“Heroes and Demons” is episode twelve of season one of Star Trek: Voyager.
Captain Janeway is recording that they have detected unusually intense photonic activity in a nearby protostar. She and B’Elanna are in engineering and samples from the star are being beamed into two containers. One container is filled; the other is not due to a problem. The process is aborted and tried again, this time successfully. If the photonic matter works the way they think, it could boost the efficiency of their power converters. B’Elanna says it will take six hours to complete the analysis, perhaps more. Janeway offers Harry’s help; he is off duty but she is sure she can convince him to give up his free time. Harry doesn’t reply to his comm – and the computer says he isn’t onboard the ship.
The transporter has not been used and all the shuttlecraft are accounted for. Chakotay says that Harry’s shift ended four hours ago and he was scanning to Holodeck 2. Tuvok cannot scan the holodeck due to interference. He and Chakotay head to the holodeck, which is active but cannot be shut down. Both enter.
Inside it is a forest at night and the computer explains that it is a holonovel based on Beowulf. Chakotay explains Beowulf to Tuvok. At which point a spear thuds into a nearby tree and a woman draws her sword on them. She announces herself as Freya (Marjorie Monaghan, Number One from Babylon 5), shield-maiden and daughter of King Hrothgar and they are unable to delete her. Tuvok tells Chakotay that the safety protocols may be malfunctioning as well. When asked if they are kinsman of Beowulf, Tuvok says they are – realising that Harry will be the hero. Unfortunately, it seems Beowulf is dead, but Freya will take them to see the king.
Hrothgar explains that Beowulf met the same fate as 30 of his warriors. The creature, Grendel, strikes at night when they are asleep. None saw Harry’s body though. A warrior, Unferth, is not impressed with Tuvok or Chakotay. They wish to stand sentry tonight to watch for Grendel. Chakotay contacts the captain top explain the situation and Tuvok says that there is a possibility that Harry is dead. If they could shut down the program, they would know for sure if Harry was here.
That night, Chakotay talks about Beowulf to Tuvok, and that many cultures have demons based on their darkest emotions which are put into novels to explore them. Tuvok replies that such is only necessary in cultures that emphasise emotions. There are none in Vulcan literature. Janeway says that they have found photonic energy in the transporter system; it’s believed to have happened when they beamed sample from the protostar. It could be in other systems as well. Tuvok thinks that Harry could have been converted into energy. They detect something coming and Janeway wants them beamed out, but B’Elanna can’t get a lock, and their lifesigns vanish.
B’Elanna detected a malfunction in the holodeck matter conversion nodes; there seems to be a defect in the program when Grendel shows up. Tom thinks their patterns might still be there. Someone needs to go back in and study the energy surge. B’Elanna says that everyone they send in could end up the same way. Tom tells her maybe not everyone.
The suggestion is the Doctor; he is a hologram and cannot be converted to energy as he already is. His systems will be modified to get out of sickbay using the projection system in the holodeck, and will be given control to make himself solid or not at will. Janeway suggests the Doctor consider it his first away mission. The Doctor agrees but, afterwards, Kes speaks to him, realising that he is nervous. Because he is doing something he has never done before and isn’t programmed to do. The Doctor has never seen the sky or a forest before, let alone Vikings and monsters. Kes says he wants to be treated like a member of the crew, so here is a chance to do so. And he should probably choose a name before he goes, as that will make him feel more like a Starfleet officer.
Inside the holodeck, Freya accosts the Doctor the same way – and he tells her he knows who she is. Because her fame has spread far and wild. He says he is looking for Grendel, and that his name is Schweitzer. A discussion over fungus results in Freya saying that his people must value him greatly for his many talents.
When taken to see Hrothgar, Unferth is not impressed, again, and launches into the same sort of spiel. However, the Doctor shows that weapons can pass through him, which impresses everyone else. Except Unferth, who still does not trust the Doctor. The Doctor has an unusual experience, being invited to a feast and eating – something he has never done before. And he’s treated like a person, which still isn’t always the case on Voyager. Freya, especially, treats him like a person.