Paris and Kim have been beamed to Sickbay. The Doctor gives them each an emergency hypospray. As Janeway and Chakotay arrive, the Doctor demands: "What happened to them?!" Chakotay: "As soon as we beamed aboard they started suffocating." Doctor: "Computer, erect a level 7 forcefield around bio-beds 1 and 2." Computer: "Forcefield established." The Doctor activates a control. Janeway: "What are you doing?" Doctor: "Filling the area inside the force field with the atmospheric gases from the planet." It works, as Paris and Kim stop choking and gradually recover. The Doctor enters their area through the forcefield. He tells them as he gets out a tricorder and scans them: "Try to breathe normally now. Easy, or you'll hyperventilate - slowly in and out, in and out." Chakotay and Janeway watch helplessly, very worried.

Janeway: "Captain's log, supplemental. The Doctor continues to investigate Tom and Harry, whose condition seems as serious as it is strange." Paris: "That stuff is in our blood?" Doctor: "I'm afraid so. From what I can tell, you've been bioformed." Kim: "Bioformed." Doctor: "Think of it as the opposite of terraforming. In the same way we adapt the environment of a planet to suit our needs, this planet has adapted you." Paris: "How is that possible?" Doctor: "This fluid somehow entered your bloodstream and began altering your physiology at the cellular level. I haven't had the time to analyse this substance but I hope to have some answers soon." Janeway: "I'd like to run a few tests of my own, if you don't mind." Doctor: "Of course." Paris: "So, what's our prognosis, Doc?" Doctor: "Well, you'll be fine, as long as you keep breathing the planet's gases." Kim: "You mean we have to stay inside this forcefield?!" Doctor: "I'm afraid it's worse than that. The atmosphere of this planet can't be replicated safely." Paris: "Which means If we leave we'll have nothing to breathe." Doctor: "Exactly. Either we find a way to treat your condition or you'll have to be left behind." Janeway: "Can the bioforming process be reversed?" Doctor: "As it stands I don't know enough about the phenomenon to undo it." Janeway: "I'll send Chakotay and Seven back to the surface. They'll gather as much information as they can. B'Elanna and I will start running tests on this." Kim: "Let me go with the away team, Captain. I know the terrain. I can help." Janeway: "Doctor?" Doctor: "Right now they're better off out there than they are in here, but one of you will have to remain so I can monitor your condition."

Kim: "No problem. I volunteer Tom to stay here and play guinea pig."

Janeway smiles - it does seem to be like the real Kim.

On the planet surface, Kim is enthusiastic, while Seven is not. Seven: "Each square kilometre of this planetoid is less appealing than the last." Kim: "I think it's breathtaking." Seven queries him. "Breathtaking." Kim: "Yes." Seven: "Perhaps your recent experience has impaired your perceptions." Kim: "No, I don't think so. I wasn't really seeing it before." Chakotay: "Seeing what?" Kim: "The beauty." Seven is sceptical. "Would you care to point out an example?" Kim: "Look over there. What do you see?" Seven: "I see monochromatic geological formations, dust, haze." Chakotay: "What do you see, Harry?" Kim: "To me, those geological formations are a dozen shades of red and gold. That dust, it's glowing, and the haze, it seems to intensify the colours. I'm sorry, I know it's weird, but I feel connected to this place." Chakotay: "Connected how?" Seven checks her tricorder. "I'm picking up humanoid life signs." Chakotay: "Location?" Seven: "One hundred metres this way."

In the Science Lab, Janeway and Torres are examining a sample.

Janeway: "Magnify. Factor ten." She checks the scanner. "Deuterium, hydrogen sulphate, dichromates." Torres jokes: "Add a little sodium chloride and it would probably taste a lot like Neelix's soup." Janeway: "We should be so lucky. Oh, what's this? Magnify. Factor twenty." Torres: "Captain?" Janeway signals with her head that Torres should look at it. Torres does so. "That's a protein molecule."

Janeway: "This fluid has organic properties. Let me see the sample that's been treated with the reagents."

Torres attracts Janeway's attention: "Captain." The silver-coloured substance has moved over her finger, as if it had a life of its own. Janeway is worried. "Let's get you to Sickbay."

Torres: "Wait, that might not be necessary."

She puts her hand down on the slide stand, and the substance moves off her finger. But then it forms itself into a duplicate of the end of her finger!

The silvery-coloured compound moves onto Torres' thumb and then forms itself into a duplicate of the end part of it. (pop-up window)

As the away team search the cavern, Kim is ahead of Chakotay and Seven by a few feet, and he has his tricorder out. Suddenly he sees two bodies in environmental suits lying inert on the floor. "Commander!"

They hurry over to the spot. Kim turns over one of the bodies, to find he is looking at himself! Chakotay and Seven exchange glances.

The ship jolts. In the Science Lab, Janeway, via comms: "Janeway to bridge. Report." Tuvok, who is in the captain's chair in her absence, via comms: "A large pool of the metallic compound is forming beneath the ship. We are sinking, Captain."

Janeway, via comms: "On my way." Urgently to Torres: "Get down to Engineering. Get thrusters online. We're getting off this planet."

In the cavern, after examining the bodies.
Kim: "I'm not sure how, but they're still alive."
Seven: "Just barely."

Tuvok signals Chakotay, via comms: "Tuvok to Chakotay." Chakotay, via comms: "Go ahead." Tuvok, via comms: "The Captain has ordered an emergency ascent. We must bring you back to the ship." Chakotay, via comms: "Understood. I've got five to beam back." Tuvok, via comms: "Five?" Chakotay, via comms: "We found another Paris and Kim. I can't explain it."

Janeway overhears as she enters the Bridge. "I think I can." Tuvok gets up out of the captain's chair and returns to the security/tactical station. Janeway orders: "Prepare for transport."

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