Summary for Star Trek: Voyager episode
The Fight

Season 5, Episode 18
Stardate:

Guest Stars:
Carlos Palamino as "the Boxer"
Ned Romero as "Great Grandfather"

Special Guest Star:
Ray Walston as "Boothby"

Story by:
Michael Taylor

Teleplay by:
Joe Menosky

Events:
The show starts in Sick Bay, where Seven, Tom and Doc are attending a raving Chakotay, who is hearing voices in his head. The dialogue makes clear these voices are real, that they belong to aliens who are trying to communicate with Voyager. Chakotay was apparently selected to be the ship's "ambassador".

Unfortunately Chakotay doesn't understand a word the aliens are saying and they won't stop talking.

Up on the bridge Janeway checks in to see if Chakotay is making any progress. B'Elanna informs her that the ship must escape the "chaotic space" they're trapped in or the ship will be destroyed.

An external view shows the entire ship is rippling because of this "chaotic space".

The show cuts to opening credits and commercials.

When we return, Doc is recording his log entry, stating that Chakotay's condition is getting worse. He's interrupted by Chakotay, who is tired and wants to sleep.

Doc explains that might disrupt the connection between him and the aliens. Chakotay doesn't know what he's talking about so Doc explains that the aliens live in chaotic space. Voyager is trapped by their space and communicating with the aliens might lead to a way of freeing themselves.

Chakotay worries that he's going crazy, like his grandfather. But Doc assures him that Doc believes the aliens are changing his neural pathways so as to communicate.

Then Doc asks Chakotay to recall an incident that happened in the past. He mentions a boxing match in the holodeck where Chakotay was knocked out. Chakotay recalls the event, claiming he'd come to Sick Bay and that he and Doc had an argument.

Doc encourages Chakotay to recall the match. Chakotay explains he was boxing a Terellian. He recalls Boothby was there (Chakotay claims Boothby trained him as a boxer when Chakotay was a cadet at the academy).

Chakotay continues, explaining that things weren't going well by the 3rd round. He was avoiding the Terellian.

The scene cuts to that day in the holodeck. We see a rather typical boxing ring in a gymnasium. In the ring Chakotay and the Terellian are duking it out, neither side landing any punches.

Boothby is at ringside, and warns Chakotay to stay away from the ropes. Chakotay maneuvers himself back to the centre of the ring by the time the round ends.

At ringside, Boothby gives Chakotay instructions on what to do. Boothby explains that boxing is about absorbing punishment more than dishing it out. As those familiar with "Rocky" might recognize, we get the usual "Do you have the heart?" speech from Boothby. Boothby explains the "real fight" is about overcoming one's urge to avoid getting hurt rather than dishing out pain to one's opponent.

The tone marking the beginning of the next round sounds. The boxers return to the ring, tapping the other person's gloves to signal readiness to begin.

Chakotay immediately takes two blows to the head dead on. Boothby encourages Chakotay to stay with it. They continue to mix it up until an unusual event occurs. After pushing the Terellian away Chakotay sees a transparent something emanate from the Terellian. This something is a little unusual to describe, like many transparent triangular facets distorting the view around the Terellian, yet apparently growing from him.

Boothby yells to Chakotay, telling him to keep his arms up. Chakotay turns and is punched in the face hard by the Terellian.

Chakotay goes down, knocked out.

The next scene shows Doc leaning over the fallen Chakotay in Sick Bay. Chakotay sits up, sporting a long cut from the scalp down to his left eye.

Doc is unimpressed with the boxing program, claiming it shouldn't even be there. He unsympathetically offers to give Chakotay stitches instead of the usual treatment just so Chakotay can have a "manly scar".

Chakotay is unmoved. He enjoys boxing. The best fight he saw was Price Jones going 23 rounds with Gul Tolut.

Doc completes his treatment and Chakotay then recalls the distortion he saw. Doc examines him again and finds certain areas of the brain are hyperactive, inconsistent with the results of a boxing match.

Their discussion is interrupted by the ship shuddering and Janeway calling Chakotay to the bridge. As Chakotay leaves Sick Bay Doc tells him to return later for some tests.

On the bridge the ship is shuddering again. Harry reports a position for the phenomenon, indicating it's been moving.

Janeway quickly briefs Chakotay, explaining it isn't an ion storm, but that it's two light years across and has the energy of a dozen stars. And it disappears then reappears elsewhere. We see it on the screen as a light 'mist' in space (almost invisible, but not quite).

The phenomenon is reported to be in the tens of thousands of kilometres away (a very small distance compared to the size of it).

Tuvok reports a new location for the phenomenon and Tom announces he's moving the ship away from it.

As the phenomenon approaches the ship, Janeway gives orders for full reverse and shields. An external view shows the phenomenon enveloping the ship. In this view we can see it is similar to the phenomenon Chakotay encountered on the holodeck, like looking through a poorly made glass window and seeing the shape of objects beyond distorted.

Despite their effort to move the ship out of the way the ship is swallowed up by the phenomenon. Janeway orders a full stop and looks at the screen, noticing the stars seem to move about, as viewed from within the phenomenon.

When she asks where they are, none of the bridge crew can provide much of an answer except that they are in the phenomenon.

At that moment Seven calls Janeway from the bridge to Astrometrics.

Down in Astrometrics Seven explains to Chakotay, Tuvok and Janeway that the Borg have known of this phenomenon for years. They call it "chaotic space". Apparently within the phenomenon the laws of physics are "in flux". Seven calls it "chaotic space".

Janeway asks why sensors didn't detect it and Seven explains it moves randomly and unexpectedly. She claims the Borg are aware this phenomenon exists throughout the galaxy. Tuvok asks why the Federation is unaware of it and Seven suggests ships encountering it were probably lost. Chakotay suggests this might explain all of the ships that have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Seven adds that the Borg have lost several cubes within the phenomenon and that only one cube survived (thus providing the information that can only be obtained within the phenomenon).

Seven adds that the gravimetric aspect of chaotic space will eventually tear the ship apart. She reassures them that shields will delay this but she doesn't know for how long.

Janeway orders the crew to recalibrate/redesign the sensors to avoid "flying blind" and they leave Astrometrics.

In Chakotay's quarters, Chakotay is working on the problem. As he works he hears a sound that causes him to hesitate. He returns to work and hears the sound again, this time it is clear he is hearing the tone that sounds the beginning and end of a boxing round and he hears the computer voice distantly announce the beginning of round 1.

He stops and asks the computer if it said anything and the computer reports it did not. Then Chakotay begins hearing sounds again. He hears Boothby calling him to pick up the boxing gloves and telling him "this is the fight you've been waiting for". Again he hears the computer distantly calling for the beginning of round 1. Just as Chakotay reaches for his gloves (which sit on one of his chairs) Tuvok calls him to the bridge. This distraction brings an end to the sounds.

Chakotay acknowledges the summons and just before he exits his quarters he looks back and notices that the gloves are no longer on the chair. They're gone. Chakotay leaves for the bridge.

On the bridge, Harry reports conflicting readings. One indicator shows them at warp six while another shows them standing still. Tom is getting impatient for a solution, suggesting they set a course and move at impulse to see where it leads them. Tuvok points out they might run into asteroids or a star. Harry suggests dropping beacons to navigate with and Tom is all for this idea. The ship shudders and Tom asks Chakotay whether they should or shouldn't pursue the plan outlined.

But Chakotay is hearing voices again, Boothby telling him to pick up the gloves (which have now appeared on Harry's console). Chakotay asks them if they hear the voices but none do. He points out the gloves but no one sees them. Tuvok asks him if he is all right and Chakotay takes a swing at him, then another and another. Tuvok deftly avoids these blows and plants a Vulcan nerve pinch on Chakotay as Tom calls out a medical emergency.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, Janeway enters Sick Bay to hear Doc singing at different octaves. Doc explains that he's testing Chakotay's hearing.

Doc then explains that Chakotay has a gene that can lead to hallucinations. Chakotay explains that the gene was suppressed before he was born. Doc continues by explaining that somehow the gene has been turned on. Janeway asks if this is the result of chaotic space but Doc tells her there is no way to know until they leave chaotic space. To be safe Doc is keeping Chakotay in Sick Bay.

After Doc walks off, Janeway confides in Chakotay that Tuvok has respect for Chakotay's left jab. Chakotay laughs and advises Janeway to avoid "sparring with a Vulcan".

Chakotay then relates a story about his grandfather. His grandfather suffered from the condition Chakotay now seems to be suffering from, seeing and hearing things that no one else could see or here. His grandfather rejected treatment (two hyposprays a day) claiming that his spirit was troubled and the wound must be honoured.

Chakotay laughs it off, claiming he was a crazy old man.

A little later, on the bridge, Janeway orders Seven to bring the sensors on line. Surprisingly they work out to a million kilometres.

She orders a course forward at one-quarter impulse. The situation seems to remain stable. Just as Janeway gives the order to increase speed to one half impulse Harry calls out that he's detected a ship.

Scanning the ship they find no life signs and that the ship has been damaged.

In the conference room they listen to the last distress call from the ship. We hear a man's voice, pitiful in its tone, complaining about the voices and wishing he could get out. We are also told that the medical officer of the ship had diagnosed the captain and engineer with the same condition Chakotay is suffering from. That doctor found no cure or treatment. Harry explains that the ship had a superior sensor technology and points out they didn't find a way out.

Janeway decides to hold position. Doc asks to beam the body of the ship's captain for an autopsy and Janeway agrees. She also instructs them to scavenge the ship for sensor technology that might help them escape chaotic space.

The scene cuts to Sick Bay where Doc is explaining the results of his autopsy to Janeway and Chakotay. He tells them that after scanning the alien's brain and sensory tissue he's found a different cause for the hallucinations than he found in Chakotay. A gene in the alien was de-activated to permit the hallucinations. He still doesn't know why this is occurring.

Janeway asks about a treatment and Doc suggests a neural suppressant to control the hallucinations. But a cure requires the errant gene to be turned off again.

Chakotay suggests a vision quest. Doc is concerned that a vision quest uses the frontal lobes and could make the situation worse. Chakotay suggests it might help him control his mind. Janeway agrees to Chakotay's request.

Doc requests that he wear a cortical monitor so his vital signs can be monitored.

The scene cuts to Chakotay's quarters where he initiates the vision quest.

Once the vision starts, Chakotay finds himself in a moonlit place, outdoors, a rugged terrain with plants. He quickly sees his grandfather walking about. He calls to him and asks him what he's doing.

His grandfather explains that he (grandfather) is lost. Chakotay suggests grandfather didn't take his medicine, and after a little confusion we learn Chakotay is referring to the hypo-sprays which he had told Janeway about. Chakotay tries to convince his grandfather to return to the house (apparently unaware that neither of them are near a house).

His grandfather declines, saying it's more interesting where he is going, that it's a better place. When asked where he's going Grandfather tells Chakotay that he is going to the place where his spirit lives, which apparently requires a passage through a dark cave. Grandfather disappears in the shadows of the cave and Chakotay follows.

However, he delayed too long and Grandfather is not in sight. Calling out to his grandfather Chakotay hears the computer announce the beginning of round one again. He also hears a noise, like the voices of a multitude. He quickly finds himself at the centre of a boxing ring. He twists and turns, not knowing what to expect nor from what direction something might come. Everything beyond the ring is dark.

The scene cuts to Sick Bay where Chakotay jerks himself from a prone position to an upright position. It becomes clear we are back in the present. No longer reliving the past. Chakotay announces the chaotic space aliens were watching him. Doc tries to get information out of Chakotay but he resists his memories for fear of becoming insane like his grandfather.

Doc reassures him, tries to soothe him. Chakotay starts explaining where they are, how they got there, and how to get out (a stream of technobabble that isn't going to mean much to anyone in the audience).

But the effort to concentrate is too much. Chakotay breaks down screaming for the Doc to get the voices out of his head.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, Janeway has joined Doc and Chakotay. She reviews the information Doc recorded as Chakotay babbled and realizes she needs more information to understand the alien technobabble. She asks Doc if Chakotay can try again and Doc agrees to permit it. Then she asks Chakotay, who also agrees to try again.

Doc asks Chakotay what the voices are saying, but Chakotay can't hear them. So Doc asks him to return to his memories of the vision quest (which is where we left the past to return to the present).

Somehow Tuvok and a security detail have found their way to ringside, phaser rifles in hand. Chakotay gives orders to kill the alien boxer (Kid Chaos) who has appeared in the ring. Boothby also makes it to ringside, advising Chakotay not to kill the boxer. Chakotay decides to take Boothby's advice and commands Tuvok and his team to stand down.

As he does this Chakotay finds himself in the garb of a boxer who has just arrived at the ring. He hears Tom telling him what the odds are in various gambling establishments. He offers to get Doc to give Chakotay a medical excuse to get out of the fight. Boothby warns Chakotay not to listen and when Chakotay asks to see the padd Tom is holding Tom pulls out, claiming Chakotay is on his own.

We notice that the ring is not a square, although it does have four sides. More like a right-angled triangle with one of the tips cut off to form a fourth side.

On the back of Chakotay's cloak we see the words "Maquis Mauler".

Before the fight can begin an angry Neelix enters the ring, warning Chakotay that he isn't ready for the fight yet. Chakotay moves closer to Boothby to explain this and Boothby remains quiet. Half willingly, Chakotay allows Neelix to lead him out of the ring, to the sound of a crowd booing.

The scene cuts to the bridge, where Chakotay is working out on a punching bag preparing for his fight. We are still within the vision quest. From the conference room we see Harry tell Chakotay that Chakotay is his role model and asks what he'll do if something happens to Chakotay. Chakotay assures him he'll find another role-model. In the conference room we see Janeway. From Janeway's ready room Janeway stands and reminds Chakotay that he has to lead Voyager home if something happens to her. Chakotay reassures her that Tuvok can do the job.

From a hallway that we've never seen on the bridge B'Elanna calls out that he is being selfish. But Chakotay dismisses her as well.

From a monitor he sees Doc announcing he's suffering from "pugilistic dementia" i.e. punchdrunk, that he's taken to many hits to the head. Chakotay ignores him.

The scene cuts to Chakotay getting a back rub from Neelix in the gym. Doc is in the ring, explaining in medical detail the consequences of boxing and taking too many shots to the head (it isn't a pretty picture). Neelix assures Chakotay that he'll be fine, but the Doc won't let up. He tells Chakotay it is his fate to end up a "crazy old man".

Neelix and Chakotay move on to doing laps around the warp core. B'Elanna silently watches him. Chakotay exits the engine room and into the land where he met his grandfather's spirit. He calls out an apology and asks someone to return.

Disconsolate, Chakotay sits on a rock, exhausted. He looks up when he hears his grandfather say "They got away". His grandfather explains that he was invited to join some people who had called to him, that he tried to follow "them" but that they go to strange places and that he (the grandfather) couldn't keep up.

Chakotay urges his grandfather to return to the house, that they'll get in trouble if they do not return. But Grandfather is listening to others who say that Chakotay can come along, that he is just like "us".

This angers Chakotay, who denies being like his grandfather.

Grandfather assures him that he'll get used to them. Grandfather claims they like to talk and that he wishes sometimes they'd be more quiet.

Chakotay asks his grandfather to return home. But Grandfather is too tired, claiming the place where they are is a nice place, a good home.

They sit for a second or two, together and quiet, eyes closed. And then they both hear the sound of the computer announcing round one. Grandfather asks Chakotay if he heard it and Chakotay denies hearing it. But Grandfather knows better. He jumps up, excited, saying there are lots of them now. Chakotay begs his grandfather to make them go away and Grandfather yells at the invisible throng to "Go Away!" But he realizes they won't, that they are there for Chakotay. Chakotay is scared and wants to go home. He releases his grandfather and starts running into the woods...and finds himself running into the ring to his corner where Boothby awaits him.

Bending down, Chakotay tells Boothby he's afraid. Boothby calmly tells him that he knows, that Chakotay would be a liar to say anything else. Chakotay admits he's always been afraid, and Boothby reassures him that he's known that too.

We learn that Chakotay is considered the challenger in this fight, that Kid Chaos is the champion.

Chakotay gets up and prepares for the fight. The invisible crowd is cheering. In runs Doc to announce the fight has been canceled for medical reasons. Boothby laughs and Doc leads Chakotay out of the ring.

Doc <calling out to the crowd>: "I hear there's some bear-baiting next door. Have fun."

The scene cuts to Chakotay's quarters where he is prone, opening and closing his hand around the stone which is part of the gear he uses for his vision quest.

He discovers that Doc and Tom are with him. They've pulled him out of the vision quest medically because he was stuck in the vision. Chakotay tells them they've stopped the fight, that he has to get back for the fight. He struggles and they sedate him.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, we find Voyager underway again. Following it is a beacon released by Voyager. On the bridge Harry announces the beacon is 200,000 km away and Janeway orders another beacon dropped.

Janeway makes clear her order is to continue at one quarter impulse. Tom suggests three-quarter impulse. Tuvok points out that they do not know the effects of increased speed in chaotic space. Tom points out it'll take months to get out at quarter impulse and the longer they stay the more they expose themselves to the dangers of chaotic space. Tuvok admits Tom's logic is "undeniable" and Janeway consents to the change in speed. But before enacted they discover the first beacon they released hours earlier. They've traveled in a circle.

Janeway orders the ship to stop.

The scene cuts to Astrometrics, where Seven has managed to isolate a signal of some sort. She doesn't know the cause, it could be natural or artificially generated.

Janeway examines it closer, and is amazed. She recognizes the signal and explains it prevented her from getting an "A".

In Sick Bay she shows Doc the information obtained in Astrometrics.

Doc recognizes it immediately. It is the nucleotide activation frequency and it causes DNA to change.

Chakotay jumps off the bed, angry. He still believes himself to be a boxer, claiming the chaotic space aliens have set up a prize fight. He recognizes the captain but still blames Doc for dragging him out of the fight.

He keeps stating he has to get back to the fight, while Doc grabs a hypo-spray to sedate him, while Janeway tries to calm him down. Doc explains that Chakotay is still hallucinating.

Chakotay claims they're trying to contact him. Trying to communicate. Doc is convinced he's delusional, but Janeway starts taking Chakotay seriously. She proposes a species living in chaotic space in some way totally undetectable by normal senses. But that Chakotay's gene, along with the two aliens on the destroyed ship, might be susceptible to being reprogrammed by the aliens so as to communicate. Perhaps the aliens are trying to help.

Doc is very skeptical, but Chakotay asks Janeway "when have we ever turned away from a first contact?".

Janeway thinks for a moment and then orders Doc to send him back into the ring.

Janeway leaves the room.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, we're on the bridge. The ship is shuddering violently and Harry reports they've stumbled upon a "sink hole" which is drawing them in. Janeway orders thrusters and Tom manages to maneuver them out of the sink hole. He reports that the gravimetric readings have increased, and the ship starts shuddering again.

Janeway calls down to Sick Bay, ordering the doctor to proceed.

Doc picks up an instrument and explains to Chakotay he's going to expose him to a beam that will complete the process of activating the gene that causes the hallucinations. He then asks Chakotay to find them a way out.

Chakotay starts hearing the voices again. He finds himself in the ring with Boothby, telling him to make the champion wait.

A voice announces Chakotay as the challenger, then announces Kid Chaos as the champion.

Chakotay leans down to Boothby to get some final instructions. He points out he doesn't know what he's up against and Boothby reminds him that he's up against himself. Then he reminds Chakotay to keep the elbows down, and the first round begins.

Kid Chaos is slow to show his face, and he does not drop his cloak. But looking under his hood we can see that Kid Chaos is made of the same stuff as chaotic space. The same appearance.

They tap gloves together and this imparts a message to Chakotay. Snippets of the various proceeding scenes, both vision and real, are played out, each one containing one to three words. Putting them together forms a sentence. The alien is communicating.

Chakotay is told through this means that the aliens are native to chaotic space and that they know Voyager is lost within it. They also know Voyager will be destroyed if it stays. They tell Chakotay to realign the sensors, to realign his mind.

The first round ends. We find Chakotay raving in Sick Bay. Doc is trying to make sense of what he's saying. Chakotay is still scared. Still trying to defend himself from the boxer, from going crazy.

But Doc persists, reminding him that nothing is happening to him, that he's in Sick Bay, and that if he doesn't come up with the information they're going to die. Chakotay is furious with Doc for not helping him keep the sounds out, but gradually understands what Doc is saying and starts reciting the way out, the alien technobabble.

Doc doesn't understand, but Chakotay realizes he must realign the deflector, that he must go to the bridge to steer the ship out while he still has the information in his mind. He strips off the medical gear and leaves the Sick Bay. Doc follows with a kit.

On the bridge, Chakotay moves towards Harry's station with determination. Janeway tells Harry to hold his position but Chakotay shoves him out of the way. Harry locks Chakotay out as Chakotay cannot explain the procedure he needs to implement. But Janeway changes her mind and orders Harry to surrender his position to Chakotay. Chakotay realigns the deflector and orders both the deflector and sensors online. Tuvok hesitates but Janeway makes it an order.

Chakotay then lays in a course and orders full impulse. But Tom points out that the course is wrong and will result in hull breaches. Janeway orders him to comply as well.

An external shot of the ship shows it moving through chaotic space and as then it moves into normal space.

Janeway tells Tom to set course for the Alpha Quadrant again and Chakotay moves away from Harry's station while hearing the sound of the crowd. He collapses.

The scene cuts to a hallway where Janeway has discovered that Chakotay is returning to the holodeck boxing ring to unwind. Inside the holodeck, Boothby asks Chakotay if he's ready for another match, and Chakotay says he is. Boothby provides some tips on the Terellian, and Chakotay suggests a few left jabs should do it.

The computer sounds the start of round one and the two boxers go right at it, no preliminaries. The camera changes position to take the place of the Terellian's head. Chakotay provides the camera with a few left jabs and the last one blackens the screen.

End of episode.

Personal reflections:

Let's start with the bright side, shall we. Robert Beltran put in a great performance in this episode (and it was a Chakotay episode). He essentially played four roles: a Star Fleet first officer, a boxer, a crazy person, and a teen concerned for his grandfather.

While there was little time spent on the former or the latter, I found the latter portrayal very convincing (especially the second time he met his grandfather).

As a boxer and a crazy person (there's a difference ;-)? ) he was very convincing. Manic, adrenaline-ridden, angry, scared of being hurt, furious, scared of losing his mind, eager for the fight. All very believable. And what a difference to the usually mild-mannered Chakotay.

Well done.

On another positive note, it is great to see Ray Walston again. "My Favourite Martian" was the first TV series to present a lovable alien and it's always a pleasure to see him in a Trek show, considering how much Trek owes to such a pathfinder as Mr. Walston. I also like the way he was eased into the holodeck program and Chakotay's history. Caused me no difficulty at all given how legendary Boothby is (mentioned by Picard, Janeway, and Chakotay).

On yet another positive note, whomever noticed that the stars beyond Chakotay's windows should waver deserves credit. It was a minor detail which I might have overlooked but noticing that the stars wavered I was impressed with that attention to detail that can make a good show great.

Unfortunately, the writers did not cooperate in all aspects of the story. The Nit spoiler details the list of nits I found. Some of them glaring and others minor.

There are a few negative observations I'd like to make here. What I saw looked to me like a blending of elements from TNG's "Booby Trap" (the trapped alien ship where everyone had died) and "Where Silence Has Lease" (the use of signal beacons to discover they're going in a circle), and TOS' "Is There In Truth No Beauty" (providing the element of insanity). All three of those episodes involve the element of being lost in space (not to be confused with the TV series/movie of the same name). As for lost in space type shows I could add TNG's "Remember Me" and "The Loss" which both had elements of insanity (or the fear of it), and TNG's "Hero Worship". We could also add Voyager's "Scorpion Part II" with its "fluidic space".

Anyone want to bet that despite the prevalence of "chaotic space" as reported by Seven and the Borg we never hear of it again?

And finally, the juxtaposition of scenes, past and present, became so jumbled that it defies nit-picking (and that is a real art). One minute Doc is doubting the existence of aliens and the next he is urging Chakotay to communicate with them. The writers should have provided some visual element to make clear which time frame we were viewing. The cortical monitor is not enough. The lack of clarity on the sequence of events was very frustrating (and not because it defied nitpicking).

Good performance by Beltran. Great to see Mr. Walston again. Nice touch to the stars behind the window.

Unfortunately the rest of the show fell flat.

Thanks for your attention.



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