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Back on Earth, Lieutenant Barclay
becomes obsessed with making contact with Voyager. During his
project to contact Voyager, Barclay becomes consumed with the
holographic recreations of the Voyager crew. Barclay seeks
advice from his old friend from the Enterprise-D, Counselor Troi,
who helps him deal with his growing problem.
Barclay is standing alone on
the re-creation of the Voyager bridge, until he is interrupted
on the viewscreen by his boss, Commander Peter Harkins. Harkins
reminds Barclay of his duty to finish the transmitter
diagnostics, so Barclay immediately ends the program as the
bridge disappears.
Barclay then suggests that the team try to use an approaching
itinerant pulsar in order to make contact with Voyager. By
directing a tachyon beam at the pulsar, Barclay believes that it
will produce a surge powerful enough to create an artificial
wormhole, thus establishing two-way communication with Voyager.
However, Harkins tells Barclay that they need to instead be
focusing their time on Admiral Paris' visit and briefing.
Later that night when everyone has gone home, Barclay decides to
once again activate the hologrid. He enters the holo-mess hall
and sits down to play cards with holo-Paris, holo-Chakotay and
holo-Kim. Barclay is confident and relaxed among the holographic
crew and he tells them that they are his best friends. The next
day, Barclay finds himself in the holo-Sickbay where the holo-Doctor
tells him that he is an invaluable member of the crew. Then in
the holo-mess hall, Kim and Paris both want to hang out with
him. Barclay responds by telling his holo-friends that there is
plenty of him to go around.
Back in the research lab, Harkins is briefing Admiral Paris and
the other Starfleet Officials on the last known position of
Voyager. Against Harkins' wishes, Barclay interrupts and begins
telling Admiral Paris about his wormhole theory. Harkins is so
upset with Barclay that he sends him home for the rest of the
day. However, instead of following orders, Barclay enters the
holo-briefing room and asks his holo-friends for technological
advice. Janeway offers Barclay a team to help him work out the
details.
Then, Harkins enters the lab and discovers that Barclay has
created holograms of the Voyager crew. Harkins suggests that
Barclay needs counseling because he has struggled with holo-addiction
in the past. In the meantime, Harkins decides to take Barclay
off of the Voyager rescue project.
Defying orders, Barclay goes to Admiral Paris' office where he
asks him for access to the lab for one more day. If he is wrong
about his theory, Barclay promises to resign from his position.
Admiral Paris only agrees to order an independent review of
Barclay's findings. If others agree that his idea is valid, then
he'll order Commander Harkins to pursue his claim.
Back at Barclay's apartment, Troi expresses concern for
Barclay's anxiousness and paranoia. Barclay begs Troi to tell
the Admiral that he is psychologically fit to return to work.
Barclay admits that he has created a new family since he left
the Enterprise, however, the family he has created is not real.
Troi tells Barclay that she has requested a temporary leave of
absence from the Enterprise so she can stay a while longer.
That night, Barclay once again defies order and heads to the
research lab. His code is de-authorized, so he manipulates the
computer to get inside. Once in the lab, Barclay accesses the
MIDAS Array, directs a tachyon beam toward the pulsar to open a
micro-wormhole, and sends a message to Voyager in hopes of
getting a response. Suddenly, Harkins enters the lab and
instructs Barclay to step away from the controls. Instead of
following orders, Barclay tells the computer to transfer control
to the hologrid.
Barclay tells holo-Tuvok that there are two security guards
after him, and he orders the computer to trap them with a
forcefield. While Harkins works on shutting down the program by
simulating a warp core breach, Barclay continues to work on
making contact with the real Voyager through the wormhole.
Harkins and two other guards catch up with Barclay on the holo-Bridge,
where holo-Janeway alerts the crew to the presence of intruders.
Barclay immediately commands a forcefield, which prevents
Harkins and the guards from reaching him, while he begs for more
time. However, the holo-Voyager is about to self-destruct, so
Barclay voluntarily ends the program and gives himself up.
Meanwhile on the real Voyager, Seven of Nine has detected an
artificial micro-wormhole whose origin is in the Alpha Quadrant.
Janeway immediately instructs Paris to lay in a course toward
the range.
Back in the Pathfinder lab, just as Harkins asks Admiral Paris
what he should do with Barclay, they receive a response from
Voyager. Janeway and Admiral Paris are able to converse briefly
and he tells her that they are doing everything in their power
to bring Voyager back.
Harkins apologizes to Barclay for ever doubting him, and Admiral
Paris announces the beginning of "Project Voyager." Meanwhile in
the Delta Quadrant, the Voyager crew toasts Barclay, even though
they don't personally know him, for his extraordinary efforts.
Back on Earth, Troi congratulates Barclay, and he tells her
about the woman he's started dating. |
