Extreme Risk
Encyclopedia
"Extreme Risk" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
, the third episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek
website (as of July 30, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/103685.html
has been secretly hurting herself
and risking her safety. Her crewmates have noticed that she is preoccupied, depressed, and uninterested in her duties. She is not inspired by Voyagers latest adventure.
When one of the ship's probes is lost on a gas giant
, Tom Paris
takes the opportunity to suggest a new shuttlecraft he has been thinking of building. With a strong, fast shuttle equipped with the right technology they could fly into the dense gaseous planet and retrieve the probe. The shuttle would be very useful on many future missions. Tom has it all planned out. He has already worked out a design for the shuttle and calculated the amount of time and resources they would need. He has even given it a name: the Delta Flyer. When he presents his proposal, the crew is impressed and everyone agrees to begin collaborating on its construction.
B'Elanna, though, is strangely unenthusiastic about the new project. She submits designs for the hull composition and propulsion system, but does not seem to care much what comes of them. When Tom asks what's going on with her she withdraws from him. She spends her time running dangerous programs on the holodeck
with the safety protocols off, gets hurt, and hides her injuries. She does make a gesture to reach out once, visiting Neelix
in the mess hall after hours and having her favorite comfort food, banana pancakes
, but she cannot bring herself to actually talk to him.
Meanwhile, the crew of a Malon ship has threatened Voyager and is attempting to steal the probe stuck in the gas giant. Seven of Nine
scans the Malon ship and finds that the Malon are busy constructing a specialized shuttlecraft, just as the Voyager crew are doing. The Delta Flyer project goes into high gear, the crew determined to get it running and retrieve their probe before the Malon reach it.
They are almost ready to go, with just one last structural problem to work out. B'Elanna decides to find out how dangerous a problem it is. She simulates the new shuttle on the holodeck, complete with structural flaws, and takes it for a test flight... with the safeties off. The Flyer has a rough ride and B'Elanna is severely injured. In sickbay the Doctor
patches her up, but on examination finds that she has sustained extensive, recent injuries. He informs Captain Janeway
, who looks into the matter, searching through B'Elanna's holodeck logs and discovering that she has been risking her life. She takes B'Elanna aside and asks why she has been hurting herself. B'Elanna refuses to talk and Janeway relieves her of duty. She directs Tom and Chakotay
to find out what is going on.
B'Elanna is discharged to her quarters by the Doctor, who has diagnosed her with clinical depression
. Chakotay comes for a visit, and drags her to the holodeck, insisting she show him what she has been up to. He pulls up a program of hers - a war-ravaged cave filled with the bodies of their Maquis
friends, their "adopted family." Chakotay begins to see what's going on. A short time ago
, when Voyager received the first few data streams of letters from home, Chakotay and B'Elanna learned that the Maquis band they belonged to had been slaughtered by the Cardassian
s and their new allies, the Dominion
(a rare mention of problems at home). B'Elanna has been unable to cope with this trauma. She has been unable to feel grief, sorrow, or real anger, and that disturbs her. When Chakotay asks if she is trying to commit suicide
, she explains "I'm not trying to kill myself. I'm trying to see if I'm still alive." He promises to help his friend deal with this.
Finally, it is time to test the Flyer. The Malon have launched their new vessel. Seven, Tom Paris, and Harry Kim
board the Flyer and get ready to leave. They are joined by a last-minute volunteer. B'Elanna insists she needs to be there to monitor the stability of the shuttle as it travels through the turbulent gas giant, and Chakotay allows her to go.
They race the Malon shuttle down to the probe, grab it, and begin ascending. The Delta Flyers hull is strained to its limit. A rupture forms and B'Elanna quickly rigs up a force field with assorted equipment on hand. The shuttle survives, thanks to her. She celebrates with a big plate of banana pancakes.
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, the third episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
website (as of July 30, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/103685.html
Plot
B'Elanna TorresB'Elanna Torres
B'Elanna Torres is a main character in Star Trek: Voyager played by Roxann Dawson. She is portrayed as a half-human half-Klingon born in 2349 on the Federation colony Kessik IV. Torres joined the Maquis in 2370 and was serving on the Val Jean when brought to the Delta Quadrant...
has been secretly hurting herself
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
and risking her safety. Her crewmates have noticed that she is preoccupied, depressed, and uninterested in her duties. She is not inspired by Voyagers latest adventure.
When one of the ship's probes is lost on a gas giant
Gas giant
A gas giant is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter. There are four gas giants in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
, Tom Paris
Tom Paris
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Paris serves as the chief helmsman and an auxiliary medic aboard the USS Voyager...
takes the opportunity to suggest a new shuttlecraft he has been thinking of building. With a strong, fast shuttle equipped with the right technology they could fly into the dense gaseous planet and retrieve the probe. The shuttle would be very useful on many future missions. Tom has it all planned out. He has already worked out a design for the shuttle and calculated the amount of time and resources they would need. He has even given it a name: the Delta Flyer. When he presents his proposal, the crew is impressed and everyone agrees to begin collaborating on its construction.
B'Elanna, though, is strangely unenthusiastic about the new project. She submits designs for the hull composition and propulsion system, but does not seem to care much what comes of them. When Tom asks what's going on with her she withdraws from him. She spends her time running dangerous programs on the holodeck
Holodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
with the safety protocols off, gets hurt, and hides her injuries. She does make a gesture to reach out once, visiting Neelix
Neelix
Mr. Neelix is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He is played by actor Ethan Phillips.-Fictional Biography:Mr. Neelix is a Talaxian originally from Rinax, a moon of the planet Talax, in the Delta quadrant, although his great-grandfather was Mylean. His entire family...
in the mess hall after hours and having her favorite comfort food, banana pancakes
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
, but she cannot bring herself to actually talk to him.
Meanwhile, the crew of a Malon ship has threatened Voyager and is attempting to steal the probe stuck in the gas giant. Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only...
scans the Malon ship and finds that the Malon are busy constructing a specialized shuttlecraft, just as the Voyager crew are doing. The Delta Flyer project goes into high gear, the crew determined to get it running and retrieve their probe before the Malon reach it.
They are almost ready to go, with just one last structural problem to work out. B'Elanna decides to find out how dangerous a problem it is. She simulates the new shuttle on the holodeck, complete with structural flaws, and takes it for a test flight... with the safeties off. The Flyer has a rough ride and B'Elanna is severely injured. In sickbay the Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
patches her up, but on examination finds that she has sustained extensive, recent injuries. He informs Captain Janeway
Kathryn Janeway
Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. As the captain of the Starfleet starship USS Voyager, she was the lead character on the television series Star Trek: Voyager, and later, a Starfleet admiral, as seen in the 2002 feature film Star Trek...
, who looks into the matter, searching through B'Elanna's holodeck logs and discovering that she has been risking her life. She takes B'Elanna aside and asks why she has been hurting herself. B'Elanna refuses to talk and Janeway relieves her of duty. She directs Tom and Chakotay
Chakotay
Chakotay , played by Robert Beltran, is a character in Star Trek: Voyager. He is the First Officer of the USS Voyager.-Character biography:...
to find out what is going on.
B'Elanna is discharged to her quarters by the Doctor, who has diagnosed her with clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. Chakotay comes for a visit, and drags her to the holodeck, insisting she show him what she has been up to. He pulls up a program of hers - a war-ravaged cave filled with the bodies of their Maquis
Maquis (Star Trek)
In the American Star Trek science-fiction franchise, the Maquis are a 24th Century paramilitary organization or terrorist group first introduced in the 1994 episode "The Maquis" of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, who subsequently also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and...
friends, their "adopted family." Chakotay begins to see what's going on. A short time ago
Hunters (Star Trek: Voyager)
"Hunters" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 15th episode of the fourth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.5/5 on the official Star Trek website .-Plot:...
, when Voyager received the first few data streams of letters from home, Chakotay and B'Elanna learned that the Maquis band they belonged to had been slaughtered by the Cardassian
Cardassian
The Cardassians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. First introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", the species originating on the fictional Alpha Quadrant planet Cardassia Prime...
s and their new allies, the Dominion
Dominion (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek universe, the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state consisting of many different races. The Dominion wages war on the United Federation of Planets and its allies in the late 24th century, acting as an antagonist in the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space...
(a rare mention of problems at home). B'Elanna has been unable to cope with this trauma. She has been unable to feel grief, sorrow, or real anger, and that disturbs her. When Chakotay asks if she is trying to commit suicide
Parasuicide
Parasuicide refers to suicide attempts or gestures and self-harm where there is no result in death. It is a non-fatal act in which a person deliberately causes injury to himself or ingests any prescribed or generally recognised therapeutic dose in excess...
, she explains "I'm not trying to kill myself. I'm trying to see if I'm still alive." He promises to help his friend deal with this.
Finally, it is time to test the Flyer. The Malon have launched their new vessel. Seven, Tom Paris, and Harry Kim
Harry Kim (Star Trek)
Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:...
board the Flyer and get ready to leave. They are joined by a last-minute volunteer. B'Elanna insists she needs to be there to monitor the stability of the shuttle as it travels through the turbulent gas giant, and Chakotay allows her to go.
They race the Malon shuttle down to the probe, grab it, and begin ascending. The Delta Flyers hull is strained to its limit. A rupture forms and B'Elanna quickly rigs up a force field with assorted equipment on hand. The shuttle survives, thanks to her. She celebrates with a big plate of banana pancakes.