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SUMMARY: Voyager's crew find themselves targetted by bounty hunters. It seems fortunate and timely when an alien group specialising in problem-solving offers to help.
As Voyager approaches a strange planetoid, the ship is rocked by an explosion and enveloped in a cloud of metreon gas. Suddenly a Hazari vessel ambushes them and they only just manage to elude it. Seven explains that the Hazari are specialist bounty-hunters. They find the Hazari have reinforcements throughout the area, so permanent escape may be impossible.
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| Voyager only just manages to escape the Hazari ambush |
As Janeway stays up late at night worrying about the problem, a holographic projection of an alien named Kurros visits and introduces himself as the answer to her problem. He is a member of what Janeway terms a 'think tank'. The think tank specialises in solving difficult problems. As payment they ask for whatever is their client has that is unique, which may not be intrinsically valuable, even just a recipe.
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| in holographic form, Kurros visits Janeway |
Accordingly the Think Tank's vessel emerges from its hiding place in subspace and Janeway and Seven beam over to meet the other Think Tank members, who are especially interested in Seven. The members are from different species and communicate telepathically. One of their members, an artificial intelligence, links telepathically with Seven for a time via the Think Tank ship's internal telepathic communications array.
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| Janeway and Seven aboard the Think Tank ship where Seven links telepathically with the artificial intelligence |
After Kurros looks at Voyager's database to choose payment, he visits Voyager in person. Several items are included in the payment, but the main one is.....Seven! Janeway is startled by the method of recruitment and starts by refusing outright yet allows Kurros to talk to Seven for Seven to make the decision. But Seven is disinclined to join the Think Tank.
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| Kurros tries to persuade Seven to join the Think Tank |
The plot thickens as the Voyager crew discover that the Hazari's employer is none other than the Think Tank i.e. the Think Tank have set in motion a plan whereby they expect to oblige Seven to join them to save Voyager.
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| the real employer of the Hazari is revealed |
Voyager lays a trap for a Hazari vessel and captures its crew. Its captain, shown evidence of the plot, is angry at being manipulated by the Think Tank. He also explains that many in the region resent the Think Tank for its interference in affairs.
two Hazari are beamed aboard Voyager and captured |
the Hazari captain learns who his real
employer is and the plot against Voyager |
The Voyager and Hazari crews set in motion their own plan. They pretend Seven has decided she has to join the group to save Voyager from further Hazari attack. Once she is aboard the Think Tank vessel, Kurros suspects her duplicity and links with their internal telepathic communications array in order to obtain details of the plot. While linked, as Voyager's plan intended, Voyager transmits a carrier wave via Seven's cortical implant. This creates interference and disrupts their communications system, so that the Think Tank members are unable to communicate with each other.
Seven arrives on the Think Tank vessel, ostensibly forced to join the group |
Kurros suspects Seven and links her to the ship's telepathic communications |
With their ship systems disrupted, the ship is forced out of its hiding place in subspace and the Hazari converge on it, bombarding the now vulnerable ship.
the Think Tank vessel emerges from subspace |
the Hazari open fire on the Think Tank ship |
Seven is beamed back to Voyager and Kurros makes a final fruitless appeal to her. Voyager departs the scene, leaving the Think Tank with their own special problem to solve - the Hazari bombardment.
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| Janeway and Seven aboard the Think Tank ship where Seven links telepathically with the artificial intelligence |
 | | SEVEN: Your group can assist many collectives and yet you often use that ability as a means of coercion to obtain what you want. How many have suffered because they were unwilling to agree to your conditions?
KURROS: We have a singular mission, to perfect our knowledge. Perfection sometimes necessitates selfishness. It is your life, not Voyager's, not Captain Janeway's or anyone else's. It is up to you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. |
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