Captain's Log, Stardate 51367. 2.
We've spent the last three days on the Mari homeworld.
lt's been a while since we've had the opportunity
to make new friends
and the crew seems to be making the most of our stay.
Neelix.
Tom. You've been doing a little shopping.
lt's a present for B'Elanna.
What is it?
Well, it's sort of personal.
Of course. Say no more.
l'm on my way
for a little romantic rendezvous myself.
Neelix...
are you wearing cologne?
Oh...
Talchok musk.
Very enticing scent, don't you think?
Well, uh, it certainly is...
musky.
l'm going to see Talli again.
Ooh, that was fast work.
Where're you taking her?
Well, actually, l haven't gotten that far yet.
l'm going to visit her shop,
under the pretext of buying some produce for the ship,
and then l thought l'd just sort of segue smoothly
into some dinner and dancing.
Sounds like a good strategy.
You really think so?
l mean... you used to be quite the ladies' man.
"Used to be"?
Well, l mean, you're involved now,
so, of course, you won't be availing yourself
of all the beautiful, fascinating
and very open- minded Mari women.
Neelix, are you trying to depress me?
l just...
l haven't been with anyone since Kes
and l'm feeling a little rusty.
l... l could use some advice.
The best advice l can give you is to just be yourself.
Right.
Be myself.
Actually... that's the second- best piece of advice.
What's the first?
Go a little easier on the musk.
l'm sorry, Mr. Guill, but that's my final offer.
Actually, Captain, l sense you'd be willing
to raise your price to 300 renns.
Lieutenant Torres needs this resonator coil to upgrade
Voyager's communications systems.
Telepaths.
Wait a minute.
l sense you'd be willing to...
settle for 250.
You must have read my mind.
Hey!
l'm sorry.
Are you hurt?
No, no, l'm fine.
l just wish people would look where they're going.
lt's been a pleasure doing business with you.
l'll finish up here.
Why don't you go get Neelix?
All right.
This is some of the loveliest fruit
l've- l've seen in a long time.
Actually, it's been
one of our worst waterplum seasons in years.
l don't think you'll find them very sweet.
Mmm. Mmm.
Oh, how wonderfully tart.
Mmm. They'll make excellent preserves.
Neelix?
Hmm?
Why do you want me
to tug on your whiskers?
Excu- excuse me?
That is what you're thinking, isn't it—
that you'd like me to tug on your whiskers?
Well, as a m- matter of fact...
l'd love to.
Do you have time to wait until l close?
Yes, l think l can rearrange my schedule.
l guess you could say l'm becoming obsolete.
ln what sense?
There's virtually no crime left in our society.
lt took many years,
but just walk through our streets.
Look around.
Violence no longer exists.
lmpressive.
l'm one of the last officers still working
for the Constabulary.
And no doubt one of the best.
l'm curious to know more
about your crime- prevention methods.
Under one condition:
l want to see Voyager— learn about your methods.
l'm about to perform my daily security rounds.
Join me.
They are routine but informative.
Wonderful.
The transport site is this way.
You prefer speaking aloud.
Why is that?
l've grown accustomed to it over the years.
There are very few telepaths in Starfleet.
Whatever you prefer.
Neelix...
ready to leave?
Uh, no, uh, you go ahead.
l haven't finished examining the produce.
Help! Help!
Somebody help me, please!
Stop him!
Help me!
This will teach you to watch where you're going, you idiot!
You idiot!
Somebody get a doctor!
Why? Why were you beating that man?
l don't know.
Your..."brig." lt's a puzzling concept—
shutting someone away as punishment.
Do you find that it rehabilitates the prisoner?
The brig is primarily used
as a means of ensuring the safety of others.
ln what sense?
For example, if we find ourselves
with a hostile alien in our custody,
we may need to confine the individual
until we can locate the proper authorities.
l see.
And on rare occasions, we have been forced
to incarcerate a crew member
who has committed a serious infraction.
l'm surprised that one of your people
could be capable of doing something serious enough
to warrant imprisonment.
lt's extremely rare.
ln any case, the brig has been occupied
for less than one percent of our journey.
Forgive me, Tuvok, but it seems...
barbaric.
lf all species were
as enlightened as yours and mine,
there would be no need for prisons.
Bridge to Commander Tuvok.
Go ahead, Ensign.
Chief Examiner Nimira's been recalled to the surface.
There's been some sort of attack in the marketplace.
l've never seen so much blood before.
lt's all right.
l heard about someone getting beaten once
when l was a little girl.
lt's all over now.
l had nightmares for weeks.
lt's okay. lt's all right.
He was confused.
He said he didn't realize what he'd done.
l don't understand why nobody tried to help him.
People were shocked.
Violence is almost unheard of here.
But when it does occur,
we like to investigate thoroughly.
Can we help?
Yes. l would
like you, Mr. Neelix and, uh, Lieutenant Torres
to answer some questions.
Well, you have our complete cooperation.
Chief Examiner, are you suspicious
of my colleagues for some reason?
No, Lieutenant.
l'm simply conducting an investigation.
Please. Follow me.
Please have a seat.
l will be monitoring your thoughts telepathically
during the interview.
This transcription device
will log your engramatic activity,
so l can review your statement later.
Let me get this straight.
Not only are you going to read my mind,
you're going to record my thoughts.
Yes.
l guess it'd be pretty tough to keep a secret from you, hmm?
How long had you been in the marketplace
when the attack occurred?
One hour— maybe a little longer.
And exactly where were you standing?
Directly across the square.
From where you were, did you have a clear view of the attack?
Uh, not at first.
We just heard yelling.
Then, as we got closer,
we saw what was happening.
What exactly brought you
to the market in the first place?
Captain Janeway and l
had an appointment with Mr. Guill.
For what purpose?
We'd met him the day before.
He said he could get a spare resonator coil for us.
l see.
And the two men involved in the altercation—
had you seen either of them before?
l'd never seen the victim...
but the attacker...
l think he was the same man who bumped into B'Elanna.
Bumped into her?
Are you certain?
Yes. They collided accidentally.
When exactly did this happen?
Just as we'd settled on the price.
He seemed to be in quite a hurry.
Do you recall what you were thinking at the time?
What l was thinking?
What does it matter?
Please...
try to remember.
lt may be important.
l didn't think about it much
and no one was hurt, and l was busy
trying to sort out the coins.
l'm not used to handling currency.
What was l thinking?
l was thinking how l could bake a delicious pie
with those waterplums.
Are you sure that's all, Mr. Neelix?
Yes, of course.
What else would l be thinking about?
l suppose l was a little annoyed.
Can you be more specific?
All right.
l guess l was thinking my foot hurt.
l mean, the idiot stepped right on it.
Did you call him an idiot?
Of course not.
But you thought it?
l guess so.
Did you also think about retaliating?
lt was an accident.
But you said he hurt you.
lt didn't occur to you to hurt him back?
l'd never do that.
But you thought about it.
How am l supposed to remember?
Yes or no, did you think about hurting him?
Yes or no?
Well, maybe for a split second.
Hey!
l mean, he should have been watching
where he was going,
but l realized that he didn't do it on purpose
so l shook it off
and l left.
Why?
What does it matter what l was thinking?
Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, you are under arrest.
On what charge?
Aggravated violent thought resulting in grave bodily harm.
Are you saying it's a crime to think about violence?
Yes.
That's ridiculous.
l assure you, it's quite necessary.
We were once a society plagued by violence.
When we prohibited hostile thought,
crime began to drop immediately.
Over the past three generations, it's all but disappeared.
So you believe that it's all right
to tell people what they can and cannot think?
lt's an irrefutable fact
that violent thoughts from others
can lead to violent actions.
Even if B'Elanna had a violent thought,
it was Frane who attacked that man.
Which he only did because he telepathically
received that thought from B'Elanna.
His mind was contaminated by the image,
and it resulted in a loss of control.
He may have committed the physical act,
but it was instigated by you.
Where we come from,
people are responsible for their own actions.
And here, people are responsible
for their own thoughts.
l'm sure you can understand how that's necessary for a race
of telepaths.
Yes, l can.
Captain!
l'll accept that your people
can be influenced by the thoughts of others,
but there were dozens of people in that square.
How can you be certain it came from B'Elanna?
The Mari no longer have violent thoughts.
lt's unlikely any of them could have been responsible.
Besides, the evidence against B'Elanna is clear.
She thought about committing a hostile act.
l'd like to review that evidence myself,
if you don't mind.
Certainly.
But l'm afraid you'll be disappointed.
What happens to B'Elanna now?
We have an enlightened penal system here.
Unlike some, we don't lock people away to punish them.
You'll be released...
once you've undergone the engramatic purge.
The what?
lt's a medical
procedure that will identify and remove
the offending images from your mind.
Captain!
Once identified,
the images can be removed from Frane's mind as well.
Memory extraction...
that's a dangerous procedure.
There is a risk of neurological damage,
but it's necessary for us to treat Frane.
Will you at least delay the procedure
until we've had a chance to review the evidence?
Will you?
lt'll take us about a day to reconfigure our instruments.
That's all the time l can give you.
That's all the time l'll need.
Captain,
we've got to get B'Elanna out of there.
You know the rules, Tom.
We can't pick and choose
which laws we'll respect and which we won't.
Nobody can be expected to control their thoughts.
Tell that to the Mari.
Are you just going to let them put her through this process?
l'm doing everything l can to stop it.
Neelix is going to file a diplomatic protest
and Tuvok and l will be going over the witness statements.
Maybe we can poke a few holes in the Chief Examiner's case.
And if you can't?
Then let's hope the Doctor can figure out
how to reverse an engramatic purge.
All away personnel have been notified
to return to the ship as soon as possible.
So much for R&R.
Chakotay, we've got to talk.
Have a seat.
Here?
l'm sure the Captain wouldn't object.
What's on your mind?
While Tuvok and the Captain are reviewing the evidence,
B'Elanna's sitting in a Mari jail cell
waiting for some sort of lobotomy.
We can't let that happen.
What did you have in mind?
Break her out.
And risk an all- out confrontation with the Mari?
They're a bunch of pacifists.
They're no match for us.
You're probably right,
but before we start resorting to extreme measures,
don't you think we should give the Captain a chance
to find a legal solution?
By the time that happens, it may be too late.
l'll tell you what.
Why don't you come up with a rescue plan—
one that minimizes the possibility of violence—
and l'll review it.
You're just trying to keep me busy, aren't you?
Can you blame me?
l'm serious about this, Chakotay.
So am l. lf your plan is sound,
and the Captain doesn't have any luck on her end,
l'll recommend we attempt the rescue.
Thanks.
l'll get right on it.
Tom...
l may have let you sit in the Captain's chair,
but remember, she's still the boss.
Then you don't accept the Chief Examiner's conclusion?
l'm not dismissing it,
but l'm not going to accept it blindly either.
l've spent a great deal of time
with Nimira over the past few days.
She clearly is a very skilled investigator.
l'm sure she is.
And this isn't the first time
Lieutenant Torres' violent proclivities
have created problems.
No argument there.
But l have a hard time buying
that one fleeting thought makes her responsible
for a vicious attack.
From what l've learned, crime here is a result
of exposure to violent thought,
much as it was on Vulcan
before my people learned to control their emotions.
ln my opinion, the Mari should be
applauded for their efforts.
Oh, l'm sure their intentions are admirable, but, uh...
l'm not about to let them scramble B'Elanna's brain
without a fight.
But we must prepare ourselves for the probability
that she will turn out to be culpable
for the crime.
Maybe so...
and then again...
maybe not.
Take a look at this.
l don't mean to accuse your friend Nimira
of being less than thorough, Tuvok,
but don't you find that just the least bit curious?
"New evidence"?
lt concerns the attacker, Mr. Frane.
According to your own security records,
he was arrested on four previous occasions
for harboring violent thoughts.
You classified him
as an'habitual perpetrator of hostile images."
True.
But those thoughts were purged each time.
He spent years in neurogenic restructuring.
The records also say he was cured.
Still, it is possible that Frane had a relapse...
that he alone is responsible
for his actions at the marketplace.
Possible, but unlikely.
Our engramatic scans of Frane
show that Lieutenant Torres's thought
was prevalent in his mind during the attack.
And you are certain
no other violent thoughts were present?
l'm beginning to feel
like l'm the one being investigated.
l am simply exploring all logical options.
As a fellow law enforcement officer,
you should understand that.
l do.
And l'm willing to share my findings with you.
But if you're trying to prove
your crewmate's innocence, you're too late.
The case is closed.
Do you think that this is easy for me?
l don't want to harm B'Elanna, but l don't have a choice.
That thought has to be contained.
Otherwise, we risk further violence, maybe even
a citywide panic.
You told me your people spent centuries
learning how to control their violent impulses.
l know we haven't achieved your level of discipline,
but we're trying.
l thought you'd understand.
l am not judging your culture.
ln fact, l admire it.
l have enjoyed your company in particular,
but l cannot abandon my responsibility to B'Elanna.
l must continue my own investigation.
Go right ahead.
But l intend to proceed with the engramatic purge.
Telepathy...
l don't like it. Never have.
lt's bad for negotiations,
it's bad for relationships
and it's certainly been bad for B'Elanna.
The fault was her own.
What are you talking about?
She was careless with her thoughts.
The result was violence.
B'Elanna's not used to being around telepaths.
That doesn't make her guilty.
Then her crime was ignorance—
a common affliction among your crew.
What's that supposed to mean?
You make contact with alien species
without sufficient understanding of their nature.
As a result, Voyager's directive to'seek out new civilizations"
often ends in conflict.
What you call'ignorance," we call'exploration..."
and sometimes it means taking a few risks.
But it's certainly better than assimilating
everything in your path.
Your goal is to share knowledge.
Assimilation is the perfect means of attaining that goal.
"Perfect."
Good morning, Miss Tembit.
Your usual selection?
Yes, please.
Okay.
Oh, l'm- l'm so sorry.
Hey!
ldiot! Watch what you're doing!
She's dead.
l can't believe she's dead.
l know this is difficult for you, Mr. Neelix,
but try to recount for me everything that happened.
Seven and l were packing to return to the ship.
We heard a scream.
l went running...
The old lady was just standing over Talli's body,
holding the bloody knife in her hand.
l didn't even get a chance to say good- bye.
Did the old woman say anything?
Not that l remember.
She was as shocked and confused as anyone else.
Do you think this is somehow connected
with the other attack?
l'm not certain,
but it strikes me as more than coincidence
that two violent altercations have occurred within two days,
in a city which purports
to have eliminated virtually all crime.
Bridge to Commander Tuvok.
Tuvok here.
Chief Examiner Nimira wants to see you.
She's requesting permission to transport aboard.
Permission granted.
Have her escorted to the briefing room.
Tuvok out.
We will continue later.
Commander.
She was a wonderful young woman.
Whoever's responsible for her death— find them,
and see that they're brought to justice.
l will do my best, Mr. Neelix.
Thanks for seeing me.
l heard what happened.
Do you have any idea what caused this latest attack?
l just finished interviewing the old woman.
And?
She attacked the victim
in response to the same violent thought
that motivated the previous beating.
B'Elanna's thought?
But both she and Frane are in custody.
How could the thought have been passed to anyone else?
l don't know.
That's why l'm here.
l need your help.
Then you shall have it.
Thank you.
l don't know why that thought is still contaminating people,
but l have got to put a stop to it.
l've never dealt with a murder before,
but you've had experience with homicide investigations?
l have.
l thought l would start by tracing
the old woman's whereabouts for the past few days
to see where she might have encountered the thought.
A wise choice.
ln the meantime, l would like
to interview B'Elanna more extensively.
Perhaps a fresh perspective
might uncover facts you hadn't considered.
l'll arrange it immediately.
l'm not sure l like the idea of a mind- meld
any better than an engramatic purge.
lt will be a limited meld.
l will focus exclusively on your memories
of the events surrounding the crime.
lt poses no danger.
Are you ready?
Your mind to my mind.
Your thoughts to my thoughts.
Recall your encounter with Mr. Frane.
He bumped into you.
What happened next?
l guess that's when l had the thought
about hitting him.
And after that?
Guill came over and asked if l was hurt.
And what were you thinking at that moment?
Why?
l'm sensing something more to the encounter
than what you've told me.
Try to recall.
lt may be important.
Well, he was just holding me by the shoulders.
You said he'd been reading your mind
during the negotiation.
Was he still doing it?
l don't know.
You experienced negative feelings about him.
He gave me the creeps.
ln what sense?
He... wanted something.
Something terrible.
What the hell?
Why didn't l remember that before?
You may be recalling
an unconscious thought you had at the time
or an intuition.
Perhaps l should ask Mr. Guill.
Mr. Guill.
l'm Commander Tuvok,
Voyager's Chief of Security.
My children get upset when l'm late for supper.
lf you're here to do business,
we could make an appointment for tomorrow.
l'm here to talk to you about the attack.
Why me?
My crewmate, Lieutenant Torres
has been charged with the crime.
l believe you're acquainted with her.
Lieutenant Torres, yes.
She was arrested?
The Chief Examiner believes it was her violent thought,
which prompted the beating.
She seemed like such a pleasant young woman.
Apparently, she was almost knocked over
while doing business with you.
Do you recall that?
Yes.
A man accidentally ran into her and...
You're not like the others from your ship, are you?
You're a telepath.
That is correct.
Why are you so curious about what happened?
l am conducting my own investigation of the crime.
l see.
For a moment, l thought you had another reason for asking.
You... struggle with violent thoughts as well.
Terrible images, but they're hidden
deep within your mind.
l am in control of those images.
All members of the Vulcan race learn to inhibit emotions.
lf my unconscious thoughts are disturbing you,
l will attempt to suppress them further.
No, please.
Don't trouble yourself.
l can't see them clearly enough to be affected.
l sense that you are fascinated with my unconscious thoughts.
That you would like to see more of them if you could.
No.
l was just thinking maybe l could help you.
Help me?
ln learning how to deal with these...
dark impulses.
No, thank you.
l have sufficient means of controlling them.
l'm sure you do.
Any other questions?
No.
Then, if you'll excuse me,
l really can't be late for the table.
Do you have the money?
3, 000 renns.
l have something exciting for you tonight.
Why are you following us?
l was thinking about what you said...
your interest in my unconscious thoughts.
Perhaps we could help each other.
How would we do that?
By telepathically exchanging violent images.
That is what you want, isn't it?
To see what's buried in my unconscious?
Who is he?
Quiet.
Why should l trust you?
Because you know we are very much alike.
Perhaps l was mistaken.
Wait.
Maybe we can be of use to each other.
But you'll have to get rid of this.
Come back later, Malin.
lf l'm right, l'll have thoughts to share
that are darker than anything you can imagine.
Well?
Fascinating.
Now...
show me.
l'll need a few moments to recover.
l'm surprised you're so easily tired.
Your telepathic abilities are strong.
lt is not often that l exercise those skills.
There must be violent thoughts to be had from your shipmates,
whether they want to share them or not.
After all, they couldn't stop a telepath
from probing their minds, could they?
ls that how you acquire your merchandise?
Sometimes l buy.
Sometimes l find a person like you
who's willing to share,
and, yes, when the opportunity presents itself,
l take what l need.
Which is what you did to Lieutenant Torres.
Frane took her thought, not me.
So, you know Mr. Frane.
Only casually.
Well enough to be in business with him?
Why do you ask?
l am interested in the thought he acquired from B'Elanna—
her violent tendencies have always fascinated me,
yet l've never succeeded in probing her mind.
lf you could help me purchase that thought...
lt's impossible.
Frane's already had it purged.
Odd.
l was certain you possessed it.
Me?
Didn't you extract the thought from B'Elanna as well,
just after she collided with Frane?
What?
l reevaluated B'Elanna's memories of the incident.
She remembers that you probed her mind.
She remembers incorrectly.
Perhaps...
or perhaps you did extract that image,
which would explain
why that same thought is still in circulation—
why it prompted a murder this morning.
Enough.
lt's time you gave me what you promised.
The only person you'll be sharing thoughts with tonight
is the Chief Examiner.
Where are you going?
Stand aside.
Tuvok's taking me into custody.
No!
Still no sign of him.
Try a multiphasic bio- scan.
We're being hailed, Captain.
lt's Nimira.
On screen.
Chief Examiner, have you had any luck locating Tuvok?
l'm afraid not.
l'd like to send a search party.
l can't allow that.
Why not?
We can't risk further violations of our laws.
That's ridiculous.
Tom...
l really don't think
we pose a serious threat.
There's nothing more to discuss.
Lieutenant Torres will be purged then returned to you.
Captain, you can't let them do that.
The decision's been made. l'm sorry.
Let go of me!
B'Elanna, please...
try to relax.
Oh, you have got to be kidding!
Sedate her.
No. Wait!
Proceed.
You won't escape punishment for your crimes.
Quiet!
You are responsible for a death.
l never meant that to happen.
The old woman begged me for that thought.
l had to help her.
Here.
You are justifying murder.
Enough.
Malin, hold him still.
Now...
show me.
You're holding back.
l haven't seen the best of it yet, have l?
No.
Then show me.
lf l show you, will you let me go?
Yes.
Come closer.
Don't be alarmed.
This will allow you to see the deepest recesses of my mind.
My mind... to your mind
and my thoughts...
to your thoughts.
Yes.
Good.
This is the side of you l wanted to know.
What's... happening?
We are locked in a Vulcan mind- meld.
You don't understand the truth of violence.
lts darkness...
its power!
Please... stop.
lncrease the electrochemical displacement,
but be very careful with the synaptic potentials.
One miscalculation and we could permanently damage
her cerebral cortex.
Communications Center to Chief Examiner Nimira.
Nimira.
Captain Janeway insists on speaking with you.
She says it's extremely urgent.
Relay her signal.
What is it, Captain?
lt's imperative that you discontinue
Lieutenant Torres' engramatic extraction immediately.
Commander Tuvok has found new evidence,
which proves her innocence.
l hope this interruption is justified.
Suspending an engramatic purge once it's begun
is highly irregular.
Then let's not waste any more time.
Commander.
l have discovered
that Guill and Frane are responsible
for the beating in the marketplace,
and consequently, for Talli's murder.
Guill, the merchant?
That is correct.
What possible involvement could he have?
lt was Frane who acted on the violent thought.
That is not in dispute.
However, Lieutenant Torres' thought
was not transferred accidentally.
l don't understand.
When Guill first met Lieutenant Torres,
he sensed strong, violent tendencies within her,
a potential for mental imagery which interested him.
ln order to exploit that potential,
he conspired with Frane to provoke B'Elanna.
They wanted to trigger a violent thought,
so they could telepathically draw it from her mind.
l can't believe that.
lt is precisely what happened.
Unfortunately, they underestimated
the intensity of the thought.
lt was more powerful
than anything either of them had ever experienced.
As a result, Frane lost control and attacked the victim.
Why would peaceful men like Guill and Frane
want to subject themselves to such hostile images?
My investigation has uncovered
a rather disturbing side of Mari society—
a black market if you will,
in which many of your citizens trade in illicit mental imagery.
Guill is a very prominent figure in this underground,
or was, until l brought him into custody.
Why would any of my people
want to indulge in that kind of behavior?
Apparently, outlawing violent thought
hasn't made it go away.
All you've done is force people to share it in back alleys.
lt seems you have a somewhat more...
serious problem than the random thoughts of a single alien.
Even if l believed you,
l'm not sure anyone else would.
Then l suggest you interrogate Guill yourselves.
His engramatic record
will undoubtedly confirm what l've told you.
Where is he now?
We have him confined
in our brig.
Captain's Log, supplemental.
Chief Examiner Nimira has taken custody of Mr. Guill.
Whether his arrest will lead to reforms
in the Mari justice system is anyone's guess.
ln the meantime, the Doctor is treating Lieutenant Torres
and Commander Tuvok.
Fortunately, the Mari didn't get very far
with the procedure.
You can return to duty, Lieutenant,
though perhaps with one or two fewer violent engrams
in that fiery head of yours.
lt's all right, Doc.
There are plenty more where those came from.
Duly warned.
Thanks for getting me out of there.
l was merely pursuing the truth.
So if l was responsible for passing that thought,
you would have let them lobotomize me?
lt is incumbent upon us to respect the laws
of the societies we visit.
So...
you still a fan of the Mari legal system?
My views have been somewhat modified.
Then you're not going to lecture me
about losing my temper?
lf you must know, investigating this case
has given me a new respect for your inner struggle.
Really?
Burdened as you are
by your primitive Klingon psyche,
it is a wonder you are able to keep
your violent thoughts under control
as much as you do.
Thanks... l think.
You're welcome.
Of course, there are various Vulcan techniques
which could help you increase your self- control.
You don't say.
Come in.
l must speak with you.
Of course. Have a seat.
l prefer to stand.
l keep forgetting.
You once encouraged me
to express my opinions
if l had something relevant to say.
Go right ahead.
You wish to return this vessel to the Alpha Quadrant,
and yet you are following Starfleet protocol
regarding first contact.
The two objectives are incompatible.
How so?
Your philosophy of exploration
exposes Voyager to constant risk.
lf you maintain a direct course,
to Earth and avoid all extraneous contact
with alien species,
it will increase your chances of survival.
Well, that would make a dull ride home.
Captain?
We seek out new races because we want to,
not because we're following protocols.
We have an insatiable curiosity about the universe.
Your Chief Engineer and Security Officer were nearly lost today.
That is unacceptable.
To you, maybe, but not to me or my crew.
Our experience with the Mari gave us an insight
into a culture we've never encountered.
But that is irrelevant.
No. lt's how we gain knowledge.
Then we are in disagreement.
Good. L dread the day
when everyone on this ship agrees with me.
l thank you for your opinion,
but our mission is not going to change.
Dismissed.