Prototype
StarDate: Unknown
Original Airdate: January 15, 1996
By Christina Luckings
The Story
Something is floating in space, when Voyager comes close. The
world shimmers and it is in the transporter room, being peered
at by Torres, Tuvok and Janeway. The security chief is wary of
it, but the engineer is taken with the opportunity to examine
a new technology. The Captain rules in favour of learning more.
The object is moved to engineering, where Torres and Kim spend
long hours trying to stop it’s power cell from draining
completely. Despite the energy signatures being different, they
give it a charge from the EPS conduit anyway and as they do so,
it turns to watch them. In the reflection of a monitor screen
the object is revealed to be a humanoid robot.
Torres carries on examining it. The programming centre seems
to be in the head, it has arms and legs, they saw it move. Clearly
it was designed to move just as a person does. The robot tries
to speak, but it doesn’t make any sense and then it becomes
inert again. Tired and getting frustrated at the lack of progress,
Kim suggests calling it a night. Torres wants to stay longer,
and orders Harry to bed, confident that she can stay awake and
alert longer than he can.
“Chief Engineers log, supplemental. I've tried thirteen
different methods of re-initialising the robot's power source
and I'm still having no luck, so I've decided to go to the mess
hall to recharge my own declining energy reserves.”
It is an hour and a half before Neelix is due to start serving
breakfast, and he refuses to let Torres have another pot of landras
blend coffee. She is surprised, but agrees that maybe two is
enough. It was beginning to taste palatable. She likens the steady
unstoppable power drain of the robot to a bleeding artery for
which she does not have a tourniquet, and Neelix tells her the
story of how he perfected his recipe for jibalian seven spice
omelette. At first he used six spices, constantly tweaking the
proportions, until he fell asleep from exhaustion only to wake
later realising that it was missing a seventh. Leola root? Suggests
a tired Torres. No, sea salt actually, is the wry reply. The
commonest spice in the galaxy, but he had been too tired to notice
it at the time. B’Elanna takes the heavy hint and leaves
the mess hall, but returns to engineering instead of going to
bed. Inspiration does not come however, so she gives up and goes
to her quarters.
No sooner does she start to get into bed than an idea hits her.
She goes off to sickbay where a surprised EMH enquires if the
dress code has been changed recently as she is not in uniform.
When Torres tells him she wants his input on her engineering
problem, not a medical one, he begins to point out that he is
a doctor, and she finishes the sentence off for him. He has heard
about the robot from Kes, so Torres does not have to explain
much to him, except that her problem is that the robot’s
plasma power source is contaminated and she cannot stop it decaying.
How can she replace a polymer plasma composed of elements she
didn’t even know existed a day ago? The EMH suggests using
Voyager’s warp plasma, but that would be like giving Vulcan
blood to a Bolian. The Bolian would die. He then mentions times
when blood cells have been genetically altered to make them safe
for transfusion when artificial blood has been unavailable. Torres
is unsure. She cannot alter warp plasma electro-chemically, but,
she could modify a series of anodyne relays to act as a regulator
between the plasma and the robot’s energy matrix. With
her problem solved she dashes out of sickbay to finally get some
sleep then put it into practice.
Captain Janeway is present as Torres and Kim put the final relay
in and then begin to feed plasma to the robot. As the power begins
to circulate, the robot’s programming centre activates,
and it introduces itself as Automated Unit 3947.
“Chief Engineer's log, supplemental. the robot's power
module is continuing to function normally using the plasma from
our warp engines. Repairing it's systems has taught me more about
robotics than I ever could have learnt at Starfleet Academy.”
Unit 3947 announces that it is functioning at 68 percent of
peak operating capabilities and calls Torres an extremely proficient
humanoid for being able to repair him. She asks it how it came
to be floating in space and it tells her that had been operating
an asteroid mining pod when it exploded. It does not remember
why, but Torres hopes that the memory loss is only temporary.
It is very interested in the fact that she has managed to repair
it’s power unit, something only a Builder could do. It
wants her to make a new power module, a prototype for the construction
of new robots. Torres asks why the Builders cannot do that. 3947
tells her that the Builders no longer exist.
Torres explains the history of the Pralor Automated Personnel
Units to Captain Janeway in her quarters. Their builders were
wiped out in a war decades ago, and the robots have been maintaining
themselves ever since. They can make repairs to themselves, but
they cannot make new power modules. Torres is excited by the
challenge of helping a robot species become able to procreate.
Janeway is less enthused. These machines were not designed to
reproduce themselves, and cannot be compared to a race that has
become sterile over the years. This is not a flaw to be corrected,
it is a design specification, and to meddle with it would be
a breach of the Prime Directive. They know nothing about the
race that built them, or the possible consequences of increasing
their numbers. Perhaps they will learn to build new power modules
themselves one day, or perhaps they will face the fate of so
many lifeforms – extinction. Either way, it is not for
a starship that is only passing through to interfere. The decision
is made, and Torres reluctantly accepts it.
3947 does not see the logic behind the Captain’s decision,
as the Pralor units were built, and are not natural creations.
Torres admits that she would like to try and build a unit, but
she cannot. However, they have located 3947’s ship and
will be in hailing range in an hour.
Captain Janeway orders yellow alert as they approach the robot
ship, but allows it to scan Voyager before unit 6263 asks their
intentions. She tells it they would like to return 3947 and it
politely thanks her before ending contact. In the transporter
room, Torres hands over some spare warp plasma, just in case,
and repeats instructions that she gave 3947 earlier in Engineering.
As she holds out her hand to say goodbye, the robot grabs it
and gives her a shock to knock her out, then stuns the transporter
operator with a chromo-dynamic energy discharge. This is detected
on the bridge, but they cannot stop the transport as the patterns
are already in the buffers. Once the pair arrive on the Pralor
ship, a sub-space defence field goes up and they cannot get her
back. Undeterred, Captain Janeway issues an ultimatum to the
robots which they do not bother to answer.
B’Elanna regains consciousness in a workshop, where 3947
explains that her communicator does not work, and that she will
build them a prototype power module. Meanwhile, Tuvok and Chakotay
cannot get through the defence field, or even determine what
the robot’s weapons capabilities are. Janeway decides to
use the phasers to try and make a hole in the shields so they
can beam B’Elanna back out, and at first it looks like
it is working. Then the robots fire back with a quantum resonance
charge which blasts Voyager’s shields to pieces. Defenceless,
the Captain orders a strategic withdrawal, but Paris has to tell
her that they have no propulsion either. With hull breaches,
critical oxygen levels and casualties on all decks, they are
prepared for the final blow when suddenly the robots power down
their weapons and hail Voyager. B’Elanna appears on the
viewscreen to tell her Captain that she has agreed to build the
prototype in order to save the rest of the crew. Despite Janeway’s
orders, she has no choice.
3947 shows her around the workshop, and explains that although
they can duplicate every other part of an automated unit, the
power module is their sticking point. Every time they make an
exact replica of a module from a terminated unit, it does not
power a new robot. 6362 comes to find out how they are getting
on, and informs B’Elanna that she must have the prototype
finished before Voyager is repaired, which in their estimate
is less than 140 hours. Although Voyager is no match for their
weapons, the engines are more powerful and there is a 79 percent
probability that a rescue will be attempted. 3947 points out
that humanoids do not always think logically, while 6263 considers
that B’Elanna might try to waste time hoping for rescue.
Torres is annoyed. She gave her word that she would try her best
to make them a prototype, and that is precisely what she will
do. But there are no guarantees, she warns them. If she fails,
her people will die, 6263 tells them before leaving. He is only
following his programming, 3947 tells B’Elanna, 6263 does
not know her.
It is a downcast senior staff meeting, cataloguing Voyager’s
problems. No power on five decks, no shields, and a destabilised
dilithium matrix. Total repairs will take six days, and the dilithium
matrix will take 72 hours. Twenty four hours too long, says Janeway.
Warp drive must be the priority so they can get B’Elanna
as soon as possible and get away again. The meeting breaks up.
Torres has discovered the secret of the non-interchangeable
power modules. Apparently the Builders designed them with unique
energy signatures so that they could not be moved between robots.
She cannot reprogram the energy codes but she might now be able
to design a standard module with a uniform energy code that can
power any robot.
Tuvok, Chakotay and Kim have come up with a plan to rescue Torres.
They cannot modify the transporters to get through the Pralor
defence shield to beam her out, but if they could get inside
the shield it would not be a problem. Paris thinks a shuttlecraft
could do it. Tuvok suggests a diversion to take the robots attention
away, but that would mean attacking again and Captain Janeway
does not want to risk that. Tom is determined. He will get B’Elanna
out of there with or without a diversion, if he is just given
the chance to try. Chakotay suggests that Tom let them help.
He really doesn’t want to lose another shuttle. Warp engines
will be back on line in twelve hours. The Captain wants them
to come up with a diversion by then.
There is a brand new power module lying on the construction
bench, and Torres is checking that it is powering the motor circuits
in a robot hand correctly. 3947 is observing her closely. Although
he is programmed to be a maintenance unit, B’Elanna thinks
he has just volunteered to be in charge of assembling the new
robots. As they talk, it tells her that it has been in service
1,314,807 hours and 33 minutes. It is interested in whether there
are robots like him in her culture, and she tells him that there
is only one sentient artificial life form. His name is Data and
he is treated just like a human. 3947 muses that he would like
to meet him.
Voyager is only six hours away from warp power when Chakotay
tells Janeway about a diversion Torres came up with when they
were in the Maquis. She linked a holo-emitter to a deflector
array and projected an image of another ship into space. Kim
is already working in the holodeck he tells her, as Tuvok interrupts
over the comm. to inform them that an unidentified ship is approaching.
Torres has the new power module in a complete robot, and with
a small adjustment to the flux capacitor, prototype unit 0001
announces that it is ready to accept programming. B’Elanna
shakes 3947’s hand vigorously and congratulates it on becoming
a father.
There are no organic life forms on the new ship either, Kim
announces, as they watch a gold version of the Pralor ship open
fire on it’s silver-coloured counterpart. As Paris backs
Voyager away from the fight, they are hailed. Cravic automated
commander 122 tells them to withdraw. Janeway explains that they
cannot leave without a crewmember who is being held hostage on
the Pralor ship. The Cravic unit warns them not to interfere
or they will be fired on. The diversion they were wanting has
arrived, and although warp drive is still an hour away, they
may not need it. Paris is ordered to the shuttle bay while Chakotay
takes his place at the helm.
As the Pralor vessel shakes to the impact of the Cravic weapons
fire, 3947 explains to B’Elanna that the two races were
enemies. She suggests that Captain Janeway might be able to arrange
a cease-fire, but 3947 tells her that like the Pralor, the Cravic
are now extinct.
Tom Paris is on his rescue mission, but he cannot get his shields
to match the Pralor ones and he bounces off. Tuvok directs him
to a point where the Cravic weapons fire is opening a rift. All
he has to do is not get hit himself. Inside the ship, 3947 is
calmly explaining that the Pralor and the Cravic did call a truce
once, and tried to stop the robots from fighting. The robots
realised that without the war, there would be no need for them,
so to ensure their survival, they killed their Builders. Now
that B’Elanna has created a prototype, the Pralor will
eventually outnumber the Cravic and achieve their programmed
victory. Now B’Elanna realises why the power modules were
given unique signatures, and the magnitude of her actions in
changing the balance of power. As the Prototype turns to her
asking for programming, she picks up a sharp instrument and plunges
it into its power module. In a blaze of electricity, 0001 ceases
to function. 3947 knocks B’Elanna down with an energy discharge,
then tells her she will build another, but she refuses. At that
moment, Paris slips underneath the Pralor shields and beams her
out safely. Once he is clear of the defence field again, she
is transferred to sickbay. Voyager leaves as soon as the shuttle
is docked, leaving the two robot ships locked in their pointless
battle for supremacy.
Fully healed and having written her report, Torres is in the
mess hall with Captain Janeway, sharing a pot of landras blend
coffee. It has never tasted so good to her. Kes promises to relay
that message to Neelix. Janeway is being sympathetic to her chief
engineer, saying how difficult it must have been to destroy what
she had created. B’Elanna recalls the moment 0001 looked
up at her and asked her for programming, then sadly says that
she did what was necessary.
Review:
This is an aspect of the Prime Directive that we really haven’t
dealt with before on Voyager. We’ve had the reasons why
the Kazon must not get their hands on Federation technology,
but this is the first time we’ve had to deal with the consequences
of helping another ‘species’ rectify a ‘flaw’ in
their design. Making them robots makes it easier to justify not
doing it, but if they had been organic, genetically created to
be sterile fighters, the whole issue might have been a lot more
murky. (I’m thinking Jem’Hadar from DS9 now).
It makes for a good Torres story. The headstrong half-Klingon
is learning how to take unpalatable orders and try to stick to
them. She’s come a long way from the rebellious Maquis
who broke Lt. Carey’s nose. No one else really has anything
to do, and poor Kes only manages two lines as mess hall waitress
in this one. Neelix’s omelette story seems fairly pointless
too.
On the visual side, the opening sequence seen from 3947’s
point of view in black and white is very good. But a blank robot
face makes for dull viewing during dialogue, and I feel so sorry
for the poor actors trapped inside them, unable to express themselves
with little more than a gesture. It must have made the director’s
task harder too, having to set up the scenes with constant camera
motion so that the audience did not get bored with a static talking
head and turn off. However, Jonathan Frakes managed it, and kept
the story tripping along nicely.
For the relationshippers – well! isn’t Tom just
so keen to go after B’Elanna, risk life and limb to get
her back. There is definitely something brewing here, on his
side at least. I await developments.
In summary, an interesting story concept with lots of potential
discussion buried in there. A fine example of Trek.
Grade: 8/10
Cast:
Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway
Robert Beltran as Chakotay
Roxanne Biggs-Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
Jennifer Lien as Kes
Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
Ethan Phillips as Neelix
Robert Picardo as The Doctor
Tim Russ as Tuvok
Garrett Wang as Harry Kim
Guest Cast:
Hugh Hodgin as 6263
Rick Worthy as 3947
Creative Staff:
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Written By: Nicholas Corea
