Star Trek: Voyager s06e07 Episode Script

Gedrin! Gedrin! What happened? l lost you.
l had to disconnect them from the reactor.
Were they dead? l had no choice.
The main power's holding.
The rest of the bio- pods are secure, and that leaves us.
Don't look so worried.
lt'll be like a simple night's sleep.
We're out of time.
Do you think we'll dream? l don't know.
We'll get through this.
What if there's nothing left? We'll start again.
Five years.
Report.
We've entered some kind of a subspace corridor.
We were cruising at warp 6, then, wham.
This thing pulled at our warp field like a magnet.
Where did that debris come from? Unknown, but the corridor is filled with it.
Metal fragments, plasma exhaust, organic residue.
Some of the debris is over 800 years old, Captain.
l'd like to avoid becoming part of this garbage stream.
Can you find a way out? l don't know.
There's hundreds of corridors.
lt's like a maze.
Well, be a good rat and find us the cheese, hmm? l'll do my best, Captain.
Tuvok? lt was a vessel, sir.
They are hailing us.
Put it through.
Who are you? l'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager and you are? This under- space belongs to us.
We're here by accident.
We're trying to find a way out.
Can you help us? Help you? Yes.
We'll help you.
They are targeting our shields with a resonance pulse.
lt's altering the harmonics.
We're being pushed out of the corridor.
We're clear.
The vessel has exited the corridor as well.
Captain, we're over 200 light- years from where we entered the corridor.
Hail them.
Thank you for your help.
There's something l'd like to ask you.
We've got a long journey ahead of us, and l was wondering if we could negotiate passage through this under- space of yours.
Lower your shields.
Prepare to be boarded.
Boarded? For what reason? We must purge your computer.
Remove all readings you've gathered in our territory.
We pose no threat to you.
We're simply trying to We're going to destroy that information one way or another.
Lower your shields.
l won't do that.
Evasive maneuvers.
Try to disable them.
Their vessel is highly maneuverable.
lt's difficult to get a phaser lock.
Picking up two more ships heading our way.
Direct hit.
Our warp drive is off- line.
Shields down to 82 percent.
They're closing.
We could use some clever suggestions about now.
There's a planet eight million kilometers ahead- - uninhabited- - but the atmosphere is charged with radiogenic particles.
How radiogenic? lf we route enough power to the shields, we can survive in that, but maybe our friends can't.
Shields at 53 percent.
Do it.
Entering the thermosphere.
Radiation levels at 3,000 isorems and climbing.
The alien ships? ln pursuit and charging weapons.
lncrease our descent vector.
They're still closing.
Direct hit to our aft shields.
Find the highest concentration of radiation, and take us through it.
Proximity radiation at 4,000 isorems Six.
Their shields are weakening.
They're breaking off.
Now all we need is a place to set down and make repairs.
Tom? We're clearing the lower stratosphere.
On screen.
l thought you said this planet was uninhabited.
The radiation must have interfered with my scans.
l doubt it's inhabited anymore.
Looks like this planet's in the middle of a nuclear winter.
Agreed.
Gamma radiation levels are highly toxic.
The impact crater suggests an orbital bombardment.
How long ago? From the rate of radiogenic decay 892 years.
This must have been a city of millions.
Set us down.
Disengaging engines.
Stand down Red Alert.
Assign damage repair teams, and, Tom, make sure B'Elanna has enough help in Engineering.
l want those warp engines back on line.
Yes, ma'am.
Our ''friends'' are still in orbit.
Circling like vultures.
Well, they're going to go hungry.
Not if they find a way to adapt their shields and come down after us.
Captain l'm detecting faint life signs coming from a chamber several hundred meters beneath the surface.
Survivors.
After 900 years? Oversee the repair teams.
You're going down there.
lf somebody survived this catastrophe, they might need our help.
Get a good fix on those coordinates.
l don't want to beam into solid rock.
Seven, Tuvok, you're with me.
These walls have been reinforced with tritonium.
They built this place to last.
Most of the power relays are still active.
Not bad after nine centuries.
The main reactor is drawing energy from the planet's geothermal core.
Efficient.
Some kind of stasis pod.
This display indicates that there are more chambers behind these walls.
Some of them have failed.
lt's amazing they survived at all.
Let's see what else we can find.
Seven? What are you doing? l've activated the reanimation sequence.
He may be able to provide us with answers.
We don't know anything about this species.
They could be hostile.
Most humanoid cultures are.
Remind me to reacquaint you with away mission protocols.
Who? lt's all right.
We're not your enemy.
We're from a starship.
We discovered this chamber and revived you.
How long was l? ln stasis? Close to 900 years.
Jisa.
Help her, please.
No, Jisa.
She was my wife.
l won't hurt you.
l was drifting in and out of consciousness when they brought me here, but l thought l saw you appear out of thin air.
l'm a computer program, a hologram.
And the others? Flesh and blood, like yourself.
You're the ones that took me out of stasis.
l don't recognize your species.
Human.
Our home planet is halfway across the galaxy.
And you've expanded your territory into this space? Our ship was brought here by accident.
We're trying to get home.
You're Borg.
How do you know that? Don't you recognize my people, the Vaadwaur? The collective's memory from 900 years ago is fragmentary.
l've had many encounters with your kind.
And lived to tell about them? lmpressive.
How did you find us? We needed someplace to hide from the Turei, after they found us in one of their subspace corridors.
Their corridors? So they claimed.
The corridors were ours.
lt took centuries to map them.
We were the envy of a hundred species including the Turei.
Are they responsible for what happened to your planet? The Turei and a dozen others.
What one couldn't accomplish, the others finally did.
l would like to look at what's left of my world.
We made our final stand there.
l've scanned the caverns.
You've got a thousand more stasis pods down there- - most of them still active.
Hundreds of ships, land vehicles weapons.
A single battalion and their families.
We had planned to come out of stasis after five years.
We believed that by then, the alliance would have been at each other's throats.
You were going to rebuild? No, not here.
We knew this planet would be poisoned for centuries.
We were planning to go to another world, start a colony, hope to find new allies, learn from them.
Your power core is still functioning.
lt was the controls that were damaged in the attack.
That's why you never came out of stasis.
Jisa and l lived there in the old quarter.
We had a garden overlooking the street below.
lt's a shame she didn't show more courage at the end.
Given the circumstances Well, that's no excuse.
Pardon me for saying this, but that seems a bit heartless.
When it rains, do you run from doorway to doorway, trying to stay dry getting wet all the while, or do you just accept the fact that it's raining and walk with dignity? Rain's one thing.
Plasma bombs are something else.
But the principle is the same.
l'd bring an umbrella.
Maybe it's not too late to meet a new ally and learn from her.
l took the liberty of preparing a large assortment of Delta Quadrant dishes.
Hopefully, there's something here that you'll like.
You're Talax- ilzay.
Talaxian, but you're right.
My ancestors referred to themselves as Talax- ilzay in the Old Tongue.
The Old Tongue was new when l met your race.
You traveled all the way to Talaxia? And farther.
Our corridors took us to many worlds.
l'm curious.
Have you heard of us, the Vaadwaur? Oh, l'm afraid there aren't many records from that period, but Vaadwaur is a word in the Old Tongue.
lt means, uh, ''foolish.
'' l'm, uh, l'm sure that it's, uh, just a coincidence, of course.
l l didn't mean to be rude.
Your ancestors were wise.
Only fools would let this happen to them.
Chakotay to Captain Janeway.
Go ahead.
Looks like our friends in orbit have found us.
We're on our way.
Report.
Six Turei vessels are in orbit, all firing plasma charges.
That was 2,000 meters to starboard.
Looks like they can't get an exact fix on our position.
The radiogenic atmosphere must be disrupting their targeting.
They're getting closer.
Can we return fire? We have the same problem.
Our torpedoes won't lock on.
Direct hit.
Aft shields down to 18 percent.
Captain, can you transmit a signal through this atmosphere? We've already tried talking to them.
l have no intention of speaking with the Turei.
We put a sentry satellite in orbit directly above the city.
You could use its sensors to help guide your torpedoes.
lt's there, intact and functional.
Open a channel.
l'll give you the activation code.
l'm a few centuries out of date.
You can enter the activation code here.
lt's processing our telemetry.
Triangulate.
Fire.
Direct hit.
The lead ship has lost shields.
lts propulsion is down.
One more torpedo will finish them.
The other ships are retreating.
Captain, why don't you keep firing? We've scared them off.
That's enough for now.
But they'll come back with twice as many ships.
With any luck, our warp drive will be back on line by then.
The Turei may be cowards, but their technology has become much more advanced than ours.
lf you leave us, we will be slaughtered again.
What do you propose? Help us off this planet, and we will show you subspace corridors known to nobody else.
You will be free from the Turei, and you will be a thousand light- years closer to your home.
Let's wake up your battalion.
Dragon's teeth.
''Dragon's teeth''? An old Greek myth.
After a dragon was killed in a war, its teeth were spread out over the battlefield.
They took root, and warriors sprung from the ground to continue the fighting.
Captain's Log, supplemental.
We've revived nearly 200 of the Vaadwaur, and we're moving forward with our unexpected alliance.
Voyager was pulled into the corridor, Pulled in? There must have been a break along the radial wall.
The corridors occur naturally, but they're very unstable.
They're damaged by use.
Obviously, the Turei don't have the wisdom to maintain them properly.
They'll be very difficult to navigate after centuries of neglect.
We've only been able to chart a few of the corridors.
Can you provide us with a more complete map? We've never kept written records for security reasons.
Of course, we've committed all the corridors to memory- - every multifold, every spatial intersect.
We'll be happy to plot a course for you, but first, we'll need to get past the Turei.
How many vessels are in orbit? Eleven.
Mr.
Gaul, Tuvok, start working on a tactical plan.
lf we do manage to escape, we'll need to locate a habitable world.
Seven, scan the astrometric database.
See what you can find.
Someplace out of the way.
Yes, Captain.
Morin, take charge of reviving the rest of our battalion.
Many of our bio- pods have been damaged.
l could use some assistance.
Our Chief Engineer will be glad to give you a hand.
Thank you.
Well, let's get started.
We've got a civilization to rebuild.
No story tonight, Naomi.
l had to cook for 200 people today.
That's okay.
l'm tired, too.
Did you get a chance to meet any of the children? l don't like them.
Why not? l just don't.
Well, that's not good enough.
l'm the ship's Ambassador.
You're the Captain's Assistant.
We have to make a- a good impression on our new friends.
They're not my friends.
Well not yet.
Listen first thing tomorrow, you and l will get together with a couple of the children No.
Naomi, what's wrong? Nothing.
l don't like them, and l don't want to play with them.
That doesn't sound like you.
Tell me what happened.
They called you names.
Names? They said everybody from your planet was stupid.
They said your ears were funny.
They said just looking at you made them laugh.
They said l- l- l l get the idea.
Children can be a little cruel sometimes, but there's no need to take it personally.
Besides, my ears are kind of funny.
l don't want to play with them.
Well and you don't have to.
Okay.
Come on.
Good night.
l'll tell you a story tomorrow, l promise.
l'm not happy with these fluctuations.
We may be trying to reactivate too many ships at once.
l suggest we focus on the assault fighters.
Qual tel t'pok.
Thanks.
When did you learn Klingon? Just a few phrases.
l was studying your database.
The Klingons are a noble race.
They have their moments.
''Today is a good day to die.
'' Pardon? Kahless, your greatest warrior.
That was his battle cry.
You seem to have taken an interest in Klingon history.
There are many parallels between our cultures.
The Vaadwaur have also learned to embrace death without fear.
As children, we're taught to fall asleep each night imagining a different way to die.
l prefer curling up with a good book.
Hmm.
Computer, access my personal database.
Access established.
Go into the Talaxian linguistic files, Old Tongue dialect.
Find and define the word ''Vaadwaur.
'' Vaadwaur: archaic adjective.
Primary meaning: foolish.
Additional meanings: Weak- minded, reckless, blind.
What's the first known usage? First written example appears in Eldaxon's Collected Folklore, Second Edition.
Year of publication, Computer, name the specific folktales that use the word ''Vaadwaur.
'' ''The Demon with the Golden Voice,'' ''The Tale of the Deadly Stranger,'' ''The Tale of the Boy Who Lost His Head,'' ''The Tale of the Bloody Hand.
'' Not exactly Mother Goose.
Computer, transfer the text of those stories to my quarters.
Transfer complete.
That star cluster in Grid 1421? Nearly half the planets are inhabitable.
Unfortunately, they are already occupied by the Borg.
The Borg? ln my century, they'd only assimilated a handful of systems.
lt looks like they've spread through the Quadrant like a plague.
No offense.
None taken.
We had a colony near the twin star in Grid 315.
That is part of the Devore lmperium now.
And who are they? An authoritarian regime.
They claim 1 1 systems across three sectors.
l don't suppose they'd be willing to negotiate for a continent or two.
The Devore are intolerant of outsiders.
Well, it doesn't matter.
We have nothing to negotiate with.
Our technology is 900 years out of date.
Your pessimism is irrelevant.
We will find a home for you.
l hope you're right.
are now in orbit.
Long- range sensors indicate five more on the way.
l can understand that they want the odds in their favor, but isn't that overkill? They may have detected us.
lf they know their history, they'll come prepared.
to hold a grudge.
The Turei would like nothing more than to find the rest of our subspace corridors.
We can't allow that to happen.
Then l suggest we use the element of surprise.
At 0600, Voyager will leave the surface and engage the Turei ships in orbit.
As we draw their fire, the more powerful Vaadwaur vessels will attack from multiple vectors.
The rest of the Vaadwaur will break orbit from the opposite side of the planet and proceed to the subspace corridors.
We'll rendezvous with them afterwards.
What if Voyager is disabled? We'll be defenseless.
lf we armed my ships with your photon torpedoes l can't authorize that.
Why not? Starfleet protocols are very strict about the transfer of weapons.
l'm not used to putting my life into someone else's hands.
There are a lot of things you're going to have to get used to.
We've faced enemies worse than the Turei.
l'm confident we can handle them.
l need those weapons.
l'm sorry.
The answer's no.
lf you want access to our corridors We'll continue home through open space if we have to.
All right.
Our lives are in your hands.
We've found a planet in a nebula near the junction of Corridors 39 and 87 5.
We'd be isolated and relatively safe.
''Relatively''? l'm afraid the planet is somewhat harsh.
There are no large bodies of water, and the vegetation is sparse.
This is absurd! Ensign, we need a power coupling over here, on the double.
Our plan was to reoccupy one of our former colonies, gain allies, rebuild our forces- - take back what was ours! Our former colonies are destroyed or were occupied by species that are far more advanced than we are.
Then we'll find a way to take them back.
With what? A battalion of obsolete ships and outdated weapons? No with Voyager.
l've been studying their technology- - the control systems, propulsion, weaponry.
We could learn to operate the vessel ourselves.
What are you saying? After they engage the Turei, they'll expect us to assist them.
lnstead, we'll attack.
We'll put as many soldiers as we can onto Voyager and take it into the corridors! This is a mistake.
lf we fail, we'll lose everything.
lf you'd like, l can return you to your stasis pod.
lnform the others.
This is an M- Class planet in orbit of a Type- G star.
We've located a continent with edible vegetation and an underground water supply.
Unfortunately, the region is subject to windstorms.
Not exactly paradise.
You will adapt.
Practical and to the point- - just like my wife.
She had a knack for cutting to the truth.
She must have been an efficient individual.
Ah, to say the least.
You would have enjoyed her company.
You are not at all like the Borg l knew.
As a drone, l helped assimilate many civilizations.
Now l have the opportunity to help reconstruct one.
l find the experience gratifying.
So do l.
l'm curious- - has your crew ever considered finding a planet of their own, a place to settle down? Captain Janeway is committed to getting Voyager back to Earth.
That could take decades and there are many dangers ahead.
We will adapt.
l suppose you will.
Neelix to Seven of Nine.
Yes? Could l see you in Cargo Bay 2? lt's important.
Acknowledged.
l'm due for a final briefing with your Mr.
Tuvok.
l'll accompany you to the Bridge.
l'm sorry to bother you, but l've been doing some research on our new allies, and l have found something very interesting.
ln dozens of the ancient folktales of my people, there's a common theme.
They describe a phantom army that appears out of thin air, destroys entire colonies, and vanishes in the blink of an eye.
Sound familiar? The subspace corridors.
Exactly! Gedrin claims they've been using them as trade routes, but l'm starting to wonder.
Your source material is folktales, Mr.
Neelix.
But many fables have a basis in reality.
You've got the collective knowledge of thousands of species.
You could cross- reference my findings.
lt'll only take a few minutes.
Come in.
You wanted to see me, Captain? Yes.
l need a little history lesson.
Can't it wait until after we've reached the corridors? l'm afraid not.
l've just had a conversation with Mr.
Neelix and Seven of Nine.
They've been poring through various databases and have come up with some surprising findings.
Surprising? You told me the Vaadwaur were a culture of merchants and scientists, who expanded their knowledge by using subspace corridors to travel to other worlds.
You were the envy of hundreds of species, some of whom eventually wanted the corridors for themselves.
Your point? Let me give you another version of events.
The Vaadwaur were an aggressive culture, who expanded their territory by using the corridors to attack other worlds until some of those worlds banded together to defend themselves and put an end to the Vaadwaur threat once and for all.
Would you care to set the record straight? That was 900 years ago.
lf we're going to be fighting side- by- side, l have to trust you.
l need to be certain you don't have any ulterior motives.
Our only motive is survival.
lf l were to take you at your word, the ancient Talaxians might call me Vaadwaur- - ''foolish.
'' That's what they came to call anyone who allowed themselves to be deceived by an enemy.
There are hundreds of other references just like it.
Both versions of our history are true.
We did use the corridors to explore, and, on occasion, expand our territory, but, Captain, we have gone from a population of six billion to 600.
Our weapons are archaic.
Do you really think that we are prepared to declare war on the Delta Quadrant? Not yet, but right now, it's Voyager l'm worried about.
The Turei are going to be firing everything they've got at my ship.
You might try to take advantage of that.
What are you going to do- - put us all back into stasis? We said we'd try to help you make a new start, and l want to keep that promise, but l can't ignore history, Mr.
Gedrin.
Make yourself comfortable, Mr.
Gedrin.
Chakotay l don't know whether to believe him or not.
What l wouldn't give for a Betazoid about now.
lf Mr.
Neelix is right, we should be ready for anything.
Their technology may be outdated, but it can still do a lot of damage.
Agreed.
Maintain a full security alert and have Tuvok keep a weapons lock on their primary reactor.
Are we still proceeding at 0600 hours? Yes, but with a few modifications.
What's Mr.
Gaul's location? He's in the Central Chamber.
Hail him.
Captain, we've reactivated Our pilots are standing by.
l need to inform you about a change of plan.
l want you to deactivate the particle cannons on all but ten of your assault vessels.
Then we'll proceed on schedule.
l don't understand.
Only ten of your ships are going to engage the Turei.
The others will head directly for the subspace corridors.
l see no reason for those to be armed.
Something could go wrong.
Why leave them defenseless? Voyager will defend them.
What prompted this change? You haven't been completely honest about your past, and that makes me a little uncertain about the present.
Gedrin.
l suggest you listen to her.
Request denied, Captain.
lt's not a request.
You can call it an ultimatum if you like.
Unacceptable.
l'm going to leave this planet in one hour with or without you.
We did not spend 900 years in stasis to take orders from you.
Contact the battalion.
Tell them to prepare for the attack.
l don't know about the rest of you, but l'm ready to get moving.
What's our status? lmpulse engines are on line.
Shields at maximum.
Weapons standing by.
Tom, prepare to initiate the ascent sequence in Report.
Massive energy readings coming from the Central Chamber.
lt's the Vaadwaur.
They're launching the first wave of ships.
through the surface.
They're at an altitude of 2,000 meters and charging weapons.
Ma'am, they're not ascending into orbit.
They're heading straight for Voyager.
Tom? Engaging thrusters.
lnitiating ascent sequence.
Vaadwaur ships approaching off our starboard bow.
Target phasers, full spread.
We're airborne.
What altitude do we need on this planet, Tom, before we can go to warp? We'll have to clear the thermosphere.
Shields at 92 percent.
Phasers.
We've disabled four of their ships.
They've launched another 39 vessels.
Evasive maneuvers.
lt's no use.
They're closing on all sides.
Direct hit to the port thrusters.
We're losing altitude.
Reroute emergency power.
We need to get into orbit.
Targeting sensors off- line.
Switching to manual.
Harry, can you open a secure channel to the Turei ships in orbit? Yes, ma'am, but that would give away our position.
They could lock on with plasma charges.
l think it's time we reacquaint a couple of old friends.
Hail them.
Voyager shields are weakening, but they're gaining altitude again.
They're approaching the thermosphere.
Launch another squadron.
We've got nine more fighters on our tail.
Aft shields down to 20 percent.
Captain, the Turei are responding.
Put them through.
What do you want? l've got a proposition for you.
No more talk.
Prepare to be boarded.
Tell me, have you been picking up weapons fire? We have detected some unusual energy signatures, yes.
That's because we're under attack by the Vaadwaur.
lmpossible.
They were destroyed centuries ago.
Some of us have survived.
They've got over 200 ships.
They said something about wanting their subspace corridors back.
l suggest we join forces and try to neutralize the threat here and now.
What's more important to you? Deleting the records of a Federation ship that means you no harm, or defending yourselves against hundreds of Vaadwaur fighters who are determined to invade your under- space? l suggest you pick your enemy.
Our sensors can't penetrate the atmosphere.
How can we fight an enemy we can't see? We have access to one of their surveillance satellites.
We could use it to transmit their vital coordinates to you.
lf this is a deception l'm having trouble establishing a link with the satellite.
Our sensor array took heavy damage.
l could access it from the underground control chamber.
Transport me there.
Not all of my people are stuck in the past, Captain.
Tuvok, go with him.
We've impacted their hull.
There are breaches in progress on two decks.
They'll have to reroute power from their shields to seal them.
They'll have no choice but to put down.
Have our ground forces ready.
We've lost impulse engines and navigation.
Thrusters are failing.
We're losing altitude.
Tuvok, status.
Tuvok? l've lost his signal.
All hands, this is the Captain.
lnitiate emergency landing procedures and arm yourselves.
lf the Vaadwaur board this ship, we'll fight them hand- to- hand if we have to.
Once we've secured Voyager, execute the crew.
Wait! We have hundreds of bio- pods still intact.
Put them into stasis.
ln a few hundred years, maybe someone will be kind enough to revive them.
What is that?! lt's a plasma charge.
lt came from orbit.
lt's the Turei.
They've isolated our location.
How?! One of the surveillance satellites has been activated.
Shut it down! They're blocking my commands.
l'm rotating the carrier frequencies.
The chamber is destabilizing.
We must evacuate.
No, not yet.
lf we're going to succeed, l need to transmit the signatures of our fighters to the Turei.
You go.
Six Vaadwaur ships were just destroyed by the Turei.
The others are breaking off their attack.
lmpulse engines? Still off- line.
How about emergency power? Barely enough for life- support, Captain.
Harry, the radiogenic particles in the atmosphere- - could we use them as a power source? Well, we'd have to modify the warp core's conversion matrix.
lt could take hours.
What if we drew the particles directly into our plasma manifold? That would give us one hell of a boost.
lt could also blow out every power relay on the ship.
Damned if we do; damned if we don't.
Open the forward nacelle ports and reverse the pressure gradient.
Take in 600 kilograms.
The chamber's collapsing, sir! We'll take as many ships as we can.
Try to reach the subspace corridor! Particle concentration at 3,000 parts per million.
Release the manifold.
Rerouting plasma to the power conduits.
We have impulse.
Take us up.
blew out on Deck 6.
Steady.
We're crossing the thermosphere.
Any sign of pursuit? None.
Looks like the Vaadwaur have their hands full.
Altitude? We've cleared the thermosphere.
Go to warp, Mr.
Paris.
Yes, ma'am.
Captain's Log, Stardate 53167.
9.
After two days, there's been no sign of the Vaadwaur or the Turei.
However, Seven of Nine has made an unsettling discovery.
How many ships? Astrometric scans detected entering the corridors- - all Vaadwaur.
The underground chambers? They were destroyed by the Turei bombardment.
Captain l believe l made an error in judgment.
Oh? By awakening Gedrin, l initiated a chain of events that nearly led to our destruction.
l wanted to help revive a civilization, not start a war.
You thought you were acting out of compassion.
l might have done the same thing, but that doesn't make it right, Seven.
The repercussions of this could be catastrophic.
Their technology is nine centuries out of date.
Their plans for conquest are irrelevant.
They're a resourceful species, determined.
They'll adapt.
l doubt we've seen the last of them.