STAR TREK: VOYAGER: SACRED GROUND (TV)
Summary
One in this series of programs about the outer space adventures of the USS Voyager and its commander, Captain Kathryn Janeway, in the twenty-fourth century.
While visiting a holy site on a planet belonging to a race known as the Nechani, Kes is struck by a mysterious energy emanating from a shrine, knocking her unconscious. She is beamed to sick bay and the planet's magistrate refuses to allow Torres and Kim to scan the shrine for data that could help Kes, as it would be disrespectful to their ancestral spirits. He says that Kes has been "punished by the spirits" and will die. The Doctor stabilizes Kes and Janeway speaks with the magistrate. The Nechani maintain an absolute separation of church and state, so the government is powerless to help Janeway. He notes that the monks of the temple undergo a ritual that allows them to survive the shrine's light, but due to the sacred nature of the site there is no scientific data on the phenomenon.
The light is discovered to be a "biogenic field;" the Doctor does not know how to counteract it. Neelix discovers a precedent in Nechani mythology about a boy struck by the shrine's light who was cured when his father sought an audience with the spirits. Janeway invokes that precedent so that she may undergo the ritual herself in order to save Kes. She doesn't believe in the spiritual elements of the ritual, certain that it will alter her body somehow to allow her to survive the biogenic field. She believes that the ritual will be an ordeal of some sort. The Nechani religious council approves of Janeway's request and the Doctor implants her with a bio-probe that will allow him to continuously monitor the changes in her body chemistry.
Janeway beams down to the planet, where she meets a spiritual guide who has been assigned to her. She gives Janeway a change of clothes and some body paint before depositing her in a room with several elderly people in robes, who maintain that they are "just waiting." They invite Janeway to sit with them for a time, but she is determined to get on with the ritual and the guide leads her to another room. She tells Janeway that everything in the room is meaningless and that Janeway must find her own connection to the spirits. Janeway says she'll do whatever is necessary to save Kes. The guide puts Janeway through a series of physical tests. The Doctor notes that the tests have an effect on Janeway's body, which he records.
After the tests, Janeway is asked to put her arm in a basket containing a strange creature, which bites her. The creature's venom soon renders Janeway unconscious and the guide seals her in a tomb. Janeway experiences some sort of hallucinatory vision wherein she is told that she already has what she needs in order to save Kes. The guide awakens her and returns her uniform. Janeway returns to Voyager, where the Doctor attempts to use the information he learned from Janeway's ordeals to treat Kes. However, the treatment only worsens her condition and the Doctor cannot explain why.
Janeway returns to confront the guide, who says that the various challenges Janeway underwent were established merely to meet her expectations, and were ultimately meaningless. Janeway refuses to give up and the guide brings her back to the elderly people from earlier. They note how Janeway sets such high standards for herself and again invite her to sit with them and talk. She does so and talks with them; they give her cryptic, unhelpful answers to her various questions. Janeway notes that she can respect their religion but has difficulty embracing it. They point out that Janeway has unwavering faith in science, similar to a religion. After some more discussion, Janeway infers that she must take Kes back through the biogenic field in order to cure her. It is not explained how the process functions, but the elderly folk warn Janeway that she must believe it will work, or it will not.
Kes is beamed down to the shrine, where Janeway prepares to take her through the biogenic field. Chakotay and Neelix attempt to talk Janeway out of it, not wanting to endanger her or Kes any further. Janeway takes Kes through the field and she awakens, fully healed. The episode ends as the Doctor gives a detailed scientific explanation of how Kes was healed, which seems to disappoint Janeway. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: UPN
- DATE: October 30, 1996 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:53
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:43636
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Space exploration
- SERIES RUN: UPN - TV series, 1995-2001
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Piller … Executive Producer, Created by
- Jeri Taylor … Executive Producer, Created by
- Rick Berman … Executive Producer, Created by
- Wendy Neuss … Producer
- Merri D. Howard (See also: Merri Howard) … Producer
- Kenneth Biller … Co-Producer
- Peter Lauritson … Supervising Producer
- Brannon Braga … Supervising Producer
- Brad Yacobian … Line Producer
- Robert Duncan McNeill … Director
- Lisa Klink … Writer
- Geo Cameron … Writer
- Gene Roddenberry … Based upon "Star Trek" created by
- Jay Chattaway … Music by
- Jerry Goldsmith … Theme Music by
- Kate Mulgrew … Cast, Captain Kathryn Janeway
- Robert Beltran … Cast, Commander Chakotay
- Roxann Biggs-Dawson (See also: Roxann Dawson) … Cast, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
- Jennifer Lien … Cast, Kes
- Robert Duncan McNeill … Cast, Lieutenant Tom Paris
- Ethan Phillips … Cast, Neelix
- Robert Picardo … Cast, The Doctor
- Tim Russ … Cast, Lieutenant Tuvok
- Garrett Wang … Cast, Ensign Harry Kim
- Becky Ann Baker … Cast, Guide
- Estelle Harris … Cast, Old Woman
- Keene Curtis … Cast, Old Man #2
- Parley Baer … Cast, Old Man #1
- Harry Groener … Cast, The Magistrate