This is... U.S.S. Voyager.
If you are receiving this message, please study it carefully.
This is... U.S.S. Voyager.
If you are receiving this message, please study it carefully. We have...
- What happened? - I'm not sure.
The transmission just stopped.
- See if you can get it back. - It looks like...
The transmission was sent along the network of alien relay stations
we used to send the Doctor to Alpha Quadrant.
Starfleet Command must be using them like we did.
Harry, clear the interference from that message.
They said they'd find a way to get us home.
They can't have devised a plan this quickly.
Communicating with us is big step.
I've reprocessed everything. I've cleared out the interference. Here it is.
This is Starfleet Command to the U.S.S. Voyager.
If you are receiving this message, please study it carefully.
We have information...
That's it. The bulk of the transmission is lodged in one of the relay stations.
Can you tell which one?
It's about 3.8 light years from us on a heading of 274, mark 13.
Set a course, Tom.
The people who built the stations won't be happy.
I'm not going to lose this opportunity.
We'll find out what that message says.
This is Starfleet Command to the U.S.S. Voyager.
If you are receiving this message, please study it carefully.
- Who sent this message? - Unknown. It's from across the galaxy.
Locate the ship receiving it.
- It's on a course to one of our modules. - Intercept.
Maybe they can get us home.
But we're 60,000 light years away.
Who knows what advances
they've come up with.
They might have developed a new way to travel through space.
Since technology brought us here,
it's a reasonable assumption.
Technology could bring us back.
They've found one stable wormhole.
Maybe they've discovered another.
Speculation can be intriguing.
But you might be disappointed.
I'm just happy my folks know I'm alive.
I imagine there were a few celebrations.
Probably.
But it can make things more difficult.
A lot of people had given up on us.
Done their mourning, got on with life.
Found some kind of resolution.
Now they get word we're alive
but so far away.
Some people might feel that way, but not my mum and dad.
We know the relay stations extend all the way to the Alpha Quadrant.
If Starfleet can use them to transmit messages,
we'll be able to stay in contact with people at home.
- That has to be comforting. - I'm sure it is.
It's more comforting to think that Starfleet is going to get us home.
If no one objects, that's what I'm going to do.
You were supposed to report to sickbay for your weekly checkup.
- Where have you been? - Doing my job.
Just what is this pressing task?
I'm trying to retrieve more of the message from Starfleet Command.
Your devotion to duty is admirable, but your implants have to be monitored.
- I'm fine. - You're not.
I detect reduced levels of erythrocytes. How long since you regenerated?
- 58 hours. - That explains it.
We've discussed this before. You must regenerate for three hours a day.
I've gone for 200 hours without regenerating.
That was when you were a Borg. You're more human now.
I assure you, I have not forgotten.
- Another one. - I beg your pardon?
I have retrieved another word of text. That makes six.
Six words in 58 hours?
Why not just wait until we arrive at the relay station?
This message is important to the captain.
I know. If it weren't for me, this transmission wouldn't be possible.
I was the one who risked my matrix in order to go to the Alpha Quadrant.
If we ever get home, I expect I'll become quite the hero.
"Emergency Medical Hologram instrumental in the return of Voyager.”
Has a nice ring to it.
Or maybe your program will be deleted
and you'll be upgraded to conform to the most recent standard.
Unlikely.
I've accomplished things no EMH ever has.
In fact, most likely I'll become an object of intense study and discussion.
Possibly even veneration. What's that?
- Report. - Encountering gravimetric forces.
Source?
Looks like it's coming from the relay station.
It is two light years away. How could it project a gravimetric field this far?
It would have to have an incredibly powerful energy source.
I've compensated. We should be all right until we get closer.
I'm detecting a ship. 800,000 kilometres off the port bow.
- On screen. - It's adrift.
No propulsion systems, no weapons, no life-support.
I'm picking up one male humanoid aboard. He's dead.
As soon as we're close enough, beam the body to sickbay.
I want to know how he died.
- What's happened to him? - He's suffered a complete osteotomy.
He's been gutted. A surgical procedure was used to remove the skeleton,
the musculature, the ligaments and the internal organs.
- How long ago did it happen? - It's difficult to say.
- Between a week and a month. - I've seen this before.
The Borg encountered a ship of Species 5174, also destroyed in this fashion.
- Did you determine who did it and why? - No, it was irrelevant.
Return the body to his ship. His people may be able to retrieve him.
When we get closer to the station,
we can use the data processors and astrometrics to download the message.
Captain's log, stardate 51501.4.
After two days at high warp,
we're close enough to the relay station to see it on long-range visual sensors.
Not what I expected. It looks ancient.
Radiometric decay ratios indicate it's at least 100,000 years old.
Scan for life-forms.
Negative. There's nobody home.
That's good news.
- Here we go again. - The gravimetric field.
Commander, the station is using a quantum singularity as a power source.
- A black hole? - A tiny one, a centimetre in diameter.
It's putting out four terawatts of energy.
Someone has contained a singularity,
constructed a space station around it and tapped its power. Fascinating.
Can we go any closer?
- Voyager would take a beating. - All right, Tom, back us off.
Bridge to Janeway. We're as close as we can get.
OK. We'll try to download the message from here.
The datastream degraded during transmission.
Elements have been dislocated.
It's going to require time to decompress the message.
Get it out in bits and pieces if you have to. We can put it together later.
I've accessed a block of data. I'm downloading the text.
"How much we miss you.
"We talk about you often, wondering about your... day."
Sounds awfully personal from Starfleet Command.
"The children have grown so much you wouldn't..."
These are letters.
These are letters from home.
You'll be the mail carrier. We'll get you the letters as we download them.
A task I'm happy to perform, Captain. I've never seen the crew this excited.
This is as close as they've come to their families in four years.
I promise to treat these like gemstones.
By the time you've delivered them, we'll have more.
Captain, I've discovered something odd.
- There is more here than just letters. - What do you mean?
There's a latent datastream buried under the message. It's heavily encrypted.
It appears to contain a large block of text and what may be maps.
- Can you retrieve it? - Not immediately.
When more letters have been cleared out, I should be able to access it.
Well, I might just hope that it contains a plan
for bringing us back to the Alpha Quadrant.
What do you think about all this?
Messages, the possibility of getting home.
It lacks any emotional resonance for me. I've never even been to Earth.
You realise you may have family there?
- That had not occurred to me. - You could have cousins, grandparents.
There might be more emotional resonance than you think.
I am happy to announce that I have the first letters from home.
Who are they for, Neelix?
This one is addressed to Commander Chakotay.
Who's it from, Commander?
An old friend. The person who recruited me into the Maquis.
Maybe I'll read this in private. Tom, you have the bridge.
Neelix, wait a minute. Aren't there any more?
No. No more for the bridge crew.
Not yet. Be patient.
Come in.
Good news, Mr Vulcan. This one's for you.
Thank you, Mr Neelix. You can put it on the desk.
Was there something more?
Aren't you going to read it?
- Of course. - Aren't you going to read it now?
I'm finishing my weekly tactical review.
When it's completed, I'll read the message.
You're going to wait until you finish the tactical review?
Do you believe the content of the message will change during that time?
But it's a letter from your family. Don't you want to know what it says?
- I fully intend to find out what it says. - It has some important news.
- You mean you've read it? - Well, only the first few lines.
When I was seeing who it was addressed to, I... I couldn't help it.
- Would you like me to read it to you? - Very well.
"My husband, we have been given the news that you are alive.
"Your children and I have asked the priests at the temple of Amonak
"to say prayers for your safe return." That's sweet.
- Amonak. - Pardon?
The temple of Amonak. One of the most sacred on Vulcan.
Amonak, of course. "The most significant news
"is that your first son Sek has gone through the Pon farr.
"He made it and has become a father.
"You are the grandfather of a female, named T'Meni after your mother."
You're a grandfather! Isn't that wonderful? Congratulations.
What shall we call you now? Grandpa? Gramps?
I think Commander Tuvok will suffice. Thank you, Mr Neelix. I'll read the rest.
Just as long as you read it right away. No procrastinating.
Who knows what else might be in that letter?
Is that a letter to you, Captain?
Yes. Seven just downloaded it.
- I'll be in my ready room. - Yes, ma'am.
Have you gotten a letter yet?
Don't expect one.
Do you remember Sveta?
- Of course. - I got one from her.
Why would she be writing you?
Chakotay, what is it?
Something terrible has happened.
I couldn't accept it.
Now I have to tell everyone else and I'm not sure how to do it.
It's over, B'Elanna.
There are no more Maquis.
But there are thousands of us.
All wiped out. It seems the Cardassians have an ally.
A species from the Gamma Quadrant who supplied them with weapons.
K'Tarra? Roberto?
Everyone except us is dead?
Just about. Sveta and a few lucky ones are in prison.
- No. - B'Elanna.
Don't try to console me. I don't want to be comforted.
Those were good people willing to put their lives on the line for their beliefs
and now you're saying they're slaughtered.
- Those are the risks we all took. - It's not right and you know it.
I will make someone pay. I swear I will.
If we ever get back.
Tom, I heard there are at least 30 more letters that have been downloaded.
Neelix is supposed to be on his way here now.
- What do you suppose this is anyway? - What what is?
This mystery dish. It tastes vaguely like chicken,
but it has the consistency of corn husks.
Is that all you can think about? What you're eating?
I don't like guessing at what I put in my stomach.
Tom, we're getting letters from home. Doesn't that mean anything to you?
- Not particularly. - I don't believe you.
- It's really not that bad. - Here he comes.
Good news. Seven has been able to download some more letters.
This one is for Susan Nicoletti. Is she here?
- Fitzpatrick? - Right here.
Kyoto?
Golwat?
Ashmore?
- Dorado? - I'm here.
- There's not going to be one for me. - He's not done yet. Hang on.
And finally, Parsons.
I'm sorry if your name hasn't come up, but Seven is still working.
Neelix, I thought you had over 30 letters.
- 307 Where did you hear that? - That's what was going around.
Don't pay any attention to rumours.
Right.
- Aren't you going to eat your lunch? - I'm not hungry.
You shouldn't get your hopes up, Harry.
No hopes, no disappointments.
I'm not you.
Come in.
I'm having trouble accessing the datastream.
The longer it remains in the relay station, the more it degrades.
If we get nearer, we could stabilise the containment field.
But I can't risk taking the ship closer.
A shuttle could withstand the eddies more easily than Voyager. I'd like to try.
- I'd want Tuvok to go with you. - For what reason?
It isn't my custom to send an away team of one.
As you wish.
- Hi. - I thought Seven was working in here.
She's gone with Tuvok to shore up the confinement field. I've taken over.
- Disappointed? - Of course not.
Would you stop that? There's nothing between us.
I know there's nothing between you. It's a one-way attraction.
Very funny.
You might as well wear a big sign that says "I'm in love." Everyone sees it.
Look, I'll admit that for a while...
She's a very attractive woman, but I've gotten over that.
Fine. Believe whatever you want.
If you didn't come here to see her, why did you?
I wanted to know... if I'd gotten a letter yet.
Sorry. I haven't seen anything so far.
Do you think there's going to be one for everybody?
I'm sure Starfleet contacted the families and friends of everyone here.
- They know how important that is. - I hope so.
Harry, you'll get one. Try to be patient.
Commander, am I correct in assuming that Vulcans are incapable of lying?
We are capable. However, I have never found it necessary to lie.
- You've never lied? - Only under orders from a superior.
Then I must ask you something.
Is it the captain's custom to send at least two people on an away mission?
It's not only her custom. It's recommended Starfleet protocol.
I see.
Is there a purpose to your question?
I'm wondering if the captain doesn't trust me, if she feels I require supervision.
I am not certain how the captain regards you,
but having me accompany you shouldn't be taken as evidence of any attitude.
I believe we are close enough to emit a polaron pulse.
- Bring the main deflector on-line. - Ready.
The variance in the containment field is at 0.29.
That should prevent further degradation of the signal.
Let me ask you a question. Is the captain's opinion important to you?
My understanding of the hierarchy
is that the captain's opinion is important to every member of the crew.
What's happened?
We've been scanned by a sub-nucleonic beam.
Navigational sensors disrupted.
We must get Voyager to send out a directional beacon to guide us back.
- Voyager, please respond. - We've lost other systems as well.
We have no communications, no warp engines and no weapons.
I suspect this was done intentionally by the ship approaching our port stern.
They're at 50,000 kilometres and closing.
- Our shields are losing integrity. - I'll try to get a phaser array on-line.
One more hit and we'll be susceptible to a hull breach.
That ship is large. If we lure it closer to the station,
it will be more vulnerable to the eddies than we are.
A tractor beam. We're being pulled toward them.
- I'll try to disrupt it. Unsuccessful. - Launching a distress beacon.
- Torres to the bridge. - Go ahead.
Could Lieutenant Paris come down? I've got something he'd want to see.
He's on his way.
It's a letter for you, coming through now.
- For me? - It's right here.
- Who's it from? - I can't tell yet.
Maybe it's from the rehab colony, telling me I violated probation.
Why are you acting like this?
I just want to know who the letter's from, OK?
You should know in a minute.
- I'll be on the bridge. - You're not going to wait?
- I'm on duty. - Voyager is hanging in space.
- There's a not a lot to do. - I should be at my post.
You may be able to fool someone else with that ploy, but you're talking to me.
Just download the letter, OK?
A little more has come in. It's from Starfleet.
From... an Admiral Owen. Do you know him?
Admiral Owen Paris. It's my father.
That's wonderful.
Yeah, maybe.
I... don't know exactly why,
but the more everybody gets excited about these letters from home,
the more I don't want any part of it.
Maybe because what I have on Voyager...
...is so much better than anything I ever had back there.
I just don't want the reminder.
You're not the same person you were four years ago.
- What makes you think he is? - No, you don't know him.
Give him a chance. He's reaching out.
When he forms an opinion about something, nothing can change his mind.
Fine.
Excuse me if I can't feel terribly sorry for you.
I learned this morning that a lot of my friends are dead.
I've gone from being so angry I wanted to kill someone... to crying for an hour.
And now I'm just trying to accept it and move on.
B'Elanna, that's awful.
I am so sorry.
Here I am going on about something that doesn't matter.
No, I'm sorry. It obviously does. You care what he thinks about you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess I still do.
I'll let you know when I get the whole letter.
Come in.
Tuvok and Seven pulled it off. The containment field has stabilised.
- B'Elanna's downloading letters easier. - That's good news.
We don't have the shuttle on sensors, but they should be back soon.
I've learned a few interesting things about that relay station.
It's generating as much energy every minute as a star puts out in a year.
It's amazing someone 100,000 years ago was harvesting micro-singularities.
If nobody protests, I'd like to stay here for a while. Try to find some answers.
This is the kind of archaeological puzzle that's always fascinated me.
- Want a cup? - No thanks.
You haven't mentioned your letter.
Who was it from?
It was from Mark, the man I was engaged to.
He told me about the puppies my dog had and how he found homes for them.
How devastated he was when Voyager was lost.
How he held out hopes we were alive
until he realised he was clinging to a fantasy.
So he began living his life again.
Meeting people.
Letting go of the past.
About four months ago, he married a woman who works with him.
He's very happy.
How do you feel about that?
Well, I knew he'd eventually move on with his life.
But there was such a finality to that letter.
Kim to the captain. Can you come to the bridge?
- What is it? - A distress signal from Tuvok's shuttle.
Sensors show there's no one on board.
Seven.
Seven of Nine.
Where are we?
I assume we're on the alien ship.
This is most uncomfortable.
- Have you seen anyone? - No.
If we can reach those blades, perhaps we can cut through these bindings.
You were pathetic prey.
Easily taken. The hunt was not satisfying.
I want information. Why do you violate our property?
I could snap your puny neck with one twist.
Hardly worth taking. Answer me. Why do you use our modules?
We're trying to retrieve messages from our home.
Return us to our ship and we'll be on our way without trespassing again.
I took you in a fair hunt. I claim the relics of the chase.
Are the others on your ship able to put up more of a fight than you?
You will find our captain a formidable opponent and our ship heavily armed.
Good. Strong prey makes for a better hunt.
Release us now and you'll be safe, otherwise we will destroy you.
Pitiful relics.
They are the first of their kind. I will be envied.
I've located their ship. It's 4,000 ketricks from the module.
We'll be there within the hour. Go to stalking mode.
- Why do you hesitate? - The group is on its way.
I wanted to claim this prey for myself.
We may not be able to take them alone.
- We need the strength of the others. - I won't share prey.
These two must be the only relics. Prepare them.
It's tricky to scan through the interference, but I'm detecting a ship.
- What kind of ship? - Let me reconfigure the sensor array.
It's Hirogen and Tuvok and Seven are on it.
- Hail them. - On screen.
I'm Captain Janeway of the starship Voyager. You have two of my crew.
Disconnect your link to our module and leave this space.
- Not without my people. - They are my relics.
I'm prepared to offer you something for their safe return.
If the rest of my group arrives, you will be taken as well.
- I'm giving you a chance to run. - We don't run.
Three more ships are coming toward us at high warp.
Don't be foolish. Leave now and save yourselves.
Give me my people and we'll do that.
- They're mine. - Then get ready for a fight.
Red Alert.
- Are they prepared? - Yes, but now is not the time for it.
We should wait for the others and take the ship.
I want to make the first kill. You will verify it.
- If there's a battle, we must join it. - The others can wage the battle.
Perhaps you are more interested in collecting relics.
- Perhaps you're judgment is clouded. - Don't question me again. We do it now.
Think carefully about your decision.
If you kill us, our captain will hunt you down and show no mercy.
I'm not concerned. Lower the harness.
A long, coiled intestine. An interesting trophy.
What possible use could you make of my intestines?
Unusual relics are prized.
Yours will make me envied by men and pursued by women.
You're a crude species. Only your size makes you formidable.
Your insults are as pitiful as your efforts to escape.
This one first. I want the female to witness what will happen to her.
Their bone structure makes cutting through the back difficult.
This will take time.
Bridge to Torres. How much longer?
I'm getting it out piece by piece. At least another half hour.
- How are you coming? - That ship has armour plating.
- It's scattering the targeting beam. - The other ships are closing.
Those ships have massive weapons. They've got us outgunned.
Let me see those ships in relation to the relay station.
We can use that quantum singularity to our advantage.
- How? - Boost the effect of the singularity.
Increase the gravitational pull. We might stop them.
The pull would increases if we could weaken the containment field.
We might be pulled in as well.
Don't worry. We're going to be ready.
Create a low-level warp field around Voyager
sub-light energy level, to counteract the gravitational pull.
We might not be able to beam Tuvok and Seven aboard.
You'll have to find the right balance, Harry.
On my mark. Direct a level 8 anti-thoron burst toward the station.
- Have thrusters ready for full reverse. - Understood.
- Low-level warp field. - Anti-thoron system is on-line.
- I'm ready with thrusters. - Do it.
- It's working. - Try the transporter lock again.
Stabilise the ship.
I can't. The gravity well is pulling us in.
That vessel is weakening the containment field.
Ready weapons. Signal the others to attack.
Torres to bridge. The anti-thoron burst collapsed the signal.
I've gotten as much of the message as I'm going to get.
- Hail those ships. - Channel open.
This is Janeway. Retreat and we'll restore the containment field.
Captain, they're firing...
They're destabilising the containment field.
Stop firing. You're putting yourselves in grave danger.
The singularity is about to be exposed.
- Tuvok's ship is being pulled in. - Get a tractor beam on it.
I have them targeted but if we try to transport them now
their patterns could scatter.
- We're going to lose them. - We have to risk it.
Activating the transporter.
Full reverse! Increase power to the engines!
No response.
- Do you have them? - Their patterns are distorting.
- Narrow the confinement beam. - Tractor beam's almost gone.
Re-route all power to tractor emitters.
They're heading into the black hole.
Realigning the pattern buffer. One more shot.
- I got them. Transporter room 2. - I need more power.
- We're being pulled in. - Transfer all power to the engines.
Shut down life-support.
- Structural integrity failing. - We're going in!
- Open the antimatter injectors to 120%. - That could breach the core.
- So will that black hole. Just do it. - Yes, ma'am.
We're free.
Resume course. I'll be in astrometrics.
Look at this. The energy released from the singularity
created a discharge along the relay network, disabling every station.
How much of the message did you get?
Most of the Starfleet text and a few more personal letters.
- When can we see the Starfleet text? - It'll take some time to decode.
Harry should probably work on it.
If you'll excuse me, I have a few letters to deliver.
- Neelix can do that. - No need.
Anyway, there's one that I want to do personally.
Good news, Harry. I got this at the last minute.
It's from my folks. Thanks.
I'm sorry, Tom. I wasn't able to download yours in time.
Just when I was getting eager to read it.
You could assume that he said he loves you... and that he's proud of you.
I think I will.
Captain's log, supplemental.
Seven of Nine and Tuvok suffered no serious damage on the alien ship.
I'm eager to hear Tuvok's impressions of the species who took them hostage.
I learned little about them, but we should consider them extremely dangerous.
They seem to lack any moral centre.
Why was the relay network so important to them?
I assume they used it for communications, as we did.
They won't be using it any more.
They won't be pleased. I doubt we've seen the last of them.
Come in.
If you'll excuse me. Commander.
Repair teams have inspected the ship.
Except for maintenance that's needed, everything seems fine.
- I suppose so. Want some coffee? - Thanks.
- Cream and sugar? - Two sugars.
- Two sugars? - You drink too much of that stuff.
- Really? - That's your third cup this morning.
Fourth. And on a day like today, it won't be my last.
Coffee. The finest organic suspension ever devised.
It's got me through the worst of the last three years.
I beat the Borg with it.
I'm sure Voyager will be fine, but the crew might be a different story.
They were hoping mail call would become a regular part of their day.
Neelix is putting together a party.
- He thought it might cheer them up. - Good idea. When?
- As soon as he can get people together. - Always the right idea at the right time.
- How are you doing? - Me? I'm fine.
You'd say that if you'd just had your legs torn off by a Trayken beast.
Look what you've been through.
We make a connection with home and then it's ripped away.
We made another enemy who's going to try to destroy us and on top of that...
It's all right. You can say it.
On top of all that, I got a Dear John letter.
It wasn't really a surprise.
I guess I didn't really expect him to wait for me considering the circumstances.
It made me realise that I was using him
as a way to avoid becoming involved with someone else.
You don't have that safety net any more.
That's right.
Then again, my life is far from uneventful here in the Delta Quadrant.
I couldn't have pursued a relationship even if I had realised I was alone.
You're hardly alone. And to my way of thinking, there's still plenty of time.
Plenty of time.
Neelix to the ready room. The party's beginning and two people are missing.
We're on our way.
English (en)