Captain's log, stardate 50460.3.
We've been investigating an inversion nebula.
This phenomenon hasn't been seen in the Alpha Quadrant
and is something of a mystery.
According to astro-theorists,
inversion nebulae are supposed to burn out within a few years,
but this one appears to be centuries old.
Maybe the theorists were wrong. They never looked at the real thing.
Not entirely wrong. These plasma strands look ready to ignite.
Back us off 2,000 kilometres. Give us a safety margin.
Harry, set the sensors for full spectrum scans.
If that nebula does flare up, I don't want to miss a beat.
Mr Kim, your attention on the sensors.
Sorry, Captain. Full spectrum scans. I'm on it.
Astro-theory never predicted this would be so lovely.
Beauty and mystery, a tantalising combination.
No argument here. Right, Tuvok?
I am capable of appreciating this phenomenon
without extraneous human sentimentality.
Emotion isn't always extraneous. Sometimes it's the whole point.
Enter.
Mr Kim, can I help you?
Um...
That's kal-toh, isn't it? Vulcan chess?
Kal-toh is to chess as chess is to tic-tac-toe.
- I should have known. - What is on your mind, Ensign?
Tuvok, I need your help.
I want to eliminate emotions, like Vulcans do.
- Mr Kim, it is a lifelong process. - I realise that.
I also know that Vulcans use certain techniques.
The t'san s'at, the intellectual deconstruction of emotional patterns.
- I'm willing to learn. - May I ask why?
I have... feelings I don't want to have.
That is self-evident. What is the nature of those feelings?
I'm in love and I don't want to be.
I see. And who is the object of your affections?
Her name is Marayna.
I am not aware of anyone with that name.
She's not a member of the crew.
She's a character on the holodeck.
You love a computer subroutine?
That's the problem.
Interesting.
To see through an emotional complex
is to rob it of its power.
The first step is to identify the complex.
I told you. I'm in love.
There are different kinds of love.
You met this individual only days ago.
Yet you feel overwhelmed.
I can't get her out of my mind.
- Have you been able to sleep? - No.
- Have you eaten? - No.
- Does your daily routine seem empty? - Yes.
You are experiencing shon-ha'lock...
the engulfment.
It is the most perilous form of eros.
Humans call it "love at first sight".
But it's a holodeck character.
Irrelevant. The emotional complex
is the same and so is the cure -
logical deconstruction followed by
a regimen of meditative suppression.
As I shall demonstrate.
Uh... a little further to the left.
- No. That's too much. - Neelix.
- Have you seen Marayna? - Perfect.
Welcome. Just getting things ready for tonight's get-together.
- I forgot. The luau. - Polynesian style. I did research.
Tuvok, you neglected to RSVP.
That was not an oversight.
- Where's Marayna? - Who?
- She's part of the program. - Doesn't ring a bell.
How could you miss her? She's tall, athletic, blonde.
One of the entertainment directors. She's giving Kes a hydrosail lesson.
No, not there.
There.
- The lake is perfect today. - Hello, Harry.
- Hi. - We were just talking about you.
- You were? - She said you're an excellent student.
- She's a great instructor. - Ready to get your ears wet?
- Vulcans do not hydrosail. - Why not?
He prefers the solitude of his quarters and a game of kal-toh.
- We can do better than that. - I'm going. Thanks.
You're welcome. There's a volleyball game starting down on the sand.
Mr Kim and I would prefer conversation. Care to join us?
All right.
I tried a reverse curl this morning. I pulled a tendon. Feel that.
- It's like a knot. - I'm sure it is.
You're friends?
- Yes. - No. We're colleagues.
I respect Mr Kim's intelligence and integrity
and I assume he holds me in the same regard.
So Vulcans don't have friends?
We have fellowships and associations,
but without the emotional dimension humans experience.
- You and I are friends, aren't we? - Um... yeah.
- Good. - Tuvok and Kim, report to the bridge.
Acknowledged. We're on our way.
There's a luau tonight. Are you coming? Both of you?
Yes.
- You've got to stop doing that. - Ensign.
Your responses were mathematically formulaic.
- Meaning? - Your facial expression,
when Neelix did not recall her, was annoyance.
- That's not true. - It is.
Neelix was functioning as the soo-lak, the third party,
who, by his very lack of interest, trivialises your own.
Kes's arrival with Marayna precipitated the k'oh-nar, the feeling of exposure.
I was embarrassed. I was sure Kes would know what I was feeling.
- When Marayna placed your hand... - Let's not even talk about that.
- Bridge. - It's all so predictable.
That's what I tried to get you to perceive.
To the Vulcan intellect, romantic love is a set of stereotypical behaviours.
Not having our discipline, humans are swept along by it until it ends.
How does it end?
Either in conversion to a more balanced relationship, or in tragic circumstances.
I can't have a relationship with her. Marayna's a computer program.
- She could never feel what I feel. - Exactly.
Logic dictates a single course of action. Retreat.
To tell you the truth, I don't even like hydrosailing.
The temperature's 5,000 degrees kelvin and rising.
We've located a plasma strand that is seconds from igniting.
There's an unknown process keeping the nebula from going up like a torch.
- If there isn't? - My hand is on the controls.
We'll be gone before it touches our shields.
The temperature is 9,000 degrees. I'm getting a subatomic cascade reaction.
There she goes.
The plasma strand burned itself out.
- Without causing a chain reaction. - What put out the flames?
A dampening effect between the strands, but I can't isolate it.
Like a firebreak in space.
If we understood this, we might find a way to contain a warp core breach.
Or any plasma reaction. It's an investigation worth pursuing.
Take us in for short-range sensor scans.
Let's find out all we can about this phenomenon.
I'll see all of you at Mr Neelix's luau.
I'm sure everyone will be attending.
- Lieutenant, you look absolutely... - Tropical?
More along the lines of smashing. Nothing can measure up with this shirt.
This recreation of a 1962 Big Daddy-O surf special is an American classic.
- You put too much thought into that. - You're wrong.
We're picking Vorik up at 1600 hours. He gets so Vulcan if you're late.
- What about Harry? - He's not coming.
- Why not? - He's busy.
- With what? - I don't know.
Harry and I will meet you at the luau.
You're confident about your persuasive powers.
Yes, I am.
- Come in. - Surf's up, Mr Kim.
Hi, Tom.
This is a luau. You're dressed for a funeral. What are you doing?
- A Vulcan meditation. - What for?
To suppress my emotions.
- Is something wrong? - Not really.
The resort woman? What was her name?
Marayna. How did you know that?
Every time I've looked for you it's always, "He's in holodeck 1."
Since you don't like hydrosailing, I figured something was going on.
Am I that predictable?
- You sound like Tuvok. - Tuvok?
He told you to do all this?
"Logically, the best course is retreat. Meditation helps."
Retreat! A classic case of Vulcan denial, if you ask me.
Come on, Harry. We have all fallen for a holodeck character. It happens.
Deal with it by staying with your routine, not by hiding out.
I'm not hiding out. I'm deconstructing the emotional complex.
OK. Have fun.
Wait.
Computer, standard illumination.
I'm getting tired of this anyway.
Computer, one Hawaiian shirt.
- Specify parameters. - Pineapple motif.
- Greetings, Mr Vulcan. - No, thank you.
I've done a great deal of research on Earth's Polynesian cultures.
The flowered garland, or lei, is said to represent the flowering of love.
- It's a marvellous tradition. - Marvellous.
Oh, my. Did I program a centrepiece that big?
Computer, open parameter adjustment file.
The life of a recreational hologram - dining, dancing, non-restrictive clothing.
I see the allure. Your turn.
Thank you.
Tuvok, I'm glad to see you here.
I would never disobey an order, no matter how burdensome.
There's a difference between "order" and "suggestion"”.
The evening's young. Let's mingle.
Vulcans do not... Curious.
- What's that? - If you will excuse me.
A common error among novice players.
By placing the t'an on opposite sides of the kal-toh,
you attempt to introduce a spatial balance.
- That strategy will fail. - Why?
It is not about striving for balance.
It is about finding the seeds of order, even in the midst of profound chaos.
- May I? - Please.
How beautiful.
- It is not about beauty. - I understand.
But it's still beautiful.
Did you learn to play on Vulcan?
Yes. From the age of five, I took lessons from a master.
I thought you may enjoy having an opponent.
Playing alone must get a little predictable.
- You are perceptive. - Yes, I am. Extremely so.
- Aloha, miss. - Thank you.
- Sir? - No, thank you.
- You're the only one without a garland. - Given the decor, it seems excessive.
- I don't believe you. - I beg your pardon.
You're tying to isolate yourself and make a public protest at the same time.
- Explain. - You didn't want to be here.
Being the only one without a lei sets you apart,
allowing you to symbolically maintain your solitude.
Since everybody can see you have no lei,
you're letting them know that you'd rather be somewhere else.
Your logic is impeccable.
Thanks.
- Thanks. I am starving. - Me, too. Let's find us a spot.
This place is filling up fast.
I have already taken the liberty of reserving a table with a lakeside view.
You did express a fondness for that vista.
I did?
Five days ago in a conversation regarding holodeck programs.
- I guess maybe I did. - Good memory.
Of course.
Well, then, Ensign, let's go.
Harry.
- What? - Do you want to get something to eat?
I don't know. Maybe this isn't a good idea.
Listen, I'm going back to my quarters.
- Harry... - Tom.
OK. I'll see you tomorrow.
I like the excitement of the water.
The danger... of being tossed around by the wind and the waves.
But at the same time, feeling like I'm in control.
The illusion of control.
That's exactly right, because no one can control the wind and the waves.
But for a few moments, when you're on the water,
and the ride is perfect, the feeling is that you can.
- Do you ever feel that? - No.
Never? Don't you have an imagination?
If you mean the ability to spontaneously generate images within my mind,
yes, I have a highly-developed imagination, like all my race.
All right, imagine this.
That you, with your logic and your reason,
are skimming atop endless waves of emotion.
You believe you're in control, but you know that control is an illusion.
You believe that you understand the depths beneath you...
but that, too, is an illusion.
I can see why Ensign Kim finds you compelling.
I can see why Harry admires and respects you,
because it's obvious that he does and so do I.
I must return to my quarters.
Please stay. I've never met anyone like you.
I must admit, I share that conclusion. You are a unique individual.
- Then stay. - It is late. I must go.
Then come back tomorrow. I'm sure the weather will hold.
- No doubt. - Please.
Perhaps.
Good night, Tuvok.
Good night, Marayna.
Computer, end resort program.
Captain's log, supplemental.
We've confirmed our discovery of an unusual dampening field
responsible for keeping this nebula from going up in flames.
The field's origin is still a mystery.
The field appears when a plasma strand ignites, as if the fire initiates it.
- A feedback loop. - It's preserved this nebula for centuries.
Do we have enough data on the field to produce one artificially?
- Harry, do we have the data? - Yes, Captain. But it'll take a while.
We'll simulate the process and recreate it with the deflector dish.
- Probably a few weeks. - The project is yours.
Resume course for the Alpha Quadrant, warp 6.
Aye, Captain.
Captain, propulsion is not responding.
- Engineering, what's going on? - We're trying to track the problem.
Acknowledged. Harry, give B'Elanna a hand.
The nebula could be affecting the ship's systems.
That's a possibility we can't discount.
Warp drive within tolerance levels. Antimatter containment at field strength.
- Impulse engines are also... - Within tolerance.
Most likely there's a failure in the computer pathways.
Propulsion's fine, but commands aren't getting there.
The warp drive seems OK. Impulse too. I think the problem is somewhere else.
I think the helm's being blocked.
Like some kind of failure in the computer pathways?
- Maybe. - I said that. You're not listening.
- I'll return to my station, Lieutenant. - I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my mind.
- Forget about her. - What did Tom say to you?
Not a word. I saw you looking at Marayna yesterday.
Hi. My name's Harry read-me-like-a-book Kim.
- It's not that bad. - It is. I can't get her off my mind.
Input algorithm not accepted.
Why don't you take a break? I can handle it from here.
Thanks. I'll be in my quarters if you need me.
Deck 3.
Computer, belay that order.
Holodeck 1.
Computer, activate Neelix resort program.
That program is currently running.
- Hello, Harry. - Enjoying yourselves?
Now I know why you told me to keep off the holodeck.
You are misconstruing this situation. Your jealousy is insupportable.
Stop analysing me.
I respected you. I trusted you. And you did this behind my back.
- I have not. - Then what do you call this?
A game of kal-toh which I am playing with a computer subroutine.
I didn't intend to harm you and I didn't do anything wrong.
I'll accept that from her, but not from you.
You said to stay away. You should do the same.
You're implying a desire on my part that does not exist.
Marayna is an intriguing interactive hologram, nothing more.
If you say so, Lieutenant.
I value our working relationship. I would not let a character disrupt it.
- It's a little late... - Please. Stop arguing.
- Delete the Marayna subroutine. - What are you...
That won't help. I never should have come to you.
I should have worked it out myself.
Let's try it again. Warp 6.
- Course laid in. - Engage.
It would appear that we're not moving.
- I don't understand it. - Any ideas, B'Elanna?
Warp drive and helm control are working, but the engines won't respond.
Possible computer malfunction, but I can't localise it.
Run a level-4 computer diagnostic.
Aye, Captain.
Captain, I just got aft thrusters to respond. It's not much.
I'll take it, B'Elanna. Tom, let's go.
- We'll clear the nebula by tomorrow. - Good enough.
Your move.
- You'll find my game has improved. - How did you get here?
I transferred from the holodeck to the sickbay, then used a mobile emitter.
- I deleted you from the holodeck. - You did that for Harry's benefit.
I know you wanted to keep seeing me.
I like Harry, but... Well, you're different.
You're not like anyone else.
Why have you come to my quarters?
You're like a new world to me. I want to know everything about you.
I didn't realise how lonely my existence was.
And I can't go back to the way things were, not without you.
Tuvok to bridge. Intruder alert. Security team to my quarters.
Why did you do that? We can be together.
I have to consider you a potential threat to myself and to Voyager.
But you're wrong. I would never do anything to harm you.
Make it stop!
- You have access to control systems? - I'll use them if I have to.
You can't just delete me!
Where is this individual now?
When security got there, she downloaded herself
back into the computer and onto the holodeck.
More to the point, what is she?
A sentient computer program. I checked the database.
This has happened before.
The Enterprise-D was once taken over by a hole-character.
We studied that at the Academy. It gained control from the holodeck.
Marayna may well have done the same.
She silenced the intruder alert by an act of will.
- Has she the run of our computer? - She may.
Is it possible she's the source of our malfunctions?
It's possible. If she can manipulate the ship's computer pathways,
she could have disrupted propulsion and covered her tracks.
- Why? What's her motivation? - I believe it is her feelings toward me.
She made reference to her loneliness and wanted to continue our relationship.
But why knock propulsion off-line?
Could she be trying to keep us near the nebula?
It started the day we got here. That's when I met her.
Can the nebula affect the holodeck?
- Giving rise to an intelligence. - It's possible.
In any case, I can't allow her to gain any further control over my ship.
Tuvok, Paris, Torres, go to holodeck 1.
I want this resolved one way or another.
She's locked us out of the program. We'll be lucky if we can open the doors.
- We're lucky. - Marayna may have opened the doors.
Caution is advised.
I'll try to access the inside control panel.
It's kind of creepy.
She's recreating the setting of our previous encounter.
You really know how to pick 'em, Tuvok.
I got access to the holodeck computer.
I'm reading nothing unusual. It seems to be working perfectly.
There's a subspace signal coming from outside of Voyager. It's an uplink.
There's somebody on a ship out there, tapping into...
B'Elanna!
Shoot the control panel.
- Shield status. - Holding. Inertial dampeners off-line.
- Starboard shields down to 80%. - What happened?
Marayna attacked us. She has control over the characters.
She's not on the holodeck. I found an uplink from the nebula.
She's on a hidden ship. She's manipulating the holodeck from there.
She's using Marayna like a puppet.
As an interface, a way to move around Voyager, to interact with us.
Tuvok, come back to me. I'm waiting for you.
Harry, try to trace the uplink. Find her.
Don't make this more difficult than it already is.
Are you responsible for the plasma fires?
You're giving me no choice but to force the issue.
- What do you want? - Tuvok. I want Tuvok.
Let him come to the holodeck alone, or I'll destroy your ship.
Tuvok, you're back.
- I had little choice. - We're alone now.
No one can see us or hear us. We can do whatever we want.
You don't have to pretend any more. This is our world.
You lured me here by threatening the ship.
But any attempt to generate intimacy will not be successful.
- I've isolated the source of the uplink. - Stand by to transport.
I understand your sense of duty, of loyalty, to your captain,
but we have something stronger, a connection that goes beyond duty.
I know you want to be with me, Tuvok.
You must leave Voyager and allow us to continue on our course.
I won't.
I suggest you reconsider, or the captain will be forced to take action.
There's nothing she can do. You're staying here.
She'll just have to accept that.
- Energise. - Transporting to the uplink source.
Stop!
Shields are down to 47%.
- Shields are gone. - Hail Tuvok.
Something's blocking the signal.
Marayna?
Your ship is helpless.
If I ignite one more strand, the hull will fail.
You are using the nebula as a weapon.
- My nebula. - I will fire if necessary.
You're too late. I've set the ignition sequence.
Only I can stop it.
Are you alone here, on this station in this nebula?
- Yes. It's my work. - I don't understand.
I keep the plasma fires from chain-reacting.
You are responsible for the dampening field.
Correct. I generate it from here
to preserve the nebula so that others from my planet may enjoy its beauty.
I watch the ships when they pass by.
They don't even know I'm here.
You are lonely.
By choice.
I prefer to be here... alone.
You uplinked with our holodeck and created a character to interact with us.
To amuse myself. I have done it before.
Tapped into the computer of a passing alien vessel, examined their lives.
But I never expected to find something as diverting as your holodeck.
I never expected to find you.
You are like nothing else I've ever encountered.
And I can't be without you.
Stay here with me and I will let your ship resume course.
If it is the only option, I would willingly sacrifice myself to save my crewmates.
That's not enough. You have to want to be with me.
If you understood me, you would know I could never return your affections.
But you are more like me than you are like them.
I've seen the way you isolate yourself.
Even in a crowd of people, you're alone.
We should be together.
I must admit I have found our conversations stimulating,
your insight and intelligence fresh and unexpected.
In other circumstances, I would be willing to spend time in your company,
to continue to share knowledge and ideas.
But I have a home and a spouse on Vulcan.
I have a mission and colleagues who depend on me.
I do not have a complete understanding of emotions.
But I believe that if you care for me, you will not pursue this course of action.
You may go.
Your communicator will function now.
- Tuvok to Voyager. - Go ahead, Tuvok.
I am ready to return. Stand by to beam me aboard.
Ship systems are coming back on-line.
Acknowledged, Tuvok. Standing by.
Consider this.
Your feelings toward me may be evidence of a deeper need.
A more profound loneliness than you are willing to admit.
Why don't you call for a replacement?
Let another occupy this task.
Attempt for a time to live among your own kind.
Logically that would be the best thing to do.
Yes.
Perhaps I will.
Tuvok to Voyager. Ready for transport.
But what about you, Tuvok? Will you always be alone?
Security chief's log, stardate 50471.3.
The damage to the ship was repaired and we soon left Marayna's nebula.
Voyager is back on course and I have resumed my normal routine.
Mr Kim, would you be interested in learning to play kal-toh?
I thought kal-toh was beyond human understanding.
Not entirely.
Ensign,
I failed to respect the complexity of your emotions.
I apologise for my lack of consideration.
Don't worry about it, Tuvok. Apology accepted.
- Won't this take years to learn? - It will indeed.
- May I join you? - No.
But thank you.