USS Voyager cruising at impulse power.

The Doctor is using a medical tricorder to scan the patient. He taps the tricorder when he finds no reading, thinking it to be faulty.

Chakotay, who is by the main biobed, beside the alien woman, looks up as Janeway enters and joins him. Both are curious about their mysterious patient. Janeway: "How is she?" Doctor: "I'm not certain. When I scan her the readings won't stay in the database. Luckily I'm a master of visual diagnosis. She has a minor concussion and a compound tibula fracture. Nothing life-threatening. I can repair the damage." Janeway to Chakotay: "Did you find out how she knows you?" Chakotay replies: "Not yet."

The woman, whose name we later learn is Kellin, murmurs words while on the edge of unconsciousnes: "No, I can't." Doctor: "She's coming around. Don't be frightened. You're quite safe here."

Views from Kellin's point of view.

Kellin: "Captain? Please, I need asylum. You must let me stay on your ship and we've got to get away from here. They'll be coming after me." Janeway: "Slow down a minute. I have a few questions first. Who are you? And how do you know my First Officer?" Kellin: "It's a complicated story. I'm not, not sure quite how to begin. But if you don't give me asylum they're going to track me down and they're going to take me back, and I don't want to go." Janeway: "We won't turn you over to anyone without knowing the whole story." Kellin: "Thank you."

Janeway takes Chakotay to one side. "Chakotay, I want you to stay with her. She seems to trust you. Maybe you'll be able to find out what this is all about." Chakotay: "I hope so." Janeway: "Keep me informed." He acknowledges, and she leaves Sickbay.

Doctor: "Once I've repaired the fracture, she'll need some bed rest." Kellin: "Will you stay with me?"

Chakotay: "Of course." Kellin to the Doctor: "Then I'll be fine."

The Doctor operates. "There, that should do it." To Chakotay: "I'd ask you to monitor her vital signs but since they aren't registering I suppose there's no point." The Doctor becomes aware that the two want to be alone together. "Oh. I have several days' worth of inoculation records to catalogue. I suppose I'll get to it." He leaves them.

Kellin, referring to the Doctor: "Is he gone?" Chakotay: "Yes." Kellin: "Then we're alone." Chakotay: "In a manner of speaking. Can you start clearing up a few things now?" Kellin: "I'll try. It's complicated. You see, we've met before." Chakotay: "If that were true, I'm sure I'd remember." Kellin: "No, you wouldn't. You couldn't. You see the memories of my people can't be held in the minds of other races. When we encounter others, which we do infrequently, they remember us for a few hours, but then the memories fade away. We're completely forgotten by the next day." Chakotay: "Is this done through technology, telepathy?" Kellin: "It's a factor of our biology. You see our bodies produce a sort of pheremone which blocks the long-term memory engrams of others." Chakotay: "Is that why the tricorder can't scan you, why we couldn't get a transporter lock?" Kellin: "We're impervious to those sort of devices." Chakotay: "Your ships are cloaked as well." Kellin: "When you live a covert existence you develop technology to enhance it." Chakotay: "But you say we've met before?" Kellin: "About a month ago. I spent several weeks here." Chakotay: "Several weeks?" Kellin: "You and I worked closely together. You helped me a great deal. Then I left, knowing that you would forget everything about me." Chakotay: "Then why did you come back, why the battle, why ask us for asylum?" Kellin: "I know you want everything in a nutshell. That's the way you work. But I have to tell you the whole story before it will make sense." Chakotay: "Fine. I'm listening." Kellin: "I came back because I fell in love with you." Chakotay is astonished.

Chakotay is addressing a staff meeting in Voyager's Briefing Room.

Chakotay: "She comes from Ramura. It's a closed society that won't tolerate anybody trying to leave. Apparently she was disenchanted with that and wanted out. They're trying to bring her back. That's why she's asking for asylum."

Tuvok: "But you say that she claims she was on Voyager before this." Chakotay: "About a month ago. She says she's a tracer, a kind of bounty-hunter who tracks down people who try to leave their world. She found a runaway of hiding on Voyager." Paris: "She was here, but nobody remembers it?" Chakotay: "That's what she says, but I think we have to find a way to verify her story." Paris: "I was looking at her ship. It uses a sophisticated polarisation technique that causes our sensor scans to pass right through it. She could've been shadowing us quite a while." Kim: "And learned enough about us to convince us she's been here before." Janeway: "Why? Why go to that trouble? And what about the battle with that other cloaked ship? She put herself in danger, when it would've been a lot easier simply to ask us for asylum."

Chakotay: "I agree, but I think we have to make sure she doesn't have some hidden agenda. If she was here there should be some evidence of it. She said a computer virus was planted to wipe all references to her being here, but I have to believe we can at least turn up some evidence of tampering, Harry. Tuvok, Tom, do the same with her ship. See if the navigational logs support what she's saying."

Janeway: "Gentlemen." Kim, Tuvok and Paris leave. She approaches Chakotay. "I agree we should take precautions but you seem very suspicious of her." Chakotay: "I want to make sure we're not being manipulated." Janeway: "I agree. If we grant her asylum, we'll be in the position of having to protect her. If we commit to that we should certainly find out if she's telling the truth. I'd appreciate your thoughts on that." Chakotay: "Aye, Captain."

In the Astrometrics Lab, Seven is working at the computer console. Seven: "I have successfully downloaded the navigational logs from your vessel."

Kellin: "Good. Now compare them with your own logs of the last months." Tuvok: "Display Voyager's route towards the Alpha Quadrant." Seven does so. Kellin: "Now overlay my route." Seven does so. Kellin: "There, you see? Our ships travelled together for at least two weeks."

Seven: "You could have falsified your navigational logs." Tuvok: "There is no proof that you ever came aboard Voyager." Kellin: "That's what I always liked about you two: such unyielding logic. It's a refreshing scepticism. Run a diagnostic on my logs. You'll find they haven't been altered."

Chakotay enters. standard doors He comes and stands close beside Kellin and turns to address Tuvok. "How's it going?"

Tuvok: "Her story seems to be legitimate, but there are further steps to take." Chakotay: "Take them." Tuvok acknowledges.

Chakotay turns to Kellin: "Thought you might like to get something to eat, unless your memories of our Messhall aren't good." Kellin smiles. "As a matter of fact, I was quite fond of Neelix's food." Chakotay leans towards her and jokes: "Now that's something that's hard to believe." They leave together.

Seven: "Commander Chakotay's face became flushed as he spoke with her. What does that signify?" Tuvok: "I'd rather not engage in speculation. It is a dangerous pastime."