“Innocence” is episode twenty-two of season two of Star Trek: Voyager.
There’s a crashed shuttle – if they aren’t careful, they’re going to run out of those – and Tuvok is attempting to contact Voyager. There’s an injured crewman on the ground and he’s in bad shape. There are inadequate supplies on the shuttle and he dies. Someone is watching Tuvok from the bushes and he turns around with a phaser to find that the watcher is a little girl. He grabs her as she runs and she demands he let her go. Tuvok asks if she will run away if he does and she gives in and says no.
The girl introduces herself as Tressa and comments that Tuvok doesn’t look like them. He thought the moon was uninhabited. They don’t live here; they came in a ship and it, too, crashed. Her parents are dead. There are tow more kids as well, a boy and a girl. Everyone else died in the crash. Tuvok will take care of them until they get home safely. They hug him.
On Voyager, which is in orbit, they have scouting parties out looking for mineral deposits. Captain Janeway is going to meet with the planet’s leader. According to Neelix, no-one has contacted the Drayans in decades. They aren’t hostile, just very private. She and Chakotay are heading to the transporter room, both looking forward to first contact. First Prelate Alcia is transported aboard, along with two others, and greets them with a traditional Drayan blessing. Chakotay has one of his own.
According to Alcia, they don’t often engage in dialogue with others, but their story of crossing the galaxy intrigued her. She is given a tour of the ship, starting with engineering; B’Elanna is currently away surveying the moons. Alcia thinks it’s interesting that the captain chose this to show her first. Do they consider advanced technology to be their highest achievement? Not in itself, no. Alcia says the Drayans used to be brilliant scientists and engineers, to the point where technology became more important than people. They sought to return to themselves and avoided outside influence that might send them back down the wrong path.
The children tell Tuvok that the attendants got them to an escape pod before the crash. They want to go, but Tuvok has to repair the shuttle first. He also needs to find a way to safely navigate the turbulence in the atmosphere that caused his shuttle, and he presumes their ship as well, to crash. They must be patient. The children say they can’t be there at night, because that’s when the Morrok comes. It lives in the nearby cave. Tuvok cannot detect any other lifeforms. You only see the Morrok when it comes for you; it took the other children from the ship already.
The tour has now reached sickbay and the Doctor says they don’t often receive distinguished guests, unless there has been some sort of accident. At a look from the captain, he makes having an accident sound less probable. During this, Harry contacts them; there is a message for the First Prelate. She takes it in the Doctor’s office, as he explains Kes has been coaching him with his diplomatic skills, and then comes out. Something has arisen; she has to go. It’s better if they continued on their journey. The captain was hoping to trade for some polyferanide, which they were also looking for in “Tattoo” but the First Prelate wants them to go. Could Tuvok’s crash be related to the emergency?
Tuvok is asking the children about those missing. He can’t detect them. They are scared, so Tuvok gives them instructions on Vulcan techniques for controlling emotional responses. Vulcans strive to control their feelings so they can approach every situation logically. He expects them to sit quietly and not touch any equipment as he repairs the shuttle. This was a poor expectation. Tuvok shows what certainly look like signs of irritation with the children. So much for controlling emotional response. More Vulcan techniques are taught. When a Drayan ship arrives, the children say they need to hide. Because the Drayans sent them to the moon to die.
Tuvok has to deal with the children – although it should be remembered he has raised several of his own. Vulcan children, admittedly. Why are the children so worried? Were they really sent to the moon to die. Captain Janeway is also looking for Tuvok, and it seems they are not welcome to visit the moon he went to. Unfortunately, transporters are proving to be ineffective.