Phantasms ( episode ) The crew helps Data investigate when his dream program begins suddenly generating nightmares . Meanwhile , Picard attempts to avoid attending a boring Starfleet banquet . Summary . Teaser . Data is walking through the corridor s of the , when he sees three workmen destroying a warp plasma conduit . He tells them to stop , and after he speaks , he emits a high - pitched sound through his mouth . The workers tell him to be quiet , then attack and dismantle him , first his left arm , then his right leg , and then ultimately his head . A startled Data suddenly wakes up in his bed . Act One . The " Enterprise " is leaving a starbase after installing a new warp core . Captain Picard has been invited to the annual Starfleet Admirals ' Banquet on Starbase 219 by Admiral Nakamura , and says that , after six years , he ' s run out of excuses to avoid such a boring event . Meanwhile , in engineering , Data can ' t stop talking about his nightmare . In the nine months since he has activated the dreaming program , he has had 111 dreams , but this appears to be his first nightmare . La Forge assures him that nightmares are a normal part of dreaming , and that being preoccupied with them is also part of the Human experience . They are interrupted by Ensign who triumphantly has just finished calibrating a electro - plasma system module and expresses her joy in learning from La Forge , obviously with a crush on him . He ' s uncomfortable , but politely suggests she work with Lieutenant Farrell next to get her out of his hair . Soon , Picard calls in to La Forge and Data to attempt to activate the new warp drive . It starts up fine , but , when ensign Gates attempts a course to the starbase , they run into problems and the " Enterprise " is delayed for several hours . In his quarters , Data observes his cat sleeping and wonders what Spot dreams about . Counselor Troi visits Data to talk about his nightmares , and encourages him to continue with the dream program . Data dreams . He ' s in Ten Forward , and Worf is nearby at a table , enjoying a piece of cake . Data asks what kind of cake it is . " " A cellular peptide cake , with mint frosting . Would you like a bite ? " " , Worf says . Data declines , and his attention turns to Dr . Crusher and Riker at the bar . Riker has a straw coming out of his head , and Crusher is drinking something out of it . There ' s a telephone ringing in the background . " " Aren ' t you going to answer that ? , " " Riker demands . The workmen are also there , and again Data emits the high - pitched scream . They tell him to be quiet , and he shuts his mouth . One hands him a knife , and he cuts at a cake in the shape of Counselor Troi . Troi pleads with him to stop , but he doesn ' t . Troi , Worf , and La Forge are standing in Data ' s quarters and wake him up . They tell him he ' s overslept . " " That is not possible , " " he says , but it has happened nonetheless . Act Two . In engineering , La Forge finds nothing wrong with his primary systems . He theorizes that perhaps it is part of the program , that Data is supposed to oversleep at times , as part of the Human experience . He asks about Data ' s dreams and comments that imagery must have been strange . " " Strange , " " Data says , " " is not a sufficient adjective to describe the experience . " " Data consults Sigmund Freud in the holodeck , but after the psychologist comes up with a bizarre theory – telling Data that the nightmares are related to Data ' s desire for his mother and his impotence – Data leaves . Admiral Nakamura calls the " Enterprise " , demanding to know when Picard will arrive for the banquet . The captain assures him he will be there on time . Shortly afterwards La Forge and Data again try to activate the warp drive , but there ' s another problem and the " Enterprise " is adrift . Nakamura is again contacted with the " bad " news . In engineering , Data and La Forge work on the problem . Tyler comes by again briefly for a plasma inverter , still with a crush but La Forge doesn ' t have time to talk to her . Data then starts seeing dream imagery while he ' s awake . He sees a " mouth " on La Forge ' s neck , and the brace coil he holds looks like the knife with which he cut the " cellular peptide cake " . He hears the telephone ringing again , opens his own chest and picks up the telephone receiver . " " Hello ? " " he asks . " " Kill them . You must kill them all , before it ' s too late . " " It is Freud ' s voice . La Forge wakes him out of it , and Data turns to see him and Tyler . Act Three . Data goes to Troi for counseling . With Data ' s insistence that the technical reasons are ruled out , she suggests they start regular sessions . Data is excited at the prospect at developing a new neurosis , which amuses Troi , and looks forward to the next meeting . Until then , Data is to discontinue the dream program . Picard insists to Nakamura privately that he will be on - time , and will not need a tow ship . He goes to engineering and nervously suggests actions over the shoulder that La Forge and Data have already tried . La Forge finally asks him to leave , but then Tyler suggests something he can help with and they leave . However , meanwhile Data stares at the brace coil and is compelled to leave , unnoticed . Later , Data attacks Troi in a turbolift , first asking her to hold very still . Act Four . Riker and Worf find them , and Data claims that he saw another mouth on Troi ' s shoulder , and he had an uncontrollable urge to eliminate it . Data is confined to quarters while La Forge prepares a sub - polymer scan , the last remaining scan he can think of , since everything else reports nothing wrong with him . Worf brings Data to his quarters and confiscates his phaser . Data then takes the precaution of asking Worf to take care of Spot , since he isn ' t sure what he might do . Worf reluctantly agrees , and , on his way out , finds out he is allergic . Meanwhile , Dr . Crusher treats Troi ' s stab wound in sickbay , but it mysteriously becomes infected . When Crusher removes the vascular pad , she discovers a rash , but also cellular degradation and an interphasic signature . Martinez gets an interphasic scanner , which reveals an interphasic organism on the wound . She eventually confirms that herself , the whole medical staff and several other crewmembers are infected – as well as Captain Picard and Commander Riker . Act Five . Crusher reports in the observation lounge that the creatures are feeding on the cellular peptides of the crew ' s cells . They don ' t yet know how to destroy them , but if they don ' t , the cells of their bodies will disintegrate and they will all collapse into nothing more than a few pounds of chemicals . Picard and La Forge both think the creatures may be connected to Data ' s odd behavior , because their locations correspond to objects in Data ' s dreams . They decide to connect Data to the holodeck , so they might observe his dreaming . Once there , La Forge and Picard observe Data , who again finds himself in Ten Forward , and then in Sigmund Freud ' s office . The three workmen are there , again dismantling a plasma coil , leading La Forge and Picard to believe that the creatures are also linked to the malfunctioning warp core . Data makes the shrieking sound , which immobilizes them . Data wakes up and says he knows how to get rid of the parasites . By reconfiguring his positronic brain to emit an interphasic pulse , the creatures are killed . La Forge explains that the new warp core must have been infested with the interphasic organisms from Thanatos VII , and that ' s why the engineering staff had so many problems initializing it . He will have to construct a new conduit . It will take at least six hours , which means that Picard gets out of attending the admiral ' s banquet once again . La Forge suggests to the captain that he can speed up the construction , but Picard tells him he wouldn ' t want to put the safety of the " Enterprise " at risk . Troi visits Data in his quarters and brings him a snack : a cake in the android ' s shape . " " I wonder what Dr . Freud would say about the symbolism of " devouring " oneself , " " Data says . " " Data , " " Troi responds , " " sometimes a cake is just a cake . " " Memorable quotes . " " This oughta be a lot of fun ! " " " " Be quiet ! " " " " Can ' t you think of some excuse to get out of it ? " " " " After six years , Number One , I don ' t think I have any excuses left . " " " " Now let ' s see how fast she can run . " " " " Bad news ? " " " " You could say that . I ' ve been invited to the annual Starfleet admirals ' banquet . " " " " My condolences . " " " " I have often wondered what Spot dreams about . His twitching and rapid breathing would seem to suggest anxiety . But Spot has never seen a mouse , or any other form of rodentia . He has never encountered an insect or been chased by a canine . " " " " Good work , Tyler . I thought he ' d never leave . " " " " Mr . La Forge , why isn ' t my ship moving ? " " " " Commander La Forge ? " " " " Speaking of nightmares . . . " " " " Dreams are the royal road to the knowledge of the mind . " " " " Sounds like it must have been pretty strange . " " " " " Strange " is not a sufficient adjective to describe the experience . " " " " Tell me more about this , uh . . . cake . " " " " It is difficult to explain . Counselor Troi ' s body . . . was a cake . " " " " I believe I can fit you in , uh . . . next Tuesday , hmm ? " " " " That will not be necessary . Computer , end program . " " " " Hold . . . very still , counselor . " " " " Do not interrupt ! " " " " Kill zem . You must kill zem all , before it ' s too late . " " " " What is it ? " " " " The question is , what are " they " . " " " " Normally I would wish you pleasant dreams . But in this case , bad dreams would be more helpful . " " " " He will need to be fed once a day . He prefers feline supplement number 25 . " " " " I understand . " " " " And he will require water . And you must provide him with a sandbox . And you must talk to him . Tell him he is a pretty cat . And a good cat . " " " " I will feed him . " " " " Perhaps that will be enough . " " " " Mr . Data , what kind of cake is this ? " " " It is a cellular peptide cake . " " ( His mouth full ) " " With mint frosting . " " " " I wouldn ' t want to sacrifice the safety of the ship . " " " " Sometimes a cake is just a cake . " " Links and references . References . adjective ; Admirals ' Banquet ; camel ; canine ; cellular decay ; cellular peptide ; cigar ; counselor ' s office ; confiscation ; deuterium cartridge ; dream ; epidermal layer ; EPS module ; Farrell ; feline supplement 25 ; frosting ; German ; insect ; interphasic organism ; interphasic scanner ; jazz ; microfracture ; mouse ; muscle spasm ; neurosis ; nightmare ; number one ; osmotic tendril ; oversleeping ; painting ; pickaxe ; plasma conduit ; plasma inverter ; psychoanalysis ; rash ; rodent ; ; sand box ; ; speech ; stab wound ; Starbase 84 ; Starbase 84 planet ; Starbase 219 ; Starfleet Command ; statue ; straw ; telephone ; Ten Forward ; Thanatos VII ; tricorder ; Tuesday ; warp plasma conduit ; " " ; yawn