Oh!
- Incredible. - Absolutely thrilling.
All I can say is... wow! I... I can't...
What about you, Mr Vulcan? Isn't that just... wow?
Your inarticulate expression of awe notwithstanding, it was fascinating.
That's the shock wave. The pressure is 30% more than we predicted.
Back us off at full impulse. I want to stay ahead of that wave.
Congratulations. Only two other crews have witnessed a supernova explosion.
Neither was this close. Ten billion kilometres. A record.
- Who brought the champagne? - If I thought you wanted...
- Relax. It's a figure of speech. - Thanks for inviting us to watch.
It's got me interested in stellar phenomena.
Anyone can stargaze on the bridge. Even a hologram with a mobile emitter.
But the real action is always in sickbay.
- How were the shield modifications? - A 7% power drain.
Good job. Chakotay, let's analyse the carbon conversion readings.
You've been on the bridge for 14 hours. You deserve a rest.
Harry and I will work on it and we'll report in the morning.
You win. I'll see you at 0700.
- Janeway to security. Intruder alert. - No need to call room service.
- I've already ordered. - Q!
- You said you wanted champagne. - Security. Intruder alert.
No use. I took the proverbial phone off the hook. We don't want interruptions.
- What are you doing here? - To us.
- There is no us, Q. - The night is young.
- And the sheets are satin. - I want you out. And get rid of this bed.
I don't intend to get between Starfleet sheets. They give me a terrible rash.
Since you won't be using the bed, don't worry.
Kathy, don't be such a prude.
Admit it. It has been a while.
- It's going be a while longer. Get out. - So tense.
Why don't you slip into something more comfortable?
If you think this puerile attempt at seduction will work, you're self-deluded.
I see. You think I'm interested in some tawdry one-night stand.
That's because I haven't told you why I'm here yet.
Out of all the females, of all the species, in all the galaxies,
I have chosen you to be the mother of my child.
You're probably asking yourself,
"Why would a handsome being like Q,
"want to mate with a scrawny
"little bipedal specimen like me?"
Let me guess. No one will have you.
I could have chosen a Klingon targ,
the Romulan empress,
a Cyrillian microbe.
I beat out a single-celled organism?
How flattering.
It's an overwhelming honour.
I can't get you out of my mind.
You're confident, passionate...
And totally uninterested.
Kathy, you can't leave.
My cosmic clock is ticking.
You have no idea what you're missing.
Foreplay with a Q can last for decades.
I'm busy for the next 60 or 70 years.
This is one of those silly human rituals.
You're playing hard to get.
For you, Q, I'm impossible to get.
Goody! A challenge. This will be fun.
Janeway to bridge.
I thought you were going to sleep.
I've had a visit from Q. He's gone now.
But I want to be notified if he reappears
or if anything odd starts to happen.
Acknowledged. What did he want?
Let's just say he had a personal request.
- Captain? - I'm not sure what he's really up to.
But I have a feeling he'll be back. Janeway out.
Come in.
I've got the carbon conversion readings from the supernova.
Is there something else?
- Have you heard anything more from Q? - No.
I wish I could believe he's gone for good.
I was wondering what you meant when you said he made a personal request.
He wants to mate with me.
- I see. - Obviously, it's out of the question.
And I suspect it's a smoke screen. Q's probably got a hidden agenda.
- Maybe. - Chakotay...
I have no right to feel this way, but this bothers the hell out of me.
You're jealous. You didn't say there was another man.
There isn't. I'm just not interested in you.
- Any more questions? - I was wondering, Kathy.
What could anyone see in this big oaf?
Is it the tattoo? Because mine's bigger.
Not big enough.
Captain's log, stardate 50384.2.
Q's visits continue. I suspect he's up to more than pursuing me,
so I've instructed the crew to try to uncover his true motives.
Who says crew performance reports have to be a chore?
- Sure beats working on the bridge. - If we could just hold briefings here.
That'll be the day.
Nice program, Tommy. But it's all just so much hole-pleasure.
All right, Q, what do you want?
Guys, I just don't understand your captain. I've tried everything.
Filling the bridge with roses, writing Drabian love sonnets,
- serenading her in her bath. - I bet she loved that.
No matter what lengths I go to win her heart, she rejects me. Me!
How, I ask, is that possible?
Did it occur to you that she doesn't like you?
No.
Look, Q, we've been told about your appearances on the Enterprise.
Your visits usually turn out to be more than meet the eye.
So save your broken-heart routine and tell us what you're after.
I thought you two might be able to give me some advice
on how to break through Kathy's icy exterior, you know, man-to-man.
My advice would be to give up
before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have.
Come on, Harry. We're not going to get a straight answer out of him.
You, bar rodent, another one of these fruity concoctions.
Not unless you tell me why you're bothering Captain Janeway.
That's a subject I want to discuss. What are some of her favourite things?
Chocolate truffles? Stuffed animals? Erotic art?
You can't bribe Captain Janeway.
- Isn't that what you do? - What are you talking about?
I understand that you acquire things for her,
create little interesting diversions, prepare little tasty treats.
After all, why else would she be so fond of your fur-lined face?
Do you want to know what Captain Janeway likes about me?
I am respectful, loyal and, most of all, sincere.
Those are qualities which someone like you could never hope to possess.
- This isn't going to work, Q. - How can you ignore that face?
He's adorable. But this has to stop.
Please, accept him as a small token of my affection.
- No. - Suit yourself. May we talk? Just talk.
Ahem.
I'm afraid that I haven't been sincere.
When you first asked why I wanted to have a child with you,
I made jokes, bragged about my prowess, engaged in sexual innuendo.
I was covering up my true feelings.
And you want to share your true feelings with me now?
- I'm lonely. - Lonely?
I know it's hard to believe, but I've been single for billions of years.
It was fun at first, gallivanting around the galaxy,
using my omnipotence to impress females of every species.
The fact of the matter is, it left me empty.
I want someone to love me for myself.
I guess what I'm saying is, I want a relationship.
I just thought if you and I had a child,
it would give me that kind of stability and security that I've been missing.
Sorry, Q. I'm not buying it.
Oh. All right. Let's see if you buy this.
You're stuck thousands of light years from home
and you aren't getting any younger, are you?
All your hopes for home, hearth, a family, grow dimmer every day.
Admit it, Kathryn, you're lonely, too.
And you wonder if you will ever have a child.
You're right. I would like to have a child someday.
- But not with you. - Why not?
I'm not the right kind of woman for you.
- Truer words were never spoken. - Q! How did you find me?
Never mind that. What are you doing with that dog?
I'm not talking about the puppy.
Can't you see I'm busy here? Stop stalking me.
- You should be back in the Continuum. - Excuse me, but who are you exactly?
- Kathryn Janeway, may I present Q. - Not just any Q. His Q.
- We were involved... for a while. - About four billion years.
And you desert me to pollute the Continuum with this little being's DNA.
- I never said it was exclusive. - Stay away from him.
Look, Miss Q, I'll save you a lot of trouble.
- I have zero interest in him. - See what you've done?
- And I was finally making progress. - Captain, come to the bridge.
On my way. I'd appreciate you taking this domestic squabble off my ship.
- Report. - You won't believe it.
Another star went supernova. It's .02 light years from our position.
Make that two supernovas. I just picked up another one at 217, mark 47.
- Time of implosion is 67 seconds. - Get us out of here, Tom.
I can't. A shock wave is collapsing the warp field.
Red Alert. Increase shield power.
Tom, lay in a course away from that shock wave.
A star going supernova is an event that occurs once a century in this galaxy.
We're about to witness a third in three days, all in the same sector.
I suspect you have something to do with this.
She is from an intellectually-challenged species, but she's right.
Your irresponsible behaviour has cosmic consequences.
Will you stop overreacting? Always nagging. Now you see why I left her.
- Are you causing these supernovas? - Well, not exactly.
- What does that mean? - It's no use.
- It is too fast for us. - Evasive manoeuvres.
A course correction is futile.
Three shock waves are heading toward us. It is impossible to avoid them all.
Divert power to the shields. You can get us out of here, so do it.
16 seconds to impact. The shields won't hold.
Do something, Q.
Well, if you insist.
That two-timing toad!
- Contact within three seconds. - All hands brace for impact.
Q, where have you taken me?
Well, I must admit, your gown is very becoming.
I don't have time for your fantasies. Return me to Voyager.
This is no fantasy. You're in the Q Continuum now.
- The Continuum? - That's right.
You're perceiving it in the context your human mind can comprehend.
The last time you brought me here, it was like a way station on a desert road.
It was awfully drab, wasn't it? But this...
This is a more colourful representation for an American human.
A manor house, a beautiful southern belle,
a Union officer determined to win her affections,
despite her hatred for Yankees.
Enough. The only thing that interests me is the welfare of my ship.
Well, I'm sure your first officer... Chuckles, is it?
I'm sure he's got everything under control.
- I'd like to make sure of that myself. - This has gone way beyond your ship.
It's even gone beyond you and me.
This is about the future of the Continuum itself.
Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what's going on.
I'll do better than that. I'll show you.
The Continuum is burning. The Q are in the middle of a civil war.
- Start explaining. - Do you remember our friend Quinn?
He committed suicide aboard Voyager.
Do you recall what I said might happen if he took his own life?
You said it would represent an interruption to the Continuum.
- It could have dire consequences. - I'd say a civil war is pretty dire.
His death caused this conflict?
It caused chaos and upheaval.
Because even though he was gone, his calls for freedom
still echoed in the ears of those who believed in him, myself among them.
I sounded the trumpet and carried the banner.
Naturally, others followed.
The forces of the status quo tried to crush us, but we fought back.
Now there's a cosmic struggle for supremacy and the battle is spreading,
causing repercussions throughout the galaxy.
The supernovas.
You might call them... galactic crossfire.
It's terrible, but it's also a wonderful opportunity.
- I see nothing wonderful about war. - It can bring change.
It can transform society for the better.
Your civil war brought an end to slavery.
Ours came before mankind had learned to resolve disputes without bloodshed.
Surely the Q have evolved and can find a non-violent way to resolve a conflict.
- That's where you come in. - What have I to do with it?
Help me transform the Continuum the way civil war transformed your nation.
- By mating with you? - I know. It's brilliant, isn't it?
How can a baby end a war being fought by a race of omnipotent beings?
It's simple. Mating will create a new breed of Q.
It will combine my omnipotence and intellect with the best of humanity.
You believe human DNA is going to restore peace?
Precisely. What the Continuum needs right now is an infusion of fresh blood,
a new sensibility, a new leader, a new messiah.
Think of it. Our child will be a precious stone tossed into the cosmic lake,
sending ripples of human compassion
to wash up on every shore of the universe.
What greater contribution could a being of your limited power hope to make?
What is more important to humanity than peace?
I'm offering you the opportunity to be the mother of peace.
Well, what's it going to be?
Q!
You're bleeding.
- Report. - Shield strength is at 20%.
Hull damage on decks 9 to 14.
- Minor injuries on all decks. - Warp drive off-line.
According to these readings,
we've been knocked 16 billion kilometres from our previous location.
What is going on? Where is Janeway?
Let me go before I hurl this ship into the Therinian Ice Age.
- I don't think you can. - Don't be ridiculous.
Something's affected your powers.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with a bruise.
Now start talking before I hurl you into the brig.
And it's the war in the Continuum that's causing the supernovas?
I presume this conflict is responsible for the weakening of your powers.
The Vulcan talent for stating the obvious amazes me.
How could Q re-enter the Continuum and you couldn't?
I tried to return, but I was wounded in the process.
Don't try to understand. It's beyond your capacity to comprehend.
What's important is I'm stuck here with you mortals
and Q is probably irreparably harming the Continuum with that woman.
Tossed aside for someone five billion years younger.
If it weren't so laughable, I'd cry.
Look, we want our captain back and you obviously want to get home.
- Why don't we help each other? - How could you possibly help me?
There has to be a way to the Continuum besides snapping your fingers.
Well, there's one possibility.
I don't think this rickety barge or your half-witted crew are up to the challenge.
May I remind you, madam, that this rickety barge and its half-witted crew
are your only hope at the moment.
- That hurts. - Be still.
I never thought a Q could be injured.
This is only a perception of what is happening.
Those are not mere cannonballs and lead charges being fired at us.
So they're some sort of Q weapons?
You'd be surprised what munitions can be created
by an immortal being who's set his mind on killing.
Hold your fire. You're surrounded, Q. Surrender now.
- We'll be merciful. - Call a truce. Talk to them.
- You can resolve it peacefully. - What's your answer?
- I'll never surrender! You know that! - Resume fire.
- Get a rifle and take the other window. - This is your fight, not mine.
If their weapons can make me bleed, what do you think they'll do to you?
Q!
Come on.
First officer's log, stardate 50392.7.
While we don't understand the astrophysics,
the female Q has suggested modifications
to allow Voyager to enter the Continuum.
- Well? - Well, what?
Are you finished yet?
This requires a reconfiguration of the shield array. It takes a while.
- For us mere morals. - Surely you can speed up the process.
If you're in a hurry, snap your fingers and do it yourself.
That's right. You've lost your powers and you need our help.
Do you understand it's imperative I get back before Q mates with your captain?
I understand. You aren't the first female to have a man run out on her.
I hope you're not comparing a failed romance in your pitiful existence
to my eternal association with Q.
I have really had it with this superiority complex of yours.
- It's not a complex, dear. It's a fact. - Here's another fact.
If you don't stop pestering me, I won't finish
and your association with Q might not be quite as eternal as you think.
I've always liked Klingon females. You've got such spunk.
- Where are we? - One of your faction's encampments.
- How? - I pulled you out of the mansion
and hid you from the enemy patrols.
Then I spotted some of your people retreating from the battle.
From the look of them, I'd say you're not on the winning side.
- You saved my life. - Now it's time to end all this.
I knew you'd come around.
I've been thinking about what you said,
that creating a new Q could bring an era of peace.
My wild, sweet Kathy. I promise you won't regret it.
Oh, you're not going to have a child with me.
You're going to mate with that charming lady friend of yours on my ship.
Mate with another Q? Ridiculous.
It sounded like you had a long-term relationship.
Yes, but it was never physical.
I mean, the Q are way beyond sex. It's never been done.
Really? Then how did the Q come into existence in the first place?
The Q didn't come into existence. The Q have always existed.
Besides, I can only mate with a species capable of copulation, like you.
- But I don't love you, Q. - What has that got to do with it?
It's the foundation of a family. I can't have a child with someone I don't love,
much less give it up to the Continuum.
I would never dream of having you give it up. Who would look after it?
I'm really not cut out to be a wet nurse.
- You're not willing to do the hard work? - I'm an idea man.
Hard work isn't my forte.
Change specialties. The trouble you're in needs more than a quick fix.
You can't sprinkle human DNA into the Continuum and make it all right.
Why not?
Those best qualities of humanity aren't a simple matter of genetics.
Love, conscience, compassion -
they're attributes that have developed over centuries.
Values passed from one generation to the next,
taught by parents to their children.
Creating a new kind of Q is a noble idea,
but it will take more than impregnating someone and walking away.
If you want your offspring to embrace your ideals, teach them yourself.
That's exactly why I want you here, to nourish and guide the little tyke.
Think of the opportunities here.
The entire universe would be our child's playground.
Together the two of you could explore dimensions you've never imagined.
Fess up. Isn't it even slightly tempting?
I'd be lying if I said no.
What explorer isn't intrigued by the idea of seeking out new dimensions?
But I have other responsibilities and I won't just abandon them.
Oh, yes. The crew of the intrepid starship Voyager.
Perhaps you want to send them home.
You tempted me with that prospect before.
But frankly, your credibility is more than a little suspect.
We will get home. We're committed to that.
We're going to do it through hard work and determination.
We are not looking for a quick fix.
If I wanted to mate, I wouldn't know how. It's unprecedented.
You'll figure something out. You are omnipotent, after all.
- I need time to think about it. - Time's up.
You've got to stop this war before it destroys the Continuum.
I'm taking a white flag to the enemy camp
to tell them you're ready to talk about terms for a ceasefire.
- Kathy, don't be a hero. - I'm going, Q.
So if I were you, I'd start working on a way to set that precedent.
First officer's log, supplemental.
We've laid in a course for where the Q says we can enter the Continuum.
You, helm boy. Adjust course to heading 235, mark 0.8.
- Increase speed to maximum impulse. - Sir?
- Commander? - What is it?
We're on course for a star about to go supernova.
- You wanted to go into the Continuum? - In one piece.
Try to wrap your mind around this.
The supernovas are caused by spatial disruptions within the Continuum.
When a star implodes, a negative density false vacuum is created,
which sucks matter into the Continuum.
- So we get pulled in? - If we time it perfectly.
Otherwise, you'll be blown to fragments.
I needn't remind you that close proximity to a supernova will crush us.
- Even if we time it perfectly. - You're so negative.
- He has a point. - Humanoids. Q to engineering.
- Go ahead, Q. - Take warp drive off-line.
Remodulate shields to emit a beta-tachyon pulse.
Emit focused antiproton beams to the shield bubble.
- Does this make any sense? - I don't understand it completely.
But if she's thinking what I think she is,
we should increase power to the shields by a factor of ten.
Assuming the shield bubble doesn't burn us to a crisp.
We'll reach the star in 13 seconds. I still have time to change course.
Maintain your course. B'Elanna, remodulate the shields.
- Get ready to emit the antiprotons. - Acknowledged.
Entering the star's corona in three seconds.
Antiprotons now, B'Elanna.
Ah. Captain Janeway, I presume. You're dismissed.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, madam, but... Ah, please sit down.
I understand you walked into our camp unarmed?
- That's right. - The Continuum is dangerous for us all,
not to mention a solitary human female. I admire your bravery.
I come with an offer of a truce from Q.
I'm afraid the time for diplomacy has passed.
If we don't end the war quickly, subspace damage will be irreversible.
- You agree the fighting has to stop? - Most certainly.
We intend to conclude this war by the most expedient means possible.
I'm relieved to hear you say that.
- May I ask how? - Quite simple, really.
Since Q is the ringleader of the freedom faction, we have to execute him.
With all due respect, there are no chapters in my own people's history
more tragic than wars which set neighbour against neighbour.
Q has an idea for a non-violent way to bring this conflict to an end.
I urge you to listen to what he has to say.
We are already resolved. I'd be in your debt if you'd tell me where to find him.
- I won't do that. - No, I didn't think you would.
Excuse me, sir.
- We won't need your assistance. - He's willing to negotiate. Let him go.
- She's right. - Grovel all you want, Q.
I've waited for this for an eternity. Put them in chains.
Wait! What are you charging me with?
Collaborating with the enemy. In the Continuum, that is punishable by death.
- Captain. - Private.
Why won't you listen to me? We can resolve the situation peacefully.
If it's any consolation, some will remember us as martyrs.
I'd rather skip that particular honour.
Still, there's something romantic about going to our deaths together.
Do you have any last words?
I won't plead for my own life. From your perspective it seems insignificant.
But what is not insignificant is that the Q, as an omnipotent race,
have an opportunity to set a higher standard for other beings in the galaxy.
I implore you, don't go through with this
and continue using violence to resolve differences.
Q, do you have anything to add?
Today I sacrifice my existence for the principles of freedom and individuality
that I have fought for so long.
But this woman is innocent.
What's more, she saved my life and she tried to save us from each other.
Kill me if you must, but let her go.
A very touching speech, Q.
But as usual, your rhetoric fails to compensate for your irresponsibility.
Ready!
Aim!
- I'm sorry. - I know.
- Fire! - I'm hit!
I'm dying!
Q, they're not firing at us.
They're not?
Harry, get to the captain!
- Are you all right? - I'm fine.
Darling, I knew you'd come. Won't you untie me?
How do I know you wouldn't run off with a bipedal female?
I have a proposal which will reassure you of my devotion.
Put down the gun.
Think of it, Q. We'd be visionaries, innovators, the parents of peace.
- That does have a ring to it. - Captain, what should I do with him?
We can end the war. Call off your troops.
Do as she says and I'll call them off.
They may be humanoids, but they're using our weapons.
Cease fire!
- Tell our people to stop shooting. - Hold your fire!
Have you thought how we might accomplish this act of procreation?
I've thought of nothing else since you suggested it. As a matter of fact...
- I love it when you talk dirty. - I'll give you some privacy.
Don't you like to watch?
- I was good, wasn't I? - Very good.
That was it?
You had your chance. Don't go crying about it now.
Lieutenant Paris, what's our position?
- We're back on our original course. - All crew accounted for.
Ensign Kim, any sign of supernovas?
No, ma'am. Nothing but calm space ahead. Looks like the war is over.
Mr Chakotay, run a series of standard diagnostics.
If everything checks out, take us to warp 6.
- Aye, Captain. - I'll be in my ready room.
Yabba-dabba doo!
Q!
- He's got my cheekbones. - He's adorable.
I'd say fatherhood agrees with you.
I'll admit, I look at the universe in an entirely different way now.
I can't go around causing temporal anomalies or subspace inversions
without considering the impact on my son.
I'm glad to hear you intend to set a good example.
Did I tell you how smart he is?
I've taught him how to knock small planets out of orbit.
What about teaching love and conscience?
Oh. That's why we want Auntie Kathy to be the godmother, don't we?
- I'm honoured. - Wait until we ask you to baby-sit.
Can't leave the little guy alone for a nanosecond.
Well, it's time to be going.
The old ball and chain really hates it when we're late.
Say bye-bye.
Bye-bye.