“The Omega Directive” is episode twenty-one of season four of Star Trek: Voyager.
Seven of Nine is in her cargo bay, finishing her regeneration cycle. She narrates her daily log as to her tasks. She has also allowed time for Harry’s usual conversational digressions. She also has a book to read recommended by the Doctor for its educational value. A Christmas Carol.
Harry is playing kal-toh with Tuvok in the mess hall when Seven arrives. He wants a few more minutes to figure it out. Tuvok will accept his forfeit. This is apparently the closest Harry’s come to beating Tuvok. Seven solves it. Yes, Harry is ready now. Harry asks if there’s anything Seven doesn’t know. She was Borg. That’s what she always says; what does she mean by it? Harry also says that Seven of Nine is probably the most intelligent human being alive. What does she need the rest for? Don’t answer that. Then the ship shudders.
On the bridge, Tom tells Chakotay they’ve dropped out of warp. They’ve hit some kind of shockwave. Before he can find the source, Tom loses his sensor readings and the computer displays an omega character. Tom can’t access the message. Nor can Chakotay; his command codes say he has insufficient clearance. Captain Janeway enters the bridge and tells them not to do anything; she’ll take care of it. Transfer the sensor data to her ready room, disengage engines and remain here. She can’t explain any more and they are not to discuss this with the crew. Further instructions will follow soon. In her ready room, the captain accesses a secure data file. The omega phenomenon has been detected 1.2 light years away. Implement the Omega Directive. All other priorities are rescinded.
Chakotay briefs Seven of Nine, Tom and B’Elanna (who disappears after this having gone into labour during the episode) on what they need to do for a highly classified mission. Seven of Nine wants more data; B’Elanna asks about the secret message. The name ‘Omega Directive’ appears to spark something for Seven. Chakotay tells her the captain wants to see her. Seven thought she might.
Seven of Nine heads to the captain’s ready room. When Janeway asks what she knows of the Omega Directive, Seven replies everything the captain knows most likely. Janeway thought she might; the Borg have assimilated Starfleet captains. Seven of Nine asks if the captain intends to carry out the directive. She does. Seven of Nine can help. Seven doesn’t want to help destroy the omega molecule. The Borg believe it can be harnessed. They created one and kept it stable. For an extremely small fraction of a second. They lacked what was needed to create more to test their refined theories. The captain believes the entire quadrant is at risk. Seven thinks Starfleet’s orders come from ignorance and fear. She can alleviate the ignorance. Janeway asks how many Borg vessels were sacrificed. 29, and 600,000 drones, but that’s irrelevant. The captain doesn’t consider it irrelevant. Seven decides she will assist, for a chance to observe the molecule at first hand. To the Borg, it represents perfection.
There are a lot of omega molecules detected and Seven of Nine considers the captain’s plan to use a single shuttle insufficient. They need the whole ship and crew. Janeway tells Chakotay that she and Seven of Nine will be leaving on a shuttle. One of two things will happen. Either they will succeed and return in a few days. Or the long-range sensors will detect a large explosion in subspace and Voyager will have less than 10 seconds to jump to warp. Chakotay, however, tells her the current situation is not one Starfleet planned for and convinces her to bring in the senior staff.
The captain does. She explains that, in the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet Command would send in a specialised team. This is a threat to the entire galaxy and only starship captains and Federation flag officers are briefed on it. The omega molecule is the most powerful substance known to exist. A single molecule possesses the energy of a warp core. It was first synthesised over 100 years ago. It destabilised and 126 people died. A secondary effect was subspace ruptures across several light years. Tom knows of the area; you can’t create a warp field there. He was told it was natural. It isn’t. The omega molecule destroys subspace and stops warp travel. Starfleet supressed all knowledge and destroying the molecule is paramount, else risk losing the ability to go to warp forever. Which would be bad.
Captain Janeway compares the omega molecule to the Genesis Device of Carol Marcus in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Seven of Nine would still prefer not to destroy it. When they get to the location of the omega molecule, there are still some aliens alive. One, when asked what happened, said there was an accident. The explosion devastated the facility, trashed a significant portion of a moon’s surface and caused a shockwave felt over a light year away. ‘Accident’ seems like a bit of an understatement.