"Voyager! What a surprise to see you again, and so soon. Is all well?"

"Not exactly, Xellan," Chakotay said. "We'd like to ask you about something you gave to our captain. A silver bracelet?"

Xellan's green skin paled. "Uh, of course. What would you like to know?"

"We have a slight problem. It seems to be shrinking, and she can't remove it."

"Oh, well that sounds awful, but I don't see what we can do."

"What can you tell me about the bracelet?"

"Well, it is a symbol of the benevolent presence of our Divine Spirit, the ever-living Serpent. It, uh… it's a blessing for whomever possesses it. Uhh…"

"Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me?" Chakotay asked.

"I really can't imagine. But now, Commander, I must be going. Safe travels."

The viewscreen flicked back to a view of the planet.

"Get them back," Chakotay demanded, turning to Kim at the Ops console.

"I'm trying. They're not responding to my hails," Kim replied.

"Can you get a transporter lock on them?"

"I think so."

"Beam them here. We're getting some answers, one way or another."

A transporter beam sparkled and Xellan materialized in front of them.

"Wha— Bu—" they sputtered. "You abducted me?! This is an outrage!" Xellan paced the length of the Bridge, waving their hands to emphasize their fury. "I can promise you that should you ever return to our world, you will not be welcomed back!"

"I'll beam you back as soon as you answer our questions," Chakotay said, "so the sooner you start cooperating, the sooner you can go. Now. What is this bracelet doing to our Captain?"

Xellan sighed and crossed their arms. "Nothing," they said.

"I don't believe you."

Xellans eyes darted around the room. "I really can't—"

"Tell. Me." Chakotay demanded. His eyes glinted with fury.

"Okay! Okay. It's… it's the Serpent."

"What serpent?"

"The one we worship. Or used to worship." Xellan resumed their pacing. "You see, it's very real. And- and it's powerful. It demanded our obedience and reverence and we had no choice but to give in to it. But lately it's grown tired of us. It wants someone new to break. Someone to challenge it. And we thought your captain could provide that for it."

"What did you do to her?" Chakotay grabbed the cringing man by the shoulders.

"We just… that is, I… The Serpent is connected spiritually to the bracelet. It becomes attached to whoever wears it."

"How do we get rid of it?"

"I don't know! Please just let me go. I've said too much already," Xellan sobbed, clearly terrified.

Kathryn was sitting on a biobed, drumming her fingers on the side, when Chakotay arrived in Sickbay. She looked up and smiled when he entered.

"Please tell me you have good news," she said.

"I talked to Xellan," he replied. "They don't know how to fix this." Kathryn sighed, disappointed. "Kathryn." She looked up again. "You're going to have to consider letting the Doctor remove your arm."

"If it's the only option, then fine. But there are risks involved with that kind of major surgery and I don't really want to tempt my luck."

"But the longer you leave it, the greater the risks are. At least now, while it's still somewhat healthy, it has a chance to recover."

"Just stop pushing me, alright! I said I don't want to do it."

"Kathryn," he took her good hand, "you have to give in. Just let the Doctor do this. It's your best chance." He brushed his fingers against her cheek. She leaned into the touch.

"I don't know how I can keep doing this," she said. "I can't trust my own mind. I don't know what's real and what's not. How I can I know you're not an hallucination?"

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Just trust me."

"I do." She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll do it."

Chakotay waved over the Doctor, who came ready with a hypospray.

"Now this won't hurt a bit, Captain," the Doctor said. He injected her with the hypospray and helped her to lay down.

Instantly, her body became sluggish and heavy. Her eyelids began to slide closed. She felt darkness encroaching on her consciousness.

"Oh no," she heard the Doctor say. She forced her eyes open in time to see his holographic form shimmer out of existence.

"What the hell?" Chakotay said.

The lights in the room flickered and died. The red alert lights kicked on. A black mist began to descend from the ceiling.

"Chakotay to the bridge." There was no response. "Chakotay to engineering." Nothing.

Kathryn pushed herself up into a sitting position and eyed the black cloud.

The dark mist began to coalesce into a serpentine form.

You can't get rid of me that easily, Captain, a voice hissed through the darkness.

The black cloud exploded and began to fill the room.

Chakotay started coughing and gasping for breath. He sank down to his knees, clutching at his throat in a vain attempt to breathe.

Kathryn's eyes began to sting from the smoke. "Chakotay! We have to get out of…"

She fell back down, her body too sluggish to rise.

Chakotay was on the floor, grasping at a tendril of smoke that was curled around his throat.

Give in, Captain! You won't win this one!

Give in!

"I won't…"

"Kathryn!"

"I…"

"Kathryn!" Hands shook her shoulders roughly.

She blinked and the smoke disappeared.

Chakotay stood before her, concern marking his features. "Kathryn, it's not real. Whatever it is, it can't hurt you."

She looked around. There was no sign of the snake.

Kathryn took a shaky breath then leaned into his embrace. "I don't know what's real anymore," she whispered. "I can't keep going like this."

The lighting suddenly dropped as the ship went into Red Alert.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no…" Kathryn muttered, covering her face with her hands.

"It's okay. This one's real." Chakotay reassured her.

"Bridge to Commander Chakotay. Report to the Bridge immediately." Tuvok's voice filtered through the commbadge.

"I'm coming too," Kathryn said, jumping off the biobed. "I'm losing my goddamned mind in here."

The turbolift ride to the Bridge seemed to take forever, but that small eternity was not enough to prepare Kathryn for what was yet to come.