Nothing Human

Doctor:  

... and, since I was the only crewmember who could survive the corrosive atmosphere, it was up to me to retrieve the data module and save the day. Ah, here I am. Mission accomplished.

Janeway:  

Ah.

Doctor:  

Then of course, there was the perilous mission to Lavotie V. You remember that one, don't you Mr Paris?

Paris:  

How could I forget?

Doctor:  

Here you are, after your unfortunate slip into the foetid mud pits of Palomar.

Paris:  

Hey, I was pushed.

Doctor:  

Of course you were.

Janeway:  

Thank you, Doctor. We've all enjoyed your holoimages enormously.

Doctor:  

Oh, but I haven't finished yet!

Torres:  

There's more?

Doctor:  

The best is yet to come, Lieutenant. I've created a fascinating twelve part holographic essay which I call 'Under the Skin: Humanoid Anatomy as Art'. Let's begin with this stunning magnification of the Vulcan reproductive gland. Note the composition. The subtle variations in colour...

Moset:  

What do we know so far?

Doctor:  

The lifeform has taken control of her body at the autonomic level, drawing proteins from her tissues, white blood cells from her arteries.

Moset:  

Which can be interpreted in several ways.

Doctor:  

A form of attack.

Moset:  

I find it odd that a species would evolve an attack mechanism that would leave it so vulnerable. Why not do its damage and retreat?

Doctor:  

A parasite, perhaps?

Moset:  

Yes, I think so. But not any ordinary variety. It's unlikely it could sustain itself like this over the long term.

Doctor:  

Its own systems are damaged. It's doing this as a stopgap measure, to keep itself alive.

Moset:  

So the patient's heart, lungs, kidneys, they're all augmenting the alien's damaged systems.

Doctor:  

It's using B'Elanna as a life preserver.

Moset:  

But, if it needs her to survive, it's not about to let go without a fight.

Doctor:  

I'd like to think that's a fight you and I can win.

Moset:  

We do work well together. I just wish we had access to my laboratory. It has all the instrumentation we would need. Well, we'll just have to improvise.

Doctor:  

Not necessarily. We may be able to create a reasonable facsimile of your laboratory in our holodeck. Providing of course you can give an accurate description.

Moset:  

Oh, down to the smallest detail. It's more of a home to me than... than my home.

The Doctor and Crell Moset leave B'Elanna's biobed and walk into the Doctor's office. She regains consciousness to find Tom Paris at her bedside.

Torres:  

Tom.

Paris:  

Hey there.

Torres:  

I can't move.

Paris:  

I know. But don't worry, we'll get this thing off you. And just think. I could force you to listen to rock and roll all day and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

Torres:  

Who's that?

Paris:  

Relax. He's just a hologram. A specialist in exobiology. The Doc thinks he might be able to help you.

Torres:  

Can't he find somebody else?

Paris:  

Apparently this guy's the best. Besides, he's just a walking database.

Torres:  

Hologram or not, he's Cardassian. As far as I'm concerned they're all cold blooded killers.

Paris:  

I understand how you feel. Unfortunately, that cold blooded killer may be the only one who can save your life.

Kim:  

Try again.

Tabor:  

No luck.

Paris:  

Would it be easier if we reduced the hologram's memory load?

Kim:  

Maybe, but I don't want to do that unless we absolutely have to.

Torres:  

What's going on?

Doctor:  

My consultant's gone offline.

Torres:  

The Cardassian? You can leave him off.

Doctor:  

I'm surprised by your attitude, Lieutenant. I never took you for someone who would make generalisations based on race.

Torres:  

When it comes to Cardassians, I'm guilty as charged.

Doctor:  

I understand your experience with them was unpleasant. But if you give Crell a chance, I think you'll find that he's a friendly, compassionate man. Not to mention a genius who's trying to save your life.

Torres:  

I'll skip the introductions, if it's all the same to you.

Doctor:  

Suit yourself. But you should know I plan on asking the Captain to keep him on as a permanent consultant.

Torres:  

I'm not the only one who's going to have a problem with that.

Doctor:  

Well you'll just have to get used to it. Who knows? You may even grow to like him.

Torres:  

Don't hold your breath.

Doctor:  

How's it coming?

Kim:  

We're close.

Tabor:  

Actually, I think that should do it.

Kim:  

Good. Computer. Reactivate medical consultant program beta-one.

Moset:  

Hello again.

Tabor:  

My god.

Paris:  

What's wrong?

Tabor:  

That's Crell Moset.

Moset:  

Yes. Do I know you?

Tabor:  

He killed my brother. My grandfather. Hundreds of people. He's a mass murderer.

Doctor:  

You must be mistaken.

Tabor:  

It's no mistake. Moset performed experiments on living people. Thousands of Bajorans were killed in his so-called hospital.

Doctor:  

Is this true?

Moset:  

No. No. He's... there must be some misunderstanding.

Tabor:  

Liar.

Paris:  

Whoa... take it easy, Tabor! Whoa. He's just a hologram!

Moset:  

I'm upsetting him. I should go.

Doctor:  

I'm sorry about this. Computer. Transfer medical consultant program to Holodeck 2.

Tabor:  

I can still remember the sounds his instruments made. The screams of his patients. The smell. Chemicals and dead flesh. He operated on my grandfather. Exposed his internal organs to nadion radiation. It took six days for him to die. I promised myself I would never forget.

Doctor:  

You were very young. Is it possible your memory of these events is inaccurate?

Tabor:  

My memory's just fine. He blinded people so he could study how they adapted. Exposed them to polytrinic acid just to see how long it would take for their skin to heal.

Doctor:  

Ensign, the man you're accusing cured the fostossa virus. He stopped an epidemic that killed thousands of Bajorans.

Tabor:  

By infecting hundreds of people. So that he could experiment with different treatments. Old helpless people, like my grandfather. Because he considered their lives worthless.

Doctor:  

How do you know this?

Tabor:  

Everybody knew.

Chakotay:  

I remember some of the Maquis under my command talking about an infamous Cardassian doctor.

Doctor:  

Could these simply have been rumours? Spread by Bajorans who hated the Cardassians? Tabor I was there.

Doctor:  

I don't understand why this isn't in our database.

Chakotay:  

The Cardassians didn't exactly publicise their wartime medical practices. I wouldn't be surprised if the real Moset went on to live a normal life.

Doctor:  

He's the chairman of exobiology at the University of Culat.

Tabor:  

We may not be able to do anything about the real Moset, Commander. But the program should be destroyed. Every trace of that man's research should be deleted from the database.