Part  C  

Chakotay's flashbacks to his youth are noted in this style.

 

Back in the present....

Neelix, via comms: "Botanical surveyor number one to Commander Chakotay." Chakotay, via comms: "Go ahead, Neelix." Neelix, via comms: "You won't believe what I've found. I think it's-" Suddenly he shrieks. Chakotay, via comms: "Neelix, what the-" Neelix, via comms: "The bird! The bird!"

Chakotay and Torres rush to him.
Neelix: "My eye! Oh!"
When Neelix's protective hand is removed from the injury, they see the hawk had attacked his eye.

Chakotay looks up and sees the hawk. It swoops down on him. He flails his arms to beat it off and it flies away. They turn their attention to the injured Neelix.

Again Chakotay sees the stranger's face.

Chakotay, via comms: "Away team to Voyager." Paris, via comms: "Go ahead, Commander." Chakotay: "Emergency beam out. Get Neelix to Sickbay." Paris, via comms: "Acknowledged." Neelix is beamed up.

Tuvok calls them over: "Commander."
They join him and see a deserted village.

They look round.

In Voyager's Sickbay, the Doctor finishes treating Neelix. Doctor: "You're very lucky this bird didn't snatch your eye right out of the socket. We have no spare Talaxian eyeballs." Neelix: "Is something the matter with him?" Kes: "The Doctor gave himself the Levodian flu to see what it's like." Neelix: "Is he contagious?" Doctor: "It's a holographic simulation, not an actual virus. There's no need for concern. You may sit up." Neelix: "Touchy, isn't he?" Kes: "He isn't feeling well." Doctor: "I don't require any compassion, thank you very much. I have been experiencing these symptoms for nearly 20 hours, and I am in complete command of my faculties." He sneezes. "You may both leave now."

On Voyager's bridge, Janeway, via comms: "Mr Kim believes if we bombard the crust with anti-thoron radiation we can decontaminate it before excavation begins." Chakotay, on the planet surface, via comms: "Then all we need to do is locate these people and get their permission." Janeway, via comms: "Any progress?" Chakotay, via comms: "Everything we've found here suggests the people who live in this village left recently and in a hurry." Janeway, via comms: "Do you believe our arrival frightened them?" Chakotay, via comms: "We can't discount that." Kim, via comms: "You'd think with warp technology, they would have encountered other alien life before now."

Chakotay, via comms: "You'd think with warp technology, they wouldn't be living like this. Captain, have you had any unusual readings that might explain the images of a strange face I've been seeing?" Janeway, via comms: "Images?" Chakotay, via comms: "Very odd. Like the flash of a memory, but it's someone I've never met."

Janeway, via comms: "Nothing unusual has shown up on the ship's sensors." Chakotay, via comms: "Tuvok hasn't detected any telepathic activity either." Janeway, via comms: "If you want to call it a day, Commander-" Chakotay, via comms: "No, I think we'll press on for a while. If there are any other problems, I'll let you know. Chakotay out." Contact ends.

Torres: "The dwellings are constructed with an alloy polymer matrix we've never encountered before, Commander." Chakotay looks at his tricorder: "They're out there. Our tricorders may not tell us so, but they're out there." He places his phaser on the ground. "Lay down your weapons." Tuvok: "Commander?" Chakotay: "Disarm. I want them to see that we don't pose any threat to them." Tuvok: "May I remind the Commander that Starfleet protocol demands that away teams remain armed and ready to defend themselves until contact is made." Chakotay: "I know all about Starfleet protocol, Lieutenant." Tuvok: "As we have not yet established the inhabitants' intentions, it would not be a logical course of action." Chakotay: "The logical course isn't always the right course. Lay down your weapons in plain sight. Those are my orders." Tuvok: "Would you at least permit me to advise the Captain to move the ship into a stronger tactical position?" Chakotay: "Negative. We'll show no force of any kind." Tuvok: "For the record, I must take exception to these orders." Chakotay: "Noted."

Kolopak: "They have reason to be scared. Who can blame them? Their history, our history, is filled with conquerors who brought slavery and disease and death."
He has the expeditions weapons lain on the ground to indicate their peaceful intentions.

Young Chakotay: "Maybe we should just leave them alone."

Antonio and Kolopak converse together in the tribal tongue. Kolopak calls to those with him to spread out and demonstrate that they come in peace. He raises his own hands and calls out to those he believes are watching, hoping to reassure them.

Young Chakotay, startled: "Father."

Young Chakotay sees a native watching them - he has an arrow pointed at them!