Rascals ( episode ) Captain Picard , Ensign Ro , Guinan , and Keiko O ' Brien are regressed physiologically to age 12 by a transporter accident , but retain their adult memories , resulting in different reactions from each . When rogue Ferengi hijack the " Enterprise " , the young crewmembers , along with Alexander Rozhenko , lead the revolt . Summary . Teaser . Returning to the from a botanic and archaeology expedition on the planet Marlonia – where Keiko O ' Brien had found a specimen of " Draebidium calimus " , and Captain Picard had found 700 - year - old crockery with inscriptions somewhat resembling early Taguan but more closely resembling Barolian designs , the " Enterprise " - D shuttlecraft " Fermi " carrying Ro Laren , Captain Picard , Keiko , and Guinan is enveloped by an energy anomaly . The emergency transport to the " Enterprise " is difficult – Chief O ' Brien having been puzzled by the implication of a forty percent drop in mass of the transportees – and , upon being beamed aboard the " Enterprise " - D , O ' Brien and the away party themselves are shocked by the materialization on the transporter platform of a twelve - year - old captain , bartender , botanist , and Bajoran ensign , instead of their adult selves . Act One . Despite their new appearances , the crew fortunately still have the mental capacity and memories of their former bodies . Since he seems physically fit enough , Picard immediately heads to the bridge to handle the situation . While dealing with the crew ' s discomfort at his appearance , he gives the command to leave a probe to study the area and head to Ligos VII once they are done salvaging the remains of the " Fermi " . Privately , Doctor Crusher tries to convince him to relieve himself of duty in case the transformation becomes more serious . He reluctantly agrees and retires to his quarters . Elsewhere on the ship , Guinan and Ro are trying to adjust to their new lifestyles . Ro just wants to return to duty , while Guinan is enjoying this experience . She tells Ro she has not been this young in a " very " long time and she intends to enjoy every minute of it . Ro complains constantly about how much she hates being a child , and Guinan insists how fun childhood is . Ro leaves to contemplate her current situation alone in her quarters and young Guinan joins her in a turbolift . Also , Keiko ' s situation is at odds with her family life , what with her being a wife and mother . Her husband Miles is confounded by fact that she now resembles the image of a twelve - year - old girl . In the course of a difficult discussion with Keiko , who is worried about their marriage , he eventually reassures her that they will make it work but admits he does not know how . Their daughter Molly does not recognize her mother when she comes to read her a bedtime story . Rather than telling Molly what has happened , Keiko leaves the room and Miles tells the bedtime story . Act Two . Counselor Troi comes to see Picard . Exploring the possibility that he must grow up again , she suggests alternatives for him should Starfleet not accept a child Captain , such as getting another degree at Starfleet Academy or taking a sabbatical , and studying geology or archaeology . He admits the options have an appeal , but still seem like a big step , and feels like moving backward , instead of forward . Dr . Crusher compares the rybo - viroxic - nucleic sequences of tissues taken from Picard prior to the event and afterwards . It appears that the new sample is missing several key viroxic sequences . She explains to Riker that somehow these sequences were lost during transport . The same effect happened to Keiko ' s plants . By accelerating the growth , the plant became a normal older plant , which means , if they do nothing , the crew will grow up again like normal . She wonders if they can use the transporter pattern buffer since she has their patterns on file . La Forge arrives in the cargo bay with the sensor report to meet O ' Brien where they study the shuttle debris . It looks like tritanium ' s molecular structure on the starboard side has completely broken down and can be easily crushed with the hand . He decides to run a metallurgical analysis on it in engineering . Meanwhile , Guinan finally persuades Ro to have a little childhood fun , which apparently allows Ro to relax and enjoy herself : they jump on a bed , each trying to go higher than the other . La Forge and O ' Brien report to Riker their theory : a molecular reversion field caught the shuttle and threw off the transporter lock , reconstructing them as children when it missed the RVB sequences . Crusher starts to confirm her transporter option with O ' Brien when Riker is called to the bridge since they have arrived at Ligos VII . The crew start their investigation when two Klingon Birds - of - Prey decloak and start firing . Act Three . The " Enterprise " is able to fire briefly , but quickly loses systems . Soon , they are boarded by Ferengi at multiple locations , including the bridge . Fortunately , Riker manages to lock out the computer ' s command functions . They begin transporting all adults to the surface of the planet . The DaiMon , Lurin , enters the bridge and the Ferengi crew report they have secured the ship but don ' t have command access . Lurin addresses Riker and declares the ship to be a loss and open for claim to salvage , demanding they help or they will start killing them . Act Four . The Ferengi decide to keep the children aboard the ship . One takes Picard to one of the schoolrooms and leaves him . Ro , Guinan , Keiko and Alexander are already there . Ro knows they have engineering and several decks , and they have to assume they have the bridge . With command functions locked out , they have limited options . Lurin is enjoying the ready room and tells Riker they are not affiliated with the Ferengi Alliance . He reveals their plan to use the crew as additional slave labor in extracting vendarite from the planet , the Federation science team already being used . Lurin wants to sell the " Enterprise " to the Romulans and threatens to kill them all unless Riker helps him . Picard and Guinan wrestle with the children ' s computer , which won ' t allow normal schematic information , but they do get a decent representation of the ship in general . Ro and Keiko open up a panel to a Jefferies tube and they all head in to start their plan . Picard and Keiko lure the Ferengi in the transporter room out with a toy car , obtain phaser s , and set up a force field around the transporter pad while Alexander steals two hypospray s from sickbay and Ro and Guinan head to main engineering and wait . Next , Picard needs to talk to Riker . By tricking Berik , the Ferengi guard outside the room in which he is held captive by acting petulant ( as a child might ) , Picard manages to get him to bring him to Riker , under the pretense that Riker is his father . Riker is surprised , but immediately plays along . Act Five . Pretending to want to play computer games , Picard conveys the message while sitting in the observation lounge to Riker to activate the LCARS net in the schoolroom which would give them full access to the computer systems . Once Picard is back in the classroom , Lurin threatens to harm the children if Riker does not unlock the computer and teach his lieutenant Morta how to operate the " Enterprise " . Riker pretends to instruct the Ferengi officer but only speaks in nonsensical technobabble . On the side , Riker unlocks the computer in the classroom . When the " children " gain control to the transporter , they start using combadge s to beam the Ferengi behind the force field on the transporter pad and the weapons deactivation program to disable their sidearms . With the majority of the Ferengi confined , and with help from Riker , Picard disables the Ferengi on the bridge and confronts Lurin in the ready room with a phaser , thus ending the siege . After the Ferengi are taken into custody , the doctor and Chief O ' Brien use the transporter to change Picard , Keiko , and Guinan back into adults . However , at Guinan ' s suggestion , Ro stays a child a little longer so she can finally learn to enjoy her childhood . Memorable quotes . " " Look at these fragments . They ' re . . . they ' re very nearly in perfect condition , and yet they ' re seven hundred years old . " " " " So is my father . " " " " So what the hell am I supposed to do now ? " " " " You are asking me to step down . " " " " You are " still " Jean - Luc Picard . What do you think you should do ? " " " " Well , I should be doing something , instead of just standing around , waiting for them to find a cure ! " " " " You ' re right . Let ' s go play . " " " " [ Childhood ] was a long , depressing period of my life and I was grateful when it was finally over . I ' d rather not relive it . " " " " I haven ' t been young for a long time and I intend to enjoy every minute of it . " " " " It ' s . . . I don ' t know , but this feels wrong somehow . " " " " Miles Edward O ' Brien , I am still your wife . " " " " - Technically , yes . " " " " - Technically ? " " " " No , I - I mean , of course you ' re my wife . But you ' re also ten years old . " " " " Beverly said it ' s actually closer to 12 . " " " " - That ' s not the point . - " " " " So what is the point ? – Is our marriage over ? " " " " - I didn ' t say that . But until they find a way to reverse this effect , it ' s hard to ignore the fact that you ' re a little girl . " " " " You could return to the Academy . Take another degree . Brush up on your Latin . " " " " And be Wesley Crusher ' s roommate ? " " " " [ . . . ] I ' ve spent my life looking forward [ . . . ] " " " " It ' s a child ' s computer , remember ? Computer , can you show me a picture of the inside of the " Enterprise " ? " " " " Yes , I can . The " Enterprise " is a " Galaxy " - class starship . Can you spell " Enterprise " ? E - N - T - E - R - . . . " " " " Delete audio ! " " " " This is the first time these Jefferies tubes haven ' t seemed cramped . " " " " How much farther do we have to go ? " " " " About fifty meters . Don ' t tell me you ' re tired . " " " " I ' m not as young as I used to be . " " " Shared chuckle " " " I need to see my father . . . . I need to see him right now ! . . . I need to see him now ! Now , now , now , now , now , now , now , N – Stop it ; you hurt me ! I want my father ! I want my father ! " " " " Thanks , number one . " " " " - He ' s my number one dad ! " " " " Okay , Morta . The " Enterprise " computer system is controlled by three primary main processor cores , cross - linked with redundant melacortz - ramistat 14 - kiloquad interface modules . The core element is based on an FTL nanoprocessor with 25 bilateral kelilactirals . With twenty of those being slaved into the primary Heisenfram terminals . Now , you know what a bilateral kelilactiral is ? " " " " Of course I do , Human . I am not stupid ! " " " " No . Of course not . This is the isopalavial interface which controls the main firomantal drive unit . Don ' t touch that – you ' ll blow up the entire firomantal drive . " " " " Alright , wa . . wa . . Wait ! Wha . . what is a , a ferromactal drive ? Just explain it to me ! " " " " That is the firomantal drive unit , it controls the ramistat core and keeps the ontarian manifold at 40 , 000 KRGs . The firomantal drive is powered by . . . " " " " I believe you ' re in my chair . " " " " How do you feel ? " " " " I feel fine . Everything . . . seems a little smaller . " " " " Did you do this one , too ? " " " " Uh - huh . I did that one , all of them ! " " Links and references . References . adolescence ; anesthizine ; archeology ; auxiliary power ; bilateral kelilactiral ; bioscan ; ; Buranian ; calcium ; childhood ; central computer ; class 4 probe ; crayon ; ; " DaiMon " ; doll ; " Draebidium calimus " ; " Draebidium froctus " ; drawing ; Earl Grey tea ; element s ; Federation ; Ferengi Salvage Code ; " Fermi " ; firomactal drive ; FTL nanoprocessor ; ; " Humuhumunukunukuapua ' a " ; inertial damper ; interface module ; Jefferies tube ; ; keiyurium ; kiloquad ; Langford ; Latin ; Ligos VII ; Ligos system ; Lurin ' s Bird - of - Prey ; Marlonia ; Marlonian ; mercury ( element ) ; microfracture ; " " ; molecular reversion field ; Number one ; preadolescence ; phase inducer ; plant biology ; primary heisenfram terminal ; puberty ; quad ; red alert ; redundant melacortz ramistat ; refugee camp ; Ro Talia ; Romulan s ; rybo - viroxic - nucleic ; sabbatical ; security access code ; shore leave ; square root ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Suvin IV ; tag ; Taguan ; Tarcassian razor beast ; tin ; tissue sample ; transporter ; tritanium ; turbolift ; Type 6 shuttlecraft ; Vendarite ; vocabulary