JETREL
Episode 15
Part C

 

USS Voyager.

Neelix cannot sleep. The door signal sounds. door signal Neelix, at once: "Come in!"

Kes enters: "How are you feeling?"

Neelix: "Kes, my sweet, I'll have you know this is not the first time I have stared into the gaping maw of death. Why once, during the battle of the Pyrithian Gorge I faced down an entire battery of Haakonian artillery. There I was, with only a small crevice for cover-"

Kes: "Neelix, you're protecting me again. I can understand your not wanting to talk about Rinax. I wasn't there, you're right. But I'm here now with you. We have to face this together."

Neelix: "Well, there's one good thing that will come from all this. When I first met you, I didn't know that your species lived only eight or nine years. I fell in love with you without knowing how lonely it would be to live without you after you're gone. Now that I'm going to die first I don't have to worry about it."

Kes: "Before I met you, eight or nine years seemed like an eternity. It never occurred to me that anyone could live longer. Now that we're together, no matter how many years we have left it doesn't seem like enough. But the important thing is to cherish whatever time we have together, whether it's a day or a decade."

In her Ready Room, a sombre Janeway is thinking about Neelix's situation when the door signal sounds. Janeway: "Come in."

standard doors Jetrel enters. Jetrel: "Am I interrupting?" Janeway: "Please, sit down."

Jetrel: "Captain, I must tell you, your ship is simply astounding. I have been studying your transporter system-" Janeway: "Transporter systems. I would think you would be more concerned with Mr Neelix."

Jetrel: "Forgive me, but that is what I am here to talk about. I believe with a relatively few minor modifications the transporter system could be used to retrieve a sample of the Metreon Cloud surrounding Rinax."

Janeway: "To what end?" Jetrel: "I've always believed that if I could isolate the free isotope that causes Metremia it could be used to synthesise an antibody."

Janeway, takes the PADD: "Then theoretically, a victim's own immune system could destroy the disease." Jetrel: "Yes, Captain, and your transporter system makes it all possible." Janeway: "Is the isotope stable enough to be transported?" Jetrel: "I believe so." Janeway: "We could construct a containment field to prevent any contamination of the ship, and I could have our Doctor assist you with synthesising the antibody." Jetrel: "My thoughts exactly."

Janeway, via comms: "Janeway to bridge." Chakotay, via comms: "Chakotay here, Captain." Janeway, via comms: "Have Dr Jetrel's shuttle tractored into the Shuttlebay and lay in a course for the Talaxian system." Chakotay, via comms: "That's a significant detour, Captain." Janeway, via comms: "I'm aware of that, Commander. But it may mean saving Neelix's life." Chakotay, via comms: "Understood." Contact ends.

Janeway to Jetrel: "I'll send a message to Talax requesting permission to transport material from the Cloud. In the meantime, Lieutenant Torres in Engineering can give you a hand with the transporter modifications." Jetrel: "Thank you, Captain." Janeway: "Thank you, Dr Jetrel. It's a very promising idea."

As Jetrel approaches the exit, he stumbles in sudden pain. He holds onto the wall to support himself. Janeway, concerned, coming over to him: "What is it?"

Jetrel: "Nothing. I just think I'm a little over excited about the prospects of discovering a cure and all that sparring with Mr Neelix does take a toll." Janeway: "Maybe you should let the Doctor have a look at you." Jetrel: "No, I'm fine, and there's so much to be done. I want to start right away."

Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 48832.1. Kes has prevailed upon Neelix to allow Dr Jetrel to continue metabolic scans in the hope that it will facilitate treatment once the antibody has been synthesised."

Sickbay. Doctor: "Will you be needing my assistance, Doctor?" Jetrel: "Not until we have the isotope." Doctor: "Mr Neelix, is there anything more I can do for you?"

With no affirmative response, the Doctor continues: "Very well then. Computer, override command one EMH alpha and end program."

His program is taken offline and he dematerialises.

Jetrel: "Incredible - a hologram that can deactivate itself." Neelix: "Is there anything besides science that makes your heart beat faster, Jetrel?" Jetrel: "No, not any more. Now would you please sit down."

Neelix: "You know what I've been thinking? If I'd been in charge of the Cascade I'd've, I don't know, chosen a military target, or simply deployed it on an uninhabited planet. Somehow I don't think I'd have targetted innocent civilians."

Neelix: "You should've tried to stop them!" Jetrel: "It would not have made any difference." Jetrel: "When I returned home after the Cascade...." Neelix: "Over the next few weeks I stayed at her bedside and watched her wither away. Those are consequences, Dr Jetrel."

Jetrel: "The military strategists did not think a demonstration would work. They wanted to show the power in all its horror." Neelix: "You should've tried to stop them! Why didn't you speak out? People would've listened to you." Jetrel: "It would not have made any difference. If I had not discovered the Cascade, it would've been someone else, don't you see? It was a scientific inevitability, one discovery flowing naturally to the next. Something so enormous as science will not stop for something as small as Man, Mr Neelix." Neelix: "So you did it for science." Jetrel: "For my planet, and yes, for science, to know whether or not it could be done. It's good to know how the world works. It is not possible to be a scientist unless you believe that all the knowledge of the universe and all the power that it bestows is of intrinsic value to everyone, and one must share that knowledge and allow it to be applied, and then be willing to live with the consequences." Neelix: "Consequences? Who are you to talk about consequences?!" Jetrel: "You are not the only one to lose family during the war, Mr Neelix." Neelix: "Your family was killed?" Jetrel: "Nothing as clean as death. When I returned home after the Cascade to my wife, my lovely wife Ka'Ree, she could not bear to look at me. When I would reach out to her she would pull away as if I had some contagious disease. You see, like you, she thought I had become a monster. Shortly after that she took my three children and I have not seen them since." Neelix: "That's a sad story, Jetrel. But let me tell you another one. A man goes back to Rinax after the Cascade, back to what had been his home to look for survivors. But the impact of the blast has set off hundreds of fires and there's nothing there, just smouldering ruins and the stench of seared flesh. But in the distance, in the middle of all that emptiness, from out of this huge cloud of billowing dust he can see bodies moving, whimpering, coming toward him. They're monsters, their flesh horribly charred, the colour of shale. One of them comes toward him, mangled arms outstretched, and he can't help it, he, he turns away frightened. But then the thing speaks and he knows by the sound of her voice that she's not a monster at all but a child, a little girl." Jetrel: "Mr Neelix, I-" Neelix: "Her name was Palaxia. We brought her back to Talax with the other survivors. Over the next few weeks I stayed at her bedside and watched her wither away. Those are consequences, Dr Jetrel." Jetrel: "There is no way I can ever apologise to you, Mr Neelix. That's why I have not tried." Neelix: "Did you ever think that maybe your wife was right, that you have become a monster?" Jetrel: "Yes, the day when we tested the Cascade, when I saw that blinding light, brighter than a thousand suns. I knew at that moment exactly what I had become." Neelix: "I hope you have to live with that a very long time." Jetrel: "I'm afraid you will not get your wish, Mr Neelix." Neelix: "And why is that?" Jetrel: "I have advanced Metremia. I will be dead in a matter of days."

That night, Neelix dreams he is playing pool at Sandrine's against Jetrel whose features, however, cannot be seen and mysteriously Jetrel's voice sounds a lot like that of Neelix. 'Jetrel': "It's your turn."

Neelix: "There's no open shot." 'Jetrel', sneering: "Why don't you call a safety, Neelix? Isn't that what you always do?" Neelix: "I'm no coward." 'Jetrel', jeering: "That's not what I've heard!" Neelix: "What are you doing? It's my turn!" as Malevolent Neelix pushes the balls into the pockets with his cue stick. Malevolent 'Jetrel': "You've lost your chance to play. Now you're going to lose!"

Janeway looms up on Neelix: "Neelix, where did you go, why did you leave us?" Neelix: "I did what I thought was right."

Paris: "You were afraid." Neelix: "No! I......."

A young woman enters Their features cannot be easily seen. The woman has Kes' voice: "Neelix." Neelix: "Who are you?" "Kes": "It's me, Palaxia." The face is Kes' but the face is horribly charred! Neelix: "Palaxia!" Kes: "Why weren't you here to help us?"

He leaps on 'Jetrel' from behind. "You! You did this, butcher!"

But as he pushes 'Jetrel' down onto the pool table, 'Jetrel' turns.......and Neelix sees that it is actually himself!

Neelix wakes up with a start, the frightening nightmare all too vivid.

Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Neelix." Neelix, after a moment: "Here, Captain." Janeway, via comms: "Neelix, I thought you'd like to know we're approaching Rinax." After a moment: "Neelix?"

Neelix collects himself enough to say: "Thank you, Captain. I'll be right there."