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Star Trek Voyager: In the Flesh

5.4 “In the Flesh”

Stardate 52136.4

We see “Earth.” Admiral Bullock gives out crew assignments to junior officers. Chakotay is watching them. Chakotay runs into “Boothby.” Chakotay sits down at a cafe and is accused of sitting in a woman’s seat and reading her book. She introduces herself as Valerie Archer; he introduces himself as Jason Hayek. Another man in the cafe starts to “revert.” Archer asks Chakotay if he’s ever reverted. She tells him she doesn’t like sleeping, bipedal locomotion or breathing oxygen. “Think human, talk human, be human,” she reminds him. She offers to be his “guide” as Tuvok arrives and tells Chakotay they have work to do. Valerie offers to meet him at 1900. An ensign finds them, Tuvok does a Vulcan neck pinch, and all three of them beam up to a shuttle where Tom and Harry are waiting.

The ensign they’ve apprehended awakens in sickbay. Janeway asks him who he is and tells him they know he’s not really human. The Doctor tries to take a sample of his DNA, but he becomes violent and kills himself by releasing a cellular toxin into his bloodstream. Chakotay shows Janeway the holoimages he took on the surface. Janeway says Boothby used to give her roses for her quarters when she was a cadet.

The Doctor triggers a genetic reversion in the body in sickbay. It is Species 8472. Tom suggests that they may have already infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant. Chakotay says he’s going to keep his date with Valerie to gather intelligence.

Janeway finds Chakotay in astrometrics. She approaches him. “Last minute preparations?” CHAKOTAY: Just planning my big night out. JANEWAY: I can recommend a nice Japanese replimat on the Embarcadero. CHAKOTAY: I was never very good with chopsticks. JANEWAY: Starfleet headquarters. Brings back memories, even if it is just a re-creation. I remember my last visit there. I was given my general orders for Voyager's first mission. Proceed to the Badlands and find the Maquis. CHAKOTAY (smiling): The orders that brought us together. JANEWAY: What about you? When was the last time you were at Headquarters? CHAKOTAY: Before today? March 3rd, 2368. The day I resigned my commission. I can still remember the look on the admiral's face. JANEWAY: Which one? CHAKOTAY: Nimembeh. JANEWAY: He taught at the Academy, didn't he? CHAKOTAY: That's right. JANEWAY: Interspecies Ethics, wasn't it? CHAKOTAY (he gives her a look): Tactical Analysis. JANEWAY: Of course. CHAKOTAY: Kathryn, you think I might be one of them. You're testing me. JANEWAY: You and Tuvok were in the alien habitat for nearly three hours. Anything could have happened down there. CHAKOTAY: True. Why don't you have Tuvok meet us in Sickbay. The Doctor can perform a microcellular analysis. JANEWAY: Tuvok's already there. CHAKOTAY (slightly expasperated): You could have just asked me to report to Sickbay. JANEWAY: Given Ensign Gentry's reaction, I thought I'd be a little more tactful. CHAKOTAY (smiles): Not taking any chances, are you? JANEWAY: Don't feel singled out. I've asked the Doctor to examine the entire crew. There's no telling how 8472 got their information about Starfleet. From the Borg? Earth? For all we know there's been an impostor on board. In sickbay, after finding out that Chakotay and Tuvok are exactly who they seem to be, Janeway warns Chakotay to “be home before midnight.” Tom and Harry joke with Chakotay about how he’s a true explorer for dating the 8472.

Seven is trying to improve her nanoprobes ability to combat 8472.

Chakotay meets Valerie. Harry paces, worrying about Chakotay, who has been gone 4 hours. Tom tells him not to worry. Harry remembers his last experience with 8472. Tom assures Harry that Chakotay can take care of himself, “and if he can’t, who better than us to come to the rescue.” Valerie brings Chakotay home. He refuses her offer for a drink. Valerie tells Chakotay she thinks humans hate them and despise anyone who isn’t a part of their Federation. Chakotay downloads information from Valerie’s computer console into his tricorder. Valerie is in her robe, asks Chakotay how he likes the view. They go out onto her balcony. She tells him that the planet Earth simulation will be real soon enough. Chakotay questions whether their mission makes sense, but Valerie tells him he’s been “human” too long. He tries to leave. She stops him, saying it’s customary to kiss goodnight. “Just think of it as part of our training,” she says. He is reluctant at first, then kisses her passionately and leaves. She looks at her own hand where he has touched her and analyzes the DNA. “Boothby” has realized that Chakotay is truly human. It suddenly becomes daylight. Chakotay is chased through the courtyard and apprehended.

Janeway is concerned that their defenses are not adequate. She tells Seven that she can’t stop thinking about the Starfleet directive ordering captains to seek diplomatic solutions first. Tom and Harry contact Voyager and tell Janeway that Chakotay is in trouble.

Boothby asks Chakotay how many vessels they have in the Delta Quadrant. “One,” he replies. Boothby thinks that there’s a Starfleet fleet on its way. Voyager arrives at the planet. 8472 still thinks that the Federation is planning an invasion. Janeway tells Seven to target the weapons array. She argues that they should target the power supply as well, but Janeway wants to end the conflict with no casualties. Chakotay argues with Valerie, trying to convince her that they’re not planning an invasion. Valerie has been reading Federation literature. Boothby hails Janeway. She says she’s there for her first officer and an explanation. Like Chakotay says to Valerie, Janeway tries to convince Boothby that they should meet.

Boothby, Valerie, and Admiral Bullock arrive on Voyager. Chakotay is back on Voyager, too. They sit at the negotiating table. Boothby says they have a dozen more recreations scattered over the quadrant. Janeway says that Starfleet has never even heard of 8472. Boothby and the other 8472 are about to leave the table. Janeway orders Seven to disarm their warheads. Janeway tells Boothby that Voyager is alone in the Delta Quadrant and hasn’t had contact with Starfleet for four years. Boothby asks about their alliance with the Borg. Janeway explains she hadn’t known that the Borg started the war. Valerie is the one who is willing to talk. She tells Janeway their mission is a reconnaissance mission, not an invasion. The 8472 argue amongst themselves until Boothby tells Chakotay to keep talking. Chakotay says they need to set aside their preconceived notions about each other. They agree to exchange tactical information. Janeway and Chakotay exchange a glance. Then Chakotay and Valerie share a smile.

Seven recognizes that Janeway made a choice that she wouldn’t. Bullock shows Neelix and Tuvok around. Janeway talks with Boothby; she asks if they recreated a coffee shop on Market Street called the Night Owl. Boothby tells Janeway that his superiors aren’t as forward thinking as he is. She says she hopes they can keep the peace process alive. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,” he jokes. He hands her a rose, just the way he always did at home. She smells it and smiles.

Chakotay tells Valerie that she made a terrific human. She says if their species weren’t so different, she’d ask for a second date. She kisses him. “I’ll never get a chance to do this again.”

Original Airdate: November 4, 1998

Production Number: 198

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