Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: ---< Quality of Life >--- Synapsis & *SPOILERS*
From: mneylon@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu (Michael Neylon)
Date: 17 Nov 92 00:13:32 EST

There are infinitesiam pieces of informations pertaining to the 
most recent episode of a populous television sciece-fiction in the
next post on usenet newsfeed, that if you havent watching the episode
in question, you should plan on hitting the appropriate key to avoid
reading its contents...

In other (non-Technobable) words, *SPOILERS*



(sorry about this, but the adminstrator is Dr. Fairalawn, and the
robots are exocomms...)

The poker group is meeting, and discussing the growth of Geordi's beard.  It
soon becomes a sexist discussion, and Bev bets that if she wins, Riker,
Geordi, and Worf would shave off their beards, against her going to a 
brunnette.  However, the game is interrupted by a call from the captain.
They have arrived at an advanced mining project, which Geordi has been
ordered to oversee and evaluate.  He feels that they are pushing it, without
checking the equipment throughly.  Suddenly, a large shakeup hits the site,
due to a power surge in the partical beam.  The attendents are insistant on
not powering down, and they show Geordi a small robot that can fix the 
problem, which it does quickly and efficiently.  Both Geordi and Data, still
back at the ship, wonder what make this robot work.

The repairs have been verified, and the experiment continues as planned.
The head attendant beams up to the Big-E with Geordi and the robot, and she
is impressed with meeting Data, and begins asking several questions of
him, under Geordi's worried eyes.  Down in Engineering, she discusses the
application of the robots.  They are able to create the tools they need, and
are very adaptable (ie Neural Network).  Geordi wonders how effective they
would be once out of experimentation, but she insists that they are 
the real thing.  
In the ready room, the adminstator insists that the mining operation 
could be improved with the use of the robots, the only risk is falling
behind in mining technology.  Picard agrees to allow that, and to allow
Data help oversee the rest of the project.  Again Geordi gets a jealous
look, but must comply.
On the surface, Data has tested the robots, and rates their performance as
excellent.  He and the adminstrator decide to test the robot in fixing
a plasma conduit, and they program it and send it on its way.  However, it
returns VERY shortly, and when she tries to override it, a shock is sent
through the control pad.  Suddenly, an explosion comes from the tunnel, and
the mining operation must stop temporaliy.

They take the defective robot back to the Big-E, where they determine that
several new pathways have appeared in the circuitry.  The adminstrator 
insists that the robot is now useless, and must be discarded, leaving 
them only 2 for the operation.  Data, however, believes that the robot is
still useful, and takes it back to his room to study.  There, he finds that
the damaged interface circuitry has been repaired, but cannot explain it.

Geordi and the adminstration meet in ten-forward, where she tells him 
that she feels that she must finish the project.

In sickbay, Bev is treating a small wound given to her by Worf in a karate
class, when Data enters and asks Bev for the definition of life.  Although
she can provide the simplist scientific answer, Data wonders how he fits
in.  Bev explains that life will usually strife to find its place in the
universe, and although she feels it is inadequet, Data says that it helps
alot.  He quickly teleports to the planet, where the administrator and
Geordi are about to initiate the mining using the robots.  Data tells
her to stop because he feels the robots are alive.

Picard calls a meeting of the senior staff meetings, inviting the
administrator along.  Data says that the robot did not enter the tunnle 
becomes it knew it was in trouble, and refused to go in.  However, she
cannot believe it, and insists that she must use them in the project.  
Picard, however, must investigate the possiblilty, and they set up a 
test to threaten its survival again.  They simulate a plasma breach again,
and say that if the robot is alive, it will return in given time.  
However, the robot remains in the test situation, and the adminstrator is
glad (overly) that the test failed.  Data runs several more tests, but
it does the same.  Bev finds Data running the test, and asks him about
his feelings.  Data mentions that he thought that this might represent
another of his kind in the universe, when suddenly the robot returns.
Data mentions that he didnt command it to, and that the robot has a
different tool that the ne it should be using.  Both he and Bev realize
that the robot must have seen right through the simulation, because it
also fixed the circuit that caused the test signal.

Picard, Geordi, and the administrator return the station, and talk
about coming on line, when suddenly, there are power fluxations that
require the station to be evacuated.  An ion radiation field grows about
the station, reducing communications and happering teleportation.  
Picard gathers all the station crew on the emergancy pad, but one
does not appear.  Geordi runs after him, but a flash of light appears in
the corridor, and Picard stays behind to help.  The crewman is dead, and
Picard and Geordi try to set up a force field to prevent radition poisoning.

Several suggestions are given by the senior officers, but Riker chooses
to use the robots, by exploding them in the station.  Data refuses to 
allow that, but it seems to be their only option.  They are about to 
transfer the robot to the station when suddenly the transporter controls
go dead.  Riker asks for a diagonistic, but Data reveals that he had shut
down the transport controls.

Data refuses to release the transporter lockout, even under the
penality of removal from Starfleet.  Data still insists that the robots
are alive, and does not want to give a life for a life.  Data says
he will sacrifice himself to manually shutdown the stream, but his
pathways will be destroyed.  Rikers offers to let the robots decide, and
Data agrees.  He programs the 3 robots, who immediately reprogram it, 
feed new coordiates into the transporter, giving a sign that they are
willing to go.  They quickly transport the robots over, who immediately
cause the beam to fluxate, allowing Picard and Geordi to bring down the
field, and be transported back.  They try to bring back the robots, but
one must stay to keep the beam fluxuating, sacrificing itself.  

The adminstrator admits that the robots may be life, but cannot tell. 
However, she promises that they will be treated better in the future, and
the mining operation will be up and running after a year.  Data is about
to explain to Picard why his motives were as such, but Picard waves it
off, judging what Data must have been thinking...


COMMENTS

Hmmm...I dont know about this one....let me explain...

First, TECHONOBABLE:  There was understandable stuff, and incomprehensable
stuff.  The robots and stuff with neural networks makes sense (actually
it explain networks quite well).  However, the mining with a partical
stream lost me.  The solution to the problem was very confusing and 
I was lost to why they did it as such.  How come some episodes can
be as good or better than this, and have much less technobable?  

Second, (lack of) CONTINUITY:  So, what happened to the nanonites?  There's
not much to say here, except that much of the nanites episode was lost
in this one (definition of life, etc....).

Last major point, CHARACTERIZATION:  Geordi was way OUT of character.  I
dont think he would ignore Data's theory THAT easily, nor would Data
not keep up important info from him.  The adminstrator seemed to change
her entire attitude midway through the show.  It just seemed very
inconsistant.

Other things were just left up for grabs...the poker game at the 
begining, for example.  This scene didnt even apply to the rest of
the episode.

other side notes.
-Troi had her one-liner again.  What is up with her and Paramount?

-what special effects ....NOT!  I bet a video taper can find a string
or two....
-- 
Michael Neylon   aka Masem the Great and Almighty Thermodynamics GOD!
      //         | Senior, Chemical Engineering, Univ. of Toledo
  \\ // Only the |   Summer Intern, NASA Lewis Research Center
\  \X/   AMIGA!  |         mneylon@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu           /
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current