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SUMMARY: When Kim and Paris land on a demon-class planet, the planet experiences corporeal life and thought for the first time.
Voyager is forced to run in grey mode i.e. with reduced power and only essential systems operating due to a severe shortage of fuel as the life of the original warp core reaches its end. Seven discovers a planet containing a high concentration of deuterium. It is designated Class-Y according to Starfleet's classification system, but its nickname is a demon planet because of its toxic atmosphere.
a dimmed corridor; Voyager is in grey mode |
the demon-class planet as shown on the Astrometrics' viewscreen |
| To avoid moving into cramped and spartan temporary quarters as part of the economy-saving measures, Neelix has the bright idea of spending the time in the spacious environment of Sickbay, much to the Doctor's displeasure. As time passes, there is mutual irritation. |
countering the Doctor's decision to sing, Neelix
suggests he and his fellow "lodgers" do the same |
Seven attempts to transport deuterium from the planet to the ship but it results in an explosion. Helping an injured Nozawa, the transporter officer, she barely manages to escape the transporter room before a further explosion.
the transported deuterium, about to explode |
Seven and Nozawa escape the transporter room |
Since it is not possible to beam the deuterium aboard, Kim and Paris volunteer to go to the surface in a shuttlecraft in order to mine the fuel. They wear environmental suits and enter some caves to reach the fuel deposits. Kim falls into a pool of metallic compound, and Paris has to reach right into the pool to haul him out. As a result of his fall, Kim's environmental suit protection is compromised and his oxygen supply rapidly depletes. Then Paris' environmental suit also fails. They try to return to the shuttlecraft but both men collapse before they can reach it.
Paris and Kim by a pool of metallic-like compound |
Paris reaches into the pool to pull Kim out of it |
Paris and Kim struggle back to the shuttlecraft |
with oxygen running out, they collapse |
Receiving no communication from Kim and Paris, Janeway decides to land Voyager on the planet and send an away team to look for them. Chakotay and Seven don environmental suits and begin their search. They soon find the shuttlecraft, which has no one on board.
Voyager on the surface of the planet |
Chakotay and Seven in environmental suits |
Chakotay and Seven find Paris' and Kim's shuttlecraft - empty |
Chakotay and Seven in environmental suits |
Chakotay and Seven track Kim and Paris into the cave and find the pool of metallic compound. Seven wants to take a sample, which would mean inserting her gloved hand into it to fill a container. But Chakotay insists they search for Kim and Paris first.
Seven almost touches the metallic compound as she goes to collect a sample |
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Chakotay hangs from a precipice while Seven tries to pull him to safety |
| Suddenly, Chakotay's foot slips on the edge of a precipice and he barely manages to hang on to the edge. As he struggles to keep from falling to his death into the pool far below, Paris appears, without his environmental suit, and helps Seven pull Chakotay to safety.
Paris explains that he and Kim have apparently adapted to the environment, and he tells Chakotay and Seven to take off their environmental suits as well. They refuse to take that risk and beam back to Voyager instead, along with Kim and Paris. | 
Paris, Chakotay and Seven - Paris is not wearing an environmental suit |
As soon as they aboard, in Sickbay, Kim and Paris begin suffocating. In Sickbay, now empty of Neelix and the other crewmember "lodgers", the Doctor erects a forcefield around them containing the planet's gases to enable them to breathe. The Doctor surmises that fluid has entered their bloodstream which has altered their physiology at the cellular level. Unless the effect can be reversed, Kim and Paris will have to be left behind if they are to survive.
Kim and Paris, suffocating in Sickbay |
Kim, Paris, the Doctor and Janeway
try to make sense of what has happened |
In the Science Lab, Janeway and Torres examine a sample of the metallic compound. They watch, astonished, as the sample seems to have a life of its own and moves onto Torres' thumb and then duplicates the end part of it.
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| the compound on Torres' thumb, and the duplicate thumb |
While Paris remains on Voyager to undergo the Doctor's extensive medical tests, Kim accompanies Chakotay and Seven out onto the planet's surface. The away team discovers Paris' and Kim's bodies. Barely alive, they are quickly beamed to Sickbay. The Kim and Paris first beamed back to Sickbay are duplicates. The duplicate Kim does not want to leave the planet, saying he feels a connection to it.
Kim, Chakotay and Seven on the demon-class planet |
Kim finds the real Kim, unconscious and in his environmental suit |
As a large pool of the compound forms under Voyager, the ship tries to ascend into orbit but is restrained by electromagnetic force. The duplicate Kim hails the ship from the surface, asking to meet with Janeway and is beamed aboard Voyager. After confirming Janeway's suspicions that he is a part of the compound and has the 'silver blood' in him, the duplicate Kim explains that the substance is alive but it has never been conscious until now, for when it entered the bodies of Paris and Kim it experienced awareness and actually had thoughts for the first time. Now it craves more.
Voyager in a growing pool of the compound |
the 'silver blood' Kim pleads with Janeway |
Janeway makes the 'silver blood' Kim an offer |
Janeway offers to ask the crew to donate samples of their DNA in order that the planet can duplicate them and populate itself. The 'silver blood' entity retreats and Voyager is allowed to resume its journey, leaving behind a new race of aliens in the exact image of the Voyager crew. |
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| Voyager launches and leaves the planet as the duplicate crew look on |
 | | KIM: I woke up the other morning and it suddenly hit me. I've got a lot of experience now, so why should I be afraid to take the initiative or voice my ideas? |
| | DUPLICATE KIM: We're the first. Don't you see? You came here, you showed us. When the compound came in contact with Tom and Harry it experienced awareness for the first time. Before, it was only instinct - sound and light and heat - but those two showed us thought! |
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