Star Trek: Voyager
Episode #103
“Six Impossible Things”
Teaser:
fade in
ext space
Voyager flies through space, cruising at warp speed.
janeway (vo)
Captain’s log. For the first time since the Caretaker brought us to the Delta Quadrant, there’s a sense of hope onboard Voyager…
int voyager – engineering
The Engineering section glows with the soothing blue light of a properly functioning warp core. We see B’Elanna and Joe Carey working together; we see him speaking and her nodding in agreement.
int voyager – mess hall
In the Mess Hall, we see several crew smiling, laughing, eating what appear to be hearty and appetizing meals.
int voyager – bridge
And on the Bridge, Neelix is standing at the helm, working with Tom. Chakotay, Seska, Harry and Tuvok are also on the Bridge; Janeway is, as usual, in the big chair.
janeway (vo)
…and we have Mr. Neelix to thank for it.
neelix
There! You see it?
tom
You’re as good as your word, Neelix. The Metrellis system, six point three light years.
janeway
What are you waiting for, Mr. Paris? Set a course. Warp six.
tom
Yes, sir!
janeway
Mr. Kim, scan ahead. Let’s see if we can catch a glimpse of Mr. Neelix’s wormhole.
harry
Yes, Captain!
chakotay
We’re certainly overdue for some good luck.
seska
You should know better than to trust to luck, Chakotay.
tom
Didn’t someone once say it’s better to be lucky than good?
janeway
I’m sure someone did, Lieutenant, but let’s shoot for both, shall we? Anything yet, Mr. Kim?
harry
There’s a lot of interference out there, Captain. I’m trying to cut through it…
Tuvok goes over to help Harry.
tuvok
Try altering the frequency…
(Harry taps at his panel)
…precisely, Mr. Kim.
janeway
So?
harry
Still no good. We’re not going to be able to break through the interference from this distance. I think we should launch a Class Two probe.
janeway
We only have three left onboard. Are you sure that’s the best approach?
Harry looks uncertain for a moment, but he does stand his ground.
harry
Yes, I am.
Janeway smiles.
janeway
Well, then, by all means. Launch the probe.
ext space
A probe shoots out of Voyager’s forward torpedo tube, and zooms off into the distance.
janeway
At this range, it should take…two and a half minutes?
harry
Two minutes, forty seconds.
Janeway turns to stare at Harry; as does everyone else on the Bridge. Harry’s got a deer-in-the-headlights look.
chakotay
Ensign, you’ve violated the first rule of a bridge officer. Never correct the Captain.
janeway
(laughing)
Especially when you’re right and she’s…
tuvok
Somewhat imprecise in her calculations?
janeway
Something like that. I think we’ll skip the court-martial this time, Harry.
Harry looks relieved.
chakotay
(grinning)
That was a close one, Ensign. If I were Captain, you wouldn’t have gotten off so easily.
Harry doesn’t answer, he just goes back to staring at his panel.
harry
We should be receiving data any time now…I’m getting a signal!
janeway
Put it on screen.
The viewscreen flickers, and then shows an impressive sight; there’s a giant, very slowly rotating dark vortex in the center of the screen.
tom
No, no, no…
chakotay
That’s not what I think it is…
harry
I’m sorry, sir. It’s a black hole.
neelix
But…everything else checked out! The Metrellis Wormhole, it’s famous, everyone for a thousand light years knows about it!
janeway
It looks like everyone’s wrong, unfortunately.
Harry keeps working at his panel.
harry
Wait…there’s something else…the graviton emissions are wrong…it’s not just a black hole…Neelix, your wormhole is there…just that it’s about ninety million kilometers beyond the black hole…
Everyone stares out at the massive black hole on the viewscreen.
janeway
Mr. Kim, you said ninety million kilometers? If I remember my astrophysics, that’s deep within the gravity well of a black hole, isn’t it?
harry
Yes, Captain.
chakotay
So our wormhole is there, but we have to go through the black hole to get to it, is that right?
harry
Exactly, sir…
And on Harry’s pronouncement, we cut to commercial…
Act One:
ext space
Voyager is now motionless in space. Off in the distance is the Metrellis star system, which we can now see consists of three stars. The closest star to Voyager, Metrellis-A, is a fairly typical looking yellow star, but its two companions are both red giant stars, and even at this distance, we can see that both giant stars are slowly being consumed by the black hole which lurks between them.
tom (vo)
You’ve got to be kidding!
harry (vo)
It’s right there in front of you. I’m not making this up.
int voyager – briefing room
Tom, Harry and B’Elanna are here, huddled around the table. In the middle of the table, a holographic projector has been set up, and it’s currently displaying a model of the Metrellis system.
tom
Nobody could make THAT up…
b’elanna
I’ve never seen anything like it. Three stars, eleven planets, a black hole, AND a wormhole to top it off.
tom
It’s a complete mess. With the gravity from the black hole, we won’t be able to use warp drive, and no matter which direction we come in from, we’re going to get hit with a hell of a lot of radiation.
b’elanna
I can try to enhance the shields, but even best case, we’ll be close to danger levels.
Harry’s only half listening; he’s really focused on the hologram.
harry
(to himself)
Radiation…it’s just photons…
(louder)
It’s just photons!
tom
What are you talking about?
harry
It’s simple. The whole reason they’re called black holes is that not even light can escape, right?
b’elanna
We do know elementary physics.
harry
But you’re not thinking about it the right way! Light can’t escape, and light is just photons…and so is the rest of the radiation, isn’t it?
b’elanna
(getting it)
The x-rays and gamma rays will fall into the black hole along with the visible light!
tom
Would you mind telling me what good that does us?
harry
(pointing at the hologram)
It means that the black hole’s gravity will clear out all the radiation for us…we just have to approach here…
The course Harry’s projecting flicks into life on the holographic model. We can see that it goes directly between the two red giant stars.
tom
OK, that solves the radiation problem, but there’s going to be a lot of stellar debris in there…it’ll be a heck of a job to maneuver Voyager through that in one piece.
b’elanna
I seem to recall that Voyager’s helmsman thinks he’s the best pilot in the fleet.
harry
You know, I believe I heard that somewhere myself…
tom
Well, yes. But even for the best pilot in the fleet it’s not going to be easy…
b’elanna
Losing your nerve, flyboy?
tom
Me? Lose my nerve? I’ll…
We never find out what Tom might have said, because he’s cut off by the sirens of a red alert.
int voyager – bridge
On the Bridge, Janeway is staring out at an alien starship. It’s about the same size as the USS Defiant; but it’s more ovoid in shape, and it has two pairs of warp nacelles, one above and one below the main hull – but very close together (not high above and below like the Constellation-class ships of TNG).
harry
They’re hailing us, Captain.
janeway
On screen.
The image of the alien ship vanishes, replaced by the image of its Captain. She’s a Traven named Drexa Vallone (the same species as the alien criminal Zarmon from episode 102; they’ve got grayish skin, four arms, and slight facial ridges). Behind her on the alien bridge, we can see a tall Kazon female, a stocky Talaxian female, and two other aliens we haven’t met yet: one’s a male lizardlike creature called a Voth, and the other is a male humanoid, who looks almost human, except for his much smaller ears and grayish-green hair. They’re all dressed in civilian clothes. All are staring intently out at Voyager’s bridge.
drexa
(excited)
Greetings! I’m Drexa Vallone, and this is my ship, the Entrada.
janeway
I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager.
drexa
It’s a pleasure to meet you and your beautiful ship, Captain. Are you here for the wormhole too?
janeway
(surprised)
Yes.
drexa
Most excellent! We all wondered if anyone else was going to come to observe it. The last recorded wormhole implosion was over four hundred years ago…the data’s going to be invaluable…
On Voyager’s bridge, everyone’s attention is caught by that comment.
janeway
Implosion?
drexa
Of course! Isn’t that what you’re here for? To study the wormhole as it’s destroyed? Entirely aside from the scientific value, it should be a spectacular show.
janeway
(very deliberately)
When is this going to happen?
drexa
Four days from now…
ext space
Voyager hangs motionless in space, with the Entrada floating close by. In the distance, we can see the swirls of matter from Metrellis-B and Metrellis-C disappearing into the black hole.
int voyager – briefing room
Janeway, Chakotay, Harry, B’Elanna and Tom are here, waiting for the Entrada’s crew to arrive.
tom
I don’t believe it!
harry
It seems almost impossible, all these things happening in the same place all at once…
janeway
If I’ve learned anything in Starfleet, it’s that the universe will never fail to surprise you. Besides…
(reciting)
I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
chakotay
Alice in Wonderland?
janeway
It does feel like that some days.
tom
So how many of those impossible things have we seen already?
Before Janeway can respond, the door chimes, and the Entrada’s bridge crew enters. Janeway stands to greet them.
janeway
Welcome aboard Voyager.
drexa
It’s a fine ship, Captain. You should be proud. Allow me to introduce my companions…
(pointing to the Voth)
This is Denthys…he’s our resident specialist in quantum field theory…
(pointing to the Talaxian)
That’s Marys…she’s been studying wormholes and spatial anomalies for the last eight years…
(pointing to the Kazon)
This is Brenn…she’s an expert on neutrino flow analysis…
(pointing to the other humanoid)
And this is Kelvon Daar, he’s our engineer, cook, trader, and everything else we need handled. We couldn’t live without him.
janeway
Please sit.
(beat; everyone sits)
You’ve got quite the diverse crew…
brenn
Not crew, Captain. Passengers would be more accurate.
marys
We’re all scientists. Drexa is kind enough to let us ride along with her…the research opportunities are just unbelievable.
drexa
We all pool our work…we’ve seen dozens of rare…if we’re lucky, unique…events, and we study them. We were in this system ten months ago, when Metrellis-D went into hypercompression and became a black hole.
dethys
Do you have any idea how rare it is to catch that as it’s actually happening?
janeway
I can imagine.
brenn
It was wondrous. And it set up the most interesting gravitational ripples. Which led inevitably to the wormhole implosion we’re going to see.
Brenn realizes that all the Voyager personnel are staring at her. Janeway realizes the same thing a moment later.
janeway
I’m sorry. You’ll have to forgive us…the only Kazon we’ve met so far have tried to kill us.
brenn
Were they Nistrum?
janeway
Yes.
brenn
You want to keep away from them. I’m from the Brakor sect…we’re scientists, researchers, inventors. We try to avoid dealing with them as much as possible ourselves. They’re not very pleasant to be around.
tom
You can say that again.
dethys
Why? What would be the point in her repeating herself?
drexa
It’s just an expression, Dethys.
(to Janeway)
His people are quite literal minded…you get used to it…
harry
Can you explain what’s going to happen to the wormhole?
drexa
As Brenn said, when Metrellis-D compressed into a black hole, it disturbed everything else in the system. One of the planets…Metrellis Eight, it’s a gas giant…was knocked out of its orbit, and its been falling towards the wormhole ever since. It’s due to hit the wormhole terminus four days from now…and when it does…
brenn
When all that mass goes into the wormhole, it’ll cause severe gravitational shocks, and the entire matrix will collapse. And then…the whole thing will just implode…
janeway
You’re sure about the timing?
brenn
Absolutely.
drexa
Why, Captain? What’s so important about the wormhole?
janeway
We need it to get home…we were brought here from the Alpha Quadrant…the other side of the galaxy. It’s a seventy year trip…but with the wormhole…
drexa
You could be home in five minutes. I see. Well, it’ll be tight on the timing…it’s going to take at least a couple of days to safely get through the rest of the system to the wormhole terminus…
harry
That should leave us plenty of time for a safety margin.
Everyone stares at Harry; doesn’t he know he’s tempting fate?
janeway
Let’s hope so, Mr. Kim. Will you help us, Drexa?
drexa
Of course, Captain. We’ll be glad to share all our data with you…and I think the sooner we get started, the better. If we can’t get you to the wormhole in four days, it’ll be gone forever…
Act Two
int voyager – briefing room
Tom, B’Elanna and Harry are here, joined by two of the Entrada crew – Marys and Kelvon. They’re all hard at work trying to map out a safe route through the Metrellis system to the wormhole, using the briefing table’s holographic display.
marys
No…no, that’s not right. That course won’t work.
tom
Why not?
marys
Look here…
As Marys talks, we see the tiny image of Voyager move on the holographic map.
marys
Right here…800,000 kilometers in…
On the display, the holographic Voyager is moving very close to one of the red giant stars when, suddenly, it’s pulled off its course and spirals into the massive star.
marys
The gravity from Metrellis-B will distort your course, and since you won’t be able to use your warp drive…
b’elanna
That would be a problem.
kelvon
Not for terribly long.
harry
No, I guess not.
marys
Don’t be discouraged. We’ve been studying these phenomena for years…you can’t be expected to understand all the interactions in a system like this in only a few hours.
kelvon
Precisely. That’s where we come in. Try…
Kelvon quickly re-programs the display.
kelvon
…here, I know it will sound strange, but if you go closer to Metrellis-B…
tom
Closer?
marys
Of course! If you go in closer, at just the proper angle, the gravitational force will slingshot you around the star with just the right velocity to get past the black hole. And you’ll also avoid most of the stellar debris.
b’elanna
Most?
kelvon
Ninety percent, at least.
harry
Yes, but ten percent is still a lot to fly through.
b’elanna
I suppose we do have the best pilot in the Fleet to get us past it, don’t we?
marys
Really? The best pilot in your entire fleet?
harry
I hope so.
tom
So do I. So do I…
And on Tom’s words, we cut to:
ext space
Voyager and the Entrada begin to move slowly towards the red giant Metrellis-B.
int voyager – bridge
The red giant already takes up a third of the viewscreen, and everyone on the Bridge is well aware of just how close they’re going to have to fly to the star for their maneuver to work.
drexa (vo)
According to our calculations, we will lose communications due to radiation interference in one minute. So before we do, we all wish you good luck and safe passage.
janeway
The same to you, Captain. We’ll speak again on the other side. Voyager out.
We see the Entrada start to pull away on the viewscreen.
harry
They’re already at three quarters impulse!
chakotay
That’s cutting their safety margin awfully thin.
tuvok
On the contrary, the mass of their ship is less than one third of Voyager. They will need the increased velocity to counteract the gravitational forces.
There’s a momentary shudder as Voyager moves towards the giant star.
tom
We’ve just entered the gravity field of Metrellis-B. Eighteen minutes until the slingshot maneuver.
ext space
We see Voyager and the Entrada moving away from our POV, and we pull back, and now we see several flashes of light behind the two starships – these are new ships emerging from warp - Kazon warships.
int voyager – bridge
Alerts are sounding.
tuvok
Reading multiple ships dropping out of warp. Eight…twelve. Twelve in all.
janeway
Who are they?
tuvok
Kazon. They are all warships. Their weapons are armed, and targeting us.
harry
The Entrada is hailing us. Audio only.
janeway
Go ahead.
We can hear the transmission from the Entrada, but just barely.
drexa (vo)
Captain Janeway, we’ve just detected…
janeway
We see them, too.
drexa (vo)
They are Kazon-Nistrum, Captain. We will not be able to negotiate with them.
janeway
Agreed. What do you suggest as an alternative?
drexa (vo)
Increase speed. It will be dangerous, but if we decelerate at precisely the correct moment, we can still accomplish the slingshot maneuver. We will transmit the data to you momentarily.
Janeway turns to Harry at the science station.
janeway
Mr. Kim?
harry
If their calculations are precise enough, there’s no reason it shouldn’t work.
janeway
It’s not as though we have any other choice at the moment. Mr. Paris, increase speed to maximum impulse.
ext space
The Entrada is accelerating away from Voyager; as we watch, Voyager begins to accelerate as well. We see the shields flare as radiation and stellar debris crash against them.
int voyager – engineering
The warp core is glowing a frightening blue-white instead of the normal light blue. As we watch, two work consoles explode in a shower of sparks, the crewmen tending them are thrown across the room. Joe Carey rushes over to see to the injured crew. B’Elanna goes to Carey’s station to take over for him.
b’elanna
Bridge, this is Engineering!
janeway (vo)
What is it, Lieutenant?
b’elanna
We’re reinforcing the shields with warp power, Captain! But we didn’t expect to be doing it at full impulse speed! We can’t keep it up for more than another few minutes!
janeway (VO)
Do the best you can, Lieutenant. Bridge out.
b’elanna
(to herself)
What do you think we’re trying to do!
As she mutters that, the ship shakes violently.
ext space
The Kazon are closing on Voyager and the Entrada, and three of the warships have begun firing.
int voyager – bridge
The red giant Metrellis-B takes up nearly the entire viewscreen now.
tom
With our increased speed, we’ll hit the slingshot point in 90 seconds.
janeway
I’m not sure the Kazon will give us that much time. Tuvok, target photon torpedoes at the lead Kazon ship.
tuvok
Target locked, Captain.
ext space
The Kazon continue to pursue Voyager. The Entrada has nearly reached the slingshot point itself.
janeway (vo)
Fire!
Voyager’s aft torpedo tubes shoot out two photon torpedoes. For a moment, they streak off towards the Kazon, but as they go, we see them begin to curve inwards towards Metrellis-B, and we follow them until they detonate just above the surface of the star.
The torpedoes have an unexpected effect: they generate a massive solar flare, which blossoms out and engulfs one of the Kazon ships, which is immediately destroyed.
int voyager – bridge
We see the death of the Kazon ship on the viewscreen.
janeway
Not what I intended, but it worked just the same.
tuvok
The Kazon are continuing to pursue.
The Bridge shakes again, as the Kazon continue to fire.
tom
Sixty seconds to slingshot.
ext space
Voyager heads further in towards the giant star; far ahead, we see the Entrada, just reaching its own slingshot point, and vanishing away as they make their maneuver.
harry (vo)
The Entrada has executed their slingshot maneuver.
int voyager – bridge
Metrellis-B looms on the viewscreen.
janeway
Did they make it?
harry
No way to tell, Captain.
tuvok
The lead Kazon ship is beginning to break up, Captain.
ext space
We see Tuvok’s words borne out: one of the Kazon ships , which maneuvered too close to the giant star, is crushed by the gravitational force, and it implodes in a massive blast.
int kazon ship – bridge
We see the cramped, dimly lit bridge of a Kazon warship, and in the command chair is someone we met in Episode 101, Maje Vroka.
maje vroka
Break off the pursuit!
Another familiar face, Boman, turns to his commander, surprised.
boman
Sir?
maje vroka
This is madness. We cannot proceed any further into this system without being destroyed.
Boman goes back to his station and executes the order.
kazon comm officer
Maje, I am receiving a transmission from Maje Danna aboard the Veelar. He is demanding to know why you have ceased the pursuit.
maje vroka
He will get no response. If he wishes to commit suicide in this pointless action, he is welcome to do so. I will not answer to his insanity.
kazon comm officer
Yes, Maje.
ext space
We see one of the Kazon ships, obviously Vroka’s, slow, stop, and then begin to pull back away from the giant star. Several of the other ships follow suit, but one of them presses ahead, only to implode as its sister ship did a moment ago.
int voyager - BRIDGE
The bridge is vibrating from the massive forces buffeting the starship.
tuvok
The Kazon have ceased pursuit.
janeway
Good. Mr. Paris, what’s our status?
tom
We will be at the slingshot point in five seconds…four…
int voyager – engineering
The warp core is glowing white hot now; it looks decidedly unsafe. There’s much shouting and frantic activity as the engineering staff tries to keep the ship in one piece.
tom (vo)
…three…two
ext space
Voyager is insanely close to the giant star; the shields are glowing brightly with all the radiation and debris.
tom (vo)
…one…Now!
As Tom says that, Voyager is seized by the gravity of the red giant, and the maneuver works exactly as planned; the starship whips around the star, and we follow it around, as it zooms on the edge of the black hole before finally coming to a stop. Off in the distance, there is a small asteroid belt.
int voyager – bridge
It was clearly a rough ride; the entire crew is picking themselves up off the floor. Janeway is the first to get back to her seat.
janeway
Status report! Did we make it?
tom
Yes, Captain. We’re past the black hole.
tuvok
Damage reports coming in, Captain. Minor damage on all decks, casualties…already headed to sickbay. None are life threatening.
janeway
Excellent. Any sign of the Entrada?
tuvok
Scanning…no, Captain. There is no sign of them.
janeway
Damn…
And on that, we end Act Two.
Act Three
ext space
Voyager is at rest, and we see that there’s another, much smaller ship floating nearby. We haven’t seen this kind of ship before; it’s a science vessel from a species we haven’t yet met, the Lhaksa. The Lhaksa ship is roughly wedge-shaped, with many antennae and other projections – sensors and so forth.
janeway (vo)
Captain’s log. It’s been twelve hours since we executed our slingshot maneuver and escaped the black hole at the heart of the Metrellis system. We found no trace of the Entrada, and no debris either. We must assume that their slingshot maneuver failed and they were consumed by the black hole.
int voyager – briefing room
We see three male Lhaksas – they’re humanoids with greenish skin, no hair, ridges all down their cheeks, and deeply set eyes. With them are Janeway, Chakotay, Harry, B’Elanna and Neelix.
janeway (vo)
We have met another ship, however. It’s a science vessel belonging to a race called the Lhaksa. They’re archaeologists, and they’ve been in the Metrellis system for the last three months…
captain tegnok
Thank you for inviting us aboard your ship, Captain Janeway. The Betchla is a fine ship, but as you can see it is not large, and three months aboard her has been somewhat monotonous.
janeway
It’s our pleasure, Captain Tegnok.
One of the other Lhaksas, Officer Grenok, is sitting at the briefing table, gorging himself on the food provided by Voyager.
captain tegnok
Apparently it’s Grenok’s pleasure as well.
(Grenok pays no notice)
Grenok!
officer grenok
Captain?
captain tegnok
Do not make a pig of yourself! We must not abuse their generosity.
Grenok puts down his knife and fork.
harry
What are you looking for, Captain?
captain tegnok
This system was not always uninhabited. Long ago, a powerful civilization existed here. We believe that there may still be artifacts present.
neelix
That’s only a story. A tale to frighten children.
captain tegnok
No. We have found technology that had to come from this system. From the people who once ruled an empire from here.
neelix
(nervous)
But if that’s true…the other stories may be true as well…
janeway
Mr. Neelix, you’ll have to explain that.
captain tegnok
He is referring to the tales of an ancient device of enormous power that guards this system.
neelix
(barely whispering)
The Destroyer of Worlds…
chakotay
I don’t think I like the sound of that…
int lhaksa ship – bridge
The Lhaksa bridge is large and fairly open and airy. There isn’t a captain’s chair in the center – instead there’s a holographic display sitting there. Currently the display shows a cross-section of one of the asteroids in the star system. We can see that there are hollowed-out chambers inside the asteroid.
The three Lhaksas we saw in the previous scene are here, fixated on the display. Chakotay is here as well.
chakotay
You’ve found something?
captain tegnok
(pointing to the display)
Yes! Look here!
chakotay
They hollowed it out…used it for…what?
officer grenok
A command center. This is exactly what we’ve been looking for.
captain tegnok
Indeed.
(louder)
Officer Tandok! Prepare the shuttle immediately!
ext space
We see a shuttle moving away from the Lhaksa ship towards an asteroid off in the distance.
int voyager – bridge
We see the Lhaksa shuttle on the viewscreen.
janeway
Engineering, this is the Bridge.
b’elanna (vo)
Yes, Captain?
janeway
How are the repairs progressing?
b’elanna (vo)
We should be finished in eight hours. I wouldn’t dare take the ship into the wormhole before that.
janeway
Very well. I’ll leave you to it.
(to Tuvok)
Raise the shuttle, please.
The viewscreen flickers over to show the interior of the Lhaksa shuttle. Chakotay is there with the three Lhaksas.
Janeway
Commander, the repairs will be finished in eight hours. You’ve got that long to play archaeologist with our new friends.
chakotay
Understood, Captain.
janeway
Good. Voyager out.
ext space
We see that the shuttle is now docked with the asteroid.
int asteroid base
Chakotay and the three Lhaksas are making their way through a corridor, flashlights casting beams of light ahead of them. The Lhaksas each wear a large, heavy backpack. We can see flashes of alien designs and writing on the walls as the flashlight beams glance off them.
captain tegnok
It is not far now.
chakotay
(consulting his tricorder)
A hundred meters.
officer grenok
I imagined this day since I was a hatchling. To walk in the very halls that the Metrellis Lords did…
Officer tandok
It is truly an honor.
captain tegnok
Remember this day well. It will be spoken of for generations.
They come to a door. Chakotay waves his tricorder at it; Captain Tegnok does the same with the Lhaksa equivalent. They are both surprised at the results they see.
chakotay
There’s still power…
captain tegnok
Perhaps…
Tegnok touches a control pad on the wall. To his surprise, the panel lights up, and the door slides open.
officer grenok
Clearly it was our destiny to find this place.
int asteroid base – control center
They enter the room. As they do, dim lights come up.
chakotay
How long ago was this system abandoned?
captain tegnok
At least a thousand years.
chakotay
And there’s still emergency power…
The three Lhaksas take off their backpacks and begin unloading them. We see several pieces of complex-looking equipment.
captain tegnok
Tendok, activate the interface scanner.
(to Chakotay)
It is our most advanced technology. It is designed to interface with alien technology. It should give us complete access to the computers here.
Tendok and Grenok go about the work of activating the scanner. Chakotay looks very alarmed.
chakotay
Captain Tegnok, are you sure that’s wise? You don’t know what sort of security systems are here…or what else you might be turning on…
captain tegnok
Great discoveries are not achieved by standing before closed doors and imagining the dire consequences behind them. True explorers kick the doors open and see what’s inside…
(to Tendok)
Is the scanner ready?
officer tendok
Yes, Captain.
captain tegnok
Initiate!
Tendok does so, as Chakotay cringes.
The Lhaksa device buzzes and hums, and lights flash on it. After a few seconds, it emits a loud series of beeps and whistles, and then the lights in the Control Center come up full strength, and every control panel in the room lights up in a brilliant multicolored display. We hear a deep, loud male voice speaking a very alien language as the Center is reactivated after its thousand-year slumber.
captain tegnok
This is amazing!
int uss voyager – bridge
Alerts sound on the Bridge.
tuvok
Something is happening in the asteroid base.
janeway
Chakotay! What’s going on over there?
chakotay (VO)
The Lhaksa team has activated what they believe is a command center left over from the people who used to inhabit this system.
janeway
I’m not sure that’s a good thing, Chakotay.
chakotay (vo)
Neither am I, Captain.
More alerts sound.
harry
I’m detecting…
janeway
What is it, Ensign?
harry
(studying his console intently)
I…I’ve never seen…oh, it can’t be…
Tuvok works at his console, bringing up the data Harry’s just come up with.
tuvok
We are picking up activity in orbit of the ninth planet of this system. It is…
(beat; his Vulcan control slips for a moment)
…you must see for yourself, Captain.
janeway
On screen.
The view shifts to the ninth planet, a gas giant. We see a shape orbiting the planet, an unearthly glow coming from inside it.
janeway
Magnify.
The image is magnified, and now that we can see it clearly, we easily recognize the shape. We’ve seen it before: a huge device, roughly cone-shaped, with a hellish, firey glow blazing out from the open maw. A Starfleet crew once before faced such a device, and barely escaped with their lives:
harry
It can’t be…
tom
(stunned)
The Doomsday Machine…
And as the horrific Machine looms on the viewscreen, we end Act Three.
Act Four
ext space
The Lhaksa ship is moving away from Voyager.
int voyager – bridge
The Bridge is, as might be expected, extremely tense. The Bridge of the Lhaksa ship is on the viewscreen.
captain tegnok
My apologies, Captain Janeway, but this system is no longer safe. We wish you a safe journey.
The Lhaksa bridge flicks off, replaced by a view of space, where we see their ship zoom away and then disappear into warp.
harry
They’re already at Warp Six, and accelerating.
tom
I can’t say I blame them.
janeway
Where is the…that thing…now?
tuvok
It is moving out of orbit…directly between us and the wormhole.
janeway
Briefing room. Now.
int voyager – briefing room
The entire Bridge crew is here, as well as B’Elanna, Joe Carey and Neelix.
harry
The situation is even worse than we thought. The original calculations from the Entrada were wrong. We only have four hours before the wormhole implodes.
tom
Even at full impulse, it’ll take us three and a half hours to get there from here. And with that thing in the way…
joe carey
We’ve been working on a way to modify the warp field so we can use warp drive as we approach the wormhole.
janeway
How?
b’elanna
It’d take the whole four hours to explain. Trust us, it will work. But you don’t want to take us faster than warp four point five.
janeway
Or?
(beat)
Never mind, I can guess. That should be enough. If my memory serves…
tuvok
I believe it does, Captain. The records of the original encounter between the USS Enterprise and a similar device indicate that the device showed a maximum speed of warp four.
tom
I remember reading about it in the Academy. They destroyed the Machine by flying a second starship inside it and then self-destructing it.
harry
Too bad we don’t have a spare starship handy.
b’elanna
If we can outrun it, why does it matter? We’ll be through the wormhole and home, and it’ll be here.
chakotay
We can’t leave that Machine free to roam around and destroy planets. Billions of people would die.
janeway
Precisely.
harry
If we time it right, maybe we can catch it in the wormhole implosion. We go through right before, and it goes after us and gets caught, and the implosion destroys it.
tom
That’s a pretty thin theory to risk our lives on.
janeway
I agree.
(beat; Harry frowns)
But I haven’t heard any better ideas.
She looks around the table; nobody has anything better.
janeway
Well, then. Mr. Kim’s approach is it. We’ll run one final set of diagnostics to make sure everything is working as well as it’s going to, and then we go.
No one likes it much, but they nod their agreement just the same; as dangerous as this plan sounds, it’s the only one available. As the crew files out and gets to work, we end act four.
Act Five
ext space
Voyager floats in space; in the far distance, there’s a tiny, glowing dot growing ever so slightly larger – the Doomsday Machine approaches.
int voyager – engineering
The Engineering crew is hard at work, readying everything for the run to the wormhole.
janeway (vo)
Engineering, are you ready?
joe carey
We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be, Captain.
janeway (vo)
Very well. Prepare for warp speed.
int voyager – bridge
Everyone’s on edge; frightened, but also excited – if this goes wrong, they’re dead, if it goes right, they’ll be home in only a few minutes from now.
tuvok
All decks report ready, Captain.
janeway
Excellent. Mr. Paris, execute our course for the wormhole, warp four point five…now!
ext space
Voyager zooms off and into warp speed.
tuvok (vo)
We will pass the Machine in thirty seconds…
Voyager cruises at warp four point five. The Doomsday Machine grows larger in the foreground.
tuvok (vo)
Twenty seconds…
We can now see the Machine clearly; it looks exactly as it did when it first appeared thirty five years ago.
tuvok (vo)
Ten seconds…
And now we’re right up on the Machine, and it looms large, and then, just like that, we’re past it, Voyager zooming away from us…
…And the Machine slowly turns, until it’s headed on Voyager’s course, and it, too, zooms off away from us…
int voyager – bridge
The viewscreen shows us a disturbance in space in the distance: the Metrellis wormhole.
tuvok
The Machine has changed course. It is pursuing us. At warp three…warp four…warp four point five…warp five…
At that, every head on the Bridge turns towards Tuvok. The viewscreen shifts to show the Machine, growing larger as it gains on Voyager.
tuvok
Warp six…warp seven…
janeway
(grimly)
Warp eight, Mr. Paris.
Paris obeys, but as he enters the command in, there’s an unholy groan of stressed metal from deep within the ship.
b’elanna (vo)
Bridge, this is Engineering! Reduce speed immediately! We’re five seconds from a warp core breach down here!
janeway
That Machine is pursuing us at warp eight!
b’elanna (vo)
Whether it gets us or our own warp core does, we’re just as dead!
janeway
Reduce speed to warp four point five.
The horrifying sounds from within the ship cease as the speed is reduced. However, the Doomsday Machine is growing far larger on the viewscreen.
tuvok
The Machine will be in firing range in five…four…three…two…
ext space
The Doomsday Machine is closing rapidly on Voyager.
tuvok (vo)
…now.
The Machine lets loose with a massive blast, which crashes through Voyager’s shields and scores damage on the saucer.
int voyager – bridge
The ship is shaking violently. There are alarms everywhere.
tom
We can’t hold warp speed! Slowing to impulse!
tuvok
Shields at ten percent! Weapons are off-line!
harry
It’s firing again!
Everyone grabs hold of something, to no avail; we see the Machine fire another blast, and it slams into Voyager, throwing everyone out of their seats.
tuvok
The warp core is completely off line. Main power is down.
As the crew pick themselves up, there’s yet another alarm from Tuvok’s console.
chakotay
What is it now?
tuvok
Two ships, dropping out of warp. Kazon warships. They’re targeting weapons on us.
ext space
The two Kazon ships that have just appeared cruise in towards the disabled Voyager. As they do, the Doomsday Machine takes notice of them and begins to move towards them.
int voyager – bridge
harry
The Machine is…it’s heading for the Kazon!
janeway
I’m sure they didn’t intend it, but they might just have saved us.
(beat)
Engineering, can you give me any engines at all?
joe carey (vo)
Give us five minutes, and we can give you one quarter impulse. That’s it, Captain.
janeway
Do it.
ext space
The Kazon are still focused on Voyager, while the Machine is now on course towards them.
int kazon ship veelar – bridge
On the Kazon-Nistrum warship Veelar, Maje Danna stares out at the Doomsday Machine.
maje danna
What in the nine hells is THAT?
ext space
The Doomsday Machine opens fire on the Kazon. The first blast rips through their shields.
int kazon ship veelar – bridge
There’s smoke and fire all throughout the bridge.
maje Danna
Evasive action! Get us away from here!
The viewscreen is still working, well enough for the Kazon bridge crew to see the Machine let loose with another blast, which cuts right through the ship. All around us, amid the screams of the Kazon crew, the bridge goes up in a massive explosion.
ext space
One of the Kazon ships blows apart, and the Machine zaps out at the second ship. It’s trying to run, but to no avail; a second and then a third shot from the Machine finishes it off.
int voyager – bridge
Everyone is still trying to pick up the pieces, and the crew is both relieved and horrified at the fate of the Kazon.
tuvok
Both Kazon ships have been destroyed.
janeway
What’s that Machine doing now?
harry
(surprised)
It’s…not coming after us.
tuvok
It is executing a search course. Heading towards the wormhole.
b’elanna (vo)
Captain, you’ve got impulse power now!
janeway
Take us into the wormhole, Mr. Paris. Maximum speed.
ext space
We can see the Metrellis wormhole in the distance, with the Doomsday Machine heading towards it, Voyager in the background moving slowly towards the wormhole…
…and behind the wormhole, we can see the gas giant planet Metrellis VII being pulled towards the wormhole.
tom (vo)
We’re too late…
int voyager – bridge
We see the same scene on the viewscreen. Every eye on the bridge is watching intently.
janeway
The calculations were more off than we thought. We’re not going to make it. Mr. Paris, back us out of here, maximum speed.
ext space
Voyager slowly turns and heads away from the area, just as the gas giant begins to spill into the wormhole, massive clouds of the planet’s atmosphere being town away into the wormhole.
In moments, nearly the entire planet has fallen into the wormhole, and as the planet disappears, there’s a blinding flash as the wormhole begins to destabilize.
janeway (vo)
Engineering, we need warp speed now!
int voyager – engineering
Engineering is a picture of chaos: crew everywhere, absolutely frantic.
joe carey
It’s not working!
B’Elanna is up to her waist inside an open power conduit.
b’elanna (vo)
I’ve re-routed the power! Try it now!
All the lights on Carey’s console turn green.
joe carey
That did it!
(beat)
Bridge, you have warp speed. About ten seconds worth. Better make it count!
int voyager – bridge
Relief around the bridge at Carey’s words.
janeway
Mr. Paris, get us the hell out of here!
ext space
We see Voyager leap into warp speed and escape, just as the wormhole implodes and then explodes in a huge blast, ripping apart the Doomsday Machine as it does.
int voyager – bridge
We see the final death-throes of the wormhole and the Doomsday Machine on the viewscreen.
tom
We survived. I can’t believe we survived that…
harry
But the wormhole…getting home…
tuvok
We are alive, Mr. Kim. I, for one, am satisfied with that at the moment.
janeway
Amen to that.
chakotay
I think we’re all agreed on that point. There’ll be another way home, Mr. Kim. Don’t doubt that.
janeway
First we need to get this ship back in working order. Mr. Paris, put us in orbit around the seventh planet. That should be safe for a few days of repairs.
tom
Yes, Captain.
(beat)
What was it you said, Captain? Six impossible things?
janeway
I think we’ve seen all of them these past few days. But we lived to tell the tale, and that’s the important thing…
And on Janeway’s words, we cut to:
ext space
Voyager slowly limps back into the Metrellis system, heading towards a gas giant planet in the far distance, and on that shot, we FADE OUT.
THE END.