COURSE: OBLIVION
Season 5 : Episode 112
Part E

 

In Sickbay, Janeway bends over an unconscious Chakotay. The Doctor checks the readings from the control console.

Doctor: "He's not responding." He turns and gives the bad news to Janeway: "His neural pathways are destabilising."

A single tone from the monitor indicates the moment that Chakotay dies. Janeway looks down at his now lifeless body, devastated by grief and remorse.

Janeway is not feeling well herself, but grief weighs her steps even more as she slowly enters the Bridge.

Janeway: "We've lost Commander Chakotay."

She heads for the captain's chair and sits down with an effort, saying as she does so: "Duplicate or not, he was real to me. And he was a fine Starfleet officer."

And he was a friend who wasn't afraid to let me know when I'm wrong. Mr Kim, bring the enhanced warp drive online. Turn Voyager around. We're going home."

Paris: "Captain?" Janeway: "Set a course for the Demon planet." Paris does so, and the duplicate Voyager turns round.

The duplicate Voyager jumps to warp speed and travels at high warp toward the Demon planet.

Janeway: "Captain's log, supplemental. We've lost 63 crew and our systems are continuing to fail. Though we're still five weeks away from the Demon Planet, we haven't given up hope."

Briefing room. Kim: "The holographic projectors in Sickbay went offline at 0300. We've lost the Doctor." Janeway: "What's Tom's condition?" Kim: "No change." Janeway: "Well, looks like we're in the market for a new medical officer. Feel up to it, Neelix?" Neelix: "I've only been trained as a field medic." Janeway: "It'll have to do." Neelix: "What about my other duties?" Janeway: "Make Sickbay your priority. At this point morale is a luxury. How's the core holding up?" Seven: "The modified nanoprobes are still reinforcing the warp field. It should remain functioning until we reach the Demon Planet. However, there is less than a 20 per cent probability that Voyager will remain intact that long." Janeway: "Well, it won't be the first time this crew has been up against-" Kim, concerned: "Captain?" Janeway: "It's alright, I'm just a little tired." Neelix: "Let Ensign Kim take command for a little while." Janeway: "I'm still the Captain." Neelix: "And I am the Chief Medical Officer. Don't force me to relieve you of your duties." Janeway: "Your concerns have been noted, sir." She puts her hand over his, much moved. "Now there is another matter. I want to download the ship's database and our personal logs into a signal beacon. In the event we don't survive, there should be some record of our accomplishments." Kim surmises: "A time capsule." Janeway: "This crew's existence may have been brief, but it's been distinguished. None of you deserves to be forgotten." Seven: "I will use unaffected components to construct a beacon." The ship trembles violently and red alert is sounded.

The meeting comes to an abrupt end as they hurry onto the Bridge. Neelix takes the science post, Seven goes to Ops, while Kim goes to the First Officer's chair next to Janeway. Kim: "The deflector's offline. Interstellar dust is contaminating the warp field." Janeway: "Purge it."

Seven: "I can't. The exhaust manifolds have disintegrated." Janeway: "We've come too far to be stopped by dust. Re-route auxiliary power to the deflector." Seven: "Warp field failure in eight, seven, six, five, four, three..." Kim: "Got it."

Seven: "Re-initialising the deflector." The ship stops shaking. "The warp field has stabilised."

Kim closes his eyes for a moment, relieved - the starship has held together.

Neelix: "I may not be morale officer any more but I think this is a cause for celebration. What do you say, Captain. Captain?"

When Janeway does not reply, Neelix anxiously goes over to her. Seeing that she does not move or notice him, he scans her with his medical tricorder. It gives off a level tone.

Neelix: "She's gone."

 

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