In the transporter room, Paris returns from enjoying leave and a shopping spree on the home-world of the Mari, a telepathic species. Neelix is ready to beam down. Paris detects that Neelix is wearing a good deal of cologne - Neelix is again meeting Talli, one of the Mari.

	Janeway and Torres negotiate a purchase from Guill, a merchant in the marketplace. Guill admits he is reading their thoughts to better the deal.
	As the transaction is concluded and Janeway pays Guill, a Mari man named Frane collides heavily with Torres. She is visibly irritated before collecting herself and she forgets the incident.
	Neelix meets Talli. While he tastes and orders some fruit, she reads his mind and tells him she would be delighted to tug on his whiskers, and they agree they will meet later.
	Chief Examiner Nimira and Tuvok stroll through the marketplace exchanging insights on their jobs as security officers. They briefly exchange opinions telepathically before reverting to speech, Tuvok's preferred medium of conversation since he lives and works among humans.

A man called Frane viciously attacks another man in the marketplace.

Neelix comforts Talli who is terrified by the physical violence.

Janeway agrees to Nimira's request that her landing party be formally interviewed by Nimira about the incident.

	The chair in which interviewees sit for questioning by Nimira contains a device which records their thoughts. Janeway is questioned first.
	Neelix is questioned. He cannot conceal from Nimira the personal fact that he wants Talli to tug on his whiskers.

When it is her turn to be questioned, Torres admits that she had briefly thought of hurting Frane when he bumped into her.

The above is one of Torres' thoughts in reliving the moment when Frane bumped into her. The rather odd appearance of this screenshot is the means by which the show conveys this.

Torres and Janeway are shocked when Nimira arrests Torres for causing Frane's violence. The charge is "aggravated violent thought resulting in grave bodily harm." Nimira says that Frane was not responsible for the violence: he merely committed the physical act. She explains that over generations the Mari have found that having no violent thoughts means a peaceful society. Nimira says that by Mari law Torres must undergo an engramatic purge which is a medical procedure designed to identify and remove the offending images from her mind. Frane will undergo a purge too. Janeway protests when she hears there might be a risk of neurological damage. As it will take Nimira's staff a day to set up the equipment to purge Torres, she gives Janeway one day to review the evidence.