|
As Tom Paris and Harry Kim are
taking the Delta Flyer for a test run, another small alien ship
pulls alongside them. The alien pilot, Irina, challenges them to
a race. As the two ships race through an asteroid field, Irina's
ship begins filling up with nyocene gas. They beam Irina to
their shuttle and bring her and her ship back to the U.S.S.
Voyager. While making repairs, she explains to them that she is
entering a race in a couple of days. This prompts Paris and Kim
to convince Captain Janeway to let them enter the race too.
Meanwhile, B'Elanna Torres has
been frantically trading favors with crewmates so she can borrow
enough holodeck time for her and Paris, her boyfriend, to have
an entire weekend to themselves. When Paris explains to her that
he forgot about the getaway weekend and entered the race, she
tells him that she does not mind. Later, she confesses to Neelix
that she was very hurt that Paris forgot about something that
took her so much time to set up. She tells Neelix that she
thinks things might be ending between Paris and her.
When Janeway registers the Delta Flyer in the race, she learns
from O'Zaal, the race coordinator, that the race is the first
step towards peace for the four different cultures living in the
area. Each of the different species has been at war to control
the area for nearly a century. This race marks the first time
the four of them have ever competed peacefully.
Seven of Nine tells Torres that she has embraced some of Paris'
interests and it has made him easier to work with. Taking
Seven's comment as good advice, Torres convinces Kim to let her
fly with Paris as co-pilot of the Delta Flyer. Paris is
bewildered when Torres shows up in Kim's place wearing a flight
suit, but he welcomes her as long as she remembers that they're
there to win. The two ride in fourth place for much of the race,
but they eventually manage to take the lead. Just as they get
into first place, O'Zaal calls a temporary stop, saying that one
of the racers has had an accident.
 Irina's control panel had malfunctioned and electrocuted her
co-pilot, which was later determined to be intentional sabotage.
O'Zaal decides to continue the race the next day. Kim offers to
help Irina fix her ship and also fly as her new co-pilot, which
she is hesitant about, but lets him do. Paris and Torres notice
that Kim and Irina seem to be forming a relationship, which
causes Torres to wonder how good of a match she and Paris are.
When the race continues the next day, Torres is distracted by
her thoughts and Paris can sense something is wrong, but the
Delta Flyer manages to maintain its lead. Irina and Kim have
successfully fixed Irina's ship and begin to catch up with the
others almost immediately, keeping track of the Delta Flyer the
whole time on their computer.
When Paris finally asks Torres what is bothering her, they get
into a heated discussion. Paris is determined to work things
out, but Torres sounds like she is ready to give up. Paris stops
the Delta Flyer and tells her they are not going to move again
until they work it out.
Meanwhile on Irina's ship, her control panel malfunctions again,
almost electrocuting Kim. Kim suspects that Irina sabotaged her
own ship and has his suspicions confirmed when she points a
phaser at him. He manages to wrestle the phaser away from her
and finds she has disabled the com system, so he just stops the
ship and holds her at gunpoint. When Irina seems strangely
interested in the Delta Flyer's progress, Kims realizes that she
has sabotaged that ship as well. She admits to him that the fuel
converter on the Delta Flyer is rigged to explode at about the
time it crosses the finish line, killing all of the spectators
and officials in the area.
As Paris and Torres are beginning to work out their problems,
Kim sends them a message about the fuel converter. They check
their computer and discover that it will explode in a matter of
minutes. They pilot the Delta Flyer to a nearby nebula and eject
the warp core. The nebula contains the explosion and the Delta
Flyer gets safely away.
After the race is over, Paris and Torres take the Delta Flyer
out again on a more personal mission — the back of the ship now
reads "Just Married."
 |
