| The Next Generation | |
| 98 | |
| The Minds Eye | |
| 44885.5 | |
Geordi is going to an engineering seminar, and Picard tells him that he must have fun. That's almost as unreasonable as Worf counselling Wesley on women! At least he has a chance since the seminar is on Risa, the pleasure planet. On the shuttle ride, Geordi asks the computer to amuse him with a game - so it gives him a pop-quiz on physics. Gee, what a wild time we're going to have in the old shuttle tonight. Unfortunately his merriment is cut short when a Romulan warbird uncloaks in front of him and beams him out.
With Geordi safely out of the way, the Enterprise returns to more exciting things - like herding around Klingon Ambassadors, this one named Kell. They are going to Krios, and outlying Klingon colony that is fighting for independence. Unfortunately it seems that the Federation have been supplying the rebels with weapons. I doubt it, since they don't seem able to supply themselves...
The Romulans have a fake Geordi, in as much as the current one is real. The substitute is sent to Risa in his place, and the real one is given bouts of direct visual cortex stimulation through his visor pickups. The horrors that they show him start his conditioning. By his expression I guess he was watching reruns of "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" - that would be enough for me to agree to almost anything. After a while they simulate 10-Forward, and Geordi successfully kills a simulated Chief O'Brien!
The Kriosian governor, Vagh is not a happy camper - but then again, few Klingons are. He complains that the Federation has been supplying weapons to the rebels, and throws Picard a phaser rifle. It looks like a Federation issue weapon, but tests will need to be performed just to be sure. In true Klingon fashion, Vagh starts snarling and growling (they call it language). Surprisingly Picard snarls back.
Geordi has returned to the Enterprise and looks as if nothing has changed. He has full memories of his trip to Risa, and only we know that they must have been implanted. Shock! Horror! Yawn! Data detects a blip of E-band radiation. Oh goody, yet another weird radiation pattern that has never been used before. Geordi goes to 10-Forward and intentionally spills a drink on Chief O'Brien, and then acts as though he didn't know he did it.
The two techies on the Enterprise have a new toy to play with - a phaser rifle. It looks like a Federation issue, it acts like one, it even tastes like one! The one thing that distinguishes it is that it works too well. A little checking shows the signature of the Romulans.
Another E-band blip is detected, and this time Robot Geordi goes to a cargo bay, reroutes transporter power, modifies some chips and erases all record of the modifications. He then beams a cache of weapons down to the planet. Unfortunately for the guys and gals on the Federation flagship, the Governor found them. He orders several Klingon warships into an attack posture around the Enterprise. Data and Geordi determine that only a handful of the crew could have done it, and all but Geordi had alibis...
Another E-band blip. This time Geordi goes to see his controller directly - the Klingon Ambassador Kell! His orders are to kill Governor Vagh in front of witnesses and claim it was in support the rebels' independence. Geordi goes back to his quarters to sleep, but can't and gets a 24th century knock-out drop from Bev.
Ambassador Kell beams down to the planet and convinces Governor Vagh that combat is not necessary, and that he should witness the inquiry personally. This will get him into proximity to La Forge. Geordi is on his way to the designated killing place...
Meanwhile Data has determined that the E-band blips must have been coming from onboard. After a while the ship's computer matches the pattern to that of a neural brainwave that could only be received by a direct neural feed - like Geordi's visor. He suspects the truth, and his suspicions are confirmed after a quick examination of the shuttle used on the Risa trip. Data orders Worf to take Geordi into custody immediately!
In the cargo bay, the assassination is foiled, and Data explains how it was done. He says that only Kell and Picard were close enough to have sent to signals. Kell asks for asylum on the Enterprise, and Picard says he will grant it when Kell is show innocent by his fellow Klingons. The Klingons take him into custody and beam away.
It's therapy time for the engineer. Troi claims that she will help him restore his memories, but it is going to take a long time...
