THE DISEASE : Episode 111 : Part D

Jippeq: "We found the schematic of the parasite on your personal database. Do you realise this could destroy our ship, our home?" Tal: "To some of us it's more like a prison! ... He [Kim] had nothing to do with our movement." Kim: "Movement?" Tal: "Tell them. ... It's not a small group, there are hundreds of us. ... Our freedom, our right to live where we choose, to go where we choose." Tuvok: "How will you accomplish that if your vessel is destroyed?" Tal: "We're not trying to destroy it. We're trying to dismantle it. The parasites weren't placed randomly. They're targeting the linkages between Segments. Each Segment will become its own ship. People can decide whether to go or stay." Jippeq: "You're destroying the work of every generation that came before you. Our ship isn't just a collection of modules, it's an expression of unity, tradition. For the sake of our history we must respect the rights-" Tal: "-of the majority? What about the rights of the minority?" Janeway: "Tal, if those Segments come apart there could be decompressive explosions, most likely casualties. Is that what you want? You know more about the parasites than we do. You could help us." Jippeq: "Captain, she's a criminal." Janeway: "And maybe your only chance to stop a catastrophe." To Tal: "Set up a datalink with Voyager. We'll do what we can from our end." Kim: "Tal?" Tal: "I'll help you slow down the parasites so that you can evacuate the Segments in danger."

Janeway: "You've got 30 seconds before I have Tuvok drag you to Sickbay." Kim: "Captain, I am not sick! I didn't disobey your orders because I'm under some alien influence. I disobeyed your orders because Tal and I are in love, and it's not right for you to keep us apart!" Janeway: "Listen to yourself. You don't sound like the Harry Kim I know." Kim: "Good. I have served on this ship and said 'yes, ma'am' to all of your orders, but not this time!" Janeway: "You're willing to risk your rank, your career over this?" Kim: "Have you ever been in love, Captain?" Janeway: "Your point?" Kim: "Did your skin ever flush when you're near another person, did your stomach feel like someone hulled it out with a knife when you're apart, did your throat ever swell when you realised it was over? Seven, Seven of Nine, told me that love's like a disease. Well maybe it is, pheromones, endorphins, chemicals in our blood, changing our responses, physical discomfort, but any way you look at it, it's still love." Janeway: "For the sake of argument, let's say you're right. Your feelings for Tal are no different than mine for, what, the man I was engaged to marry. Well, I lost him, and you're going to lose Tal, you know that. What the Doctor is offering you is a way to ease the pain." Kim: "That man you were going to marry. If you could've just taken a hypospray to make yourself stop loving him, so that it didn't hurt so much when you were away from him, would you have done that?"

They are interrupted as the Varro ship experiences structural breaches. The Varro ship is breaking up sooner than expected despite Tal reducing the parasites using polaron bursts. Janeway orders Kim to take his station. Because undocking systems are offline, Voyager is unable to disengage from her mooring and risks being destroyed by an explosion if a microfracture occurs nearby. There are still 2 minutes to go before all the endangered Segments are evacuated. Janeway agrees to Kim's suggestion to extend Voyager's structural integrity field around the Varro ship and buy them more time for evacuation.

Tal brings Voyager's action to the notice of the xenophobic Jippeq. Tal: "Voyager's reinforcing our shields. Surprising, isn't it, a ship of outsiders risking their lives to save ours." Jippeq: "They're unusual people. Tal: "Or maybe the galaxy isn't as hostile as you think. All junction are clear. What are you waiting for? Tell Voyager to move away. Jippeq: "I'm initiating another polaron surge. We can destroy these parasites. Tal: "It's too late. You'll only destroy Voyager along with our ship. Let them go. Let us go." Jippeq does as she asks.

Once the evacuation is completed Voyager removes the structural integrity field from around the Varro ship, and manages to disengage from the docking clamps.

As Voyager flies away, the Varro generational ship breaks up, with each Segment becoming a separate ship.

Kim realises that at last it is all over: the Varro dissident group, including Tal, have achieved their aim, and he knows he is at last going to lose her.

Tal's pod stays with Voyager while Kim says his final farewell to Tal.

Tal: "Harry, I wasn't sure I'd see you again." Kim: "The Captain gave me permission to say goodbye." Tal: "How are you feeling?" Kim: "Lovesick." Tal: "Me too." Kim: "We'll manage." Tal: "We have medications. I'll recover eventually." Kim: "So er, where are you going?" Tal: "The Noturi system, a pair of binary stars caught in each other's gravity. We passed within a parsec 3 months ago. Now we're going back for a real look." Kim: "Do me one favour." Tal: "Anything." Kim: "Next time you run across a class 3 nebula, think of me."

In Sickbay the Doctor scans Kim. Doctor: "Chronic sleep loss, acute gastro-enteritis. You must feel awful. Yet you're still refusing treatment?" To the Captain as she enters: "Order Mr Kim to take his medicine." Janeway: "Is his condition fatal?" Doctor: "That's hardly the point." Janeway: "Will he recover without taking his medicine?" Doctor: "Yes, but it could take weeks, even months." Janeway: "Well, then, if Mr Kim wants to suffer..." Doctor: "Sometimes I think everyone on this ship has been possessed by alien hormones. Will you excuse us, please." The Doctor leaves. Kim: "Thank you." Janeway: "Well, don't thank me, I've no intention of relieving you of your duties no matter how lousy you feel." Kim: "I understand." Janeway: "And the reprimand still stands. I've been thinking about how I reacted to your relationship with Tal." Kim: "You reacted like any captain would." Janeway: "Probably. But I can't help wondering if my response would have been the same if it had been, say, Tom Paris instead of you. Oh, don't get me wrong. I still would have been angry and disappointed, but I wouldn't have been surprised." Kim: "Because Ensign Kim doesn't break the rules." Janeway: "The truth is, Harry, I think about you differently from the rest of the crew, which isn't to suggest that I don't care deeply about each of them, but you came to me fresh out of the Academy, wide-eyed with excitement about your first deep space assignment. From that first day I've always felt more protective of you than the others." Kim: "I appreciate that, but that was five years ago. I've changed." Janeway: "Yes, you have." Kim: "Maybe I'm not the perfect officer any more." Janeway: "Maybe not, but you're a better man."

Seven thanks Kim for completing several of her astrometric scans that morning which Kim did between duty shifts and it kept him occupied. Seven: "You're attempting to distract yourself from your emotional damage." Kim: "I wish it could say it was working." Seven: "A treatment to relieve your condition was available and yet you refused." Kim: "I've got a disease but I'm willing to live with the symptoms. Doesn't make much sense, does it." Seven: "I assumed that romantic love was a human weakness but clearly it can also be a source of strength. Perhaps my analogy was flawed. Love is not a disease. Get well soon."