Picard: Captain's log, stardate 44429.6. We are on a mapping survey near the Cardassian sector. It has been nearly a year since a peace treaty ended the long conflict between the Federation and Cardassia.
Data: Captain, we are nearing the periphery of Sector twenty one five oh three.
Picard: Be on the lookout for a Cardassian patrol ship, Mister Worf. They should be hailing us soon.
Riker: Even with a treaty, they're still skittish about protecting their border.
Picard: Last time I was in this sector, I was on the Stargazer, running at warp speed ahead of a Cardassian warship.
Troi: Running, Captain? You? That's hard to believe.
Picard: Believe it. I'd been sent to make preliminary overtures to a truce. I'd lowered my shields as a gesture of good will. But the Cardassians were not impressed. They had taken out most of my weapons and damaged the impulse engines before I could regroup and run.
Worf: The Cardassians have no honor. I do not trust them.
Troi: They're our allies now, Mister Worf. We have to trust them.
Worf: Trust is earned, not given away.
Picard: I hope their scout ship makes contact soon. It's not a good idea to stay too long on a Cardassian border without making your intentions known.
O'Brien: What is it?
Keiko: Kelp buds, plankton loaf and sea berries.
O'Brien: Sweetheart, I'm not a fish.
Keiko: It's very healthy. I had this every morning when I was growing up.
O'Brien: What? No muffins or oatmeal, or corned beef and eggs?
Keiko: For breakfast?
O'Brien: Keiko, I've been thinking You've been introducing me to all this wonderful food that you're accustomed to. I'd like to do the same. Isn't that what marriage is about? Sharing?
Keiko: What kind of foods?
O'Brien: Scalloped potatoes, mutton shanks, oxtails and cabbage.
Keiko: Kind of heavy.
O'Brien: Oh, you'll love it, I promise. I can still remember the aromas when my mother was cooking.
Keiko: She cooked?
O'Brien: She didn't believe in a replicator. She thought real food was more nutritious.
Keiko: She handled real meat? She touched it and cut it?
O'Brien: Yeah, like a master chef. She was fantastic. Of course, I'll have to use the replicator, but I'll make something special for you tonight. You'll love it, I promise.
Keiko: Okay. Maybe I'll have something special for you, tonight, too.
O'Brien: Something's wrong.
Computer: Red alert. Take emergency stations.
Worf: Cardassian ship preparing to fire again, sir.
Picard: Increase power to forward shields. Hail them again, Mister Worf.
Riker: What the hell is he doing? Damage report.
Worf: Minor damage to secondary hull before we put our shields up, sir. No casualties. Structural integrity intact.
Laforge: Engineering to Bridge. Starboard power coupling is down.
Picard: Evasive action, delta sequence. Ready phasers, Mister Worf.
Data: Delta evasion plan initiated.
Picard: Limit targets to engines and shields.
Worf: Aye, sir. Ready.
Picard: Fire.
Data: Direct hit, sir. Moderate damage to their aft shield generators.
Picard: Continue phaser fire.
Data: Multiple hits, sir. Power failure in forward shields.
Worf: The Cardassian ship is standing down, sir.
Picard: Let's see if they'll answer our hail now, Mister Worf.
Worf: Frequency open.
Picard: This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise.
Macet: I am Gul Macet of the Cardassian ship Trager.
Picard: Why have you fired on us?
Macet: A curious question, Captain. In war, one attacks one's enemies.
Picard: There is a treaty between our peoples.
Macet: Perhaps that fact was unknown to the Federation starship which destroyed our space station in the Cuellar System two days ago.
Picard: A Federation starship?
Macet: Attacked an unarmed science station. They had barely enough time to send an emergency signal before they were incinerated.
Picard: Gul Macet the Federation and the Cardassians have struggled too hard for peace to abandon it so easily.
Macet: We are not the ones who abandoned it, Captain.
Picard: Let me talk to my superiors, find out what's behind this. Give me one hour. The alternative is for us to continue firing at one other, and in such a contest, you would be at a disadvantage.
Macet: Very well. One hour.
Haden: Captain, we've confirmed your report. It was the starship Phoenix, under the command of Benjamin Maxwell.
Picard: Ben Maxwell? But he's one of Starfleet's finest captains. He must have had provocation.
Haden: I wish we knew. He's gone on silent running. Doesn't answer our communiqués.
Picard: Then he's still in Cardassian space?
Haden: The station he destroyed was in sector twenty one five oh five. You're the nearest starship. We want you to go in and find him.
Picard: Will the Cardassians cooperate?
Haden: They've granted you safe passage. We've agreed that you'll take along a delegation of observers as a show of good faith. Jean-Luc, I don't have to tell you the Federation is not prepared for a new sustained conflict. You must preserve the peace, no matter what the cost. Haden out.
Picard: There will be three Cardassians transporting aboard. Their Captain, Gul Macet and two of his aides. My intention is to be as open as possible with them, allow them to share in our search for the Phoenix.
Worf: Sir, it is necessary to assign them a security detail.
Picard: They're our guests, Mister Worf. I don't want them to feel like prisoners.
Riker: I tend to agree with Mister Worf, Captain. I think we should limit their access while they're on board. They don't need to have the run of the ship.
Worf: At least allow me to post guards in some of the sensitive areas of the ship.
Picard: Very well, let's limit their access. But you instruct your people they are guests.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Picard: Counselor, I want you to stay as close to the crew as possible. Some of them may feel uncomfortable with Cardassians on board. I don't want any incidents.
Troi: Yes, Captain.
Picard: Mister Data, is there anyone else on board who served previously with Captain Benjamin Maxwell?
Data: Accessing. Chief O'Brien served under his command aboard the Rutledge, sir.
Picard: Indeed. Number One, will you and the Counselor meet our guests in Transporter room three? And inform Chief O'Brien I will be calling on him.
Riker: Yes, sir.
Riker: Welcome to the Enterprise. I'm First Officer William Riker, Counselor Deanna Troi.
Macet: I am Gul Macet. My aides, Glinn Daro, Glinn Telle.
Riker: This is our Transporter Chief, Mister O'Brien. Shall we? Captain's Log, supplemental. We have entered Cardassian territory, and are proceeding on our quest to locate the Phoenix.
Laforge: And with long range sensors, we've been scanning a radius of ten light years. We can effectively scan one sector in a day.
Riker: We're scanning Sector twenty one five oh five now. There's still no sign of the Phoenix.
Macet: In fact, you have no assurance that the ship is still in Sector twenty one five oh five.
Riker: In fact, we have no idea where it is. We thought the last known coordinates were a reasonably good place to start.
Macet: Captain Picard, you can understand that we are skeptical. Do you expect us to believe that you are using every means at your disposal to track down one of your own?
Picard: Of course you are concerned, Gul Macet. It is precisely because of that fact that I have included you in every aspect of our effort. You're present with my staff. You're hearing reports as I hear them, nothing edited, nothing withheld.
Macet: Very well.
Picard: Transporter Chief O'Brien, has served with Benjamin Maxwell. I thought that he might be able to provide some insights. Mister O'Brien, I understand that Captain Maxwell lost his family during a raid on an outpost.
O'Brien: More like sabotage, sir. It was on Setlik Three. A squad of Cardassian militia made a sneak raid on an outpost, wiped out close to a hundred civilians.
Macet: Then it's revenge he's after.
O'Brien: That's not what I meant.
Macet: Maxwell is taking retribution for his own loss.
O'Brien: Captain Maxwell would never
Picard: Gentlemen, please, let's not indulge in speculation. Can we confine our discussion to facts? Now, Mister O'Brien
Worf: Worf to Captain Picard.
Picard: Go ahead, Mister Worf.
Worf: Long range sensors have located the Phoenix.
Picard: Gul Macet, will you join me on the Bridge?
O'Brien: Deck six.
Daro: Deck ten. Your Captain is most impressive.
O'Brien: Yes, he is.
Daro: Chief O'Brien, our Transporting system is still operating with active feed pattern buffers. I would like to talk with you about your technology.
O'Brien: I'll have to get Commander La Forge's approval on that.
Daro: I understand. In the meantime, we're going to your Ten Forward. Will you join us?
O'Brien: If my Commander tells me to discuss the Transporter with you, I will. If Captain Picard orders me to tell you everything I know about Ben Maxwell, I will. But who I choose to spend my free time with, that's my business.
Data: Captain, the Phoenix in Sector twenty one five oh five.
Picard: Ensign, set a course, warp six. Mister Worf, send a message by subspace. Tell them to prepare for a rendezvous.
Worf: Yes, Captain.
Macet: Captain, a suggestion.
Picard: Yes?
Macet: We have a number of ships in sector twenty one five oh five. If you will give us more precise coordinates and the ship's coded transponder frequency, we would be able to intercept Maxwell far more quickly than you.
Picard: I'm sure that's true. However, given the circumstances, I would prefer to make the initial contact myself. I'm sure you would, if the situation were reversed.
Macet: Captain, time is crucial. You have a dangerous man out there with a huge arsenal at his command. If he is intent on revenge against my people he must be stopped before he can do more damage.
Picard: Captain, so far we have an isolated incident. If I can reach him first, then perhaps diplomacy can prevail. But if one of your ships decides to retaliate, there is a danger we could lose control of the situation.
Macet: Then you will not give us the means to find his precise location?
Picard: No. I won't.
O'Brien: There you are. Potato casserole. A dish fit for kings.
O'Brien: The minstrel boy to the war has gone
Keiko: What's that you're singing?
O'Brien: What? Oh, it's just an old song. A bunch of us used to sing it together on the Rutledge. I hadn't thought about it in years
Keiko: What's it about?
O'Brien: Oh, it's about war and glory. The minstrel boy to the war has gone. In the ranks of death you will find him. His father's sword he hath girded on. And his wild harp slung behind him. Captain Maxwell always liked that song. I guess it's all this business with him and the Cardassians brought it back to me. You know, sitting with the staff this morning, I could tell there were people in that room who still don't like the Cardassians.
Keiko: I imagine that's to be expected.
O'Brien: You do?
Keiko: Sure. The war lasted a long time. That takes its toll on people. What are these little dark things?
O'Brien: Capers. But the fighting is over now. Why should anyone still feel however they feel?
Keiko: You fought the Cardassians, didn't you?
O'Brien: Well, there were some skirmishes, when I was with Captain Maxwell.
Keiko: Well, how do you feel about them?
O'Brien: Me? I feel fine. I mean, the war's over now.
Picard: The pursuing ship is the Phoenix.
Macet: And the other?
Data: It appears it be a Cardassian supply ship.
Macet: How would you know that?
Picard: We are able to make that determination.
Macet: You can read our transponder codes.
Picard: The important thing at the moment is that one of your ships may be in jeopardy. Mister Worf, has there been any answer to our communication?
Worf: No, Captain.
Picard: Put out a repeating message on all subspace channels, priority one communiqué. Break off your pursuit immediately.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Picard: Gul Macet, you see we are doing everything in our power to reach the Phoenix.
Macet: Yes, and accomplishing nothing, I'm sorry to say. Can you show me the location of our other ships?
Picard: Mister Data.
Macet: There, you see? We have a warship which could intercept the Phoenix before it's too late. If you will give us the transponder frequency. Or are you going to stand there while our ship is destroyed, Captain?
Picard: Mister Worf, has there been any response to our hails?
Worf: No, Captain.
Picard: Very well. Mister Worf, relay the prefix codes of the Phoenix to the Cardassian warship.
Worf: Sir, they will be able to dismantle its shields. The Phoenix will not have a chance.
Picard: I cannot allow Maxwell to ambush that supply ship. Mister Worf, now.
Worf: Yes, Captain.
Data: Sir, the Cardassian warship is moving on the Phoenix.
Picard: Mister Data, overlay weapon ranges of the two ships.
Data: The warship is three hundred thousand kilometers from the Phoenix. It is opening fire. The Phoenix has taken a direct hit. The Phoenix is beginning evasive maneuvers. It has positioned itself outside the weapons range of the opposing ship. The Phoenix has powered up both phasers and photon torpedoes. The Phoenix is firing photon torpedoes.
Macet: He has destroyed our warship.
Picard: Does the supply ship have any weapons?
Macet: Very limited. Certainly not enough to defeat a Nebula class starship.
Data: Sir, the Phoenix is firing on the
Macet: The warship carried a crew of six hundred, the supply ship, fifty.
Picard: Mister Data estimated time to intercept with the Phoenix.
Data: At our present speed of warp four, sixteen hours, forty four minutes.
Picard: Ensign, increase to warp nine.
O'Brien: Captain.
Picard: Chief. I wanted to talk to you.
O'Brien: Anything I can do, sir, you know that.
Picard: Ben Maxwell. He must be quite a man.
O'Brien: He's a rare one, all right. I count myself lucky, sir. I've served with the two finest Captains in Starfleet.
Picard: From your knowledge of the man, what has gone wrong?
O'Brien: There's a reason for what he's doing. Those Cardassians were up to something, I'm sure of it.
Picard: When his family was killed, how did he take it?
O'Brien: I'd say he took it well. Oh, I know he was broken up inside, who wouldn't be? But you'd never know it to see him. He never missed a minute's duty, always had a smile, a joke.
Picard: I see.
O'Brien: He would never retaliate out of vengeance, no matter what that Cardassian says. They're up to something, sir. They're the ones you should be investigating, not Captain Maxwell.
Picard: You don't care for the Cardassians?
O'Brien: I like them fine. It's just, well, I know them. You learn to watch your back when you're around those people.
Picard: Ben Maxwell has just sent more than six hundred of them to their deaths.
O'Brien: I don't know what to say, sir, but he must have had his reasons.
Picard: I think when one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it. And it becomes comfortable, like old leather. And, finally, it becomes so familiar that one can't ever remember feeling any other way. Thank you, Chief.
Daro: Kanar.
O'Brien: Mind if I join you?
Daro: Do you want another? And an ale.
O'Brien: Kanar. I never could develop a taste for it.
Daro: It takes a bit of getting used to.
O'Brien: I wanted to say I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have popped off like that in the turbolift.
Daro: I think
Waiter: Here's your ale, Mister O'Brien.
Daro: This has been hard on all of us. I know I'll be happy when I'm back on my own ship.
O'Brien: I guess that's true. I hadn't thought of it like that. I was on Setlik three with Captain Maxwell the morning after the massacre. We were too late, of course. Almost everyone was dead.
Daro: That was a terrible mistake. We were told the outpost was a launching place for a massive attack against us.
O'Brien: The only people left alive were in an outlying district of the settlement. I was sent there with a squad to reinforce them. Cardassians were advancing on us, moving through the streets, destroying, killing. I was with a group of women and children when two Cardassian soldiers burst in. I stunned one of them. The other jumped me. We struggled. One of the women threw me a phaser, and I fired. The phaser was set at maximum. The man just incinerated, there before my eyes. I'd never killed anything before. When I was a kid, I'd worry about swatting a mosquito. It's not you I hate, Cardassian. I hate what I became because of you.
Telle: I will protest this, Klingon!
Picard: Lieutenant?
Worf: He was found at a computer station on deck thirty five, attempting to access information on our weapon systems.
Telle: A lie, Gul Macet. I was studying the terminal interface systems. They're more efficient than ours. I have no idea what was in the files.
Macet: What business did you have going near one of their computers?
Telle: But, Gul Macet, I meant nothing. There was no harm done.
Macet: Go to your quarters. You are confined there for the duration of this expedition.
Telle: As you wish, sir.
Picard: Mister Worf, please accompany him.
Worf: Gladly, Captain.
Macet: Captain, may we speak in private?
Picard: You have the Bridge, Number One.
Macet: I deeply regret what my aide has done, Captain. You have my word he will be diskiplined upon my return.
Picard: You may take whatever action against him you feel is appropriate. I consider the matter closed.
Macet: I'm not sure I would be so generous in your place, Captain. Thank you.
Picard: If there is to be a lasting peace, Gul Macet, neither you nor I must allow any one man to undermine our efforts.
Macet: There are those who crave war, who need it. I am not one of them, Captain, and I'm beginning to see that neither are you. We have had our full measure. The lasting peace begins here, with the two of us.
Data: Bridge to Captain.
Picard: Picard here.
Data: We have located the Phoenix, sir. We will intercept it in twenty two minutes.
Picard: Captain's log, stardate 44431.7. We have established communication with Captain Maxwell, and he has agreed to come on board.
Riker: Welcome aboard, sir. I'm Commander Riker, First Officer.
Maxwell: I know all about you, Commander. Fine work you did with the Borg. We all owe you on that one.
Riker: Thank you, sir.
Maxwell: O'Brien? Miles O'Brien?
O'Brien: Hello, Captain. Good to see you again.
Maxwell: How are you? I had no idea you were on the Enterprise. This was my Tactical Officer on the Rutledge. Best I ever had.
O'Brien: Thank you, sir.
Maxwell: O'Brien has the ability to size up a situation instantly, then come up with options to fit all contingencies. Remarkable.
O'Brien: Well, if that's true, I learned it from you, sir.
Maxwell: But you got that silver tongue by kissing the stone, right? Well, Commander, best I see your Captain straight away. We've got a lot to talk about.
Riker: Yes, sir.
Riker: Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Captain Benjamin Maxwell.
Picard: That'll be all, Commander.
Picard: Captain.
Maxwell: A pleasure, Captain.
Picard: Please, sit down.
Maxwell: You must think I've gone mad.
Picard: The thought had occurred.
Maxwell: Picard, I have to tell you I was grateful when I realized it was you Starfleet sent after me. Somebody who knows what it's really like out here.
Picard: I know of nothing out here that could possibly justify what you have done.
Maxwell: Then listen to this. The Cardassians are arming again. That so-called science station? Military supply port.
Picard: How do you know this?
Maxwell: Information comes my way.
Picard: From whom? Where is your documentation?
Maxwell: I know what they're doing. I can smell it. There's no good reason for a science station in the Cuellar System, but it's a hell of a strategic site for a military transport station. A jumping-off point into three Federation sectors. They're running supply ships back and forth and nobody's going to tell me it's for scientific research.
Picard: But whatever circumstances you encountered, why didn't you notify Starfleet?
Maxwell: And wait six months while the bureaucrats sit around reading reports, trying to figure out what to do? They don't know what's going on out here. But you should, Picard. You know what it's like to be under fire.
Picard: You weren't under fire.
Maxwell: Lives were at stake.
Picard: Whose lives?
Maxwell: We had to act now.
Picard: Why?
Maxwell: It smells musty in here. Like a bureaucrat's office.
Picard: You have killed nearly seven hundred people and you have taken us to the brink of war.
Maxwell: I have prevented war, or at the very least delayed it a good long time. The peace treaty was a ruse, to give them breathing room, time to regroup.
Picard: And so all alone you decided to dispose of the treaty.
Maxwell: I took the initiative. I did what had to be done.
Picard: What had to be done? For whom? Why does a man with a long and brilliant service abandon the fundamental principles that he has believed in, even fought for, all his life? I believe it is because of what they did to your wife and your children.
Maxwell: Not true. Not true.
Picard: To avenge their deaths.
Maxwell: You're a fool, Picard. History will look at you and say this man was a fool.
Picard: I'll accept the judgment of history.
Maxwell: When it becomes clear what the Cardassians have done, I will be vindicated.
Picard: What the Cardassians have or have not done is irrelevant.
Maxwell: Irrelevant? Come with me. Find one of their supply ships and we'll see how irrelevant it is.
Picard: We're not going after any more Cardassian ships. You're going to return to your bridge and set a course for Starbase two one one. The Phoenix and the Enterprise will return to Federation space together. Those are Starfleet's orders. I will permit you the dignity of retaining your command during the voyage. The only alternative is to put you in the brig and to tow your ship back to starbase in disgrace.
Maxwell: I will return to my ship.
Picard: You understand your orders?
Maxwell: Yes, Captain.
Picard: Mister Worf, report to my Ready room. My guest is departing.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental. With the Phoenix in close formation, we are proceeding directly to Starbase two one one.
Picard: Mister Data, how long until we clear Cardassian space?
Data: At our present speed, three hours, twenty minutes, sir.
Picard: Mister Worf, send a message to Admiral Haden at Starfleet. Inform him of our projected time of arrival.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Data: Captain, the Phoenix has changed course.
Macet: What is he doing?
Picard: Ensign, change course to pursue. Mister Worf, will you hail Captain Maxwell?
Worf: No response, sir.
Riker: Data, project his new course.
Data: Sir, the Phoenix is heading directly for a Cardassian vessel point one two light years from our location.
Macet: He'll attack that ship just as he did the others.
Picard: Continue the hail, Mister Worf. Priority one message. Do you know what that ship might be?
Macet: I imagine it's a supply ship, headed for the research station in the Kelrabi system.
Worf: The Phoenix still does not respond, sir.
Picard: Ensign, warp eight. Overtake him.
Data: Captain, the Phoenix has accelerated to warp nine. We will not be able to reach him before he intercepts the Cardassian ship.
Picard: Ensign, warp nine.
Ensign: Aye, sir.
Picard: Mister Worf, arm phasers. Continue the hail.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Riker: Captain, Chief O'Brien was Maxwell's Tactical officer.
Picard: Get him up here.
Data: Sir, the Phoenix has dropped out of warp. They have reached the Cardassian vessel.
Riker: Slow to impulse.
Worf: Vessels are within visual range.
Picard: On screen.
Riker: Has the Phoenix activated its weapon systems?
Data: Negative, sir. Their phaser banks are not armed.
Riker: What about the Cardassians?
Data: Our sensors are unable to determine status of the Cardassian defensive systems. Their ship is running with a high powered subspace field.
Picard: Mister O'Brien, your former Commander, a Federation Captain, is about to place me in the position of firing on his ship. I need your knowledge of the man. How he thinks, what he's capable of doing.
O'Brien: Aye, sir.
Worf: Sir, Captain Maxwell is hailing us.
Picard: On screen.
Maxwell: All right, Picard. You need proof? You've got it now.
Picard: Captain Maxwell, you have disobeyed a direct order.
Maxwell: Board the ship, you'll see that everything I've been saying is true.
Picard: The Cardassian vessel will not be boarded. You will transport yourself aboard the Enterprise
Maxwell: Picard, if you don't board that ship, I'll destroy it.
Picard: And I will use whatever force is necessary to prevent you from taking that action, Captain.
O'Brien: Sir, Captain Maxwell, if he feels his back is to the wall, he'll strike.
Data: Captain, the Phoenix is transferring power to its shields.
Worf: They're arming phasers and loading forward torpedo bays.
Picard: Red alert. It seems you were right, Mister O'Brien. Ready phasers, load torpedoes.
Worf: Phasers armed. Loading forward and aft torpedo bays.
O'Brien: Sir, let me beam over. Try to talk to him. We served together a long time. When you've been through what we have, you tend to get inside someone. He might listen.
Riker: He'd never drop his shields and allow you to transport on board.
O'Brien: The Phoenix is using a high energy sensor system. It cycles every five point five minutes. Between cycles there's a window of a fiftieth of a second. Trust me, I can get through.
Picard: Make it so.
Maxwell: Not now!
O'Brien: I'm not armed.
Maxwell: How the devil did you get over here?
O'Brien: I had the thought that if we could talk we could figure a way out of this mess.
Maxwell: The way out of this is clear. Talk to Picard. Get him to board the damned ship.
O'Brien: He won't do that, sir.
Maxwell: But he'd turn his weapons on a Federation Starship to protect the enemy? I don't believe it.
O'Brien: He will. Count on it.
Maxwell: What the hell has happened to this war?
O'Brien: Sir, there is no war. The war is over.
Maxwell: You're wrong. The Cardassians live to make war.
O'Brien: That's what everybody thinks about the enemy. That's probably what they think about us.
Maxwell: We're not the same at all. We do not start wars. We do not make surprise attacks on manned outposts. We do not butcher women and children in their homes. Children who never got the chance to grow up. You were with me on Setlick. You saw what they did.
O'Brien: Yes, sir.
Maxwell: What was the name of the fellow who always hung around you like a puppy?
O'Brien: Will Kayden. Stompie.
Maxwell: Stompie. As cool under fire as a mountain lake.
O'Brien: Yes, sir.
Maxwell: He died at Setlick, didn't he?
O'Brien: Yes, sir.
Maxwell: What was that song of his? The one he always sang, the one I liked?
O'Brien: The minstrel boy to the war has gone. In the ranks of death you will find him.
Both: His father's sword he hath girded on and his wild harp slung behind him. Land of song, said the warrior bard, tho' all the world betrays thee. One sword at least thy rights shall guard.
O'Brien: One faithful harp shall praise thee.
Maxwell: I'm not going to win this one, am I. Chief?
O'Brien: No, sir.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental. Captain Maxwell has turned his ship over to his First Officer and transported aboard the Enterprise. I have confined him to quarters for the return voyage.
Picard: Thank you, Chief.
O'Brien: I'd just like to say, sir, he was a good man. What he did was terribly wrong, I know that now, but I'm still proud to have served with him.
Picard: Thank you, Chief, and well done. That'll be all.
Macet: His loyalty is admirable, even if it is misplaced.
Picard: The loyalty you would so quickly dismiss does not come easily to my people, Gul Macet. You have much to learn about us. Benjamin Maxwell earned the loyalty of those who served with him. You know, in war, he was twice honored with the Federation's highest citation for courage and valor. And if he could not find a role for himself in peace, we can pity him, but we shall not dismiss him.
Macet: You are welcome to your opinion, Captain. I, for one, am grateful he is under lock and key.
Picard: One more thing, Macet. Maxwell was right. Those ships were not carrying scientific equipment, were they? A research station within arm's reach of three Federation sectors? Cargo ships running with high energy subspace fields that jam sensors?
Macet: If you believed the transport ship was carrying weapons, Captain, why didn't you board it as Maxwell requested?
Picard: I was here to protect the peace. A peace that I firmly believe is in the interests of both our peoples. If I had attempted to board that ship I am quite certain that you and I would not be having this pleasant conversation, and that ships on both sides would now be arming for war.
Macet: Captain, I assure you.
Picard: Take this message to your leaders, Gul Macet. We'll be watching.


Marley: You don't believe in me.
Data: I don't.
Marley: What evidence would you have of my reality beyond that of your senses?
Data: I don't know.
Marley: Why do you doubt your senses?
Data: Because a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. Why, there's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are. Humbug, I tell you. Humbug.
Picard: Freeze program. Very well done, Data. Your performance skills really are improving.
Data: Your courtesy is appreciated, sir. But I am aware that I do not effectively convey the fear called for in this scene.
Picard: Well, you've never known fear, Data. But as an acute observer of behavior, you should be able to approximate it.
Data: Sir, that is not an appropriate basis for an effective performance. Not by the standards set by my mentors.
Picard: Your mentors?
Data: Yes, sir. I have studied the philosophies of virtually every known acting master. I find myself attracted to Stanislavsky, Adler, Garnav. Proponents of an acting technique known as the Method.
Picard: Method acting? I'm vaguely familiar with it, but why would you choose such an old-fashioned approach?
Data: Perhaps because the technique requires an actor to seek his own emotional awareness to understand the character he plays.
Picard: But surely that's an impossible task for you, Data.
Data: Sir, I have modified the Method for my own uses. Since I have no emotional awareness to create a performance, I am attempting to use performance to create emotional awareness. I believe if I can learn to duplicate the fear of Ebenezer Scrooge, I will be one step closer to truly understanding humanity.
Riker: Captain Picard, please report to the Bridge.
Picard: On my way, Number One. Data, the moment you decided to stop imitating other actors and create your own interpretation, you were already one step closer to understanding humanity.
Riker: We've received an emergency transmission from the science station on Ventax Two, sir.
Picard: What's the nature of the emergency?
Riker: Uncertain. The signal was interrupted.
Worf: Contact reestablished with Ventax Two, sir.
Riker: On screen.
Clark: I am Doctor Howard Clark, director of the science station here on Ventax Two. Thank you for responding.
Picard: Worf, can you improve our reception?
Worf: The trouble is at the transmission source, sir.
Picard: Doctor Clark, we are barely able maintain communication with you. Can you boost the level of your power source?
Clark: I'm afraid not, Captain. It's under attack.
Picard: Under attack?
Clark: There's a mob outside the door, trying to break into the station. The planet is in chaos. Lootings, fires, mass hysteria. These people are all convinced their world is coming to an end. Tomorrow. Please, we must have your immediate
Picard: Captain's log, stardate 44474.5. We have reached Ventax Two and are attempting to contact the Federation science station, which at last report was under siege by an angry mob.
Worf: They are transmitting again.
Picard: On screen, before we lose contact.
Clark: Enterprise, Enterprise! Do you read me? Emergency! We need help!
Picard: Doctor Clark, this is Captain Picard. We are ready to beam you and your staff on board the
Clark: They're in!
Picard: Transporter room three. Lock onto the science team and beam them aboard.
Chief: I've locked onto Doctor Clark. I can't pick out the others. It's a mess down there.
Picard: Then beam Doctor Clark aboard by himself.
Chief: Yes, Captain.
Picard: Mister Worf, will you escort him to my ready room.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Picard: Number One, try to make some sense out of this mess.
Clark: The people in Ventax Two live in an agrarian society. At least, they do now.
Picard: What do you mean, now?
Clark: It's an interesting anthropological question. One we were studying before the trouble began. In the distant past, the Ventaxian culture had achieved an extremely advanced scientific level, but a millennium ago they turned their backs on technology.
Picard: They reverted to a simpler existence?
Clark: And remained that way for centuries. First contact was made by a Klingon expedition seventy years ago. Since then, the new technology has been available to the Ventaxians. They simply are not interested in it. Virtually no social problems to be found on this planet, In fact, I would have described their society as idyllic until
Picard: Until what, Doctor?
Clark: It's hard to believe. Several years ago, Acost Jared, the Ventaxian head of state, began to grow increasingly obsessed with the legend of Ardra. With each passing day, he grew more anxious, and he talked about little else. Ardra is coming back. Ardra will be here soon. We must all leave before Ardra returns.
Picard: And who is this Ardra?
Clark: For all intents and purposes, the devil. Captain, these people actually believe they've sold their souls to the devil.
Riker: Riker to Captain Picard.
Picard: Have you located the science team, Number One?
Riker: Evidently they're being held hostage.
Clark: Hostage?
Riker: There's a Ventaxian leader on the viewscreen, name of Acost Jared.
Picard: Doctor.
Clark: Jared, you must secure the release of my people. I can't believe you would allow this.
Jared: Howard, my friend, you know how I abhor all acts of violence, but events are out of my control.
Picard: I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Is there nothing you can do?
Jared: As the hour of Ardra's return approaches, fear has overwhelmed my people. It has been a thousand years. The prophecies have come true.
Picard: Prophecies?
Clark: Ardra's arrival was supposed to be heralded by the shaking of the cities. Now there has been a series of geological tremors on the planet. Minor quakes, nothing extraordinary.
Picard: Poorly timed.
Jared: There is more. For several nights there have been visions of Ardra. Again, just as the contract said would occur before her return.
Picard: Visions? Do you mean dreams?
Jared: No. She has appeared. I myself have seen her.
Picard: Jared, tell your people, if the hostages are released, I am prepared to offer Federation assistance should this, this Ardra return.
Jared: I am afraid it will not matter. They know your weapons are useless against her, Captain. I will make inquiries concerning the hostages. The innocent should not suffer from our sins. But I can make no promises.
Troi: This situation is deteriorating, Captain. The people are approaching levels of anxiety that could lead to suicide.
Picard: Mister Data, what do we know about this Ardra?
Data: She is a cornerstone of Ventaxian theology. It seems that Ardra came to Ventax Two and promised one thousand years of peace and prosperity, for a price. Upon her return, she would enslave the entire population. In Ventaxian culture, it is considered bad luck to speak her name out loud.
Clark: There are ancient scrolls concerning Ardra that are stored in the Athenaeum vaults. Scholars study them. They have been of little public interest until recently
Picard: I think I should meet with this Acost Jared. He's still our best hope for the release of the hostages.
Riker: I'll arrange to have him transported on board.
Picard: No. I'm going down to the planet myself.
Worf: Sir, you run the risk of being taken as an additional hostage
Picard: Mister Worf, you and Mister Data will accompany me. Mister O'Brien can keep a lock on our communicators. He can pull us out if necessary.
Worf: Yes, sir.
Picard: Counselor, I want you to come too.
Jared: Captain Picard, you shouldn't have come. Your life is in danger here.
Picard: You must calm your people. There is no reason for panic.
Jared: No reason?
Picard: If the tremors have frightened people, leading to this hysteria over Ardra, let us reassure them.
Data: We have scanned the tectonic stress patterns of your planet's crust. There is no evidence that the quakes pose any kind of threat.
Jared: No, no, no, the threat is from Ardra. You cannot understand.
Picard: If you can at least help us locate our people.
Jared: She is here.
Picard: Nonsense. It is only
Ardra: Time's up. I'm disappointed. I expected my tenants to take better care of my property.
Jared: Ardra, most powerful one, I am Jared, Leader of Ventax Two. I take responsibility for all that displeases you. Please, do not punish my people.
Ardra: Punish? Who said anything about punishing? I merely expect your end of our contract to be upheld.
Jared: Thank you, Ardra.
Ardra: And don't talk like some ancient prophet around me, with thees and thous and most powerful ones. It was appealing for a few centuries, but I bore easily. And stop cowering. When I want you on your knees, I'll let you know. Much better. a fine example for the others. Who would you be?
Picard: I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise.
Ardra: Keep up the good work. Now, the first thing we'll need is an accounting of all you've been accumulating for me. This form will provide guidelines for a full census of the population, with emphasis on productivity and economic forecasts.
Picard: Who are you?
Ardra: My, you are forceful, aren't you? Good. I like my men to be forceful. At least at the start.
Picard: If your intent is to intimidate, you are not succeeding.
Ardra: That's all right. I like a challenge.
Troi: An entire planet has been terrorized because of the suggestion that you're going to enslave the population.
Ardra: Well, it's true. Of course, I wouldn't put it so melodramatically. It's just a standard contract with an unusually long term.
Data: So you do purport to be the mythic figure Ardra?
Ardra: I have many names, my pale friend. I'm Mendora in the Berussian Cluster. Torak to the Drellians. The Klingons call me Fek'lhr.
Worf: You are not Fek'lhr.
Fek'Lhr: Ah, but I am I am the Guardian of Gre'thor. Where the dishonored go when they die.
Ardra: But here on Ventax Two, I am called Ardra. The same Ardra who negotiated a contract with these people ten centuries ago today. Oh, you doubt me. A non-believer. Really, Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise, no doubt you have traveled the galaxy, encountered a diverse universe of creatures. Is there no room for the likes of me?
Picard: I have encountered many who more credibly could be called the devil than you.
Ardra: The devil! Now there's one I haven't heard in a long time.
Picard: You claim you visited this planet a thousand years ago and negotiated a contract?
Ardra: That's correct.
Picard: I would like to see that contract.
Jared: The scrolls of Ardra, Captain.
Ardra: A long-winded description of a very simple business arrangement. I did away with their wars, famine and economic ruin, and provided them a thousand years of paradise. My terms were clearly stated. They went into this with their eyes open. I'm sure you'll find everything is in order.
Picard: You won't mind if I don't take your word for it? Jared, with your permission, I'd like Mister Data will review these scrolls thoroughly.
Jared: It is no longer my decision, Captain.
Ardra: I have intrigued you, haven't I, Picard?
Picard: I am only here to secure the release of the Federation hostages.
Ardra: Hostages? Is this true?
Jared: Yes, Ardra. Panic gripped the people as the time of your return grew closer.
Ardra: Yes, I do have that effect on people. See that the hostages are released. Now.
Jared: Immediately.
Ardra: Let us not cloud this with bit players, Picard. You will not leave because you find me irresistible.
Picard: Enterprise, advise Doctor Clark that the hostages are being released.
Clark: This is Clark. You did it, Captain. Thank goodness.
Picard: Goodness had nothing to do with it. Three to beam up. Mister Data will remain on the surface. Data, I want a complete report on the contents of these documents. I refuse to abandon this planet to that woman. Energize.
Riker: Could she be another refugee from the Q continuum?
Crusher: For that matter, could she be Q?
Picard: Q would never bother with contracts.
Troi: Or economic forecasts.
Picard: I noticed that too, Counselor. I had the distinct impression of in the presence of a flim-flam artist.
Worf: But her powers?
Picard: Her powers are, at the best, unclear. Think about it, Mister Worf. Transporter technology can make things appear and disappear. The illusion that she can transform herself into a Klingon creature could be created by holographic projection.
Clark: And creating a minor tremor could be the result of a low frequency tractor beam projected against the tectonic plates.
Picard: We are capable of recreating all of these events. It's just that she dresses them up and she delivers them with more dramatic flair.
Crusher: Like a magician.
Picard: Exactly.
Troi: She has an incredibly focused mind. It was virtually impossible to sense any deception. Or anything else, for that matter.
Laforge: The best magicians will never let you see what's up their sleeve, Counselor.
Riker: She must be tapping into some sort of power source to produce these effects. She's not hiding that up her sleeve.
Picard: Number One, I want you and Mister Worf to run high resolution scans of this star system. Look for a ship, a base of operations, anything large enough to generate that power. Mister La Forge, accompany Doctor Clark back to the science station. See if you can trace the origin of these tremors.
Ardra: Your chair offers a lovely view of my planet, Picard. Come, sit with me.
Picard: Either leave my Bridge or I will remove you by force.
Ardra: By force? You disappoint me. You didn't strike me as that sort, Picard, But by all means, try.
Picard: Mister Worf.
Ardra: I was really hoping you'd try it yourself.
Picard: Transporter room three, lock on to the intruder and transport her to the planet surface.
Crewman: Aye, sir.
Picard: Ensign, put up the shields until further notice.
Ardra: Yes, sir, Captain. Whatever you say.
Riker: We are not impressed by your magic tricks.
Ardra: I pity you. We live in a universe of magic, which evidently you cannot see. Ah, my pale friend has returned. Have you finished examining the contract?
Data: I have, sir.
Picard: Report, Mister Data.
Data: The contract agrees to deliver the people of Ventax Two into the personal servitude of Ardra after one thousand years of peace. I have compared the terms to the body of laws which govern the planet. The language of the agreement is correct in every detail, sir.
Ardra: Such speed and accuracy. You're much too talented to be human.
Data: I am an android.
Ardra: Android. Of course. How wonderful. An unexpected bonus.
Riker: Bonus?
Ardra: Yes. When the contract came to term, I gained clear title to the planet, anything on the surface, in the air or in orbit. So you see, the Enterprise belongs to me now as well.
Data: I'm afraid the contract could be interpreted in that way, sir.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental. Although I consider this woman's claim upon my ship to be an empty threat, it has further inspired my determination to expose her for the fraud she is.
Picard: Come.
Data: You wished to see me, sir?
Picard: Yes, Mister Data. A wise man once said, there is a sucker born every minute.
Data: Barnum, sir. PT.
Picard: I've been examining the dynamics of what used to be called the con game. Quite fascinating. Worthy of your study, Data.
Data: Sir, do you believe Ardra is, to use the vernacular, a con artist?
Picard: Yes, I do, Data. And I believe it is our job to out-con the con artist.
Data: Sir, I must point out that the Ventaxians did have one thousand years of peace and tranquility as promised by Ardra.
Picard: We can only speculate what occurred on that planet a thousand years ago. Maybe a Ventaxian leader saw the destruction of his society at hand and he conceived this Contract of Ardra to motivate change. Or maybe there was an Ardra of some sort who is the basis of this mythology. Who knows? The point is that somehow a fundamental theology was created which transformed this society, but in the process of change, created this latent fear which has been passed down through generations. Data, from your own experience of performing Ebenezer Scrooge, you're aware how fear can be a very powerful motivator.
Data: Indeed, sir. In the story, the spirits used fear to motivate Scrooge to reform his character.
Picard: And in the hands of a con artist, fear can be used to motivate obedience, capitulation, the exploitation of innocent people. And that is what I believe has happened here. I intend to prove that. I need to find a loophole, some way of challenging the validity of this contract.
Data: Sir, the language of the contract seems carefully chosen to avoid any loopholes.
Picard: Check it again, Mister Data, and check every Ventaxian legal precedent for the last one thousand years. We'll talk again in the morning.
Data: Aye, sir,
Picard: Picard to Bridge. Intruder alert. Picard to Bridge.
Ardra: Oh, I've arranged for a bit of privacy.
Ardra: Just the two of us.
Picard: This is becoming very tiresome.
Ardra: Oh, come now, Picard. You know you find me tantalizing. Give in to your desires.
Picard: You know, there's nothing about you I find tantalizing. On the contrary, I find you obvious and vulgar.
Ardra: Easily fixed. I can be your ideal woman, Picard. Prim and proper. And chaste, until I succumb to your charms. Or would your fantasies turn more toward a professional woman, one perhaps who wears a Starfleet uniform? Perhaps I could even be
Troi: Someone close at hand and yet unattainable. I can do anything for you, Captain. Anything you could ever imagine.
Ardra: I could give you a night that would light fire in your dreams until you die and you would reject me?
Picard: Oh, yes.
Ardra: You shall regret that.
Picard: I think not.
Ardra: Oh, but you will.
Laforge: Captain Picard? Captain, I wasn't expecting you here.
Picard: Neither was I.
Laforge: La Forge to Enterprise.
Worf: Go ahead.
Laforge: Worf, Captain Picard is here.
Laforge: You'd better transport him back on board.
Worf: The Captain? But I have no
Picard: It's all right, Mister Worf.
Picard: Ardra somehow transported me here. Will you beam me directly to my quarters.
Worf: Aye, sir. We're locked on to you.
Worf: Transporter is malfunctioning, Captain.
Worf: Some sort of interference. Checking.
Picard: Just have Mister Data fetch me in a shuttle. And have him bring along a uniform.
Worf: Did you say uniform?
Picard: Yes, I did.
Worf: Aye, sir.
Picard: Mister La Forge and Doctor Clark have made no headway. Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf have picked nothing up anything on their scans.
Data: Sir, I believe I have found an obscure precedent in Ventaxian law which may be of interest.
Picard: Yes?
Data: The case involves a contract dispute over services rendered by a Klingon craftsman on the construction of a Ventaxian home. Because the dispute involved an alien culture, the parties decided that arbitration rather than the courts, should resolve the issue. Both sides agreed to choose an arbiter. It is the only known case involving an alien claimant.
Picard: That's exactly what I needed. Well done, Data.
Data: Shuttlecraft One to Enterprise. Prepare for docking sequence
Riker: Proceed, Shuttle One.
Picard: Enterprise. Enterprise, do you read me? Enterprise, come in.
Data: I cannot locate the Enterprise anywhere within one light year of the planet, sir.
Picard: I don't believe Ardra is capable of transporting the Enterprise a light year away. Keep hailing them, Mister Data. Repeat on all frequencies.
Laforge: Hey, I think we've found something here. There's a sudden jump in Z-particle readings just about the time the Enterprise disappeared.
Picard: Where did it originate?
Clark: It was too brief to pinpoint.
Laforge: But it could suggest a hidden power source.
Picard: Gentlemen, we need to find that source if we are to defeat this woman.
Laforge: Well, if you can get her to perform a few more magic tricks like that one, we just might be able to track it down.
Ardra: So, I trust you have a bit more respect for me now.
Picard: What have you done with my ship?
Ardra: I've done nothing with your ship. My ship is safely in my possession.
Picard: I do not recognize your claim on the Enterprise. Nor on this world, for that matter. In accordance with Ventaxian legal precedent, I call for an arbitration.
Ardra: An arbitration? There's nothing here to arbitrate.
Picard: Oh, but there is. You're a fraud, madame, and I intend to prove that you could not have affected the changes that took place on this planet.
Ardra: Do you not believe what you see with your own eyes? Your ship is gone, Captain.
Picard: An illusion. Magicians have been making things of all sorts disappear for ages.
Ardra: You underestimate me. But then, most people do, until it's too late.
Picard: If you are who you say you are, then you have nothing to lose.
Ardra: I also have nothing to gain. I already have possession of this planet and your ship.
Picard: I am prepared to offer an added incentive. If you win, I'll take you to the ruins of Ligillium.
Ardra: The Zaterl Emerald? You know where it is?
Picard: Yes, I do.
Ardra: Oh, you are too clever. But I have enough jewels. If you wish this foolish arbitration, I will choose my own prize.
Picard: And what would that be?
Ardra: You. By all rights, your body is already mine, but I want more. I want your heart, your mind, your soul, and I want you to give them to me without resistance, of your own free will. So, do you still wish to pursue this most dangerous game?
Picard: I agree to your terms.
Ardra: Oh, Picard, I will enjoy you morning, noon and night.
Picard: But we must agree to an arbiter.
Ardra: Very well. I choose Mister Data. Any objections?
Picard: But Mister Data is a member of my crew.
Ardra: Of my crew. And he's an android. He is incapable of deceit or bias. He has no feelings to get in the way of his judgment.
Data: Ardra, before he responds, may I have a word in private with Captain Picard?
Data: Sir, I request you reject me as arbitrator.
Picard: Why?
Data: Ardra is right. If I am chosen, I will perform my duties without bias or sentiment. I cannot guarantee I will deliver a verdict in your favor.
Picard: Data, where else on this planet can I find someone she cannot intimidate?
Data: Sir, I will have to follow the rules of conduct for a Ventaxian jurist.
Picard: I understand. You'll make a fine judge.
Jared: A thousand years ago our planet was dying. Overcrowded and dangerous city states warred unceasingly with each other. The air and water were polluted with industrial waste and there was a constant threat of starvation and epidemic.
Ardra: And then what happened?
Jared: And then you came.
Picard: Objection. There is no conclusive evidence that this woman ever visited the planet a thousand years ago.
Ardra: I suppose you want a thousand year old witness?
Picard: That would be acceptable.
Ardra: Jared. In the contract, does it specify how you would know me when I return?
Jared: Yes by the date.
Ardra: Anything else?
Jared: by the shaking of the cities, and by the visions.
Ardra: And all of these occurred on schedule?
Jared: Yes.
Ardra: Thank you. Your honor, I submit that I have established my identity as stated by the contract.
Data: Captain Picard, my interpretation of Ventaxian law suggests under these circumstances, this is acceptable. Your objection is overruled.
Picard: But, your honor!
Data: Sir, I have ruled. Please sit down. You may proceed.
Ardra: Thank you, your Honor. Now, when I first set foot on Ventax Two, what did I offer your people?
Jared: According to the scrolls, you offered us a thousand years of peace and prosperity, if we would promise to surrender ourselves to you at the end of the term.
Ardra: Now why do you think they would strike such a bargain?
Jared: We had nothing to lose. There was no hope in sight.
Ardra: Until I came along.
Picard: Objection!
Ardra: I withdraw the observation. No further questions.
Picard: Your Honor, nothing in this testament proves that Ardra had the power to affect the lives of the Ventaxians. My opponent has failed to prove her case and I move that her claim be summarily dismissed.
Data: I find no cause to invalidate the contract at this time. The arbitration will continue.
Ardra: Your Honor, Captain Picard as a new visitor to my planet has been a consistent doubter of my abilities. I would like to ask him a few questions, if I may.
Data: It is highly irregular to question the opposing advocate, but I see no reason to deny it. Proceed.
Ardra: Please don't take any offense at these questions, you know how fond I am of you.
Picard: Objection.
Data: Sustained. The advocate will refrain from expressing personal affections for her opponent.
Ardra: You do not believe my powers are real, do you.
Picard: No, I don't.
Ardra: Then, sir, may I ask you to explain this.
Data: You are out of order.
Ardra: Or this?
Data: The advocate will refrain from making her opponent disappear.
Ardra: Or this?
Devil: Can you explain it, Picard?
Data: Any more disruptions and I will rule you in contempt of court. Is that understood?
Ardra: I am sorry, your Honor, but can you explain it, Picard? Yes or no.
Picard: No.
Ardra: I rest my case, your Honor.
Clark: The decay rate of these Z-particles makes it almost impossible to trace the source.
Laforge: I'm correlating particle trajectories. They're beginning to align. Wait a minute. I have coordinates thirty four degrees north, sixty two degrees east, at an altitude of two hundred ten kilometers.
Clark: That would put it in orbit above the western magnetic pole, Running visual scan. Nothing.
Laforge: This time, I don't buy the magic. Something's got to be there.
Picard: Jared, you've described quite thoroughly the history of your people before and after Ardra's first visit. But I am a little unclear about the change itself. Did Ardra simply snap her fingers and transform the planet into this paradise?
Jared: No, the changes occurred gradually over a long period of time.
Picard: Did she personally form the government that so peacefully ruled this planet for a millennium?
Jared: No, historical records indicate a council was convened to assess our options. They drew up a new constitution which the population later ratified.
Picard: I see. So she advised this council?
Jared: No.
Picard: No? Then she must have destroyed all the weapons on the planet.
Jared: No, our leaders did that. And they signed a treaty of non-aggression.
Picard: Well then, let's move on to the environmental gains on Ventax Two. How were those accomplished
Jared: We shifted our economy from an industrial to an agrarian base. It was more ecologically sound.
Picard: But Ardra must have purified the polluted water and air?
Jared: No, the record shows there were a series of initiatives covering everything from atmospheric contaminants to waste disposal.
Picard: Did she not even pick up one piece of trash?
Jared: Ardra had left Ventax Two before the environmental reforms began.
Picard: Forgive me, but it sounds as if with a great deal of hard work and courage, your ancestors changed this world all by themselves.
Ardra: Objection. The advocate is drawing conclusions.
Data: Sustained. I will draw my own conclusions, if you do not mind. Sir.
Picard: No further questions.
Data: Rebuttal?
Ardra: Just two questions. Is there any doubt in your mind, any doubt at all, that if I had not intervened, the terrible conditions here would have continued? I remind you that you're under oath.
Jared: No doubt at all.
Ardra: Then, as former head of state for the Ventaxian people, you are satisfied that I fulfillled my part of the bargain?
Jared: Yes, Ardra.
Ardra: Thank you. Your Honor, what more can be said? Both sides agree the terms of the contract have been fulfillled.
Data: Captain Picard, do you have any further evidence to present before I render judgment?
Picard: I believe my associate, Mister La Forge, may be bringing the answer to that question. I request a recess.
Laforge: Hi, Data.
Data: Geordi. One hour recess is granted.
Picard: Mister La Forge, my reputation as a litigator, not to mention my immortal soul, is in serious jeopardy.
Laforge: Well, whatever's been going on over here gave us exactly what we needed.
Picard: Have you identified the source of her power?
Laforge: A cloaked ship.
Picard: She has a Romulan cloaking device?
Laforge: More likely a bad copy of one. We picked it up through a wavelength stretchout.
Picard: The Enterprise?
Laforge: Exactly where it's supposed to be. Ardra extended her cloaking shields around it, set up a subspace damping field to interfere with normal operations. I've isolated the frequency spread and penetrated the field.
Picard: Can you make contact?
Laforge: Already have.
Picard: This is what I want to do, but we have less than an hour.
Picard: Jared, you're a wise and experienced leader, and I assume you trust your senses?
Jared: Yes, I would say so.
Picard: And all your senses tell you that this woman here is the most powerful force on this planet, don't they?
Jared: Yes.
Picard: Then what would you say if I were to tell you that she has no powers whatsoever?
Jared: But we have seen her powers here.
Ardra: That's right, and you will again.
Picard: Oh, yes. Ardra's magic. Jared, would you believe me if I told you that I could steal her powers and perform the same magical acts as she?
Jared: I'm sorry, Captain Picard, but you are not Ardra.
Picard: No, that's true. I'm not Ardra. but I can create tremors just as she did.
Ardra: Objection, your honor!
Data: I think he deserves some leeway. Overruled. But that will be quite enough, Captain.
Picard: Of course. Ardra, will you would do the honors and stop the tremors?
Ardra: Er, of course.
Picard: Is something the matter?
Ardra: I like the tremors.
Picard: Well, I don't.
Picard: You Recognize the old bag of tricks? What about this one? Come back, Ardra, if you can. No? Fine, allow me
Ardra: Of all the impudence.
Picard: Impudence?
Fek'Lhr: Impudence is pretending to be Fek'lhr of Klingon.
Data: Your leeway has run out, Captain.
Picard: Your Honor, I appreciate your indulgence. Allow me to explain. A team from the Enterprise has taken control of this woman's ship now in orbit around Ventax Two. Thank you for your help, Number One.
Riker: Glad to be of service, sir.
Picard: They have been monitoring me on my communicator, executing a prearranged program on her ship's computer, a fairly ingenious combination of force-field projection, holography and transporter effects. Ardra controls her magic literally by the blink of an eye. Centuries old technology. An implant which permits the movements of her eye to choose and activate each illusion. Ardra once told us that she is known by many names. Well, at least in that she was being honest. Her crew has admitted that she is known by twenty three aliases in this sector alone.
Ardra: You had no right
Picard: Deceiving innocent people with her petty schemes for years. Ventax Two must have offered her the greatest opportunity of her nefarious career. She learned of the myth of Ardra, studied it and expertly played on your fears that your people were ready to virtually surrender to her.
Ardra: Your Honor, under the circumstances, I believe it is only fair that I release the Ventaxians from their obligation and I will let them keep the peace they have, and I will just be on my way.
Data: With the advocate's withdrawal, the contract is hereby dissolved. This arbitration is adjourned.
Jared: Thank you, Captain Picard. You saved our lives.
Picard: No, Jared. As I've tried to tell you, you saved your own lives a long time ago.
Data: Congratulations, sir.
Picard: Your Honor.
Ardra: You would have had a lot more fun if you'd lost. Till we meet again, Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise.


Picard: Captain's log, stardate 44502.7. Early completion of our mission at Harrakis Five has allowed me to grant extra personal time for many of the crew. This has come as something of a relief, since our recent tight scheduling has prevented pursuit of the leisure activities that are a normal part of life aboard the Enterprise. I expect our journey past the Ngame Nebula to be uneventful, and am personally using the time to fulfilll a promise to a colleague.
Guinan: Dixon Hill around?
Madeline: He's occupied at the present moment.
Guinan: Tell him Gloria's here.
Madeline: Can't do that. He doesn't want to be disturbed.
Guinan: Tell him it's Gloria from Cleveland.
Madeline: Doesn't matter if you're from the moon, hon. Mister Hill is incommuni, incommunica, ka
Guinan: Incommunicado.
Madeline: That's it. Sorry, hon.
Guinan: Look, hon. Just tell him Gloria's here.
Madeline: Look, when the boss doesn't want to be disturbed, the boss doesn't want to be disturbed. Don't take it personal, like.
Guinan: I have an appointment with Mister Hill at two o'clock.
Madeline: It's two ten.
Guinan: So I had a little trouble getting into the dress. It took me a little while to figure out exactly what I was supposed to do with these.
Madeline: Sorry, Dix. There's a lady here to see you, says her name is
Guinan: Gloria
Madeline: Gloria.
Guinan: From Cleveland.
Madeline: From Cleveland. Okay. He never heard of you.
Guinan: He's never heard of me?
Madeline: That's right.
Guinan: Oh, wait, I think you don't understand. You see, this was all been set up in advance. You see, I'm supposed to be Gloria from Cleveland, and I was supposed to be on holodeck number four at two o'clock and you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, do you. Not to worry.
Madeline: Hey, you can't go in there!
Johnny: Get inside. Close the door. Who's the doll?
Picard: She's a, the doll's my cousin.
Guinan: Yeah. Gloria. From Cleveland.
Picard: I'm sorry about this Gu, Gloria. I didn't actually mean you to get involved. She knows nothing about this, Johnny.
Guinan: What does that mean? Oh, I see.
Johnny: Yeah, right. What do I look like? A jamoke? You ain't nobody's cousin and you ain't here for a visit. What do you know about my money?
Guinan: Your money?
Johnny: The money he stole.
Guinan: You stole his money?
Picard: Don't listen to him, Gloria. He's lying.
Guinan: Johnny. Johnny. Talk to me, Johnny. I'm a great listener.
Johnny: I'm finished with talking, sweetheart. Now, I'm going to get some action or else.
Guinan: This is what you do for fun?
Picard: It's a mystery. Who was this man? Who killed him? Where's the money he was talking about? It's a mystery. Now, we have to go search for clues.
Guinan: Ah, and that's fun?
Picard: That's fun. A forty eight Packard with white walls. Damn it, I couldn't get the license plate.
Madeline: Captain Picard? Sorry, there's no Captain Picard here. You should try down at the docks. Ships come
Picard: It's all right, Madeline, I'll take it in here.
Picard: Yes, what is it?
Data: Captain, Lieutenant Commander Data here. Please excuse the unusual interruption, but under the circumstances I thought that patching communications through the holodeck program would be less obtrusive.
Picard: I appreciate your concern, Commander Data. What can I do for you?
Data: Long range sensors detect a T-tauri type star within a pocket of the Ngame cloud.
Picard: Well, there's nothing unusual about that.
Data: No, sir. However, the star's single planet falls within the M-class range. It is capable of supporting life.
Picard: That is unusual.
Data: Highly, sir.
Picard: Well, thank you, Mister Data. Procedures require that we investigate. Recall the bridge crew and set in a course.
Data: Aye, sir.
Picard: I'm sorry, Gloria, but there is a twenty-fourth century mystery I have to investigate. You are very welcome to carry on, if you like.
Guinan: No, I've had enough fun for today.
Mcknight: Entering the T-tauri system, now, Captain.
Data: Sensors indicate an energy fluctuation directly in our path. Source unknown.
Worf: Still picking up energy distortions, but fading. It seems to be gone.
Picard: A wormhole?
Data: Very likely. Small and extremely unstable wormholes have been mapped near thirty nine T-tauri systems in the last one hundred years alone, sir.
Riker: Captain, I suggest we move to a safer location. It could reappear at any moment.
Picard: Agreed, Number One. Ensign, take us a course
Data: Captain!
Data: Captain?
Picard: Data.
Data: Careful, Captain. The stun effect from the wormhole was relatively severe.
Picard: Apparently so. How long were we unconscious?
Data: Approximately thirty seconds. I have scanned the entire ship and detected no life-threatening injuries among the crew.
Picard: You were not affected?
Data: No, sir. My positronic system is immune to the effect. This is the third unstable wormhole I have passed through during my time with Starfleet. The first was aboard the USS Trieste
Picard: Thank you, Mister Data. Well, where the hell are we?
Riker: Point five four parsecs from our original position. Almost a day's travel in just thirty seconds?
Data: Sir, I should re-align the ship's clock with Starbase four ten's subspace signal to adjust for the time distortion.
Picard: Proceed.
Data: Yes, Captain.
Crusher: Captain, this is Crusher in Sickbay.
Picard: Go ahead, Doctor.
Crusher: I'm getting scattered reports
Crusher: Of minor injuries. What's happened?
Picard: The Enterprise just jumped through a wormhole.
Picard: Apparently we were all unconscious for about thirty seconds.
Crusher: Is everybody all right there?
Picard: There's little or no damage on the Bridge, Doctor.
Crusher: Acknowledged. Crusher out.
Picard: Ship's status?
Riker: Reports coming in now. Nothing serious so far.
Laforge: La Forge here, Captain. I've checked impulse engines and warp drives, sir. They appear to be unaffected.
Worf: Shields and weapons systems are fully functional.
Picard: Counselor? Are you all right?
Troi: I think so. I'm feeling a bit unfocused. It'll pass.
Picard: Well, not too bad, all things considered.
Riker: We're lucky we didn't end up half way across the galaxy in the middle of next week.
Data: That was never actually a possibility. The wormhole's small size and relatively short period would make this a local phenomenon.
Picard: There's still the anomalous M-class planet we were going to investigate. Do we go back?
Data: The unpredictability of the wormhole would make an investigation a hazardous one. A probe launched from our current position would be more advisable.
Picard: Make it so.
Crusher: Nothing broken, Chief, but the ligaments around the elbow have been twisted pretty severely. What on earth were you doing when you fell?
O'Brien: Hanging a plant for Keiko. It's part of her running project to give me a green thumb.
Crusher: How's it working?
O'Brien: Everything I touch seems to turn brown and wither away.
Crusher: Alyssa, would you get me? Oh, never mind, I'll get it. You, don't go away.
Crusher: This isn't possible.
Crusher: Alyssa?
Ogawa: Yes, Doctor?
Crusher: Did you see anybody near the lab today?
Ogawa: No, I didn't.
Crusher: You didn't by chance adjust the environments on the incubation containers?
Ogawa: I would never touch one of your experiments unless you asked me to, Doctor.
Crusher: Of course not. I'm sorry, Alyssa. Thank you.
Worf: Probe approaching the T-tauri system, Captain.
Picard: Readings, Data?
Data: Coming in now, sir. The probe is within visual range of the planet.
Picard: On screen.
Data: Sensors indicate a hydrogen-helium composition with a frozen helium core.
Riker: Wait a minute. Didn't your readings indicate a class M planet before we passed through the wormhole, Data?
Data: It is possible the sensors were affected by interference from the wormhole, Commander. It is clearly not a class M planet.
Picard: Mister Data, run a full diagnostic to make sure the wormhole didn't permanently damage the sensors.
Data: Aye, sir.
Picard: Ensign, take us back on a course
Riker: Captain.
Picard: Problem, Number One?
Riker: It seems awfully strange that a malfunctioning sensor would give such a specific misreading of a planet. I would have thought that a time-space disturbance would have caused a lot more confusion than that.
Data: It is conceivable that the sensors picked up the afterimage of an actual planet on the other side of the wormhole. We could survey the nearby stars for such a planet. It would require approximately six days, sir.
Picard: No, no, we don't have time for that. We've encountered a minor mystery, one that has been solved to my satisfaction. Number One, unless there's a major objection, then Ensign McKnight should put us back on course for Evadne Four.
Riker: No objection.
Picard: Ensign.
Mcknight: Aye, sir.
Picard: Come.
Crusher: I have something of a minor mystery on my hands.
Picard: A minor mystery?. That seems to be a recurring phrase these days. Oh, Diomedian scarlet moss. I didn't know you were an enthnobotanist.
Crusher: It's a hobby.
Picard: You've got a good crop here. As I recall, it's not easy to cultivate.
Crusher: That's just it. I started these spores right before we were all knocked unconscious by the wormhole. You said we were unconscious for thirty seconds?
Picard: Correct.
Crusher: Then why do these show a full day's growth?
Picard: Perhaps you've got some sort of fast growth strain.
Crusher: Each of these incubators was set with spores from completely different sources in the Diomedian system. I have a dozen more in the lab. Perhaps something extraordinary happened to one of them, but not to all of them.
Picard: Doctor, we were not unconscious for a full day. Everything on board indicates that we were out for thirty seconds. The ship's chronometer, the computer, everything, Doctor, including Commander Data.
Crusher: Jean-Luc, I'm telling you this is over twenty four hours of growth.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental. Commander Data continues to maintain that we were unconscious for only thirty seconds, despite Doctor Crusher's evidence to the contrary.
Data: Captain, I have a hypothesis. The twenty-second century physicist Pell Underhill conjectured that a major disruption in time continuity could be compensated for by trillions of counter reactions. That effect may have allowed Doctor Crusher's mosses to arrive at the other side of the worm hole with the unanticipated growth.
Laforge: Underhill was talking about energy.
Data: True. Nevertheless, it is possible that the phenomenon could occur in matter at much higher levels of organization, given the proper conditions.
Picard: Thank you, Data. An intriguing hypothesis. Well, perhaps we've got a tempest in a test tube, after all.
Crusher: Captain.
Picard: Data, I promised Mister Nelson that you would assist him with the sensor diagnostic. You'll find him hard at work on deck thirty six.
Data: As you wish, Captain.
Picard: Do you believe him? I want a frank answer, Commander.
Laforge: Not for a second. I'm amazed that he even proposed it.
Worf: What are you suggesting, Captain?
Picard: I'm not sure, Mister Worf. I have never known Data to tell a lie, and yet.
Crusher: If we never went through that wormhole, then what happened to us during that day?
Laforge: If we were out for a whole day, why didn't our beards grow?
Riker: Whatever it was it seems something Data doesn't want to tell us about.
Picard: It could be that whatever caused this situation also affected Data. And it could be that he's telling the truth and that this is all just a minor mystery.
Laforge: We could always check the computer's chronometer, see if there's any evidence of tampering.
Crusher: A transporter trace analysis might give us another indication of how much time has actually passed.
Picard: Doctor, Commander, make it so. Meanwhile, we will maintain our present course. If there is something wrong with Data, we don't want him to be aware of our suspicions.
Laforge: Gentlemen, how goes the battle?
Data: The long range and infra-red sensors apparently suffered ill effects as a result of the wormhole. We are presently checking neutrino and heavy particle detectors.
Laforge: Great. I'll take over now, Data. The Captain wants you back on the Bridge. See you later in Ten Forward?
Laforge: Nelson, I need your help with the computer.
Crusher: Hello, Chief. How's the elbow?
O'Brien: Much better, thanks. This isn't a house call, is it?
Crusher: No, it's not. Tell me, do you remember the last person to use the transporter before we went through the wormhole?
O'Brien: Let me check. Ensign Locklin. She's one of my technicians.
Crusher: Tell her to report to Sickbay immediately.
Crusher: Electrolyte concentration?
Ogawa: Twelve point five deviation from previous.
Crusher: Interesting. Check the cellular membranes. I'm willing to bet the internal turgid pressure is off by almost the same amount.
Ogawa: Eleven three deviation from the norm.
Crusher: Terrific. That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Ensign Locklin. That'll be all for now.
Crusher: Crusher to Captain Picard.
Picard: What is it, Doctor?
Crusher: I need to see you immediately.
Picard: I'm on my way to Engineering. Join me.
Crusher: Physiologically, each of us is on a daily cycle. Our cells have developed rhythms based on a twenty-four hour period.
Picard: The internal clock.
Crusher: Exactly, and I can measure that effect at the molecular level. I took a trace from the last person to use the transporter before the incident, and compared her cell function levels at that time to what they are right now. If we were unconscious for only thirty seconds, those cycles should be nearly synchronous.
Picard: And were they?
Crusher: No. We were out for longer than thirty seconds, Captain. A lot longer.
Laforge: I've got some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we were right about the computer's chronometer. There's a security program to prevent tampering, but it looks now like it was disabled and a new program put in its place. Someone has reset the clock.
Picard: If that's the good news, what's the bad news?
Laforge: That Data and I are the only ones aboard this ship capable of doing it.
Data: It is a mystery, Captain.
Picard: That is an understatement, Data. Is it possible that someone or something could have affected you without your knowing?
Data: I am unable to answer that question, sir.
Picard: Data, would you consent to being examined by Commander La Forge?
Data: As you wish, Captain.
Picard: Will you escort Commander Data to Engineering?
Data: I know the way, sir.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental. It has become clear that everyone aboard the Enterprise has lost an entire day. As the mystery of what actually occurred during those missing hours continues to deepen, so do my doubts about Commander Data.
Laforge: We'll start with the higher functions before we get down to basics. Okay. All right. Now, this won't hurt a bit.
Data: Have you forgotten, Geordi, that my sensory inputs are not programmed to experience pain?
Laforge: A figure of speech. Bedside manner. I'm just trying to make you feel comfortable.
Data: I am perfectly comfortable.
Laforge: Pattern recognition, syntactic algorithms, heuristic functions, all normal.
Data: I have noticed, however, that you appear a bit uncomfortable yourself.
Laforge: It just seems like you're not being completely honest with us. Data, I'm your friend. If there's something wrong, I want you to tell me. Maybe I can help.
Data: I cannot tell you anything beyond what I have already stated.
Laforge: Okay.
Laforge: Excuse us, Counselor. Captain, I finished examining Data.
Picard: And?
Laforge: Nothing's wrong with the technology, that I can see. He's in perfect condition.
Picard: I was almost hoping that you'd find a problem.
Laforge: He still could be malfunctioning beyond my ability to detect it.
Picard: This entire mystery started when our sensors detected that planet. First it was class-M, now it isn't.
Riker: But our sensors were malfunctioning. Our probe clearly established the planet could not support life.
Picard: Data launched that probe.
Riker: If he rigged it, could you prove it?
Laforge: I could try.
Picard: What happened to us in that missing day? Surely there must be some clues. Each of us should try and think what we were doing just before we blacked out. Reenact it if you have to.
Worf: Counselor?
Picard: Deanna, are you all right?
Troi: Just a moment. Yes. Yes, I'm fine.
Riker: What happened?
Troi: I suddenly became dizzy. I'd think I'd better go to my quarters.
Picard: Perhaps Sickbay would be a better idea.
Troi: No. No, really, I'm all right.
Picard: Will you see the Counselor to her quarters?
Worf: Aye, sir.
Troi: Thank you for coming with me, Mister Worf.
Worf: You are certain you are well?
Troi: I just need some rest. Thanks.
Worf: Deanna! Security! Override the lock on Counselor Troi's quarters! Now!
Worf: What's wrong?
Troi: The mirror. I came in here. I looked into the mirror. It wasn't me, Worf! It wasn't me! It was my face, but it wasn't me inside.
Picard: Is she all right?
Troi: I feel fine, now.
Crusher: Signs of stress, adrenaline by-products higher than baseline. But that's a normal reaction after sudden fright. All brain functions check out okay.
Picard: What happened, Deanna?
Troi: It wasn't what I saw, it was more what I felt. I looked into the mirror, and it seemed a stranger was staring back at me from behind my own eyes. As if my face was a mask.
Laforge: La Forge to Captain Picard.
Picard: Go ahead, Geordi.
Laforge: I've found something, sir.
Picard: I'm on my way.
Crusher: Lieutenant Worf.
Worf: Doctor.
Crusher: Can I help you?
Worf: Perhaps not.
Crusher: Worf, you came in here for something.
Worf: A warrior does not complain about physical discomfort, but the Captain ordered us to report anything out of the ordinary.
Crusher: Are you in pain? How did this happen?
Picard: Do you recognize this planet, Data?
Data: Yes, sir. It is the planet our probe detected in the T-tauri system.
Laforge: No it's not. Actually, it's Tethys three. I retrieved this image from the ship's library. Its geophysical figures have been slightly altered, but it's definitely Tethys three.
Picard: Strange, that an obscure planet several hundred light years from here should be picked up by the probe. Data, did you take this image from the ship's library and program the probe to send it back to us?
Data: I cannot verify that hypothesis.
Picard: But you don't deny it.
Data: No, sir.
Picard: Mister La Forge, will you send another probe to the T-tauri system?
Laforge: Yes, sir. I'm sorry, Data.
Picard: Counselor Troi just had a very disturbing hallucination.
Data: Is she all right, sir?
Picard: For the moment. Can you tell me if Deanna's incident is related in any way to this missing time period?
Data: No, sir, I cannot.
Picard: Data, you're the key to this entire mystery and you've done nothing but block my every attempt to solve it. Why are you fighting me?
Data: It is not by choice.
Picard: What do you mean by that?
Data: I cannot say.
Picard: Would you rather endanger Deanna, a friend and a colleague, than tell me what is going on?!
Data: Which would you place first, the welfare of a single individual or that of the entire crew?
Picard: Are you saying that by not cooperating, you are actually protecting us?
Data: I am not saying that at all. I merely state a possible alternative explanation.
Picard: Then, Mister Data, I'm going to ask you again, and I order you to directly answer me. What really happened to us?
Data: I cannot answer that.
Picard: What would you have me do, Data? How would you handle this if our positions were reversed?
Data: I am apparently guilty of falsifying the Enterprise's records, of interfering with an investigation, of disobeying a direct order from my commanding officer. Your duty seems clear, sir.
Picard: Do you know what a court martial would mean? Your career in Starfleet would be finished.
Data: I realize that, sir.
Picard: Do you also realize that you would most likely be stripped down to your wires to find out what the hell has gone wrong?
Data: Yes, sir. I do.
Crusher: This wrist has been broken. Broken and reset and treated with one of our subcutaneous bone fusion units.
Picard: During the missing day?
Crusher: That's the only possibility.
Picard: Are you suggesting he was conscious?
Crusher: I'm suggesting that maybe we all were. I certainly didn't repair a broken wrist while I was unconscious.
Picard: And our memories of that day?
Crusher: Blocked, possibly erased.
Picard: By whom?
Worf: There are very few individuals on board who could have broken my wrist. Commander Data is one of those individuals.
Picard: I can't accept that explanation.
Worf: Well, he does possess the speed and the strength.
Picard: Granted, but I'm beginning to suspect that Commander Data is refusing to co-operate because he believes he is acting in the best interests of the Enterprise.
Laforge: La Forge to Captain Picard.
Picard: Go ahead, Geordi.
Laforge: Our probe is approaching the planet, sir.
Picard: Acknowledged. Maybe now we'll get some answers.
Picard: What do you have, Mister La Forge?
Laforge: Visuals available now, Captain.
Riker: M-class. Nickel-iron core, nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.
Picard: The same planet our sensors picked up before the so-called wormhole.
Riker: Affirmative.
Laforge: No indication of any space-time distortion whatsoever. The probe should at least be detecting some residual effect, even if the wormhole is inactive.
Picard: That's because there is no a wormhole. There never was.
Riker: Sir?
Picard: It was a ruse, designed to throw us off the track. Look at the clues. Doctor Crusher's incubation experiment, the computer clock, the transporter trace. All indicate the existence of a missing day. Lieutenant Worf's broken wrist would seem to suggest that we were awake and aware for that day, possibly in a struggle for our lives.
Crusher: The fact that we're still alive suggests we might have won.
Picard: Not necessarily, Doctor. Data's behavior would seem to suggest we did not. Why else would he be willing to sacrifice his career rather than tell the truth?
Worf: If we didn't win and we didn't lose?
Picard: Then the only alternative would be a stalemate. Maybe a compromise might have been reached, a compromise that forced Data into this silence.
Riker: Maybe by uncovering all this, we run the risk of upsetting the stalemate. Maybe we should leave well enough alone.
Picard: Possibly, Number One, and I would be prepared to live with the mystery, but Data's role in this must be ascertained or he'll never be trusted with starship duty again. Ensign, take us back to the scene of the crime. The T-tauri system, warp two.
Mcknight: Within sensor range, Captain.
Picard: Drop to impulse, Ensign. Mister Worf, maximum shields. Ready all weapons.
Worf: Shields up. Photon torpedoes armed. Phasers standing by. Captain, an energy field has appeared between our position and the planet.
Picard: On screen. Hold position. Let's see what it does.
Worf: The field has emitted an energy pulse. Approaching the Enterprise.
Riker: Too slow to be a photon torpedo.
Worf: It might be a probe.
Picard: Let's see what happens when it hits the shields.
Worf: Shields undamaged. The energy pulse has dispersed.
Data: Counselor Troi, what is it?
Troi: The plan has failed.
Data: You have returned.
Troi: Your ship is again in our space.
Data: I was unable to prevent it.
Troi: Nevertheless, you are here.
Data: The Enterprise is not a threat to you. Give me more time. Our destruction would only
Laforge: Data, Captain wanted me to bring you to the Bridge. Counselor.
Data: One moment, if you would.
Data: Do nothing. It may yet be possible to salvage the situation.
Data: Reporting as ordered, Captain.
Picard: Well, Data, as you can see, we're back where it all started.
Data: We must leave immediately, sir.
Picard: Why?
Data: Any further delay would put us all at grave risk.
Picard: Why? What is the source of that risk? The energy field?
Data: I cannot say.
Picard: Data, you sound as if you're stuck in a feedback loop. You certainly can say. You have free will, you have a choice.
Data: My silence is not by choice, sir.
Picard: Not by choice? Are you somehow being controlled by that force? Did Geordi miss something when he examined you?
Data: Geordi's examination was exemplary.
Picard: Then why are you compelled to disobey my orders? How? During the missing day, were you contacted by Starfleet? Did they order you to conceal the truth from us?
Data: I cannot answer that. We must leave, sir.
Picard: This ship isn't going anywhere. Not until I get an answer. Now who gave you that order?
Data: You did, sir.
Picard: I ordered you to lie?
Worf: Captain, the energy field is approaching.
Riker: Maintain shields at full intensity.
Data: No. We must vary shield shape and strength as rapidly as possible. Maximum shields will only speed the ship's takeover.
Worf: Contact imminent.
Picard: Do as Data says. At once.
Worf: Aye, sir. The field is shifting amplitude, trying to match the shields.
Data: The energy field will eventually penetrate our shields. There is no way to counter the Paxans' technology. We can delay their takeover but we cannot prevent it.
Picard: The Paxans. Who are they?
Troi: You have invaded our system.
Picard: No, Worf.
Data: You will only harm Counselor Troi's body.
Picard: We are not invaders. We are explorers.
Troi: Your knowledge of us is unacceptable.
Data: They are xenophobes, sir. Isolationists. The Paxans terraformed a protoplanet in this system in order to better conceal their whereabouts. The apparent wormhole we experienced is actually a trap designed to keep out invaders. The energy field stuns everyone on board the invading vessel and places them in a state of biochemical stasis.
Laforge: That explains why our beards didn't grow.
Data: The Paxans then take the ship out of their territory.
Riker: So the crew wakes up and thinks they've been through a wormhole, count their blessings and keep going.
Data: Precisely.
Picard: What went wrong this time?
Data: My positronic brain is a technology unknown to the Paxans.
Troi: Our stun field had no effect on him. He remained conscious while we tried to take over the ship.
Data: When I realized the crew was incapacitated, I initiated emergency procedures
Data: Computer, engage emergency plan zed zed alpha.
Computer: Automatic defense procedures initiated. Energy field strength increasing. Warning, shield penetration seventeen percent.
Data: Computer, begin random fluctuation of shield frequency and modulation.
Computer: Executed.
Data: With the Enterprise temporarily protected, I revived the crew.
Data: Computer, release compound ADTH into the airflow system, five parts per million.
Computer: Acknowledged. Initiating compound release now.
Picard: Status, Data.
Data: The energy field is attempting to match shield frequencies, sir.
Picard: Options, Mister Worf?
Worf: I do not recommend weapons at this range, Captain.
Picard: Can we go to warp?
Data: Negative, sir. The field is also acting as a tractor beam.
Computer: Warning. Shields have been penetrated.
Worf: All systems are frozen, Captain.
Data: The Paxans can manipulate energy structures on many levels. They took control of Counselor Troi's body to communicate with us.
Worf: Captain!
Picard: No, stop, everyone. Who are you?
Troi: You are aware of our existence. Our attempt to place you in biochemical stasis has failed. We have no choice but to destroy this ship.
Picard: If you destroy this ship, then others will come in search of us. You may not be able to stop them all. Knowledge of your civilization would be spread across half the galaxy.
Troi: No.
Picard: Allow us safe passage and I will protect your right to privacy to the best of my ability. We will never tell anyone of your existence.
Troi: There are over a thousand lifeforms on this vessel. How could you assure their silence?
Picard: This biochemical stasis, does it suppress synaptic functions?
Troi: It does.
Picard: Then you must have the capability of affecting memory. Can you erase the short-term memory of everyone on this ship, remove all knowledge of this event, allow us to proceed as if it had never happened?
Troi: It would take time. One of your days. He is immune to our influence.
Picard: Data, I'm going to give you a most unusual order. I'm not sure that you will be able to integrate it into your program.
Data: As a Starfleet officer, I am required to follow all of your orders, Captain.
Picard: Good, because our survival depends upon it. I am ordering you never to reveal what has happened here today. Not to Starfleet, not to myself. You will conceal your knowledge of the Paxans for as long as you exist. Do you fully understood, Data?
Data: Completely, sir.
Picard: Satisfactory?
Troi: Agreed.
Picard: Good. Now, our task is to eliminate from the ship's records any information that might lead to knowledge of this incident. Let's get to work.
Data: We proceeded to erase all evidence of our encounter with the Paxans. I reset the computer's chronometer and the crew was again stunned into unconsciousness, their short-term memories erased. When they were revived a day later, the computer adjustments made it appear that only thirty seconds had passed.
Riker: And here we are.
Picard: Here we are again.
Troi: Your plan has failed. This ship must be destroyed.
Picard: No. Wait. The plan failed because clues were left behind that suggested a mystery. And to many humans, a mystery is irresistible. It must be solved. The Doctor's incubation experiment, Worf's wrist, Troi's hallucinations. Little pieces of evidence that suggested even more clues. The clock, the transporter trace, Data's odd behavior. If we eliminate the clues and begin again
Troi: Again?
Picard: Yes. Consider the first time a run-through, a rehearsal to shake out the flaws. The second time will succeed if we leave no clues.
Troi: You are a most unusual species. Worthy of a second chance. Proceed.
Riker: Deanna?
Picard: Welcome back. Counselor. Geordi, Data, reconfigure the computer and the records. Number One, I want you to oversee the rest of the ship. And this time, let's get it right.
Picard: What happened, Data?
Data: The effect from the wormhole was rather intense.
Picard: So it would seem.
Data: Everyone but myself was rendered unconscious. My positronic system is immune to the effect.
Picard: How long were we out?
Data: Thirty seconds, Sir.
Riker: Current position?
Mcknight: Point five four parsecs from our previous position. Bearing two eight five mark one four seven.
Picard: It could be worse.
Data: Yes, sir. The wormhole appears to have been a local phenomenon.
Crusher: Crusher to Bridge. What happened, Captain?
Picard: The Enterprise went through a wormhole, Doctor. It seems the entire crew was unconscious for approximately thirty seconds.
Crusher: Is anyone on the Bridge hurt?
Picard: Apparently not.
Crusher: I'll start checking the other decks. Crusher out.
Picard: Status reports?
Worf: Shields and weapons systems unaffected.
Riker: No damage in Engineering.
Picard: Counselor?
Troi: There's a general feeling of disorientation on board, but nothing serious as far as I can tell.
Picard: Well, then. There's still that anomalous class-M planet we were going to investigate. Ensign, replot a course to take us back to
Data: Sir, it is likely the anomalous readings were the result of the wormhole's effect. It was extremely unstable. I would recommend against returning. It might put the Enterprise at further risk.
Riker: We could launch a probe.
Data: That would certainly be sufficient, sir.
Picard: Make it so. And put out a hazard advisory to Starfleet. Ensign, set a course to Evadne Four.
Mcknight: Aye, sir.
Picard: Engage.