

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

Finally decoding the message from Starfleet they received months earlier, Voyager is directed to a nearby sector where an unmanned Federation starship waits for them. However, everything is not what it seems when alien technology is found aboard the new ship. (Season finale)

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Summary

Teaser

During their off hours, Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway are on the holodeck, playing a game of Velocity. The captain wins six out of ten rounds, frustrating the former drone, who has far superior visual acuity and stamina. Seven believes that, due to her biological enhancements, she should have been able to win every round. Janeway tells her that there's more to winning the game than stamina, including intuition. Seven, however, considers intuition a "Human fallacy". She asks the captain for a rematch as Janeway walks towards the exit. When the captain replies negatively, Seven claims that Janeway is tired and concerned that she will be defeated. The captain replies that she is tired but not concerned. When Seven orders the computer to begin another round, Janeway tells it to ignore Seven's command. The captain tells her that the game's over and leaves.

Act One

"Captain's log, stardate 51978.2. It's been five months since we received the encoded message from the Alpha Quadrant. We know that the transmission was from Starfleet Command, but we still can't decrypt it. B'Elanna thinks it's a lost cause, that too much of the data stream has been destroyed, but I haven't given up. I keep hoping inspiration will strike… somehow."

At 0500, Janeway sits in the mess hall, trying to decrypt the message they received from the Alpha Quadrant via the Hirogen communications network. Commander Chakotay enters and Janeway realizes she has been there all night. The commander reports that Lieutenant Tom Paris and Neelix contacted the USS Voyager a short time ago and are preparing to leave a trading colony. According to Paris, he and Neelix managed to obtain such a large quantity of supplies that their shuttle will not be able to travel faster than half-impulse. He also included news that one of the aliens they met, Arturis, was very helpful. Neelix wants to repay him by bringing him onboard Voyager and granting him passage to the next star system. Janeway gives him permission and continues to work on the decrypted message. Chakotay suggests that she enlist Seven's assistance and she agrees that Seven would probably have a few Borg algorithms that could help. However, since she and Seven have been butting heads more than usual recently, Janeway isn't sure it would do any good to ask. Chakotay comments that Seven has learned a lot from Captain Janeway since she was liberated from the Borg a year ago. He hypothesizes that Seven may simply feel that she has surpassed her mentor. Janeway seems uncertain whether that is the case and asks Chakotay to join her for a cup of coffee.

Paris and Neelix return to Voyager from the trading colony and land their shuttlecraft. While Paris directs several officers to unload the cargo, Chakotay, behind him, is puzzled by one of the items. Paris tells Chakotay that he does not know what it is and looks for Neelix.

In a corner, Neelix introduces Captain Janeway to their guest, Arturis. Neelix recalls that, while he was negotiating with a xenon-based lifeform, the universal translator went offline and Arturis saved him from embarrassment by translating the alien's words. Once Neelix leaves to help Paris, Janeway welcomes Arturis aboard, eager to find him some quarters. While leaving the cargo bay, Janeway confesses that she has never met anyone as adept at languages as Arturis, who reveals that he knows more than four thousand different languages. Janeway comments that she still struggles with basic Klingonese. Arturis remains modest and says that most species have natural abilities that others do not – some are born with superior strength. Others, like Janeway's crew, have great generosity of spirit. For another example, Arturis adds that where most people can only see chaos, his people see patterns. This gives Janeway an idea. She asks whether Arturis is equally adept at computational languages as he is at verbal communication. He replies that he finds neither harder than the other. Pleased by his response, Janeway asks Arturis if he would be willing to grant the Voyager crew another favor.

In astrometrics, Janeway, Seven and Arturis review the data stream from Starfleet. Arturis agrees with the captain's theory that the transmission has been badly damaged. As Seven prepares the message so that Arturis can view it again, he learns that she was Borg and comments that she is more attractive than the average drone. Seven explains that she is no longer connected to the Borg Collective. Arturis notices the problem with the message and attempts to reconstruct the data. When Janeway asks Seven if she is familiar with Arturis' people, she replies that the Borg, who know the race as Species 116, have not been able to assimilate them – yet. Arturis explains that his people don't feel anger towards the Borg Collective, they simply avoid it. Arturis notifies the captain that he has been able to restore most of the undamaged blocks of data. However, several degraded sections of the message are still unrecoverable. The transmission includes footage of Admiral Hayes and a spatial grid. Janeway discovers that the grid is a map of a nearby sector, less than ten light years away. Believing that Starfleet may be trying to direct Voyager to the area shown on the map, Janeway, Arturis and Seven exit astrometrics.

As Voyager continues at warp speed, the trio arrives on the bridge. At the helm, Paris reports that the starship is approaching the designated coordinates. Janeway instructs him to pilot the ship at a lower velocity and orders Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok to scan the area. When he detects a ship, Janeway orders him to show it on the main viewscreen. Although Tuvok states that he may be mistaken, he reports that the vessel has a Starfleet warp signature.

Act Two

Tuvok attempts to hail the ship but there is no response. From her station, Seven informs Chakotay that her sensors have detected no organic matter aboard the ship. The vessel is undamaged and all primary systems, including life support, are online. Ensign Harry Kim seems puzzled by the fact that there are no crew onboard but Janeway has faith that an answer can be found in the transmission from Starfleet. When Arturis agrees to help her decode the rest of the message, Janeway orders Chakotay to lead an away team and secure the vessel. The commander asks Tuvok and Paris to join him. As they leave the bridge, Arturis reveals that he is surprised that Janeway doesn't seem more encouraged by the vessel's discovery. She explains that she has learned to be cautious as well as hopeful and adds that Voyager has previously been presented with other opportunities that didn't work out. However, this time, she is slightly more hopeful than cautious. Seven accompanies Janeway and Arturis as they leave the bridge.

Meanwhile, Chakotay, Paris and Tuvok transport aboard the other ship. Chakotay uses a tricorder, while the other two officers carry phasers. Tuvok and Paris agree that the vessel's bridge is impressive as the Vulcan examines a computer console. While Chakotay looks at a detailed schematic of the craft, he remarks that he has never seen another Starfleet ship designed similarly. From the console, Tuvok learns the ship's name is the USS Dauntless, registry NX-01A. He also discovers that it was launched on stardate 51472. Chakotay notes that the ship has traveled 60,000 light years in just three months. Meanwhile, Paris finds that the helm station was set for auto-navigation, leading to the conclusion that the ship probably never had a crew. When the ship experiences small vibrations, Paris reports that the warp core is fluctuating and adds that he is not familiar with the design of the engine. The ship shudders more violently as he and the other officers head to Engineering.

There, they find the Dauntless's warp core. Although Paris determines that the ship does not use antimatter, he cannot confirm what element it uses for propulsion. Reading from a console, he learns that the ship has a quantum slipstream drive. However, neither of the other officers has heard of that form of technology before. Just then, the ship suddenly powers up and its auto-pilot system comes online.

On Voyager's bridge, Kim contacts Janeway telling her the Dauntless is moving away at high impulse speed and the away team are not responding to hails. She orders him to initiate a pursuit course.

Aboard the Dauntless, Paris is unable to deactivate the slipstream drive. Chakotay instructs the ship's computer to disable the vessel's propulsion but the computer does not comply with his vocal commands. Working at a console, Paris advises Tuvok and Chakotay to brace themselves. Suddenly, the craft leaps into motion, creating a slipstream in space. On Voyager's bridge, Kim informs Janeway that the Dauntless has disappeared from sight.

Meanwhile, Paris discovers that energy from the propulsion drive is being routed through the main navigational deflector, creating the slipstream. Using the helm controls, he attempts to stop the flow of energy. His efforts are successful and the craft slows down to impulse. Tuvok determines that Voyager is out of scanning range and that the Dauntless has traveled over fifteen light years in just a few minutes.

"Captain's log, supplemental. After two days at high warp, we've rendezvoused with the Dauntless. Arturis has helped us reconstruct most of the Starfleet message. The pieces of this puzzle are finally coming together."

Standing in the briefing room, the senior staff watch a visual recording of Admiral Hayes. The admiral explains that while slipstream technology is still experimental, he believes it is safe and encourages the crew to use the Dauntless to return home. After the message ends, Janeway asks The Doctor about any health risks. He replies that the away team suffered no ill effects, such as cell damage or physiological stress, and that long term effects are unlikely. Lieutenant Torres reports that although the ship's primary systems are similar to Voyager's, it has only one transporter and no replicators, holodecks or shuttlecraft. The crew seems ready and willing to use the vessel but Seven points out that returning to Earth aboard the Dauntless would mean abandoning Voyager. Chakotay asks Paris if the crew could incorporate the slipstream technology into Voyager. When Paris answers that the plan is theoretically plausible, the captain tells him to try making the necessary modifications, so that they can bring the ship with them if possible. She also orders Torres and Kim to accompany an engineering team aboard the Dauntless and learn how to shut down the vessel's propulsion in a moment's notice. The captain plans subsequent test flights and instructs the senior staff to make sure that all of Voyager's crew becomes accustomed to the Dauntless. She dismisses the officers but indicates to Tuvok that she wants him to stay. When she confides in him that the events of the past few days seem a little too convenient, Tuvok agrees. Janeway says she felt something was wrong since the moment Arturis came onboard but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly. The captain decides to proceed as planned but tells Tuvok to conduct surveillance on Arturis and research his past.

Act Three

Janeway and Seven make their individual log entries, in which they express their hopes and fears about returning to Earth.

"Captain's log, supplemental. So far, the crew hasn't found any evidence to support my doubts about Arturis. Nevertheless, I've told them to keep looking, and to keep their optimism in check. But that's one order I don't expect them to follow to the letter. Despite my apprehension, I can't help but wonder what I'll be doing in three months' time. Still guiding Voyager through the Delta Quadrant, searching for a way home, or looking up old friends in Indiana?"

"Daily log, Seven of Nine, stardate 51981.6. I've analyzed the quantum slipstream technology of the Dauntless. It is similar to the transwarp drive used by the Borg. As a result, my expertise will be crucial to the mission's success. Voyager's crew is counting on that success. But I find myself ambivalent, so I'm carrying out my assignment, nothing more. If we do return to Sector 001, will I adapt to Human civilization? A single Borg among billions of individuals."

Seven, Kim and Torres work together in engineering aboard the Dauntless and are eventually successful in learning how to drop out of slipstream warp. Kim is excited that the discovery signifies the crew are almost home. Torres seems to share Kim's enthusiasm but Seven remains neutral.

Kim leaves to run a metallurgical analysis of a bulkhead, while Seven and Torres discuss the prospect of returning to the Alpha Quadrant. Seven is puzzled as to why Torres is eager to return home when, as a former Maquis, she is likely to face nothing but adversity. However, Torres tells the former drone that she would rather deal with the consequences of her past than spend the rest of her life in the Delta Quadrant. She then tells Seven that being an ex-Borg, she is likely to face even more adversity than Torres and jokes that they will be outcasts together. Seven is not amused and Torres tells her to work on her sense of humor, as it will help her to make friends on Earth.

Kim calls out to Seven from under the gantry where he is studying his tricorder. He tells Seven there is an anomalous surge of energy emanating from behind a panel but Seven replies that there are no power conduits running through that section. Kim tries to make conversation with Seven, assuring her that she will enjoy Earth, a biologically diverse planet. Seven still seems unimpressed, so he states that there are several other planets to choose from if she finds Earth unpleasant. When Seven notifies Kim that she is going to speak with the captain, Kim senses that she intends to leave the crew of Voyager. He tells her that the crew's return to the Alpha Quadrant won't be the same without her, which elicits a small smile. Kim's attention returns to his work and he opens the panel where the energy readings were coming from. Smoke rises from the technology beneath the panel as it suddenly flashes. Standing back, Kim becomes puzzled by his tricorder readings. Then the portion of the bulkhead he is studying shimmers and very briefly reveals alien technology. Confused by his experience, Kim contacts Tuvok and reports that he has found something unusual on the Dauntless. Aboard Voyager, Tuvok replies that he is on his way.

In astrometrics, Janeway observes a display of Earth, focusing primarily on the North American continent. Seven enters and finds the captain trying to reconstruct the last fragment of the data stream, which Arturis said was too badly damaged. Although Janeway feels that he gave up too easily, Seven dismisses the captain's belief as "intuition". Janeway tells Seven that she has designed a new encryption algorithm, which she begins to test on the message. While she works however, Seven tells the captain that she does not intend to return to the Alpha Quadrant with the Voyager crew. Janeway abruptly stops working on the message.

The captain turns to Seven and says she understands how the prospect of being among billions of Humans must be overwhelming for the former drone, but she is a member of the Human species, and Earth is her home. When Janeway reminds Seven of how much she has achieved in the last nine months and urges her to continue her development from Borg back to Human, Seven becomes defensive. Although Janeway attempted to influence Seven to become more like herself, the former drone claims that the captain has ultimately failed. Seven says that their frequent disagreements are an indication that she does not share Janeway's values. She believes that Janeway's drive to explore space is inefficient, that her need for family connections is a weakness and that her infatuation with Earth is irrational.

When Janeway tells Seven that the crew needs her expertise on their hazardous mission to the Alpha Quadrant, Seven replies that her participation is irrelevant to the crew's survival. The captain disagrees, believing that Seven owes a debt to the crew that should be repaid. However, Seven retorts that she has returned the crew's favor on many occasions and that for once, she refuses. When she tells Janeway that she doesn't know what she will do in the Delta Quadrant, the captain insists that the crew won't abandon her there. Then Janeway realizes Seven's real problem – her fear of returning to Earth.

The discussion is interrupted by an audio signal from a computer console. Janeway discovers that the new algorithm she developed has worked. Initially, the captain is confused when the image of Admiral Hayes appears since the crew had apparently decrypted that section of the message. Seven suggests it may be an addendum, but Janeway knows that she has recovered a completely different message. Clearing up distortion in the recording's audio, Janeway is able to hear as Hayes delivers a completely different message than before; he apologises stating that despite Starfleet's best attempts, they have been unable to find a way to bring Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant. The rest of the data stream consists of all the information Starfleet could provide on the Delta Quadrant which Starfleet hopes the crew can use to possibly shave a few years off their journey, but other than that can provide nothing else.

As the captain hangs her head in disappointment, understanding that the Dauntless is not a Starfleet vessel, Seven comments that her intuition was correct. Anger quickly replaces Janeway's disillusionment when she realizes that Arturis has been lying to them since he came onboard. She hails Tuvok, who is on the Dauntless and notifies him that her suspicions concerning Arturis have been confirmed.

While she walks through a corridor with Seven, Janeway elaborates that Arturis tampered with the data stream and that the Dauntless is not a Starfleet ship. Tuvok concurs with the captain and informs her that he and Ensign Kim discovered concealed alien technology in main engineering aboard the Dauntless. When Tuvok tells Janeway that Arturis is working with Torres on the bridge, the captain orders him to go there and wait for a security team to arrive. Janeway and Seven continue to walk through the corridor and arm themselves with phasers.

Act Four

Meanwhile, Arturis surveys the bridge of the Dauntless. As he walks over to the helm station, Torres notices and stops him from activating the slipstream drive. Arturis behaves as if he didn't mean to engage the drive and apologizes in Klingonese. When he notices that Torres is surprised, he explains that he didn't know the language until Janeway let him review Voyager's linguistic database. Tuvok enters the bridge and a few seconds later, Janeway, Seven and a security team beam aboard near his position, each carrying a phaser. Janeway orders Torres to evacuate the repair teams, then proceeds to accuse Arturis of fabricating the Starfleet message. Arturis denies the accusation and tries to blame Seven of tampering with the message. Janeway doesn't believe the alien and orders Tuvok to take him to Voyager's brig. A struggle ensues but Arturis manages to resist the security officers and pull a panel off the helm station. Although Janeway permits Tuvok to fire his phaser at the alien, the weapon seems to have little effect on him. Arturis flips a switch that replaces the image of Starfleet technology to its true alien form. He then erects a force field and tries to deflect Voyager's transporters.

On Voyager's bridge, Kim reports that he has managed to retrieve everyone but Janeway and Seven. When Paris calls out that the Dauntless is creating a slipstream, Chakotay orders Tom to pursue the ship. Meanwhile, Arturis is commanding the helm aboard the Dauntless. The ship is trembling and its engines rumble as Janeway watches the main viewscreen. The vessel glows and distorts shortly before it accelerates to slipstream, vanishing from view of Voyager.

Aboard Voyager, Chakotay tells Paris to bring the warp core modifications on-line in order to pursue the alien craft. Paris responds that the adaptations to the core have not been properly tested yet but Chakotay believes that the starship's pursuit of the Dauntless will be a suitable test.

The appearance of the alien ship has stabilized to its earlier form as it races through a slipstream. On board, Seven wonders where Arturis means to take the Dauntless. He answers simply, "home". Janeway asks whether the alien used holograms to create the image of a Starfleet bridge, but Arturis replies that he maintained the illusion with particle synthesis, a method beyond Starfleet's understanding. When the captain asks if the species that Arturis belongs to frequently preys on innocent ships, he answers that Janeway's use of the word "innocent" reflects her self-righteousness. Janeway tries a diplomatic approach to reasoning with Arturis, but the alien responds angrily and reveals that he blames Janeway for the assimilation of his species. He says that Janeway negotiated an agreement with the Borg: safe passage through their space in return for assistance for helping them defeat Species 8472.

Arturis continues to explain that his people had outwitted the Borg for centuries. But recently, the Borg started to adapt better to their defenses and were about to break through. The Borg's war with Species 8472 was their last hope of defeating the Collective. However, due to the brief alliance between Voyager and the Borg in 2374, the Collective defeated Species 8472. They subsequently deployed hundreds of Borg cubes that destroyed the sentry ships, outer colonies and eventually the homeworld of Arturis' people. One of the lucky few that managed to escape, Arturis left his homeworld alone on a vessel. He blames Janeway for his loss and believes that she, a stranger to the Delta Quadrant, had no right to decide whether the Borg or Species 8472 won their war.

Months after the annihilation of his species, Arturis found Voyager. He secretly observed the starship, waiting for a chance to avenge the loss of his people. When Starfleet transmitted a data stream to Voyager, Arturis knew that he could tamper with the message and lure the crew aboard the Dauntless. He planned to then activate the vessel's slipstream drive and pilot the craft into Borg space, where the crew would be assimilated. Although he had hoped to trap the entire crew aboard the vessel, he is willing to settle for just Seven and Janeway. He tells them that in a matter of hours, the Dauntless will return to his homeworld inside Borg space. He believes his own assimilation is irrelevant and thinks that Seven should be grateful that he is helping her achieve her objective of returning to the Borg.

Act Five

In space, Voyager glows and distorts as it prepares to enter a slipstream. However, as the bridge of the starship trembles, Paris reports that the vessel is experiencing difficulty in achieving slipstream velocity. When the bridge shakes more frequently, Tuvok tells Chakotay that he is having trouble controlling the parameters of the quantum warp field and asks for more power to be routed to the deflector. Responding to the tactical officer's request, Chakotay contacts engineering.

There, Lieutenant Torres replies that she is already working on the problem and tells an engineering officer to supply Deflector Control with auxiliary power. The warp core pulses rapidly as B'Elanna orders another officer to make sure the quantum warp field is stable.

After the bridge shudders violently, Tuvok reports that the deflector is at maximum power and that he is focusing the quantum warp field. Ensign Kim adds that the hull temperature is at critical, shortly before the trembling ceases as Voyager enters a quantum slipstream. Harry informs Chakotay that structural integrity is weakened and that the hull will buckle in less than an hour. Paris aligns the ship's slipstream to directly behind the Dauntless and reports that Voyager is at maximum velocity.

In the brig of the alien ship, Janeway and Seven are unarmed and imprisoned behind a force field, and quickly concoct a plan of escape. They realize that a typical Borg drone can easily pass through force fields. Seven explains that specific Borg nanoprobes enact this ability by altering the drone's bioelectric field, but detailed modification of her cranial implant is required to re-enable this function (disabled after the events of "Scorpion"). The captain disassembles her combadge and removes a microfilament, the only device available accurate enough to tweak Seven's cranial implant. While Janeway makes the adjustments, she admits that she may be hard on Seven at times, but it was never out of anger or regret that she brought her aboard. Janeway says that as captain, she can't always be Seven's friend. Seven replies that she doesn't understand, but will understand perfectly when they are assimilated and their "thoughts become one", then quickly clarifies it as a joke. Seven confesses that she was indeed afraid of visiting Earth. She is no longer Borg but feels unsettled by the prospect of becoming Human. Seven is also unsure about remaining aboard Voyager and considers fending for herself in the Delta Quadrant, but Janeway assures her that she belongs there. With the modifications to her cranial implant complete, Seven escapes the cell and walks to a nearby wall panel to disable the force field.

On the bridge, Arturis discovers that Seven is attempting to shut down the force field, and attempts to counter using another console, but is unsuccessful. Seven facilitates Janeway's escape and both travel to the engine room, where the captain plans on shutting down the slipstream drive.

The Dauntless continues to fly through a quantum slipstream as Janeway and Seven arrive in engineering. When Seven tries to initiate the shutdown procedure, the captain realizes that Arturis is blocking their commands from the bridge. The room shakes as the vessel accelerates. Seven explains that the Dauntless has increased velocity and will reach Borg space in less than twelve minutes. Janeway tells her to send a power surge to the starboard thrusters and attempt to turn the ship in the wrong direction, as a distraction and to change course. Before she goes to the bridge to confront Arturis and as added motivation for survival, Janeway tells Seven that she has scheduled a game of Velocity with her the following day in Holodeck 1.

The Dauntless turns sharply, throwing Arturis to the floor. However, he manages to regain control of the ship and keep it from exiting the slipstream. When Captain Janeway arrives on the bridge, he tells her that she will become a drone in only four minutes. The ship rocks to the side again and Janeway explains that Seven has gained access to the Dauntless's navigational systems. The captain attempts to reason with Arturis, but the alien claims that the only thing he can understand or feel is revenge. Janeway insists that Arturis can carry on the legacy of his people, that their accomplishments, knowledge and dignity can survive in him. She urges him to end his pursuit of revenge. Arturis takes a moment to contemplate Janeway's words, then taps a control on the helm station.

In the engine room, Seven is working at a console when it suddenly crackles with energy. She recoils when the panel explodes in a shower of sparks, smoke pouring from the station.

On the bridge, Arturis informs the captain that he has destroyed the navigational controls so that no-one can stop the ship, not even he. Janeway becomes anxious and Arturis tells her that the Dauntless will arrive in Borg space in two minutes. Suddenly, however, Arturis and Janeway stumble as the vessel jolts.

Voyager has reached the Dauntless and is firing photon torpedoes, attacking the enemy ship. On the bridge of the Starfleet craft, Tuvok reports that the other vessel is defenseless, as its shields are down. Chakotay orders Kim to get a transporter lock on Janeway and Seven.

Meanwhile, the helm station aboard the Dauntless explodes. Arturis realizes that Voyager is in the vicinity. As her atoms begin to scatter, Janeway asks Arturis to join her. The alien refuses and fires a hand-weapon at the captain as she beams off the ship.

Aboard Voyager, Harry Kim notifies Chakotay that both Seven and Janeway are now in Transporter Room 2, returned safely to the Starfleet ship. The commander instructs Paris to change the starship's heading to travel in the direction they came. Tom complies and sets to work. In slipstream, Voyager branches off and moves away from the Dauntless, which eventually drops out of slipstream to impulse, surrounded by Borg cubes.

Arturis listens as the Collective welcomes him with a standard Borg greeting – "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." In his command chair on the bridge, Arturis braces himself for the inevitable.

"Captain's log, supplemental. We remained in the quantum slipstream for an hour before it finally collapsed. Our diagnostics have concluded that we can't risk using this technology again, but we did manage to get three hundred light years closer to home."

In Holodeck 1, Janeway and Seven play Velocity, which the captain consistently wins. Seven wants to leave early to continue her work in astrometrics, but Janeway replies that she has ordered the crew to rest during the next few days. Seven reveals that she is attempting to design a new method of traveling at slipstream without damaging the ship. Janeway is surprised, since Seven has been so intent recently on staying in the Delta Quadrant. The former drone tells the captain that as they approached Borg space, she re-evaluated her future and found that becoming a drone again was unappealing. Janeway tells her it sounds like she's starting to embrace her Humanity. Seven denies this, but admits that nothing is impossible. The captain smiles and tells the computer, "One more game." She and Seven take their starting places and, as the velocity disc races through the air, Seven fires her phaser.

Memorable quotes

"Try to be a sport, Seven. Game's over."

- Janeway, when Seven of Nine is angered after losing repeated games of Velocity to her



"Wow…"

"Wow, indeed."

- Paris and Tuvok, beaming aboard the Dauntless bridge



"Fascinating. Can you make it stop?"



- Tuvok, to Paris after his explanation of the quantum slipstream drive



"Admiral Hayes! Good man, fine officer, bit of a windbag…"

- Janeway



"We've given you a lot Seven, it's time you gave something in return."

"I have on many occasions. Now I refuse."



- Janeway and Seven of Nine during a heated argument



"The algorithm's working. It's reconstructing the datablock. That's strange, I thought we already recovered this part of the message."

"Perhaps it is an addendum from the Admiral. You did designate him a windbag."



- Janeway and Seven of Nine, as they recover the real message from Admiral Hayes



"You negotiated an agreement with the Borg Collective! Safe passage through their space. And in return, you helped them defeat one of their enemies."

"Species 8472."

"In your colorful language, yes. Species 8472. Did it ever occur to you that there were those of us in the Delta Quadrant who had a vested interest in that war? Victory would've meant the annihilation of the Borg, but you couldn't see beyond the bow of your own ship!"

"In my estimation, Species 8472 posed a greater threat than the Borg."



- Arturis, Seven of Nine and Kathryn Janeway, referring to what happened during the events of " Scorpion " and " Scorpion, Part II "



"My people managed to elude the Borg for centuries! Outwitting them, always one step ahead! But in recent years, the Borg began to weaken our defenses. They were closing in, and Species 8472 was our last hope to defeat them. You took that away from us! The outer colonies were the first to fall; 23 in a matter of hours. Our sentry vessels tossed aside, no defense against the storm. And by the time they had surrounded our star system… hundreds of cubes… we had already surrendered to our own terror."

- Arturis, recounting the assimilation of his species and homeworld by the Borg to Captain Janeway



"Any ideas?"

"Not presently."

"Well we'd better think of something. We come face to face with your former family in less than an hour and that's one reunion I'd like to miss."

- Janeway and Seven of Nine, in Arturis' brig



"I'm your captain. That means I can't always be your friend. Understand?"

"No. However, if we are assimilated, then our thoughts will become one, and I'm sure I will understand perfectly."

- Janeway and Seven of Nine



"Impossible is a word that Humans use far too often."

- Seven of Nine



"You were correct, captain. My desire to remain in the Delta Quadrant was based on fear. I am no longer Borg… but the prospect of becoming Human is – unsettling. I don't know where I belong."

"You belong with us."

- Janeway assuring Seven of Nine of her place among the crew of Voyager

Background information

Introductory details

This episode – unlike most of Star Trek: Voyager's other season finales – is a standalone episode of regular duration. The only other outing of its kind, in fact, is the first season finale " Learning Curve ".

Story development

Script

By 17 February 1998, a first draft of the episode's script had been compiled, in which the episode received its title of "Hope and Fear" and the slipstream-capable craft was finally named the Dauntless . On that date, copies of the first draft script, each containing 68 pages, were dispatched around the Paramount lot by a production office assistant on a bicycle. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 20) The final draft of the script was submitted on 25 February 1998. [1]

. On that date, copies of the first draft script, each containing 68 pages, were dispatched around the Paramount lot by a production office assistant on a bicycle. ( , p. 20) The final draft of the script was submitted on 25 February 1998. [1] The script describes the Velocity disk as " an aerodynamic, metallic object, eight inches across, glowing from within, " and the colors of the disk are said to be "angry red" and "a cold blue color." The particular game of Velocity that Seven and Janeway play in the teaser is characterized as "furious" while the game itself is referred to as " a one-on-one competitive sport that's a cross between handball and a firing range […] It's fast-paced, physical, both players in constant motion, ducking, spinning. " The script refers to the clothing that Janeway and Seven wear during their match as simply "workout clothes," with Janeway's outfit being called "a sleek, sleeveless, 'workout' uniform," and Seven specified as having "a few subtle Borg implants along her upper arm."

" and the colors of the disk are said to be "angry red" and "a cold blue color." The particular game of Velocity that Seven and Janeway play in the teaser is characterized as "furious" while the game itself is referred to as " " The script refers to the clothing that Janeway and Seven wear during their match as simply "workout clothes," with Janeway's outfit being called "a sleek, sleeveless, 'workout' uniform," and Seven specified as having "a few subtle Borg implants along her upper arm." The display of Janeway's desktop computer at the start of the first act is described as "a damaged data stream – a chaotic jumble of symbols and alphanumerics racing across the screen." For the scene in the cargo bay when Neelix introduces Janeway to Arturis, the script notes that "the Borg alcoves remain off-camera." The odd-looking item of cargo that appears in this scene is called "a bizarre-looking alien object – it's covered with gnarled tendrils and spiny projections." Arturis himself, upon being introduced in the script, is characterized as "an exotic-looking humanoid with an enlarged cranium. He's from a highly intelligent species, soft-spoken, charismatic." Subsequent descriptions of his various attitudes, prior to him divulging his ulterior motive, give no indications as to that motive. The description of the wall of information that is supposedly from Starfleet is as follows: " A multiscreen display, each section filled with different kinds of data – schematics, coordinates, and one section shows a Starfleet Admiral talking to a camera, another an image of Earth. All of it is heavily fritzed. Sound fills the room – beeps, clicks, the Admiral's distorted voice, etc. " In the scripted version of the first act, elements of the revised beat sheet's description of the Dauntless 's discovery by Voyager are not only present in lines of dialogue (such as Tuvok announcing that he is sensing the ship to be of Starfleet origin) but are also evident in a scene description specifying, " This is an exciting moment for everyone, " as well as a reference to the mood on the bridge – immediately before the detection of the vessel – as "suspenseful." The Dauntless itself is at first characterized as "a starship, glowing with power, hanging in space." The initial description continues, " It's sleek, bullet-shaped, as though built for speed. And it's roughly half the size of Voyager . (We'll come to know this vessel as the Dauntless. ) "

" In the scripted version of the first act, elements of the revised beat sheet's description of the 's discovery by are not only present in lines of dialogue (such as Tuvok announcing that he is sensing the ship to be of Starfleet origin) but are also evident in a scene description specifying, " " as well as a reference to the mood on the bridge – immediately before the detection of the vessel – as "suspenseful." The itself is at first characterized as "a starship, glowing with power, hanging in space." The initial description continues, " Voyager Dauntless. " When the Dauntless ' bridge is first shown in the second act, it is described thus: " Gleaming, sexy, cutting-edge Starfleet technology. The room is deep, cylindrical, curvilinear. " The script goes on to note that, despite an absence of crew members, "the room is pristine." The ship's engineering is said to be, " A dimly lit chamber, with an engine dome in the center of the floor. The dome is roughly four feet high, glowing with deep, shifting colors. A circular console surrounds it. " The description of the vessel's engine core states, " A glowing mass of energy. Huge, exotic, powerful. " Detailing the first time that the Dauntless enters slipstream, the scene description reads, " The nose of the Dauntless starts to glow and distort in a strange effect, and the entire ship vanishes from view! " The quantum slipstream itself is initially referred to as both "a torrent of energy whipping past us at blinding velocities!" and a "raging river of energy."

' bridge is first shown in the second act, it is described thus: " " The script goes on to note that, despite an absence of crew members, "the room is pristine." The ship's engineering is said to be, " " The description of the vessel's engine core states, " " Detailing the first time that the enters slipstream, the scene description reads, " Dauntless " The quantum slipstream itself is initially referred to as both "a torrent of energy whipping past us at blinding velocities!" and a "raging river of energy." Describing the effect of some alien technology momentarily being revealed (as viewed by Kim in the third act), the script comments, " The entire bulkhead shimmers in an alien holographic effect, revealing exotic alien technology beyond. " The schematic of Earth that Janeway views is referred to as "the big blue marble against starry space […] technical data appears all around it." Even though the episode does not firmly establish whether this schematic is part of the data stream, the script confirms this probability, stating, "this is one of the images we saw from the Starfleet message in Act One."

" The schematic of Earth that Janeway views is referred to as "the big blue marble against starry space […] technical data appears all around it." Even though the episode does not firmly establish whether this schematic is part of the data stream, the script confirms this probability, stating, "this is one of the images we saw from the Starfleet message in Act One." Arturis' Klingonese apology to Torres in the fourth act – " Ku cha mee-Roch " – is revealed as translating as "my mistake" in English. When Arturis first shows resistance against Voyager crew members, the script notes, " All hell breaks loose, " and he is said to exhibit "a display of remarkable strength." The transformation of the Dauntless ' bridge reads, " A console shimmers in an alien effect – and transforms into an alien console, surrounded by alien technology […] The entire room has transformed into an alien bridge. Consoles, lighting, bulkheads – they now have strange and unfamiliar configurations. " When Arturis starts to reveal his backstory, it is said he has "been waiting a long time for this moment."

" – is revealed as translating as "my mistake" in English. When Arturis first shows resistance against crew members, the script notes, " " and he is said to exhibit "a display of remarkable strength." The transformation of the ' bridge reads, " " When Arturis starts to reveal his backstory, it is said he has "been waiting a long time for this moment." Voyager 's entry into a slipstream, as observed by Chakotay on the starship's bridge in the fifth act, is described thus: " The starfield explodes in a burst of light and color as we enter a quantum slipstream. Tunnels of energy roar past. " The Dauntless ' brig is referred to as a "small chamber," and the script also specifies, " There is no bench in this spare setting. " Indirectly following the transformation of the Dauntless ' bridge, the script notes of the ship's engineering, " This is the same set as before, no alien modifications. " The Borg ships that enclose around the Dauntless are described as "five Borg cubes heading right toward us!"

's entry into a slipstream, as observed by Chakotay on the starship's bridge in the fifth act, is described thus: " " The ' brig is referred to as a "small chamber," and the script also specifies, " " Indirectly following the transformation of the ' bridge, the script notes of the ship's engineering, " " The Borg ships that enclose around the are described as "five Borg cubes heading right toward us!" Furthermore, the script also consistently refers to the character of Admiral Hayes generically as a "Starfleet admiral," other than him being named in dialogue, and has a couple of remarks about two particular relationships developed in the fourth season. The script says about the connection between Harry Kim and Seven of Nine, "In their own offbeat way, they've bonded over the months." Of the relationship involving Seven and Janeway, the script states, "A lot has happened between these two characters in the past year… both of them [have] mixed feelings."

Cast and characters

Props, costumes, and makeup

Sets

Production

Music and sound

Visual effects

Reception and aftermath

In the lead-up to this episode's initial airing, the installment's teleplay was leaked on the Internet. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98)

, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98) The date was 13 May 1998 when this episode was transmitted by Paramount's operations department via communications satellite, thereby delivering the installment to its broadcasters. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 93)

, p. 93) This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 4.1 million homes, and a 6% share.

Shortly after working on the episode, Joe Menosky was somewhat uncertain of the installment's success, though he believed the outing had the power to deceive its viewers. " This episode really does take some crazy turns, " he opined. " If you didn't see the promo, and somebody hadn't leaked the script onto the Net, you'd probably be surprised by the twists and turns in it, because you think it's going one way, and then it's really going another way entirely. I'm not completely satisfied with it […] I'm not sure if the strange twists and turns make up a satisfying whole, but they might. I'm still a little too close to it to see it that way. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98)

" he opined. " " ( , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98) On the other hand, Jeri Taylor, Rick Berman, and Brannon Braga were sure of their own evaluations of the outing, Taylor considering it to be "a wonderful episode." ( Star Trek Monthly issue 40, p. 15) Joe Menosky reported, " Rick Berman likes it a lot, and thinks it works pretty well as a season-ender. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98) " It was a good story in its own right, " Braga enthused, " but it's a nice retrospective on where we stand as a series. " Braga was also of the opinion that the episode has "classic Trek larger-than-life themes." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 97) He additionally remarked, " I thought it turned out quite nicely […] In some ways, it was a very intimate, reflective episode, which I liked. It played against expectations for the audience. " ( Star Trek Monthly issue 44, p. 13)

issue 40, p. 15) Joe Menosky reported, " " ( , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 98) " " Braga enthused, " " Braga was also of the opinion that the episode has "classic larger-than-life themes." ( , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 97) He additionally remarked, " " ( issue 44, p. 13) Cinefantastique rated this episode 3 out of 4 stars. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 110)

rated this episode 3 out of 4 stars. ( , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 110) Star Trek Magazine scored the episode 4 out of 5 stars. ( Star Trek Monthly issue 47, p. 62)

scored the episode 4 out of 5 stars. ( issue 47, p. 62) The book Delta Quadrant (p. 249) gives the installment a rating of 7 out of 10.

(p. 249) gives the installment a rating of 7 out of 10. The spacecrafts of this episode proved to be highly influential when CG artist Mark Rademaker designed the non-canon starship USS Aventine ( β ), as two of the primary starting points for the look of that vessel were the starships Voyager and Dauntless. Regarding how the USS Voyager was especially inspirational, Rademaker stated, "Since it had already used the quantum slipstream drive in 'Hope and Fear', I figured Starfleet would use its data as the basis to optimize the shape of future starships." (Star Trek Magazine issue 156, p. 40)

Continuity and trivia

Video and DVD releases

Starring

Also starring

Guest stars

Co-star

Uncredited co-stars

Stand-ins

References

accusation; addendum; algorithm; Alpha Quadrant; assimilation; Astrometrics; away team; bioelectric field; blue; Borg algorithm; Borg Collective; Borg cube; brig; cell damage; Chapman; chocolate; coffee; colony; computational language; confusion; control sequencer; cranial implant; crew; cup; damage; data stream; Dauntless, USS; Dauntless-class; day; decryption algorithm; déjà vu; Delta Quadrant; Earth; eternity; familial connection; framing; generosity; grammar; heart; high warp; holodeck; hull; hull temperature; humanoid species; iconometric element; instinct; joyride; kiloquad; Klingonese; life support; linguistic database; linguistically; main deflector; Maquis; marble; mentor; microfilament; natural ability; online; opinion poll; outer hull; paranoia; particle synthesis; photon torpedo; polarity; pound cake; primary system; pupil; quantum barrier; quantum field; quantum slipstream drive; quantum stress; R&R; recursion matrix; safe passage; species; Species 116; Species 116 homeworld; Species 116 sentry vessel; Species 8472; Starfleet; Starfleet Command; storm; stress; subspace message; subspace transmission; syntax; Talaxian language; temperature; threat; torsional stress; transporter; transporter lock; transwarp; triaxilation; trinary syntax; Type 6 shuttlecraft (unnamed); universal translator; Velocity; Vulcans; warp signature; windbag; xenon; xenon-based lifeform



