From: tlynch@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.info
Subject: Synopsis, "Time's Arrow, Part II"
Followup-To: rec.arts.startrek.current
Date: 26 Sep 1992 21:47:25 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Reply-To: tlynch@juliet.caltech.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu
Summary: == synopsis
Keywords: TNG, Data, head, time loops

WARNING:  The following post contains critical spoiler information regarding 
the sixth-season premiere of TNG, "Time's Arrow, Part II".  Those not wishing 
to have already seen spoiler information at the time of viewing are advised to 
remain clear at this time.



Sam Clemens, convinced by his eavesdropping that Data and Guinan are invaders 
from the future, tells a reporter of the broad strokes of his theory that the 
19th century is in as much danger as King Arthur's time was in his novel _A 
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court_.  He abruptly stops, however, when 
he sees Data emerging from a building and walking down the street.  He moves 
to follow Data, whom we see passing a well-dressed couple (known to us as the 
true "invaders").

Some time later, Riker and Dr. Crusher (both in appropriate garb) are searching 
the morgue for signs of the aliens' presence.  Beverly finds that many of the 
so-called "cholera victims" died, not from the disease, but from having their 
neural energy completely drained; their souls were stolen, if you will.  She 
and Riker theorize that the aliens have traveled back to this disease-ridden 
time to use the epidemic as a cover for murder.  They return to the apartment 
where the entire team is staying and report their findings, and the team 
plans to infiltrate the charity hospital from which many of the victims have 
come.  Additionally, they note that the aliens should be detectable at close 
range via tricorder thanks to their triolic emissions, and note that they 
have not yet managed to contact Data.

Meanwhile, Sam Clemens is let into Data's hotel room with the help of Jack 
the bellboy, and in return advises Jack to follow his dreams and write about 
them.  (Jack, his last name now revealed to be London, vows to do so.)  
Clemens takes a piece of Data's strange construct for safekeeping, then hides 
in the closet as Data returns with Guinan.  Data and Guinan discuss ways to 
enter the cavern where Data's head will eventually be found, until Data 
suddenly notices the absence of the missing part.  Guinan immediately 
believes it to be Clemens, and Clemens then accidentally reveals himself.

As Data replaces the transceiver, Clemens angrily defends his actions by 
claiming to be defending the interests of his race and his century.  He 
challenges Data to explain his journeyings all over the city in search of the 
cavern they have now located, and accuses the pair of scheming to foul the 
19th century with future technology.

Some time later, the away team is working in the charity hospital, 
surreptitiously setting "alarms" to react to the aliens' presence.  Beverly, 
as a nurse, is the first to notice an alarm going off and moves to intercept 
the strange doctor and nurse that have just appeared.  Without a word, they 
begin to move toward her, but she is saved by the arrival of the rest of the 
team.  Overmatched, the two aliens phase away, but without benefit of the 
man's cane.  The team tries to explain themselves to an arriving policeman, 
but eventually are forced to assault him and escape, fleeing in a cart driven 
by the arriving Data, whose device alerted him to the aliens' phasing.

Back in the team's apartment, the team tries to activate the cane.  Phasered, 
it turns into the ophidian they've been searching for and causes small 
time-shifts.  However, the shifts are both very small and very short-lived; 
it becomes clear that a focusing mechanism is needed.  The rest of the team 
heads for the cavern, as Data and Picard detour to Guinan's home.  There, the 
true "first meeting" of Picard and Guinan takes place, as Picard for once 
finds himself with the advantage of foreknowledge.

As Clemens, tipped off by his reporter friend as to Data's involvement with 
the team at the hospital, heads for the cavern, the team arrives there.  
Geordi finds that the walls of the cave have effectively been turned into a 
giant focusing device for the ophidian's power; a triolic "lens", if you 
will.  Assuming the cavern on Devidia Two is similarly designed, destroying 
that cavern should stop the aliens' presence on Earth.  They decide to 
attempt to use the ophidian to head back to their century, but are stopped by 
the sudden arrival of Clemens, who threatens them all with his gun and 
demands they leave with him.  Just at that time, however, the aliens phase 
back in and attempt to recover their cane.  Data grabs it back and subdues 
the man, only to have the cane flare twice.  The first flare seriously injures 
the female alien, and the second blows off Data's head and blows everyone 
else to the ground.  When they revive, they see the cane vanish and a 
time-gate open.  The male alien runs through, and all the away team save 
Picard (with an injured Guinan) follows.  Just as the gate closes, however, 
Clemens revives and also follows through.

Back on Devidia Two, everyone seems all right, but Riker harshly upbraids 
Clemens for following.  They find Data's headless body (still holding the 
cane), and all six people beam aboard the Enterprise.  There, Geordi begins 
attempting to reattach the head they currently have, while Troi volunteers 
herself as Clemens's escort.  

Five centuries earlier, Picard tends to a seriously injured Guinan.  When she 
seems puzzled by why he would do so, he reveals something of how close they 
will one day become (well beyond friends, he says).  They spy Data's head, 
which Picard refers to as history fulfilling itself.

Back in the 24th century, Guinan tells Riker that history must be allowed to 
fulfill itself, and refuses to tell him anything about what he should do.  
After Troi tells Clemens a bit more about her century (and convinces him that 
many of his century's baser elements such as poverty and greed have been 
eliminated), they arrive at Geordi's lab, where nothing constructive has 
happened yet.  Clemens finds his broken watch and talks of having misjudged 
Data.

Back on Earth, Picard interrogates the dying alien, who insists that they 
needed human energy and had no choice but to do what they did.  When Picard 
tells her of their plan to destroy the Devidia Two cavern, she gloats that 
the Enterprise's weaponry will only amplify the time distortion and destroy 
Earth as well.  Dying, she fades into nonexistence.

While Worf (over Riker's initial objections, then with his grudging support) 
prepares a photon spread to destroy the cavern, Geordi finds an iron filing 
causing intermittent problems in Data's input polarizers.  Puzzled, he 
wonders how it got there.

Picard, meanwhile, uses an iron filing to encode a message in Data's head.  
With one minute left in the 24th century until the torpedoes are launched, 
Geordi successfully revives Data, who comprehends Picard's message and aborts 
the torpedo launch.  The problem revealed, they begin modifying the torpedoes 
in ways that would destroy the aliens without causing time-shifts.

However, that doesn't solve the problem of how to recover Picard.  Beverly 
explains that their weaponry could open a gate, but only powerful enough for 
one person to go back and then one to go forward.  Clemens offers himself as 
the obvious choice to return to his own time and allow Picard to return to 
his.  He thanks Data for allowing him to begin a new adventure and recover 
from his own bitterness, then departs.  

As Picard readies to leave the cave and help Guinan, Clemens rushes in with 
instructions.  With less than five minutes until the torpedoes are launched 
against Devidia Two, he explains the situation to Picard and agrees to help 
Guinan get proper care.  Picard bids both farewell (telling Guinan that he'll 
see her in a few minutes) and prepares to leave. 

However, with no trace of him in the 24th century and signs that the aliens 
are becoming active, Riker orders the torpedoes fired.  Picard arrives just 
as the first torpedoes hit, and is transported aboard barely in time.  The 
cavern is destroyed, and Picard returns to a new understanding of his 
relationship with Guinan.  Finally, Clemens gets Guinan help and, knowing 
what lies ahead, deliberately avoids picking up his 19th century watch, 
leaving it to gather dust just a few meters away from Data's head.

NEXT WEEK:

Barclay returns, this time with a phobia of transporters.  Or is it really 
that irrational a fear?

Tim Lynch (Harvard-Westlake School, Science Dept.)
BITNET:  tlynch@citjulie
INTERNET:  tlynch@juliet.caltech.edu
UUCP:  ...!ucbvax!tlynch%juliet.caltech.edu@hamlet.caltech.edu
"I'll see you in five hundred years, Picard."
"And I'll see you...in a few minutes."
--
Copyright 1992, Timothy W. Lynch.  All rights reserved, but feel free to ask...