Summary for Star Trek: Voyager episode
Equinox

Season 5, Episode 25
Stardate: Unknown

Guest Stars:
Titus Welliver as "Burke"
Olivia Birkelund as "Gilmore"
Rick Worthy as "Lessing"
Scarlett Pomers as "Naomi Wildman"
Steve Dennis as "crew member"

Special Guest Star:
John Savage as "Captain Ransom"

Story by: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky

Teleplay by: Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky

Events:
The show starts dramatically!

A Federation ship (we later learn it is a Nova class ship) is under attack (shields are obviously in use). On the bridge we can see heavy damage has already occurred and more damage is accruing.

The conn reports shields are down to 29%. The captain, making a desperate decision, orders the shields to be dropped, knowing it will take 45 seconds to recycle the shields to full strength. But this is the only way to ensure the ship and crew survive. Ordering the crew to arm themselves, the Captain orders the shields dropped. Within seconds a small spherical portal appears and the captain fires his phaser rifle at it, closing the portal. Soon other portals start opening and the crew opens fire on them.

One of the portals opens behind a crew man who is unaware of the danger. From the portal an entity flies through the air and as the crew man turns and sees his doom approaching he is struck by the entity and immediately dies a horrible death (turning green and having the appearance that his skin has aged swiftly).

Distracted by his scream and now being one gun short, the remainder of the crew continue their desperate battle while other portals open. Two of these entities (looking a lot like Ghostbusters "Slimer", only meaner and leaner) swoop in on the captain just as the screen goes black.

The show cuts to opening credits and commercials.

When we return we're in Astrometrics with Seven, Janeway and Chakotay. They are watching a distress call sent by the USS Equinox (the ship from the first scene) 14 hours earlier. Seven tells us the Equinox is in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway reconizes the captain as a man called "Ransom" and tells us the ship is a science vessel designed for planetary explorations. She doesn't think the ship was looking for Voyager, as it wasn't built for long-range missions.

Seven gets the coordinates and Janeway orders Chakotay to rendezvous with the ship at maximum warp and to call for Red Alert. Chakotay leaves Astrometrics to carry out his orders, followed soon after by Seven and Janeway.

As Seven and Janeway walk towards the turbolift Seven points out that Janeway seems to know Captain Ransom. Janeway claims he was an exobiologist who discovered the Iridians (a species thought to be extinct by the Federation and the Borg [who assign it the designation "Species 6291"]) were in fact still in existence. For this he was promoted to act as Captain of the Equinox.

A short time later, on the bridge, Voyager comes within range of the Equinox. The Equinox shields are still active. When Janeway signals the Equinox, Ransom instructs them to extend shields around the Equinox and to match their shield frequency. Janeway orders Tuvok to carry out this request and Tom positions the ship over the Equinox (it is about as long as Voyager's secondary hull and warp nascelles). As they take their position, and before the shields are activated, the bridge crew hear the same sound we heard in the first scene when the portals opened on Equinox's bridge. Seven reports "spatial fissures" opening up on Decks ten, six, and the bridge.

Tuvok gets the shields up and around both Voyager and the Equinox. The shields hold and the fissures disappear. Janeway orders Chakotay to assemble an Away Team to "secure the Equinox" while she and Tuvok leave the bridge.

The scene cuts to Equinox's Engineering. Chakotay, Tom, and B'Elanna survey the damage. Tom finds a dead crewman, totally desiccated. Engineering is a shambles, pyrotechnic explosions erupting at random. Chakotay manages to find a crew member alive. He manages to dig her out of the rubble. She's obviously terrified, and tells Chakotay that there are no other humans in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay re-assures her.

Meanwhile, Harry is climbing through a jeffries tube with Seven. Harry finds another living crew member (his name is "Lessing"). He seems very calm.

Neelix and a crewman find another Equinox survivor. This one is delirious and starts firing his phaser at them. The Voyager crewman fires his phaser and stuns the Equinox crewman. Neelix calls out to Voyager to beam over the stunned crewman, warning Doc that the crewman is suffering from psychological trauma.

Meanwhile, Janeway and Tuvok enter the bridge. They find dead (desiccated) crew members, but two are alive: the helmsman and Captain Ransom. Janeway rouses Ransom and asks who attacked. Ransom doesn't know, claiming his ship has been attacked by these aliens for weeks and they can't communicate. Janeway prepares to beam Ransom off and Ransom insists he must stay and secure his ship.

Janeway points out she doesn't out rank Ransom, but that he's unable to resist her efforts. Ransom smiles and asks about Earth. Janeway admits Voyager's been trapped for five years in the Delta Quadrant, thanks to the Caretaker. Apparently, this is a similar story to Ransom's, as he says "Caretaker" at the same time as Janeway. He agrees to leave the ship.

The show cuts to commercials.

The show returns with Ransom and what remains of his crew, commemorating their fallen comrades. There are five named amongst the dead. Counting Captain Ransom and First Officer Burke there are six survivors. This is not to say that the standard crew complement of a Nova-class ship is 11. There may have been others who had fallen and were commemorated in the past.

In attendance are the senior officers of Voyager along with other members of her crew.

Ransom reminds his crew that they should celebrate the timely arrival of Voyager.

Janeway tells us that the Equinox is secure, and that she is prepared to work with Ransom to find a way of dealing with the threat that faces them. Harry and B'Elanna are assigned the task of repairing the Equinox's primary systems. Tuvok and Seven are assigned to work with Burke to find a way of handling the aliens.

Janeway makes clear that she's welcoming Ransom and his remaining crew as "part of our family".

After the crew is dismissed, Tuvok and Seven introduce themselves to Burke, inviting him to review their weaponry. Burke defers the meeting so he can re-introduce himself to B'Elanna. She's pleased to see him. Apparently they went to the Academy together. They were also romantically involved at that time.

B'Elanna introduces Tom (who is trying to hide his discomfort) and Harry. They agree they'll all share dinner together later.

After Burke leaves, B'Elanna looks at Tom with a grin and claims he's cute when he's jealous.

The scene cuts to a hallway. Chakotay is walking to a turbo-lift to visit Engineering. The Equinox crew member whom he saved, Gilmore, approaches him. She claims she's been assigned to one of the repair crews and would like to change her assignment to work on Voyager. She claims to be suffering from some fear of returning to the Equinox. Post-traumatic disorder. Chakotay is willing to agree to this, claiming her engineering qualifications would be useful on Voyager. She points out how clean Voyager is. Chakotay assures her that Equinox will soon be just as good.

Then Gilmore announces she might want to stay on Voyager. Chakotay reminds her that Ransom is running with barely a skeleton crew and might object. They enter the turbo-lift, Gilmore with some trepidation. Apparently a fissure opened up in a turbo lift when she took cover in one. As the lift takes them down towards Engineering, Gilmore starts hearing the sound of a spatial fissure opening. We are to believe this is in her head, as Chakotay doesn't hear it. Before reaching Engineering Gilmore panics and calls for an emergency stop so she can get out. Chakotay joins her and they agree to travel the rest of the way through the jeffries tubes.

In Astrometrics, Janeway, Seven and Tuvok are discussing the tactical situation with Ransom and Burke. Seven has detected random spatial fissures opening within a metre of Voyager's shields. Tuvok announces each such opening weakens the shields by 0.3%. Janeway announces at the current rate the shields will be down in less than 2 days.

Seven asks Ransom to confirm that the aliens can survive in our environment for just a few seconds. He does. She suggests that if they can keep the aliens in their environment longer then the aliens might back off.

Burke explains they've already done this. They captured one with something called multi-phasic shields. They captured one for a few minutes to analyze it better. Their prototype is in an uninhabitable part of the ship, but Burke claims they have the schematics. Ransom offers to download them, and asks Janeway to assist. She agrees.

On the bridge of the Equinox they exchange stories of their time in the Delta Quadrant. The Equinox hasn't seen the Borg at all. But in the first week they ran into the "Krutone Guard" (spelled phonetically). Apparently the Guard destroyed half of Ransom's crew (39 crew members).

Ransom makes a vague reference to the hardships of his voyage. He claims they've come close to forgetting they're Star Fleet, and even that they're human. Janeway reassures him that he's commanded a short-range vessel and has covered as much ground as she has. He claims to have used a wormhole and to have enhanced his engines.

He asks her if she's broken the Prime Directive. She claims she has not, though she admits to bending it "a little". Ransom admits to much the same.

Looking down, Ransom finds the plaque that bears the "Equinox" name. Janeway smiles and suggests they return it to where it belongs.

Later, in the Mess Hall, Ransom meets up with Burke. Ransom claims that based on what he's shared with Janeway, no one on Voyager will understand what they've done. Burke claims they will find out eventually. But Ransom claims they must keep quiet and keep Voyager crew out of the research lab (where the proto-type for the multi-phasic shielding can be found) and out of the warp core injectors. Ransom also warns Burke about talking too freely to Voyager's crew, including B'Elanna. Burke claims he understands.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return we're in Astrometrics. Seven greets Lessing, who has made a complete recovery. He offers to help her work through the biometric data, but is interrupted by the sound of spatial fissures opening.

Up on the bridge, they also hear the sound and Tuvok reports the lateral shield has collapsed. Harry claims fissures are opening on the bridge and decks 8 and 11. Within seconds the sound stops. Tuvok explains that the aliens had focused their attacks on one shield and had penetrated it. However, the auxiliary emitters had kicked in to restore the shield. Chakotay suggests they don't have as much time as they thought.

In the briefing room, Seven informs Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, Ransom, Burke, and Gilmore that they are prepared to start converting their ship's security force fields to use multi-phasic fields. It will take fourteen hours to complete the conversions. However, they can speed this up if they only focus on Voyager. Janeway recommends that they evacuate "Equinox" and focus on Voyager. Ransom understandably disagrees, pointing out they are 35,000 light years from Earth and two ships have a better chance of returning than one. He asks Janeway what the protocol says about two captains disagreeing about tactics.

Janeway cites protocol 191.14, which states that the captain of the ship with superior tactical ability takes command. This gives her the authority to order the evacuation of "Equinox". She's pretty gentle with this decision, mindful of Ransom's position and dignity. Ransom accepts the decision gracefully, requests permission to return to his quarters for some mementos (which is granted), and instructs Burke to cooperate completely with Janeway's efforts. Burke is a little unsure, but Ransom assures him they'll get through this.

The scene cuts to an upper rampart of Voyager's engineering. Burke is taking readings with a tricorder, then sets up a download for the multi-phasic field generators. B'Elanna decides this is a good time to join him and sweetly protests his presence at a command station. Burke apologizes. He distracts her from his download with some idle chit chat, and then retrieves his tricorder and clears the download message from the screen. B'Elanna is unaware of what he was really doing.

Down in the Mess Hall, Chakotay is discussing the options with Harry and Gilmore. He suggests that before abandoning the Equinox they might try salvaging anything useful. Gilmore suggests they forget the primary systems because of the extent of the damage. She suggests they take on some of the cargo. She lists off a couple of items, then mentions a synaptic stimulator. It's a small device that fits behind the ear and stimulates the brain to present "alien vistas". She calls it "the poor man's holodeck". The Equinox got it from the Penay (phonetic spelling). Apparently whenever they met someone new they threw a party.

Gilmore shows a lot of relief being on Voyager. She shows it's been a rough ride for the Equinox crew.

Chakotay asks about the plasma injectors, claiming they looked modified. Gilmore states they were experimenting in the hopes of improving the engines, but that the experiement failed. Harry suggests B'Elanna might be able to look at them, but Gilmore firmly claims the experiement had been going on for months and was a failure.

Their conversation is interrupted by Naomi, who introduces herself to Gilmore as "the Captain's assistant". She offers her services as tour guide or provider of additional replicator rations. Gilmore is delighted, and Naomi leaves the room.

Harry claims Naomi was born "here" (not quite right, but close enough), and that she's the only child on board. Gilmore reminisces about her family back home.

Ransom calls Gilmore to the bridge of the Equinox, and Gilmore cheerfully acknowledges. Meanwhile Chakotay orders a salvage team to be prepared.

On the Equinox, Ransom, Burke, Gilmore and Lessing are having a meeting. Ransom informs them of his intention to leave Voyager and take the Equinox back to Earth. He makes arrangements with all three to power up the ship and get underway.

Meanwhile, on Voyager, Tuvok and Seven have uncovered an interesting fact. They've learned that the poisoning of the research lab is being deliberately done by Ransom. They bring this to the attention of Janeway, who orders Doc in to investigate (Doc being immune to the harmful radiation in the area).

Doc beams over, and discovers what looks like an alien corpse.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, Doc relays his discoveries to Tuvok and Seven. Through an elaborate bit of techno-babble we learn that the Equinox crew was converting the alien into a substance they could use for propulsion.

Back on Voyager, Burke and Ransom are walking a hallway, planning there escape. They turn a corner and find themselves confronted by two security officers with drawn phasers. Ransom and Burke turn back, only to be confronted by Tuvok and another security officer, phasers drawn. Ransom is accompanied to meet with Janeway.

In the briefing room, Ransom is confronted with the truth. He admits to killing the creatures but claims extreme duress. His ship was collapsing, the dilithium crystals were gone and they were running on thrusters only. They hadn't eaten for sixteen days. He believed, under the regulations, that he had the right to use any justifiable means to preserve his crew. Even mass murder.

They had come across a planet that offered them food and a few dilithium crystals. Then the natives held a ritual that summoned forth spirits of good luck. Burke took readings and found the creatures might be used for energy. They traded for the device that summoned the creatures and tested it on their ship using the multi-phasic fields to keep it in place. Within seconds the creature died, despite the fact that Ransom tried to return it. They used the creature's dead mass to power the ship, travelling 10,000 light years in two weeks. Then they summoned more.

Janeway is not impressed with Ransom's rationale. She relieves him of command and confines him and his crew to their quarters on Voyager. Ransom asks for leniency for his crew, claiming they were following his orders. Janeway is pitiless.

Back on the bridge, Janeway orders Doc to retrieve the data on the aliens from Equinox's research lab so they can figure out how to communicate with the aliens. Seven is ordered to take the warp core modifications offline. Chakotay is baffled and Janeway announces she's going to make first contact "the right way".

Down in a hallway, Chakotay, and Gilmore accompanied by a security officer discuss her fate. Chakotay tells her it's up to Janeway. Gilmore confesses she's relieved they've stopped the Equinox crew. Chakotay says she could have stopped herself, but she claims she just tried to do the work and not think about what was really happening.

They arrive at Astrometrics, where Seven is unable to de-crypt the research data. Gilmore is ordered to de-crypt the codes if she can. She knows how, and after some hesitation, agrees to do so.

Back in the research lab, Doc is unable to access a file that's been de-crypted. The computer informs him that the EMH is required to give the access codes. Doc calls up the EMH (a duplicate of him, of course). The Equinox EMH asks for Ransom, and Doc explains the situation. The EMH wants to know how Doc can move around, and Doc points to the portable holo-emitter and claims that is the device that gives him the freedom to go anywhere. He demands to know whether the EMH was aware of the criminal research going on. The EMH admits he knew because he designed the experiments. Doc is flabbergasted, demanding to know how the EMH could do this against its own programming. The EMH admits that the crew had deleted his ethical sub-routines. Then the EMH smacks the portable holo-emitter, which cause Doc to disappear and the emitter to fall to the ground, to be retrieved by the EMH from Equinox.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, Voyager's shields light up like a christmas tree. On the bridge we learn that the aliens have increased their attack strength. Chakotay doesn't expect the shields will last long. Seven is putting the final touches to the multi-phasic fields. Janeway calls down to Sick Bay and asks Doc if he's learned anything. Doc asks for clarification and Janeway asks if he learned anything about communicating with the aliens. Doc claims the files were encrypted. So Janeway gives him instructions to keep looking for a way to enhance the universal translator.

As soon as she signs off, Doc asks for the location of Ransom. Learning where he is, Doc grabs a med-kit. We're obviously dealing with the Equinox's EMH.

Things start happening quickly, folks.

Seven is in the process of dismantling the Equinox engines.

The EMH approaches the quarters where the Equinox crew is being held. He announces to the Security officers he has permission to enter to treat the prisoners for a virus they've contracted. The security lets him through. Inside, he informs them of their illness and opens his med-kit. Inside are two phasers. The EMH admits to Ransom he's from the Equinox.

Tuvok and B'Elanna try to activate the multi-phasic fields, and learn they've been sabotaged. Janeway orders them to get it on-line.

Meanwhile, both security officers guarding the prisoners are shot and the prisoners escape. Harry detcts this on the bridge and Janeway orders the deck sealed and more security to re-capture the escapees.

There is a running battle, and the EMH decides to return to Equinox, dropping the portable holo-emitter. Ransom's crew preserve their freedom, and manage to beam to his bridge.

Janeway calls out to Seven, but she's unconscious thanks to Gilmore.

B'Elanna has a field around the multi-phasic field generator, and Burke is trying to override it.

Meanwhile, Chakotay (who has been relaying shield strength to Janeway through all of this) announces they have a minute left before the shields fail.

Janeway tries to reason with Ransom, but he'd rather not surrender to 30 years in the brig.

Janeway threatens to fire on him and he remains unmoved. She orders weapons fire on his engines.

Burke manages to snatch the multi-phasic field generator from Voyager. They try to take off but Gilmore reports the damage Seven has done and claims repairs are ongoing.

Meanwhile Burke is installing the generator.

And finally the shields collapse.

No sooner does this occur than they hear the sound of the spatial fissures. Janeway orders them to arm themselves at the same time as Ransom starts hearing the spatial fissures on his ship.

Burke announces he's got the generator integrated and brings it on-line. The first alien through finds itself trapped and quickly dies. Ransom orders it taken to Engineering. Meanwhile, Lessing announces the warp engine is on-line. Ransom orders maximum warp and the Equinox takes off.

Meanwhile, on Voyager's bridge, mayhem rules. The crew keep shooting at the fissures, thus closing them. Finally one of the aliens breaks through unnoticed and Chakotay shouts a warning to Janeway as the alien heads right for her. She falls backward, losing her weapon.

End of episode.
"To be continued?"

Personal reflections:
Whew !

Pretty fast-paced at the end there.

Where to begin?

Good story! Interesting guest stars! B'Elanna without the bad attitude!!! 'Cute' little monsters!

Getting the feeling I liked the show?

Star Fleet stripped of its civilized veneer, as manifested in Ransom and his crew, is a nice touch. Ransom's plight is one that engenders sympathy. But with dilithium crystals and food from his alien benefactors his solution was a little harder to accept. Communication and trade would have been the better choice. But given his situation it's hard to know how I'd react.

For one thing, the alien's degree of sentience was untested. If we could power a starship by hooking up a cow to the engines would we do it? Probably. We slaughter cows for food and leather, and hook them up to machines for milk.

Let's say we killed off a few cows this way. And then cows started attacking us, working their way through our defenses. That demonstrates sentience.

So now we know they're sentient, but we can't communicate with them to try to negotiate a peace. And we can't stop killing them to power our defense or we'll be destroyed by their attacks.

Trapped! We didn't intend to start a war. And we can't stop it.

Along comes Voyager, and they have a way of possibly stopping it. But to accept their solution means another 30 years or so getting back home.

Another dilemma !

What an intriguing plot (thank you Rick Berman).

We get to see lots of everyone, this episode. Another nice change. And an evil EMH as well. It acts so innocently and then swoops in for the kill (mind you, if its ethical sub-routines have been deleted, I don't know if I'd trust it for medical treatment).

So how does Voyager get out of this one?

Well, let's recall Seven is on Equinox. That in itself suggests the usual solution (Seven single-handedly saves the day). She appeals to Gilmore's better nature, and thus takes over the Equinox in time to rescue Voyager.

But what does Voyager do in the meantime? And where's Doc? He just evaporated on the Equinox, while the EMH evaporated on Voyager. My, my, things look interesting.

Will Janeway buy it (nah)? Is Doc gone for good (nah)? Does Voyager's crew die a miserable death (nah)?

Will anyone from the Equinox be added to the crew of Voyager for the remainder of next season? That has possibilities, but somehow I doubt that's what will happen.

Will the aliens make peace (of course they will)?

Will BLT meet the pa'tak again (you bet)?

Goodness. I actually find myself looking forward to the season premiere.

Berman, look what you've done to me ;-) !!

Thank you for your attention.



All episode summaries and nits copyright © 1999 Wulf
Site design and graphics copyright © 1999 Holotech Enterprises
All rights reserved

Star Trek^TM, Voyager^TM and Deep Space Nine^TM
are trademarks owned by Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Design and Hosting by