Summary for Star Trek: Voyager episode
Gravity

Season 5, Episode 13
Stardate: 52438.9

Guest Stars:
Lori Petty as "Noss"
Leroy D. Brazile as "young Tuvok"
Paul Eckstein as "Yost"
Joseph Ruskin as "Vulcan Master"

Story by:
Jimmy Diggs

Teleplay by:
Bryan Fuller and Nick Sagan

Events:
The episode starts with young Tuvok, a teenager in appearance, walking through what appears to be a Vulcan temple. Large metal dishes containing flames illuminate the stone walls, giving the room the appearance of a cave. The room is orange in colour, gloomy.

Young Tuvok approaches what appears to be an altar. Geometric designs have been carved upon it and it has two large spires, one on either side.

Behind Tuvok, a Vulcan master approaches, bearded and robed. He recites the Vulcan equivalent of "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations", stating it is an essential basis for Vulcan beliefs.

Tuvok claims he knows all about Vulcan beliefs. The young Vulcan shows much attitude.

The Master asks Tuvok why he has come. Tuvok explains that his father banished him and his school ejected him because he refuses to renounce emotions. He claims he's there against his will.

The Master suggests Tuvok leave, regretting his inability to teach Tuvok. Tuvok asks where he should go and the Master asks if Tuvok is asking for advice.

Tuvok asks what kind of logic would have him deny emotions he was born with. The Master cryptically responds by suggesting the logic is hidden for Tuvok to find it, or else the logic is obvious where Tuvok can ignore it.

Tuvok angrily turns on the Master, accusing him if being frightened of the truth. The Master agrees. Tuvok is dismayed by this admission of emotion. The Master points out it would be illogical to deny their existence, but points out they must be controlled.

The Master asks Tuvok if he wishes to learn, and Tuvok responds by claiming he will challenge everything the Master says. The Master is pleased with this response, pointing out that only a worthy student would challenge the Master's words.

He invites Tuvok to sit as they start Tuvok's education. Tuvok sits at the feet of the altar and stares at us with anger in his eyes.

The show cuts to opening credits and commercials.

When we return, we find ourselves surveying what appears to be a barren and rocky planet. In the distance we see two wrecked ships (or possibly one ship that broke in two). The planet has a orange hue, like Mars or Vulcan. The sky is white, and suspended dust obscures the horizon.

In the foreground we find a leather-clad woman wearing a scarf about her face and head (with only her eyes uncovered) walking towards us. She carries two canvas bags with her.

She finally settles on an outcropping of rock. From one bag she pulls out a mean looking 'dagger' made of three long prongs. She also pulls out a device that looks like an exotic lamp, small and with a red bulb at the top, like an oversized air freshener. She places this device on the ground and activates it. It produces a high-pitched noise as well as a rhythmic 'thump'. Holding her prongs high she waits.

A large spider, orange as the ground, appears from behind a rock. She swiftly stabs it and drops the corpse in her other bag. Above her she hears a noise like distant thunder. In a clear sky a whirlpool-like phenomena appears and an object appears from within, descending to the planet. Due to its speed and encountering the atmosphere the object glows with the heat and leaves a blazing trail behind it.

The woman reaches for her futuristic version of binoculars and looks at the now crashed object. It is one of Voyager's shuttles.

Inside the shuttle the computer system seems to have sustained damage. Displays appear and then go blank. The large hatch at the back of the shuttle has been jolted open by the crash-landing, and the woman circles to that side to look inside the shuttle. She immediately starts scavenging the ship for whatever she can find.

As she examines the control console at the front of the shuttle, Tom returns from outside. He has a Star Fleet med-kit over his shoulder. Upon seeing him the woman points a weapon at Tom. She gibbers at him (obviously the universal translator is non-operational).

Through motions and gibberish she manages to convince Tom to turn over the med-kit, and then she backs out the open hatch.

Back outside the woman starts crossing the terrain hurriedly. We soon see another alien pursuing her. This one also wears leather, but seems to be wearing something of a red kilt-like piece of clothing.

The woman slows down, unaware of her pursuer, who is staying out of sight. She turns around to see if anyone is following and when she looks back she sees an alien before her just as a similar alien jumps down behind her. She struggles but is obviously no match for the two aliens. One of them jumps on top of her and pulls a horseshoe-shaped dagger (grabbing it between the tongs) to finish her.

But he is stopped by Tuvok, who disarms the alien and stuns him with a blow to the head. The other alien has also drawn one of these daggers and tries to slice Tuvok, who deftly tosses the alien head first into the nearest rock face. He then uses the Vulcan neck pinch to put the stunned alien down.

He then turns to the woman and introduces himself. Despite the fact they cannot communicate he manages to learn her name is "Noss". He suggests they return to his shuttle. Then he retrieves the fallen bag which contains materials from his shuttle and realizes she has already been there.

Back on the shuttle Tom is trying to send out a distress call without success. Tuvok returns with Noss and introduces her to Tom. Tuvok explains that two humanoid males had tried to rob her and Tom sarcastically points out this seems to be a way of life here. Tuvok removes Noss' scarf and notices a large bruise on her cheek. He tells Tom she needs medical treatment and Tom points out that someone stole the med-kit. Tuvok reaches down and produces one.

Tuvok then offers her food which she eats ravenously. While he treats Noss' wound Tom explains the shuttle won't be going anywhere, the hull is fractured and the engines are gone.

Communications work, but cannot penetrate the "distortion field" that trapped the shuttle and drew it down to the planet. Tom believes they and an entire solar system were trapped in a pocket of sub-space by a gravity well.

Tuvok asks about the doctor, looking down at the holo-emitter in his hand. Tom claims the emitter was damaged but that he might be able to repair it.

Tuvok assures them that Voyager will try to rescue them. Further discussion is interrupted as Noss seems to use a sixth sense to determine others are approaching. Using a tricorder Tuvok determines that 13 humanoids of the type previously encountered are approaching.

Tuvok orders Tom to grab whatever he can carry and that they'll evacuate to Noss' residence. Tom is doubtful, but Tuvok claims it's logical to believe she's got a safer place, since she appears to have survived here awhile.

They gather up a number of carrying cases and leave the shuttle.

Somewhere along the way Tom and Tuvok ditch their jackets. In the distance Noss' ship can be seen.

Upon arriving at Noss' ship Tuvok determines it can't fly, but that it does have a working shield. Tom fiddles with the holo-emitter and manages to bring Doc back.

Noss had gone seeking refreshments. Upon her return and learning that Doc is in her ship she draws a weapon and challenges him. It turns out Doc has a universal translator built in and understands her language. Tom urges Doc to find out how long she's been on the planet and if there is a way off the planet. She gibbers at Doc and Doc informs us that Noss has been on the planet for "14 seasons" and that although many ships crash not one has left.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return, Tom is trying his hand at hunting the spiders. He isn't successful, which amuses Noss. She has apparently learned to speak English, and shows Tom once again how to catch the critters. Tom is not delighted by spiders (arachnophobia?). She assures him they aren't poisonous.

Meanwhile, on Noss' ship, Doc is upset that Tuvok is ordering Doc to shut down the emitter to conserve its energy.

Doc: "I'm a doctor, not a battery." ;-))

Their discussion is interrupted by the return of Tom and Noss. Doc looks at Tom's empty sack and suggests taking Tom offline. Noss, however, has a full bag.

The scene cuts to the galley where Tuvok and Noss are cooking. Tuvok is telling Noss about Voyager (15 decks and 152 crew members, etc).

Noss asks him what he does there and Tuvok explains he's the chief tactical officer. She wants to hear more about Tuvok. The scene cuts to the dinner table where Tom is telling her about his relationship with B'Elanna. Noss suggests that Tom must love B'Elanna and Tom admits this is true. He misses her.

Noss tries to recover from this uncomfortable situation by offering Tom more spider. Tom politely declines and Tuvok offers to help Noss clear the table. While he helps, Tom takes Doc offline for the night.

An external shot shows us it is night outside.

Inside, Tuvok meets up with Tom, who suggests that Noss likes Tuvok. Tuvok points out she is happy to have someone around after being alone for so long. Tom spells it out "She...likes...you" to which our Vulcan asks "What are you implying?".

Tuvok explains he's married. But Tom responds by pointing out his wife is "50,000 light years away and in another layer of space". Tom unkindly suggests that Tuvok is not likely to ever see her again. Tuvok excuses himself and leaves.

Outside Noss' ship Tuvok is working on a beacon. Tom joins him and apologizes for what he said. He explains that he hadn't planned on hurting Tuvok's feelings. Tuvok assures him there are no feelings to hurt. But Tom disagrees. He believes Tuvok has feelings buried deep within. And he points out that regardless of feelings, this planet was now their home and that Tuvok should make the most of it.

Tuvok refuses to give in to pessimism. Tom refuses to accept Tuvok's position. He insists the way Tuvok looks at Noss is the way someone who is Vulcan looks when they wish they weren't a Vulcan.

This sparks a return to the past, when young Tuvok was wishing he wasn't a Vulcan. The Master provides a Vulcan name to this feeling, translating it as self-pity. The master asks Tuvok where this self-pity originates. Tuvok exclaims if he weren't Vulcan he wouldn't have to go through this education.

The Master suggests Tuvok must learn to look behind himself. Tuvok doesn't understand, claiming he doesn't have eyes in the back of his head. But the Master points out he has memory, that he can recall why he is here and what he has done.

The Master asks Tuvok to explain the incident that sent him here. Tuvok suggests his father has already described it. The Master wants to hear Tuvok's version. Apparently Tuvok has fallen in love with the daughter of a Terellian diplomat: Jara. Unfortunately, Jara does not love him.

The Master asks Tuvok what he feels if he should learn that his father had sent a letter to the Master explaining that Jara loves someone else in Tuvok's class. Tuvok explodes, claiming it's a lie, then asking who it is, then claiming he will challenge the individual. The Master points out this would be illogical because there is no such letter.

Tuvok feels tricked, but the Master explains that love is the most dangerous emotion because it leads to jealousy, shame, rage. The Master tells Tuvok he must learn to suppress all of these emotions or they will consume him. Then the Master tells Tuvok he can sense the emotions building in Tuvok. If they start working on it now they might be able to silence them.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return we're on the bridge of Voyager. They've discovered the shuttle is missing and start searching for it. Almost immediately the ship is jolted by the gravimetric forces of the distortion field. Janeway orders a few procedures and they manage to escape the gravity well.

In Astrometrics they discover the distortion field is 600 metres wide, and that the solar system beyond contains a star and three planets. There is no sign of the shuttle. They decide to use the multi-spatial probe (last seen in "Extreme Risk") to obtain more information. Their conversation is interrupted by the ship shaking and Harry calling Janeway to the bridge.

On the bridge we find Harry arguing with an alien named "Supervisor Yost" who believes he's saved Voyager from falling into the distortion field. Janeway arrives and learns it is Yost's mission to seal the field. Apparently Yost's people have lost several ships to the field and so they've decided to close it to prevent others from falling in.

Janeway tries to talk the alien out of his mission but is told she has one day to try and recover her crew. Janeway orders Chakotay to launch the probe. Then she orders Harry to help Seven and B'Elanna adjust the sensors. And finally she announces she will try to figure out a way around the gravimetric forces.

In her ready room, Chakotay visits Janeway. She announces she is "brushing up" on the science behind this phenomena. She explains anything going in can't get back out. Chakotay informs her that they are getting telemetry from the probe that is within the phenomena.

The good news is they've found Tom and Tuvok. The bad news is that time within the distortion passes much quicker than in normal space, on an order of one hour in normal space equals several weeks or months within the distortion. To make things worse, the distortion is collapsing. When it finishes collapsing everything within will be crushed.

The show cuts to commercials.

Meanwhile, on the planet, Tom drags in an injured Tuvok. The pair were ambushed and Tuvok sustained some minor injuries. Tom activates Doc (who learns that it's been two months since the last time he was active). Tom believes Voyager has given up looking for them, but he's glad Doc is active again. Doc suggests they keep him running while he tends to Tuvok.

The scene cuts to Noss tending Tuvok. He regains consciousness and she is much relieved. She kisses him but Tuvok pushes her away. She is troubled by this, wanting to show Tuvok how she feels. But Tuvok cannot reciprocate because of his logic. Noss is mightily upset by this, storming away with a few expletives in her own language.

Meanwhile, back on Voyager, Seven and B'Elanna have found a solution. They propose to use the multi-spatial probe as a relay for a transporter beam. Janeway asks if they can use the probe to relay communications. When she finds out it can be used she decides to send Tom and Tuvok a signal.

However, their conversation is interrupted by Harry, who has command of the bridge. When Janeway reaches the bridge she learns Yost has started to close the field sooner than expected. When she speaks with Yost she learns Yost won't delay. Seven tells her it will take 30 minutes to close the field, so Janeway announces this is all the time they have left.

Meanwhile, on the planet, Tuvok is kneeling upon a rock, meditating. He is interrupted by one irate Tom. Tom explains that Noss is planning on leaving her ship because it is too painful to be around Tuvok. Tom tries reasoning Tuvok into talking Noss out of this. But Tuvok is adamant that he can do nothing about her "infatuation". Tom demands to know what Tuvok knows about "infatuation", but Tuvok declines the offer and decides to end the conversation. He rises to leave but Tom blocks his path, pointing out it's just the two of them and no one else to hear the story.

Tuvok explains his infatuation for Jara. He claims the emotions would have destroyed him. Tuvok describes it as a kind of insanity. Tom points out everyone feels a little insane when they fall in love. But Tuvok points out that his Vulcan emotions are too erratic to be left uncontrolled.

Tom asks what happened with Jara. Tuvok explains he left her and learned to suppress his emotions. Tom sympathizes by saying "Too bad".

Their conversation is interrupted by distant thunder. The distortion field is active, but the cause is unknown to them.

Out in normal space, Yost's ship (a very futuristic Klingon-like design) is firing on the field. There are 29 minutes left before it closes. Janeway orders Harry to open a channel to the away team and then she sends a message.

Tom and Tuvok receive the signal, which to them seems to have been sent nine hours earlier. The signal tells them they'll be beamed up, providing they are within 2 metres of the beacon. Then they are told of the different rate of time (0.4744 seconds per minute). In other words, Tom and Tuvok have to wait 2 days 11 hours and 47 seconds. However, Noss has noticed movement outside. Examining it with her binoculars we see the alien crash survivors moving in on Noss' ship.

The show cuts to commercials.

When we return we find the aliens on the planet trying to collapse the shield with photon grenades. The shields hold but they've still got two days.

On Voyager, there is two minutes left till the field is sealed. Janeway orders the ship into position and prepares to try their rescue. On the planet Doc announces they still have an hour to go (less than 30 seconds of Voyager time).

Janeway orders a 20 second countdown. On the planet Noss tries to repair the shield generator but fails. Two aliens attack her, one she kills while the other looks to kill her. But Tuvok saves her with his phaser. He tells her he couldn't leave her behind and she smiles.

Inside Noss' ship Doc watches a tricorder and announces "now" is the time for the transporter. However, the ship shakes as an alien forces his way in. The alien struggles with Tom, and Tom looks about to die, when the alien is shot by Tuvok's phaser. They gather around the beacon and are beamed up by Voyager.

In the transporter room Harry greets them and Tuvok introduces Noss as a "friend".

The scene cuts to Voyager circling a Vulcan-type planet. Tuvok is recording his personal log and tells us this is Noss' home world. He also claims to feel a certain "discomfort" over the idea of saying goodbye to Noss.

Tom catches up with him in the halls as they head towards the transporter room. Tom explains that what took them two months to experience has only been two days for Voyager. He finds B'Elanna's emotions somewhat out of kilter with his own, as he missed her very much, while for her it hasn't been much time since she saw him last. Tuvok claims that if the positions had been reversed she would have felt a deep sense of loss.

Tom tells him that he used to think Tuvok to be a very cold person, but he now realizes Tuvok is a "hopeless romantic". Tuvok tells Tom not to insult him.

As they enter the transporter room Neelix greets them, announcing he was getting Noss' recipe for sauteed spiders since Tom liked it so much.

Noss says farewell to Tom and gives him a hug. Tom then gathers Neelix and the crewman manning the transporter booth and takes them out of the room, leaving Tuvok and Noss alone.

Noss looks up at Tuvok and apologizes for the difficulty they've been through and wishes things could have been different. Tuvok agrees, as he wishes things had been different also. Then he melds with her. After several seconds she smiles and tells him she understands, and thanks him. Tuvok nods his understanding and breaks the meld. He bids her farewell with the traditional salute and "Live long and prosper", which she wishes him as well. He beams her to the planet.

The scene cuts to Tuvok's quarters where Tuvok, in blue ceremonial robe and with candle lit, meditates. He recalls his youth and we see it before us. The Vulcan Master announces Tuvok's training is complete. Young Tuvok is grateful for his training which has helped him suppress all emotion. Young Tuvok leaves the caves where the Master teaches.

End of episode.

Personal reflections:

This was a good Tuvok episode. Taking us back to his youth where his emotions threatened to overwhelm him and ostracize him from society. While those of us familiar with Spock knew much of what would happen, this was a good episode for introducing Vulcan concepts to people who are not familiar with the precedents.

As for the episode itself. Well, I'll let the nit spoiler speak for me on the problems I found. Events were extremely contrived.

However, I'd like to offer Jimmy Diggs one compliment. At least Janeway didn't end up battling the alien ship whose captain was following orders. This is quite a change from "Night" where she engaged in combat for no better reason than to shave a day or two off her return trip to the Alpha Quadrant.

Thanks for your attention.



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