“Alice” is episode five of season six of Star Trek: Voyager.
Tom and Harry are on the bridge, trying to guess Tuvok’s age – he isn’t cooperating much – when they detect a fleet of ships 200,000 km dead ahead, with multiple hull configurations. Tuvok calls for red alert as Captain Janeway and Chakotay arrive on the bridge. The captain calls for them to be displayed. There are 62 ships. And a few hundred pieces. All dead in space. It’s a junkyard. They’re hailed by Abaddon of Abaddon’s Repository of Lost Treasures.
Abaddon beams aboard and Neelix and Chakotay greet him. Abaddon thinks Neelix might be a fellow trader. Given one of the reasons is ‘furtive eyes,’ not exactly a compliment. Neelix admits there was a time he dabbled. Abaddon has his inventory, give or take a few. Neelix asks what Abaddon might be interested in exchange and Chakotay tells Neelix to show Abaddon their inventory.
Harry, Seven and Tom are in astrometrics looking at the items in the junkyard. Harry thinks Abaddon has collected more tech than the Borg; according to Seven, most of it is useless. Tome spies a small craft and wants it enlarging. He likes the look of it.
Neelix, along with Tom and Harry, brief Chakotay on what they are getting. And there’s one more thing; Tom wants this small vessel. Chakotay says they have a full complement of shuttles – guess they’re replaced all the ones destroyed by, well, mostly Chakotay – plus the Delta Flyer. Tom sells the ship on its neurogenic interface and optronic weapons. Even B’Elanna thinks it’s worth it. Tom will repair it on his own time. Harry has volunteered to help. Harry didn’t know this.
Abaddon is beamed back off. He has one thing to say; Neelix guesses it. ‘All trades are final.’
Tom and Harry are working on the craft. Tom calls it Alice, as it needs a name. Harry suggests Lost Cause. The real Alice was a lost cause for Tom. They briefly restore power; Harry thinks someone tried to wipe the main database. Tom tries the interface, then they lose power. Harry wants to call it a night and Tom agrees. After they leave, Alice powers back up. Suspiciously reminiscent of a scene from a well-known film. Alice has a recording of Tom’s brain and speaks, changing the voice to female. In his quarters, Tom hears a voice. Alice, though he doesn’t know it. He exits and sees a figure disappearing; not crew, by the looks of it. Tom follows and asks someone unseen who they are. Alice.
Tom works hard on the ship and changes his uniform for a flight suit. Harry comes looking for him in engineering; he’s missed the holodeck again. The flight suit is one from Alice‘s database.
Seven approaches Neelix in the mess hall; the star charts they bought from Honest John… err, Abaddon, are inaccurate. Neelix doesn’t think much of the cultural artefacts either. Seven looks at the one Neelix is cleaning and tells him perhaps not. The crystal is used as currency and some species would trade an entire fleet for it. Tom arrives for some champagne for Alice‘s christening ceremony. A private affair. Neelix says there’s nothing like your own ship. His is still in the shuttle bay; they could go on a double date with Tom and Alice.
B’Elanna is pleased to finally meet the other woman. Alice looks a lot shinier. Just a few more repairs and she’ll be spaceworthy. They don’t break the champagne, but pour it instead. Tom gets distracted when they are in the ship and B’Elanna starts to leave. Getting zapped by a control in the process.
Tom heads to see Chakotay with some last parts he needs. Chakotay declines for the moment; maybe in a few weeks. What should Tom do until then? His duties. He’s been neglecting them. Tom admits he may have been overdoing it. Chakotay agrees he looks run down. And get a shave and change back into uniform.
Alice does not agree with this. She has a lot of influence over Tom. Perhaps too much. There may be a reason why someone tried to delete her database. She starts making sure Tom does what she wants.