Workforce (episode)
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
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| "Workforce" | ||
|---|---|---|
| VOY, Episode 7x16 Production number: 262 First aired: 21 February 2001 | ||
| ← | 159th of 168 produced in VOY | → |
| ← | 159th of 168 released in VOY | → |
| ← | 619th of 726 released in all | → |
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| Written By Kenneth Biller & Bryan Fuller Directed By Allan Kroeker | ||
| 54584.3-54608.6 (2377) | ||
| Arc: Workforce (1 of 2) | → | |
The Voyager crew is kidnapped for labor in a massive industrial work force and The Doctor is left in charge as the Emergency Command Hologram.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
[edit] Act One
The USS Voyager is hit by a radioactive mine and all hands abandon ship, except The Doctor. Before main power is lost, The Doctor transfers his program to the mobile emitter and Captain Kathryn Janeway transfers all command functions to The Doctor's Emergency Command Hologram subroutine.
The Quarren attempt to take Voyager in tow with their tractor beam, but they didn't count on The Doctor. He targets their shields and engines, but narrowly escapes into a nearby nebula when more ships arrive in the area.
Twelve hours later, Chakotay, Harry Kim, and Neelix try to rendezvous with Voyager. They were on an away mission learning more about the Nar Shaddan culture. When they arrive at the rendezvous coordinates, Voyager is nowhere to be found. They eventually find the vessel in the nebula and beam in wearing their EV suits. This sets off an intruder alert and The Doctor, afraid, heads up to meet the "intruder". Once discovering it is his compatriots, he apologizes for them needing the EV suits, explaining that since only he was there, life support wasn't exactly a priority.
They eventually get the ship operational again and go in search of their missing crewmembers. They find them on Quarra, brainwashed into believing they belong there. Chakotay contacts a Quarren ambassador, but they deny all of his accusations. He and Neelix decide to take the Talaxian's ship, the Baxial from the shuttlebay down to the planet.
Before heading down, Chakotay gets reconstructive surgery, a specialty of The Doctor, to disguise him since Neelix feels that someone would discover them otherwise. He assumes the identity of Amal Kotay, seemingly a Benkaran and Neelix has secured a docking permit and jobs for each of them. The Doctor implants a subspace transponder in each of them just in case they need to transport them through the shields.
Before he leaves, Chakotay puts Ensign Kim in charge. The Doctor objects. He assumed since his ECH program contained more than two million tactical subroutines, he would outrank an ensign. They bicker at each other for a moment and Chakotay tells them to work it out on their own.
[edit] Act Two
Janeway and the rest of her crew have been given jobs as part of the Quarren workforce. They have no memory of Voyager or their real lives before arriving on Quarra. Janeway has been assigned to the Quarren Power Plant, monitoring the primary reactor coils. She is told by a supervisor that she possesses an impressive 'level six' in thermodynamics and quantum fusion. When she sets off an alarm by almost starting a core overload, a fellow employee by the name of Jaffen comes to her aid. The two are interrupted during their initial meeting by the new Efficiency Monitor, Annika Hansen, aka Seven of Nine. Janeway fibs about them correcting an error and Jaffen proceeds to ask her out. There is a lingering attraction between the two of them.
Elsewhere, Tom Paris is trying to find his own job since he was fired from the power plant after only a day. He tries and succeeds at getting a job waiting tables at Umali's bar. She was surprised they fired him due to the labor shortage the planet was experiencing. He convinces her that his natural charm and personality would be a definite asset to her restaurant. On his first shift, he tries to increase "customer loyalty" from two women by giving away free drinks. Umali does not approve in the least and tells him to attend to the other tables.
Janeway is at Umali's bar, looking over some manuals, when Jaffen comes over and persuades her to allow him to join her. They spend time socializing, discussing thermal co-efficients, and end up leaving together. Jaffen gets her to talk about where she's from and she starts sharing her corrupted memories of Earth. She believes Earth to be over-populated, polluted, and violent, with very little work to be had. A security officer stops them and tells them they need to be in before curfew. Jaffen takes this opportunity to invite Janeway up to his room. She considers the idea, but decides against it. He then leaves her an open invitation to his living quarters.
The next day, an alarm sounds at the power plant. Janeway puts her hands up and jokes to Jaffen, "It wasn't me." He explains that the alarm is to let them know that it is time for their daily inoculations. They are allegedly to protect them from ambient radiation. As the workers line up, everyone is chatting except for Tuvok and Seven of Nine.
As it comes to Tuvok's turn, he becomes agitated as he watches the nurse prepare the injection. He tries to explain that he is afraid of injections, but there isn't a chance of convincing the nurse. As he is injected, he has a flashback to him being forcibly injected by two Quarren doctors. He comes back just as the nurse finishes the injection and he staggers away and tries to return to work.
Hours later, his memories are slowly returning, but they are still a little fuzzy. Seeing Janeway working on a console prompts another flashback. He recalls Voyager's crewmembers being rescued from their escape pods and and the rescuers escorting Janeway and him to a Quarren medical facility. Kadan, the doctor from his previous flashback is in charge and suggests Janeway remain calm. He assures her that her crew is unhurt and that she needs medical attention. Tuvok tries to protect Janeway, but Kadan begins her "anti-radiation" treatment anyway. Kadan injects her with the anti-radiation serum and performs some form of brain surgery. Tuvok attacks his captors, but is subdued.
When he awakens, the Vulcan tries to get his former Captain to remember the things he has. She thinks them working together prior to coming to Quarra is unlikely due to them being from different places. He almost violently pleads with her to remember. Jaffen comes over to ensure Janeway's safety and suggests Tuvok check into the infirmary. Tuvok, still disoriented, asserts nothing is wrong and agrees to return to his station. Jaffen takes this opportunity to work his charms on Janeway once again before the Efficiency Monitor catches them.
B'Elanna Torres is sitting in Umali's bar when Paris, who doesn't recognize her, starts to chat her up. Through the conversation it is revealed that she works nights at the power plant. Tom invites her back on one of her nights off, claiming it's more fun when there's a crowd. She tells him she doesn't like crowds. Undaunted, Paris invites her for a stroll by the river. She turns him down and stands up, revealing her pregnant belly. Paris is crestfallen because he assumes she is married. When she tells him that she isn't, he realizes the possibility is still there. Torres leaves and Paris gets to work planning his next move. He finds another couple expecting their first child and offers to introduce them to Torres. Seeing that he is sincere in helping her, she lets her guard down and accepts Paris' offer of friendship.
Efficiency Monitor Hansen visits Tuvok at his station. She notes that he has neglected to report for his last three inoculations. Still disoriented, Tuvok struggles to remember who she is while she tells him to report to the infirmary. Remembering, he calls her "Seven of Nine". She doesn't recall any of it until Tuvok grabs her face and initiates a Vulcan mind meld. She suddenly sees herself in her Borg alcove. Security restrains Tuvok and Janeway makes sure Hansen is all right. Tuvok cries out in protest as the guards drag him away. "We don't belong here! We don't belong here! This isn't right! We don't belong here!!"
[edit] Act Three
Neelix and Chakotay have arrived on Quarra. Chakotay has been assigned to the city's power plant along with most of Voyager's crew. Reporting to his supervisor, he finds he is replacing another worker who left for "health reasons", an expert in thermionic conversion. Chakotay happens to be a 'level five' in this field, making a fine substitute, but could work more on his 'level three' aptitude in microkinetics. The supervisor is referring to Tuvok, but Chakotay does not know this. Finding Janeway, Chakotay waits for the supervisor to leave and he approaches her. He is surprised to find that she doesn't know who he is or remember anything about Voyager. He tells her his name is Amal Kotay.
Meanwhile in Kadan's facility, Tuvok is about to have his memories readjusted again. Kadan tries to convince him that he is experiencing a relapse of Dysphoria Syndrome. Tuvok struggles, but Kadan is eventually successful at suppressing his memories again.
Later in Umali's bar, Paris and Neelix are discussing how lucky Paris was to find this job after losing the one at the power plant. Torres is at the other side of the room talking to the expectant parents that Paris found for her to talk to. Paris is very distracted by this, but continues to talk about how working in the power plant was like working on a starship. It turns out that Paris has been convinced that space travel makes him sick. As the conversation winds down, Chakotay walks in and Neelix introduces him to Paris using his alias, Amal Kotay. Neelix covertly reports to Chakotay that he found several of Voyager's crew, including Ensigns Celes and Mulcahey who were assigned to a fusion reactor with him, and none of them recognized him and that it seems they've all been programmed to be happy in their new jobs. Chakotay bets that none of them will go willingly.
Just then Janeway and Jaffen enter and she invites Chakotay to join them, but Jaffen persuades her to have a quiet dinner alone. Janeway finds this to be rude, but he wants to ask her to move in. He isn't very smooth about it, but despite her better judgment, she agrees.
Torres leaves alone, and Neelix follows her. She notices and is very anxious about it. She looks around instead of watching where she's going and runs into Chakotay coming the other way. He calls her by her name and she is surprised. She makes up an excuse about work and tries to leave. Neelix comes up behind her and grabs her. She struggles and Neelix tries to reassure her that he won't hurt her. Chakotay calls up to Harry Kim on board Voyager and orders him to beam Neelix and Torres up to sickbay. As the transporter works its magic, two security officers arrive and try to stop it.
They turn their attention to Chakotay, chasing him down the street. Chakotay tries to get an emergency transport, but Voyager is under attack and Kim had to raise the shields. Two Quarren vessels have found Voyager. In sickbay, The Doctor is trying to administer a hypospray to Torres while Neelix holds her still. After a moment of struggling, the sedative takes effect.
The officers continue to chase Chakotay and the first officer finds himself backed up against a force field with security guards on their way and nowhere to go.
[edit] Log entries
[edit] Background Information
- Among the aliens previously met on Quarra were Kraylor, Benkarans, Brunali, and a somewhat more purple species that closely resembled the Benzites.
- Ensign Golwat can be seen several times in this episode, such as when Tom Paris flirts with her in the restaraunt, or with Captain Janeway on the elevator in the teaser.
- The Quarren starship's bridge is a minor redress of the Voyager crew quarters set.
- The Quarren vessel that attacks Voyager in this episode is actually a modified re-use of the CGI model of a Breen warship which appeared in various episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- This episode contains at least two allusions to Star Wars. The Quarren is the name of an aquatic species, and the Nar Shaddan seem to be an homage to Nar Shaddaa, the name of an infamous moon in the Star Wars universe that orbits the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta. The name Quarra is also used in Star Wars, although as a species and not a planet.
- The opening shot of the first part of this two-parter uses the exact same CGI animation that is used as the opening shot of VOY: "Year of Hell".
- The Bat'leth seen mounted on the wall of B'Elanna's quarters while Neelix is giving her a tour of the ship in Part II is a standard model, and not the black, angular version she received as a gift from the Klingons in VOY: "Prophecy".
[edit] Video and DVD releases
- UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 7.8, 1 October 2001.
- As part of the VOY Season 7 DVD collection.
[edit] Awards
- This episode was nominated for two Emmy Awards: Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore) (Dennis McCarthy) and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. It lost both to VOY: "Endgame".
[edit] Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- James Read as Jaffen
- Don Most as Kadan
- John Aniston as the Quarren Ambassador
[edit] Co-Stars
- Iona Morris as Umali
- Tom Virtue as a Supervisor
- Michael Behrens as Coyote
- Matt Williamson as Security Officer #2
- Akemi Royer as Med Tech
- Robert Mammana as Security Officer #1
- Majel Barrett as Computer Voice
[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars
- David Keith Anderson as Ashmore
- John Austin as a Starfleet officer
- Tarik Ergin as Ayala
- Shauna Kim as patient[1]
- Joyce Lasley as Crewman Lydia Anderson
- Unknown actress as Golwat
- Unknown actor as Quarren Computer Voice
[edit] References
Benkaran; Celes, Tal; cooking console; dermal regenerator; deuterium injector; Dralian; Dysphoria Syndrome; Earth; Emergency Command Hologram; falah nectar; Hazari; Kotay, Amal; latara broth; leola bark tea; Mulcahey; microkinetics; Nar Shaddan; nebula; Norvalian; parasite; plasma conduit; power relay; quantum fusion; Quarra; Quarren; radiation poisoning; reactor coil; subdermal transponder; subspace mine; subspace transponder; tetryon radiation; thermionic converter; thermodynamics; tylium; vegetarian
| Previous episode: "The Void" | Star Trek: Voyager Season 7 | Next episode: "Workforce, Part II" |
