“Resolutions” is episode twenty-five of season two of Star Trek: Voyager.
The episode opens with two pods by themselves on a planet; Captain Janeway in one, Commander Chakotay in the other. An alarm sounds and both wake and leave the pods. The Doctor contacts them; they were in stasis. Yes, he does have news. They were in stasis for 17 days; he wanted to exhaust every possibility of finding a cure. And he has. He hasn’t found a counter agent for the virus. So, he brought them out of stasis on the planet. Something in the environment is shielding them from the effects of the virus. If they leave, they will die. The only other option is the Vidiians. Chakotay and the captain discuss this; they think it is risky and that the Vidiians are more likely to attack and harvest the crew for body parts. Captain Janeway contacts Tuvok. She turns over command of the ship to him, tells him to resume their course to the Alpha Quadrant and not to contact the Vidiians.
B’Elanna, and the others, are not happy about this, that they haven’t found a cure for an insect bite. Kes says the Doctor has tried everything and Neelix warns Tuvok that the crew’s morale will suffer if they leave them behind. When, not if, is Tuvok’s response. Voyager will leave everything they need; the captain intends to continue the research and may be able to find a cure. They will be left a Type 9 shuttle. Which, as Tom points out, would take them 700 years to get home. He’d like Tuvok to feel emotion too.
The supplies are sent down and Janeway plans to try to find a cure. She first needs a specimen of the insect that bit them, and what on the planet keeps them from being sick. She thinks roughing it will be interesting. Chakotay does not think, with the supplies they have, that this is really roughing it. There’s no bathtub, though; that’s roughing it to Janeway.
B’Elanna is having a go at an ensign over a report. The ensign apologises, saying she has been distracted. Afterwards, Harry comes over. B’Elanna says she can’t get anything done because of how the crew are feeling. Harry knows how they feel. He’s been talking to the Starfleet crew; they are not happy. Neither are the Maquis. Harry asks why they don’t do something. If he has any ideas, tell B’Elanna and she will do something. It seems he doesn’t.
The captain is still not finding an insect and Chakotay is building something. A surprise. He won’t tell her what. Tuvok contacts them; Voyager is about to leave communications range. Janeway addresses the whole crew, and wishes them well. Later, it turns out that the surprise was a bathtub. Janeway is thinking of trying another track. She hears something in the woods, which turns out to be a primate. Janeway would like to examine it, if she can; they must suffer from insect bites too. Captain Janeway isn’t making any progress with a cure. Chakotay suggests she quit. Not defeat, but acceptance. The captain isn’t at that point yet.
Six weeks out and Tuvok is saying in his log that the decision is still weighing heavily on the crew. Harry announces that a Vidiian convoy is on their long-range sensors. Tuvok orders the course changed to avoid them. Harry suggests hailing them and asking about the illness. He gets a bit overwrought and has to be relieved.
Two other crew approach Harry in the mess hall. They agree with him; contacting the Vidiians is a risk, but worth it. Others agree. B’Elanna enters as well, and Harry takes them over to speak to her. She said if he had an idea, she would listen. Well, he has one. Neelix joins them too.
That night, Tuvok is in his quarters when Harry arrives at them. He apologises for his behaviour, and says he has a plan, one many people helped develop. They have two big bargaining points with the Vidiians. The first is Dr. Danara Pel, who they saved in “Lifesigns” and who had a relationship with the Doctor. Harry is sure she would help. The second is B’Elanna; her DNA might lead to a cure for the Phage. If they offer a sample of her DNA, the Vidiians might help. Tuvok reminds Harry that they recently destroyed a Vidiian ship, in “Deadlock”, killing 300 of their people. He isn’t willing to risk the crew.
On the planet, Chakotay is working on more things; he is trying to make a home for the two of them. The captain is still trying to find a cure. Chakotay is far more accepting of their situation. There’s also the fact that there are the two of them, by themselves, probably for the rest of their life. This leads to some tensions and feelings. On Voyager, Harry and the others haven’t given up on trying to convince Tuvok to contact the Vidiians.