Captain's log, stardate 49655.2.
We have located a flower which may prove to be a nutritional supplement.
I have sent Mr Neelix and Mr Tuvok to collect samples.
Smell that air, Mr Vulcan. Look at that sky.
It's an exhilarating day, isn't it?
As you well know by now, Mr Neelix, I do not experience exhilaration.
Let's not quibble about semantics.
A breeze is blowing. The sun is shining. It's beautiful.
The weather is adequate for our purposes.
Adequate?
You know something? You're more Tuvokian than usual this morning.
I am who I am. It is impossible for me to be more or less like myself.
There you go with the semantics again. But you know what I'm talking about.
I'm afraid I don't.
Then I'll explain it to you.
- You're a nature lover, aren't you? - I appreciate nature.
We have that in common.
And here we are, on a perfect day,
foraging for a lovely variety of orchid, your favourite flower,
and all you can say about the experience is that it's adequate.
I don't see why you're not having fun.
We are here to collect samples, not to have fun.
Does some regulation say we can't do both at the same time?
I know. Why don't we sing a song while we toil?
It will cheer you up. Now, I've been studying Vulcan music.
Do you know that lovely tune that starts,
That "lovely tune” is a traditional funeral dirge.
I know. It was the most cheerful song I could find in the Vulcan database.
Come on, Tuvok, join me.
Mr Neelix. Could you possibly behave a little less like yourself?
- Are Neelix and Tuvok back? - Not yet.
We're having trouble with the transporter.
There's a minor glitch. Ensign Kim should have it working in a few minutes.
Try narrowing the annular confinement beam.
- How's that? - Let's try it again.
Kim to away team. Sorry for the delay. We're ready to bring you back.
Energise.
There's something wrong, sir. I'm only getting one pattern.
Tuvok or Neelix?
- I don't think it's either of them. - Abort.
It's too late.
Kim to security. Intruder alert.
- Identify yourself. - I am Lieutenant Tuvok.
And I'm Neelix.
According to the bio-scanners, he's right.
Somehow their patterns have merged.
I think the logical thing is for me to go to sickbay.
And you recognise all of us?
Of course. Doctor, Captain Janeway,
Ensign Kim, Kes.
All biological matter
was merged on a molecular level -
proteins, enzymes, DNA sequences.
The man you see is literally a fusion of two men.
He's healthy. All vital signs are stable.
What's the last thing you remember?
I... we... Tuvok and Neelix...
We had just gathered the samples.
We were beaming back to the ship.
The next thing I knew, I was on the transporter pad, as you see me now.
There are traces of a third genetic pattern. It's plant-based.
The orchids. We had collected several dozen samples of orchids.
They were in our sample containers.
They're part of your genetic structure now.
They're not affecting your biochemistry.
You had trouble with the molecular imaging scanners?
That's right.
Maybe this plant life affected the scanners.
Possibly. I'll know more after we've run a diagnostic on the bio-filters.
Get on it.
In the meantime, I'll send an away team
to collect fresh samples of the orchid for further study.
Doctor, let me know when you have something more.
Kes, take our patient to the science lab and perform a full bio-spectral analysis.
I'll start examining the genetic data.
This situation must be very difficult for you, Kes.
Perhaps it would be easier if someone else administered these tests.
Thank you but I'll be fine.
This scan is delicate so try to remain still for 20 minutes.
- I'll do my best. - Don't worry. We'll figure it out.
I'm not worried.
I'm in good hands. You're consummate professionals.
You're my friends, my family.
Worrying would be illogical, don't you think?
Would you mind if I asked you about what you're going through?
Not at all.
Do you feel as if you're thinking with two separate minds?
Are Neelix and Tuvok inside of you, talking to me, talking to each other?
I'm not suffering from some form of multiple personality disorder.
I do have the memories of both men, but I have a single consciousness.
You must find me very odd, Kes.
No, of course not. Try to keep still.
So what should I call you?
A name? I hadn't thought of that. What an intriguing question.
I see why the doctor's finding it difficult to choose one.
A name can have a significant effect upon a person's sense of identity.
I've got it.
What?
Why don't you call me Neevok?
Wait. This is better.
How about Tuvix?
Tuvix it is.
I am so glad you're here to help me through this, sweeting.
I'm sorry. It was instinct.
Why don't we finish the scan?
Chief medical officer's log, supplemental.
Scans on the merged humanoid
have thus far yielded no clue as to a cause or a method of separation.
Captain. So good of you to come.
- How are you feeling? - I feel well.
You might even say exhilarated!
I'm glad to hear it.
In the past 24 hours, I've undergone rigorous testing,
submitted to an extensive psychological profile,
and I've been poked and prodded in organs that I didn't even know I had.
While all this testing may no doubt be necessary, frankly, I'm restless.
We could use a little help in the mess hall.
I'd be glad to give you a hand.
But, after careful consideration,
I've decided that the most sensible thing to do is resume the tactical post.
Tactical?
I do possess Tuvok's knowledge and expertise.
And while I have no doubt that the crew misses Neelix's cooking,
you need your most experienced tactical officer.
That's me.
If I may, Captain.
- Mr Tuvix... - Tuvix?
That's what he likes to be called.
Mr Tuvix is in perfect health.
And there's no reason I can't continue my investigation without him for now.
And he does possess Tuvok's knowledge and expertise.
He also possesses Tuvok's sense of intellectual superiority
and Neelix's annoying ebullience.
I would be very grateful to you if you would assign him some duty.
Any duty. Somewhere else.
Well, Mr Tuvix, I'm not ready to assign you to the bridge yet.
But join us for our noon briefing, and we'll see how it goes from there.
Captain, has anyone told you that you are as fair-minded as you are lovely?
As a matter of fact, Neelix has told me that occasionally.
And if you really do possess his memories,
you'd know that flattery will get you nowhere.
The transporter was functioning normally. Everything checked out.
And the molecular imaging scanners?
They were optimal at the time of transport.
It was a routine beam-out sequence.
No anomalies, no power overloads, no malfunctions.
Our scans of the planet show nothing out of the ordinary.
There's no evidence of any alien interference.
Frankly, we're at a loss.
Is there anything unusual about the orchids?
I ran a biochemical analysis on a few samples.
They contain the usual chloroplasts, lysosomal enzymes, proteins.
There's nothing unusual.
An accident like this has never been recorded.
It can't be a random malfunction.
I recommend we try recreating the accident.
Sex.
I beg your pardon?
What I mean to say is, and I apologise for cutting you off, Commander,
I think we're on the wrong track.
Kes, you said that the flowers contained lysosomal enzymes.
The presence of lysosomal enzymes could be evidence of symbiogenesis.
Symbiogenesis?
Symbiogenesis is a rare reproductive process.
Instead of pollination or mating,
symbiogenetic organisms merge with a second species.
Andorian amoeba, for instance.
They can merge with other organisms to form a third unique species, a hybrid.
- Like you. - Exactly.
Interesting. But we're talking about microcellular organisms.
I've never heard of symbiogenesis occurring in a humanoid.
Actually Captain, we were broken down to a microcellular level during transport -
DNA, protein, all in a state of molecular flux.
And if the enzymes that cause symbiogenesis
interacted with their DNA while in the matter stream,
their patterns might have merged.
- Like an Andorian amoeba. - Just like that, Tuvix is born.
It's the best theory I've heard so far.
The only theory. And it's worth investigating.
Mr Paris, go and collect more flower specimens.
I'd recommend waiting until morning.
The weather on the planet is nasty at night.
Very well. You'll depart at 0600 hours.
Good work, Mr Tuvix.
- Kes. - Hello.
Hello.
Do you need something?
I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner.
- Well, I uh... - You've already eaten?
- Well, no. - You're not hungry?
Actually...
If memory serves me, on Wednesdays Neelix always cooked Trellan crepes.
- Your favourite meal? - That's right.
Why break with tradition just because of a transporter accident?
- Somebody's eggs are burning. - Mine. Can you flip them?
- I can't find a spatula. - Just try tossing them.
Have a seat. I'll be with you in a minute.
- What's going on here, crewmen? - We're making dinner.
I see. All right, everybody out!
- On whose authority? - Chief of security or head chef.
Out, out, out!
Come, come. Out.
- So you enjoyed the crepes? - They were delicious.
Neelix made them too spicy.
These were different. Did you change the recipe?
More moderate seasoning brought out the flavour of the mushrooms.
- I loved the mushrooms. - I'm glad.
This galley was so disorganised. It's a wonder Neelix ever found anything.
He says he has a system. But I guess you already know that.
- I admire your strength, Kes. - Why do you say that?
I'm not Neelix but I know that if the situation were reversed,
if suddenly he found himself without you in his life, he'd be absolutely lost.
I have to go. Thanks again for dinner.
- Good morning. - You're here bright and early.
I've been here since 0400 hours, working on that proximity detector glitch.
- How's it going? - I managed to correct it.
Tuvok said it could take up to ten days. How did you fix it so fast?
- I had a hunch. - A hunch?
You'll have a report on your desk first thing this afternoon.
Kim to Mr Tuvix. We're almost ready to start the transporter tests.
I'm on my way. Excuse me, Captain.
He's certainly fitting in, isn't he?
"The whole is never greater than the sum of its parts.”
Tuvix might be disproving that notion.
Give me the flowers from the airponics bay.
Here you go. One prize-winning chrysanthemum.
One garden-variety clematis.
And last but not least...
one symbiogenetic alien orchid.
I never thought that botanical science class would come in so handy.
Torres to transporter room 1. We're ready.
Acknowledged.
Energising.
We've made over 100 attempts to reverse the symbiogenesis,
and each time, this has been the result - complete cellular collapse.
The genetic codes of the two flowers are so scrambled
that the scanners can't recognise the original patterns.
It's like trying to extract the flour, eggs and water after you've baked the cake.
Mr Tuvix is obviously a much more complex organism than a flower.
We're talking about recreating two humanoid life-forms
without a single discrete strand of DNA.
Are you saying I'm going to be this way forever?
I am an incredibly skilled doctor,
and I will continue to pursue a treatment until I find one.
But I won't lie to you. I'm not optimistic. It could take years to find a solution.
We must face the possibility that this condition is simply untreatable.
I feel as though I've lost two patients. I'm sorry.
I'll inform the rest of the crew.
Come in.
- I hope I'm not disturbing you. - It's all right.
Please, sit down.
Ocampan prayer tapers. For Tuvok and Neelix?
It's funny.
If something happened to Tuvok, Neelix would be the first to comfort me.
And if I lost Neelix, Tuvok would be the first person to guide me spiritually.
Now I don't have either of them.
You have me, Kes.
- Thank you. But... - I remind you of what you've lost.
- It's not your fault. - I know.
And I'm trying to accept who I am now.
Captain Janeway says there's a place for me on this ship,
but I can't help feeling like some sort of impostor.
Maybe we can help each other get through this.
That's what I've been hoping.
This is going to sound very strange to you, perhaps even illogical,
since in a way we've only known each other a few days,
but I want you to know... I love you, Kes.
But I hardly know you.
And besides... what about Tuvok's wife, for one thing?
He was completely devoted to her.
When Voyager gets back home, will you just forget her?
I could never forget T'Pel. I carry Tuvok's love for her inside me.
And I would never ask you to forget Neelix.
How can you talk this way?
I carry Neelix's love for you inside me as well, and I always will.
It could be years before the Doctor can bring Tuvok and Neelix back, if ever.
For you, that might be a lifetime.
Please go.
I'm sorry. I should have controlled my emotions.
All I really came to say is that I'll be here for you if you need me.
- Kes. - Captain.
Sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you this late.
I was having trouble sleeping. I could use some company.
Would you like some hot tea? Please, sit down.
I was reading some letters Tuvok sent
when he was temporarily assigned to Jupiter Station.
Most people would say his writing is cold, analytical, detached, but...
I've always found it to be concise, efficient... thoughtful.
I hear his voice when I read the words.
And Neelix...
I'd become so fond of him. I can't imagine what you're going through.
I wanted to talk to you about Tuvix.
He came to see me this afternoon.
He said... he said that he loves me.
I can see how that's possible, given the circumstances.
I wasn't sure what to say. At first I was angry.
But I know how he's trying to comfort me and I know he feels alone, too.
To tell the truth, he's a wonderful person.
Do you have feelings for him, too?
No, I don't. I mean, how could I?
I still love Neelix, and I'm not ready to give up on him.
I know how you feel.
This is what this crew has been going through
since we first got stranded in this quadrant.
Do we accept that we're separated from our loved ones forever?
Or do we hold onto the hope that someday we'll be with them again?
What do you do, Captain?
I struggle with it every day.
Sometimes I'm full of hope and optimism.
Other times...
I dream about being with Mark... and it's so real.
Then when I wake up and realise it's just a dream, I'm terribly discouraged.
In those moments, it's impossible to deny just how far away he really is.
And uh...
I know that someday...
I may have to accept that he's not part of my life any more.
Are you saying that I should just accept that Neelix isn't part of my life any more?
I would never tell you or anyone else to give up hope.
I think the best thing you can do now is give yourself time.
Thank you, Captain.
I'll go now and let you sleep.
My door is always open to you, Kes.
Captain's log, stardate 49678.4.
It's been two weeks since the accident that created Mr Tuvix.
It's still not clear that he's with us permanently,
but he's been doing his best to settle in.
The crew is growing used to his presence,
and he's a very able tactical officer who isn't afraid to express his opinions.
While he's forging many relationships,
he seems to be keeping a respectful distance from Kes,
allowing her to adjust to the circumstances on her own terms.
As for my relationship with Tuvix,
he is an able advisor, who skilfully uses humour to make his points.
And although I feel a bit guilty saying it, his cooking is better than Neelix's.
My taste buds are definitely happy to have him around.
Ensign Kim, please turn to your medical holographic channel.
How can I help you?
If I found a radioisotope that could attach itself to specific DNA sequences,
could the surgical transporters lock onto those sequences
and separate them from the remaining DNA?'
I think so but we'd have to modify the molecular imaging scanners
and compensate for the higher radiation.
Thank you, Ensign.
Wait a second. What's going on?
It's pure speculation at this point. I'll tell when I know more.
This is about Tuvix. I'm on my way.
Eight ball, corner pocket.
- That's game again, Commander. - We've created a monster.
Best out of five?
- Would you mind if we did this later? - Not at all.
- Hi. - Hi.
How have you been?
- Good days and bad days. You? - Me, too.
I'm sorry I've been so distant lately.
You don't owe me an explanation.
I've been doing a lot of thinking.
And I'm hoping that we can be friends.
I would like that very much.
- And I'd like our friendship to grow. - You would?
Yes. But it's going to take time.
I'm not going anywhere.
Doctor to Lieutenant Tuvix.
- Tuvix here. - Please report to sick bay immediately.
Until late in the 21st century, physicians sometimes administered barium.
The barium made the lining of the intestines visible
with a primitive imaging technology called X-rays.
Instead of barium, we've come up with a radioisotope
that attaches itself to the DNA of just one of the merged species.
Then we simply beam out the selected DNA
and segregate the two merged species.
You see these?
They used to be a single merged flower.
And you can use this same process?
It will require detailed reprogramming,
but yes, I believe we can restore Mr Tuvok and Mr Neelix.
That's wonderful. Isn't that wonderful?
There's nothing to worry about. We've accounted for every variable.
Except one. I don't want to die.
If we could have separated them the moment Tuvix came aboard,
- I wouldn't have hesitated. - Of course not.
But now, in the past few weeks, he's begun to make a life for himself.
He's taken on responsibilities, made friends.
I count myself as one of them.
So at what point did he become an individual
and not a transporter accident?
Come in.
You wanted to see me, Captain?
Yes, Mr Tuvix. Please, sit down.
I feel as though I've been dragged in front of the Numerian Inquisition.
Will you excuse us, Commander?
We've been discussing the unfortunate... predicament
that we're all facing.
I'd like to get your perspective before making a decision.
Are you suggesting that this is your decision to make?
I am the captain of this ship.
Begging your pardon, it's my life. Isn't it my decision?
Aren't there two other lives to consider? What about Tuvok and Neelix?
Two voices that we can't hear right now.
As Captain, I must be their voice, and I believe they would want to live.
But they are living in a way, inside me.
It's not the same and I think you'd agree with me.
They have families, friends, people who love them and miss them
and want them back, just as I do.
But restoring their lives means sacrificing mine.
Captain, what you're considering is an execution.
An execution, like they used to do to murderers centuries ago.
- And I've committed no crime. - You're arguing for an execution, too.
- Of Tuvok and Neelix. - I'm here, alive.
Unfortunate as it is, they're gone.
And I have an opportunity to bring them back.
Don't you think that I care about Tuvok and Neelix? Of course I do.
Without them, I wouldn't exist. I think of them as my parents.
I feel like I know them intimately.
Then you know Tuvok was a man who would give his life to save another.
And I believe the same was true of Neelix.
You're right, Captain.
That is the Starfleet way.
And I know there will be some people who'll call me a coward
because I didn't sacrifice myself willingly.
Believe me, I've thought of that.
But I have the will to live of two men.
Look at me, Captain.
When I'm happy, I laugh.
When I'm sad, I cry. When I stub my toe, I yell out in pain.
I'm flesh and blood, and I have the right to live.
Kes.
I need your help.
I've just come from the Captain.
She's thinking about forcing me to go through with the separation.
If anybody can make a difference, it's you. She'll listen to you.
We've helped each other through this
and I know that you care about what happens to me.
Please, Kes, you may be my only hope.
Come in.
Captain, Tuvix has asked me to speak to you on his behalf.
- But I can't. - He shouldn't have put you in the middle.
But I am in the middle. I have been since the moment of the accident.
I don't know how to say goodbye to Neelix and Tuvok.
I know this sounds horrible, and I feel so guilty for saying it...
and Tuvix doesn't deserve to die...
but I want Neelix back.
You're excused, Ensign.
- Mr Paris, what is our present speed? - Warp 6.5.
I'd like to conduct a field test of the aft sensor array.
Please, slow to impulse.
Commander?
Until the Captain makes a decision, Mr Tuvix is still the tactical officer.
Mr Tuvix, I'd like to speak to you alone.
Can I assume that you've come to a decision, Captain?
I have.
I think we all should hear what you have to say.
Please come with me, Mr Tuvix.
No.
I'm ordering you to come with me.
Security to the bridge.
Will you stand by and do nothing while she commits murder?
Mr Ayala.
Yes, Lieutenant Paris.
You...
Doesn't anyone see that this is wrong?
Let him go.
Each of you is going to have to live with this...
and I'm sorry for that for you are all good, good people.
My colleagues...
my friends...
I forgive you.
Commander Chakotay, advise the Doctor we're on our way to sickbay.
Deck 5.
I'm sorry, Captain, but I cannot perform the surgical separation.
I am a physician, and a physician must do no harm.
I will not take Mr Tuvix's life against his will.
Very well, Doctor. Please step aside.
I assume this is the radioisotope.
Please sit down on this bio-bed.
Locking surgical targeting scanners onto the isotope probe.
Initiating separation sequence.
Energising.
Neelix!
Hello, sweeting.
- Greetings, Captain. - Mr Tuvok.
Mr Neelix.
It's good to have you back.