Birthright , Part I ( episode ) At Deep Space 9 , Worf investigates reports that his father is still alive ; an engineering accident causes Data to experience a vision of Dr . Soong . Summary . Teaser . As Jean - Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher walk down Deep Space 9 ' s Promenade , Crusher tells Picard that she is eager to visit Quark ' s holosuite s , especially a relaxation program from Alture VII . Picard has no time for relaxation , since he is due to meet with ten Bajoran bureaucrat s to discuss the repair of the Bajoran aqueducts . Meanwhile , Worf and Geordi La Forge are in the Replimat , eating " pasta al fiorella " . La Forge wants to visit the station ' s Ktarian antique shop , as he hears they have a 21st century plasma coil . As they eat , a Yridian is watching Worf from across the Promenade . On the " Enterprise " bridge , Data detects a power drain in the starboard EPS conduits in sickbay . Someone has made an unauthorized access into the computer ' s bio - imaging systems from his console . In sickbay , Dr . Julian Bashir is studying a strange device . When Data arrives to assess the situation , Bashir explains that the device was discovered in the Gamma Quadrant , that he believes it to be some sort of medical imaging scanner , and that the " Enterprise " s sickbay systems can analyze it far better and faster than his limited resources on Deep Space 9 can . Data suggests that they take the device to engineering and have La Forge help them with the analysis . The Yridian introduces himself to Worf as Jaglom Shrek and reveals that his late father , Mogh , is in fact alive . Act One . Yridian Jaglom Shrek introduces himself as a broker of information . He says Mogh is being held prisoner in a Romulan prison camp . Enraged , Worf brands Shrek a liar and pins him to the wall , unwilling to believe that Mogh or any Klingon could have allowed himself to be captured at Khitomer . He threatens him for spreading lies and returns to the " Enterprise " . Worf finds that he cannot stop thinking about what Shrek told him . He verbally reprimands an ensign , and snaps at Riker . He immediately retires to his quarters , and begins some " mok ' bara " training , breaking a glass table in a fit of rage . Counselor Troi enters just after and tries to talk to him about his problem , and Worf explains that if Mogh had indeed been captured , it would dishonor his whole family line for three generations , meaning even his son Alexander would also bear the dishonor . Meanwhile in engineering , Data and La Forge attempt to input energy from the dilithium crystal chamber to the inputs of Bashir ' s device . As they work , he finds his curiosity piqued by the android , asking him questions about how Data ' s miscellaneous functions allow him to seem more Human – such as how he can control the rate of his hair growth , and his circulatory and respiratory system s . Powering up the Gamma Quadrant device , Bashir detects an overload in its power systems , and Data is struck by an energy discharge . Data suddenly finds himself walking down a corridor on board the " Enterprise " , drawn to the far - off sound of metal on metal . Exploring further , he finds a blacksmith , hammering a piece of metal . The blacksmith turns to Data and smiles – it is Dr . Noonian Soong , Data ' s creator and " father " . Data awakens from his " vision " , and cannot understand what he has just experienced . Act Two . There doesn ' t appear to be a problem with Data ' s positronic subprocessor s or circuit controllers . Data ' s internal diagnostics don ' t reveal anything wrong with his memory , and no cognitive activity . There does not appear to be an immediate scientific explanation for what Data experienced . La Forge rules out easy explanations . They disconnect the device and Bashir suggests re - approaching the analysis given he is an exceptional machine . This prompts Data to seek out Worf , who had a vision when he was younger . Data finds him in Ten Forward , where he is still dwelling on his own thoughts . Despite his mood , he still engages Data in conversation . He becomes quite interested when Data explains he had a vision . Worf describes the Rite of MajQa and urges him to understand all he can from the experience , for it is very important one learn anything they can about their father . Data thanks him and leaves . Through talking to Data , Worf ultimately realizes what he must do . Worf checks the station records for Shrek ' s transportation to the station , and finds him on the second level Promenade . He " persuades " him to take him to the prison camp by holding Shrek over the railing , telling him he will take Worf there , and he will only be paid after the trip . Shrek says the prison is close to the Romulan Star Empire border , but Worf says it will be more dangerous for Shrek if he does not go . Act Three . On the way to the planet in the Carraya sector , Worf determines he needs to beam down and make his way 12 hours to the camp , partly during night . Shrek has a map of the place . Worf questions him about why the planet isn ' t known to the Klingon Empire , but since he is only selling the information , he has not had an offer . Also , he " has his reasons . " Meanwhile , Data talks to Captain Picard in his ready room about his vision ; Picard suggests that rather than analyzing it from the point of view of another culture , Data should try interpreting what it means to " him " as an individual . Data goes to his quarters and starts to paint pictures of his vision . Worf and Shrek arrive on the Carraya IV where the prison camp is . Shrek tells him the location of the camp and he tells Worf will be back in fifty hours and gives him a homing device to help find his ship . After this , he begins his long trek through the jungle , with distant animal cries in the background . Act Four . During the trek , Worf encounters a Klingon girl bathing in a small pool , though the ridges on her forehead are somewhat different . The girl is frightened by his intrusion , but Worf asks her to wait . He says he will take her home , but she is confused , saying she " is " home . When a Romulan guard comes near , he asks her not to reveal him to anyone and she goes toward the camp , with Worf quietly following . La Forge comes to Data ' s quarters since they were supposed to meet . Data ' s paintings are as incomprehensible as the vision , but certain paintings – those of a bird , and a bird ' s wing – were not present in the vision . Unable to understand how he could be painting something he has never seen , Data decides to replicate the accident with the experiment with the Gamma Quadrant device . La Forge reluctantly agrees . Monitored by La Forge and Bashir , Data is again struck by an energy beam and experiences another vision . He finds Soong once more , hammering a bird ' s wing on his anvil . Soong tells him that he has developed the capacity to dream ; no man should understand his dreams , hence why they are incomprehensible . Soong tells Data he is proud of of him , assuming Data has developed enough cognitive ability while in fact the dream was caused by the energy beam . He then tells Data that he is the bird ; Data " flies " through the corridors and out of the ship , before waking up in engineering . Act Five . Finally understanding , he tells Bashir that there are circuits in his neural net that , until now , were dormant . It appears the plasma shock activated them prematurely , as Data believes Dr . Soong intended them to activate after a certain level of development . He intends to deactivate himself every night and dream more . Bashir mentions this could be a paper in the Starfleet Cybernetics Journal and asks to author it . Data permits it , and Bashir wishes him " sweet dreams " before departing the " Enterprise " for Deep Space 9 . Meanwhile , Worf finds the Romulan prison camp and discovers a group of Klingons performing a ceremony . Taking one of them hostage briefly , he is told that his father did indeed die at Khitomer . He quickly learns that these Klingons are not treated as prisoners , but rather are living there together as a community and now that he knows of the camp ' s existence , he cannot be permitted to leave . . . TO BE CONTINUED . . . Memorable quotes . " " Worf , I don ' t see how you can eat that stuff . It tastes like liquid polymer . " " " " Delicious . " " " " I must admit , commander , I didn ' t think you ' d be so . . . personable . " " " " Did the table do something wrong ? " " " " No . " " " " I ' m glad you weren ' t that hard on Ensign Lopez . " " " " He made a mistake . The duty roster was inaccurate . " " " " Would you like to talk about what ' s bothering you , or would you like to break some more furniture ? " " " " A Klingon would never allow himself to be captured . A warrior fights to the death ! " " " " My father is dead ! That Yridian is selling lies ! " " " " Well , your creator went to a lot of trouble to make you seem Human . I find that fascinating . " " " " Your father is a part of you . . . always . Learning about him teaches you about yourself . That is why , no matter where he is or what he has done . . . you must find him . " " " " This is not an empty jungle . There are many predators . " " " " I am prepared . " " " " I am sorry to disturb you , sir . " " " " Oh , not at all . I ' m here studying the intricacies of Bajoran aqueduct management . I would welcome a little interruption . " " " " I am curious Mr . Data , why are you looking at all these other cultures ? " " " " The interpretation of visions and other metaphysical experiences are almost always culturally derived , and I have no culture of my own . " " " " Yes you do . You ' re a culture of one , which is no less valid than a culture of one billion . " " " " Explore this image , Data . Let it . . . excite your imagination . Focus on it , see where it leads you . Let it inspire you . " " " " We are not leaving here . . . and neither are you . " " Links and references . References . 21st century ; anvil ; arboreal needle snake ; Alture VII ; Alture VII relaxation program ; aqueduct system ; " bat ' leth " ; Bajor ; Bajoran ; blacksmith ; bureaucrat ; Carraya sector ; " " ; Deep Space 9 ; EPS conduit ; Ferengi ; Gamma Quadrant ; GHE ; hair follicle ; hammer ; H ' erat ; holosuite s ; Khitomer ; Khitomer Massacre ; kiosk ; Klingon ; Klingonese ; Ktarian antique ; liquid polymer ; megajoule ; ; metaphysics ; Michelangelo ; Mogh ; Nagor ; No ' Mat ; ; painting ; " pasta al fiorella " ; plasma coil ; Promenade ; protein bath ; raven ; Rite of MajQa ; replicator ; Replimat ; ; ; ; Rudman ; ; Spot ; " Starfleet Cybernetics Journal " ; Symnay ' s Tomb ; Taqua Tribe ; tricorder ; vision ; Yridian ;