THE SWARM
Episode 46
Part F

 

Bridge. Paris: "Captain, the Swarm is gaining on us."

Tuvok: "They will be in weapons range within five minutes."

Janeway: "Battle stations."

The Swarm pursues Voyager.

A few minutes later Tuvok reports: "The ships are now within range but I do not detect any indication that they are powering weapons." Janeway: "Do you have any idea what kind of weapon systems they use?" Tuvok: "Negative. Sensors show no weapons signature at all." Paris: "They're only 100,000 kilometres away now." Janeway: "Arm all phaser banks." Tuvok: "Aye, Captain."

Kes enters the Bridge from the turbolift. standard doors Kes: "Captain." Janeway: "Kes, what is it?" Kes: "The Doctor's getting worse. He's starting to dematerialise. I'm afraid we're going to lose him completely. I know B'Elanna is busy, but I wondered if Harry could take a look at him." Janeway: "I'm sorry, Kes, but we're in the middle of something here. I need every hand at their posts."

Kim: "Captain, they're only 40,000 kilometres away. Still no weapons signature." Janeway's attention is focussed on the danger facing the entire crew. Kes quietly leaves. Paris: "Changing to evasive pattern gamma-four."

Kes re-enters the turbolift and orders the computer: "Sickbay." The turbolift starts its journey.

She taps her combadge. combadge "Kes to Sickbay. How's the Doctor?" Security guard, via comms: "No improvement. He's still losing cohesion." Kes closes her eyes at the depressing news.

But then she decides to go somewhere else instead. "Computer, deck 6."

Arriving at Deck 6, she heads from the turbolift to Holodeck 2, passing Crewman Nozawa on the way.

Kes presses buttons on the Holodeck interface. "Computer, initiate the Jupiter Station diagnostic program." Computer: "Jupiter Station program is activated." Kes enters. holodeck doors

Holo-Zimmerman notices Kes' arrival and is annoyed at being interrupted. "You again. Now what?" Kes: "The Doctor's program has almost completely degraded. We're going to lose him." Holo-Zimmerman: "I don't know what you expect me to do about it." Kes, sharply: "I expect you to help us which is what you're programmed to do, isn't it?" Holo-Zimmerman: "As I have pointed out over and over: I am a diagnostic tool, not an engineer." Kes: "You have to try, you're the only one who can help me." Holo-Zimmerman: "Young woman, you don't seem to understand. There are limitations to my programming. I can't just decide to exceed them." Kes: "The Doctor did, so why can't you? You'd better start trying because I'm not leaving here until we accomplish something." Holo-Zimmerman: "It, he means a great deal to you, doesn't he?" Kes, firmly: "Yes he does, so you'd better start thinking, about his memory circuits, his holoprocessors, his databases, matrix-" She suddenly gets an idea." Holo-Zimmerman: "Why are you looking at me like that?" Kes: "You told me you had the same matrix as the Doctor." Holo-Zimmerman: "An adaptive heuristic matrix, yes. In order to serve as a diagnostic for all the EMH programs." Kes: "Then couldn't your matrix be substituted for his?" Holo-Zimmerman: "I- I wouldn't have thought of that." Kes: "Can it?" Holo-Zimmerman: "I'm not sure. But even if it were possible, the same degradation would eventually occur to my matrix." Kes: "What if yours were grafted onto his?" Holo-Zimmerman: "Grafted?" Kes: "In medicine we sometimes graft portions of a healthy bone onto a diseased one. It gives the bone solidity until it heals. Can you do something like that with your matrices?" Holo-Zimmerman: "Well, it would require a synchronous transfer of all the EMH databases and subroutines, not an easy process, mind you, but I suppose we could try." Kes: "Good. Let's get started." Holo-Zimmerman: "I must point out that you would not longer have a diagnostic program for the EMH." Kes: "If we don't do this we won't have an EMH to diagnose." Holo-Zimmerman: "Good point. You will have to return to Sickbay and transfer my program there." Kes: "Thank you, Dr Zimmerman."

She heads for the door, but turns as the hologram speaks again. Holo-Zimmerman: "Don't be premature. I have no idea if this is going to work." Kes leaves the room standard doors and the Holodeck for Sickbay.

Voyager flees the Swarm.

On Voyager's bridge, Kim reports some alarming news: "Captain, our shield strength just went to zero." Chakotay checks his computer monitor and turns to look enquiringly at Kim. "How could that happen?" Kim: "Each one of those ships is emitting an interferometric pulse. They're modulating in opposition to our shield frequencies, completely cancelling them out."

Janeway: "Alright, that's enough. Tuvok, give them a phaser sweep with the forward array. Don't destroy any of them. Just let them know we're not going to sit here like ducks." Tuvok: "Aye, Captain." Voyager fires phasers.

But the Swarm, instead of being harmed, generate a feedback which impacts Voyager. Janeway: "What was that?" Kim: "The interferometric pulses they're emitting - they've reflected the energy of the phasers right back to us."

Chakotay surmises: "Anything we fire is going to affect us instead of them. What about a photon torpedo?" Tuvok: "Since our shield strength is non-existent, I would not recommend it." Paris: "They're only 7,000 kilometres away and still coming."

Janeway: "Harry, start analysing those interferometric pulses. See if there's any pattern, any code to them. We might be able to find a weakness." Kim: "I'm on it."

In Sickbay holo-Zimmerman is programming Voyager's computer. By the door stands a female security officer who is there to prevent the Doctor leaving Sickbay since his holoprojectors do not work in the corridors. As he works, holo-Zimmerman comments: "I'm increasingly dubious as to the outcome of this effort. The EMH pathways are seriously degraded. They might not accept a matrix overlay."

Kes: "We have to try." The Doctor fritzes again. "Please hurry." Holo-Zimmerman: "I assure you: I am working as quickly as I can. If I don't prepare the multitronic paths properly there's no chance of success."

Kes: "It's going to work, Doctor, I'm sure of it." The Doctor, who is sitting like a child on a biobed, is puzzled, not understanding anything of what is going on: "What is?"

Holo-Zimmerman sighs. "Very well. We're as ready as we'll ever be. I've programmed the computer to install my heuristic matrix onto the EMH primary circuitry. We'll both have to be taken offline for the overlay to be made. After the re-initialisation occurs, you should activate the Emergency Medical Hologram." Kes: "I understand." Holo-Zimmerman: "You realise there will be no second chance. After this I will no longer exist. Well, it's been a brief existence but apparently a noble one." To the computer: "Computer, initiate program Zimmerman Alpha-One."

The computer does so. Both the Doctor and holo-Zimmerman go offline." Computer: "Matrix overlay program is active. Please stand by." All Kes can do now is wait.