PART C

 

In Chez Sandrine, the holographic proprietress Sandrine is watching the holographic representation of a famous pool hustler, Gaunt Gary, as he practises pool shots.

The Doctor materialises next to her. He is irritated. "The holodeck again!" Sandrine: "Aha!" Doctor: "This is infuriating."

Sandrine: "Oh, stop playing games, mon cheri. I know why you keep coming back to work, even though your bartending shift is over." She giggles. "It's to see me, of course." Despite resistance, she takes off his overall and beret. The Doctor protests: "How many times do I have to tell you, madam? I am a doctor, not a bartender." Sandrine: "Of course you are." She holds onto him and kisses him deeply and passionately.

At that moment, Kim enters and sees them. Kim: "Doc?" Doctor: "Ensign Kim." He is very embarrassed. "I was just, er-"

Sandrine: "Playing doctor." Going over to Kim, she speaks sensuously: "Hi."

While Sandrine greets Kim, the Doctor examines the lipstick left on his fingers, and is not sure what to make of the substance.

Doctor: "The Captain and the others went to investigate the phenomenon Mr Tuvok reported." Kim: "So all of you heard his report before the comm. system failed?" Doctor: "Only a fraction of it." Kim: "Well, I'm sure Tuvok's filled them in with the rest by now. What are you still doing on the Holodeck, besides playing doctor, that is?" Doctor: "For your information, I have been attempting to transfer myself back to Sickbay. But each time I try, I reappear here." Kim: "That's strange."

Doctor: "Not to mention extremely irritating. I can't seem to shut down Mr Paris' holoprogram either."
Kim: "Computer, end holodeck program Paris 3." The computer gives the acknowledging audio sound but nothing happens. "Computer, arch." He sighs. To the Doctor: "Either the holo-emitters are malfunctioning or the computer's not accepting voice commands. I'm sorry, Doctor, I don't have time to help you right now."
Doctor, as Kim goes to leave: "Wait just a minute."
Kim: "Hmm?"
Doctor: "What do you think you're going?"
Kim: "I've got to get back to the Bridge. We're in the middle of a crisis."
Doctor: "All the more reason I should be back in Sickbay. I'm sure that the Captain and the others will be able to do without you for a few more minutes."
Kim: "I guess you're right." He turns back from the doorway. "I'll have a look at the holo-controls."

Sandrine is delighted that the Doctor is going to stay. He gives her an embarrassed little wave and a forced smile.

Neelix and Kes go from door to door in the corridor, trying to find Kes' quarters. Neelix: "Kyoto's quarters.....Nicoletti....Hargrove.....Ayala." Kes: "None of those are anywhere near my quarters." Neelix: "This is deck 8. That's where your quarters are."

Kes: "But Hargrove and Ayala are on deck 7, Nicoletti is on 4, and I think Kyoto is on 6." Neelix: "How do you know where everyone's quarters are?" Kes: "I just remember." Neelix: "Remember from what? Have you been in all their quarters?" Kes: "Of course not. The point is, those quarters can't all be on the same deck."

Neelix: "Well, see for yourself." Kes: "This can't be." Neelix: "Perhaps, sweetie, your memory isn't as reliable as you think." Kes: "This is impossible. I know Hargrove is on 7." The green-eyed pus hog called Jealousy rears its head. Neelix asks: "Why Hargrove?" Kes: "What?" Neelix: "Why are you so sure about Hargrove's quarters? What makes him so special?"

Kes: "He's not special. I just remember where his quarters are." She indicates a direction. "This way. It has to be this way." Neelix goes off along the corridor, leading the way for them both.

Outside Holodeck 2, Torres sees Kim who is working on the Holodeck controls: "Harry."

Kim: "B'Elanna, shouldn't you be in Engineering? What are you doing here?"

Torres: "Just answer one question, Starfleet. Where is here?" Kim: "What?!" Torres: "Where am I?" Kim: "Outside Holodeck 2. Are you feeling ok?" Torres: "I have been walking in circles for the past twenty minutes trying to get to Engineering."

They both turn as they hear and see Neelix and Kes coming towards them. Neelix: "Kes, my sweet, you have many wonderful attributes. Your sense of direction is not one of them, be-" They see Kim and Torres. "Oh, Harry, B'Elanna, maybe you can help us. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but we can't seem to find Kes' quarters."

At that moment the turbolift doors open. standard doors Paris, Janeway and Chakotay emerge into the corridor. They look around, and are as bewildered as ever.

Paris to the group of Kes, Neelix, Kim and Torres: "I don't suppose anyone here knows the way to the Bridge?" The group looks puzzled.

Janeway looks worried.

They have entered the Holodeck and have been discussing events so far.

Janeway: "Let me get this straight. This distortion ring has completely immobilised us. We have no means of communication with the Bridge or any other part of the ship, and no matter where any of us have tried to go - the Bridge, engineering, Kes' quarters - we've all eventually ended up here right back at deck 6." Kim: "The bridge is on deck 1, engineering is on deck 11, deck 6 is halfway in between, right?" Chakotay: "So?" Kim: "So if we're being surrounded by this ring, maybe it's pushing us all to the centre of the ship." Torres: "But it's not just that we're being led back here. I mean, rooms are in the wrong place. Is it possible that this distortion ring is somehow changing the layout of the ship?" Doctor: "There is another possibility. Exposure to some types of E-M radiation has been known to cause hallucinations. Perhaps it's not the ship that's undergone changes but rather your perception of it. Unfortunately, without my medical equipment to analyse your optic nerves, there's no way to tell." Janeway: "We'll never figure it out sitting here. We need more information about this phenomenon - sensor readings, computer analyses. We have to find a way back to the Bridge." Torres: "If we can't get back on foot or on the turbolift, maybe we can rig a site-to-site transport, beam ourselves to the Bridge." Chakotay: "We'd have to get to a transporter room first." Torres: "Or to Engineering, wherever that is." Paris: "When we tried to go to the Bridge, one of the places the turbolift took us was engineering. Maybe if we repeat our steps, it'll take us back there." Janeway: "It's worth a shot. Lieutenant Paris, you're with Torres." They acknowledge the order. Kim: "Maybe we can get to the Bridge through a Jefferies tube. If I remember my ship specs correctly, there should be an emergency access conduit which leads directly from this deck to deck 1 right behind the Bridge." Janeway nods in agreement as he speaks. Chakotay: "I'd like to keep trying to get to the Bridge on foot. If the ship has been reconfigured somehow, I can get a deck-by-deck picture of what it looks like as I go." Paris: "What's going to keep you from getting lost?" Chakotay: "I'll get a tricorder from the storage locker, rig it to emit a photo-plasmic trail." Janeway: "Right. We should all get tricorders. Set them on active scan, gather as much information as we can about what's happening to the ship."

Doctor: "May I request that Kes be allowed to stay here with me? Besides helping stave off the predatory advances of that woman," referring to Sandrine who is looking at him amused, "she may be able to help me find a way to transfer myself back to Sickbay."

Neelix: "And er, I'll assist Commander Chakotay, Captain. As you may have heard, my tracking skills are legendary throughout the Quadrant." He looks down in assumed modesty.

Janeway had not heard this, at least not from anyone except Neelix. But she trusts him. "That alright with you, Commander?" He makes an expression which indicates he does not mind. "Mr Kim, I'm with you. Let's do it." Kes: "Be careful."