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The U.S.S. Voyager has entered a
desolate region of space with no star systems in sight for two
years, and the crew is slowly going crazy. The only activity in
this vast expanse is some high levels of theta radiation. With
nothing to distract her mind from its deepest thoughts, Janeway
has retreated to her quarters and is agonizing over her past
decisions that brought the crew to the Delta Quadrant. Suddenly,
the ship loses power and is left in total darkness.
Once Kim and Tuvok get back
partial power, they determine that a dampening field caused the
power drain. Meanwhile, Paris is attacked by an alien in the
holodeck, and Chakotay encounters one in the corridor. When
emergency power is activated, three alien ships can be seen
surrounding Voyager. They don't answer hails and begin firing
until a larger ship forces them to retreat.
The pilot of the friendly ship, Emck, informs Janeway that
thousands of the alien ships are ahead, but he can lead Voyager
through a spatial vortex that will take them to the other side
of the expanse unharmed. In return, he wants the alien they have
in sickbay. Janeway questions the wounded "night being," who is
dying of theta radiation poisoning. He explains that his people
were living a peaceful existence in the void when the Malon
began poisoning them. A course is set to take him home, and soon
Voyager is surrounded by his vessels. As he is beamed back, the
night alien pleads with Janeway to help them close the vortex
and protect their space.
The crew observes the Malon ships are using the void as a
dumping ground for their antimatter waste. Janeway offers Emck
the technology to purify their reactant, but he refuses to
cooperate because such innovations would put him out of
business. A decision is reached to close the vortex, but it has
to be done from inside the void. Janeway announces that the crew
will proceed through the vortex while she stays behind in a
shuttle and closes it, but her senior staff refuses to carry out
orders to sacrifice her. Instead, they will close the vortex
just after entering it. It will cause a major shockwave, but
they are confident Voyager can make it to the other side.
As Malon ships begin firing, both of Voyager's engines are taken
off-line. They continue toward the vortex to find a Malon
freighter attempting to block their path, but night alien ships
attack and distract it. Voyager scores a direct hit against the
freighter then enters the vortex, deploying torpedoes to seal
the entrance. The shockwave carries them to the other side, and
the vortex is destroyed. Finally, Voyager emerges from the
darkness into a star field full of light and life. |
