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Kim returns to the U.S.S. Voyager
from the Banean homeworld with shocking news: Paris has been
found guilty of murder. As his punishment, he's been sentenced
to relive the crime from his victim's perspective every 14
hours, thanks to memory engrams implanted in his brain by a
Banean doctor. Kim recounts how he and Paris were introduced to
an engineering physicist named Tolen Ren, who they hoped could
help them repair a damaged piece of equipment. Paris took an
immediate interest in Ren's young, attractive wife Lidell, and
when Ren turned up dead, he was arrested.
When Janeway orders Voyager to
the Banean planet, Neelix warns her that they are likely to be
approached by a Numiri patrol vessel, since the Numiri are at
war with the Banea. They are stopped by the Numiri, who offer a
warning and then allow the ship to proceed. Janeway meets with
the Banean Minister, who explains that the evidence — the murder
as seen through Ren's own eyes — undeniably proves Paris's
guilt. Paris vehemently denies any wrongdoing. As Janeway and
Tuvok talk to him, he enters another cycle and once again
relives the murder, this time losing consciousness. The Baneans
grant Janeway permission to take Paris back to Sickbay for a
medical evaluation.
The Doctor reports that the neurological implant is causing
serious brain damage. While Paris remains unconscious, Tuvok
launches his own murder investigation. He interviews Ren's wife,
who says she saw Paris kill her husband. Later, Paris tells
Tuvok that he thinks she spiked his cup of tea the night of the
murder. The conversation is interrupted by a Numiri attack that
the Voyager crew successfully fends off. Tuvok performs a Vulcan
mind meld with Paris and relives the 14-hour cycle. When he
emerges from the experience, Tuvok declares that he is convinced
of Paris's innocence. What's more, he knows why the Numiri chose
to attack Voyager.
Eager to clear Paris, and wondering why the Numiri would assault
Voyager, Tuvok gathers the key players in the murder mystery. He
deduces that a Banean traitor altered Ren's memory engrams,
since Paris' daily flashbacks include equations taken from Ren's
weapons research. Thus, Numiri agents used Ren's brain to send
secret data to the enemy. Having relived the crime from the
victim's viewpoint, Tuvok also realizes that the real killer was
shorter than Paris, and exposes the Banean doctor who implanted
the engrams as both Lidell's secret lover and Ren's killer. A
grateful Paris later thanks Tuvok for saving his life.
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