, meanwhile, take it upon themselves to investigate the now-parked shuttle. They find isotopes that enable them to construct a hazy image of an intruder -- a tentacular squid-like creature. Could it be one of the reclusive Benef? However, they still need the cloaking frequency in order to track down the creature.
Damaged Vulcan seeks comfort
In sick bay, Tuvok has regained motor skills but still doesn't talk or seem to recognize anyone. Colleagues fear he's brain-damaged.
Neelix takes the Vulcan on a tour of the ship. On the bridge, Tuvok fiddles dangerously with the weapons controls, activating the photon torpedo banks. Neelix hurries Tuvok back to the Vulcan's quarters.
In the astrometrics room, Seven and Naroq modify the shields to enable Voyager to detect Benef ships. Sure enough, Voyager is surrounded by a fleet of them, which immediately open fire on the Federation vessel, then scramble away. Smelling blood, Janeway orders pursuit of the lead vessel.
In Tuvok's quarters, the damaged Vulcan cowers during the firefight, then Tuvok finally speaks. He recognizes Neelix, and feels reassured by him.
Later, Janeway and others gently interrogate Tuvok about the cloaking frequency, but he can't remember. When Naroq's questioning grows too insistent, Janeway sends him out of the room.
It soon emerges that Tuvok has grown emotionally dependent on Neelix, and is no longer logical. As proof of this, he is no good at kal-tow, the Vulcan game where you try to convert a jumble of sticks into a perfect sphere. Looking through his own personnel file, Tuvok despairs at his lost capabilities. He angrily shoves Neelix away.
Thematic complexity revealed
Neelix converses with Seven. They both face "riddles" -- she is unsure how to find the Belef, while he wonders how to help Tuvok. Seven notes that her own post-Borg transformation involved finding new capabilities, not recovering old ones.
Neelix talks to Tuvok, who confirms he no longer wants to play kal-tow or work on logic problems. He wants to have fun. He laughs, quite unlike the old Tuvok.
They go to the mess hall. Tuvok makes a tera-nut souffle and other pastries, which are delicious. And more. It turns out he has baked a pistachio cake with frosted waves on top -- and those waves depict the shadow people's cloaking frequency! Bewildered by his own skill at crypto-pasterie, Tuvok says this is what he saw during the attack.
Now armed with the cloaking frequency, the Voyager crew narrows the search for the Belef. Soon they have found (and illuminated) a large armed outpost and accompanying fleet.
The Belef fire on Voyager, but stop when Janeway threatens to transmit their cloaking frequency to the Belef's Keset neighbors. The Belef (negotiating through an audio-only channel) initially refuse to provide technology that will return Tuvok to normal, but they relent once the Keset inspector Naroq agrees to relinquish an anti-cloaking device feared by the Belef.
All's well that ends
Neelix enters a room where Tuvok is listening to jazz.
"It really swings," says Tuvok. Neelix says it's time for Tuvok's sickbay appointment -- but Tuvok doesn't want to go. He doesn't want to become his old joyless self.
But Neelix, with some sadness, convinces him the ship needs the old Tuvok -- even though it will mean losing Tuvok's expressions of friendship. Tuvok goes to sick bay.
Later, the medical procedure done, Tuvok is seated in the mess hall. Neelix approaches and asks the Vulcan if he wants to prepare dessert for an upcoming dinner. Tuvok says he has better things to do.
But then Tuvok says "Sundays" -- it's an answer to Neelix's initial riddle, about what the ensign with the calendar could have eaten. Neelix says that's "clever, but it's not very logical, is it?" Tuvok, looking a bit discomfited, agrees that it is not.
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