 The Doctor, Seven of Nine and
Harry Kim are on a mission in the Delta Flyer to study
preanimate biomatter from a comet. The ship jolts a few times
and they realize they are under attack. The captain of the
attacking vessel, Ranek, claims the Delta Flyer is transporting
a "photonic insurgent" through Lokirrim space, which is
forbidden. Kim explains that the "photonic," or hologram, is
their Doctor. The patrol vessel grabs the Delta Flyer in a
tractor beam and fires a disruption field that begins to
decompile the Doctor's matrix. Kim then tells Seven that she
must somehow hide the Doctor's program. The Lokirrim beam aboard
with weapons demanding the photonic, but Seven announces that
they "murdered" him. The boarding party inspects the vessel, and
Ranek finds the Doctor's mobile emitter, which Seven claims is
her "portable regeneration unit." Ranek confiscates the device
regardless. He then orders the Delta Flyer to be secured in the
Lokirrim docking bay, and locks Kim and Seven in a holding cell.
It is here that Kim finds out that Seven downloaded the Doctor's
program into her cybernetic implants, and the Doctor is now in
control of her body. For the first time, the Doctor is able to
have sensory experiences, including touch and smell.
On the U.S.S. Voyager, unaware
of the Delta Flyer crew's predicament, Captain Janeway sets out
to rendezvous with them in 48 hours. In the Doctor's absence,
Tom Paris is examining Tuvok for a neurochemical imbalance,
which turns out to be his Pon Farr, the mating instinct that
inflicts Vulcan adults every seven years. Paris promises to
provide a special medication from the Doctor's database, and to
keep his condition secret.
On board the Lokirrim patrol ship, the Doctor in Seven's body is
enjoying the sensation of eating, even though their prison
rations taste terrible, according to Kim. Ranek has Seven
released and sent to the Delta Flyer for questioning. He asks
her about the food replicator and whether it is used to create
bio-weapons. Exasperated by his suspicious nature, Seven/Doctor
replicates a slice of New York cheesecake to prove it's
harmless, and experiences rapture upon tasting it. Before long,
Seven/Doctor and Ranek have devoured plates of food and downed
several glasses of wine. Despite being inebriated, the Doctor
maintains the ruse of being Seven, and tells Ranek that she/he
needs the "regeneration device" back. Ranek agrees to hand over
the mobile emitter in exchange for medical services, then
returns Seven/Doctor to the holding cell.
As Kim holds the mobile emitter, Seven/Doctor injects it with
Borg tubules to restore the Doctor's matrix. The disoriented
Seven then scolds the Doctor for abusing her body. The Doctor
apologizes for his overindulgence, and thanks her for saving his
life. The three then make a plan to get a message to Voyager,
but it'll involve downloading the Doctor back into Seven's
implants.
The patrol ship's tactical officer, Jaryn, takes Seven/Doctor to
their medical bay and explains that the patients are suffering
from synaptic failure caused by a viral weapon from their
photonic enemies. As Seven/Doctor synthesizes a treatment,
she/he gets to know Jaryn better and learns about the photonic
servant who was part of her own family before the uprising.
She/he suggests that Voyager's own "photonic," the Doctor, would
have taken a liking to her.
On Voyager, the medication Paris applies to Tuvok isn't working
to stabilize his condition. Paris suggests creating a replica of
the Vulcan's wife in the holodeck in order to satisfy his
longing, and Tuvok hesitantly agrees. While Tuvok participates
in the holodeck simulation, the ship comes under attack by a
Lokirrim vessel because of "photonic activity" aboard. Janeway
agrees to shut down the holodecks and allow the Lokirrim ship to
escort Voyager through their territory.
While Seven/Doctor is working with Jaryn in the patrol ship's
medical bay, Ranek calls for Seven of Nine to meet him on the
bridge. Ranek redirects the ship to a pulsar cluster called the
"Window of Dreams," the most beautiful sight in the quadrant,
and lets the pulsars' EM vibrations fill the bridge with natural
music. Seven/Doctor doesn't realize he's trying to set a
romantic mood, until Ranek can't help himself and plants a kiss
on her/his lips. Seven/Doctor pushes him away and storms off.
Seven/Doctor returns to the medical bay and tells Jaryn about
Ranek's behavior, and learns that she has feelings for her
captain. Since the Doctor has been developing feelings for Jaryn,
he makes an impassioned plea for her to find someone more like
him, when Seven/Doctor pulls a neck muscle. Jaryn starts
massaging her/his neck, until she/he has certain feelings and
pulls away nervously.
Seven/Doctor then gets called to the holding cell to treat Kim,
who has been faking a seizure in order to get her/him back
there. The Doctor separates himself from Seven into the mobile
emitter, and Seven chastises him for kissing Ranek and for
getting aroused by Jaryn. After the two argue about living life
with or without indulgences, Kim presses them for what they've
learned about the ship's com system. Seven now knows Ranek's
command codes, and they need to get to the Delta Flyer to
transmit them to Voyager. The Doctor conjures up a plan.
Seven/Doctor approaches Ranek and asks for a private meeting on
the Delta Flyer, with an apology for her harsh reaction before,
and a suggestion that they "start over." She/he offers him
champagne, turns on music and starts dancing with him. When
Ranek is called to the bridge, Seven/Doctor injects him with a
hypospray and knocks him out.
Voyager gets a message from Seven that the away team is being
held prisoner, and she provides their precise location and the
command codes to disable the patrol ship's shields. Her
personality and her comments cause Janeway and the others to
realize that the Doctor is occupying her body, which means
they're in more trouble than they thought. Janeway orders a
phaser shot to the Lokirrim escort vessel, and Voyager makes a
quick getaway.
At the patrol ship, Seven/Doctor has brought Ranek to the
medical bay, telling Jaryn that he has an especially low
tolerance for synthehol. Over Seven/Doctor's objection, Jaryn
revives Ranek, who orders Seven back to detention, separate from
the other prisoner, suspecting her of trying to aid the
insurgents. They then receive word that an alien vessel is
approaching, and Ranek takes Seven with him back to the bridge
where he can keep an eye on her.
Janeway opens a channel to the patrol ship and demands the
return of her people. When they refuse, Chakotay uses Ranek's
command codes to disable their shields. Ranek ties the shields
directly into their warp matrix, and announces that if Voyager
fires, it'll trigger a core breach and their crewmates will die.
Janeway sends a message directly to Seven's cortical node asking
for her help to disable the patrol ship's shields. The Doctor
materializes himself into the mobile emitter, and takes up a
weapon while Seven works the shield controls. Ranek fires a
weapon at the console Seven is working at, but she has already
destabilized the shield grid. When he goes to the console to
undo her work, it explodes, throwing Ranek across the bridge and
seriously injuring him. Although the Lokirrim order him to stay
back, the Doctor insists on treating Ranek, and he refuses to
beam back to Voyager until he does, or else Ranek will die.
Playing on Jaryn's feelings for Ranek, the Doctor gets her to
let him operate.
Ranek is saved, and he and Jaryn both express their gratitude to
the Doctor, even though their opinion toward "photonics" in
general may not have changed. Back on Voyager, the Doctor is
paid a visit in Sickbay by Seven, who brings delicacies and wine
that she previously would have considered "indulgent." Since the
Doctor can no longer share the experience of eating and
drinking, Seven promises to describe the meal to him so he can
enjoy it vicariously. |
