“Caretaker: Part II” is episode two of season one of Star Trek: Voyager.
This is the second part of the two-part series opener, although it is sometimes shown as a feature length episode. In the previous episode, “Caretaker: Part I”, Voyager and the Maquis ship had found themselves a long way from home near an array of some kind. The array had beamed everyone off the ship, then returned them all except a Maquis, B’Elanna Torres, and a Federation officer, Harry Kim.
This episode opens with the Voyager and the Maquis vessel exploring a debris field. They detect a small vessel with one humanoid lifesign on it, and hail the craft. The person onboard, once informed they are not interested in the debris, introduces himself as Neelix. He finds Captain Janeway’s title very impressive. He has no idea what it means, but he still finds it impressive.
Neelix claims to know the area well, including the array and the planet that it is sending energy pulses to. Enough to stay far away from the array. The Caretaker, which is what the Ocampa, who live on the planet the pulses are being sent to call it, has been bringing ships for months. Neelix guesses what happened to them, as he has heard the story before a thousand times. Well, maybe 50. The Caretaker has also kidnapped others; Neelix knows they are brought to the Ocampa, nothing more.
Neelix is told they would appreciate his help. He has so much debris to investigate and doesn’t see what they could offer him. Except, perhaps, water. Water they have, if Neelix helps. They will beam him aboard. A new technology to Neelix.
Tuvok greets Neelix in the transporter room; Neelix is most impressed with the technology. Tuvok explains that the Federation is comprised of many cultures. He is Vulcan. Neelix hugs him. Neelix is fascinated by the technology, but is informed that it would take many hours to explain it all. They will proceed to Neelix’s quarters. Perhaps he would care for a bath.
Harry and B’Elanna woke up amongst the Ocampa in the previous episode, both with something growing on them. B’Elanna had gone a bit wild and been sedated as a result. Harry is waiting for her to wake up; when she does, he introduces himself. And explains they were at the array looking for the Maquis. Trying to capture them, B’Elanna accuses. She can consider herself captured them. B’Elanna wants to know what the things are that are growing on them. Harry has no idea. No, she doesn’t want to be sedated again; sometimes her Klingon half is hard to control. In the background is a regular noise, sounding to be at the same intervals as the energy pulse.
One of the Ocampa enters, and says that they are not prisoners but honoured guests. They are free to leave their quarters as long as they are not violent. The Ocampa have been living in an underground city for 500 generations, built for them by the Caretaker when the surface turned to desert. They try and interpret the Caretaker’s wishes as best they can. Regarding the illness, he knows little. They are not the first, either. Where are the others? That can be guessed. They are told that their condition is serious and the Ocampa don’t know how to treat it. The others did not recover. The word for the illness is not ‘serious’; the word is ‘fatal’.
Neelix, having taken Tuvok’s advice about a bath – water is scarce in these parts – is told that the replicators can produce clothing. No, not a uniform like Tuvok’s. There are some people on the planet, the Kazon-Ogla, who may know where the missing crew are. Well, perhaps not. They need some water.
Neelix, Chakotay, Tom, Janeway and Tuvok beam down. The Kazon sects control this part of the region, producing different things, trading and killing each other. They know who Neelix is, grabbing him and disarming the others. Neelix has water to replace that which he borrowed. A, battered, young woman is watching; the leader of the Kazon-Ogla says she is Ocampa. Worthless creatures who make poor servants as they only live 9 years. They live underground with the only water source on the planet. There’s a subterranean barrier the Kazon-Ogla cannot penetrate. The girl may know a way down; Neelix suggests a trade. The leader wants Federation technology instead. So Neelix takes a weapon and holds the leader hostage, calls the girl over, shoots the water containers and suggest they all leave. The girl, Kes, is the reason why they were there.
Tuvok tells Neelix that if they had been told what Neelix had planned, they would have been prepared for his irrational behaviour. They are in sickbay and the doctor is complaining until the captain shuts him down. Kes states that there is no way down, because of the energy barrier. Which may also block the transporter. Neelix wants to leave with her, but Kes says they need to stay and help.
So, both crews are a long way from home with technology that is unknown in the area – and that means valuable. They are looking for a way home, and the Caretaker appears to be the only one who can help. It can be guessed that they aren’t going to be successful – the Caretaker has been increasing energy sent to the Ocampa and has mentioned running out of time – because if they did succeed, this would be a very short series.