Unity (episode)edit

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"Unity"
VOY, Episode 3x17 Production number: 159 First aired: 12 February 1997
←	58th of 168 produced in VOY	→
←	58th of 168 released in VOY	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 168 released in VOY Remastered
←	454th of 727 released in all	→

Written By Kenneth Biller Directed By Robert Duncan McNeill
50614.2 (2373)
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For the Deep Space Nine relaunch novel, see Unity.

Chakotay is trapped and injured on a world where the inhabitants randomly attack each other, but the people who rescue and care for him harbor a disturbing secret.

[edit] Summary

While attempting to find a faster way through the Nekrit Expanse, Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kaplan pick up a signal buoy with a Federation signature. As they get closer, they hear a distress call from the planet. When they land their shuttlecraft on the planet, they come under fire from hostiles. Kaplan is killed by the unknown foes while Chakotay is left injured. Soon, another group comes, and scares the hostiles off.

He wakes up to find himself in a room where he sees a woman by the name of Riley Frazier. Chakotay soon learns about Frazier and the others: they were attacked by aliens, some killed and others put in stasis. They woke up on this planet, along with several Romulans and Klingons. All were grabbed from where they were. One group of them attacked Chakotay and Kaplan, and Frazier's group saved him. She is part of a cooperative.

After an otherwise uneventful journey, Voyager discovers a Borg cube, which appears to be disabled. Captain Janeway decides to board the ship, since it is a rare opportunity to understand their technology.

Chakotay continues to learn about the cooperative and Frazier tells him that she has put down roots here. When she goes to work on the communications array, and Chakotay wants to help, she refuses, saying he is too weak to work.

Meanwhile, Captain Janeway's away team boards the Borg ship. As far as they can tell, all activity ceased five years prior, and they cannot figure out why, with suggestions that either an accident occurred or an attack from a more powerful species disabled the Borg ship.

At the same time, Chakotay manages to break out of the room where he was being kept. A vast plant is revealed, and all of the individuals have implants like Borg drones. Frazier reveals that they were once drones, many assimilated during the Battle of Wolf 359, but an electro-kinetic storm caused by the expanse broke their link with the hive mind. Realizing how far they were from Federation space, they learned how to survive and cooperate with each other.

The autopsy of the Borg corpse concludes that the Borg was electrocuted and suffocated in space. But when The Doctor tries activating an axonal amplifier with a cortical probe, the drone sits up, almost giving everyone a heart attack. B'Elanna Torres concludes that The Doctor's actions caused the Borg to reset to its original programming, meaning that the other corpses could also be reactivated.

Due to the blast Chakotay took early on, his health soon worsens. One of the former Borg drones, a Romulan, tells him that if he does not let them help him he will die before Voyager arrives. The help is using a neural link to help heal Chakotay's injuries. Chakotay is more than reluctant, but finally agrees when he sees no other alternative. During this experience he sees many of their memories and their thoughts. It is a powerful and enlightening experience for him, and it does in fact help his neural damage.

Meanwhile, Voyager arrives at the planet. When the inhabitants detect it, Frazier tries to persuade Captain Janeway to assist in re-establishing the link for the entire population permanently. Specifically, they want the Voyager team to re-activate the neuroelectric generator on the Borg ship so there is enough energy to do so. Chakotay advises her to do it, because he is sure they have no evil intent, but Janeway still sees it as too dangerous.

After Voyager has delivered them much-needed supplies, Chakotay and Totres start returning to Voyager via shuttle. The inhabitants use the link to telepathically contact Chakotay. They want him to reactivate the generator aboard the abandoned Borg ship, directly violating his orders. He shoots Torres with his phaser and takes the shuttle towards the Borg cube. The crew on Voyager detect the course change and pursue him. Chakotay and a Voyager team both beam aboard the Borg cube. There is an exchange of phaser fire and both Tuvoc and Chakotay are hit. However, Chakotay manages to activate the link. When it is activated, it links all the inhabitants' thoughts together, putting an end to the violence as predicted.

However, the power also activates the Borg ship and its hostile inhabitants. The rescue team sent to intercept Chakotay, along with Chakotay himself, are beamed aboard Voyager. The planet's inhabitants manage to trigger the Borg ship's self-destruct sequence before it gains weapon capabilities. Within three seconds the ship explodes. However, the inhabitants retain their collective state, and offer Voyager their lasting gratitude.

In sickbay, The Doctor explains that Chakotay's exposure to the Borg collective "heightened his telepathic receptivity" allowing them to influence him.

As Voyager travels away from the planet, Chakotay discusses the situation with Janeway, and questions how long the inhabitants can retain a sense of morality amidst the power of a collective; it didn't take them long to use Chakotay against his will for their motives. She doesn't know either.

[edit] Log Entries

First officer's log, stardate 50614.2. Ensign Kaplan and I are returning to USS Voyager, after completing a scouting mission in the Nekrit Expanse.

Captain's log, stardate 50622.4. While Commander Chakotay scouts for a faster route through the Nekrit Expanse, we are continuing our month-long journey through the sparsely populated region.

Captain's log, supplemental. We've detected a message buoy, launched from Chakotay's shuttle, and are heading toward it. The autopsy of the Borg corpse is under way.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"The nebula's completely scrambling our navigational readings. I still can't get a fix on our position."
"Are you saying we're lost, ensign?"
"That... depends what you mean by lost, sir."
"Lost... as in you still can't get a fix on our position."

- Ensign Kaplan and Chakotay

"Well at least someone knows where we are."

- Chakotay

"I'm here to help you."
"How did..."
"How did I get here? I could ask you the same question."
"... it's a long story, why don't you go first."

- Dr. Frazier and Chakotay

"It's not exactly the United Federation of Planets around here."

- Dr. Frazier

"You know, they ought to rename this region the 'Negative Expanse'. We haven't run across anything interesting for days."
"If you're bored, Mister Paris, I'm sure I can find something else for you to do. The warp plasma filters are due for a thorough cleaning."
"Now that you mention it, Captain, I find this region of space a real navigational challenge."

- Tom Paris and Captain Janeway

"I must say, there's nothing like the vacuum of space for preserving a handsome corpse."

- The Doctor, talking about the Borg corpse

"I thought you said the link was severed."
"It was... "
"But we can re-initiate it, among a small group, for a short time."
"We could generate a neuro-electric field that could heal your injuries."
"You want to hook up my mind to some kind of Borg collective! ... Thanks, but I don't think so."
"... If we don't do something to slow the neural degradation immediately, you will die."

- Dr. Frazier, Orum, and Chakotay

"When we were linked, we had no ethnic conflict. There was no crime, no hunger, no health problems. We lived as one harmonious family."
"With all due respect, Dr. Frazier, you were one harmonious family bent on the violent assimilation of innocent cultures."

- Dr. Frazier and Captain Janeway

"Proceed to interlink console 3 Beta 6. Hear our thoughts. Our thoughts are one."
"Interlink 3 Beta 6. Proceed to Interlink console 3 Beta 6. Hear our thoughts."

- The inhabitants speaking to Chakotay aboard the Borg cube

"They saved us from that cube, and they let you go."
"But they didn't hesitate to impose their collective will on me when it served their interests, did they?"
"No, they didn't."
"I wonder how long their ideals will last in the face of that kind of power..."

- Janeway and Chakotay

[edit] Background Information

This episode featured flashback scenes from TNG: "Q Who", DS9: "Emissary", "The Way of the Warrior", and VOY: "Caretaker".
This encounter with the Borg was alluded to following the discovery of a Borg corpse in the previous episode, "Blood Fever", while events of this episode are later referenced in the fourth season episode "Scorpion, Part II".
This is the last episode to be set inside in the Nekrit Expanse through which the crew has been traveling since the events of "Fair Trade". The Expanse would be seen again, however, in "Distant Origin", from the point of view of Gegen during his search for USS Voyager.
Several costumes and props from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including the costume of Ivar Brogger. [1]
The backdrop of the planet is a re-use of the matte painting of Jouret IV from TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds".
When the Borg cube first appears on-screen, an unusual tone, reminiscent of the Borg theme in Star Trek: First Contact can be heard. First Contact debuted three months before this episode aired.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 3.9, 21 July 1997.
As part of the VOY Season 3 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

Lori Hallier as Riley Frazier
Ivar Brogger as Orum

[edit] Co-Star

Susan Patterson as Marie Kaplan

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] References

access node; asteroid field; axonal amplifier; barbecue; bluebonnet; Bolian sector; Borg; Borg Cooperative; Cardassians; communications array; cortical probe; data node; distress call; electrodynamic turbulence; electro-mechanical discharge; Farn; Federation hailing beacon; happy hunting grounds; hive mind; hoverball; Humans; hyper spanner; Klingons; message buoy; micro-power conduit; multiphasic scan; Nekrit Expanse; neural processor; neural transceiver; neural trauma; neuroelectric energy; neuroelectric field; neuroelectric field generator; neuroelectric power cell; neuropeptide; neuro-transceiver; neuro-transponder; optical scanners; Parein; prosthetic arm; Romulans; self-destruct sequence; "subspace transfusion"; telepathic receptivity; Texas; vegetarian; warp plasma filter; Wolf 359; Wolf 359, Battle of

[edit] Starship references

Borg cube; class 2 shuttle; Klingon Bird-of-Prey; K't'inga-class; Melbourne, USS; Roosevelt, USS; Saratoga, USS; Vor'cha-class

Previous episode:
"Blood Fever"

Star Trek: Voyager
Season 3

Next episode:
"Darkling"

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