DARKLING
Episode 60
Part D

 

On the Bridge, Kim reports: "Captain, there's an unscheduled transport taking place in Transporter Room 3." Janeway: "Find out what's going on." Kim: "The operator's not responding." Janeway: "Computer, who just left the ship?" Computer: "Kes and the Doctor." Janeway: "Try to hail them." Kim: "No response, and I can't get a fix on their positons. Some kind of scattering field."

Janeway: "Janeway to Chakotay." Chakotay: "Chakotay here, Captain." Janeway: "Kes and the Doctor have left the ship." Tuvok: "Captain, Tuvok here. My tricorder scans of the area where Zahir was assaulted have revealed disturbing evidence - residual holographic signatures, exactly like those of the Doctor." Janeway: "Are you suggesting the Doctor attacked Zahir?" Chakotay: "That's what it looks like, Captain."

Janeway: "Then Kes could be in danger. And Torres. Get someone from Security onto Sickbay - check on B'Elanna. Try and find them, Chakotay." She heads over to the Engineering II station. "I'll see what I can do something about the scattering field."

On the planet surface the Darkling tinkers with the mobile emitter, muttering: "There must be a command sequence, an algorithm, a way to stabilise the program. Where's Nakahn? We had an arrangement. What's wrong with the thing - it won't work!" Kes: "Oh, please stop." Darkling: "Concerned for me or for your Doctor?" Kes: "The mobile emitter contains both your programs. If you damage it, you could both be destroyed." Darkling: "There's not enough room inside for both of us. One must die. I deserve to exist, more than your Doctor does." Kes: "Why?" Darkling: "I was born of the hidden, the suppressed. I am the dark threads from many personalities." Kes: "The historical characters?" Darkling: "None of whom could face the darkness inside, so they denied me, suppressed me, frightened of the truth." Kes: "What truth is that?" Darkling: "That darkness is more fundamental than light. Cruelty before kindness, evil more primary than good, more deserving of existence." Kes: "You're wrong." The Darkling shouts, slamming the table: "NO!!" With effort he controls himself to say quietly: "How so?" Kes: "Empathy and kindness are basic to all forms of life. You have access to the Doctor's medical knowledge. You know what he does." Darkling: "Yes." Kes: "Then you know what I'm saying is true. The very organs and cells of the body co-operate with each other, otherwise they wouldn't function." Darkling: "Continue." Kes: "Families, societies, cultures, wouldn't have evolved without compassion and tolerance. They would have fallen apart without it. Your very own holographic technology would never have evolved without co-operation and understanding between countless individuals. The Doctor deserves to exist as much as you do. We can find a place for both of you." Darkling: "No." Nakahn: "Sorry I'm late." Darkling: "The scout ship?" Nakahn: "It won't even leave the ground." Darkling: "What do you mean?" Nakahn: "Captain Janeway knows where you are. Her ship has cordoned off the entire area to stop you from leaving. I still get paid. I held up my end of the deal I booked your passage. It's not my fault they want her back so badly." Darkling: "I'll kill you!" Nakahn: "If somebody's going to die today, it won't be me!" And he flees into the night. The Darkling fritzes. When his program stabilises, he grabs the phaser with renewed determination. He takes Kes out into the night: "Let's go."

The Doctor takes Kes and tries to escape on foot. The path takes them along a high cliff precipice. It is heavy-going for Kes due to the fast pace set by her captor. Darkling: "Move faster! The docking port is two kilometres away." Kes: "What's the point? You're forgetting about the blockade." Darkling: "Doesn't matter. We'll take a low altitude ship to another continent. Come on." Kes: "I'm tired." She tries to rest at a rock. Darkling: "You're trying to make it easier for your colleagues to find us. You're better off with me." Kes: "Why?" Darkling: "You make wrong decisions. Too naive. You need my guidance." Kes: "Don't you see what you've been trying to do?" Darkling: "No more words. Now!"

Chakotay, Tuvok and Zahir tracking the Darkling and Kes. Sometime later Tuvok reads his tricorder scan: "I'm picking up residual infra-red." Chakotay: "They could've stopped here. Kes could've against this rock." Tuvok: "The signature is consistent." Janeway signals, via comms: "Janeway to Chakotay." Chakotay: "Go ahead, Captain." Janeway: "I've gotten through the Doctor's scattering field, not enough to beam them up yet but I've got a fix on their position. I'm downloading their co-ordinates into Tuvok's tricorder. I'll keep working on the scattering field." Chakotay: "Acknowledged."

Tuvok looks at the co-ordinates downloaded to his tricorder: "We're within 200 metres."

As the Darkling and Kes move along the narrow path above the cliff precipice, a phaser shot from Chakotay brings down rocks in front of them, blocking the path.

The Darkling spins round to see Chakotay, Tuvok and Zahir - he is cornered.

Chakotay: "It's finished. There's nowhere to go now, Doctor." Darkling: "Nowhere, but down." He hauls Kes over to him and holds her close right in front of him, threatening to jump with her over the precipice - it is a very long way down: to jump means certain death. "I'll do it!" Chakotay to Tuvok: "His control over the Doctor's matrix appears to be deteriorating. If we can delay him.... Doctor, listen to me. We can help you, create a new program matrix just for you, on the Holodeck, or in Sickbay, wherever you want to be. Just turn off the scattering field. Let us beam you back to the ship." Darkling: "You're trying to trick me." Kes: "Doctor, Listen. Think of all the things you've said and done. You don't want to kill me. You've been trying to protect me." Darkling: "What are you talking about?" Kes: "When you attacked Zahir-" Darkling: "My first victim. He was in my way." Kes: "Or was it to keep me from leaving with him?" Darkling: "Coincidence, only by chance." Kes: "When I walked in on you in the Holodeck you could've killed me, knocked me unconscious." Darkling: "I needed a hostage." Kes: "You said you were taking me for my own good, to prevent me making the wrong decisions. You said I was naive and needed your help. That's not what you say to a hostage. In your own way you've been trying to protect me." Darkling: "I won't accept that!" Kes: "You've twisted and suppressed all that's good inside you but it's still there." Darkling: "I won't hear this any more!" Kes: "You can't deny it." Darkling: "Watch me!" And he jumps off the precipice, still holding Kes! Chakotay: "Doctor!" Zahir shouts in horror and springs forward. Chakotay and Tuvok restrain him. There is nothing they can do......

But as the two figures fall, a transporter beam takes them - Janeway has successfully managed to shut down the Darkling's scattering beam.

The Doctor and Kes materialise in the transporter room.

Doctor: "Would somebody care to tell me what we're all doing here, and why I'm wearing these ridiculous clothes?"

Kim, via comms: "Kim to Bridge - we got them. And the Doctor appears to be back to normal." Janeway, via comms: "Acknowledged."

The Doctor descends from the transporter, telling the two security guards who are pointing phasers at him: "Put those down before someone gets hurt and I have to clean up the mess."

In Sickbay Torres works at a console on the Doctor's program, while he scans her with a tricorder. Torres finishes her work. "I've deleted all the new subroutines you added. All traces of the aberrant personality are gone." Doctor: "The next time I want to enrich myself I'll download a good book." Torres: "That might be safer." Doctor: "You too have a clean bill of health. Fortunately my alter ego didn't do any permanent harm." Torres: "He certainly knew his way around a hypospray, I'll give him that." Doctor: "Good riddance. Thank you, Lieutenant." Torres: "You're welcome." As she leaves, Kes enters whom she acknowledges: "Kes."

Kes to the Doctor: "I'm ready to get to work on those analyses." Doctor: "I'm glad to hear it. I'm also pleased you've decided to remain on board. I would've had my hands full in Sickbay without you." Kes: "The Captain suggested that I consider all the consequences. If I am going through changes in my life, things that are unpredictable, this is the best place for me." Doctor: "Surrounded by those who know you, and care for you. Well, had you decided otherwise, you would certainly have been missed." Kes leaves for the medical lab to start work on the analyses.

After Kes has left, the Doctor recites to aloud to himself the Hippocratic Oath: "I swear this oath by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius, by Health and by all the gods and godesses: In whatsoever place that I enter I will enter to help the sick and heal the injured, and I will do no harm."