DISPLACED
Episode 66
Part D

 

Bridge. Rislan: "I've located the last human. He's on the fifth deck." Dammar: "Send a patrol to stop him." Rislan: "I already have."

Chakotay arrives in Sickbay via the Jefferies tubes.

Chakotay: "Activate Emergency Medical Holographic program." The Doctor comes online in his office. "Please state the nature-" He cannot see who summoned him. "Hello?" Chakotay: "Doctor, over here." The Doctor comes up to him. Chakotay is busily operating controls at the main computer console. "Commander, what's happening?" Chakotay: "Your program's going to be deleted unless I can download you into the mobile emitter before I disappear, which should be any second now."

Nyrians start forcing the doors open. The Doctor arms himself with a hypospray filled with a sedative. He sedates one Nyrian. hypospray injection

Chakotay is ready. "Got it!"

The Doctor stands to attention and Chakotay downloads his program into the emitter, and the Doctor accordingly dematerialises.

As Nyrians burst into Sickbay, Chakotay palms the mobile emitter, and lays down his phaser. "Alright, I know when to quit."

He dematerialises. translocator The Nyrians have captured USS Voyager.

In the Nyrian prison compound, Torres is working on the Doctor's mobile emitter.

Doctor: "I've never been completely cut off from the ship before. What if the emitter's power supply runs out?" Torres: "Let's hope we're not stuck here long enough to find out."

Tuvok's scouting party returns. Janeway: "Tuvok, what did you learn?" Tuvok: "There are ten compounds like this one, spread over approximately four square kilometres. They are surrounded on all sides by wilderness."

Janeway hushes discussion as three Nyrians transport into the compound nearby - two armed guards and Taleen, a senior officer. Taleen: "Could I have your attention. Now that you've all arrived here safely, I'd like to welcome you to your new home."

Janeway challenges her: "I'm not particularly interested in being welcomed. Why have you brought us here?" Taleen: "Your vessel will be used to defend Nyrian acquisitions." Chakotay: "Is this the way you operate, gradually changing places with the crew of a ship?"

Taleen: "Ships, colonies, space stations. We've found it's much more effective than warfare. We aren't a cruel people. We've tried to make this experience as painless as possible and, as you can see, we've gone to great lengths to create an environment in which you will be comfortable." Janeway: "Nonetheless, we are being held here against our will." Taleen: "Well, I'm afraid that's unavoidable. But I think you'll be happy here. The food dispensers have been programmed with selections from your own computer files. We have even downloaded literature and entertainment from your cultural database."

Chakotay: "What happens if we try to leave this little paradise?" Taleen: "I think you'll find there's nowhere to go." Janeway: "We don't accept that. We will find a way out of here." Taleen: "Captain, your lack of gratitude is unbecoming. You and your crew could've found yourselves somewhere far less hospitable." Chakotay: "It's still a prison." Taleen: "If you want to be miserable here, that is your choice. Since there's nothing you can do about your situation, I suggest you accept it, gracefully."

She takes up position ready for transport. She signals: "We're ready now." She and the guards disappear. translocator

Janeway: "Tuvok, tell me about this wilderness you've found. How rugged is it? Can we walk out?" Tuvok: "I don't believe so. In every direction I went, I encountered a natural barrier - a sheer cliff, an impassable river. These obstacles completely surround the colony." Chakotay: "A perfectly isolated area. Doesn't that seem a bit convenient?" Janeway: "This place does have an artificial quality. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is holographic, and the wilderness was created to keep us from exploring too far."

Kim: "Captain." He draws their attention to an area which seems to be rippling.

Suddenly an alien humanoid appears, apparently walking from out of the rock.

Alien: "Er, sorry for the intrusion, but I, I wanted to welcome you. I'm, er, Jarleth, your neighbour."

Janeway: "Where did you come from?" Jarleth talks as he looks round at the humans' environment, peering into their fruit bowls and other food receptacles: "My people live in the other environment, through that portal. It's, er, quite different, more desert-like. This place, it's so, er, green. But I'm sure it's suitable for you. The Nyrians undoubtedly had a good look through your databanks."

Tuvok: "Were your people brought here by the Nyrians?" Jarleth: "They took us one by one. Ah, is this what you eat?" Janeway: "They took you from your colony?" Jarleth: "They claimed not to know what was happening, and by the time we got suspicious, there were too many of them. We've been here ever since."

Janeway: "Do you have any idea where 'here' is?" Jarleth tries one of the humans' food items: "No. Mmm, not bad. Erm, would you be interested in trading for some of these?" He indicates the contents in his bags. "Er, the last inhabitants of this environment had no concept of a barter system, but you strike me as a much more, er, sophisticated group."

Janeway: "If there were people here before us, maybe we could get out the same way?" Jarleth: "Oh, I don't think you'd like their method of escape." They expect him to explain. Reluctantly: "Er, they all died from a plague."

Kim: "Captain, there must be some kind of forcefield here, but I can't find it." Jarleth: "Pretty well camouflaged, isn't it? It took me almost nine years to find the portal."

Torres: "How did you get it open?" Jarleth: "Well, I, I have my ways." Janeway hefts a large bowl of food: "I'd consider that information a valuable commodity." Jarleth: "Well, I'd be happy to make a trade, but the portal only leads into our environment. You're welcome to, er, visit, of course."

Janeway picks up another bowl: "There may be other portals. If you can show us how to find them....." Jarleth, agreeing to the trade: "I look forward to our collaboration."

It is evening in the humans' compound of the Nyrian prison colony. The Doctor takes a good look round as she adjusts his program.

Torres: "What do you see now?" Doctor: "Fascinating. Everything is glowing with its own energy. Even the plants are emitting a faint thermal signature. It's really quite lovely." Torres: "Aside from the aesthetic consideration, how's your optical resolution?"

What the Doctor sees.

Paris comes up to them. "The Captain sent me down to get an update." Torres: "Well, we're just about ready. I've reconfigured the Doctor's optical sensors and, as soon as they're aligned he should be able to detect the microwave signature of the portals." Doctor: "Then I can begin my new career as a tricorder." As Torres works, Paris takes the opportunity to discuss unfinished personal business between them. Torres: "About the other day, I might have been a bit," she hesitates as she seeks the right word, "over-sensitive about the Klingon program."

Paris: "Don't worry about it." Torres: "That should just about do it. I think we can start scanning now." The Doctor gets up and starts looking around. Paris: "Good. I'll tell the Captain. Erm, about the program. I didn't mean to push you." Torres: "I know. You didn't, and I didn't mean to, erm, lash out at you like that."

They have made up and are back to being on best terms again, when the Doctor observes: "A typical defensive reaction, using an aggressive outburst as a shield against a perceived emotional threat." Paris, amused: "That says it, alright." Torres: "Oh, that's very funny coming from you." Paris: "And what is that supposed to mean?" Torres: "Well, you're hardly one to talk about being defensive." Paris: "And why is that exactly?" Torres: "Well, you just pretend that nothing bothers you and then you turn everything into a joke." Doctor: "That's a valid observation. Defence mechanisms come in many forms."

Paris to Torres: "That's ridiculous. I am an easy-going person," Torres gives a short sneering laugh, "who is just trying to be friendly to someone who is obviously terrified of having a friend." Torres is about to reply when the Doctor comments: "Fear of intimacy is a common indication of low self-esteem. Perhaps if you stopped to analyse the root cause, you might-" Torres adjusts the controls on his mobile emitter, rendering the Doctor incapable of speaking.

Torres: "If you find it so difficult to be my friend, then why keep trying?"

Paris: "That's a good question. I think I'll stop wasting my time." He stalks off.

Torres lets out a huff of annoyance. The Doctor juts out his arm to her so that she cannot fail to notice his mobile emitter - he expects her to re-enable his vocal subroutines.