| The Next Generation | |
| 88 | |
| Clues | |
| 44502.7 | |
Leisure activities. Who'd have thought that the crew of the Enterprise would have had time given all the exploring they don't do? Still, it is certainly a diversion, and the chief of security is diverting a significant number of them into Tai Chi. The sight of Worf in a gi is one likely to scare many hostile races anyway, so they probably won't be bothered.
Picard has more cerebral pursuits. He fancies himself as private eye from the 1950s - complete with silly hat and silly accent. Slightly stranger is that Guinan features in this holodeck fantasy. However before Picard can completely lose himself, he gets a phone call - from Data on the bridge! The sensors have detected an unusual M-class planet, and the Enterprise must investigate.
As they approach the planet there is an unusual energy fluctuation and they are caught in a wormhole. Moments later the crew are all stunned with Data the only functioning member. He says they were only out for 30 seconds, but they have been flung a days travel away. Better than warp! They send a probe back to the planet, and now it mysteriously doesn't seem to be class-M at all. Data says that it might have been a wormhole induced phenomena. There are stranger things...
Apparently none the worse for the experience the Enterprise continues back on its previous course. That is when all the strangeness begins. Dr Crusher has some spore samples that have aged a day, rather then 30 seconds (she does it for a hobby!), the ships chronometer has been tampered with, and cell functions suggest 24 hours have passed. It seems that our recalcitrant android has been fibbing. When he is directly questioned he says: "I cannot tell you anything beyond what I have already stated". That's a non-denial denial if I ever heard one.
Troi is feeling dizzy and decides to go back to her quarters for a rest. As soon as she gets there and closes the door, she screams. Is it Will Riker in his nun's habit again? Nope. She looked in the mirror and the reflection that came back was not her! This is really twilight zone stuff.
After a bit of checking it seems that Worf's wrist was broken during the "missing" day and had been reset. This implies that the crew were conscious. Further evidence of android truth avoidance appears when the second probe image is found in the library. It is clearly not the same planet, and it looks like Data has some explaining to do. Picard orders him to explain (a real order!) and Data absolutely refuses. Looks like it's junk time for Mr Data.
Geordi sends a new probe to find out what the planet really is like, and it gives the same report as the initial sensors - a class-M planet. Furthermore there is no evidence of a wormhole at all. Picard sends the ship back at a huge speed of Warp 2 to search for further clues to this puzzling mystery (remember it's his hobby).
When they get back they encounter an energy field. It attacks the shields, but by random modulation of intensity and frequency (now where have we heard that before?) they manage to block the attack - or at least they think they do. Cut back to Troi's quarters where a mystic energy enters her body. She goes to Data and says: "The plan has failed".
Data goes to the bridge and tells Picard that they must leave immediately. When prompted further he finally admits that Picard was the one who ordered his silence. He says that the shields will eventually be penetrated and that they will be destroyed. At about this time the possessed Troi makes an appearance, and with a modulated voice tells the story of the race from the planet below. They are xenophobes and just want to be left alone. They fake a wormhole, knock out the crew and tow the ship away, thus keeping their existence secret. Unfortunately Data was unaffected.
The screen momentarily wobbles as we realise that we are in one of Data's flashbacks. He initiated emergency procedures when the crew was disabled, and managed to revive them. One of the beings took control of Troi, broke Worf's wrist and casually stated that they must now destroy the ship. Picard put on his brown trousers and asked that they remove all memories of the crew, and ordered Data to silence. The alien agreed.
Out of the flashback, Picard claims that the ruse failed as the aliens had left too many clues. You would have thought that if this was their standard procedure they would have been able to get it right by now. Oh well. He says that if they remove the clues and do it all again it will all work. The alien, very patiently, agrees again.
Back on the bridge, the crew are unconscious, and Data claims that they were knocked out by the wormhole and had been out for 30 seconds. Data suggests sending a probe to see the planet, and Picard, experiencing a modicum of deja vu, agrees. Is Data really smirking?
