“The Fight” is episode nineteen of season five of Star Trek: Voyager.
Chakotay is in sickbay, begging for them to stop. Seven of Nine says his neural pathways are continuing to fluctuate as the ship shakes. The Doctor says that if they sedate him, they will lose any chance of contacting the aliens. Chakotay says he can’t understand, they won’t stop talking. Captain Janeway contacts sickbay and the Doctor says their ambassador is still delusional. B’Elanna tells the captain that gravitational sheer is buckling the hull; if they don’t find their way out of chaotic space, they are going to die.
Chakotay wants to sleep but the Doctor tells him that could sever his link with the aliens. They may know a way out. Chakotay doesn’t understand what they are saying. The Doctor will help; the aliens are reconfiguring his neural pathways to communicate. Remember the day Chakotay was injured in the holodeck. A boxing sim; he was knocked out and came to sickbay. Chakotay remembers; Boothby was there, he used to train Chakotay as a cadet. It was round three and the fight was going badly. Chakotay was avoiding his opponent.
In the holodeck, Boothby has issues with Chakotay’s fighting method. Boxing is about the ability to take shops, not dishing them. Let the opponent punch himself out. This is about heart. Chakotay continues, then the world ripples behind his opponent and he is knocked out.
In sickbay, the Doctor suggests a needle and thread for added authenticity. The Doctor is not a fan of boxing. Chakotay says he saw something strange. The Doctor is not surprised. No, before Chakotay was hit. The Doctor suggests a hallucination from a previous blow. No; the opponent never hit Chakotay. The Doctor says the ganglia in Chakotay’s visual cortex are hyperactive. He assumes the other boxer was not firing on Chakotay with an energy weapon. The ship shakes and the captain summons Chakotay to the bridge.
Voyager has encountered something. About 2 lightyears across, putting out enough energy for a dozen stars. It doesn’t match anything in their database and it keeps moving. Tom starts to back Voyager away, but the phenomenon engulfs the ship. Seven of Nine contacts the captain and asks her to report to astrometrics.
In astrometrics, Seven explains to the captain, Chakotay and Tuvok that the Borg have been aware of this phenomenon for many years. A zone where the laws of physics are in a state of flux. They call it chaotic space. It’s been encountered throughout the galaxy. Tuvok asks why no Federation ship has encountered it. Seven suggests that perhaps some have. They may simply not have survived the experience; only one Borg cube has survived the experience. There are shear forces against the hull; shields will protect them but only for so long.
Chakotay is in his quarters when he starts hearing a boxing ring and the computer stating round one. He sees his boxing gloves and goes to pick them up when Tuvok contacts him. As Chakotay heads to the bridge, the gloves have gone. On the bridge, they aren’t getting anywhere. Tom wants to do something. Chakotay starts hearing things, and sees the gloves again. No-one else does. Chakotay starts punching until Tuvok gives him a neck pinch.
In sickbay, the Doctor explains to the captain that the problem is deeper, as Chakotay’s auditory nerves and vision check out. The family curse, a genetic marker for a cognitive disorder, sensory tremens. Chakotay’s family doctor supressed the gene. It drove Chakotay’s grandfather crazy. The gene has switched on again. Chakotay explains how his grandfather refused treatment.
Sensors are now working to a degree and Voyager starts moving. They detect a warp capable ship adrift and damaged. The final distress call of the ship sounds strange; the captain and an engineer suffered symptoms very similar to Chakotay. The Doctor doesn’t think that’s a coincidence, and wants to autopsy the alien ship’s captain. Janeway wants the superior sensors stripped out.
The other ship’s captain experienced something similar to Chakotay, but with a different cause. Chakotay wants to perform a vision quest. All this is because the aliens are trying to communicate. Chakotay is resisting their efforts to a degree, because he doesn’t want to end up like his grandfather, but Voyager needs him to communicate. Most of the episode is spent building up to the events of the beginning.