PARTURITION
Episode 23
Part C

 

In the Captain's Ready Room, Janeway looks interestedly at the back of them both. They have wiped off as much of the mess as possible but a lot still remains. Janeway: "Would anyone care to explain?"

Paris: "It might be too long to go into right now, Captain." Janeway: "Very well. I have a mission for the two of you. We have reason to believe that there are food sources on this planet, but we can't transport to the surface. You're going to take a shuttle down and do a little scouting."

Neelix: "Me? And him?" Janeway: "He's our best pilot, and you're our expert on edible plant species in this Quadrant." The last thing either Neelix or Paris wants is to have to spend any time with each other. Paris: "Er, Captain, I'm not one to pass up a mission, but in this circumstance, maybe Ensign Baytart, who is a fine pilot-"

Janeway: "There are electromagnetic anomalies in the atmosphere and I would rather have you at the helm. Am I...." she hesitates as she seeks the best way to describe it, "....discerning a personal problem here, gentlemen?"

Paris and Neelix glare at each other. After a moment's hesitation by them both, Neelix answers: "Frankly, yes, Captain." Janeway, firmly: "Solve it. You leave at 1400 hours."

Janeway drinks her coffee and watches the pair leave. Both men are clearly unhappy at the prospect of a mission together.

In the Briefing Room, the relevant senior staff meet for the pre-mission briefing. Torres: "We're modifying the transporter to try and penetrate the atmosphere. So far, no luck."

Kim: "However, we have been running computer simulations to determine if the EM disturbances follow any specific pattern. Our data analysis suggests that there may be occasional atmospheric windows that would allow us to get through." Chakotay: "How occasional, and how long would they last?" Kim: "We should see one every thirty hours or so, but they may only last for a matter of minutes, so I can't be sure yet." Janeway: "At least long enough for us to beam up food supplies. Mr Paris, you and Mr Neelix will collect as many vegetables and fruits as you can while we wait for this atmospheric window to open. Mr Kim, be sure your computer simulations include...."

Paris and Neelix have clearly not yet solved their "personal problem".

Meanwhile, Kes is pacing up and down in the corridor outside. When the meeting ends, Kim and Paris leave together and walk past. Paris sees her but ignores her.

Then Neelix comes out. She walks with him as he heads for the Shuttlebay. Kes: "What happened? I heard that you-" Neelix: "Nothing happened." Kes: "They said that you and Tom Paris had-" Neelix insists: "Kes, we'll talk when I get back."

He enters the turbolift, leaving her outside it. Kes: "I want to know, Neelix. Is it true that you were fighting?" Neelix, adamantly: "When I get back." "But-" But the turbolift doors close, ending their conversation. Inside the turbolift, Neelix orders the computer: "Shuttlebay."

Kes is in a fine temper of worry and concern by the time she reports to Sickbay for her afternoon shift. standard doors Doctor: "Good afternoon. When you have a chance, could you run an analysis of the cytokinetic results for-" Kes puts the PADD down, with more force than necessary, almost snapping: "I did it during lunch." Doctor: "Are you alright?" Kes: "I'm fine."

She goes into his office and activates the personal computer. Concerned at her mood, the Doctor stands in the doorway. Doctor: "Are you sure? You seem a little-" Kes interrupts: "I'm fine." Doctor: "You know, if you skip lunch, the result might be a lower blood sugar level, which could-." She turns on him with a quelling look. He stops. "I'm sorry. It's in my program - I see something wrong, I must attempt to diagnose it." Kes: "There are some things you can't cure." She wants to talk about it and tells him: "Neelix and Tom Paris had a physical ," she pauses, seeking the right words, "fight over me." Doctor: "How delightful." He heads back to his work.

Kes follows him, surprised. "Delightful?!"

Doctor: "You should consider it a high compliment. Throughout history, men have fought over the love of a woman. Why, I can quote you autopsy reports from duels as far back as 1538." Kes: "That's not funny." Doctor: "It's not meant to be. You've always been interested in autopsies." Kes: "Are all Talaxians so jealous?" Doctor: "I wouldn't know. I've only met one."

Kes: "I love Neelix. Why can't he just accept that? His suspicions about Tom are completely unjustified." Doctor: "Are they? Lieutenant Paris' affection for you is obvious." Kes: "What do you mean?" Doctor: "I mean: he desires you." Kes: "That's not true. Tom and I enjoy each other's company. We're friends." Doctor: "Whenever you walk into the room, his respiration increases, his pupils dilate and the coloration of his ears turns decidedly orange. Until I noticed the pattern, I thought he was suffering from Tanzian flu. It's there for anyone to see, maybe not in the same diagnostic detail as I see it, yet-" Kes: "Are you saying that I didn't want to see it?" He stands up and speaks as gently as possible. "You're only two years old. There may be a few things you don't know to look for in a man. In time, you'll understand." Kes: "On my homeworld it's so much simpler. You choose a mate for life. There's no distrust, no jealousy, no envy, no betrayal." Doctor: "Hmm. Your world must have very dry literature." Kes: "I don't know how to handle something like this. What am I going to do?" Doctor: "You've done nothing to precipitate this state of affairs. You may not be able to do much to resolve it either. There are some things you can't cure."

Neelix and Paris are in a shuttlecraft heading for the surface of "Planet Hell".

Paris: "Entry sequence at two minutes. Mark. All systems normal. Trigemic density at .041 and rising." Neelix, through gritted teeth: "We lost communication with Voyager thirty seconds ago. You don't have to impress me with your technobabble."

Paris, like Neelix, is aware of the hostile tension between them. "I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm entering it into the flight record. Look, can I make a suggestion?"

Neelix: "You're the commander of this mission. You can make any suggestion you want, and if you make it an order, I'll even have to obey it." Paris: "My suggestion is that we put our personal problems aside until this mission is over, OK?" Neelix: "I left my personal problems back on the ship. I can't speak for you." Paris: "Fine. Let's get the job done." Neelix: "You get us down in one piece, and I'll take it from there."

Paris: "Entry sequence at 3 minutes. Mark. All systems, stand by. Have you been briefed on shuttle operations?"
Neelix: "Ensign Baytart took me through the basics. Of course, I, I didn't have the benefit of your personal tutelage."
Paris: "Check your console. I'm reading a power output decline of 15%."
Neelix: "Confirmed." Suddenly the ship rocks. "Oh!"
Computer: "Warning. Vectored exhaust controls malfunctioning."
Neelix: "What does that mean?"
Paris: "We're getting some kind of reaction in our driver coil assembly from the EM anomalies in the atmosphere. I'm going to abort the mission. Hold on!" They are hurled around as the shuttle shakes violently. They have to shout to be heard. "We've lost our impulse drive! Shut off the deuterium flow! I'm dumping excess fuel!"
Neelix: "Deuterium flow sealed!"
Paris: "Setting DCA pulse over to neutral. Engaging thrusters!"
Neelix: "Can you regain control?"
Paris: "I'm trying, Neelix! Prepare for an emergency landing! Send out an EMS pulse. There's still a chance Voyager will pick it up."

animated image

Voyager's bridge. Tuvok: "Captain, we're picking up a locator signal from the shuttle."

Janeway: "Can you track it?" Tuvok: "Their last velocity vector indicates a steep descent. We've lost contact."

Chakotay, who is at the helm, via comms: "Bridge to Torres." Torres, via comms: "Torres here." Chakotay, via comms: "B'Elanna, our shuttle's in trouble. Any progress on modifying the transporter?"

Torres, who is in the transporter room, looks round at Crewman Nozawa who is working on the controls. He shakes his head. She replies, via comms: "Negative. It's an extremely complex interference pattern, and it keeps changing."

Janeway, via comms: "Bring in as much help as you need. This is now a search and rescue operation." Torres, via comms: "Acknowledged. Torres out."

Janeway to Chakotay: "Keep me informed. I'll be in my Ready Room." He nods.

The shuttlecraft has crashlanded and is a wreck.

Neelix groans and complains: "I said 'in one piece'." Paris: "Sorry. I did the best I could. Any broken bones?" Neelix: "Everything seems to be working. I'm itching." Paris: "I feel it too."

Paris clambers out of the cockpit area and checks what computer readings are still available. "We've got atmospheric leakage in the hull. The trigemic vapours really sting."

He digs out an aerosol spray. He sprays himself and then hands it to Neelix. "Here. Doc said this would help a little."

Neelix uses the spray. "If we've got atmospheric leakage, how can we fly out of here?" Paris: "We can't. We'll have to wait for Voyager to find us." Neelix: "We're not even sure they're looking for us yet. We don't know if the EMS pulse got through." Paris: "B'Elanna's working on the transporter, and one of those atmospheric windows might open up. In the meantime, we're going to have to look for some kind of cover." Neelix: "I say we stay right here."

Paris: "The trigemic vapours are going-" Neelix: "You're the one who wants to go out into those vapours! Staying here is our best chance of being found. You heard what they said - those windows may only be open for a matter of minutes." Paris: "And we may be waiting here for days! Exposure to these vapours is too dangerous. We're leaving. Grab your gear." Neelix: "Is that an order or a suggestion?" Paris: "An order!" Neelix: "Yes, sir!"

They venture out onto the planet surface. Besides survival gear inside backpacks, they are equipped with wrist-beacons, phasers and tricorders. They scan the area with their tricorders as they go.

Neelix: "I hope you're satisfied. We were a lot more comfortable inside the shuttle. I have red welts all over my hands now." Paris: "You know, it might be more constructive if you could find us something safe to eat!"

Neelix: "I certainly don't know why the ship's sensors indicated this planet might be rich in food supplies. It sure doesn't look it." Paris: "Our emergency rations won't last forever." Neelix: "I'll find something for us. Of course, it might not meet your personal culinary standards." Paris laughs scornfully. "Oh, don't worry. I've learned to lower my standards since you became cook." Paris, from his tricorder read-out: "I'm picking up some caves about a kilometre west of here." Neelix, sarcastically: "What good fortune." They head for the caves.