EVA is now standing at a console in Engineering, accompanied by BEL'ANNA, HARRY, SEVEN OF NINE, and TUVOK with the two ensigns. JANEWAY is seen on a far screen on the wall, observing from the Bridge, and tells EVE to show them how the crystal works. She doesn't know how it works, but feels the knowledge is simply deep within her. She closes her eyes and relaxes, going into a trance-like state. Then, they snap open wide, and her eyes are aglow once more, as in the Holodeck. Her hands spread as she places them into the console, and fuses into the circuitry as the crystal simultaneously starts glowing from within. Whirring noises can be heard from inside the cylinder casement.
BEL'ANNA and SEVEN OF NINE report what is taking place in the crystal, but it rapidly overpowers their scanners. One of the boards flares and explodes. Another panel, on the wall, does the same. BEL'ANNA is knocked away from her panel just as it explodes, and falls, covering her face as she writhes. KIM reports that something-- possibly EVA herself- is trying to seize control of Voyager's main processors, and has already broken through several levels of anti-accessible firewalls as if they weren't there. The crystal pulses violently, and SEVEN OF NINE reports a subspace hole forming in that very room. The CAPTAIN orders the crystal ejected from the ship. It is, and implodes outside in space. TUVOK and the two ensigns have to tackle EVA away from the console to keep her from taking control of Voyager.
EVA slowly comes to herself, and sees the room around her in chaos and disarray. Not too far away BEL'ANNA still clutches at her face, although she has gone still. As the smoke clears, EVA appears confused and worried, and JANEWAY orders BEL'ANNA transported directly into sickbay. As the Engineering staff recovers to their feet, they all look at her, silently and angrily.
In the ready room, all the senior officers are seated, with BEL'ANNA's seat visibly empty. SEVEN OF NINE stands to one side of the room. EVA lies on a medical table in sickbay, strapped down, accompanied on either side by armed personnel, on a large screen. The DOCTOR is seen beside BEL'ANNA, in the background, treating her. The CAPTAIN appears distraught over the reports she hears from HARRY KIM, SEVEN OF NINE, and TUVOK. BEL'ANNA is unconscious, and is suffering from severe burns to the facial area. The crystal was creating a subspace field in and around itself, causing an implosive force. They theorize that this is how EVA's ship normally travels, in a constant warp stream, but it was working at too-high levels for the ship to handle. Also, EVA appeared subconsciously to try and take control of the ship though he and EVA don't know why. She had very nearly accessed critical information when TUVOK had stopped her.
The DOCTOR is angry at the way the staff appeared to be "ganging up" on EVA, that they weren't giving her a fair chance to defend herself. Even if they did allow her to, he claims, EVA still doesn't know how or why she did that. The CAPTAIN asks EVA simply if she held any malice towards VOYAGER, consciously or not. EVA honestly that she does not think so; she loves the ship and most especially everything she's seen and done there: played chess, played pool, painted and drew, listened to music, etc. The CAPTAIN concludes the meeting without consequence, leaving EVA in the DOCTOR's care, as investigations go underway.
As the crew files out of the ready room, which is located by the bridge, CHAKOTAY is talking to someone on the main Bridge screen, and calls the captain over. The man on the screen breathes slowly through a gas mask, and reveals himself to be JARDEL TORDIG, from the Tottorian Empire. He is a Car'a'Carn, which is a military ranking on Tottoro. It is roughly the equivalent of a captain, although a Car'a'Carn has control over three ships rather than one. He has surrounded the ship with his three vessels, and forbids them to proceed any further. He has come to reclaim EVA.
TORDIG is walking down a hallway, dressed entirely in blacks and grays. He wears a gas mask, which completely hides the bottom half of his face. He explains to them that EVAK-6 (he won't refer to her as EVA) was built as a military espionage tool, and that losing her would put the Tottorians at a serious risk. The CAPTAIN is beside him, and tries to assure him that they would gladly give her up. She is, after all, property of the Tottorians. Voyager has no intention of keeping EVA, especially if someone has come to claim her back. JARDEL is visibly pleased to be negotiating so easily, and JANEWAY is glad to have EVA off her ship, so they shake hands, and enter the medical room.
EVA is elevated on her sickbay bed, hooked up to some wires. As soon as she sees JARDEL, she goes into flashbacks of her lying on a table, as she is now, being cut up and dissected while she is still alive. She is undergoing some horrible kind of surgery, and the pain is clear on her face. She remembers what they will do to her, what they always do to her, and she decides she does not want to return with them.
"Captain Kathryn M. Janeway," she declares, "I would like to seek political refuge and asylum aboard the U.S.S. Starfleet Voyager. I cannot go back to Tottoro with this man!"
BEL'ANNA and SEVEN OF NINE report what is taking place in the crystal, but it rapidly overpowers their scanners. One of the boards flares and explodes. Another panel, on the wall, does the same. BEL'ANNA is knocked away from her panel just as it explodes, and falls, covering her face as she writhes. KIM reports that something-- possibly EVA herself- is trying to seize control of Voyager's main processors, and has already broken through several levels of anti-accessible firewalls as if they weren't there. The crystal pulses violently, and SEVEN OF NINE reports a subspace hole forming in that very room. The CAPTAIN orders the crystal ejected from the ship. It is, and implodes outside in space. TUVOK and the two ensigns have to tackle EVA away from the console to keep her from taking control of Voyager.
EVA slowly comes to herself, and sees the room around her in chaos and disarray. Not too far away BEL'ANNA still clutches at her face, although she has gone still. As the smoke clears, EVA appears confused and worried, and JANEWAY orders BEL'ANNA transported directly into sickbay. As the Engineering staff recovers to their feet, they all look at her, silently and angrily.
In the ready room, all the senior officers are seated, with BEL'ANNA's seat visibly empty. SEVEN OF NINE stands to one side of the room. EVA lies on a medical table in sickbay, strapped down, accompanied on either side by armed personnel, on a large screen. The DOCTOR is seen beside BEL'ANNA, in the background, treating her. The CAPTAIN appears distraught over the reports she hears from HARRY KIM, SEVEN OF NINE, and TUVOK. BEL'ANNA is unconscious, and is suffering from severe burns to the facial area. The crystal was creating a subspace field in and around itself, causing an implosive force. They theorize that this is how EVA's ship normally travels, in a constant warp stream, but it was working at too-high levels for the ship to handle. Also, EVA appeared subconsciously to try and take control of the ship though he and EVA don't know why. She had very nearly accessed critical information when TUVOK had stopped her.
The DOCTOR is angry at the way the staff appeared to be "ganging up" on EVA, that they weren't giving her a fair chance to defend herself. Even if they did allow her to, he claims, EVA still doesn't know how or why she did that. The CAPTAIN asks EVA simply if she held any malice towards VOYAGER, consciously or not. EVA honestly that she does not think so; she loves the ship and most especially everything she's seen and done there: played chess, played pool, painted and drew, listened to music, etc. The CAPTAIN concludes the meeting without consequence, leaving EVA in the DOCTOR's care, as investigations go underway.
As the crew files out of the ready room, which is located by the bridge, CHAKOTAY is talking to someone on the main Bridge screen, and calls the captain over. The man on the screen breathes slowly through a gas mask, and reveals himself to be JARDEL TORDIG, from the Tottorian Empire. He is a Car'a'Carn, which is a military ranking on Tottoro. It is roughly the equivalent of a captain, although a Car'a'Carn has control over three ships rather than one. He has surrounded the ship with his three vessels, and forbids them to proceed any further. He has come to reclaim EVA.
TORDIG is walking down a hallway, dressed entirely in blacks and grays. He wears a gas mask, which completely hides the bottom half of his face. He explains to them that EVAK-6 (he won't refer to her as EVA) was built as a military espionage tool, and that losing her would put the Tottorians at a serious risk. The CAPTAIN is beside him, and tries to assure him that they would gladly give her up. She is, after all, property of the Tottorians. Voyager has no intention of keeping EVA, especially if someone has come to claim her back. JARDEL is visibly pleased to be negotiating so easily, and JANEWAY is glad to have EVA off her ship, so they shake hands, and enter the medical room.
EVA is elevated on her sickbay bed, hooked up to some wires. As soon as she sees JARDEL, she goes into flashbacks of her lying on a table, as she is now, being cut up and dissected while she is still alive. She is undergoing some horrible kind of surgery, and the pain is clear on her face. She remembers what they will do to her, what they always do to her, and she decides she does not want to return with them.
"Captain Kathryn M. Janeway," she declares, "I would like to seek political refuge and asylum aboard the U.S.S. Starfleet Voyager. I cannot go back to Tottoro with this man!"