The Next Phase ( episode ) Geordi La Forge and Ensign Ro are believed dead after a transporter malfunction . However , they soon discover that their state may not actually be " death " . Summary . Teaser . The is called to render assistance to a crippled Romulan vessel . When they arrive , the vessel is adrift and has taken heavy damage . Commander William T . Riker , Lt . Commander Geordi La Forge , Ensign Ro Laren , and Lieutenant Worf beam over . Riker orders La Forge and Ro to disarm their phaser s before going over , which Ro says is not a bright idea . When La Forge surveys the damage after beaming aboard , he determines that the graviton generator needs to be replaced , and beams himself and Ro back to the ship along with the damaged part . However , during transport , something happens to their patterns . Transporter chief Brossmer cannot get them to rematerialize , so she aborts . However , they do not rematerialize at the original coordinates as the safety protocols indicated . Riker and the engineer conclude they are gone . Act One . The Romulan ship is still in danger of a warp core breach . Lt . Commander Data and two more engineers go to the ship in a shuttle . When the pressure in the core suddenly rises , Riker , Worf , and the Romulans are forced to eject it manually , doing so just in time . Ensign Ro wakes up in a corridor in section 23 baker near sickbay and finds that she cannot use the communications system , nor does anyone notice her . She enters sickbay , only to hear Doctor Beverly Crusher and Captain Jean - Luc Picard discussing the supposed transporter accident that has her and Gordi to be killed . Beverly , at first , insists that Ro and Geordi may have survived and that other possibilities should be explored before declaring the missing officers dead . Picard , in turn , asserts that all possibilities have been explored while Beverly sadly laments that she hates making out death certificates . As Ro overhears their conversation , she cannot get their attention , and when she blocks his path , Picard walks right through her . Act Two . The " Enterprise " begins to transfer power to the Romulan ship , as Data examines the transporters for anything that could cause the safety systems to fail . He finds an energy fluctuation and begins investigating it . He also asks if he may arrange the memorial service , and Captain Picard grants his request . On board the Romulan vessel , Worf tells Riker that the Romulans have requested a Starfleet computer , which Worf believes is a severe security risk . Riker agrees and recommends that the Romulans be given a computer system from thirty to forty years ago . This would be technology that the Romulans would already be familiar with . Worf agrees and Riker gives Worf the approval to have the equipment manufactured and the leeway to make sure that his concerns be addressed before it is installed . La Forge also soon finds that he has the same problems as Ro . After waking up in the " Enterprise " s arboretum with a splitting headache , he headed for engineering . When she finds him , they start speculating about what happened . La Forge and Ro take two different approaches to their apparent death . Ro tries to accept her death and be at peace with herself , believing themselves to be borhya s , or spirits . La Forge is determined to figure out what happened , convinced they are still alive . Act Three . While the chief engineer begins to follow Data ' s investigation , Ro wanders around the ship , and finds herself in the captain ' s ready room when Commander Riker tells Picard that he wants to say a few words about her at the memorial . She also begins to speak her mind to the captain and others who can ' t hear her , telling Picard that she was glad he trusted her . After that , La Forge enters and talks her into going over to the Romulan vessel , where Data believes the problem originated . They take his shuttle , and overhear Data talking to Worf about the memorial service , including whether or not it would be practical to incorporate Bajoran elements ( to which Ro responds with a groan , " " Oh please , not the death chant . " " ) Using his ability to look through the casing , La Forge discovers that a central device in the Romulan engine room is a phase inverter , which can transform normal matter so it will pass through other matter and energy . He remembers hearing at classified briefings that the Romulans have been trying to combine inversion and cloaking technology . He realizes this explains the chroniton fields , and the pair ' s abilities ; they " are " alive , just " out of phase " with normal matter and energy . After Data is called away , the two of them then hear the Romulan bridge officers Mirok and Varel discussing the danger of the Starfleet officers discovering the inverter , and plotting to destroy the " Enterprise " by creating an undetectable muon feedback ray through the power transfer beam ; as soon as the " Enterprise " goes to warp , her engines will explode . Ro and Geordi say they must return to the " Enterprise " immediately and find a way to reverse their condition , so they can warn the crew about the Romulan trap . As they leave the bridge , a Romulan who has been sitting in one of the bridge chairs gets up and follows them , passing through a console , showing that he is also phased and has overheard them . Act Four . When Data and the transporter chief Brossmer scan for chroniton fields , using anyon s to eliminate them , La Forge realizes that he and Ro are leaving chroniton particles behind them . La Forge tries to get Data to recognize the pattern of his movements , and accidentally finds the solution to his problem ; a " careless " sweep from Data hits Geordi on the hand , stinging him – and after discovering that this hand no longer went right through the master systems display table as easily , he realizes that the anyons partially re - phased his hand . He doubles his efforts , desperately hoping to make Data turn up the intensity so he will be brought back , but to no avail . Data gives up . Unfortunately , when Ro is following the transporter chief , the Romulan confronts her with a " phased " disruptor . He forces Ro to take him to La Forge , but on the other side of a wall , she jumps him , and knocks him down . A chase ensues , and Ro gets shot in the leg with the disruptor . A fist fight ensues , and La Forge enters ( following Data to a very large chroniton field created by the weapon ' s fire ) and knocks Parem through the ship ' s hull , and out into space , an action that saves Ro ' s life . Act Five . Afterward , the power transfer beam is disconnected , Picard is thanked by Mirok and they are about to engage at warp , when the transporter chief reminds him the decontamination is still going on , and they shouldn ' t use any major system until it has been completed . La Forge figures that for them to be returned to normal , they will have to be hit with a very large anyon field , and since it will only work for a millisecond , someone will need to be looking right at them . When the memorial service in Ten Forward is announced , they go there . Joining Picard and Riker in the turbolift , La Forge hears the captain , practicing his eulogy , recall their first meeting years before , while Ro anxiously wonders what Riker will say about her – but they reach Ten Forward first , leaving her even more frustrated . To Ro ' s shock and La Forge ' s pleasant surprise , the atmosphere in Ten Forward is rather festive ( complete with a jazz band , which Riker eventually joins ) as everyone mingles and reminisces . They start shooting everything with the disruptor – approaching Riker , Ro sarcastically notes that she would " never " know what he was to say about her before putting a shot through his head . Soon , the chief finds the very large field forming in Ten Forward . However , their attempts to get attention when the field strength is increased fail , and the " Enterprise " will need to get to Garadius IV soon , as the diplomatic situation on the planet is worsening . So , they make the disruptor overload , and sure enough , a much larger decontamination is attempted . This time , they are seen by Data and the Captain . As Picard wonders what they have just seen , only now does Data put their appearances together with all of the chroniton phenomena – they had been " cloak ed " in some manner , and the anyons " de - cloaked " them . When the anyon field is put on its highest setting , all of the particles are purged , and the mourners look on in disbelief as the " dearly departed " reappear at their own memorial . Right away , La Forge gives the order to take the warp engine s offline – when the ensign in charge at engineering , understandably suspicious of a command from his dead superior , contacts Picard , the captain assures him that he heard right , and the order was valid – and the muon wave is removed before they get underway . With that crisis averted , Geordi calls on the party to continue , which does with a much more joyous atmosphere . Afterward , with the pair eating after the party has concluded , Ro notes that she gained a new appreciation for her culture ' s religious beliefs that she once dismissed . At this confession , La Forge playfully suggests they should develop their own interphase device since if it can teach Ensign Ro humility , then it is surely capable of anything . The two share a hearty laugh . Memorable quotes . " " But my uniform – my VISOR – are you saying I ' m some blind ghost with clothes ! ? " " " " I don ' t have all the answers ! I ' ve never been dead before ! " " " " I might like to say a few words . . . " " " " You " did " know La Forge longer than any of us . " " " " Actually , I was thinking more about Ensign Ro " . " " " I don ' t believe this . I ' m dead , you can ' t even hear me and I ' m still intimidated by you . " " " " Me ? ! ? ! . . . Wait a minute , what ' re you gonna say about me ? ! " " " " I just . . . wanted to say thank you . . . for trusting in me when no one else would . " " " " Why can ' t you just accept the fact . . . " " " " Look – if you ' re right , then we ' re dead , and this doesn ' t make any difference . But if " I ' m " right , then we ' re still " alive " – and I ' m gonna need your help ! " " " " I never knew what a friend was , until I met Geordi . He spoke to me as though I were Human . He treated me no differently from anyone else . He accepted me for what I am . And that – I have learned – is friendship . " " " " Seems almost Human , doesn ' t he ? " " " " Data , that ' s a nice sentiment – but a little premature . " " " " I ' ve been thinking about the first time I met Geordi La Forge . He was a young officer , assigned to pilot me on an inspection tour , and . . . I made some off - hand remark about the . . . the shuttle ' s engine efficiency not being what it should , and the next morning I found that . . . he ' d stayed up all night , re - fitting the fusion initiator s . Well , I knew then that I wanted to have him with me on my next command . " " " " Have you decided what you ' re going to say about Ensign Ro ? " " " " Yes I have . It wasn ' t easy . . . " " " " What . . . " What " wasn ' t easy ? ! . . . " WHAT ? ! ? ! ? ! " " " " " Well , this is . . . unusual . " " ( grinning widely ) " " Yeah . I think I like it ! " " " " Now I suppose I ' ll " never " know what you were gonna say about me ! " " " " C ' mon , Data – put it all together now ! ! ! " " " " These were not ghosts – what did we see ? " " " " I believe I may know what has happened , sir . . . " " " " Oh , Data , " PLEASE " be right ! " " " " . . . it would explain the mysterious chroniton fields . . . if they were " cloaked " in some way ! " " " " You ' re saying that they ' re still alive ? ! " " " " If I am right , sir , they are – and in this room . Their brief appearance coincided with the anyon sweep – perhaps the anyons " neutralize " the cloaking effect . " " " " Data , do you see us ? " " " " Of course . " " " " Take the warp engines off - line until further notice . . . there ' s a muon wave building up in the dilithium chamber . " " " " Captain . . . " who " gave that order ? ! " " " " That was Commander Geordi La Forge , Ensign – please follow his instructions . " " " " Looks like a great party – mind if we join you ? " " " " Thanks , Data . I ' ve never been to a better funeral . " " " " We should develop our own interphase device . If it can teach Ro Laren humility , it can do anything . " " Links and references . References . anyon ; anyon emitter ; arboretum ; auto - eject system ; Bajoran ; Bajoran death chant ; Bajoran Liaison Office ; " Borhya " ; central computer ; chroniton ; cloaking device ; computer core ; containment chamber ; death certificate ; demotion ; dilithium chamber ; disruptor ; " Down by the Riverside " ; emergency bulkhead ; energizing coil ; engine core ; euphonium ; Federation ; Garadius IV ; Garadius system ; Garon II ( Garon IV ) ; ghost ; graviton field generator ( graviton generator ) ; imaging scanner ; inspection tour ; interphase ; interphase generator ; jazz ; kolem ; lateral sensor array ; level 1 diagnostic ; level 3 diagnostic ; main power ; melakol ; memorial service ; Mirok ' s science vessel ; molecular phase inverter ; muon ; number one ; power transfer beam ; prototype ; replicator ; resonator coil ; Romulan s ; Romulan captain ; Romulan science vessel ; Romulan Star Empire ; push - up ; science officer ; Ro Gale ; Ro Talia ; sensor return signal ; subspace resonator ; tricorder ; trombone ; trumpet ; turbolift ; warp core breach ; " When the Saints Go Marching In "