Trapped in a huge Negative Space Wedgie, Voyager, faced with dwindling supplies and attacks from raiders, makes the best of a bad situation by forming an alliance with other well-meaning ships. Along the way they become acquainted with an indigenous species, who are highly intelligent but only communicate with the musical tones provided them by Voyager's PADDs.
This episode provides examples of
- Above the Influence: Janeway doesn't believe in compromising Starfleet's ideals even in the face of rapidly diminishing resources and hardened raiders, and forms an alliance of like-minded ships.
- Alien Blood: Famtome's people have yellow blood.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Why Fantome and his people help Voyager.
- Berserk Button: The Doctor's is hit pretty hard when one of the prospective alliance members insults Fantome; see Fantastic Racism.
- Can't Take Criticism: Seven, to the point where Tom asking for more salt is viewed as an affront to her cooking skills.
- Circling Vultures: Referenced when several ships have their eyes on Voyager as her fuel is being depleted.Tom: The vultures are circling.
Janeway: Vultures eat the dead, Mr. Paris. We're not dead yet. - Continuity Nod:
- Remember the Vaadwaur? They're back.
- The Hierarchy aliens are still coming up with new surveillance techniques. Becomes a Chekhov's Gun when they catch a meeting between General Valen and Commander Bosaal in which they plan to attack Voyager.
- Deadpan Snarker: Seven of Nine has prepared dinner with meticulous attention to wine and seasoning, and if Tom is going to ruin good quail by salting it Seven will be happy to replicate him something more suited to his palate - a PBJ sandwich.
- Enemy Mine
- Fantastic Racism: Probably most of the species that Voyager encounters do not think highly of the Void species, calling them parasites and relentless scavengers. This comes back to bite them in the ass when later on Voyager beams them on board their ships to shut them down as they and some companion ships try to make their way out of the Void.
- Faux Affably Evil: General Valen seems friendly enough until he discovers you have what he wants. He's one of the most embittered, hardened survivors of the Void, having been inside for five years.
- Get Out!: When Janeway learns that one of the alliance killed another ship and took its technology for Voyager to use — the very same captain who exhibited Fantastic Racism towards Fantome — she loses it and says this.
- Gunship Rescue: Garon shows up and helps Voyager and the Hierarchy aliens fight off Valen, and then announces that he's joining The Alliance.
- Hard-Work Montage: Before the final battle and escape attempt.
- Honor Before Reason: Why Janeway sticks to the principles of The Federation, rather than becoming like General Valen. Fortunately, Rousseau Was Right.
- Hope Spot: Voyager almost got out on their own once - but their failure meant they got to meet the Void species and upgrade their systems to meet their new, desperate needs.
- Living MacGuffin: The Void species is Voyager and the alliance's key to getting out of the Void by debilitating the attacking ships.
- Recycled Premise:
- Star Trek: The Animated Series: "The Time Trap"
- Star Trek: Elite Force does this in reverse with the premise of the game remarkably similar but not related to this episode.
- Reverse the Polarity: The first thing Voyager tries to avoid being pulled into the Void. Doesn't work.
- Salvage Pirates: As soon as Voyager is pulled into the Negative Space Wedgie, they're attacked by Space Pirates.
- Shrinking Violet: Fantome. The Doctor is the only person on Voyager he trusts.
- Supreme Chef: Seven, to everyone's appreciation.
- Tastes Like Chicken: Said by Tom Paris of something Neelix whipped up for an impromptu romantic dinner for Tom and B'Elanna while they were trapped in the Void.
- Tastes Like Friendship: How Janeway entices others to join the alliance. It works surprisingly well, as Captain Garon comments. It also works the other way, as one alliance member helps triple Voyager's replicator efficiency.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Sandwich: So much for that meal Seven cooked.
- And again with the replacement meal that Neelix made later.
- Title Drop: Courtesy of General Valen."Welcome to the Void."
- Vehicular Sabotage: Voyager beams the Void species humanoids on board the pursuing vessels to shut them down while they and some companion ships make their attempt to escape the Void.
- The Voiceless: The Void aliens are unable to speak, but they still seem to be able to understand spoken language and are highly intelligent to boot. To communicate with them, Doctor teaches Fantome to associate different tones with different things, and it's not long until he and the rest of the Void aliens are happily chatting away via PADDs making constant beeping noises.
- Void Between the Worlds: The appropriately named Void, which is a small (in cosmic terms) pocket of nothing save what gets sucked inside. This is why everyone is driven to become Space Pirates eventually, as there simply is no other way to gain resources in such a place.
- We Can Rule Together: Valen offers to team up with Voyager so that they can take on everyone else in the Void. Janeway tells him to shove it.
