“Retrospect” is episode seventeen of season four of Star Trek: Voyager.
Voyager fires at something in space, destroying it. On the bridge, an alien, Kovin, explains how well-protected the target buoy was. It’s not wide to travel this region without adequate defences and he’s seen scuttled ships with more firepower than Voyager. By integrating the isokinetic cannon one projectile will penetrate the defences of any heavily armoured vessel. Captain Janeway wants the cannon. She’s prepared to give Kovin unusually accurate astrometric charts covering 12 sectors. Kovin says charts go out of date. The technology that made them would help. The captain explains that it was designed specifically for Voyager; it would not help him. She is prepared to throw in isolinear chips instead. They bargain over the number. Janeway assumes Kovin will supervise the installation. He will – for a modest fee. Some more chips.
With Kovin gone, Tom comments that he’s worse than a Ferengi. Janeway suggests assigning Seven of Nine to help; she has a knack for adapting alien technology. Chakotay asks if Seven be given more access; in the previous episode, “Prey”, she was restricted in her freedom due to her behaviour. The captain says she’s been behaving herself so is allowed some latitude.
Chakotay heads to astrometrics where Seven of Nine is working on decoding the message from Starfleet they received in “Hunters”. Chakotay tells her to set it aside for now. She’d rather not help Kovin; he’s inefficient. Seven also says the captain only gives her greater liberties when she wants her help. Chakotay says that Seven violated the captain’s trust; she has to earn it back. Seven of Nine agrees to help but, in engineering, when Kovin insists she’s doing something wrong and pushes her aside, she floors him.
The Doctor treats Kovin in sickbay. B’Elanna says what she saw and heard happened; Kovin says he barely touched Seven of Nine before she attacked him. Kovin says he could have been killed. The Doctor agrees it’s a miracle he survived. Kovin objects to being questioned when Seven should be disciplined. The captain apologises. She speaks to Seven of Nine in her ready room. Janeway is running out of options; traditional discipline doesn’t seem to work with Seven. Does Seven of Nine herself have any suggestions? Janeway can understand wanting to hit Kovin – she’s felty it herself – but there’s a difference between having an impulse and acting on it.
The Doctor is giving Seven of Nine a check-up; he understands the burden they have dealing with people who don’t meet their high standards. He notices that she’s suffering from heightened tension and asks her to get on the diagnostic bed. Seven of Nine has a flashback when this done, which starts escalating into what looks like a full-blown panic attack. When the Doctor asks what she’s afraid of, she says she doesn’t know. The Doctor briefs the captain, after sedating Seven. He thinks the problem is memory suppression. He’s been educating himself on psychotherapy, given they lack a ship’s counsellor.
The Doctor has created his own approach to memory construction, which he uses on Seven of Nine in her cargo bay. He asks her what she sees. A medical tricorder and a diagnostic bed. She feels restrained, confined. Kovin is restraining her. She says he performed a surgical procedure, extracting Borg technology from her body. Yes, she’s sure it was Kovin and it wasn’t on Voyager.
Further probing leads to the away mission on the surface. She and Tom were testing weapons. The latest Seven said was crude but effective, but it’s accuracy could be increased. She and Kovin went to his lab to do this whilst Tom tested others. In the lab, Kovin shot Seven then performed procedures on her, including activating her assimilation tubules. Borg nanoprobes were harvested and used to assimilate another person.
The Doctor is utterly convinced Seven of Nine has been attacked. Tuvok points out there have been problems with regression in the past. Kovin denies it, naturally enough – he would, guilty or not – and dislikes even being accused. In his culture, accusation is as good as being found guilty. The evidence, apart from Seven of Nine’s restored memories, is inconclusive.
There’s a definite impression that the episode is making a point.