Stardate: 48921.3 Voyager is trapped by an encounter with space-born life forms, whose presence leads to strange effects on Kes. One effect is to push Kes into early Elogium, or the one period of time in their lives when Ocampans can give birth.

While Neelix considers the possibilities of fatherhood, Voyager must deal with a larger member of the life forms, which views the ship as competition for its mates.