Silicon Avatar ( episode ) The " Enterprise " gives chase to the Crystalline Entity after it destroys a Federation colony . A xenologist , who has a motivation all her own with respect to the Crystalline Entity , is assigned to the " Enterprise " to assist in the investigations . Summary . Teaser . Commander Riker is on the surface of a lush and life - filled planet called Melona IV . He is speaking to Carmen Davila about plans for the construction of a colony there , and plans a dinner date with her . Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Commander Data are also present . The sky suddenly darkens and the Crystalline Entity appears . Data suggests that they might find cover for the colonists in caverns that lie to the east . Riker looks up at the Crystalline Entity looming large in Melona ' s sky . Act One . The Crystalline Entity destroys everything in its path with some kind of energy beam . Riker ' s friend Carmen goes back to help an old man who has fallen in the rush and Riker witnesses them being vaporized by the Entity . The ' s sensor s pick up an atmospheric disturbance , possibly an electromagnetic storm on Melona IV . The " Enterprise " is 27 hours away at present speed . Captain Picard orders Ensign Reel to increase the ship ' s speed to warp 8 . Back on the planet , the colonists have taken shelter underground . Data believes that the refractory metal s in the rock strata will protect them . Crusher is concerned that they and the settlers will run out of air soon . On the " Enterprise " , Picard increases speed to warp 9 . They are still six hours away from Melona IV . Back on the planet , the cavern ' s oxygen is almost completely depleted but they haven ' t heard the Entity in an hour . Riker and Data respond to a sudden sound near the entrance of the cavern . Lieutenant Worf enters the cave along with a rescue party , which includes Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge . Riker exits the cavern to see that the surface of the planet has been reduced to a barren wasteland as far as the eye can see . Act Two . Doctor Marr beam s aboard the " Enterprise " and is escorted by Riker to meet with the senior staff in the observation lounge . Data confirms that it was the same entity that destroyed the colony at Omicron Theta . Dr . Marr says that the entity is basically an electromagnetic collector that converts all organic matter to energy . She states that in eleven recorded attacks , there have never been any survivors . Data surmises that the presence of kelbonite and fistrium in the cavern may have protected them . Picard orders Data to accompany Dr . Marr to the planet ' s surface to study the cavern . Dr . Marr is obviously displeased with having to work with Data , but Picard insists and she ultimately relents . Counselor Troi expresses to Picard her concern that he may have forced Dr . Marr and Data together far too soon . " " If her discomfort is going to affect her judgment or her objectivity , I need to know now " " , Picard states . On the planet , Dr . Marr tells Data that the reason for her active distrust of him is because his brother Lore had aided the Entity in destroying the colony at Omicron Theta . Further , she believes that the reason the Entity allowed the colonists to survive was due to Data ' s presence . She tells Data that her sixteen - year - old son was killed during the attack on the colony at Omicron Theta and that is why she has devoted her life to studying the Entity . She promises to have Data dismantled piece by piece if she finds out that he has been assisting the Crystalline Entity as his brother did . Act Three . La Forge , Data , and Dr . Marr are in engineering . Data suggests that the soil samples should be scanned for gamma radiation to see if there are any traces of antiproton s . It is determined that the Crystalline Entity deposits these antiprotons as it travels through space . Soon the crew is able to determine the likely course the Entity has taken . They set course for the Brechtian Cluster . Dr . Marr has developed a modification of the photon torpedo es to destroy the Entity . Picard has reservations and tells her that he intends to try and communicate with it . Dr . Marr is incredulous and very upset at Picard ' s desire to preserve a lifeform responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people . However , Picard reiterates his point , asking that Dr . Marr work together with Data to find a way to communicate with the Entity . She then joins Data in his quarters . He is playing the guitar when she enters . Data reveals to her that his memory contains the personal log s and even some personal memories of all 411 Omicron Theta colonists , including her son Raymond , who was called " Renny . " Data and Dr . Marr are summoned to the bridge , where they learn that the freighter " Kallisko " is under attack . Dr . Marr is visibly distraught to hear the dying screams of the freighter ' s crew . Act Four . An away team is sent to the " Kallisko " , only to find that the entire ship is devoid of life . Back in his ready room Picard asks Riker to write a letter to Carmen ' s family . Riker asks for permission to speak freely and tells Picard that he is beginning to think that maybe Dr . Marr was right in that the Entity should be destroyed when they encounter it again because it will just continue killing . Picard , however , believes that Riker is influenced by personal feelings . Riker is rather upset at Picard ' s remark , stating that he is not a raw cadet and that he has lost people on missions before and that if they take their time to communicate with the Entity they might lose their chance to destroy it ; something they cannot risk . Picard responds with pensive silence as Riker , in a rather sarcastic tone , states that he will now go write that letter to Carmen ' s family . Data and Dr . Marr continue to work on a way to communicate with the Entity . They decide to use a graviton pulse to communicate with it . Dr . Marr creates a subroutine to allow them to vary the frequency of the pulses from the bridge . Dr . Marr , in an emotional tone , requests to Data that he recite one of Renny ' s journal entries using Renny ' s voice . Dr . Marr is visibly moved . Act Five . While still five light year s away from the Brechtian Cluster , they begin emitting five - nanosecond graviton emission s at one pulse per second . They increase to ten pulses per second , and Worf detects a large mass on an intercept course moving at warp speed . It is the Crystalline Entity , which stops near the " Enterprise " . They increase the graviton pulses to twenty per second and notice a signal coming from the Entity . A pattern emerges , and Data begins to decipher it . Dr . Marr then tries a continuous beam instead of the pulsing one . The Entity moves away slightly , as if hurt by the change . Picard orders a return to the intermittent signal , but Dr . Marr has locked out the controls and the graviton pulse begins to make the Entity unstable . The amplitude reaches a critical point and the Entity is completely destroyed in a spectacular explosion . Data escorts Dr . Marr to her quarters where she is confined on Picard ' s orders . A very shaken Dr . Marr asks Data if he thinks Renny would understand why she did it . Data states that it is his belief that Renny would have been sad about what she did , because her decision has now effectively ended her career as a scientist and he was proud of the scientific work that she did . Reality sets in for the shocked doctor about what she has just done . Memorable quotes . " " Remarkable . You and your group are the only known beings " ever " to survive an assault by the Crystalline Entity ! " " " " And your " android " , he was there too ? " " " " Lieutenant Commander " Data " was there , yes . " " " " I don ' t think you need an empath to sense that woman ' s feelings . " " " " There ' s hostility that she seems to have transferred from Lore to Data . Perhaps you shouldn ' t have forced them together so soon . " " " " If her discomfort is going to affect her judgment or her objectivity , I need to know now . " " " " If we can possibly avoid firing on it , then I would hope we . . . " " " " Aren ' t you going to " kill " it ? " " " " Lieutenant Worf , I don ' t think I ' ve ever seen a more beautiful sight . " " " " I would argue that the Crystalline Entity has as much right to be here as we do . " " " " Perhaps the combination of the two metals prevented the Entity from . . . " " " " Perhaps it was you ! " " " " I do not understand . " " " " Maybe it was your presence that made the Entity pass over the people in this cave , did that occur to you ? " " " " I cannot see what effect my being here would have had . . . " " " " If you had been in contact with the Entity , if that ' s the reason Melona was attacked , surely it wouldn ' t have killed its ally . " " " " Do you believe that I lured the Entity here ? " " " " Did you ? " " " " No , Doctor . Because Lore betrayed the colonists on Omicron Theta , you believe that I am capable of the same behavior . You are mistaken , Doctor . My programming is distinctly different from Lore ' s . " " " " You don ' t understand , I am accusing you of collaborating with that monster ! " " " " I do understand . And I am attempting to explain to you it is impossible . " " " " Amazing . You can ' t feel anything , can you ? Nothing I say to you hurts you ? " " " " That is true , Doctor . " " " " Why are we pursuing the Entity , if not to destroy it ? " " " " We are not hunters , Doctor . Nor is it our role to exact revenge . " " " " What do you propose ? We track it down , greet it warmly and ask it if it would mind terribly not ravaging any more planets ? ! " " " " And as you know . . . I provide the most " memorable " desserts . " " " " My favorite part of dinner . " " " " The sperm whale on Earth devours millions of cuttlefish as it roams the oceans . It is not evil . It is feeding . " " " " You say you did it for him but I do not believe he would have wanted that . Yes , I believe your son would be very sad now . I am sorry , Doctor , but I cannot help you . " " Links and references . References . access code ; antiproton ; archaeology ; Argos system ; arts center ; " As You Like It " ; bacteria ; bitrium ; Boreal III ; Brechtian Cluster ; cadet ; cave ; cellular biology ; cellulose ; championship emblem ; chicken curry ; Clendenning ; crystal ; Crystalline Entity ; cuttlefish ; dessert ; Earth ; electrical storm ; electromagnetic collector ; evasive action ; fistrium ; Forlat III ; gamma radiation ; gamma scan ; graviton ; graviton beam ; greenery storage ; guitar ; hertz ; hospital ; humor ; hydrocarbon ; insect ; Janina ; " Kallisko " ; kelbonite ; keV ; lanthanide ; Lore ; ; Melona ; Melona IV ; Melona colony ; memory cell ; metal ; monocaladium ; monster ; neural net ; nitrate ; Number one ; Omicron Theta ; outpost ; Parrises squares ; particle phaser ; photon torpedo ; plant ; ration ; replicator ; residential pod ; school ; science station ; skeleton crew ; ; spectrographic analysis ; sperm whale ; starbase ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; synaptic pattern ; temporal lobe ; tent ; trace element ; transport ship ; tricorder ; turbolift ; Wallace family ; wine ; xenologist ( xenology )