INNOCENCE
Episode 38
Part B

 

The Drayan party is brought into Voyager's engine room.

Janeway: "Our warp core is designed to operate for up to three years before refuelling." Chakotay: "The reaction chamber is equipped with a compositor which allows us to re-crystallise the dilithium. In our situation, we can never be sure when we'll be able to find a new supply." Janeway: "I'm sorry my chief engineer isn't here to meet you. She's leading one of the away teams surveying the moons around Drayan." Alicia: "I find it interesting that you chose this to show me first. Do your people consider advanced technology to be their highest achievement?" Janeway: "Not as an end in itself. The purpose of all this is to help us gain knowledge about the universe and the people in it."

Alicia: "Our ancestors were brilliant scientists and engineers. They were continually developing better, smarter, more efficient machines, until the technology became more important than the people. I believe our society would have self- destructed if it weren't for the Reformation. My great-grandfather helped to return us to ourselves, and since that time we've remained isolated to avoid the influence of those who might lead us back down the wrong path." Chakotay: "Some human cultures have done the same." In the background one of the crewmembers is talking about "power down" a system or piece of equipment.

On the Drayan moon, Tuvok secures Bennet's body in the shuttlecraft. Tressa: "Will your friend be alright in there?" Tuvok: "Yes, I have secured his body within a stasis field. You are all very fortunate to have escaped the crash with only a few bruises." Tressa: "The Attendants protected us." Tuvok: "Attendants?" Tressa: "The people on our ship. They got us to the escape pod before they crashed."

They watch him as he opens his tool kit. Corin: "Can we go now? I want to go!" Elani: "Are we going to fly in your ship?" Corin to Elani: "He said it was a shuttle, not a ship." Tuvok: "We cannot leave yet. My shuttle is in need of repairs." Tressa: "Can't you fix it?" Tuvok: "I believe so. However, I am more concerned with getting through the electrodynamic turbulence in the ionosphere." Corin: "What's 'electro-turbulence'?" Tuvok: "A thermal inversion gradient is causing unusually strong and unpredictable currents in the upper levels of the atmosphere. Those currents caused my shuttle to crash, and I assume yours as well. I must find a way to safely navigate through the turbulence before we can attempt to leave." Tressa: "Will that take a long time?" Tuvok: "It may. You must be patient." Elani: "I don't want to stay here any more. I don't like it here." Tuvok: "Your displeasure doesn't change our situation, nor does it bring us any closer to a solution." Tressa: "You don't have to be so mean about it." Tuvok: "It isn't my intention to be mean. I only wish to provide you with a realistic assessment. Vulcan parents never shield their children from the truth. Doing so would only hinder their ability to cope with inevitable difficulties." Corin: "I'm hungry." Tuvok: "There is a supply of Starfleet rations in the shuttle." Corin: "What's 'rations'?" Tuvok: "Concentrated vitamin-enriched nutritional supplements." Corin: "I want takka-berries." Elani: "With cherel sauce." Tuvok: "We have only rations. Now, I must begin working on my shuttle. By my estimate, we have fewer than four hours of daylight remaining."

Elani is scared. "We can't be here at night!" Corin explains: "That's when the Morrok comes." Tuvok: "Is that some species of animal?" Tressa: "The Morrok is what takes you when you die."

Corin: "It lives here, in the cave."

Tuvok scans in that direction. "I'm not detecting any lifeforms other than ourselves."

Tressa: "It's here. It'll come." Tuvok: "Have any of you ever seen this creature?"

Elani: "You can only see it when it comes for you. Then it's too late." excerpts Tuvok: "I believe your anxiety about our situation is causing you to imagine the presence-"

Corin: "It took the others: Jarren and Fayla, the other children on the ship!"

Tressa: "The Morrok took them while we were sleeping, and tonight it will take us."

Janeway brings the Drayans into Sickbay via the medical lab entrance. Kes and the Doctor are present. Janeway informs the Drayans: "The Federation consists of over 150 different worlds who have agreed to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful co-operation." Doctor: "Ah, visitors! Welcome to Sickbay. I'm the Chief Medical Officer." Janeway: "This is First Prelate Alcia of Drayan II."

Doctor: "It's an honour to meet you. We don't often receive such distinguished guests here, unless there's been some sort of accident."

Janeway glares at him and he realises his diplomatic faux pas.

He tries to recover the situation, saying hastily: "I, I'm sure nothing unfortunate will happen to you on your visit here, but if it did you can rest assured you will find yourself in very capable hands. We are fully equipped to provide a wide variety of treatments here, from removing a splinter to re-sequencing the base pairs in a strand of DNA. And our research facilities are the most advanced in Starfleet."

Alcia: "Very impressive." Janeway: "You may be even more interested to learn that this man isn't really a biological lifeform. He's a computer generated holographic projection."

Alcia sees him differently now. "My people believe that physical matter is only an illusion. The body is not the true self, only a representation." Janeway: "One of our greatest philosophers, Plato, wrote that what we see around us are only poor shadows of ideal objects which exist on a higher plane." Alcia: "That is similar to our teachings. Our connection to what you call a 'higher plane' is more important than our attachment to this brief existence, however real it may seem." Kim, via comms: "Bridge to Captain. There's an incoming message for the First Prelate." Doctor: "Perhaps you'd like to use my office?" Alcia: "Er, yes. Thank you, Doctor-?" She asks for his name. Doctor: "I'm afraid it's just 'Doctor'." Janeway taps her combadge. combadge Via comms: "Patch it through on a secure channel to the Doctor's office, Mr Kim." Kim, via comms: "Acknowledged." Alcia goes into his office to take the call.

Kes to the Doctor: "You did very well. I think she was impressed." The Doctor explains to the others: "Kes has been coaching me on my diplomatic skills." Chakotay: "It shows." Janeway: "Our next step will be to open negotiations, find out what they might be interested in getting from us in exchange for the polyferranide."

Alcia re-appears. "I've been called away on an emergency." Janeway: "Is there anything we can do to help?" Alcia: "No, thank you. It would be better if you and your crew continued on your journey. It's been an interesting visit." Janeway: "We'd been hoping to learn more about you." Alcia: "It's been our custom for generations to avoid close contact with outsiders. I choose to honour that tradition. Goodbye, Captain. I hope you find your way home." The Drayan party leaves.

Aware of the Drayans' unexpected coolness, the Doctor queries: "Was it something I said?"

Chakotay: "We could assure her we have no intention of interfering with their culture or traditions." Janeway is disappointed, but firm: "No. She made her wishes clear. If we're not welcome, we'll go. Recall the scouting parties. We'll have to find our polyferranide somewhere else."