| The Next Generation | |
| 127 | |
| Time's Arrow, Part II | |
| 46001.3 | |
Continued from last time...
Secret Agent Sam Clemens decides that evidence is needed to support his temporal conspiracy, and that Data can supply it. His idea of covert action is to sneak into Data's room, steal part of his "invention", and hide in a cupboard.
Enter Data and Guinan. Non-hero types might not have noticed that the "invention" was no longer working, but little gets by our keen eyed android. Guinan thinks that Clemens is involved and her suspicions are confirmed when they find him - he was given away when he noisily dropped his clue.
Meanwhile, in another part of town...
Amazing! Data had to win money in a poker game to get clothes and lodgings, but the same requirements magically don't apply to the rest of the away team. Riker is an unconvincing cop, and Bev is pretending to be a nurse, and they all claim to be itinerant actors - they definitely shouldn't give up their day jobs.
Even more amazing! They accidentally stumble into the cholera ward of the hospital where the alien vampires have been stealing souls. Nursey bear turns to Coppy bear and says "Someone's been stealing souls in my hospital - and they're still here!" Laughing boy whips out his phaser and shoots at them, but they phase out, leaving behind only a strange cane.
Unfortunately all the noise has brought a real cop, who Riker claims he has the greatest of respect for, just before he slams him in the face. Now all that's needed is a daring get-away - supplied by Tonto and his team of horses.
A little experimenting shows that the cane is the ophidian. Ophidian? Let's look it up... Why can't they just say "snake" like everyone else? They get to the cavern, and Geordi discovers that it has been modified to focus the time-space continuum distortions that the funky snake makes! All that's left is to work out how to use it to get back.
Just as things are getting interesting again, Secret Agent Sam Clemens arrives, and this time he has his friend - the Colt 45. How will our heroes escape this time? What they need is a diversion... And the aliens reappearing should serve the purpose adequately!
The aliens snatch the cane after a fumble from Troi, but Data intercepts with a beautiful tackle. Oh, no! The umpires have called a penalty as the cane blows Data's head off. It's a tough break for the away team...
The explosion also creates a portal through which one of the aliens immediately jumps. He's followed by Riker, Geordi, Troi and Bev in quick succession, but the Bald Avenger won't leave Guinan as she's hurt. How touching. Clemens sees the opportunity of a lifetime and dives through just as the portal closes.
Data's body made it back to the 24th century, but sans head. This shouldn't be a problem for Mr X-Ray Charles and he gets to work attaching the 500 year old head to the current body. They obviously build things well in the future...
Riker gets no help from Guinan as to what he should do, so he takes Worf's advice: "Pull back and nuke if from space. It's the only way to be sure!"
Back in 1893, Picard gets one piece of useful advice from the other injured alien before she dies - if the Enterprise attacks the habitat on Devidia 2, it will amplify the distortion and destroy the Earth. What a major bummer. There's only one thing to do - toggle a message into Data's brain with a nail! You've got to be kidding...
Alas poor Data, I knew him... A soliloquy with an android skull gets him nowhere, so Geordi shakes the rubbish from inside Data's head and reboots him. Wow! The message got through, and the bombing is called off at the last moment. That was close, and unbelievably silly.
Geordi manages to find a way to get back to 1893, but there's a catch - only one person can go and only one comes back. Is Laughing Boy prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice? It doesn't matter as Clemens has been inspired by Troi's description of the way the future turns out, and says that he will return. What a nice guy.
Clemens gets back to the cavern and gives instructions to Picard on how to go home. It's a pity that Riker has already given the order to destroy the habitat. He really does want command of the Enterprise doesn't he? Unfortunately for him, Data notices Picard's life-signs as the explosions start and they transport him out just in the nick of time.
