USS Voyager in position near the protostar.
In Sickbay the Doctor tentatively flexes the fingers on his replacement arm and hand. Paris: "How's it feel?" Doctor: "Just like the old one actually." Janeway: "Apparently, contact with photonic energy disrupted your magnetic cohesion, but we're still not sure if that's what happened to the others."

Torres calls Janeway over to the monitor display. "Captain, take a look at this - the readings from the Doctor's tricorder, when the energy surge made contact with him." Janeway: "They're showing a synaptic pattern. I wouldn't expect to see something like this in photonic energy. Is this the first time those patterns have shown up like this?" Torres: "Yes, but it's the first time we've had clear readings from a moment of contact. I wonder if I could produce these same patterns in the samples we have in Engineering."

Janeway: "If you can we might be able to get more information about how photonic energy damaged the Holodeck systems." Torres: "I'm on it." Paris: "I'll give you a hand."

In engineering Torres and Paris are working on the samples brought on board from the protostar. Paris: "Ok. I've initiated a polarisation field. I'm introducing it into the container." Torres: "We're getting a reaction." Paris: "It's producing a synaptic pattern alright, highly complex." Suddenly one sample, which consists of moving tendrils of brilliant white light, breaks out of its container!

Torres: "What's that?!" Paris: "Whatever it is, it's cutting through the bulkheads."

Torres: "Let's get a containment field around it." Paris: "It's heading for deck 14 sction C5." Torres: "Ok, and I've got a containment field blocking it." Paris: "Oh, it's changing direction. It's like it's avoiding the containment field." Torres: "Let's give it another try. Now it's blocked on three sides." Paris: "Changing course, heading for the open side." Torres: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Paris: "Those synaptic patterns - could be some sort of neural net." Torres: "We may be dealing with a lifeform." The com. signal sounds. Janeway asks: "Bridge to Engineering." Torres, via comms: "Torres here." Janeway, via comms: "We're detecting an energy mass moving through the ship." Torres, via comms: "Right. It broke through the sample container. Captain, it's showing the property of a lifeform." Janeway, via comms: "A lifeform?" Torres, via comms: "It seems to have a neural net and it's demonstrating signs of intelligent behaviour." Paris: "It's cutting its way through the ship, heading for the outer hull. It'll breach in about 15 seconds." Janeway, via comms: "Are there any critical systems in its path?" Torres, via comms: "Negative." Janeway, via comms: "Then let it go. Be ready to seal the hull breach with a forcefield. I'll have a damage control team standing by for repairs. And let's track it on sensors when it gets out." Paris: "Captain, it's penetrating the outer hull." Torres: "Forcefield is in place." Paris: "I'm showing the energy form 100 metres off our port side."

On the Bridge, Janeway orders: "Let's get it on screen." The main viewscreen switches to show it. The energy form moves towards the protostar and turns it into a regular shape which glows brightly.

Janeway: "What was that?!"

In Sickbay Janeway, Torres and the Doctor examine the visual and other data collected from sensors. Janeway: "It appears to be some kind of photonic lattice." Torres: "And it seems pretty clear that the energy form was trying to get back to it, as though it's a shelter of some kind." Janeway: "Or maybe a transportation device - their equivalent of a ship." At any rate, we had sensor contact for a few seconds, and we picked up three distinct bio-electrical patterns inside it." Doctor: "Bio-electrical? What are you suggesting, Captain?" Janeway: "We have three missing crewmen. Our best guess is that they were somehow converted into energy when they were on the Holodeck. We find no sign of them on this ship. Then we pick up three discreet patterns in the lattice, three patterns that don't match anything else in the lattice, and which have biological components. I don't think it's a stretch to hypothethise that those are our crewmembers, converted into a kind of photonic energy." Torres: "But what are they doing over there? How did they get there?" Janeway: "We have good evidence now that there are photonic beings that live in that protostar - lifeforms that have intelligence. We didn't know that when we beamed those energy samples on board. We had no idea that what we were doing in essence was capturing those lifeforms. We locked them in a containment field and began to experiment on them. If my people were taken like that, I know what my response would be. I would do whatever was necessary to get them back." Doctor: "And you think they have simply retaliated against us?" Janeway: "Yes. These beings can manifest themselves on the Holodeck, in the matrix of a holocharacter. That's how they were able to take our crewmembers hostage." Doctor: "Captain, if you're right about this, then we should return the remaining lifeform." Janeway: "A gesture, to show we mean well. It's certainly worth a try." Doctor: "If I took the lifeform onto the Holodeck and release it to Grendel, maybe they'll understand and release our people." Janeway: "Ordinarily, officers go through intensive training before they're put into a first contact situation, but you're the only one who can do this safely." Doctor: "I'd like to finish what I started, Captain. I can do this." Janeway: "I agree." She says Torres: "Make arrangements to transfer the lifeform to a container so that the Doctor can carry it." To the Doctor: "But remember, if you're holding the container you'll have to stay in solid form." Doctor: "I understand."

Back on the Holodeck, the Doctor walks through the wood. He is carrying a sample container inside which is the photonic lifeform. The Doctor calls: "Freya? Freya!"

Freya hears him, finds him, and they hug each other. They are delighted to see each other again.

Freya: "Lord Schweitzer! We thought the Grendel had taken you."
Doctor: "Not entirely."
Freya: "How did you survive?"
Doctor: "That would be difficult to explain. But that's not important right now."

He indicates the sample container: "This is a talisman to destroy Grendel-" Unferth appears. He has overheard. He confronts them, sword drawn.

Unferth snarls: "You lie! No man could survive an encounter with Grendel unless he were in league with the beast. You have brought that talisman to destroy us all!"
Freya: "That is not true! He has returned to help us."
Unferth to Freya: "No. You speak his lies now? He has bewitched you."
Doctor: "Unferth, I need to get this talisman to the hall."
Unferth: "Then that gives me reason enough to make sure it never gets there."

Unferth attacks the Doctor. He knocks the Doctor to the ground and the sample container rolls along the ground. Freya draws her sword and leaps forward to defend the Doctor.
The Doctor watches helplessly as Unferth and Freya lock swords. The Doctor calls out: "Please! You don't know what you're doing!"
Freya fights Unferth.
Unferth pushes Freya to the ground.
He confronts the Doctor who holds the precious sample container knowing that it is desperately important that he protect it.

Unferth moves in to finish off the Doctor: "Prepare to die, demon!" He lunges forward to deliver the death blow.
At that moment, Freya leaps in front of the Doctor to defend him. In doing so, she takes the mortal blow instead. She cries out, and collapses. Unferth steals the container and hurries off. The Doctor bends over the dying Freya.

Doctor: "Freya." Freya: "My lord, my time has come." Doctor: "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

Freya: "And it's a good death. Take my sword. Stop Unferth and Grendel." Doctor: "I won't forget you."
Freya: "Then I die happily, with your name on my lips. Farewell, Schweitzer." She dies.
The Doctor is so moved and affected that he is unable to move for a moment. Then he gets up. He takes her sword as she had bid him, and grips it firmly, her sacrifice making him even more determined to complete his mission.

For elements in my page graphics set thanks to: Hemera for the helmet (apparently authentic) Celtic Web Art for the art tile (colorised by me) About.com for the sword (authentic Viking sword; image tweaked by me) SWORD IMAGE MAP (below) by me - move your mouse or cursor hand along the sword blade to see the button labels (take care not to cut yourself as it is sharp!).