BASICS
Episodes 42 and 43

Part N

 

Two Talaxian ships fire on Voyager.

Suder returns to Sickbay, climbs out of the Jefferies tube hatch, clutching the dead Kazon's phaser rifle. But Sickbay is empty. Leaving the hatch door ajar, Suder walks some way into Sickbay. "Doctor?" He goes through the office and looks in the adjoining medical lab then returns to main Sickbay. To the computer: "Activate Emergency Medical Holographic program."
Computer: "Unable to respond. All Starfleet voice access has been cancelled."

The Doctor's personal computer activates and plays a recorded message from the Doctor. "Mr Suder. If you are hearing this," Suder stops, and slowly turns, "you have just unsuccessfully attempted to access," Suder goes back into the office and sees the Doctor's image on the viewscreen, "the Emergency Medical program."

Doctor: "I have programmed this message to play in the event that I have been disabled. This means, of course, that the fate of Voyager now depends solely on you. I can imagine how you must feel at this moment. I want you to know: you have my full confidence. You have already shown great courage and dedication to your crew. I have left an additional message for Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Tuvok noting your heroism, in case I am irretrievable."

Doctor: "You know what you have to do, and when to do it, and I know with our fate in your hands we will prevail. Good luck, Mr Suder."

The message ends.

Suder considers the message, then looks at the phaser rifle, swallows, and then, resolved, heads for the Jefferies tube hatch.

Voyager's bridge. Kazon engineer: "The Talaxians are retreating toward the nebula."

helm controls

Culluh: "We'll teach them the price for attacking the Nistrim." He orders the helmsman: "Lay in a pursuit course."

Paxim, the Talaxian commander, contacts Paris in the Voyager shuttlecraft. Paxim, via comms: "Commander Paxim to Paris." Paris: "Go ahead." Paxim, via comms: "They're following us as planned. We're bringing them to you." Paris: "Acknowledged. Ready and waiting." Contact ends. Aloud to himself: "I just hope you are too, Doc."

Janeway: "This way." Not far from them, there is a deadly 'river' of fast-flowing molton lava.

The Voyager crew are not the only ones on the move. The native tribe they encountered earlier is also on the move, like them also trying to escape the volcano.

Suddenly from a distance away a native woman screams. Another, in the group climbing the rocks, turns and sees her, and shrieks to attract attention.

They all turn and look, including the Voyager crew, and see that the chief's woman is trapped on a rock, surrounded by lava!

The tribesmen are helpless. The women screech with fear, panic and grief.

Chakotay hurries down toward the trapped woman. Carefully he picks a way down through the rocks. Reaching the lava river, he jumps from rock to rock, and reaches her.

He reassures her: "It's OK." He pulls her up and, carrying her over his shoulder, makes his way to safety.

The Voyager crew help him climb up.

The tribe, seeing the rescue, come up to the crewmen. Chakotay returns the woman to the chief.

The chief points to the route leading to safety that his people were following, and speaks. The Voyager crew cannot understand him.

But it is clear he is grateful and is inviting them to join him to reach safety. The two groups - natives and crew - mix naturally, as they head off together. Chakotay's action has brought friendship between them.

Two Talaxian ships "flee" Voyager which pursues them into the nebula where Paris is waiting.

Paris: "Here we go." He flies the shuttlecraft close to Voyager and fires a single phaser blast....

....six times at one place....

.... on the starboard underside of the ship.

On Voyager's bridge, as ship's systems are damaged, Culluh demands: "What's happening?" Kazon engineer, at Ops: "Our phaser power couplings are under attack." Seska: "From where?"

Kazon engineer: "I don't see anyone. I'm not picking up anything on the scanners. Shields are buckling." Culluh: "Take evasive action."