26. Hope and Fear

Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) continues to struggle in deciphering an encrypted Starfleet message that they previously obtained through the Hirogen relay system (" Hunters "). Neelix (Ethan Phillips) returns to Voyager with a guest, Arturis (Ray Wise), who helped him obtain supplies. Arturis learns of the encoded message and helps decrypt it. The message is from Starfleet Command, with a nearby set of coordinates where their means of getting back home can be found. Though the rest of the crew is elated at this news, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) remains cautious, given that the Borg have never been able to assimilate Arturis' species. Voyager arrives at the provided coordinates to find an unmanned Starfleet vessel, the Dauntless, of unknown design. Aboard, they find the ship uses quantum slipstream technology, which will allow them to reach the Alpha Quadrant within a few months.

Janeway begins to share Seven's suspicions and warns the crew to stay alert, but remains optimistic. The new engine system is compatible with Voyager, but the ship cannot stand the stresses of the slipstream for long. The crew would have to abandon the ship to use the Dauntless to travel home. Janeway reviews the decoded message and discovers it to be fake. She transports to the Dauntless to confront Arturis. He activates a panel on the ship, igniting the engines. All but Janeway and Seven are transported out before the ship enters the slipstream.

Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) orders Voyager to pursue the Dauntless into the slipstream, aware that the system has not been fully tested yet. The Dauntless is revealed to be Arturis' own ship, masked as a Starfleet vessel. He explains that his homeworld was recently assimilated by the Borg, an event that might not have happened if the Borg were still at war with Species 8472. He directly blames Janeway and her crew for interfering in that war (" Scorpion ") and vows to bring Voyager ' s crew to the Borg for assimilation.

Suddenly Voyager appears and targets the shields on Arturis' ship, allowing them to transport Janeway and Seven off the ship. Voyager breaks off pursuit and alters slipstream trajectory away from Borg space, while Arturis finds himself deep among an array of Borg cubes and quietly accepts his fate. Though the slipstream technology is deemed unusable for the immediate future, Voyager ' s brief use of it has shaved 300 light years off their journey home.