those things are important. i think about them, too. but sometimes you need to follow a different kind of protocol. if you believe in something strongly enough you can't ignore it... even if it means breaking a few rules. that's why i took this shuttle decompress but every time i break a rule . i'm like some kind of... borg drone-- except i was designed to be the perfect starfleet officer. top of his class... captain of the velocity team, interstellar honors. first field assignment-- bridge officer on a starship. every cadet's dream come true. you're not a program. in fact, i envy your freedom. i mean, your crew's mission-- totoeek out life... what could be more liberating?

don't be afraid to e elore what's happening between us. ( beeping ) oh, no. the delta flyer. commander tuvok? we're being hailed. ( beeping ) well, you better answer them before they open fire. ( sighs ) kim here. tuvok: ensign, you are in direct violation of the captain's orders. return to voyager immediately and bring derran tal with you. yes, sir but why bring tal? she's wanted by the varro authorities

there's no point in lying. we found a schematic for the parasite on your personal database. to some of us, it's more like a prison. so you've resorted to sabotage no doubt involving him. mr. kim's complicity remains to be proven. he had nothing to do with our movement. "movement"? tell them. jippeq: it's none of their concern. you'll need to explain. a small group of dissidents... it's not a small group. there are hundreds of us. what are you trying to achieve? our freedom-- the right to live as we choose to go where we choose.

to destroy it. we're trying to dismantle it. the parasites weren't placed randomly. they're targeting the linkages between segments. each segment will become its own ship. people can decide whether to go or stay. you're destroying the work of every generation that came before you. our ship isn't just a collection of modules. it's an expression of unity, tradition. for the sake of our history we must respect the rights of... of the majority. yes. tal... if those segments come apart there could be decompressive explosions... most likely casualties. is that what you want? you know more about the parasites than we do. you could help us. of stopping a catastroph captain, she's a criminal. e. set up a data-link with voyager. we'll do what we can from our end. tal...

vacuate the segments in danger... nothing more. let's get started. captain... stow it, ensign. right now, the only thing standing between you and the brig is this report. the doctor's bioscans confirm that you and tal have developed some sort of biochemical bond. clearly, it's affected your behavior so i have to assume that's why you disobeyed my orders. report to sick bay. you'll be confined there untitithis is over. i told you to report for treatment! i don't want treatment! ( whispering ): in my ready room. you've got 30 seconds before i have tuvok drag you to sick bay. captain, i am not sick. i didn't disobey your orders because i'm under some alien influence. i disobeyed your orders becausustal and i are in love and it's not right for you to keep us apart. listen to yourself.

good. i have served on this ship for five years and saidid"yes, ma'am" to every one of your orders, but not this time. you're willing to risk your rank your career over this? have you ever been in love, captain? your point? did your skin ever flush when you were near another person? did your stomach ever feel like someone hollowed it out with a knife when you were apart? did your throat ever swell when you realized it was over? seven of nine told me love's like a disease. well, maybe it is-- pheromones, endorphins chemicals in our blood changing our responses physical discomfort but any way you look at it, it's still love. for the sake of argument, let's say you're right. your feelings for tal are no different than mine for what? the man i was engaged to marry? well, i lost himim and you're going to lose tal. you know that.

that man you were going to marry-- if you could have just taken a hypospray to make yourself stop loving him so that it didn't hurt so much when you were away from him woululyou have done that? ( explosions ) chakotay: captain to the bridge. ( door opening ) we're detecting structural breaches on the varro ship. take your station. their shields are weakening. ions is about to decompress. on screen. mr. paris, release the docking clamps. back us away. dodoing controls are off-line.

their shields are continuing to weaken. the superstructure will collapse in less than three minutes. if that happens while we're still docked... keep trying to break free. janeway to varro control room. what's your status? tal was able to slow the parasites' growth with a polaron surge but the junctions are still destabilizing. how much longer until you've evacuated the affected areas? we need another two minutes at least. i've got the docking controlss. initiate decompression sequence. wait. if we stay where we are and extend voyager's structural integrity field around the varro ship we could buy them another minute or two. they could finish the evacuation. however, if an explosion occurs while both ships are inside the fieield neither vessel will survive. we can do it, captain.

torres here. divert all available power to the integrity field and extend it around the vavao ship. understood. voyager is reinforcing our shields. surprising, isn't it? a ship of outsiders risking their lives to save ours. they're unusual people. or maybe the galaxy isn't as hostile as you think. all junctions are clear. what are you waiting for? tell voyager to move away. i'm initiating another polaron surge. we can destroy these parasites. it's too late. you'll only destroy voyager along with our shihip. let them go. let us go. tal to voyager. the evacuation's complete. disengage your integrity field and move to a safe distance.

ain's log, supplemental: most of the varro have opted to stay together traveling in separate ships, but the dissident group has been granted permission to break away and find their own path. we wish them luck. ( door beeeeng ) come in. i wasn't sure i'd see you again. the captain gave me permission to say good-bye.

you manag me, too. e? we have medications. i'll recover eventually. so, where are you going? the natori system. a pair of binary stars caught in each other's gravity. we passed within a parsec three months ago and now we're going back for a real look. do me one favor. anything. next time you run across a class-three nebula think of me. think of me. chronic sleep loss, acute gastroenteritis-- you must feel awful, yet you're still refusing treatment? captain, just the person i wanted to see.

order mr. kim to take his medicine. is his condition fatal? that's hardly the point. that's hardly the point. will he recover without taking his medicine? yes, but it could takekeeeks, even months. well, then, if mr. kim wants to suffer... sometimes i think everyone on this ship has been possessed by alien hormones. would you excuse us, please? thank you. oh, don't thank me. i have no intention of relieving you of your duties no matter how lousy you feel. i understand. i've been thinking about how i reacted to your relationship with tal. you reacted like any captain would. probably, but i can't help wondering if my response would have been the same if it had been, say, tom parisi. oh, don't get me wrong.

i wouldn't have been surprised. because ensign kim doesn't break the rules. the truth is, harry... i think about you differently which isn't to suggest that i don't care deeply about each of them, but... you came to me fresh out of the academy wide-eyed with excitement about your first deep space assignment. from that first day, i've always felt more protective of you than the others. i appreciate that... but that was five years ago. i've changed. yes, you have. maybe i'm not the perfect officer anymore. maybe not...

last call. there's a bowl of soup in storage and i left the replicator on-line. thanks. good night. oh, i was just closing up for the evening but if you need anything... i'm here to see ensign kim. oh. . od luck. ensign. hmm? ththk you.

of my astrometric scans this morning. you're welcome. i had some time between duty shifts. besides, it kept me occupied. you are attempting to distract yourself from your emotional damage. i wish i could say it was working. the treatment to relieve yoyo condition was available and yet you refused. i've got a disease but i'm willing to live with the symptoms. doesn't make senen now, does it? i assumed that romantic lovevews but clearly it can also be a source of strength. perhaps my analogy was flawed. love is not a disease.

[captioning sponsored by paramount television united paramount network and the kellogg company

( humming ) good morning, everyone. ( chirping and fluttering noises ) ( continues humming ) ( chirping and fluttering grows louder ) ( chuckles ) be patient. ah-ah-ah-ah! ( bubbling ) ( chuckles ) ah! someone had a busy night.

i didn't forget you. now... let's try it without biting my fingers this time, hmm? ( chirping ceases ) it's been a long road ? getting from there to here ? it's been a long time ? but my time is finally near ? and i will see my dream come alive at last ? ? i will touch the sky ? and they're not gonna hold me down no more ?

got faith of the heart ? ? i'm going where my heart will take me ? ? i've got faith to believe ? i can do anything ? i've got strength of the soul ? ? no one's gonna bend or break me ? ? i can reach any star ? i've got, i've got ? ? i've got faith ? faith of the heart. captioning sponsored by paramount television

people are getting jealous. you get more letters from home than anyone on this ship. what's her name? it's nothing like that. they're from dr. lucas a colleague from the interspecies medical exchange. i didn't know there were humans serving on denobula. he's the first. he helped me get settled in when i came to san francisco. i'm trying to return the favor. i had a pen pal once, when i was 12 from brisbane, australia. i loved getting her letters. it was like this little window into distant places with strange-sounding names.

oh, yes. i'm looking forward to it. if you think you're ready, we can tackle gerunds today. i can hardly wait. ( recorded voice plays ): my dear dr. phlox, it's me again, jeremy. i hope you are well. it's been a hell of a week here-- wall-to-wall emergencies and three midnight deliveries. it's mating season, so you know how that goes. you denobulans make us look like single-cell organisms. phlox: dear dr. lucas sorry to hear about your difficult week. i know the rigors of mating season only too well. it might help to bear in mind that a dose of niaxilin can be quite effective in separating the two... combatants. it sounds like you've settled into your new living quarters. that part of the city has some very lively kaybin bars

they're open all night, if i recall. please, don't venture inside them unescorted. they can be quite disturbing to the uninitiated. he was trying to reroute a nitrogen valve and the seal blew. how bad is it? oh, it's superficial. only first degree burns. a little dermoline gel should do the trick. most of my work is fairly routine-- the occasional emergency. and you'll be pleased to hear that the crew finally seems to be growing accustomed to an alien doctor on board. i must admit, i wasn't planning to stay this long but the opportunity to observe your species on their first deep space venture has proven irresistible. lieutenant! i saved a seat for you. another time, doctor. i'm due back in the armory. it's a bit daunting at times

but our profession guarantees that sooner or later, everyone comes to see us. it makes interaction quite a bit easier. it's just a little gastrointestinal distress. he hasn't been himself lately. well, you've been feeding him cheese again, haven't you? you've got to learn how to say no, captain. no more dairy products, you hear that? doctor's orders. phlox: i never thought i'd meet a species it's surprising, the things you humans choose to invest your emotions in. sorry to bother you with this. no bother. he was one of my more cooperative patients today. thanks, doc. see all the trouble you cause? i've noticed how the captain seems to anthropomorphize his pet. he even talks to the creature although i'm fairly certain it has no idea what he's saying.

we won't be going to america this time but always, i go with you wherever you go, understand? you go now, maria. no, i'll stay with you... no, maria. what i do now, i do alone. i couldn't do it if you were here. if you go, then i go, too. don't you see how it is? whichever one there is... maria: no! no... we can go, if you're bored. no, no. i'd like to stay and see what happens. shh! you won't be disappointed. the ending's classic. no, not the film. i'm sensing a rising emotional undercurrent in the room. i'm curious to see if it culminates

where you come from, do they? we had something similar, a few hundred years ago but they lost their appeal when people discovered that their real lives were more interesting. still, it's nice to take a break from real life every now and then, don't you think? i suppose it is. ( shakes popcorn ) oh. ( crunching loudly ) ( sniffling ) something in my eye. ( chuckles ) phlox: it's remarkable, doctor. even fictional characters seem to elicit human compassion. my shipmates have calmly faced any number of dangers

temporal vein. temporal vein. internal maxillary. and what's the maxillary connected to? posterior... auricular? very good. the external jugular. oh, uh... superior vena cava. and that leads to? oh, easy, the seat of all joy and sadness. ( chuckles ) physiologically, it is nothing more than a very efficient pump. what could possibly make you people think it is the source of all emotion? you know, you may know about our cardiopulmonary system but you have a lot to learn about the human heart. this is me. good night. oh, doctor... i just wanted to thank you. it was fun tonight. you're welcome. uh, they're showing another one next week. sunset boulevard.

um, see you tomorrow? sorry, i forgot. denobulans don't like to be touched. it's all right. i'm trying to shed some of my cultural inhibitions. oh, in that case... good night. since we were on the subject of mating i think crewman cutler may be romantically interested in me. i can't be certain, however. the pheromones of human females aren't as potent as denobulans'. are there any inhabited systems nearby? there's a minshara- class planet less than a light-year away. the ship's not answering our hails, captain. it's definitely pre-warp, sir.

any bio signs? two, but they're very faint. bring it into launch bay two and tell dr. phlox he might have a couple of patients. we... found your ship adrift. we thought we might be able to help. trenakadula ta? morana dunnat? i need a little more. i'm jonathan archer.

kandala va gonsh. yorata vala? ( translator beeping ) can you understand me? who are you? what planet? earth. we are from earth. this is a warp vessel? yes. we left valakis over a year ago, along with three other ships. why? you must have noticed our condition by now. i detected the illness. 12 million of us died the year before we left. i can only imagine how many have died since. our doctors can't find a cure but a more advanced people, people with warp technology like you your medical science must be more effective. you've encountered other warp-capable species?

they both visited our world. do you know them? no. are you the ship's doctor? i am. my people are dying. will you allow him to help us? any thoughts? they did come looking for us and considering they've already met two other warp-capable species... the risk of contamination seems acceptable. see what you can do. thank you.

been presented with a rather unusual case involving a pair of alien astronauts. it may not surprise you that they landed in my sick bay

phlox: i said before that my duties entail the occasional emergency. emergencies, it seems, come in all shapes and sizes. i was once nearly overwhelmed by 50 patients in a refugee camp on matalas for over 50 million. ( both speaking denobulan ):

it's a nostril? i've noticed you and crewman cutler spending a lot of time together. is there something going on between you two? in denobulan, please. um... ( speaks denobulan ) well, are you? ( sighs )

...to make physical contact? well, she did kiss me on the cheek the other night. in denobulan, doctor. i beg your pardon? couple. cute couple. it's pretty crowded out there. a lot of spacecraft and artificial satellites. nothing i can't avoid, sir. put us in a low orbit, travis. they're expecting us. phlox: the captain has committed all our resources to helping people

once again, i am struck by your species' desire to help others. it seems the more aggressively we treat the illness the more resistant it becomes. what's the current rate of infection? one out of three. it's a full-blown epidemic. these are in the most advanced stage. you're treating them with a synthetic antibody? it's effective at first but the disease mutates there's no way of controlling it. pulmonary failure usually follows in a few days. phlox: captain, treatment with priaxate should ease the symptoms in the sickest patients at least temporarily. i can easily show the valakians how to synthesize as much as they need. go ahead. i'll need all the lab work you have and case histories of patients in every stage of the disease.

excuse me. we're the ones that brought him here. can you tell me how he's doing? dak mul ahna. i'm sorry. could you say that again? we should assign some crewmen to watch dr. phlox and his equipment. i don't think these people are about to steal anything. your experience with lesser civilizations you might be surprised what a temptation our technology can be. alien: dak mul ahna. kal ah ku dah. dak mul ahna. kal ah ku dah. hoshi? captain, the u.t. can't translate his language. dukat ah pra kee, larr. he doesn't speak the same language as you? no, he's menk. they're not as evolved as valakians

is that so strange? on most of the planets we've encountered only one species of humanoids survived the evolutionary process. you two are not from the same planet? no. we may look alike but the similarity ends there. i don't see any menk patients here. where are they being treated? they haven't contracted the disease. have you looked into their immunity? it was one of the first things we pursued n are physiologically incompatible. still, could be significant. i'd like to see your data on the menk as well. of course. phlox: i had meant to transmit this letter by now but the valakian epidemic has been taking up most of my time. working with the physicians here has been quite fulfilling. i suppose it's the reason we joined the interspecies medical exchange but i worry about falsely raising their hopes.

i'm afraid the scale of the disaster may outweigh our best intentions. i've decided to enlist crewman cutler's help in my task. so what are the menk like? you'll have the chance to see for yourself. you're a trained exobiologist. i'd find your assistance in the field invaluable. thank you, doctor. phlox: on a personal note the affection crewman cutler is showing has left me a bit perplexed so i've decided to discuss it with the one person on board who might understand the complexities of the situation. that's impossible. it's nothing to be ashamed of. my teeth were sealed with a tri-fluorinate compound 23 years ago. well, normal wear and tear has allowed some decay to sneak in. see for yourself, hmm? there, on your anterior tricuspid. i'm sure you have more pressing concerns.

it'll only take a moment to repair. open, please. wider. um... you've lived among humans for quite some time now, sub-commander. i'm curious, have you ever known them ( mumbling ) ah! there it is. are you asking out of personal interest or scientific curiosity? both, i suppose. there's a crewman on board i've become close with. i think she's attracted to me. in my experience humans lack the emotional maturity for interspecies relationships.

this crewman may simply be satisfying her curiosity at your expense. open. of the universe. i admire her logic although she lacks the instinctiveness that a more emotional response can provide. somehow, i find this unsettling. there. that wasn't so bad. thanks for your insights. be careful. ( door chimes ) come in. you asked to see me, captain? i just got a call from the director of the clinic.

doctor? i've developed a medication to ease the symptoms of the disease. but... but? this epidemic isn't being caused by a virus or bacteria. the proteins that bind to their chromosomes are deteriorating. their illness is genetic. it's been going on for thousands of years but the rate of mutation has accelerated over the last few generations. based on my projections, the valakians will be extinct in less than two centuries. i wish i had better news. what about a cure? genetic abnormalities on this level are very difficult to reverse.

nity could be the key to a cure. i plan to study them in more detail.

every species i encounter allows me to explore a new physiology. at the moment, i find myself in the enviable position of studying two humanoids from the same planet.

tell them we'd like to run some tests take samples of their blood. it will be completely painless. kuhl toh-bah. kuhl pra toh-bah aren so l'tee. y'lyn parum ta see etta'j. he's says they'd be happy to help. phlox: as fascinating as the two species are from a biological standpoint it's their ability to coexist that intrigues me the most. the valakians are highly evolv technologically advanced while the menk are relatively primitive by comparison. to my surprise, the two seem to be living side-by-side, peacefully. pra du matta.

koh u'tah? he wants to know what you're doing. have you learned enough menk to explain a molecular bio scan? doctor... um... e'satta prah ku... ku valakii. what'd you say? i told him the doctor was looking inside of him. thank you. tik-tik. nan dah. you're welcome. neek. ra'sata... food. did he just say food? ra'sata. food. have you been teaching him english? no, he must have picked it up by listening to us. hmm, perhaps we found an assistant comm officer.

tik-tik. hmm, i haven't seen any crops or livestock. i wonder where they get this. larr, ku ra'sata gol dach? pah ku mano. n'da tom-ah. he says the soil here isn't good for planting. gol dach puu kani valakii. h'rat ah tyba si ohno. the valakians let them live where the land is fertile. the valakians give them whatever they need: food, clothing, medicine. menk a'kata y' valakii. he says the valakians are good to them. they protect them.

lox: despite the menk's insistence that they're treated well my human crewmates seem to see things differently. tik-tik. well, that's the last one. phlox: they think the menk are being exploited by the valakians so their first instinct is to rise to their defense despite the fact that the menk don't appear to need or want a defender. wait a moment. impressive. what'd he do? he's grouped the samples together by family. cross-referenced by bloodlines and marriage if i'm interpreting the color codes correctly. tik-tik. on the surface the menk appear to be a primitive species unsophisticated, even by human standards-- no offense.