FAVORITE SON
Episode 62
Part C

 

USS Voyager, orbiting the planet Taresia. Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 50732.4. The Taresians have escorted us back to their homeworld so we can continue to investigate their claim that Ensign Kim is a member of their race."

Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, Paris and Kim beam down to Taresia.

As soon as they arrive, a group of Taresians, all of them women except for one man, approach them. Lyris: "Welcome. We're so glad to have you here. This is a day of celebration. Another Taresian has returned."

Several women converge on Kim. Eliann: "Welcome."

Malia: "You're home now, Harry." She kisses him.

Kim, feeling rather overwhelmed: "Er, wait a minute. I still don't understand how this is possible."

Janeway: "We'd like to ask some questions before we start celebrating." Lyris: "Of course."

Kim: "Our Doctor has found some genetic fragments in my DNA which could be part of an alien genetic structure." Lyris: "Yes, those are your Taresian genes. They're becoming active. We'd be happy to provide your Doctor with some DNA samples for comparison."

Kim ponders this, then: "What I want to know is how I could've gotten them." Lyris: "You were conceived here, on this world. While you were still an embryo you were placed in stasis and taken to Earth to be implanted in the womb of an Earth woman."

Janeway and Tuvok exchange glances at this amazing news.

Kim: "My mother." Sternly, concerned for his mother: "What did you do to her?"

Lyris: "She would've been completely unaware of the procedure. After the implantation process, the child begins to incorporate some DNA from the surrogate parent. You developed physically as a human, so she would've thought you were her natural child." Kim: "But you're saying I'm not."

Taymon: "We understand how you feel. Everyone here was born on other worlds. We all found our way back home like you, and discovered we're not quite who we thought we were." Rinna: "Harry, maybe you'd like to sit down." Eliann: "Why don't you go get him something to drink?"

As the younger women fuss over Kim, Lyris is questioned a little distance away by Janeway and Tuvok. Tuvok: "All of your children are born to alien parents?" Lyris: "Yes, and when they return, each child brings an infusion of new genetic material as well as years of first hand experience about another culture."

Janeway: "But Harry wasn't trying to return here. We came to the Delta Quadrant by accident." Lyris: "His DNA was encoded with certain instincts, including the desire to explore space. Your accident may have brought him here faster, but he always would have been driven to find his way back. You are the first to return from such a great distance."

Rinna hands Kim a drink.

Kim strokes her cheek, shocking Paris with the intimate gesture as Kim and Rinna have only just met. Paris: "Harry?" Kim: "That's how Taresians say thank you, isn't it. But how could I know so much about a place I've never been?" Lyris: "It's been coded into your Taresian genes. As you've gotten closer to home and seen familiar sights, your dormant genetic memory has been re-awakened." Rinna: "You'll remember more about us as you spend time here." Eliann: "I know it all seems strange now, but you are one of us, Harry. Can't you feel it?" Kim, surprised: "Yes, I can." Eliann: "Then stay with us a while. Celebrate. Come, have something to eat."

Paris to Taymon: "Is this the standard welcome home reception?" Taymon: "Ah, for males it is. They're very rare. Our population is 90 per cent female." Paris, very interested: "Really?"

Janeway: "I want to thank you again for your help in combatting the Nasari. Do you have any idea why they tried to attack us?" Lyris: "They probably detected a Taresian aboard your ship as we did. For the Nasari, that's reason enough to destroy you." Tuvok: "Are your people at war?" Lyris: "We have no interest in fighting with them, but they seem determined to destroy us. Our defence capabilities prevent them from attacking directly, but they do everything in their power to stop our people from returning home." Tuvok: "I see. That might explain Mr Kim's instinctively hostile reaction to them." Lyris: "It's a defence mechanism we've programmed into all our children."

Janeway: "Are the Nasari likely to attack us again when we leave your space?"
Lyris: "I think eventually they'll tire of waiting for you to come out. In the meantime, I'd advise you to simply stay here for a while."

Kim looks up at the frieze and the pattern on it: "These are words."

Rinna: "Can you read them?" Kim: "Almost." Eliann: "Our written language is very complicated. I can teach it to you if you're interested."

Malia approaches bearing a dish of food. Paris: "Ah, that looks good. What is it?" Malia: "Spiced hatana. I prepared it myself." She does not look at Paris and ignores him. Her focus is Kim.

Malia goes right up to Kim and offers him the dish: "Harry, try some." Kim: "I'd like to find out if I have any relatives here, maybe talk to my biological parents."

Eliann: "I'm afraid none of us get the chance to meet our fathers. They're the ones who take the embryos to other worlds. Your father must have left here a very long time ago to make it all the way to the Alpha Quadrant."

Kim is disappointed.

Tuvok: "Ensign, we're transporting back to the ship." Kim: "I'd like to stay for a while. I still have a lot of questions."

Janeway: "Of course, Harry. Contact us when you're ready."

Paris: "We'll see you later." The away team depart, leaving Kim.....

....to the eager attention of the Taresian women.

In Voyager's Sickbay, the Doctor displays a DNA analysis on the wall-monitor in his office to Janeway and Tuvok. Doctor: "It's a positive match. These genetic fragments within Ensign Kim's DNA are clearly Taresian." Janeway: "Why haven't they shown up in his medical scans before?" Doctor: "I went back and checked his scans carefully. These fragments have apparently been disguising themselves as the recessive elements which normally exist within all DNA, but over the past few days they've become increasingly dominant over his human genes."

Tuvok: "And they've provided him with new knowledge?" Doctor: "Yes, by forming neural connections in his brain. All humanoid babies are born with certain instinctive knowledge. How to recognise the shape of a face, how to hold their breath underwater. It all comes from their genes." Janeway: "The Taresians must have found a way to manipulate genetic material to implant very specific knowledge into their children."

Doctor: "It's scientifically plausible but quite a feat of genetic engineering." Janeway: "So what the Taresians have been telling us appears to be true. Harry is one of their people." Doctor: "And he's becoming more like them every day, both physically and neurologically."

Janeway: "Wonder how that's going to influence him when Voyager's ready to leave? Of course, when that might happen is another question entirely. Are the Nasari still out there?" Tuvok: "All three ships are holding position just outside the Taresian system." Janeway: "Even if we can wait them out, we may only be postponing another conflict. I'd much rather find a way to convince them we're not their enemies."

Tuvok: "Apparently the Nasari only consider Ensign Kim their enemy. Perhaps they would be more receptive to diplomacy if he were not aboard."
Janeway: "Contact Harry. Let him know we'll be leaving orbit. With any luck, we'll be back in a few hours with this matter resolved."

Taresia. Taymon: "I joined the merchant fleet so I could get into space, because I wanted to explore every quarter of the galaxy."

Kim: "Like me with Starfleet. All my life, that's all I ever wanted to do. Now I guess I know why. Strange to think that some alien DNA fragments have been controlling my life." Taymon: "Not controlling; influencing, yes. You probably inherited some Taresian traits like a talent for math or music."

Malia comes up to Taymon and gives him an injection. Kim: "Yes, I always wondered why I love music so much when my parents, my human parents, were practically tone-deaf. " As Rinna is about to inject him with something: "Wait, wait a minute. What is that?" Rinna: "Something to make you feel good." Taymon: "It's just a mild mood enhancer, no side effects. You'll like it." Kim: "I think I'll pass, thanks."

Taymon, as Malia cuddles up to him: "This is Malia. She's going to be my first wife." Kim: "First?" Taymon: "Uh-huh."

Kim: "You're already planning on a second?" Malia: "And a third. We'll all be joined with Taymon tonight. What do humans call it when a man and women are joined?"

Kim: "It's called 'marriage', but it's usually one woman with one man." Malia: "How unusual. I hope you'll come to our ceremony." Kim: "I wouldn't miss it."

Taymon: "Don't be afraid to indulge yourself, Harry. Everybody here wants you to be happy. You're important to us."
Kim: "That's what my human parents used to say to me, how special I was. They'd been trying to have a baby for years until I came along. They called me their miracle child."
Taymon: "They were right."
Kim: "They spoiled me rotten, making sacrifices so they could give me everything I wanted."
Taymon: "Sounds like you were pretty lucky. They loved you."
Kim: "But I never felt like I deserved that kind of devotion. I didn't see what was so special about me. I used to imagine that I had these hidden powers. I'd grow up to be stronger than a Klingon or able to read people's minds, anything to make me more than just an average kid."
Taymon: "Turns out your parents were right about you. You have been special all of your life. Feels pretty good, doesn't it?"
Kim: "Yeah, it does."

Eliann: "Let me relax your muscles for you." Kim: "That would be great."

Taymon: "I think you're going to learn to like it here, Harry." Kim: "I already like it." Eliann: "Enough to stay?" Kim: "I don't know about that. I'm happy where I am on Voyager." Eliann: "You could be happy here too." Taymon: "It's nothing you have to decide right now. Just enjoy yourself while you're here."

Eliann: "This uniform seems so restrictive. Why don't you let me find you something more comfortable?" Kim: "Thanks. I mean...." He uses the Taresian gesture for thank you, and she kisses his hand.

USS Voyager with Nasari ships, all holding position while the captains parley.

Voyager's Bridge. Alben, on viewscreen: "I agree with you completely, Captain. There's no reason for further hostility between us." Janeway: "I'm glad to hear it, and I hope you'll still feel that way when Ensign Kim is back on board." Alben, on viewscreen: "I doubt we'll face that problem. Your crewmember won't be returning to you." Janeway: "What do you mean?" Alben, on viewscreen: "No one who comes home to Taresia ever leaves again. There are rumours about those people."

Janeway: "I'm not interested in hearsay. Are there any facts you can give me?" Alben, on viewscreen: "I fire on any Taresian I see. If you take your crewmember back on board, I will attack your ship. My best advice to you is to forget him and be on your way." He closes contact. Chakotay: "Do you think there's any truth to those rumours he mentioned?" Janeway: "I don't know, but I'll feel better when we've got Harry back. Set a course back to the planet."