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 When Voyager comes across a planet that suffered an environmental catastrophe nineteen years earlier, the crew is surprised to pick up a hail from the deserted world. It turns out that the automated message came from the Kohl settlement, where a handful of members survived by going into artificial hibernation. The crew beams the hibernation pods aboard and finds two humanoids dead and three in deep stasis, their minds connected to a sensory system that is controlled by a computer.
The Doctor reveals that the deceased pair died from heart failure, brought on by mental stress, which, he says could be evidence of extreme fear. Hoping to learn how to revive the survivors, Kim and Torres enter the now vacant pods and are attached to the computer, which allows them to enter the colonists' dream state. They are thrown into an environment that resembles a bizarre carnival run by a malevolent Clown, whose followers quickly drag Kim to a guillotine.
Kim, in a hibernation pod, is checked by Kes. |
Torres in a hibernation pod. |
Kim (and Torres) within the carnival
environment of the Kohl computer program. |
Kim, about to be guillotined. |
 Although the Clown spares Kim, the pair suddenly understands how the Kohl could literally be frightened to death in the surprisingly realistic situation. Because the Clown's survival depends on the colonists' minds remaining linked to the sensory system, the Kohl - and now Kim and Torres - cannot awaken because the Clown will not allow it. The computer has manifested the worst fears of their subconscious minds into the persona of the Clown, thus making them prisoners to that fear.
The Clown allows Torres to leave so she can warn the captain that if the hibernation pods are deactivated, everyone will die.  While Janeway contemplates how to negotiate with the Clown, he begins a cruel game of mental torment on Kim. Since the Clown can read the minds of humanoids attached to the pods, the Doctor, whose mind cannot be read as he is a hologram, is sent to discuss the release of the hostages, but the Clown refuses to co-operate, especially since he cannot read the negotiator's mind.  When Viorsa, one of the hostages, provides a clue to the Doctor to help them escape, Janeway mounts a rescue mission to free Kim and the Kohl settlers. Unfortunately, the Clown catches on to Torres' attempts to disable his program.  Infuriated, he puts Viorsa in the guillotine, where the frightened man succumbs to heart failure.
To prevent more deaths, Janeway orders Torres to stop.
 The Clown celebrates victory. However, negotiating through the Doctor again, Janeway comes up with a final offer for the Clown to trade the current captives for Janeway herself. He agrees, looking forward to the unique challenge of knowing Janeway's mind, only to discover that his prize is actually just a holographic image. Since, due to the nature of the computer program, it takes several minutes before the Clown is able to read the participant's mind through the interface, the Kohl settlers and Kim are freed before he is aware of the ruse. With no one alive left to torment, fear is conquered and the Clown disappears forever.
Janeway, in a hibernation pod,
readies to 'meet' the Clown. |
Janeway informs the Clown of her ruse. |
 | | JANEWAY TO THE CLOWN: You know as well as I do that fear only exists for one purpose - to be conquered. |
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