Janeway and Chakotay are on the shuttlecraft discussing Talent Night! Janeway: "It's looking more and more like we're in a time loop. The question is: how do we break it?" Chakotay: "Let's retrace our steps, get back to the part of space we were in before all this started happening." Janeway: "Agreed. If we're experiencing a temporal field, a tachyon burst might disperse it." Chakotay: "Let me guess. It's a Vidiian ship." Janeway: "Two Vidiian ships. Still twenty million kilometres away but headed right for us. Chakotay, via comms: "Sacajawea to Voyager. Do you read us?" Tuvok, via comms: "You've just come into com. range, Commander." Chakotay, via comms: "We're being pursued by two Vidiian ships. Set a course for our shuttle and have weapons powered." Janeway, via comms: "We also believe we're experiencing some kind of temporal phenomenon, a time loop. Make certain you scan for anomalies." Tuvok, via comms: "Aye, Captain. We're on our way." Contact ends. Chakotay: "If you're going to emit that tachyon burst, you'd better do it now. In a couple of minutes those ships'll be right on top of us." Janeway: "Here goes. I can't tell if it's affecting anything."

The shuttlecraft Sacajawea.

The shuttlecraft Sacajawea fires a tachyon burst.

Chakotay: "The Vidiians are almost within range. Ready weapons." But suddenly the Vidiian ships disappear!

Chakotay: "What happened?" Janeway: "They just vanished. But I'm picking up a residual temporal signature."

Chakotay: "Those ships must've been part of the time loop." Janeway: "And the tachyon burst disrupted it." Chakotay: "Not a minute too soon. I was getting awfully tired of talking about Talent Night."

Tuvok, via coms.: "Voyager to Sacajawea. We'll rendezvous with you in approximately four minutes." Janeway: "Believe me, Tuvok, we're looking forward to it."

Sacajawea flies toward Voyager's Shuttlebay.

The shuttlecraft heads for Voyager. (pop-up window)

Janeway and Chakotay enter the Bridge. Tuvok: "Good to have you back, Captain." Janeway: "Good to be here. I'd still like to get to the bottom of whatever was happening to us on that shuttle. Did Voyager detect any evidence of a temporal field?" Tuvok: "To my knowledge we did not." Janeway: "Let's run a second level temporal scan. I'd feel better entering this part of space if I knew what caused the phenomenon." Torres: "Phenomenon? I'm not sure what you mean, Captain." Janeway: "The time loop or whatever it was we ran into out there." Paris: "Time loop?" Janeway: "We told you: Chakotay and I experienced some kind of temporal loop. It involved the Vidiians. They'd attack and kill us, and then we'd be sitting in the shuttle again. Tom." Chakotay: "We were on our way to the second planet of the binary system-" Janeway: "To collect some nitrogenase compound but we encountered a storm and we crashed." Chakotay: "And then we were attacked by the Vidiians, but we managed to escape and get back here." Tuvok: "You and the Commander were checked by the Doctor who treated your injuries and you proceeded to the Bridge." Chakotay: "But I don't remember anything about a repeating time loop." Janeway: "You don't remember how we kept ending up back in the shuttle talking about Talent Night? Then I'm the only one who recalls things differently. Something strange is going on here. I'll have the Doctor examine me. In the meantime, I still want those temporal scans." She leaves. Chakotay to the others: "You heard the Captain. Let's get moving."

the Doctor fetches a vial and loads a hypospray

Sickbay. Doctor: "I ran a microcellular scan after you returned to the ship. I have just analysed the results." Janeway: "What did you find?" Doctor: "You have contracted a disease, the Vidiian phage." Janeway: "The phage. What about Chakotay? Is he infected too?" Doctor: "No. Commander Chakotay shows no signs of the disease." Janeway: "How did I get it?" Doctor: "You said one of the Vidiians grabbed you. It may be that the virus was transferred in that way." Janeway: "We've encountered Vidiians like that before and had physical contact with them. No one's ever gotten sick that way." Doctor: "I can't offer an explanation at this point. It may be that the phage virus has mutated to become more infectious. I believe, however, that this explains the hallucinations you described. The resultant concomitant stress to the thalamus in the early stages of the disease - it is known to cause a kind of dementia that causes hallucinations." Janeway: "What's the prognosis?" Doctor: "I wish I could tell you, Captain. For the moment it would be best if you remain in Sickbay, under quarantine." Janeway: "Of course." Doctor: "The fact that the virus has acted so quickly raises the possibility that others on the crew may be infected." Janeway: "But you've studied the phage in great detail. Have you made any progress in finding a cure?" Doctor: "I hadn't pursued the matter since we seemed to have moved beyond Vidiian space. But I'll now redouble my efforts. In the meantime I'd like to give you a sedative. Captain. I'll be running a series of deep level tissue scans." Janeway: "I understand." The Doctor gives her a hypospray injection: "There. That should give you a good night's sleep. I'll erect a bio-forcefield and I promise you, Captain, I won't deactivate myself until I have some answers for you."

Janeway: "Doctor, I know I'm in good hands."

She lies on the primary bio-bed and the Doctor erects the forcefield.

Janeway succumbs to the sedative.