Transfigurations ( episode ) The " Enterprise " rescues a critically injured amnesiac who is undergoing a mysterious transformation . Summary . Teaser . The " Enterprise " is exploring an uncharted star system within the Zeta Gelis star cluster , when the ship discovers a faint life sign and debris from a small ship on one of the planets . La Forge is in Ten Forward with Worf and he says that he is interested in Christy Henshaw who is sitting at a nearby table with a friend but he is too shy to approach her . Christy comes over to the bar to leave her and her friend ' s empty cups . She tries to strike up a conversation but La Forge is tongue - tied . Then Commander Riker contacts him from the bridge and he leaves Worf . On the surface , the away team finds the crashed vessel , with a single badly - injured occupant . Dr . Beverly Crusher scans him and says that his brain stem has been damaged and his involuntary nervous functions are not stable enough for transport up to the ship . She asks for a volunteer , and La Forge steps forward . She establishes a neural link between La Forge and the alien , to allow La Forge ' s brain to regulate both nervous systems and stabilize the alien until they can beam up to the " Enterprise " . When the connection is made , an energy discharge enters La Forge ' s mind , and he inhales sharply , but assures Crusher that he ' s fine . As soon as the alien stabilizes , all three of them are beamed directly to sickbay . Act One . In sickbay , Dr . Crusher works tirelessly with her staff to stabilize the severely wounded mystery man . On the bridge , Commander Riker reports to Captain Picard that the crashed vessel appeared to be an escape pod , which means that the ship it came from must have been attacked somewhere close by . Data detects debris and refined metals in orbit of the planet , indicating the ship was destroyed . Worf also picks up residual phaser fire . Riker shows Picard a small module which is all that is left of the pod ' s computer system , and Picard gives it to Data for analysis . Picard visits sickbay to check on the patient ' s progress , and Crusher reports that he will make a full recovery , due in no small part to his body ' s quick recuperative powers . She is also troubled to note that his undamaged cells are mutating , a process that does not seem to be connected to his injuries . La Forge is in Ten Forward sitting at a table with Worf and Data discussing the salvaged computer module . La Forge and Data present various theories on how to decode it , but Worf is unhappy they are talking shop and not relaxing . La Forge says he is relaxed and has never felt better . He then spots Christy and decides to escort her out of Ten Forward to the ship ' s arboretum . " " I have been tutoring him . He learns very quickly " " , a proud Worf tells Data . In sickbay , the mysterious alien has been removed from intensive bio - support and most of his major organ s are functioning on their own after only 36 hours . While Dr . Crusher monitors his life sign s , he awakens and touches her hand , surprising the doctor . His first words to her are " " I am alive " " . Crusher remarks that he certainly is . He follows this up by asking " " Who am I ? " " Act Two . When the alien , now named John Doe , finally recovers enough to awaken , he does not know who he is or what led him to be on that planet . The bridge crew attempt to ascertain the mystery of John ' s origins while continuing their work on the charting of the Zeta Gelis star cluster . John Doe has been aboard for over a month , his recuperation speedy and successful , but the doctor is still puzzled by his continuing mutation , which now elicits pain and a glowing energy pulse from his torso . Beverly is frustrated at her inability to solve the mystery or halt the pain , while John is contrite about not being able to remember . Riker is waiting for the turbolift , and when it finally comes , he sees La Forge and Christy in a long kiss . Riker comments that he is having a lot of luck with her . La Forge says that he ' s still the same old Geordi , but Riker says he ' s changed . La Forge admits he is a lot more confident than he used to be . Chief Miles O ' Brien comes into sickbay with a dislocated shoulder , after kayaking on the holodeck . While Crusher is preparing the necessary equipment , John drifts over and touches his shoulder . There is another glowing energy pulse , and O ' Brien ' s arm is completely healed , to Beverly and her son Wesley ' s astonishment . Over dinner with Wesley , Beverly admits that there is something oddly compelling about the mysterious man , but denies anything like a " Florence Nightingale " effect ( i . e . , that she is falling in love with her patient ) . She feels that she has a spiritual connection with John that is different than a romantic one . She tells her son she probably is not making much sense , but Wesley tells her he understands somewhat . As the bridge crew grow closer to discovering the origins of John Doe , including discovering the coordinates of the planet from which he came from , the alien is starting to remember fragments of his past , namely that he was escaping his planet and that there were others with him . He asks Picard not to return him , at least not yet . Picard states that the " Enterprise " will not be in the vicinity of the planet ' s star system for three weeks , giving John ample time to discuss the problem further . After Picard and Crusher leave John alone , a powerful yellow glow briefly appears on his body . Act Three . John and Dr . Crusher have some drinks in Ten Forward celebrating John ' s first day out of sickbay . John marvels at the diversity of the " Enterprise " crew , many different species all working together freely . He tells Crusher that his species is different from this somehow . Crusher tells John how fond she has become of him and he vice - versa . John tells Crusher that he believes he is on some kind of journey and that his mutation in his body is connected to it . He knows he must complete his journey before anything else . Worf announces to Picard that the " Enterprise " will soon joined by a ship heading to intercept the " Enterprise " at high warp . It refuses to answer hails and will intercept in ten hours . Now nearly two months on board , John ' s painful and accelerating cellular mutations cause him to fear that what is happening to him may hurt people around him . He flees sickbay after telling Dr . Crusher he must leave the " Enterprise " . While chasing him down a corridor , Dr . Crusher reluctantly calls for security . As he tries to escape in the shuttlepod " El Baz " , Worf is mortally injured by John when he accidentally unleashed his power on him . Worf ' s neck breaks on impact after falling hard from high up onto the shuttlebay ' s floor . He is miraculously healed by John Doe . Act Four . In Picard ' s ready room , Picard gets John to admit he was going to steal a shuttle and asks what is happening to him . John does not know , but believes he has to leave the ship before he harms another individual . Picard asks that John be kept under constant surveillance . The Zalkonian Commander Sunad finally answers the " Enterprise " s hails and demands the delivery of the stranger from Captain Picard . Allegedly , he is a dangerous criminal who is disturbing the normal order of society on Zalkon and deserves death . Sunad demands that the " Enterprise " leave the Zalkonian system and return John Doe to them . He gives them two hours to make their decision before he fires . Captain Picard , Riker , Troi , and Dr . Crusher discuss what John Doe could be accused of and whether or not they can let personal relationships affect their decision to return this so - called criminal . Crusher remarks on the irony of having saved John ' s life and now to give him back to his people to die for his alleged crimes . Act Five . Picard tries to negotiate with Sunad , telling him that John has exhibited some extraordinary abilities , and would like to know more about the nature of his alleged crimes . Declaring that John has " " corrupted " " the " Enterprise " ' s crew as well , Sunad motions to his bridge crew , and the Zalkonian ship creates some kind of effect that causes every member of the crew to suffocate . In sickbay , John is the only one not affected . He finds Beverly suffocating on the floor and heals her . Helping her to her feet , he declares that he finally remembers who he is and why he is there . Finding another crew member on the floor outside sickbay , John heals him as well , then touches a panel , spreading his power throughout the " Enterprise " and freeing everyone from the Zalkonian weapon . As John and Beverly enter the bridge , Sunad furiously orders his ship ' s weapons targeted on the " Enterprise " . Before it can fire , John simply raises a hand , instantly transporting Sunad from his ship ' s bridge to the " Enterprise " . Sunad insists to Picard that John and his kind are a danger to society , but John tells Picard the truth : the Zalkonian species is on the verge of an amazing evolutionary change , but Sunad and their society ' s other leaders , fearful of something they don ' t understand and perceiving a threat to their authority , have decried the changes as " " evil " " and been murdering any members of their society who exhibit them . John and three of his fellows decided to flee Zalkon and let the changes take their course , but only John has survived , with the help of the " Enterprise " crew . John gasps in sudden pain and undergoes the final , becoming a luminous being of pure energy . He tells Sunad there is nothing to fear , but Sunad recoils in terror . John says that they can no longer prevent him from telling the rest of Zalkon what is happening to them . He returns Sunad to his own ship , which quickly departs and heads back to Zalkon . John expresses how glad he was to have found people like those on the " Enterprise " but also apologizes to the people on the bridge for needing to leave , especially to Beverly . Captain Picard states his pride in being present at the birth of a new species , and the new energy life form says goodbye to Beverly before he wafts up and out of the ship into space . Memorable quotes . " " You must let her see the fire in your eyes . " " " " But what would I say ? ! " " " " Words come later . It is the scent that first speaks of love . " " " " Thanks , Worf . That helps a lot . " " " " What happened to you ? " " " " Oh , I was kayaking on the holodeck again . . . " " " " I have much to teach you about women . " " " " Less talk , more synthehol . We came here to relax . " " " " I ' ve been tutoring him . He learns very quickly . " " " " Well , maybe I am a little bit more confident than I used to be . " " " " Hey , doc ! I ' m dying out here ! " " " " Damn it , you nearly killed a member of my crew . . . " " " " And healed him . " " " " I ' m not forgetting that . That ' s the reason he ' s here and not in the brig . " " " " It is our mission to seek out life in all forms . We are priviliged to have been present at the emergence of a new species . " " Links and references . References . 47 ; amnesia ; arboretum ; ATP ; autonomic function ; bingo ; biochemical storage medium ; bioscan ; brain stem ; brig ; cc ; chest cavity ; code seven ; cough ; cryogenic stasis ; debris ; " El - Baz " ; escape pod ; Federation ; feedback - loop controller ; G - type star ; heart ; inaprovaline ; joint dislocation ; kayaking ; magnetic inducer ; matrix translator ; medical tricorder ; memory RNA ; ; motor assist band ; muscle ; navigational chart ; nervous system ; neurofeedback ; neurolink ; neuromuscular function ; neutron star ; non - corporeal lifeform ; nucleic acid ; osteotractor frame ; parsec ; phaser ; physiology ; plasma ; protodynoplaser ; pulsar ; recuperative power ; resuscitation team ; sector 9569 ; shoulder ; storage capsule ; synaptic induction ; synthahol ; tactical analysis ; trace element ; transformational matrix calculation ; trespassing ; tricorder ; tutor ; Zalkon ; Zalkonian s ; Zalkonian escape pod ; Zalkonian warship ; Zeta Gelis star cluster ; Zeta Gelis star cluster planet ; Zeta Gelis star cluster star