- Captain Janeway: [on Tuvok's refusal to continue his unfinished holo-novel] I'm more than just a captain. I'm the leader of a community, and communities need entertainment, culture, creative outlets. Since we're not exactly privy to every new piece of music or holo-novel that's written back home, I think it's only natural that we should start creating our own.
- Commander Chakotay: Besides, Tuvok, if the crew doesn't get an ending, you may have a real mutiny on your hands.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: [on Seska] You should never have crossed her, Tuvok.
- Lieutenant Tuvok: *She* has been dead for over a year now. There would have been no way to predict this turn of events.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: I guess we should've known Seska wouldn't let a little thing like death stop her from getting even.
- Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres: There is room in every good story for a little bit of passion.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: You know, maybe you're on to something. I could add a steamy love scene between the Starfleet conn officer and the Maquis engineer.
- Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres: Oh, that's realistic.
- "Ensign" Tom Paris: It's been over an hour already, I'm getting bored.
- Tuvok: I am not concerned with your amusement, Ensign. We are in a crisis situation and we will follow procedure, and procedure dictates that we wait for the right opportunity to attempt an escape, whether it takes an hour or a week.
- "Ensign" Tom Paris: A week? Who wrote this stuff?
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: [after being tortured by the holographic holo-Doctor] Oh, just great. Maybe we can go to the mess hall now and let the holographic Neelix burn my arm with a frying pan.
- [Paris enters the holodeck while Torres is running the holo-novel]
- Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres: Are you in the habit of just walking in on people's private holodeck time?
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Well, it's not as if I caught you dancing the rumba with a naked Bolian.
- [last lines]
- Neelix: I've got a great idea for a holo-novel about a daring trader who becomes a cook on a starship. Eventually he rises to...
- Lieutenant Tuvok: Mr. Neelix, if Mr. Paris and I do create another work of holo-fiction, I assure you, we will choose a subject much less close to home.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: [on the mysterious author of the holo-novel] Remember the good old days when it was impossible to keep a secret on a ship this small?
- Captain Janeway: Good. Then it's settled. I for one can't wait to see if Captain Janeway manages to outwit the conspirators.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: So, Tuvok - anything in the Dictates of Poetics... about how to escape from a ship full of insane holograms?
- Neelix: I would never presume to interfere in the creative process. It's more of a comment, really. About the Neelix character...
- Lieutenant Tuvok: How surprising.
- Neelix: He would never betray the Captain the way he does in that story. Er, no offense, Mr. Vulcan, but I don't think you understand my character very well.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Tuvok, did you forget to follow the Dictates of Poetics?
- Lieutenant Tuvok: Need I remind you that it was I who first began the scenario?
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: And you think I'm compromising your creative vision?
- Lieutenant Tuvok: In so many words, yes.
- Ensign Harry Kim: So, what's this Ayala tells me about a new holo-novel?
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: [laughs embarrassed] Get in line, Harry.
- [Paris and Tuvok are working on a continuation for the holo-novel]
- Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres: Now, up until now, the story's been nothing but action - which is fine - but what it needs is a little heart, a little emotion.
- Lieutenant Tuvok: We are not writing a romance novel, Lieutenant.
- Commander Chakotay: I don't care what kind of story it is, as long as I'm not the bad guy this time.
- Chakotay: Take a good look around you. You're under armed guard. You may also notice that your senior officers aren't here. They're in the brig. They'll be put off the ship at the first habitable planet we come to - all except Janeway and Paris, who will arrive at their rendezvous co-ordinates to find that Voyager's not there. In short, I've taken control of the ship. I don't blame any of you for the mistakes of your leaders, so I'm giving you a choice: you can be put off the ship with your superiors or... you can do what Neelix and some of your other crew members have already done, and join me. If you do, you'll be part of a crew that's going to do whatever it takes to get us home as fast as possible. Under my command, we won't let almighty Federation principles get in the way of opportunities - the way Janeway did when she destroyed the array that could have gotten us home. And we won't be wasting precious time stopping to investigate every insignificant anomaly that we come across. What we will do... is use any means necessary to acquire technology that can shorten our journey. To hell with Starfleet regulations!
- [Tuvok explains that he thought he had deleted the holo-scenario permanently]
- Captain Janeway: Apparently you didn't account for B'Elanna's exceptional computer skills.
- Lieutenant Tuvok: Nor her somewhat excessive curiosity.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Computer, resume program.
- Voyager Computer: The holographic simulation has ended.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Well, start it up again, right where it left off.
- Voyager Computer: Unable to comply.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Why not?
- Voyager Computer: Additional narrative parameters have not been programmed.
- Lieutenant Tom Paris: Are you saying there's no more story?
- Voyager Computer: Affirmative.