SACRED GROUND
Episode 49
Part E

 

Voyager's Sickbay. Doctor: "You could use a good night's sleep and a solid meal, but otherwise you're in good shape." Janeway: "When can you begin treating Kes?"

Doctor: "Right away. The Ritual may have been arduous for you, Captain, but it was certainly worthwhile. As I suspected, the toxin was the key. That's what produces the natural immunity the Nechani monks acquire before they enter the biogenic field." Chakotay: "How does that translate into a cure for Kes?" Doctor: "I've created a physiometric program to analyse the immune mechanism, and develop a treatment regimen." Janeway: "Then let's get started." Chakotay: "Captain, if you'll excuse me, I'm probably more useful on the Bridge right now." He leaves.

The Doctor activates the 'clamshell' over Kes. The 'clamshell' incorporates numerous diagnostic instruments and medical treatment tools. He places a monitor on her forehead.

Doctor: "I'll carry out the treatment in stages to reduce the physical stress from the metabolic changes."

Audio alerts sound. Neelix: "What's that? Is something wrong?" Doctor: "I don't believe so. Hmm, her electrolyte balance is deviating, but that's not entirely unexpected." Neelix: "It isn't."

Doctor: "Hmm." Neelix: "What does that mean, 'hmm'? What?"

Doctor: "Mr Neelix, if you keep on pestering me with questions I won't be able to concentrate on what I'm doing." An urgent audio alert sounds. Neelix: "Something is wrong!"

Janeway: "What is it, Doctor?" Doctor: "Her cardiac functions are being disrupted. I don't understand it." He fetches a hypospray.

"Lectrazine should counteract the disruptions." He injects Kes. hypospray injection There is no response.

"This is baffling. Her biochemical levels are exactly what they need to be to correct the damage. She should be awake and alert." Neelix: "Then why isn't she?!" Doctor: "I can't explain it. Her vital signs are unstable, I have to discontinue treatment. I don't understand it." Neelix: "Can't we try again?" Doctor: "It's too dangerous." Janeway: "Do you have any other options?" Doctor: "No. I'm sorry, Captain, but it appears that everything you went through was meaningless."

The word "meaningless" triggers a memory in Janeway and she hurries out, leaving the Doctor puzzled.

Janeway returns to the Sanctuary and seeks out the Guide who is sitting in the place where she first found her.

Janeway: "You meant what you said, didn't you? Everything I went through was meaningless." Guide: "Yes." Janeway: "I did everything you asked of me. You led me to believe that would allow me to help Kes."

Guide: "I haven't led you anywhere, Kathryn. You've taken me along wherever you wanted to go. This was your Ritual. You set these challenges for yourself." Janeway: "It's true that I came here with certain expectations. Are you saying that you simply fulfilled my expectations?" Guide: "You'd've settled for nothing else." Janeway: "I'm not ready to give up. If there's still a way to save Kes I want to try." Guide: "You've come back to seek the Spirits." Janeway: "I don't know what I'm seeking." Guide: "Then I believe you are ready to begin."

She leads Janeway back to the Waiting Room. The door opens. The three old people are still there, waiting. Man 1: "Well, look who's come back. So, your little adventure didn't quite work out the way you'd planned it. You put yourself through a lot of trouble and for nothing, didn't you?" Man 2: "Oh don't feel bad. You wouldn't believe some of the things people have done to themselves on their way to seek the Spirits." Janeway: "There is no real Ritual after all." Man 2: "'Real' is such a relative term. Most of the challenges in life are the ones we create for ourselves." Woman: "And you are particularly hard on yourself, aren't you?" Janeway: "I've always been driven to succeed." Man 1: "Stubborn, I'd say. You didn't really consider sitting and waiting with us, did you?" Janeway: "Well I'm here now and I'm asking for your help. I want to understand the purpose of waiting in this room." Woman: "But isn't it enough to sit and be sociable? We're good company." Janeway, realises: "That's what I'm supposed to do - talk to the Ancestral Spirits." The woman laughs: "First we were a test, and now we're the Ancestral Spirits." Janeway: "Are you?" Man 1: "That would be nice and quantifiable for you, wouldn't it? If the Spirits were something you could see and touch and scan with your little devices." Man 2: "If you can explain everything, what's left to believe in?" Janeway: "I know it's an important part of your religion to trust the Spirits without question, but I wasn't brought up that way. It's hard for me to accept." Man 1: "So much for your tolerant open-minded Starfleet ideals." Janeway: "There's a difference between respecting the spiritual beliefs of other cultures and embracing them myself." Man 1: "Fine, don't embrace a thing! It's all the same to us. Go on back to your ship and play with your molecular microscanner." Woman: "You've tried all that already, but it didn't work, did it? Kes didn't get better." Janeway: "No, she didn't." Woman: "Why not?" Janeway: "The Doctor couldn't explain it." Woman: "So it's inexplicable. A miraculous non-recovery." Janeway: "We haven't found the reason yet." Woman: "But of course you will. You'll find all the answers eventually, with enough time and study, and the right sort of tools. That's what you believe, isn't it, as a scientist?" Man 1: "Be honest." Janeway: "Yes, that's what I've always believed." Man 2: "Even when her science fails right before her eyes, she still has full confidence in it. Now there's a leap of faith." Woman: "Unconditional trust. Now that's promising." Janeway: "Alright. If you're saying that science won't help Kes, what will?" Man 1: "You won't like it." Janeway: "I'm willing to do whatever's necessary." Man 1: "Kill her." Janeway is shocked. "She's as good as dead already. Finish the job! Give her another jolt of that er, what do you call it, biogenic field." Woman: That would do it." Janeway: "It would do what, exactly?" Man 1: "There you go again, always looking for a rational explanation. Well, there isn't one. Your orbital scans and medical research have given you the facts, and they tell you the biogenic field is lethal." Woman: "If you believe the facts." Man 2: "Let all of that go, Kathryn. Take Kes back into the Shrine and trust the Spirits to return her soul." Janeway: "The Ritual I went through is meaningless and Kes has done nothing to prepare herself. How could either of us be ready to go through the field?" Man 2: "If you believe you're ready, then you are. There's no more to it than that." Man 1: "But if you go in with any doubt, with any hesitation, then you're both dead. So, what are you going to do, Captain?" Janeway: "You know I won't stand by and watch Kes die if there's anything I can do to save her. I want to believe it's possible. I'm going to try."