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"Had I been given the choice, I might not have chosen to explore the Delta Quadrant. However, since we are here, I must say the challenges are intriguing."
– Vorik, 2373 ("Fair Trade")

Vorik was a male Vulcan engineer in the 24th century Starfleet. He served aboard the USS Voyager while it was lost in the Delta Quadrant in the 2370s.

Early life[]

When Vorik was young, he spent several summers exploring the Osana caverns on Vulcan, which included some particularly advanced rock climbing. Like most Vulcans, as a child, Vorik had a young Vulcan girl chosen to be his future wife when the two came of age. (VOY: "Blood Fever")

Life on Voyager[]

In 2373, he assisted B'Elanna Torres with maintenance on the plasma injectors during the ship's visit to the Nekrit Expanse. He also adjusted the control interface on Neelix's food replicators and was present in engineering when Neelix came down to steal some warp plasma. (VOY: "Fair Trade")

Later that year, Vorik surprised Torres by reserving a table for two at Neelix's luau with a view of the lakeside. Torres had mentioned in a conversation five days previously that she enjoyed the view. Later, he worked with Torres and Harry Kim troubleshooting the ship's mysterious engine problems. (VOY: "Alter Ego")

Vorik was not included in the first draft script of "Alter Ego".
Vorik in plak tow

Ensign Vorik in plak tow

Vorik experienced his first pon farr on stardate 50537. Believing his intended bride would have declared him lost and lacking another Vulcan mate, he declared koon-ut-so'lik, the desire to become one's mate, with Torres. She declined, but after a brief physical contact was made between them, Vorik accidentally initiated the Vulcan telepathic mating bond, which caused Torres to suffer the same neurochemical imbalance that Vulcans undergo. While Torres was on an away mission, he tried to use meditative techniques to purge himself, preferring to handle it privately. The Doctor soon attempted to help him complete the pon farr by creating a holographic mate, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Instead, Vorik disabled communications with Voyager and beamed down, intending to mate with Torres. Vorik saw Thomas Paris with her and challenged him in the ritual kal-if-fee, but Torres insisted she fight him herself. Chakotay reluctantly allowed them to, and soon Vorik's pon farr was ended. (VOY: "Blood Fever")

In 2374, Vorik participated in Voyager's failed attempt to open a transwarp conduit. He controlled the temporary tachyon matrix that was set up in the main deflector and subsequently, when tachyons began to flood the warp core, tried unsuccessfully to stop the leak. (VOY: "Day of Honor")

Torres and Vorik were in the middle of an electro-plasma system recalibration when an alien posing as Tom Paris called Torres away for a surprise in the transporter room. (VOY: "Vis à Vis")

When the Voyager was forced to land on a demon class planet, Vorik and Torres tried to keep the life support systems online. Vorik advised Torres that they shouldn't "lose their cool" - a phrase he learned from Tom Paris. Torres stated there was "hope for him yet". (VOY: "Demon")

In 2375, Vorik was also a member of the development team that designed and built the Delta Flyer shuttlecraft. He was initially assigned to be on the trial-run team, but Torres insisted on replacing him. (VOY: "Extreme Risk")

Later that year, Vorik, along with crewmates Tuvok and Jurot, was suspended in a transporter loop to avoid detection from Devore inspections who were seeking out telepaths. (VOY: "Counterpoint")

In 2376, the ship's on-board computer reported that Vorik was in Engineering, Level 2, when the ship's systems were failing due to possession by an electromagnetic lifeform. (VOY: "The Haunting of Deck Twelve")

Vorik and Torres examine relay

Vorik and Torres working in engineering

In early 2378, he assisted Torres in repairing a damaged power conduit in main engineering. Later, when The Doctor was impersonating Lieutenant Torres, he asked Vorik where they kept the spare gel packs. Vorik was confused about why she wouldn't know this, but reminded her that they were in locker gamma-5. She acted surprised not to remember, but then looked lost. Vorik reminded her that locker gamma-5 was "on the upper level", to which she responded angrily, claiming that she knew where they were. Vorik hadn't realized at the time that "Torres" was actually The Doctor in disguise.

Later, when The Doctor impersonated Chakotay and told Torres to evacuate engineering, Vorik led the engineering crew out while Torres tried to stay behind, unaware that there was no actual breach imminent. (VOY: "Renaissance Man")

Appendices[]

Appearances[]

Background information[]

Vorik was played by actor Alexander Enberg, who had previously played the similarly-named Vulcan Ensign Taurik in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lower Decks". Producer Jeri Taylor (who happens to be Enberg's mother) once suggested that Taurik and Vorik were twin brothers.

Vorik was on the writers' shortlist of recurring characters to kill off in "Friendship One", though Bryan Fuller and Michael Taylor ended up deciding on Joe Carey. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 2, p. 87)

Apocrypha[]

According to the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator, Taurik and Vorik were twin brothers. They were born in Raal, Vulcan to parents Tybik and T'Sara. They also have two sisters named T'Bal and T'Shara. Prior to his assignment on the USS Voyager, Vorik served aboard the USS Independence.

In the Voyager relaunch book series, Vorik was promoted to lieutenant and served under Captain Chakotay as chief engineer of Voyager until 2381. He then transferred to the USS Hawking and, following that ship's destruction, eventually chose to remain on Earth and take a posting at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. He also appeared in the novel Pathways, volunteering to be the first to undergo a risky transport through a transporter made from scavenged parts.

Vorik made a brief appearance in the video game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force while the playable character was in engineering. If you press the interact button while next to him, he'll say something along the lines of "I'm busy", but Torres ordered him to do something after a near warp core breach. He was also seen in the mess hall. He was voiced by original actor Alexander Enberg, who was already providing the voices of several other characters. He also was seen playing chess with Hazard Team member Elizabeth Laird later in the game, and was also seen in the expansion. In the expansion, he could be found again at the warp core.

External links[]

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