Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 48693.2. We've altered course to investigate some unusually intense photonic activity in a nearby protostar. Lieutenant Torres and I are bringing aboard samples for further analysis." |  |
| In engineering Janeway and Torres prepare to beam aboard the samples.
Torres: "Containment field is active. We're ready for transport." Janeway: "Energise." Matter is beamed into one of the containers.  transporter
Torres: "That's strange. Both containers should've been filled." Janeway checks the controls. "Here's the problem: a slight breach in the annular confinement beam." Torres: "Aborting transport. Ok, let's try that again. Energising. Alright. I'll get a complete phased spectrum analysis on this as soon as possible." |  |
Torres: "I'd say more like 20."
Janeway: "How long will it take to complete the preliminary analysis?"
Torres: "Six hours, maybe more."
Janeway: "I'd like to get it sooner than that. I believe Ensign Kim is off-duty. Could you use his help?"
Torres: "Can you convince him to give up his free time."
| Janeway: "I think I might be able to." She taps her combadge. combadge Via comms: "Janeway to Kim." There is no reply. "That's odd." She taps her combadge again. "Computer, locate Ensign Kim."
Computer: "Unable to comply. Ensign Kim is not aboard the ship." They exchange very worried looks. |  |
| On the Bridge, Tuvok reports: "Sensor logs show no record of any unauthorised transporter activity and all shuttlecraft are accounted for. If Ensign Kim left the ship he did not do so by conventional means." |  |
| Chakotay: "His last shift ended four hours ago and he was scheduled for time on Holodeck 2 when he went off duty. No one's seen him since."
Janeway: "Scan the Holodeck." Several alerts sound as Tuvok tries to scan the Holodeck. "What's the matter?" |  |
| Tuvok: "There is significant interference in the Holodeck. I cannot obtain a clear scan."
Janeway: "Is it a system malfunction?" Tuvok: "I do not believe so." Janeway indicates her next order: "Commander." Chakotay and Tuvok leave to investigate the Holodeck. |  |
| Chakotay and Tuvok arrive at Holodeck 2 and examine the wall-mounted controls by the entrance to the Holodeck.
Tuvok: "The holodeck is definitely active. There appears to be a program in progress." Chakotay: "Can you shut it down?" Tuvok: "Manual overrides are not functioning. I cannot terminate the program." Chakotay: "Alright. Let's go in." |  |
| holodeck doors They enter and discover a forest at night. They take tricorder scans as they move around.
Chakotay: "Computer, identify program." Computer: "The program is a holonovel based on the epic Earth poem 'Beowulf'." Tuvok: "Beowulf?" |  |
| Chakotay explains: "An ancient English epic set in 6th century Denmark, if I remember correctly. It's about a hero named Beowulf who fights a creature that's terrorising the kingdom and murdering its subjects. Monsters and swordplay, that sort of things."
Tuvok reports on his tricorder read-outs: "I'm not detecting any lifesigns. There is still considerable interference." Chakotay looks at his tricorder: "I can't determine the source." |  |
| They halt as suddenly a spear wings its way just missing them and embeds itself in a tree nearby. It serves as a dramatic warning.
A Norse shieldmaiden appears. She threw the spear. She draws her sword and holds it up to their necks. "Speak as a friend, or stand challenged!" Neither man is much surprised at her appearance - she is a holocharacter programmed for the 'Beowulf' environment. |  |
| Tuvok: "Computer, delete character."
Chakotay to Tuvok: "The holodeck command systems must not be functioning either." Tuvok warns Chakotay: "We must also consider the possibility that the safety programs are malfunctioning as well." Woman: "I am Freya, shieldmaiden, daughter of King Hrothgar. I hold this guardpost against any intruders who would bear us harm, so declare yourselves! I would hear your answer before you march any further into this land." |  |
| Tuvok: "We have no desire to trespass. However, we are on an urgent mission. If you would allow us to continue, we would appreciate it."
Freya: "What land do you call home? Your faces tell me you are not men of the Danes. Are you kinsmen of Beowulf?" Chakotay: "Yes, we are Beowulf's kinsmen. My name is Chakotay. This is Tuvok. Have you seen Beowulf?" Freya: "Yes. He was like no other - hair straight and raven-black, eyes bright with fierce fire, the burning gaze of a hero." Tuvok to Chakotay: "Grand eloquence notwithstanding, that would qualify as a description of Mr Kim. How did you know he was Beowulf?" Chakotay to Tuvok: "It is Harry's holonovel. It makes sense he'd be playing the hero. She might be able to help us figure out what happened to him." Tuvok to Chakotay: "A reasonable assumption." Freya: "Your kinsman was a truly noble warrior. It is right you should avenge his death." Chakotay manages to suppress the fear that Kim really is dead as he replies. "Yes, but first we'd like to know more about how Beowulf died." Freya: "Of course. Come, I will take you to the king." She sheathes her sword, retrieves her spear and turns to lead them onward. | 
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| Arriving at the hall, Freya flings open the great doors and strides in, proclaiming: "Hail, Lord Hrothgar! I bring new friends: Chakotay and Tuvok, kinsmen of Beowulf, who come to avenge his death! Treat them well." |  |
| King Hrothgar: "I would bid you welcome to my hall but the days of glad tidings are gone from this place. We grieve with you for your kinsman. We had hoped that a warrior of Beowulf's strength and renown would be able to deliver us from our curse."
Tuvok: "Could you tell us exactly what happened to him?" Hrothgar: "He met with the same fate as did thirty of our own warriors - Grendel." |  |
| Chakotay: "That's the monster who's been attacking you." |  |
| Hrothgar: "Repelled by light, by laughter, the beast waits until we slumber, then bereft of morose Grendel comes in murderous rage to my hall, to take my people and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. If you're wise you will forego your vengeance and return. Death lives here now." |  |
| Unferth: "My lord is fatigued. It is time to retire."
Tuvok: "We would like more information about Beowulf. Would it be possible to examine his body?" |  |
| Freya: "The body of Beowulf is gone, dragged down to Grendel's foul lair no doubt. The beast leaves no traces."
Chakotay: "Did anyone actually see the battle?" Freya: "No. Beowulf chose to face Grendel alone." |  |
| Chakotay: "Then I think we'd like to see this Grendel for ourselves."
Unferth: "To what purpose? To raise false hopes in our king again as did your kinsman? Leave us alone in our misery." Freya: "Unferth, these men are our guests. You will show them the hospitality they deserve." Unferth: "They deserve nothing. If their Beowulf was truly the champion he claimed to be then Grendel would be dead, his head mounted on a spear. Instead we spend yet another night in terror." |  |
| Tuvok: "If you would allow us to assist you, perhaps we could alleviate your terror."
Unferth: "Your names mean nothing to me. There are no songs of yours deeds nor stories of the battles you have fought. Who are you to believe you can slay Grendel?" Tuvok: "We have no intention of slaying anyone. We simply wish to examine the creature." Unferth laughs grimly. "Grendel might not wish to be examined without a fight, and if you would fight Grendel then you will first prove your worth to me. Defend yourselves!" He draws his sword and challenges them. At once Freya moves so that her spear, held firmly, is between Unferth and Chakotay, thereby warning Unferth. | 
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| Hrothgar bids Unferth withdraw, defusing the tension that had suddenly mounted. He tells Chakotay and Tuvok: "You are able warriors. You may stand sentry tonight."
Freya to Tuvok and Chakotay: "You are brave men. I hope to see you again, fate permitting." Hrothgar and his warriors, including Freya, leave to retire for the night, leaving the hall to Chakotay and Tuvok. |  |
| Chakotay taps his combadge. combadge "Chakotay to Janeway."
Janeway, via comms: "Go ahead." Chakotay, via comms: "Captain, we haven't found any definite signs of Harry, but we've encountered several holodeck characters who claim to know what happened to him." |  |
| Tuvok, via comms: "Mr Kim was running a holonovel based on the epic poem 'Beowulf'. According to the holocharacters he attempted to battle a creature of some kind and was killed in the process."
Janeway, via comms: "Killed?!" Tuvok, via comms: "Since the safety programs are malfunctioning, we should consider the possibility." |  |
| Janeway, via comms: "But....you haven't found a body?"
Chakotay, via comms: "No. If we shut down the program we'll know if he's here or not." Janeway, via comms: "Run a diagnostic on the imaging control systems. If they're not working try to repair them, and relay your tricorder scans to the Bridge. I'd like to analyse your readings." Chakotay, via comms: "Aye, Captain. Chakotay out." |  |
| Chakotay and Tuvok explore the Holodeck.
Tuvok: "The primary imaging matrix should be here, behind this wooden panel. I will attempt to locate the auxiliary matrix. This ancient Earth culture seems fascinated with monsters." Chakotay: "Every culture has its demons. They embody the darkest emotions of its people. Giving them physical form in heroic literature is a way of exploring those feelings. The Vok'sha of Rakella Prime believe that hate is a beast which lives inside the stomach. Their great mythical hero was a man who ate stones for 23 days to kill the beast and became a saint." Tuvok: "Such fables are necessary only in cultures which unduly emphasise emotional behaviour. I would point out there are no demons in Vulcan literature." Chakotay: "That might account for its popularity." | 
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| comms. signal "Bridge to Chakotay."
Chakotay, via comms: "Chakotay here." |  |
| Janeway, via comms: "Commander, we've analysed your tricorder data. A deep level scan showed minute quantities of photonic energy." |  |
| Chakotay, via comms: "How could it be in the Holodeck?"
Torres, via comms: "We think it happened when we beamed aboard the samples from the protostar. There was a breach in the annular confinement beam and photonic energy must have leaked into the transporter system." Janeway, via comms: "And from there into other ship's systems as well. We've already found some in the replicators." Tuvok: "That raises an uncomfortable possibility, Captain. If the Holodeck's conversion nodes were contaminated, Ensign Kim may have inadvertently undergone the process of matter conversion." |  |
| Chakotay: "You're saying he might've been converted into energy?"
Janeway, via comms: "We have to consider it a possibility. After all, the Holodeck's basically an outgrowth of transporter technology, changing energy into matter and back again, every time a program is run." Torres: "Except that it's not supposed to convert people." |  |
| Chakotay: "Hold on, Captain. Something's coming." He checks his tricorder. "There's an object approximately one metre in diameter."
Chakotay: "I think Grendel may be paying us a visit." Tuvok, via comms: "Captain, the holocharacters told us Kim was killed by Grendel. An examination of this part of the program might be advisable." Janeway, via comms: "Proceed." Torres: "Captain, I'm picking up signs of matter-energy conversion." Janeway: "Emergency transport. Get them out of there now!" Torres: "I can't get a lock." |  |
| On the Holodeck the hall doors shake, then burst open as 'Grendel' breaks in. |  |
| Janeway, via comms: "Commander Chakotay, report. Mr Tuvok." There is no reply.
Torres: "Captain, I've lost their lifesigns. They're gone." |  |
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