs.

Of course.
A most enlightened philosophy.

- Come on, Kes.
- I'm sorry. Captain.

May I see this planet
on the view screen?

There it is.

Thank you.

Come on.

Enter the planet's coordinates
into the log and maintain course.

- Warp 6.
- Aye, Captain.