Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001): Season 4, Episode 14 - Message in a Bottle - full transcript

Using an alien communications net, Voyager sends their Doctor to the Federation ship USS Prometheus only to find that it has been taken over by Romulans.

Ensign, I require your assistance
in Jefferies tube 37-alpha.

- I just got off duty.
- It is urgent.

Bridge to Commander Tuvok.

- Tuvok here.
- You're needed on the bridge.

On my way.

Computer, lights on.

Neelix?

Is anybody here?

- Voyager to Paris.
- Paris here.

How's it going?

One more orbit
and I should have all the data.



See you when you get back.
Chakotay out.

- Crewman. Ensign.
- Hello, sir.

You aligned
the power couplings perfectly.

I did.

Then why did you need me
to look at them?

- I did not.
- Then what's this all about?

I've learned that humans sometimes
require a pretext for being intimate.

Intimate?

Resistance is futile.

Paris to Voyager.

My primary warp manifold just ruptured.

I've lost helm control.
Auxiliary power is off-line.

- Thrusters won't respond.
- Your signal's breaking up.

- My orbit's decaying. I can't hold it.
- Repeat that, Tom.



- I need an emergency beam-out!
- Voyager to Paris. Come in!

Neelix?

- What can I do for you?
- Where is everybody?

- Didn't you see them?
- No.

Take a look.

Computer, activate lights.

Tuvok reporting for duty.

Is something wrong?

I think you forgot something, Tuvok.

It appears that in my haste
to report to the bridge,

I neglected to put on my uniform.

- What happened?
- They died.

- Why?
- You didn't get them home in time.

Hello.

Good morning.

Sleep well?

Not really. What are you doing here?

I just thought I'd stop by

and ask why you didn't meet me.

Breakfast. What time is it?

0740.

We were supposed to meet at 0700.

I was there. Right after my night shift.

I waited and I called you on the com.

I didn't hear you.

I was having a wild nightmare.

I'm sorry. I'll get dressed.

You're due on the bridge. I must sleep.

I hate this!

We never see each other.

I'm off Friday night.

Great. Let's go skiing.

How about Saint Moritz?

We went skiing last time.

And you loved it. You're getting good.

Let's run a program where
the wind-chill factor isn't 30 below zero.

Like Fiji.

- Or Samoa.
- There's nothing to do there.

And you're warm
while you're not doing it.

How about a compromise?

Erm... spring skiing in Chile?
Much warmer.

A compromise?

How about Tahiti?

Tahiti.

As long as I can go water-skiing.

You're on.

Now get dressed so you'll
at least have time to stop for coffee.

I'll see you Friday night.

Morning, Tom. Scrambled?
Sunny-side up? Over easy?

- Just a coffee.
- Breakfast is the most important meal.

- Neelix.
- Right.

Neelix, did you have a rough night?

- Why do you ask?
- You just poured me a cup of oil.

I did have a little trouble
sleeping last night. Nightmares.

- Me too.
- Must have been those full moons.

My coffee should clear the fuzz.

Maybe you should pour yourself a cup.

- We're short-handed today.
- Tom and Harry are both late.

I'll call them if you like.

- It's all right. I'm late myself.
- I wasn't going to mention it.

- Burning the midnight oil?
- I went to bed early.

But I had a nightmare.

- I had a bad dream, too.
- Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine.

Sorry I'm late, Captain.

Well?

I was in the forest with my father.

We were hunting deer, which was odd,
because I always refused to.

We cornered the animal.
I looked to see if my father would Kill it.

But he wasn't my father.
He was a vicious alien.

There was an alien in my dream, too.
It wasn't any race I've seen before.

He had sharp ridges on his forehead
and on the front of his neck.

- That's what mine looked like.
- I don't mean to eavesdrop.

But I had a nightmare last night, too.
I saw the same guy.

Tuvok, by any chance,
did you have a bad dream last night?

I did have
a somewhat unsettling dream, yes.

It involved an alien
with ridges on his face and neck.

This is more than a coincidence.

Let's come up with some answers.
Where's Harry?

Bridge to Ensign Kim.

- Computer, locate Ensign Kim.
- Ensign Kim is in his quarters.

Tuvok.

Deck 6.

I've got a hunch
Harry's dreaming about our new friend.

That would be consistent
with our experiences.

In your dream,
where exactly did you see the alien?

- It was here in the turbolift.
- What happened?

The alien stared at me
as if scrutinising my appearance.

Same as mine. What did you do?

I returned to my quarters.

- Did the alien follow you?
- He did.

- And then?
- He watched me.

Doing what?

Getting dressed.

- Getting dressed?
- Yes.

Can I ask why you were undressed?

I would prefer that you didn't.

Harry?

Harry.

Computer, open door 105-2.
Security clearance Tuvok zeta-9.

Harry?

Harry, wake up.

- Are they comatose?
- Not exactly.

They all appear to be
in a hyper-REM state.

I've tried everything to wake them,
from drugs to cortical stimulation.

- Nothing works.
- What's causing this?

The scans haven't detected
any viral or bacterial agents.

No cranial trauma, no neural disorder.
They're simply asleep.

I'd say this is somehow related
to the alien from our dreams.

- Any progress in identifying him?
- We're working on it.

- What's your recommendation?
- Large doses of animazine.

- You said drugs weren't working.
- Not for them. For everybody else.

Until I know what's happening,
I suggest you all avoid going to sleep.

His ridges were more pronounced.

Computer, increase facial ridge height
by four centimetres.

- That's closer.
- His eyes were wider apart.

Computer, increase the space between
the eyes by three centimetres.

Increase skin colour and texture.

- That's him.
- Has anyone seen this species before?

While you were awake, I mean. Seven?

He doesn't resemble
any species we assimilated.

- Is he just a figment of our imagination?
- We've all imagined the same thing.

He may be attempting
to make telepathic contact.

He's doing more than that.
Six crew members can't wake up.

It may be some sort of attack.

From where? Astrometric scans
haven't revealed any ships.

Or planets capable of sustaining life.

- So where do we look?
- In our dreams.

That's the only place we've seen him.

If we want to find out what he wants,
we'll do it on his terms.

- How do you propose we do that?
- Lucid dreaming.

What's that?

It allows you to control your dream.

That happened to me once.

I dreamt I was falling
and suddenly I realised I was dreaming

and I could fly, land, anything -
I was in complete control.

Some people can do that by design.

I've had a lucid dream
using vision quest technology.

I may be able to use it
to communicate with the alien.

But how do we know you'd be able
to wake up again?

It's like self-hypnosis.
Before sleeping, I choose a visual cue,

something to let me know
I'm dreaming, like Earth's moon.

Once I see it,
I can wake myself by tapping my hand.

Perhaps you can do this
under normal circumstances.

But these are hardly
conventional dreams.

I don't see any other way of finding out
how to wake Harry and the others.

Besides, we can't stay awake forever.

Do this in sickbay
under the Doctor's supervision.

The rest of you keep scanning
the region. Analyse the ship.

Wherever he is, find him.

Normally I consider
a good night's sleep very important.

But in this case, I can't recommend it.

I respect your opinion,
but we're out of options.

This will regulate your hypothalamus
but I won't be able to wake you.

- You'll be on your own.
- I understand.

Ready?

Pleasant dreams.

A-koo-chee-moya.

Far from the sacred places
of my grandfathers,

far from the bones of my people,

I seek to sleep, to meet the one
who has visited us in our dreams.

I know this is a dream. My dream.
I am in control.

- You are mistaken.
- Am I?

This is my reality.
You're no different than the others.

- The others?
- The waking species.

For centuries you've found us in sleep
and tried to destroy us.

But not any more.
Now we are in control.

One by one you will fall asleep
and enter our reality,

where it is you who will be destroyed.

We didn't even know you existed
until we saw you in our dreams.

Tell me how to wake my crew
and we'll leave.

Asleep, you're no threat to us.

I can wake myself any time I want.

If I do, I'm going to start looking for you
in the waking world.

Find where you're sleeping.
You wouldn't want that.

Leave our space. Once you're
beyond it, your people will awaken.

- How far do we need to go?
- There's a six-planet system nearby.

It marks the nearest border
of our space.

- We can be passed it in one day.
- Then wake yourself.

Pray you never dream of us again.

Congratulations. You're awake.

- Chakotay?
- I'm fine.

The alien. Did you see him? And?

It was one of the most interesting
away missions I've been on.

I'll tell you about it
on the way to the bridge.

Tuvok, scan for a six-planet system.

I have at. Coordinates 139, mark 42.

Tom, lay in a course.

Course laid in. Where are we heading?

Past the alien's territory.
Harry and the others should wake up.

And the rest of us can sleep.

One step at a time.

The aliens have corporeal form
but communicate through their dreams.

- As real as the waking world.
- Extraordinary.

It's like the Australian aborigines.

They believed the dream world
was as real as the waking world.

In their mythology, their ancestors
dreamed the universe up.

That's mythology.
This seems to be fact.

I wonder, do they ever wake up?
How did they evolve this way?

We may never know.
Sometimes first contact is last contact.

We're approaching the border.

- Tuvok, inform the Doctor.
- Aye, Captain.

Wake up, Ensign.

- What's going on?
- You were napping.

- In sickbay?
- We couldn't wake you.

- How long?
- 17 hours.

- I take it you experienced nightmares?
- I had nightmares, all right.

- Tell me about them.
- Well...

I was in the corridor...

The results of our astrometric scans.

They might be helpful in determining
the cause of somnolence.

Thank you.

I require your assistance
in Jefferies tube 21-beta.

- Is something wrong?
- No. I...

I'm still feeling a little groggy.

Then I'll wait until
you're fully recovered.

You were telling me
about your nightmare.

You know what, Doc?

I'm... famished.

Ahem. Haven't eaten in 17 hours, right?

Very well. Eat, get some clothes on,
and report back in an hour.

I'll see you later. You too, Seven.

The next thing I knew, I was being
boiled alive in a pot of my own stew.

- Talk about a nightmare!
- It was perfectly seasoned.

Well, if it isn't Sleeping Beauty.

- I look well rested.
- Is everyone awake?

The Doc says we're all fine.

Have a seat. We were just
trading dream stories.

- Tell us yours.
- It was nothing very interesting.

Just the usual... You know.

Who was she, Harry?

The woman of my dreams.

What I'd like to know
is what Tuvok dreamed about.

- Yes, what do Vulcans dream?
- Don't you have horrible nightmares?

I wonder what
a Vulcan nightmare would be like.

Alone on a planet where the only
form of communication is laughter.

Come on, Tuvok.

I won't dignify this inquisition
with a response.

Red Alert.
All hands to battle stations.

- They're coming around again.
- Auxiliary power to the shields.

Return fire.

Our phasers
can't penetrate their shields.

Arm photons torpedoes. We seem to
have a knack for provoking strangers.

- Shields are off-line.
- Fire.

- I've lost torpedo launcher power.
- What's happening?

- Power's being drained.
- We're being hailed.

On screen.

Captain, Ensign Kim,
Commander Chakotay.

I'm glad to see you all up and about.

Engineering, we need
auxiliary power to the engines.

- I think you'll find that impossible.
- B'Elanna?

There's a dampening field around us.

- I can't give you anything.
- Everything you said was a lie.

This was a trap to get Voyager here.

You're learning more
about my people after all.

Prepare to surrender your ship.

Three more alien vessels
are approaching, powering weapons.

You've gone to so much trouble
to commandeer this ship.

- I don't think you'll destroy it.
- I won't need to.

Crew, we're under attack.
Implement defence procedure omega.

It's no use. We've taken every deck.
The ship is ours.

Captain?

I thought I was negotiating.
They were setting us up.

- You couldn't have known.
- They exist in dreams and reality?

In our dreams they learned
about us and probed our weaknesses.

- And lured us into an ambush.
- We need to retake the ship.

- We must get out of here.
- The Jefferies tubes are sealed.

- We can open them manually.
- They've got people everywhere.

- We must create a diversion.
- Any ideas?

I have one, Captain.

- What the hell are you doing?
- Creating a diversion.

Ensign Kim, it is your fault
we have been captured.

I suggest you fight back.

Tom, try to get into a Jefferies tube.

Work on the power grid.
I'll deal with this.

What's going on here? I'll handle them.
Ensign, that's enough. Move.

- What's wrong?
- I'm asleep.

What are you talking about?

Chakotay!

- Commander, you're awake!
- Am I? Are you sure?

Of course you are.

- What are you looking for?
- The moon.

I don't see it.

- Where's the captain?
- Asleep with the rest of the crew.

- All of them?
- Not me. No rest for the never weary.

- What happened?
- You entered your lucid dream.

Then they all began falling asleep.

I've been trying to revive them
but I can't.

- It's been 39 hours.
- I've been asleep for almost two days?

Soon I'll have to start
feeding them intravenously.

I thought I was awake
but I was dreaming.

You weren't the only one. Look at this.

It's a neurogenic field
created by heightened brain activity.

It's occurring in all the sleeping
crewmembers. That's not all.

Ensign Kim's brain wave pattern.
He's dreaming in a hyper-REM state.

- This is Crewman Foster's pattern.
- They're identical.

Lieutenant Torres, Captain Janeway,
Commander Tuvok.

I don't know what it means.

I think I do.

Not only are they dreaming,
they're all having the same dream.

It was a communal dream.

Everyone's experiencing the same
images from their own point of view.

Yes. I saw the rest of the crew,
interacted with them.

We were all fighting off an alien attack.

- Which wasn't real.
- We're under attack all right.

Maybe this is the way these aliens fight.
They exist as physical beings.

But they're asleep, unable to defend
themselves against waking species.

We'll never defeat them in their dreams.

But if we can find them,
we'll have the advantage.

But we've been looking
and haven't found anything.

We've been looking in the wrong place.

A species that always sleeps won't
stay where scans can locate them.

- So how do we find them.
- This neurogenic field.

Anyone in hyper-REM
would produce one.

If we scan for neurogenic fields,
it may lead us to the sleeping aliens.

If you need me, I'll be on the bridge.

Time for an energy boost. We don't
want you drifting back to sleep.

This is what happens when requests
for a larger sickbay fall on deaf ears.

What is it?

There's a neurogenic field emanating
from a planet a light year from here.

Excuse me, Tom,
but I've got to change our course.

Still dreaming? How is that possible?

That's what Chakotay said
before he vanished.

But he was wide awake,
right here with us.

He mentioned still being asleep

then tapped his hand
like he said he would to wake up.

And then he disappeared.

The question is, where did he go?

The aliens
must have transported him away.

- Or perhaps he did wake up.
- Tuvok?

It's possible he was dreaming all of this.

Wait a minute.

If Chakotay was dreaming
and he woke up, what are we doing?

Perhaps we're dreaming as well.

- Now I'm lost.
- You're not the only one.

We all experienced nightmares

about an alien whose people
live their lives in a dream state.

- Perhaps we're in that state.
- That's ridiculous. We're not asleep.

When you dream,
you're not aware you're sleeping.

I understand how we could
mistake dreaming for reality.

But how are we all interacting?

Maybe we're not interacting
with one another.

Maybe this is one person's dream,
for example, mine, and you're not here.

I wish I weren't, but I'm here.

- Collective unconsciousness.
- Seven? Come here.

The Borg share
a collective consciousness.

This may be a state
of collective unconsciousness.

You mean, we're all sharing
the same dream?

It is possible.

This is fascinating speculation.

But we have to treat this
like an invasion.

I opened a Jefferies tube hatch.

Neelix, Seven, Kim,
do what you can to distract the guards.

We'll find a way to retake the ship.

Looks like a complete power drain.

They've shut down the warp core.

What do they want
with an unpowered ship?

Grab some phaser rifles.

When we try to disable the dampening
field, we'll get the aliens' attention.

They're using
harmonic inversion technology.

I may be able to get
main power back on-line.

- That was easy.
- Warp core breach in 60 seconds.

Maybe a little too easy.
Can you eject the core?

I'm trying. It's not working.

Warp core breach in 50 seconds.

We've got to go. I'm trying to put
a containment field around engineering.

Warp core breach in 40 seconds.

Got it. Let's move!

Why couldn't you eject the core?

- Warp core breach in 30 seconds.
- Something's not right.

- We must hurry!
- I'm going back in there.

- You'll be killed!
- I'm onto something. You go!

- Captain!
- That's an order!

Warp core breach in ten seconds.
Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three, two, one...

Either I've become impervious
to antimatter explosions,

or we're still dreaming.

That explosion
would destroy the ship.

If any of this were real,
which it obviously isn't.

Things just weren't adding up.

Chakotay's disappearance,
the warp core failing to eject.

As Chakotay said,
lucid dreaming is about taking control.

So I took a chance.

There must have been
a less extreme test.

You shouldn't be taking chances
with your life.

I'm touched by your concern.

Now that we know this is a dream,
what do we do?

We find a way to regain consciousness.

- How did you wake yourself?
- The way you did.

The others should start to wake up.

Rise and shine, Mr Paris.

We need to get as far away
as possible.

I'll make the course correction.

What is it?

- This isn't real.
- Of course it is.

See?

- Doctor?
- He's paranoid, disoriented.

Much of the crew
will suffer similar symptoms.

- Relax. I'm going to sedate you.
- No!

- I need to wake up.
- I'm here to help.

No!

It's all right, Commander.
You're awake again.

- What happened?
- You dozed off.

I couldn't wake myself.

The neurogenic field
is making it more difficult.

- I need to neutralise it.
- Not so fast.

This is an animazine derivative.
If you're falling asleep, use it.

And keep an open com line.

I may need to provide you
with a verbal splash of cold water.

It's not working.

Chakotay and the Doctor
must be trying to wake us.

We have to let the rest of the crew
know that they can't be harmed.

- And if the aliens try to stop us?
- We make this dream into a nightmare.

- OK, Doctor. I'm in.
- Acknowledged.

- Stand aside.
- Your weapons are useless against us.

- We know this is a dream.
- You're confused.

Actually, I'm finally
seeing things clearly.

Shoot them.

Now, stand aside.

All of you, listen closely.

We have to stay in control of the dream.

If we can do that,
the aliens shouldn't be able to hurt us.

- You sound very sure of yourself.
- Why shouldn't I be?

Have you thought about
your bodies?

How long do you think they'll survive
without nourishment, without activity?

Your bodies are withering away
as we speak.

- You can't stop it.
- Don't be so sure.

It's some kind of transmitter. They use it
to amplify the neurogenic field.

- Can you turn it off?
- There's some kind of force field.

- Commander?
- I'm having trouble concentrating.

Time for your medicine.

This animazine is pretty powerful.

Yes. Take it immediately.

- These aliens. They look pretty frail.
- That's fascinating, Commander.

Now inject yourself.

They wouldn't have our tolerance
for stimulants.

This could wake up one of these aliens.

We can discuss comparative
pharmacology after your injection.

I'm going to give it to
one of my sleepy friends here.

- What would that accomplish?
- He might deactivate the generator.

If you fall asleep again,
there's no way I can revive you.

I want you to go to the bridge.

- Commander!
- That's an order!

Target my com signal
with a photon torpedo.

You're asking me to incinerate you!

Not just me. These aliens.
And their transmitter, too.

But only if you don't hear
from me in five minutes.

Understood?

Aye, sir.

Tell me how to deactivate
this transmitter, or I start shooting.

- What happened?
- Looks like he woke up.

I'll give you five seconds.
Four, three, two...

Chakotay.

Who's going to help you now?

I found the cavern and your people.
I'm there in the waking world.

It will all be destroyed
unless you deactivate that transmitter.

If you are there, you'll be killed too.
I think you're lying.

Believe me. If I don't contact my ship,
you and I will both die in our sleep.

Chief medical officer's log,
stardate 51471.3.

With the neurogenic field neutralised,
I have revived the entire crew.

The experience has produced a
troubling side effect for many of them -

acute insomnia.

Computer, lights on.

Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.

- Starting breakfast this early?
- Rearranging the supply cabinets.

- I couldn't sleep.
- Neither could I.

- How about a soothing cup of tea?
- Sounds good.

I know it's silly
but every time I'm about to doze off,

I'm terrified that
I won't be able to wake again.

- You too?
- We just finished hoverball.

We were hoping it would wear us out.

I could learn to enjoy
these late-night get-togethers.

Speak for yourself. I would Kill
for a good night's sleep.

I think it's time for breakfast.

English (en)