He then deflects one Borgling's question about why Voyager’s shields can’t withstand the nebula’s radiation with a suggestion they play games and tell stories.

The kids want to know why Deck 12 Section 42 is off limits to everyone but the most senior officers. Their peer Naomi Wildman has told them it’s haunted. They press Neelix for info.

Neelix begins his story.

The kids start asking questions about nebular technicalities. Neelix deflects these and continues his story.

Voyager was hit by an ion discharge. Moreover, the starship now had a "stowaway."

(The kids ask whether the intruder was species 5937, dangerous multi-spectrum particle lifeform, but Neelix says no.)

(Do the kids want a snack? "Snacks are irrelevant.")

Unfortunately, Neelix narrates, this left Neelix alone there. Afraid.

The crew also went haywire. Janeway developed an odd habit of talking to Voyager, as if the starship were her buddy.

Neelix, with only a wrist-light to stave off the darkness, was startled by Tuvok, now in a breathing mask. Tuvok said an electromagnetic alien lifeform was on board, wreaking havoc.

Neelix and Tuvok descended through dark Jeffreys Tubes toward Engineering.

(Echeb, the teenaged ex-Borg, notes that fear distracts. Neelix says fear can be useful.)

Eventually, the ship descended into chaos, reminding Neelix of a freighter disaster in Talaxian history, where the crew ended up drawing lots as to who would breathe the remaining air.

When Tuvok and Neelix encountered the orange haze again, Neelix perceived a face in it. They shut the door against it, and Tuvok tried to vent the gas using environmental controls.

Much of the crew was in Engineering by this point. The communications system spouted out gibberish -- possibly the lifeform trying to communicate, Janeway noted with a constructive flourish.

They fiddled with subroutines to make it easier for an alien to communicate this way. The voice summoned Janeway to Astrometrics.

After Janeway and Seven of Nine left to confront the intruder, Tuvok killed time trying to guide Neelix through a meditation session, but the Talaxian’s anxieties were unrelieved.

Astrometrics. Janeway, believing that the shenanigans were an accident, not an invasion, wanted to go back to the nebula to drop of the unwanted passenger. Seven remained unconvinced.

Sadly, though, dangerous vapors were now spreading through the ship -- the lifeform wanted Voyager for itself, and was prepared to kill anyone who remained on board.

Janeway tried to reason with the entity, saying she could it find another Class J nebula to live in if given back helm control. But the discussion was tense.

The entity zapped Tuvok in a corridor. He ordered Neelix to proceed alone, with Tuvok’s mask against the encroaching gas.

Neelix refused, insisting he would bring the Vulcan even if he had to drag him by his "pointy little ears."

Janeway talked to the creature some more. Did it understand it was killing the crew? Yes, it did.

But did it realize it needed this crew to keep the starship going, to operate systems?

"Unable to confirm," the entity said.

The crew abandoned ship, using the shuttles, the ever-popular Delta Flyer and all but one escape pod. Only Janeway and the entity remained aboard.

The entity ran a diagnostic and realized it was true, the ship’s systems would fail in about 6 days unless someone onboard was qualified to handle site operations.

It ordered Janeway to be that lonely professional and relocate to Engineering at once. Janeway refused to work under such dismal conditions. "You’ll have to kill me," she bristled.

The lifeform said "acknowledged" and began flooding the room with gas. But at the last minute, it relented, and restored access to all systems. It took almost 2 days to return the whole crew.

Given a suitable environment, the entity took up residence on an isolated area of Deck 12, where it remains to this day.

Back out of the story-within-a-story frame, the kids discuss this when the lights go on and the ship gives one last shudder. That was probably just the creature leaving for its new home, Neelix says sagely.

But what if it wants revenge? the kids wonder.

What if I told you I made up the whole thing? asks Neelix.

The kids say they knew it was all a put-on. Neelix wishes them pleasant dreams, and leaves.

The Bridge. The officers ask about the kids. Neelix says he told them a story – and not one of those frightening fairy tales he's famous for.

The ship is past the nebula, taking its final readings. Neelix looks at the gas cloud on screen. "Well, I hope it lives happily ever after," he says.