STAR TREK: VOYAGER: COLD FIRE (TV)

Summary

One in this series of programs about the outer space adventures of the USS Voyager and its commander, Captain Kathryn Janeway, in the twenty-fourth century. Tuvok helps Kes train her latent telepathic abilities, allowing her to read the minds of the people on Voyager. In sickbay, the remnant of the Caretaker starts vibrating and demonstrating lifesign readings. When a similar lifeform to the Caretaker is detected ten light-years away, Janeway believes that they have found the "mate" of which the Caretaker spoke of, and has Torres construct a device which helps them pinpoint the mate's location. She hopes that the Caretaker's mate will have the ability to send them back home to earth. Tuvok, concerned that the Caretaker's mate might attempt hostile action, gets permission from Janeway to devise a weapon which could harm it if need be. Voyager arrives at the source of their readings: a space station similar to the Caretaker's array. They detect thousands of Ocampa on board, much to their surprise. However, their approach to the station is greeted with a few warning shots from a plasma weapon and a message from an Ocampa warning them to stay away. Kes is overjoyed to learn that other Ocampa survived and manages to negotiate with them into meeting on board Voyager. The lead Ocampa, named Tanis, comes aboard and tells Voyager of their reputation throughout the Delta Quadrant as a harbinger of death, although Janeway attempts to dispel these notions. Tanis telepathically communicates with Kes and asks to speak with her alone. She tries to convince him to trust the Voyager crew, but he is more interested in talking about her life aboard Voyager. She shows him the hydroponics bay and he talks about the "isolated" life she's led in Voyager's "sterile" surroundings. She is surprised to learn that Tanis is fourteen years old, as most Ocampa have a nine year lifespan. Tanis explains that the Caretaker's mate is from a species called the Nacene, and that her name is Suspiria. According to Tanis, Suspiria took them from their homeworld three centuries ago and improved their lives dramatically, extending their lifespan and granting them enhanced psychokinetic abilities, which he demonstrates by making all the plants in the hydroponics bay grow rapidly. Kes is amazed by this display. Kes reports to Janeway, overwhelmed by the revelation of the surviving Ocampa and their mental abilities. Janeway warns her to be cautious in her optimism. In private, Tanis communicates with Suspiria, who indicates that she has darker intentions than Tanis lets on. While having dinner with some of the Voyager crew, Tanis explains that Suspiria exists as a state of energy most of the time but occasionally assumes corporeal form. Tanis proposes that Kes stay with him and his people, much to Neelix's dismay. Kes is unsure of how to respond and needs more time to think about it. In the meantime, Tanis offers to help her develop her mental powers. Meanwhile, Tuvok and the Doctor devise an energy weapon capable of paralyzing lifeforms such as Suspiria. Neelix looks on as Tanis trains Kes to use telekinesis to move objects. He then instructs her to use her mind to heat up the tea in a teacup by inciting molecular motion, and she is successful. Neelix expresses congratulations at Kes's new abilities and she asks him to come with her if she decides to live with Tanis and the Ocampa. Tanis sends out a signal which he believes will attract Suspiria's attention sometime in the next two days. Kes attempts to demonstrate her new mental abilities to Tuvok, but she loses control and accidentally melts part of his face. The Doctor is able to restore Tuvok to health. Kes apologizes to him but he instructs her not to feel emotions like guilt or remorse, and to learn from the experience. Much to her surprise, he says he will continue to tutor her in the use of her mental powers. Later, Kes meets with Tanis in the hydroponics bay and expresses concern that her lack of control over her mental abilities could be dangerous. He claims that she is becoming a higher form of life than the other members of the Voyager crew and that she can learn to perceive the universe in new ways, which he demonstrates by helping her to experience new telepathic senses. He then commands her to light the hydroponics bay on fire with her mind; she does so, killing all the plants therein. She is shocked at this development, but Tanis claims that she no longer need concern herself with life or death, and that she can acquire more abilities if she stays with the Ocampa. She is tempted but still needs more time to contemplate the decision. He says that if she accepts, she may be allowed to join Suspiria in "Exosia," which he explains is a plane of thought and energy upon which she resides. Suspiria's arrival on Voyager is detected, and soon the crew loses contact with Torres and Tuvok. Meanwhile, Tanis arrives on Voyager to try once again to convince Kes to come back to the space station with him. Janeway goes to meet with Suspiria in engineering, and Kes is mentally aware of her presence on the ship. Janeway finds Suspiria taking the form of a little girl and tries to talk to her. Kes suddenly realizes that Suspiria is angry and means to destroy Voyager. Suspiria believes that Voyager killed the Caretaker, and says she will kill everyone on Voyager in revenge. Janeway then notices the unconscious and bloody bodies of Torres and Tuvok suspended in midair just as Suspiria telekinetically assaults Janeway. Voyager's molecular structure starts to destabilize due to Suspiria's presence. Neelix attempts to get Tanis away from Kes, but Tanis telekinetically attacks Neelix. Kes retaliates by using her mental powers to cause Tanis intense pain, which somehow also harms Suspiria. Suspiria releases her holds on Janeway, Tuvok, and Torres, and Janeway uses the opportunity to fire Tuvok's energy weapon at her, stunning her momentarily and allowing Tuvok to trap her in a force-field. Janeway explains to her that Voyager didn't kill the Caretaker and that they have no intention of harming anyone. She orders Tuvok to deactivate the force-field, and this show of mercy convinces Suspiria to leave Voyager alone. She reverts to her true form and flies off. Tanis pleads with her to take him with her and he vanishes. Tuvok reports that Suspiria has retreated into subspace and they are no longer able to find her. Voyager resumes its course for the Alpha Quadrant, and Tuvok continues tutoring Kes in the use of telepathy. She is horrified at the actions she committed under Tanis's guidance, but Tuvok points out that her darker impulses are useful in their own ways, comparing them to Vulcan psychology. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: UPN
• DATE: November 13, 1995 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:45:53
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:43953
• GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
• SERIES RUN: UPN - TV series, 1995-2001
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Jeri Taylor … Executive Producer, Created by
• Rick Berman … Executive Producer, Created by
• Michael Piller … Executive Producer, Created by
• Peter Lauritson … Supervising Producer
• Brannon Braga … Supervising Producer, Writer
• Wendy Neuss … Producer
• Merri Howard … Producer
• Brad Yacobian … Line Producer
• Cliff Bole … Director
• Anthony Williams … Writer
• Gene Roddenberry … Based upon "Star Trek" created by
• Dennis McCarthy … Music by
• Jerry Goldsmith … Theme Music by
• Majel Barrett … Narrator
• Kate Mulgrew … Cast, Captain Kathryn Janeway
• Robert Beltran … Cast, Commander Chakotay
• Roxann Biggs-Dawson (See also: Roxann Dawson) … Cast, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
• Jennifer Lien … Cast, Kes
• Robert Duncan McNeil … Cast, Lieutenant Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips … Cast, Neelix
• Robert Picardo … Cast, The Doctor
• Tim Russ … Cast, Lieutenant Tuvok
• Garrett Wang … Cast, Ensign Harry Kim
• Gary Graham … Cast, Tanis
• Lindsay Ridgeway … Cast, Girl
• Norman Large … Cast, Ocampa