Deck 14, where the crew will go into stasis. Paris is more than a little nervous about going into stasis. Paris: "If I have to take a nap for a month I'd really would rather do it in my own quarters. Doctor: "Everyone's being relocated here to Deck 14 so we can monitor you more easily. Hop in." Kim, after getting into his own stasis unit: "Come on, Tom, sleepy time." Paris: "What if we had to get out in a hurry?" Janeway: "You can unlock the unit from inside, Tom." Doctor: "Do I detect a hint of claustrophobia, Lieutenant?" Paris: "Why do they have to design these things like coffins?" Kim: "Shall we replicate you a teddy bear?"

Paris is in his stasis unit and the unit is sealed. The Doctor says, "Sleep tight." Janeway is the last to go into stasis.
Doctor: "Please have no worries, Captain. You'll close your eyes and the next thing you know I'll be standing over you, telling you we're through the nebula."
Janeway: "I'm leaving the ship in good hands. I have every confidence in both of you. See you in a month." Once she is inside the stasis unit the lid closes.

Doctor to Seven: "It's just the two of us now."

"Personal Log. Seven of Nine. Stardate 51929.3. This is the tenth day of our journey through the Mutara nebula. I have created an efficient daily routine."

	In the large empty Messhall, lights dimmed, Seven drinks her nutritional supplement (order "nutritional supplement 14-beta-7" from the wall replicator).
	Seven enters Engineering which is eerily empty, works some controls at a computer console and then leaves. She briefly enters the Bridge, whose large area is also dimly lit and eerily empty, and orders the computer to adjust the course heading by .347 degrees starboard before leaving.

Seven finds Paris sprawled unconscious on the floor in a doorway. He has climbed out of his stasis unit. She summons the Doctor via her combadge.

On Deck 14 the Doctor and Seven see to putting Paris back in his stasis unit and checking the controls. Doctor: "Apparently he's more claustrophobic than I thought. But he doesn't seem to have suffered any ill-effects." Seven: "Is this likely to happen again?" Doctor: "It's not unheard of for people to come out of stasis and start wandering. Leave it to Mr Paris to be just as much trouble now as when he's awake." Seven: "You knew this might happen. Why complain about it?" Doctor: "If you had even the slightest sense of humour, you'd realise I was making a small joke." Seven: "Very small." Doctor: "Give me his vital signs, please." Seven: "Pulse 42, body temperature 97.6, blood pressure 100 over 50." Doctor: "Good." Seven: "I will continue on my rounds."

Doctor: "I think not. We're paying a visit to the Holodeck."
Seven: "I have no time for frivolous pursuits."
Doctor: "This isn't frivolous. It's essential. You've been getting more irritable and short-tempered with each passing day."
Seven: "So have you."
Doctor: "That's only because I'm having to put up with you. You need a little brush-up course in getting along with people."
Seven: "There is no one here to get along with."
Doctor: "I'm here. This isn't a suggestion and it's not a request - it's an order."

The holosimulation the Doctor chooses is that of Voyager's Messhall where a number of the crew are enjoying drinks together in a relaxed social atmosphere and out of uniform. Neelix observes Seven standing on her own examining a PADD. Neelix: "Join the party, Seven. It's no fun to stand there by yourself." Seven: "I have no desire to 'have fun'." Neelix: "No?" Seven: "I am attempting to recalibrate the warp field in order to resist the nebula's radiation." She realises she can re-interpret the Doctor's order and says, "I believe you have some knowledge of warp field theory. Perhaps you could assist me." Neelix: "I'd be happy to give it a try. Let's see." Looking at the PADD: "The subspace field matrix looks right." Seven: "Captain, perhaps you could help as well. We're attempting to find a stronger warp field calibration." Janeway: "How interesting. Maybe if we vary the EM stress parameters the warp field dynamic would increase." Neelix: "Excellent idea, Captain. And if the warp coils were rephased it would increase power to the nacelles." Seven: "There is an additional problem. We must compensate for a subspace induction drag on the engines." The Doctor approaches, having watched the proceedings, and orders the computer to freeze the program. He takes Seven aside. Doctor: "You're completely missing the point of this exercise. You're supposed to be mixing and mingling, not working on Engineering problems." Seven: "You ordered me to participate in this program. You did not specify topics of conversation." Doctor: "You're splitting hairs. You know very well what purpose this program is supposed to serve." Seven: "I find that it serves no purpose whatsoever." Doctor: "Because you're being intentionally perverse." Seven: "Holodecks are a pointless endeavour, fulfilling some human need to fantasise. I have no such need." Doctor: "What you need is some editorial skill in your self-expression. Between impulse and action there is a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance." Seven: "I find your self-expression ponderous." Doctor: "And I can't put up with this for another month." Seven: "We can arrange to avoid one other." Doctor: "I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately you have to report to me four times a day to keep me informed about the crew." Seven: "We can minimise those reports-"

Seven is interrupted by the ship suddenly shaking. Computer: "Warning. Emergency procedures in effect." Doctor: "Computer, what is the nature of the emergency?" Computer: "The anti-matter storage tanks are failing." Outside the Holodeck, in the corridor Seven accesses a wall display and reports: "A cascade effect is in progress, warp field coils are compromised, primary deuterium tank is rupturing, and the plasma conduits are ready to breach. ... We have to eject the anti-matter tanks." Doctor: "We've got to co-ordinate the effort. You go to Engineering, I'll go to the Bridge." Seven hurries to Engineering. From the Bridge the Doctor signals: "It's worse than we thought. Engineering is flooded with plasma. You'll never get in. ... It's too late. Sensors show plasma conduits rupturing on Decks 7 and 13. ... Seven, there's been another plasma discharge in Engineering. The hull is breaching. Get out! Seven, do you hear me?" But when Seven enters engineering, there is nothing wrong. To the Doctor: "It's alright, Doctor. False alarm."

In Engineering the Doctor points to a display and says he thinks he has found the problem. "There are malfunctions in a number of neural gel-packs. As a result, false readings were fed to the sensors which detected an emergency when there was none. ... They seem to be in sequence 6-theta-9. We'll need replacement packs and a repair kit."

As the Doctor and Seven crawl through a Jefferies tube the Doctor complains: "These tubes certainly weren't designed with creature comfort in mind. It seems to me the shipbuilders should've created a space in which one could walk upright." Seven: "But they didn't, and it doesn't help to complain about it now." Doctor: "I'll complain if I want to. It's comforting." They stop at the appropriate control panel, open it, scan the sequence of bio-neural gel-packs and Seven removes the inoperative one. Doctor: "Odd, I've never seen this kind of neural activity in the gel-packs. ... The neurodes are discharging in random bursts. I would imagine the nebular activity is causing it. I'll take this pack to Sickbay for further study." Seven: "I'll re-route the command processor to bypass this series." Doctor: "This journey certainly hasn't lacked for excitement. I can't complain about being bored." Seven: "Since you find it 'comforting' you'll undoubtedly find something else to complain about." Doctor: "No doubt. You really should try it-" Suddenly the Doctor's program fritzes." Seven: "What's happening?" Doctor: "My program is degrading." Seven: "The mobile emitter?" Doctor: I don't know. I have to get back to Sickbay." They crawl hurriedly along the Jefferies tube. "Hurry!" Seven: "I am hurrying." Doctor: "If the mobile emitter goes offline while I'm out of Sickbay my program may be irretrievable." Seven: "Don't panic. It's counterproductive." Doctor: "That's easy for you to say. You're not facing cybernetic oblivion." His program destabilises again. "If that happens again I'm a goner." They sprint through the corridors. Finally they arrive in Sickbay. Doctor: "Home sweet Sickbay. I never thought I'd be so glad to see these walls." Seven: "Give me the emitter." She examines it with a tool. "The electro-optic modulator is damaged." Doctor: "You're right. It's worthless. There's no way I can risk using it now. I'm stuck here." Seven: "The nebula is having a deleterious effect on all the ship's technology." Doctor: "And we still have weeks to go. It's up to you to keep the ship running. We can't afford to break down in this nebula." Seven: "I won't disappoint you."