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When the ship encounters a swarm
of space-dwelling lifeforms, the crew first opts to study them
from a distance. But after the creatures draw Voyager into their
midst, their unusual energy patterns create problems for many of
the ship's systems and cause some very strange symptoms in Kes.
First the Ocampan begins eating everything in sight. Later she
becomes delirious, and her body goes through peculiar changes.
As the crew tries to figure out
a way to move away from the lifeforms without harming them, the
Doctor examines Kes and discovers that they are wreaking havoc
with her metabolism. They are pushing her prematurely into the "elogium"
— the phase in which Ocampan women become fertile. The process
occurs only once in an Ocampan's life, so if Kes ever wants to
have a child, she must do so immediately.
Janeway and Chakotay discuss the implications of having babies
on board Voyager, while Kes asks Neelix to father her child.
Neelix's initial hesitation causes Kes to question whether he
really wants a baby. Later, Neelix consults with Tuvok about the
pros and cons of parenthood. Finally, he returns to Kes and
tells her he's ready, only to discover that now she is having
second thoughts.
Anxious to escape the swarm, the crew attempts to move away, but
the swarm follows. Suddenly, an even larger version of the
creatures appears and blocks Voyager's way. Bewildered at first,
the crew realizes that it is a "suitor" for the swarm and that
it thinks Voyager is a rival. Every aggressive move they make is
met by a stronger countermove from the creature.
Finally, Chakotay suggests the ship act submissively by "rolling
over." Happily, the plan works and the swarm moves away with the
big creature. Later, Kes ultimately decides against having a
baby, but is relieved by the Doctor's belief that her elogium
may have been a false alarm brought on by the electrophoretic
field created by the swarm; it could recur later. Ironically,
Janeway learns that an ensign named Wildman is pregnant, so the
crew will soon welcome a new arrival after all.
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