Conundrum ( episode ) After the crew ' s memories are mysteriously erased , the computer records indicate that the Federation is at war with the Lysians , and that the " Enterprise " has been ordered to attack their command center . Summary . Teaser . As the crew is going through a typical day , with Data in Ten Forward fixing Deanna Troi a Samarian sunset done in the traditional style to settle a bet over a three - dimensional chess game , Dr . Beverly Crusher tending to Kristin , a crewmember injured cliff - diving on the holodeck , and Commander Riker arguing with Ensign Ro about her changing ship ' s procedure without his knowledge , the is approached by a small vessel of unknown configuration . After the vessel initiates an intense scan of the " Enterprise " , a wave of green energy passes throughout the ship , and the entire crew suffers from memory loss . Act One . The crewmembers have forgotten their identities , but have retained the appropriate skills for running the ship . What they also don ' t realize is that there is someone else on the bridge who wasn ' t there before the wave hit , also wearing a Starfleet uniform and claiming to be suffering from memory loss . While trying to ascertain who they are and why they are on this starship , Riker suggests to an equally anonymous Captain Picard that he is their leader , since he has four pip s on his collar , more than anyone else present . Worf suggests otherwise , and presumes " he " is the leader because he is the most decorated person on board due to his baldric . Dr . Crusher realizes that she is a medical officer , but the injured crewmember in sickbay still doesn ' t know what she is doing there . Riker , Ro , and La Forge go to engineering to try to get the engines running . La Forge works on getting propulsion back online and tries to find personnel files so that they ' ll know who they are while Riker and Ro go to the rest of the ship as a survey team . Worf , in the meantime , has assumed leadership and is happy when La Forge reports the ship is ready for battle with the navigation , propulsion , weapons , and communications back online . Act Two . With computer access limited , Riker and Ro travel throughout the ship and confirm that the memory loss is not limited to the bridge ; rather than their normal hostility , the two have an almost playful relationship , with Ro commenting that Riker doesn ' t look like someone who needs a holodeck to have fun . After La Forge successfully accesses the ship ' s computer , he is able to get a list with photos of the " Enterprise " s bridge officer s . The list confirms that Picard is indeed the commanding officer of the " Enterprise " . To Worf ' s dismay , the list has him near the bottom , second to last . Interestingly , the computer ' s list has one " new " addition to the ship ' s regular command crew . Commander Kieran MacDuff is the ship ' s first officer , and Commander Riker has been bumped down to second officer . Data and La Forge are able to get more information out of the computer , and they brief the senior officer s about their current mission : The " Enterprise " has been tasked to destroy the Lysian command center as part of a coordinated attack on their mortal enemy , with whom the Federation has been at war for years . The information also suggests that the Lysians have a weapon which could cause memory loss . Troi wants to open communications with headquarters to confirm their mission , but the " Enterprise " s orders include radio silence at all times . Picard orders MacDuff to set a course towards the Lysian command center . Troi doesn ' t like it . Act Three . Troi has a strong feeling that the war is wrong but can ' t pin down a reason , and Riker suggests it is just due to the general nature of war . When Riker returns to his quarters , he finds Ro waiting for him . As the " Enterprise " crosses into Lysian space , a Lysian destroyer tries to hail the " Enterprise " . Picard wants to open a channel , but MacDuff suggests that that may be how they lost their memories to begin with . The Lysian destroyer starts to fire at the " Enterprise " , but the starship is able to easily destroy the Lysian vessel - too easily . Act Four . Troi also inexplicably feels that Riker is very " familiar " ; the two realize they have some connection when he finds a book , " Ode to Psyche " by John Keats , which she gave him as a gift " with love " , producing a rather awkward moment when Ro arrives and sees them nearly kiss ing before she kisses Riker herself once Troi leaves . Efforts to repair the memory loss have been limited , as La Forge cannot gain access to more detailed personnel file s or medical record s that might allow Dr . Crusher to safely attempt to restore the crew ' s memories ; MacDuff volunteers despite the risks , but Crusher stops her efforts when he apparently begins having seizure s , missing MacDuff ' s slight sinister smile as she walks away . Picard wonders if the Federation is truly at war with such a technologically inferior enemy . He feels a moral dilemma , comparing his situation to being given a gun and told to kill a stranger but still wanting to know why ; MacDuff counters that it would be wrong to allow the war to continue and claim millions of lives just because Picard is experiencing moral qualms . MacDuff has a private conversation with Worf , his fellow warrior , and warns him there might be a situation where a split - second decision may need to be made , even if Picard has not yet given the orders to do so . Act Five . The " Enterprise " proceeds towards the Lysian Central Command , where it is intercepted by unmanned Lysian sentry pod s . These vessels are easily destroyed , and the " Enterprise " proceeds to the command center . Commander Data informs Picard that the Lysian command center is virtually defenseless with over fifteen thousand people aboard . One photon torpedo could destroy the entire structure , while its entire arsenal could not even damage " Enterprise " . Troi again insists the situation is wrong , and Riker poses the question : How could the Federation ' s mortal enemy be over a hundred years behind it in weapons technology ? MacDuff insists that Picard destroy the station , but Picard refuses to fire on defenseless people ; MacDuff declares that something is wrong with the captain and attempts to assume command , giving Worf an order to fire . When Worf refuses , MacDuff knocks him away with surprising force and tries to fire himself . Riker shoots him with a phaser . The beam knocks MacDuff back and reveals a shocking fact ; he is not Human . Worf and Riker then combine their phaser shots to knock MacDuff to the floor and subdue him . Determining that there was an artificial effect suppressing the crew ' s memories , Dr . Crusher works to quickly restore them . MacDuff is identified as a Satarran , a race which has been at war with the Lysians for decades . Despite their skill with memory suppression , the Satarrans lacked sophisticated weapons technology , and so had plotted to hijack the " Enterprise " and tilt the war in their favor . Picard apologized on behalf of the Federation for the deaths of the Lysian destroyer ' s crew . With MacDuff ' s plan foiled , the " Enterprise " heads off to its next assignment – although Riker remains uneasy when he encounters Troi and Ro intensely conversing in the Ten Forward bar . Ro insists somewhat facetiously that they have a memory they will both treasure ; Troi concludes that such actions tend to result from subconscious desires . When Riker concedes confusion , she smiles and assures him that " " if you ' re still confused tomorrow , you know where my office is " . " Memorable quotes . " " Data , chess isn ' t just a game of ploys and gambits ; it ' s a game of intuition . " " " " Hmm . You are a challenging opponent , Counselor . " " " " I don ' t know who any of you are . " " " " Nor do I . I don ' t . . . I don ' t even remember who I am . " " " " It looks like I ' m the pilot . " " ( To Picard ) " " Looks like you ' re the leader . " " " " Perhaps we should not jump to conclusions . " " ( Worf points to his baldric ) " " I am decorated as well . " " " " We ' re going to search the ship . " " " " Very well . Proceed . " " ( Data pops up from behind the bar ' s counter . ) " " Can I get you something ? A beverage ? " " " " Contact the operations officer to assist you . " " " " He ' s in Ten Forward , waiting tables . " " " " For all we know , you and I could be married . " " " " For all we know , you and I could hate each other . " " " " You must ' ve been one hell of a bartender . " " " " We " must " attack ! ! ! " " " " I do not fire on defenseless people . " " " " Commander , don ' t worry about it . As far as I ' m concerned , you and I have shared something that we will treasure forever . " " Links and references . References . Alaska ; " As You Like It " ; bathing suit ; battleship ; battle stations ; bioelectric field ; checkmate ; Cirrus IV ; crew manifest ; diencephalon ; el - Mitra Exchange ; Emerald Wading Pool ; Epsilon Silar system ; evasive maneuvers ; Federation ; ; hippocampus ; Holodeck Program 47 - C ; " horga ' hn " ; ; kilojoule ; Kriskov Gambit ; Lysia ; Lysian s ; Lysian Alliance ; Lysian Central Command ; Lysian destroyer ; Lysian sentry pod ; Lysian system ; Master of Science ; megajoule ; mission report ; " Ode to Psyche " ; optical data network ; personnel file ; phaser bank ; pulse laser ; radio silence ; red alert ; Risa ; ; Samarian sunset ; Satarran s ; Satarran starship ; snoring ; Starbase 301 ; status report ; ; Sumiko IV ; swimming ; swimming pool ; tactical analysis ; three - dimensional chess ; trombone ; turbolift Retconned references . Bajora