RELATIVITY
Episode 118
Part C

 

It is the present-day, namely 2375. In Cargobay 2 the Doctor is carrying out a medical check-up on Seven. 2375-Doctor: "Follow the light. To the left, right, and up, and down. Hmm." 2375-Seven: "I ran a complete self diagnostic." 2375-Doctor: "Hmm?"

2375-Seven: "At first I thought my ocular implants were malfunctioning. However, after consulting the Starfleet Medical database, I realise it is a flaw in my human physiology." 2375-Doctor: "Specifically?" 2375-Seven: "I'm experiencing dizziness, double vision. After considering all potential environmental and genetic factors, I've concluded I'm suffering from Albright-Salzman syndrome."

Doctor: "A rare neurological condition that hasn't affected a single human being for over two centuries. Unlikely." 2375-Seven: "Human physiology is imperfect, susceptible to a variety of disorders." 2375-Doctor: "True, but in this instance, we can safely say you're suffering from a mild case of sensory aphasia. A minor disruption to your neuro-receptors. Neither rare, nor life-threatening." 2375-Seven: "Apparently I was in need of a second opinion." 2375-Doctor: "That's the danger of self-diagnosis. Patients always assume the worst."

He gives her a hypospray injection. "This should clear it up. How do things look now?"

2375-Seven looks at her hand - it stops being blurred and appears sharp and in focus.

She reports: "Normal."

The com. signal sounds. A female crewmember says: "Doctor, please report to Sickbay."
Doctor: "On my way." Contact ends.

He tells 2375-Seven: "Next time your human physiology fails you, don't consult the database. Just call me." 2375-Seven: "You are the database." 2375-Doctor, as he leaves through the doors: "With two legs and a splendid bedside manner."

2375-Seven comes upon 2375-Paris in a corridor. He is bouncing a ping-pong ball against a bat. 2375-Seven: "A curious exercise." 2375-Paris: "Yeah. Ping-Pong. You should try it, it's a great test of hand-eye co-ordination." 2375-Seven: "I don't require testing." 2375-Paris: "Yeah, so the Doc tells me - a visual acuity index of ninety nine point six." An idea occurs to him. "Er, you know, you'd be great at this game. Why don't you be my partner in the doubles tournament tonight? Chapman was supposed to play but he's come down with a nasty case of space sickness." 2375-Seven: "I'm busy." 2375-Paris: "Oh, too bad. Well, I guess I'll have to tell B'Elanna that you thought you couldn't beat her." They arrive at a turbolift. The doors open. 2375-Seven, about to enter the turbolift: "You're attempting to appeal to my vanity." 2375-Paris: "Is it working?" 2375-Seven: "I will consider your request." 2375-Paris, as she enters: "It's yes or no, Seven. The tournament's tonight." 2375-Seven comes and stands almost in the doorway: "Yes." 2375-Paris: "Great. Meet me in the Messhall at 1900 hours. We'll get in a little practice first." The turbolift doors close. He moves away, and resumes his solo ping-pong.

2375-Janeway enters Sickbay through the medical lab section into the Doctor's office. He looks up from his desk. 2375-Doctor: "Captain, you don't look well." He gets up and picks up a medical tricorder as he does so. "Come in, please." 2375-Janeway: "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

2375-Doctor, scanning her: "Symptoms?" 2375-Janeway: "Nausea, dizziness." 2375-Doctor, reading the tricorder read-out: "It looks like a simple case of space sickness, the third one I've treated today." 2375-Janeway: "That's odd. We haven't run into any turbulence." 2375-Doctor: "It's possible the inertial dampers are out of alignment." 2375-Janeway: "Even so, I've been on some pretty rough rides. It's never affected me like this."

2375-Doctor: "It happens to everyone. Twenty milligrammes of inaprovaline," giving her the hypospray injection, "should restore your space legs."

2375-Janeway: "I'll check the dampers." Standing up and still feeling rough: "Double-check your bio-readings. See if there's another explanation." She gives a short groan and heads for the door as the Doctor moves past her to carry out her order.

That evening, in the Messhall, the Ping-Pong tournament is under way. A volley is in progress between the teams.

2375-Paris, hitting the winner: "Yeah!"

2375-Neelix, keeping score on a PADD: "Point, server."

2375-Paris: "It's all in the wrist."

2375-Torres: "Score?"
2375-Neelix: "Nineteen-eighteen."
With the match at such a close score, the ball is then served. The ball goes back and forth, watched with interest by a number of crewmembers.

2375-Paris, preparing to slam across the winning shot: "Say good night, Harry!" Suddenly the ball freezes in mid-air!

2375-Kim, with a nervous attempt at jocularity: "What d'you call that shot?"

2375-Seven picks up a tricorder and scans the ball. "I'm reading temporal distortions."

Suddenly the ball unfreezes and finishes the shot. 2375-Kim is not expecting this and fails to return the shot.

2375-Seven and 2375-Paris watch the ball go, then look at each other.

2375-Neelix inputs into his PADD another point for 2375-Paris and 2375-Seven.

2375-Janeway enters the Astrometrics Lab. As she approaches the control console: "Report." 2375-Torres: "The temporal distortions are fracturing space-time throughout the ship." 2375-Janeway: "Cause?" 2375-Tuvok: "Unknown. They appear to be emanating from Deck 4 section 39."

2375-Torres: "We've already erected forcefields but they're not having much effect. If we can't find a way to stop them, they'll tear the ship apart." 2375-Janeway: "How much time do we have?" 2375-Tuvok: "Two hours at most." 2375-Janeway: "Go to Deck 4 and find out what we're dealing with." 2375-Torres heads for the door. 2375-Janeway speaks to 2375-Tuvok while still looking at the screen: "Let's see if we can find a way to enhance the forcefields." They head for the door.

In Sickbay, the 2375-Doctor gives a hypospray injection to an ensign. "An injection a day keeps space sickness away."

The ensign gives him a look. The 2375-Doctor replies: "You try to be funny after treating thirty-seven cases of nausea."

The com. signal sounds. Via comms: "Janeway to Sickbay." 2375-Doctor: "Go ahead." 2375-Janeway, via comms: "We've found the source of our epidemic - temporal distortions." 2375-Doctor: "I was beginning to suspect some kind of anomaly. I've designed a treatment that seems to be inhibiting the symptoms." 2375-Janeway, via comms: "Keep me posted." 2375-Doctor: "Aye, Captain."

The com. signal sounds. 2375-Neelix, via comms: "Neelix to the Doctor. I've got a medical emergency in the Messhall. Ensign Mannus is violently ill."
2375-Doctor: "On my way. Take over here." His last words are to the crewman by the door who nods and comes over. The 2375-Doctor hands him the hypospray then picks up his mobile emitter and heads for the door.

The 2375-Doctor enters through the Messhall the starboard doors. 2375-Neelix: "Doctor, shall I whip you up a photonic snack?" 2375-Doctor: "Where's the medical emergency?" 2375-Neelix: "I hope you're not referring to this pot roast." 2375-Doctor: "You called me a few minutes ago. You said Ensign Mannus was ill." 2375-Neelix: "I did?" 2375-Doctor: "Yes!"

2375-Neelix: "Ensign Mannus is right over there. He came in an hour ago and he looks perfectly normal."

Suddenly Mannus slumps. 2375-Doctor, scanning Mannus: "Acute space sickness." 2375-Neelix: "Good thing you were here." 2375-Doctor, giving Mannus a hypospray injection: "I wouldn't have been, if you hadn't- Temporal distortions." 2375-Neelix: "Doctor?"

He follows him over to the port-side replicator. 2375-Doctor: "This is all starting to make sense." He calls up the time. "In Sickbay, it's 1500 hours 43 minutes, but in the Messhall it's 1536." 2375-Neelix: "Seven minutes earlier." 2375-Doctor: "I did get a call from you. You just haven't made it yet."