MEDICAL LOGS

WAKING MOMENTS
Season 4 : Episode 81

 

MEDICAL REPORT:

On comparing notes, the crew realise that they all had nightmares involving the same alien. Knowing that is too much of a coincidence, they become concerned when several crewmembers cannot be awakened. The Doctor reports: "Scans haven't detected any viral or bacterial agents, no cranial trauma, no neural disorders. They're simply asleep." He suggests large doses of animazine to keep the crew awake and that they avoid going to sleep.

Doctor: "They all appear to be in a hyper-REM state. I've tried every conventional method of waking them, from drugs to direct cortical stimulation. Nothing works."

Hoping to find out more about the mysterious alien, in Sickbay Chakotay attempts a technique called lucid dreaming, which will allow him to control the events of his dream. A particular chosen image, that of Earth's moon, will confirm he is within a dream. If he needs to awaken, he can tap the back of his hand three times and bring himself out of the dream.

Chakotay embarks on lucid dreaming. Of the medical device on his forehead, the Doctor informs him: "This will regulate your hypathalamus, but in all probability I won't be able to wake you. You'll be on your own."

After falling asleep, Chakotay meets the alien who explains that for his species the dream state is their reality. For centuries "waking species" have been attacking them and this is their best form of defence. He tells Chakotay that if Voyager leaves their space, the crew will awaken. Chakotay taps the back of his hand and comes out of the dream, and directs Voyager to take a course for the alien border.

Chakotay "meets" the alien. He taps the back of his hand to waken.

But once they are there at the alien border, a ship manned by the dream aliens attacks and the aliens seize Voyager and imprison the crew. Suddenly Chakotay sees an image of Earth's moon, the visual cue that lets him know he is still dreaming. After tapping the back of his hand, Chakotay wakes up in Sickbay, this time for real. The Doctor informs him that one by one the crew fell asleep, despite the Doctor's use of the stimulant animazine to try to keep the crew awake. The entire crew is in a hyper-REM statethe entire crew is now asleep, and their brain patterns show they are all experiencing the same dream.

Chakotay realises he is still dreaming when he sees the visual cue of Earth's moon

Chakotay wakes for real, and finds himself in Sickbay, with himself and of course the Doctor as the only ones awake

instrument read-outs for different crewmembers show that the crew are all dreaming the same dream

The aliens have the advantage in dreams, but Chakotay locates the sleeping aliens while he is awake by scanning for a neurogenic field. In the dream, Janeway and the other confined crew suspect that they are dreaming, confirmed when Janeway is unharmed by a warp core explosion. Meanwhile, Chakotay finds it increasingly hard to stay awake despite the Doctor talking constantly to him to try and keep him awake, but manages to find the sleeping aliens.

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the Doctor gives Chakotay a hypospray dose of animazine as an "energy boost" to keep him awake

As Chakotay prepares to beam down to the aliens' lair, the Doctor gives him a hypospray containing animazine so that he can self-administer it when necessary.

The aliens are sleeping in a cavern, clustered around a large transmitter that is responsible for maintaining the crew's dream state.

the sleeping aliens

Chakotay orders the protesting Doctor to deploy a torpedo targetted at the cavern if he is out of contact for more than five minutes.

Chakotay: "I'm giving you an order. Go to the Bridge and target my com. signal with a photon torpedo." Doctor: "You're delirious. You're asking me to incinerate you."

He then uses the medical stimulant the Doctor gave him to wake one of the aliens and commands him to deactivate the device. Before the alien can react, Chakotay falls asleep, re-entering the crew's communal dream. There he threatens the alien leader with his race's total destruction, forcing him to neutralise the transmitter. The crew awakens, freed from alien control, but suffering acute cases of insomnia.

DOCTOR'S QUOTE:

To Janeway: "Until I can determine what's happening, I suggest the rest of you avoid going to sleep."