 | In a transporter room Torres learns from Kim that he can find nothing untoward in the transporting aboard from the planet Napinne of foodstuffs for Neelix, which includes a substance called schplict. Chell is degaussing the transporter room using only a micro-resonator which Tuvok estimated would take many hours. Torres says a magneton scanner would "do the job in five minutes", but Tuvok specified a micro-resonator. |
 | Kim, on leaving the transporter room, jokes: "Oh, you missed a spot.".... |
 | ....Chell's expression. |
 | Tuvok takes the trainees to the Holodeck where he has prepared a simulation of the Bridge and set of tactical training scenarios. As Dalby confirms he has command experience, Tuvok orders him to take command during the simulation. The ship is attacked by Romulan war-birds, the crew attack back, but the ship suffers critical damage and... |
 | ...the hull breaches. Tuvok resets the program. "Your first command together was less than successful," he says. "You are all dead." None of the recruits realise their error, so Tuvok explains: "The strongest tactical move is always the one in which you will reap the highest gain at the lowest cost. 'Going out with phasers firing' may seem heroic, but in the long run it is merely foolish. Retreat is often the best possible option."
|
 | The recruits are surprised by Tuvok's solution to the problem i.e. retreat. |
 | In the Messhall, Neelix uses keela flower stems to make a point to Tuvok. Tuvok, "You are saying that the Maquis crew is rigid and inflexible, that they will never adjust to Starfleet rules." "No, Mr Vulcan," replies Neelix in his role as morale officer, "I'm saying that YOU are rigid and inflexible, but maybe if you learned to bend a little..." He suggests Tuvok gets to know his recruits. |
 | Neelix continues to cook during his talk with Tuvok. When Tuvok enquires what the foul-smelling substance is that Neelix is holding, it turns out to be a plate of brill cheese which he made from the schplict that Voyager got from the planet Napinne. |
 | Neelix replies to Tuvok's question: "Ensign Ashmore asked for something called macaroni and cheese." Tuvok realises that cheese contains bacteria. |
 | Janeway asks Torres to investigate the Galley. The bacteria travelled into the air vents thence around the ship. Her engineering team scan for bacteria. He explains to them: "That's just a Laurelian pudding. It has to simmer for 4 hours." |
 | Torres explains: "The cheese is full of volatile bacterial spores. it has to stay isolated in this portable containment field". Neelix feels guilty to be the cause of the problems. Torres tells him it's not his fault. She gives the order, "Get the cheese to Sickbay." |
 | In the Chez Sandrine holoprogram, Tuvok's attempt to get to know Dalby fails. Dalby tells him he does not wish to get to know Tuvok. Dalby gives his brief life history as follows: "We lived on the Bajoran frontier. It was a hard life. I coped by getting into a lot of trouble. I was angry at everybody and everything, 'til a woman who came along who taught me about love, and for awhile I wasn't angry any more. Three Cardassians raped her and smashed her skull. I joined the Maquis and tried to slaughter as many of them as I could find." He tells Tuvok, "I don't want to get to know you and I don't want to be your friend." |
 | The Doctor examines the cheese and concludes: "This is the most pernicious infective agent I have ever seen." |
 | More gel packs fail including the system that operates the cargo bay's doors and certain communications. Tuvok and his recruits find they are unable to leave the cargo bay for their duty stations. |
 | In Sickbay, the Doctor realises, after a comment from Kes, that the gel packs have a virus. It can be cured by causing a fever, just as in the human body. Torres tells Janeway that they can raise the temperature of the gel packs by infusing them with a high energy plasma burst from a symmetric warp field (warp field that is inverted towards the ship instead of away). |
 | Cargobay. "This conduit's very hot." The cargo bay gets hot. Chell in particular is very anxious. Tuvok tells the recruits that worrying about a situation they know nothing about will not help them. |
 | Torres activates the plasma burst, warning Janeway that it might rupture conduits. In cargo bay, this happens, and plasma gas bursts into the cargo bay. Tuvok says: "The plasma gas will become toxic within minutes. We must leave immediately." |
 | Tuvok orders the recruits to leave via a Jefferies tube, which they do under great protest, as it means leaving an unconscious Gerron behind.
Tuvok: "I cannot risk losing any more of you to save one man."
Dalby is outraged. Furiously: "What's that, some kind of Starfleet Rule?!"
Tuvok: "It is always tactically correct to sacrifice the few for the many."
Tuvok forces Dalby and the others into the Jefferies tube and closes the hatch after them. Then he goes back and carries Gerron along the gantry and down the ladder, but he does not quite make it to the exit before the gas overcomes him and he drops Gerron. |
 | The Doctor tells Janeway that the infection has gone. |
 | The Doctor's cheerfulness does not impress the hot sweating Kes. |
 | Dalby and Henley force open the cargo bay doors manually and Chell puts a bar between the doors to stop them closing. He holds the bar in place while the others drag out Gerron and Tuvok. |
 | Dalby to Tuvok: "I thought Starfleet rules said that was an unacceptable risk, going back to save him."
Tuvok admits: "I recently realised that there are times when it is desirable to bend the rules."
Dalby: "Lieutenant, if you can learn to bend the rules I guess we can learn to follow them." |
 | Gerron, Henley and Chell agree with Dalby. They help Gerron and Tuvok to their feet and support them as they head for Sickbay. Following their encounter with danger in the cargo bay, and impressed by Tuvok's behaviour, the trainees are upbeat, indicating that the rest of Tuvok's training programme will be a success. |
