The Mind ' s Eye ( episode ) En route to Risa , Geordi La Forge is taken prisoner on a Romulan ship and mentally conditioned to assassinate a Klingon governor in order to implicate the Federation as enemies of the Empire and unbalance relations between the two governments . Summary . Teaser . While on his three hour journey to the planet Risa in the shuttlepod " Onizuka " for a cybernetics symposium and shore leave , Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge ' s shuttlecraft is captured by a Romulan warbird . Act One . The escorts Klingon Ambassador to the Kriosian system , where a Klingon colony is fighting for its independence . The governor of Krios , Vagh , has accused the Federation of providing aid and weapons to the Kriosian rebels . Kell has been sent to examine the governor ' s evidence , and Kell personally requested Captain Picard ' s help as his name is respected with the High Council . The captain assures the ambassador that the Federation would never interfere with the internal affairs of the Klingon Empire , which Kell hopes he is correct . Picard assigns Lieutenant Worf to assist in the investigation , but Kell requests another security officer due to Worf ' s discommendation , but Picard rebuffs his requests citing that as Chief of Security and his Tactical Officer , this clearly falls in Worf ' s jurisdiction . Aboard the warbird , La Forge is subjected to intense mental conditioning . While an impostor is sent to Risa in his place , La Forge is fed several horrific images directly into his visual cortex , via his VISOR implants . Taibak , the Romulan officer controlling the conditioning explains to his Commander ( Sela , whose face is not seen but whose voice is heard from the darkness ) that La Forge ' s pre - existing implants will make their tampering untraceable . He also says they will have La Forge perform several test acts both on the warbird and the " Enterprise " to make sure the programming is working . Both Kell and Worf are examining a pair of attacks that occurred on neutral freighters , Ferengi and Cardassian . Both attacks occurred near the Ikalian asteroid belt ; a likely area where the rebel fighters are hiding . Kell speculates the actinides within the asteroids are shielding the rebels from their sensors . Worf points out that while the freighters are easy targets for the rebels , they would be foolish to challenge a Federation starship . Kell retorts that they wouldn ' t , since they are supplying the rebels with weapons , but Worf quickly rejects that , suggesting he is challenging Picard ' s word with him , due to the fact he has no honor and is viewed as disloyal . Kell quickly withdraws his statement and tells Worf that many on the High Council would personally thank him for killing Duras , as many stated that he would have headed the council ; a prospect they were not looking forward to . Worf points out his actions were not of a political nature , but a personal one ; Kell said that while Humans care for motives , he acted as a true Klingon that day . In a holographic simulation , La Forge is told to kill Chief Miles O ' Brien . La Forge hesitates at first , but eventually kills the holographic image of O ' Brien , and sits down with two other simulated crewman for a drink . Unimpressed , Taibak says another round of conditioning will be required . Act Two . When La Forge returns , he has no memory of the Romulan abduction . After his return , however , Data notices that the ship ' s sensor s are detecting sporadic E - band emissions . Data tries to pinpoint the source of the emissions , and also works with La Forge to analyze the weapons seized from the Klingon rebels . On Krios , Picard steadfastly defies Governor Vagh ' s accusations , but he and Riker acknowledge that they made no efforts to restrict their medical supplies , unlike their weapons ; but Vagh produces a phaser rifle taken from a rebel stronghold that appears to be Federation issue . When asked where he got it , it was from the rebels , and has many more like it , he says . Unconvinced , Picard would like to study the rifle further , and reminds him that the Federation has no interest in supplying arms to the rebels . The governor points out that this colony is the only colony on the border of Federation space , and accuses Starfleet of wanting Krios to achieve independence to reduce their vulnerability to an attack . When Picard questions whether Vagh ' s is speaking to them as an ally or not , they both exchange insults to one another , forcing Kell to intervene . In Ten Forward , La Forge orders a glass of Red Torian and proceeds to drink it , but receives a signal through his VISOR that is Romulan in origin . Carrying his drink , he slowly approaches O ' Brien who was sitting down , and " accidentally " spills the contents on the chief . La Forge immediately apologizes at how clumsy he was , O ' Brien says nothing of it and decides to change into a dryer uniform ; while La Forge simply shakes his head . Act Three . Through a careful examination of the captured phaser rifle , La Forge and Data detect subtle differences between it and a Federation - issue weapon . The main difference was the efficiency of the phaser ' s discharge crystal which was well above Starfleet specifications . Upon further inspection , they determine that the weapon had been charged with a power source calibrated in the terahertz range , which concludes that the phaser rifle is " not " Starfleet issue . Data comments that 327 known species use that range , and it will take several hours to make an exact match . La Forge says they can narrow down their search , just by asking themselves one question : who stands to benefit from driving a wedge between the Federation and the Klingons ? In Governor Vagh ' s office , La Forge presents the rifle as a Romulan decoy ; physically , it is a perfect replica , but since they had to charge it with their own power sources , the energy signature is identical to a Romulan disruptor . Governor Vagh remains skeptical , since Krios holds no strategic interest for the Romulans , but Picard points out that they certainly have an interest in sowing distrust between the Federation and the Klingons . Vagh still wants his own people to verify the findings . While in the office , La Forge ' s VISOR receives another distinctive E - band transmission . On the bridge , Riker and Data detect the new E - band emission , although this one is much larger than the first indicating that it could not have originated in the same location . Riker observes that if it has changed intensity , than it cannot possibly be a protostar , which they had previously thought to be a possibility . He then asks Data if there is any known instances of the Romulans using E - band for communications . Data is not aware of any . They decide to try to track the signal by reconfiguring the primary sensor array to narrow its focus to E - band emissions to possibly calculate a directional vector should there be any further emissions . Acting under mind control again , La Forge configures the transporter using a new batch of isolinear chips and reroutes power through the auxiliary replicator systems . Next , he reroutes the transporter mode to the planetary sensor array . With the modifications complete , he then beams a crate of weapons from the " Enterprise " to the surface , and erases all records of the modifications . The situation escalates when the weapons crate is intercepted by the Klingons . Furiously , Vagh contacts Picard and tells him to maintain his orbit until further notice . To back up the threat , a Klingon attack cruiser and two Birds - of - Prey decloak and take flanking positions around the " Enterprise " . Act Four . With the situation escalating , Kell warns Picard that Vagh is fully prepared to open fire on the " Enterprise " , but convinced him not to do so without first consulting the High Council , which gives him a few hours . An investigation ensues , and Data and La Forge determine that an unauthorized transport was sent from cargo bay 4 , but the memory chips in the computer were erased to hide the offender ' s identity and the power was routed through the replicator pathways to attempt to conceal its origin . The only ones who could be able to preform this feat were La Forge , O ' Brian , Data , and Lt . Costa . Worf sounds off protocol asking each of them where they were at the time . O ' Brian was with Keiko in the Arboretum , Data was at the ops station on the bridge , La Forge was in his quarters alone , and Costa was on duty in engineering with over 20 witnesses . Worf becomes frustrated as someone is not who he appears to be . Debriefing Picard and Ambassador Kell on their investigations , another E - band emission occurs , which Data explains to both Picard and Kell on the tracking . As the commander leaves , Kell tells Picard that Vagh isn ' t known for his patience and time is running out . Picard asks the ambassador to tell the governor that they ' re doing everything possible , and adds a warning that if necessary , he is prepared to fight in defense of his ship . Realizing that a fight is on the horizon between the " Enterprise " and the three Klingon ships , Kell quickly offers to beam down to Krios to force Vagh to come aboard the " Enterprise " to witness the ongoing investigation , in an attempt to convince him of the Federation ' s innocence . Before leaving , Kell is enjoying a traditional Klingon feast , when La Forge visits him in his quarters , where it is revealed that Kell is conspiring with the Romulans , and that Kell has been implanting commands within La Forge ' s mind , including the command to transport the weapons to the Klingon rebels . Kell personally instructs La Forge to murder Governor Vagh when he arrives on the " Enterprise " from Krios and claim he acted on behalf of Starfleet in support of the colony ' s independence . Act Five . La Forge visits Dr . Crusher in sickbay , explaining that he has not been able to sleep since his visit to Risa . She examines him and detects a slight abnormality in the visual cortex and recommends a complete examination at Starbase 36 when they visit there next month . In the meantime , she hands him a PADD with a somnetic inducer that will help him sleep . Ensign Jae beams Vagh and Kell onto the " Enterprise " . Vagh says he has only come because of Kell ' s insistence that he review the Federation investigation in person . Kell suggests they begin in Cargo Bay 4 . Picard agrees . Kell ' s e - band emissions continue to occur which causes Riker to nearly lose his patience . Data narrows down the pattern as one that sends it to a receiver in an electromagnetic spectrum through a Human brain . Data reacts to this discovery and investigates further . . . La Forge meanwhile picks up a phaser and adjusts the setting from stun to kill . He slips it in his pocket and leaves his quarters . . . Data begins to investigate La Forge ' s shuttle and realizes the craft was subject to a tractor beam due to the submicro deformations to the shuttle ' s nose and aft thrusters . La Forge reaches for his phaser but O ' Brien stops him and asks him to take a look at the pattern buffers as he ' s not sure they are right . Data scans the memory chips of the shuttle and discovers anomalous variations in the molecular structure , consistent of replication . When he compares them with Romulan replications patterns , the computer identifies them as identical . Data realizes that La Forge is compromised . Finishing his conversation with O ' Brien , La Forge resumes his task to kill Governor Vash , ignoring repeated hails from Data . When Data asks where La Forge is and the computer reports he is in Cargo Bay 4 , he orders Worf to take La Forge into custody immediately . Seeing La Forge slowly approaching Picard and Vagh in the cargo bay , Worf jumps down , an action taken as threatening by Vagh ' s bodyguards . They seize him , and Worf struggles to get free , while the commotion draws everyone ' s attention away from La Forge . Worf shouts a warning , Picard spins around and pulls up on La Forge ' s hand just as he fires a hand phaser at Vagh . The phaser fires into the air . Vagh accuses the Federation of a murder plot . Picard is temporarily at a loss , at which point Data arrives and reveals that La Forge has been acting under Romulan control , explaining the E - band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the " Enterprise " , which were transmitted directly to La Forge ' s brain through his VISOR . Kell , anxious to divert suspicion away from himself , asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals . Data says no ; the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to La Forge by a Romulan agent . As to who that agent is , Data reveals that only two people were close to La Forge at all three times when a signal was recorded : Picard and Kell . All eyes turn to Kell ( Vagh doesn ' t even glance at Picard ) , as Data continues ominously that the Romulan agent must be hiding an E - band transmitter on his person . He suggests both Picard and Kell consent to a search . Kell blusters that , as a representative of the High Council , he will not consent to be body - searched , but Vagh has his bodyguards place the ambassador under arrest , saying they will take him back to the planet and search him there . Kell formally requests asylum aboard the " Enterprise " . Picard coolly rejoins that he will be happy to grant asylum – " after " Kell is absolved of any crime . Vagh signals the planet , and the Klingons are beamed away . La Forge later undergoes counseling with ship ' s counselor Deanna Troi , where he begins to realize that his memories of his trip to Risa are false . Troi promises to work with him to restore his memory , and she begins by asking La Forge what happened after he saw the Romulan ship – a question that leaves La Forge stumped , and worried as the full horror of the violation against him begins to sink in . Memorable quotes . " " List the resonances of the sub - quantum states associated with transitional relativity . . . " " " " That ' s easy ! " " " " . . . in alphabetical order . " " " " Sequence 0 - 1 - 0 . Maximum power to the shields . Kill the music . " " " " You are preparing to grant them independence ? " " " " Well , perhaps . Conquer them again later , if we wish . " " " " Your modesty is very Human , captain . I will excuse it . " " " " Welcome , Mr . La Forge . We ' ve waited a long time to meet you . " " " " I can tell you ' ve gone to a lot of trouble ! " " " " Ugh , why are you doing this ? " " " " I am sorry , commander . It is a necessary step . I apologize for " any " discomfort . " " " " Will there be any physical evidence of what you are going to do to him ? " " " " None , commander . That is why we " chose " La Forge . The utilization of his preexisting neural implants makes our work impossible to detect . " " " " Who is that man sitting over there ? " " " " That ' s Chief O ' Brien . " " " " How long has he served with you ? " " " " Almost four years . " " " " I want you to kill him . " " " " OK . " " " " Good , Mr . La Forge , very good . Why don ' t you enjoy a drink with your friends ? " " " " Governor , you speak as if we were enemies , not allies . " " " " And you speak the lies of a taHqeq ! " " " " Vagh ghay ' cha ' baQa ' ! " " " " Gentlemen ! " " " " You swear well , Picard . You must have Klingon blood in your veins . " " " " One could speculate that the E - band was being used as some form of covert communication . " " " " We need more than speculation , Mr . Data . We need to know who , what , where , when , and why . Or we may be going to war . " " " " I will gladly grant you asylum . . . when you have been absolved of this crime . " " " " Data to Lt . Worf . Priority one . " " " " Go ahead . " " " " Take Commander La Forge into custody immediately . " " " " Sir ? ' " " " That is an order . " " " " I saw no evidence of Romulans ! We just witnessed him acting very much alone ! " " " " No , sir . You did not . " " " " I have surmised that Commander La Forge was conditioned by Romulans . A process referred to historically – and somewhat inaccurately – as ' brainwashing ' . " " " " But to what end ? Why would the Romulans want to kill me ? " " " " The Romulans have always wanted to destroy the alliance between the Federation and the Klingons . If Mr . La Forge killed you , governor , I think you would agree , they might have succeeded . " " Links and references . 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