In Sickbay the Doctor is giving Naomi a botany lesson. He tells her: "Now see the organelle just over there, the one that looks like a little bitty potato?" Naomi: "The mitochondria." Doctor: "Yes!" Naomi: "Mitochondria - the warp core of the cell."

Doctor: "Exactly. Now what if I told you that this fellow was invited to dinner but never got around to leaving." Naomi: "What do you mean?" Doctor: "Well, turn back the clock a few billion years to when cells first evolved. These early cells had no mitochrondria. They struggled along without them, making do with whatever energy sources they could find. Then, one day, a mitochondrial ancestor arrived, broke through the cell wall, and made himself at home." Naomi: "They became friends?" Doctor: "The correct term is 'symbiosis'." Naomi: "Friends." Doctor: "Friends." Naomi: "My Mom says co-operation is more important than competition." The Doctor makes a sound in agreement. Naomi becomes anxious. "She was supposed to call me today." Doctor: "Well, she's probably just a little busy. Now, let's have a look at the cell wall. It looks simple enough but believe you me there's more here than meets the eye." Naomi: "Can we try to call her?"

Naomi worries about her mother

The doors open. standard doors Neelix enters. The Doctor is relieved to be interrupted so that he does not have to answer Naomi's question. "Neelix! What a pleasure to see you!"

Neelix to Naomi: "How was school today?" Naomi: "Good." Neelix to Naomi: "There's a time for school and there's a time for...." Naomi: "Flotter!" Eagerly she heads for the door.

Neelix to Naomi: "Er, aren't you forgetting something?" Naomi remembers. "Oh." She turns back and speaks to the Doctor: "Thank you, Doctor." Doctor: "You're quite welcome, Miss Wildman."

Naomi and Neelix are on their way to the Holodeck. She is describing for him the Flotter adventure she played earlier. Naomi: "In the blink of an eye there was Trevis above us." Neelix: "Then what happened?" Naomi: "He turned out to be very nice. His bark was worse than his bite." Neelix: "Where do you learn to make such silly puns?" Naomi: "You." Neelix: "Oh." Naomi: "Neelix, did you have a favourite holodeck program when you were growing up?" Neelix: "Well, we didn't have any holodecks on Rinax, but it didn't matter because we had a great big forest right behind my house." Naomi: "Really?" Neelix: "Uh huh, and my sisters and I would go exploring every day. We'd make up our own stories." Naomi: "Imagination." Neelix: "Exactly." He and Naomi enter a turbolift and take it to the Holodeck, with Naomi ordering it: "Deck 6 section 9." To Neelix: "Where are your sisters now?" Some time before he met the Voyager crew, Neelix lost his sisters, indeed his entire family, to the dreadful weapon of mass destruction called the Metreon Cascade, which the Haakonians, enemies of the Talaxians, unleashed against the Talaxian moon Rinax where Neelix's family lived. The weapon killed hundreds of thousands. Neelix survived because he was on Talax at the time. But Neelix, concerned to protect Naomi from unpleasant thoughts, is not going to tell Naomi the dreadful truth. "Oh, they're far away from here. I haven't seen them in a very long time." Naomi: "How long?" Neelix: "Many years." Naomi: "But you haven't been on Voyager for that long." Neelix: "True, but before that my work as a trader kept me away from home." Naomi: "That's too bad. Do your sisters ever call you like my Mom does when she's on an away mission?" Neelix: "No." Naomi: "I bet you miss them." Neelix: "I do, very much."

They arrive at the Holodeck. "Here we are." Neelix uses the wall-mounted contols. "Computer, display chapter headings 'The Adventures Of Flotter'." He looks at the display. "Let's see: Flotter and the Tree Monster." Naomi: "Played that one yesterday." Neelix: "Trevis and the Terribly Twisted Trunk?" Naomi: "I promised I'd save that one for Mom. It's her favourite." Neelix: "Flotter, Trevis and the Ogre of Fire." Naomi: "Yeah, that one." Neelix: "Ah ha. That sounds a little scary." Naomi: "It's ok. I won't be scared if you're with me."

The holodeck doors open. holodeck doors They enter, and the computer introduces the story: "Once upon a time in the Forest of Forever, Flotter and Trevis encountered a strange element they'd never seen before."

Naomi rushes into the Forest, with Neelix hurrying along after her. They find Trevis with his finger on fire - it hurts. Naomi: "Trevis, you're on fire!"

Flotter: "I told him not to touch it but this blockhead never listens." Naomi: "Stop complaining and help him!" Flotter: "Me?" Naomi: "Water puts out fire." Flotter puts his hand over Trevis' finger and extinguishes the flames.

Flotter: "It worked!" He and Trevis hug each other. Flotter turns to the flames on the branch. "Watch this," he tells people, and sends a jet of water from his finger. The water douses the flames.

Neelix: "Good thinking, Naomi." Flotter: "Who's the furball?" Neelix, not pleased by the description: "The name's Neelix." Naomi: "What caused the fire?" Trevis: "It came from up there." Flotter: "In a flash." Naomi: "Lightning. But the sky is clear. Doesn't look like a thunderstorm." Neelix: "What's your theory, Naomi?"

Naomi: "There's only one other explanation: the Ogre of Fire." Flotter: "The Ogre?" Trevis: "Of Fire." Flotter: "Who's he?"

Suddenly a terrible booming voice is heard throughout the Forest: "He is me! And I'm going to burn this Forest to the ground!" A large fireball appears.

As the fireball rages it catches Flotter. Naomi shouts: "Flotter!" as he disappears.

After the Ogre of Fire has gone, the Forest of Forever is just a terrible charred ruin! Neelix is concerned for Naomi. "Maybe we should play another program." Naomi: "No, we have to find Flotter." She calls out: "Hello, is anyone there?"

Trevis: "Over here." He is up a charred tree. Naomi: "Trevis, are you alright?" Trevis: "A little hot under the bark maybe." Naomi: "What about Flotter?" Trevis shakes his head sadly - he does not know. "Is he dead?" Naomi turns to Neelix: "Neelix?" Neelix: "Well, I, I don't know." Naomi: "He can't be dead." She calls out into what is left of the Forest: "Flotter!" Neelix: "I think it's your bedtime." Naomi: "But we have to find Flotter." Neelix: "Now, don't argue with your godfather. Come on, now."

Voyager orbits the planetoid.
In Main Engineering Kim orders an engineer: "Take this to Lieutenant Torres. You'll find the phaser drills in cargo bay 3." "Aye, sir," the crewmember replies and hurries off. Neelix enters and asks Kim: "Are you sure you have time for this? I know you're busy." Kim: "No problem. Glad to be of service."
They go to an engineering console where Kim works the controls, while Neelix looks over his shoulder at the design he is composing. Neelix: "Maybe a shade bluer. And the head's a little disproportionate, don't you think?" Kim: "We're not shooting for an exact replica, Neelix - artistic licence." Neelix: "Sorry. Guess I shouldn't barge into your kitchen and tell you how to cook."
Kim chats as he works. "Flotter. Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. I used to be nuts about those holostories when I was a kid. Did you see the one where Flotter suspects Trevis to be a rubber tree?" Neelix: "Not yet." Kim: "He keeps trying to trip him to see if he'll bounce." He smiles broadly at the memory. "Yeah, those two were a lot of fun." Neelix: "Actually, the last scenario that Naomi chose was pretty frightening. No fun at all." Kim: "Kids love to be scared." Neelix: "Not Naomi." Kim: "Computer, transfer the design parameters to the replicator."
As they move to the replicator, Kim asks: "How's she holding up?" Neelix: "Fine. Right now she's busy with her homework." Kim: "Neelix, what's wrong?" Neelix: "Everything." His self-control gives way for a moment: "Everything's WRONG! Ion storms, crash landings, alien attacks. A starship's no place for a child!" Kim: "I don't know. I'd say Naomi's pretty lucky to be growing up on Voyager." Neelix: "Lucky?!" Kim: "Think about it. Think about all the things she's experienced: stars being born, supernovas, lifeforms no one from the Alpha Quadrant's seen before. When I was a kid, I would've given anything for a chance like this."
Kim says: "Well, here goes." he activates the replicator. A Flotter doll is produced.
Kim takes it and holds it up so that it looks as if it is talking to Neelix. He pretends to be Flotter and says: "Hi, Neelix, did you miss me?" He hands the Flotter doll to Neelix, commenting: "You know, I forgot how ugly this guy was." Neelix: "Thanks, Ensign."