ELOGIUM : Episode 18 : portrayed in several parts

In the Messhall, Neelix rushes a replacement meal out to a coughing crewmember. "Sorry, I swear I heard you say lots of pepper sauce." The crewmember accepts the plate and moves away.

Tuvok enters and approaches the serving counter.

Tuvok: "What is the lunch special today?"

Neelix: "Well, actually I didn't get around to making a lunch special. But we have some lovely gabarosti stew left over from last night." Tuvok, with the air of great tolerance: "Very well. It will do." Neelix: "Had quite a run on it as a matter of fact. It seems very popular." Tuvok, as he serves it: "If it is all you are serving, that would stand to reason." Neelix: "You can have it with or without pepper sauce." Tuvok: "Without."

Tuvok takes his plate to an empty table and sits. He notices a spilled bit of stew on the side of the dish and pushes it into the dish, and begins eating.

Neelix approaches him. Neelix: "Mr Tuvok. I was wondering: you have children, don't you?" Tuvok: "I have four." Neelix: "Four! My! That's certainly quite a family. Tell me: what's it like er being a father?" Tuvok: "The question is so broad it is difficult to respond." Neelix: "Well, I, I mean, it's a lot of responsibility, isn't it? Watching them, caring for them, keeping them safe, giving them an education..." Tuvok: "That is certainly true." Neelix: "Sounds like it's a lot more trouble than it's worth." Tuvok: "Mr Neelix, I am aware of your situation. It appears you are in some doubt as to the wisdom of becoming a parent." Neelix: "It's just all happening so fast. I don't know what to think." Tuvok: "I can only tell you that if you have considerable doubts about fatherhood, it would not be wise to enter into the process. It is so much more overwhelming than one expects, and I believe only the most committed should become parents." Neelix: "Ah. That's what I thought." Tuvok: "However, I must point out that, as illogical as it seems, being a father can have infinite rewards, far more than would seem possible. My children occupy a significant portion of my thoughts, now more than ever." Neelix: "I've heard it said that children can bring a lot of joy into one's life." Tuvok: "I experience neither joy nor sorrow, but I do believe it is possible." Neelix: "Now that I think about it, it might be fun to have a little guy around. We could do a lot together. I've got quite a bit I could teach a boy, you know - survival methods, piloting skills, romantic techniques..." Tuvok: "If you say so. But I must point out that there is an equal chance that you would have a daughter." Neelix: "A daughter? I don't have anything to teach a daughter." Tuvok: "Why would it be any different from what you would teach a son?" Neelix: "It just would. She'd learn more from her mother." Tuvok: "I have three sons and one daughter. I can assure you: she benefits as much from my presence and guidance as my sons do. It is unfortunate that I must be so far removed from all of them now." Neelix: "I understand. We'll get there, Mr Vulcan. I'm sure of it. Thank you. You've given me a lot to think about."

Torres enters the Bridge. As she heads toward the engineering II station where she sits down: "We're ready to generate the inverted magnetic pulse, Captain." Janeway: "Proceed." Torres: "Initiating the field. It's working."

the swarm's small creatures

Janeway: "Are the creatures alright, Commander?" At the science station, Chakotay is checking the monitor's updated information display. "Yes, Captain, they seem to be fine." Janeway: "Good, let's keep it that way. Thrusters at 200 k.p.h., Mr Paris. Ease us out of here." Paris: "Aye, Captain."

the small creatures turn blue

The small creatures start turning blue! Kim: "What are they doing?" Chakotay: "I don't know what's prompting their behaviour. Maybe they think we're making a hostile move." The ship's systems start failing. Janeway: "Report!" Kim: "I'm reading a massive energy drain in all ship's systems." Paris: "Impulse engines are losing power." Kim: "Captain, some of the lifeforms have attached themselves to the warp nacelles." Tuvok: "Guidance, navigational and tactical systems are failing." Janeway to Paris: "How soon will we clear the swarm, Lieutenant?" Paris: "In a few seconds. We're almost out."

Tuvok: "Captain, I'm detecting a substantial magnetic mass moving rapidly toward the port bow." An enormous creature, as big as Voyager, 'swims' right up close!

Wildman: "It's physiologically similar to the smaller creatures, just a lot bigger." Tuvok: "Perhaps it is the parent." Chakotay: "Or it could be a difference in gender. It's hard to say without further observation."

Torres: "With all due respect, Captain, haven't we done enough observing? These creatures have attacked the ship's key systems. For all we know, they were setting us up for an attack." Janeway: "It's possible. Mr Paris, let's keep moving. If we can put some distance between us and the swarm, maybe the ones on the nacelles will drop off and rejoin their friends." Paris: "Aye, Captain. 200 k.p.h."

Tuvok: "The larger creature is moving with us."

The ship is rocked. Paris: "Now what?" Kim: "The creature has emitted an electrically charged plasma stream." Janeway: "All stop. Damage report." Kim: "No significant damage, Captain. Shields are holding."

Torres: "A plasma blast is a hostile move! Shouldn't we be thinking about responding?"

Janeway replies firmly: "If the creature threatens serious damage to the ship, I'll consider it an enemy. Until then, they're all to be treated as indigenous lifeforms behaving normally in their natural habitat. We're the intruders here."

Chakotay: "Captain, look at this. They're attaching themselves to the larger creature the same way they did to us." Kim: "And I think I know why. That plasma stream it ejected has almost the same subspace signature as our warp nacelles."

Janeway: "Then the smaller creatures are attracted to our subspace emissions." Chakotay: "Perhaps in the same way some species are attracted to pheremones." Janeway: "Pheremones? You think it's a sexual attraction?" Chakotay: "Colour change and provocative movement are frequently associated with mating rituals." Paris: "Then these guys think we're one of them?" Chakotay: "Well, their behaviour toward us and the larger creature is similar. It's possible they've mistaken us for a potential mate."

Kes is in her quarters, staring at the ipasophor on her palms. The door signal sounds. door signal Kes sits up: "Yes?" Neelix enters. With cheery enthusiasm: "Well, order the diapers. We're about to become parents!" Kes: "You, you mean, you want to mate with me?" Neelix: "More than anything." Kes: "But you were making excuses. I didn't think you wanted to be a father." Neelix: "I just hadn't thought it through. Now that I have, I swear to you that I want to do this, and I'll be the best possible father to our child." Kes: "I know you will." Neelix: "So, what comes next?" Kes: "Before we begin the mating process I have to go through a certain ritual called the rolisisin." Neelix: "What does that involve?" Kes: "One of my parents has to massage my feet until my tongue begins to swell." Neelix: "Ah, where do you plan to find a parent?" Kes: "If Captain Janeway weren't so busy I'd ask her, but I think the Doctor would do it." Neelix: "Will that work, since he's not a real person?" Kes: "The Doctor is very real to me." Neelix: "I don't know how I'd feel about his massaging your feet." Kes: "It's a ritual. Someone has to do it." Neelix: "Ok. Ok, fine. And how long will that take?" Kes: "About an hour. Then I'll be back."

She starts to leave, but turns in the doorway. Neelix smiles his encouragement and reassurance, and she goes, heading for Sickbay.

In Sickbay, the Doctor has agreed to carry out the rolisisin for Kes, and is massaging one of her feet. Doctor: "Fascinating. The stimulation to the sympathetic nerves must set off a hormonal reaction which activates glandular activity in the tissues of the tongue. I've never seen this response before, although in a species known as the Gree, stimulating follicles on the proboscis results in a swelling of the auricular canal." Kes: "Doctor? Am I doing the right thing?" Doctor: "You'll have to tell me. I know nothing of this ritual." Kes: "No, I mean am I doing the right thing by conceiving a child? If I were at home now, my father would be performing the rolisisin with me. It's a time when parent and child move into a new kind of relationship as the child has her own child and the parent must acknowledge her true adulthood." Doctor, starting to massage the other foot: "I see." Kes: "My father and I were very close. He was such a wise man. I miss him. Sometimes I think I hear his voice in my head. It's almost as though he were here helping to guide me. I'm sorry. I must be feeling lonely for home. It's probably a result of the elogium." She sighs. "But I really would appreciate your advice, your help. I need someone's guidance." Doctor: "I can discuss delivery methods or paediatric situations. I'm afraid I don't have much perspective to offer about becoming a parent." Kes: "Neither do I. As long as Neelix was opposed to the idea, tried to get out of it, I was certain I wanted to have a child. But when he said that he wanted one too, suddenly I was very frightened." Doctor: "Perhaps a statistical survey will offer a context. Among the Breen, pregnancy at a young age is a common event. The Breen of course is one of the most warlike of species. And then there are the Scathos: any woman who conceives a child before her fourth decade is summarily executed." Kes: "Maybe I felt I should have a child because I could." Doctor: "There is a powerful biological drive, at times almost impossible to resist. Species are driven by these urges in order to survive." Kes: "But isn't that why we have minds? To look beyond biological urges, to consider their consequences? If I'm going to ask myself to look at those consequences, then I have to ask myself some questions: am I really ready to have a child? am I prepared to give that child the attention and devotion that it deserves? am I capable of taking on such a huge responsibility? Oh, there's so much I haven't done. There's so much I want to study and learn. I'm not sure I'm finished growing - how could I help a child grow?" The Doctor rests a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

 

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