Thanks to the success of The Doctor's previous mission, the U.S.S. Voyager has at last made contact with Starfleet Command by using a far-flung array of alien relay modules to communicate with Earth and let them know that they are, indeed, alive - although many light years away. When Voyager returns to the comm array to retrieve their messages, they are attacked by the Hirogen.

Tiny Ron (Alpha-Hirogen)
Roger Morrissey (Beta-Hirogen)

• This is the first episode of 5-episode arc featuring the Hirogen.
  
• The relay modules are powered by artificial quantum singularities (black holes).
  
• The array is knocked out of commission when one of the relay modules is destroyed.
  
• Janeway receives a letter from her fiancé Mark Johnson; he has moved on and gotten married.
  
• Chakotay receives a letter telling him that the Maquis were wiped out by the Cardassians and the Dominion.
  
• There was an encrypted message from Starfleet Command, but they were unable to fully retrieve it before the array went offline.