“Warhead” is episode twenty-five of season five of Star Trek: Voyager.
Tom is with Neelix in the mess hall, trying to bargain for replicator rations. Neelix isn’t convinced. It’s a life-or-death situation; it’s the first year anniversary of Tom’s first date with B’Elanna. Neelix is now convinced. Harry stops in for coffee on the way to the bridge. He’s serving the eight-hour night shift for the fourth night in a row. Tom tells Harry that he loves playing captain. Harry isn’t playing; it’s a chance to get command experience. Tom should try it himself.
On the bridge, Harry asks the ensign at the helm for the status. The same as it was 20 minutes ago. She asks for permission to speak freely. It’s the nightshift; Harry should relax. Harry talks about the burden of command. Then they receive an automated distress call; following it up will require a course change. The burden of command is on Harry’s shoulders, the ensign reminds him. Or he could wait for Commander Chakotay. Harry isn’t going to and orders the course change. In orbit, they open a channel and get no response, nor are they detecting lifesigns. Harry says there could be a number of reasons for that. They need to take a look in person. He will go and inform Chakotay. The bridge is the ensign’s.
Harry tells Chakotay he hopes he made the right decision. Which, changing course or waking the commander up? Relax; they were both right. Chakotay says Harry should lead the away team; Chakotay will monitor from the bridge. Harry collects the Doctor, who thought Chakotay or Tuvok would be in charge. After five years, Harry thinks he can handle an away mission. The Doctor remarks that his own presence will more than compensate for any lack of experience on Harry’s part.
Beaming down, the Doctor finds something embedded in a rock. The source of the distress call. It has bioneural circuitry. The device activates and the Doctor says it’s speaking in duotronic algorithms. He can translate. The device is injured and seeks help. It’s asking why it can’t see or feel its arms or legs. It’s terrified. The device is damaged and the Doctor wants to beam it aboard. Captain Janeway and Tom arrive on the bridge as Harry checks in. On beaming it aboard, Harry is asked what he thinks. Beam it to an engineering bay that’s sealed off by a containment field.
In engineering, B’Elanna thinks it might be a probe or communications device. The Doctor says the device claimed it was travelling with a companion. The captain heads to astrometrics to check for that companion. The Doctor talks to the device and explains that it isn’t an organic being, but technological. He believes the device’s damage caused the confusion.
Seven of Nine can detect no more technology on the planet’s surface. The captain suggests it’s destroyed and to scan for debris. Seven finds minute traces, located around an impact crater. An impact 200km in diameter, which is rather on the large side for something falling out of space, unless it was going really fast. Janeway detects heavy traces of radiogenic decay in the crater walls, resulting from a highly focused explosion. Seven believes they have discovered the device’s function.
In the conference room, Janeway asks for suggestions. Dump it back on the surface or beam it off and destroy it. The Doctor doesn’t want to; it’s a sentient being. B’Elanna suggests separating the intelligence from the device. Harry asks where they would store it. In a holographic matrix, like his own, is the Doctor’s suggestion. The captain tells Harry and B’Elanna to work with the Doctor but they need to be prepared to beam the warhead away. So, they decide to play around with an intelligent missile. Because last time that went so well.
The device is taken to sickbay, the Doctor explaining along the way what they are going to do. In sickbay, B’Elanna starts working. The device wants to know what she’s doing as she’s doing it. B’Elanna can’t and delegates Harry. However, the device says it can’t allow them to shut him down and arms. Transporter lock has been lost and an EM pulse is sent through the device. Which seems to work. Then the Doctor accuses them of lying; they were trying to shut him down. The device has taken over the Doctor as well as some of the ship’s systems.
The device, now using the Doctor, says it has to complete its mission. Its people are facing a terrible threat from a hostile species. It will reach its target and Voyager will take it, or it will detonate. The device is incredibly single-minded; perhaps demonstrating some of the problems with making truly smart bombs.