“Demon” is episode twenty-four of season four of Star Trek: Voyager.
Power is going down all over Voyager. Harry reports that power has been cut to several decks and various non-essential systems are offline. Captain Janeway asks Tom how long they can keep going. With deuterium this low, even at a quarter impulse, they’ll be out in a week. The captain orders that they search for more deuterium and look for more ways to cut power. To Harry, she says they will see if they can synthesise a substitute fuel. She also asks for any other idea. Tom suggests a bicycle in the mess hall linked to a generator. He volunteers Harry to make the first shift.
Crew are being moved from the powered down decks and Tuvok bumps into Neelix. Neelix is carrying things that Tuvok considers to be nonessential. With regards to various complains Neelix has about other items giving him health problems, Tuvok suggests that Neelix see the Doctor. Neelix thinks he might as well sleep in sickbay. Then thanks Neelix for giving him an idea.
Chakotay arrives in astrometrics which hasn’t been powered down. He tells Seven of Nine they can’t afford the power; it’s inefficient. Inefficiency is relative. Of astrometrics is shut down, they won’t be able to scan for new fuel sources. Chakotay is saying they will have to rely on conventional scanners when astrometrics detects something that conventional scanners would not have found. A planetoid 0.4 light years away with extensive pockets of deuterium. Chakotay says the world is what Starfleet calls a Demon-class. Also known as a Class Y. Toxic atmosphere, bursts of thermionic radiation, high temperature. Even entering a standard orbit can be suicidal. Seven says that when the situation is desperate, they must adapt.
The decision is made to head to the planetoid, with some alterations to Voyager‘s shields. An attempt is made to beam deuterium directly from the surface, but a burst of thermionic radiation overloads the pattern buffers and there’s an explosion.
Chakotay says the good news is that Seven of Nine and the transporter operator are fine. The bad news is the transporter is offline. Sending a probe down to the surface won’t work. There seems to be no option but to head to their original course. Harry has an alternative. Use the shield modifications, tweak an environmental suite and take a shuttle to the surface and mine from there. The alternative is to creep along and hope they find a source before they end up dead in the water. Janeway reminds him that, once down, they won’t be able to communicate, or be beamed out. Harry knows the risks. The captain agrees, but Harry can’t go alone. Harry agrees. That’s why he’s volunteering Tom to go with him.
On the way to the shuttle, Tom says he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Harry act like that at a staff meeting. Is he bucking for promotion? He’s not criticising; just surprised. It didn’t seem like Harry. Is he changing his squeaky-clean image? Not exactly. When Harry first came on board, he was pretty green. He was young and inexperienced and acted like it. Harry was nervous and hesitant and kept his mouth shut. He behaved like that for so long, it became a habit. But, over the last four years, a lot has happened, and Harry recounts some of it. He woke up and realised he’s got a lot of experience now, and can take the initiative.
They land successfully on the surface and find a liquid apparently only 12 degrees with a lot of liquified deuterium in it. Tom heads to check out another pool whilst Harry collects samples. Tom is talking but Harry doesn’t respond. Because he’s vanished. Tom sees bubbles and realises Harry’s in the pool and drags him out. Harry says it felt as if he was dragged in. However, his suit integrity has been compromised and oxygen will be depleted in 30 seconds. Tom is trying to take him back to the shuttle when some liquid compromises his own suit. They both collapse.
Neelix’s idea was to set up in sickbay with three other crew. There are four empty beds. The Doctor objects; they are biobeds for patients. Neelix points out they don’t have any. The Doctor has asked for help from Chakotay. Chakotay agrees with Neelix; if there are patients, Neelix and the others would leave. The alternative is that the captain was looking for other ways to cut power. The Doctor uses power.
With Tom and Harry not back. Chakotay suggests taking another shuttle down. The captain doesn’t want to lose him too. Given how many shuttles Chakotay has written off, a genuine worry. The captain’s idea is to land the ship. Which seems like an even worse idea. Chakotay pilots the ship down and they land, but Tuvok says that, given the damage, they won’t be taking off again for a while. Which actually makes it one of Chakotay’s better landings.
Chakotay is going to lead an away team to look for Tom and Harry. B’Elanna (the first time Roxann Dawson has been seen since going into labour during “The Omega Directive”) wants to come with. Chakotay wants a cool head, and hers isn’t. In that case, B’Elanna wants him to take Seven of Nine. Nobody is cooler.
Tom and Harry are discovered alive, and rather surprising. The Doctor attempts to annoy Neelix into leaving sickbay. Neelix attempts to be annoying in return. Neelix is better at being annoying. The Doctor gives in.