After discovering a rogue planetoid seemingly rich in dilithium crystals - a vital power source for the starship - Commander Chakotay leads an away team to recover the vital fuel. But Neelix is attacked, and the USS Voyager crew find themselves faced with some difficult decisions.
Summary[]
When Neelix is attacked on an away mission, his injuries prove to be extremely serious - in sickbay, the Doctor announces that his lungs have been removed. None of the other crew have similar enough biology for a transplant, but the Doctor theorizes that a holographic copy of Neelix's lungs can be used as a substitute until his real organs can be found and reinserted. However, the surgery leaves Neelix effectively paralyzed, as the slightest movement will affect the program.
Captain Janeway leads an away team back down to the planet to search for the missing lungs. In what seems to be an organ repository, they encounter another alien who, though he manages to escape, drops his handgun. The instrument appears to be a medical scanner, organ transporter and stungun combined.
Sensors soon pick up an unidentified ship. Voyager gives chase, locks onto the ship and beams its occupants - two mutilated aliens - on board. The alien explains that they are the Vidiians, plagued for over 2,000 years by an incurable virus called the phage, which destroys their bodies. They are forced to steal organs from other species, which they can then adapt for themselves, in order to survive. They try to take only from the dead, but they stole from Neelix in an emergency - and returning his lungs will result in the death of the alien who has them now.
Janeway decides she cannot take a life for a life and so, reluctantly, she sets the Vidiians free. In response, the Vidiians offer to check Neelix to see if there is anything they can do. Thanks to their highly advanced medical technology, they can modify anyone's existing lungs to accommodate Neelix's needs. Kes volunteers one of her lungs and the Vidiians restore Neelix to perfect health.
References[]
Characters[]
- Chakotay • Culhane • Dereth • The Doctor • Kathryn Janeway • Kes • Harry Kim • Motura • Neelix • Kashimuro Nozawa • Tom Paris • Michael Parsons • Seska • B'Elanna Torres • Tuvok
Starships and Vehicles[]
- USS Voyager (Intrepid-class) • Vidiian starship
Locations[]
- Bridge • Brig • Delta Quadrant • Galley • Mess hall • Sickbay
Races and cultures[]
States and Organizations[]
Other references[]
asparagus • biobed • bio-probe • bio-scanner • blood-gas infuser • captain's private dining room • class-3 organism • class M • counselor • cytoplasmic stimulator • dampening field • Darvot fritter • dilithium • dilithium matrix • educator • eggs • Eggs Benedict • electromagnetic interference • explorer • Federation • holographic emitter • Honatta • isotronic restraint • KLS stabilizer • mess hall • neural resonator • neutronium • oatmeal • phage • phaser • pulmonary scanner • Rectilian vulture • spinal column • strawberry • tricorder operations manual
External Link[]
- Phage (episode) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: Time and Again |
Voyager episode produced | Next episode: The Cloud |
| Previous episode: Time and Again |
Voyager episode aired | Next episode: The Cloud |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Orb of Opportunity |
Next Adventure: Heart of Stone | |
| Previous Adventure: Incident at Arbuk |
Journey of the USS Voyager | Next Adventure: The Cloud |