The
U.S.S. Voyager activates an automated message from members of the Kohl settlement,
who, years earlier, survived an environmental catastrophe by submitting
themselves into artificial hibernation. When the crew transports the Kohl's
hibernation pods on board, they find humanoids in deep stasis with suppressed
metabolic activity -- but with active minds and complex sensory systems
controlled by a computer.
In
an effort to help the Kohl people, Torres and Kim equip two pods with
Starfleet technology and submit themselves into stasis. With their mental
and physical activities closely monitored, they enter the environment
created by the computer attached to the Kohl pods. Once there, Torres
and Kim find that the humanoid's dreadful fears about recovery and survival
have caused their computer program to manifest a devious, omnipotent clown
- the idealization of their fear - and a cast of other nightmarish characters.
Then, the clown holds Torres and Kim hostage while making increasingly
unreasonable demands of Janeway.
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