VIS A VIS
Episode 88

 

In 2374, stardate 51762, Voyager encounters a small spacecraft in distress. The spacecraft is powered by an experimental coaxial warp drive which operates on the principle of folding space thus allowing vast distances to be travelled in a moment. Tom Paris comes up with the idea of using a symmetrical warp field to contain the instability in the experimental ship's warp core. Voyager beams the pilot aboard. He identifies himself as Steth, a test pilot from Benthos IV whose star system is twenty light-years from Voyager's current position. Chakotay summons Paris to his office where they discuss Paris' recent aberrant behaviour before he assigns Paris to help repair Steth's ship, which is what Paris wanted to do anyway. Steth readily accepts Paris' help. As they work on the damaged coaxial warp drive, Steth regales Paris with tales of his exploits and glamourises the life of an independent explorer and adventurer - this goes down well with Paris who has had his own time as an adventurer and who is currently feeling constricted by life aboard Voyager, in particular by its command structure and by what he sees as Torres' excessive demands on his time. But it turns out that Steth is a DNA-swapper, and he needs to befriend Paris quickly as his body keeps unpredictably reverting to the genome of a previous victim, a pale-skinned humanoid female (called Daelen). Inspired by his current obsession, a holoprogram of a garage in which he is restoring an antique classic car, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, Paris thinks of a polaric modulator as the single ingredient needed to fix Steth's ship - it acts like a 20th century Earth carburettor. Paris turns down Steth's offer to travel with him, even though he would like to fly new ships. Steth steals a box wrench from Paris' lucky toolbox as it contains enough cellular residue for him to check that human DNA is compatible for a genome transfer. He also illicitly downloads data on Paris from Voyager's computers, almost getting caught by Seven. Once repairs to his ship are completed, Steth forcibly exchanges DNA with Paris, stuns him and sends him off in his ship which, after a coaxial warp jump, strands Paris in the Kotaba Expanse, a location far away from Voyager. The Benthan Guard, the law enforcement arm of Benthos IV, catch up with the coaxial warp drive ship and mistake Paris for Steth, the ship's thief. He is rescued when the ships of the Benthan Guard are driven off by a large powerful ship piloted by a tall, pale-skinned humanoid female - it is the real Steth, in Daelen's body, and another of the DNA-thief's victims. After Paris explains, the two realise that their common enemy is the DNA-thief currently loose on Voyager, and they work to overcome the lockouts "Steth" set in place so that they can reach Voyager. Meanwhile, aboard Voyager, under orders from Chakotay "Paris" fits a Type-9 shuttlecraft with coaxial warp drive. But the DNA-thief does not enjoy life aboard Voyager - there are too many responsibilities and, attempting to carry on with Torres as his girlfriend, he is angered by her responsible attitude to her duties. His odd social behaviour eventually arouses suspicion when Seven catches him reading the captain's personal logs and he threatens her. Called before Janeway, the DNA-thief swaps identities with her (having read up on Janeway through her personal logs). Summoned to the Ready Room by "Janeway", Tuvok phasers Paris (actually Janeway) who seems to be trying to throttle "her". The incapacitated body of Paris (now containing Janeway) is put under observation in Sickbay, under guard. Then Steth and Paris arrive but their story about an identity thief is not believed, especially as it is "Janeway" that they speak to. "Janeway", fearing he will soon be unmasked one way or another (either by the Doctor's scans or by Steth/Paris), orders Chakotay to hold the newcomers in a tractor beam and ostensibly goes to Sickbay to investigate "Paris". In reality "Janeway" steals the modified Type-12 shuttlecraft and flees. When Kim reports that the shuttlecraft just launched without authorisation contains the captain, Chakotay questions the prisoners. The real Paris convinces Chakotay of his identity by recalling the conversation in Chakotay's office. Chakotay orders the tractor beam disengaged, and Paris and Steth go after "Janeway". Just as "Janeway" is about to go to coaxial warp, and thus evade them, Paris remembers the polaric modulator he installed as part of the coaxial warp drive and disables it remotely. The DNA-thief is thus apprehended. The Doctor manages to restore Janeway, Paris and Steth. The DNA-thief is now in the body of Daelen. "She" will be put aboard Steth's ship, contained in a forcefield, so that Steth can hand "her" over to the custody of the Benthan Guard. Steth will retrace "her" journey through the Delta Quadrant and restore the bodies of "her" previous victims. Presumably the stolen coaxial warp drive ship will be returned to the Benthan Guard. Afterwards Paris shows Torres his holoprogram, and what it is he has been doing on the Holodeck all the time that he agrees he should have been spending with her, and they kiss romantically while sitting in the restored and gleaming Camaro.    "STETH" TO PARIS: Things will turn around for you. I've always found that change is inevitable. Comes when you least expect it.