| The Next Generation | |
| 89 | |
| First Contact | |
| not given | |
A hospital. Someone is being wheeled in and they don't look in good condition. Their condition is secondary as whoever it is doesn't seem to have organs in the correct positions. Pan down to... Riker! What has Laughing Boy done this time? He claims that he is Rivas Jakara, and says that he has fingers rather than mittens because of a genetic defect. It's more likely because Paramount's FX budget could cope with some really unconvincing mittens this week. Strike one. When questioned about his phaser he claims that it is just a toy for a neighbours friend. Strike two. In fact the medical staff don't even think he's the same species. Strike three and Riker is out. They order a 29 hour per day guard.
The Malcorians have been busy little techies and have just about developed their own warp drive. They already have the prototypes and will be ready to start production in ten months. Space travel - real soon now. This worries the Minister of Internal Security, Krola. Mind you, everything seems to worry security types. He is another typical luddite alien who is happy to die for the status quo.
An alien scientist is working when... sparkley effect... Picard and Troi beam in to say "Hi". They claim that they came to see her first as scientists tend to be more open minded than the general population. Really? It seems to me that scientists are the most skeptical people around, and that you can convince the public of anything. Anyway, Picard says that he is from space and tells Mirasta that he can prove it. She thinks that it is all some elaborate joke when Picard says "three to beam up".
If you were an advanced species and were just introducing a new race to the concept of other life, how would you do it? Would you carefully counsel them on all the new concepts or would you take them to a bar for a drink? The latter of course! So Mirasta is taken to 10-Forward for a serious dose of culture shock. She looks down on her world and says she always knew it would be like this. Hmmm...
Now Picard takes her for a briefing. The Federation has been spying on her planet for several years as the Malcorians were about to develop their own warp technology. Initially they simply monitored the communication networks, but towards the end, they sent down surface reconnaissance teams. Specialists dedicated to this sort of work. So what possible reason did Riker have for being there? Mirasta says that this is going to shock the people as their ideology states that they are the supreme lifeform, and the centre of the universe. What a complete surprise.
Back on the planet gossip is starting to spread. There is no record of birth defects causing an appearance similar to Riker, and people are starting to think that he might be an alien! Never. When Riker is asked point blank if he is an alien he says that he is more likely to be a weather balloon. It must be the drugs they have him on.
Mirasta introduces Malcor's leader, Chancellor Durken, to Picard. At least he didn't scream. They beam up to the Enterprise to parley. Picard offers him wine from his brother's vineyard, and toasts a new relationship. The Chancellor is not so certain and wonders if the Federation are simply conquerors with spiffy uniforms. Picard claims that they are here simply to guide the Malcorian's into the future and goes on about the Prime Directive. Durken is quick and realises that it means no new tech. Bummer.
Riker is sick of being kept captive and tries for an escape - by gently throwing a table through a window. He's stopped at the last moment by a nurse who claims she is not afraid of him. She says that she will help him "if you make love to me". Give me a break! The episode had some credibility up to this point but it just hit zero. I even got a phone call to tell me it was crap! Blarrgghh. Riker goes through with it only to be caught and beat up in a corridor outside his room.
At a council meeting Chancellor Durken tells them that they have had contact with the Federation. Krola just about wets himself and boldly claims that he has a captured alien spy. After the meeting he goes to the medical centre and wants the director to revive Riker so that he can interrogate him before he dies. The doctor gets hippocratic and refuses. Krola gets political and has him replaced. Unfortunately Riker may not survive the process...
Picard talks to the Chancellor and tries to explain why he didn't tell him about the ground teams. He waffles on about how they stuffed up with the Klingons and didn't want to make the same mistake again. Federation information lead them to believe that any obvious surveillance would be seen as a sign of aggression. But what could the poor little aliens do about it anyway? The Chancellor likes the fact the Picard makes mistakes. We call them plot development...
The new medical director revives Riker and he is interrogated. This involves Krola asking questions, Riker answering them, and then Krola saying "I don't believe you". That's likely to be productive. Krola questions Riker about his phaser, which is clearly not a toy, and Riker claims that it is purely defensive. Yeah right. Krola decides to be a martyr and puts the phaser in Riker's hand and shoots himself. Just in time Bev beams in with Worf and they take Riker and Krola back to the sick bay and heal them both. They phaser was set on stun. Pity.
Chancellor Durken makes a big speech to Picard about how they are not ready for this, and delays the warp program until their social skills are better. He asks Picard to leave and not return. Picard agrees. In a final moment of unlikely development Mirasta asks if she can stay with the Enterprise. Everyone agrees and she does.
