- You may be looking for the Swarm species.
The Doctor suffers from a computer malfunction; Voyager is attacked by a swarm of alien warships.
Summary
- "Helmsman's log, stardate 50252.3. While USS Voyager takes on supplies, Lieutenant Torres and I are investigating some intermittent sensor readings we picked up this morning."
After detecting an anomalous sensor reading, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres investigate in a shuttle while USS Voyager collects resources. During the investigation, the signal reappears, and two aliens beam aboard the shuttle. The aliens seem to be attempting to communicate, then subsequently raise their weapons and fire on Paris and Torres, knocking them unconscious.
On Voyager, The Doctor is trying his hand at opera. He's attempting to sing O, Soave Fanciulla, a duet from Act 1 of the Earth opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini, on the holodeck with a holographic re-creation of Giuseppina Pentangeli. However, the hologram of Pentangeli also duplicated her vanity and demanding temperament. They stop during the first part when The Doctor accuses his partner of rushing the tempo. She retorts that he has no feel for the music and that it's like she's singing with a computer. When they finally begin to sing again The Doctor has to stop once again because he can't remember the words, much to his partner's irritation and contempt. He blames it on her for getting him so upset that he can't even remember how to sing anymore. Just as he wants to delete her he is contacted by Captain Kathryn Janeway. She informs him there is an emergency and that he needs to report to sickbay. Just before he deletes his diva he informs her that he considered singing with Maria Callas next time instead.
Torres reawakens aboard Voyager, and describe the event to the crew. Due to the neuroelectric shock, Paris is still unconscious and needs further treatment. While performing some common medical procedures, The Doctor seems to stutter a bit, becoming a bit forgetful.
In the captain's ready room, the senior staff meets to discuss the incident. Neelix chimes in, noting that he's heard of these aliens described by Torres, but shudders at the thought. He informs the captain that nobody knows much of this race, but what is known is that they are very territorial.
Back in sickbay, The Doctor continues on to perform a procedure to help Paris. He begins to realize that he's having trouble remembering the procedure, and asks for Kes to assist. After this incident, The Doctor reports his failings to Torres. To solve the problem, Torres transfers The Doctor into the holodeck, where Kes learns from a holographic recreation of The Doctor's creator, Lewis Zimmerman, that The Doctor's program is degrading from having been online far longer than he was originally designed for.
Meanwhile, Ensign Harry Kim devises a method to slip through the alien territory unnoticed by modifying the shield generators to effectively hide the ship from the sensor net. It is noted that traveling at warp 9.75 for twelve hours would take them a third of the way through the most narrow portion of the alien territory. Despite Tuvok's protest, Janeway insists on the plan and sets it in motion.
Once at the border of the alien territory, the stealth shielding is activated, and the ship begins traveling through. They note a swarm of the alien vessels, all powered down and initially inactive. However, sensors indicate a separate ship that doesn't appear to belong in the area, so they drop out of warp to investigate.
While investigating the ship, one of the alien craft that had still been attached to it powers up and scans Voyager. It emits a pulse that cancels the stealth modifications to the shields, and Voyager is then detected by a swarm of the alien vessels.
They pursue Voyager and attempt to incapacitate the ship. Several of the alien crew, similar to those seen by Paris and Torres, attempt to teleport to the bridge and overwhelm Voyager's crew. During these raids, Ensign Kim tries a new tactic: he sends a feedback loop pulse back at the swarm, causing most of the ships attached to Voyager to be destroyed. The swarm backs off, and they continue on their way, unabated.
Thanks to Kes convincing the Zimmerman hologram that The Doctor must be saved, The Doctor's program is fixed by overlaying a holomatrix from the Zimmerman hologram, which restabilizes the circuits and appears to have at least partially kept most of The Doctor's memories intact. The Doctor does not remember any of his personal relationships but still remembers his opera.
Memorable Quotes
“Computer, pause music"<br\> “What now?"<br\> “I just forgot the words"<br\> “I have so far never forgotten the lyric, that’s the difference between amateur and professional."<br\> “It’s just a temporary lapse, no need to over-react"<br\> “I want another partner!"<br\> “Adio,(goodbye), Madam, next time I will sing with Maria Callas! Computer, delete the diva."<br\> “Imbecile, penso veramente-----(Imbecile, I think truly----) as her programme goes offline."<br\>
- - Giuseppina Pentangeli and The Doctor
"All the sopranos seem to have the most irritating personalities. These women are arrogant, superior, condecending; I can't imagine anyone behaving that way."
- - The Doctor
“What did that do?"<br\>
“I’m blind! I can’t see!"<br\>
“Okay."<br\>
"That is completely disconcerting; please do not do it again!"
- - B'Elanna Torres and The Doctor
"Don't touch that!"
- - Dr. Zimmerman
"Im a diagnostic tool, not an engineer!"
- - Dr. Zimmerman
"I can see where you get your charming personality."<br\>
"Not to mention my hairline."
- - B'Elanna Torres and The Doctor
Background Information
- The real Zimmerman would later be seen in DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" and VOY: "Life Line".
- A screen with different noses, eyes and ears is seen in the Jupiter Station lab seen in this episode. It also features facial features with blue skin, so it can be assumed that Doctor Lewis Zimmerman worked with Andorian or Bolian holograms (or holograms of other blue-skinned species).
Video and DVD releases
- UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 3.2, 3 February 1997.
- As part of the VOY Season 3 DVD collection.
Links and references
Guest star
Co-stars
Uncredited co-stars
- Chuck Borden as Swarm species alien
- Christine Delgado as Susan Nicoletti
- Tarik Ergin as Ayala
- Robert Picardo as Lewis Zimmerman
- John Tampoya as Kashimuro Nozawa
References
adaptive heuristic matrix; algorithm; analgesic; antimatter reaction chamber; autonomic nervous system; axon; Bristow, Freddy; Callas, Maria; Caruso, Enrico; cascade failure; Christmas tree; cortical analeptic; Diagnostic Program Alpha 1-1; dilithium matrix; duck; Emergency Medical Hologram; Emergency Medical System; ethorin pulse; evasive pattern gamma-4; Freni, Mirella; galactic background noise; Galli-Curci, Amelita; gigahertz; gigaquad; high school; holo-array; holographic matrix; hydrocortilene; inflammation; interferometric pulse; Jupiter Station; Jupiter Station Holoprogramming Center; Lake Como; level 4 diagnostic; level 4 memory fragmentation; matrix overlay; McKinley Station; memory circuit; Mislen; Mislenite; Mislenite freighter; motor cortex reconstruction; myelin; myelin regenerator; neural pathway; neuroelectric weapon; neuron; O, Soave Fanciulla; occipital lobe; opera; optical subroutine; parsnip; Parrises squares; Pavarotti, Luciano; physician; polaron burst; preganglionic fiber; Program Zimmerman Alpha-1; refraction pulse; retinal imager; resonance particle wave; sensor net; shield frequency; shield polarity; snake; Soral; somatic nervous system; spinal column; subroutine; Swarm species; Swarm species vessel; synapse; T'Penna; Tabran monk; tachyon detection grid; tenor; universal translator; vasoconstrictor; yellow dwarf; Zimmerman, Lewis
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