Star Trek : The Next Generation - Future ' s Past Star Trek : The Next Generation – Future ' s Past was a video game based on . Gameplay . Game play consists of the player starting out on the bridge of the " Enterprise " - D , from which the player receives orders and other messages on the viewscreen . From here , the player can also access the conn and set course to any of a large list of planet s . If the need arises , the player can also access the tactical station , from which one controls the " Enterprise " in battle . The player can also access the turbolift , which takes one to the transporter room . Unless the planet the player chooses is a part of a mission , the player will not be able to leave the bridge . If access to the transporter room is allowed , the player will then be able to choose members of an away team to beam down to the planet to carry out a mission . The player then takes control of the away team once they are on the planet . One member of the away team will lead while the others follow . The player can alternate between each of the four away team members . Among the characters the player is able to choose for away team missions are Jean - Luc Picard , William T . Riker , Deanna Troi , Worf , Beverly Crusher , Geordi La Forge , and Data . The player can also choose from several non - senior staff members , all of which were created for the game ( and whose features are based on those of the game ' s designers ) . Each crewmember is armed with equipment to match their specialties . For example , Picard , Riker , Data , La Forge , and Worf all carry phaser s because of their high tactical abilities , while only Data and La Forge carry a tricorder because of their high technical abilities . Medical officers , such as Dr . Crusher , carry a medical tricorder in order to heal injured members of the away team . All senior officers carry a command insignia , which allows them to lead the other members of the away team . All characters has various levels of stamina as well , which also comes into play in choosing an away team . For example , Worf being a Klingon has a much higher stamina rating than La Forge or Dr . Crusher . La Forge ' s VISOR also allows him to see in the dark . Data is the most invaluable away team member as he is able to carry a phaser , a tricorder , and a command insignia . His android body also gives him an exceptionally high stamina rating which makes him extremely durable against damage as well as environmental hazards . His positronic brain also allows him to see in the dark , although , not as well as La Forge ( a reference to when Data tells Riker he cannot see as well as La Forge ) . During an away mission , the player must take great care not to lead any senior staff members into harm ' s way . Although no senior staff members are killed ( only the crewmembers designed for the game die ; others are transported to sickbay ) , too many casualties will result in the " Enterprise " aborting the mission ( effectively ending the game ) . When a senior officer ' s health is depleted , the away team will be forced to return to the " Enterprise " and the player must begin the level again . Should any senior officer other than the captain be injured three times , the " Enterprise " will abort the mission altogether and the game will be over . Should Captain Picard sustain severe injury " once " during a mission , the entire game will be over immediately . The final part of the gameplay is the space battle , which is controlled from the tactical station . In this scenario , the player has an overhead view of the " Enterprise " and the enemy vessel . During battle , the player controls the movements of the " Enterprise " , as well as the firing of the ship ' s photon torpedo es and phaser array s . Naturally , the scenario ends when either the enemy vessel or the " Enterprise " is destroyed ; if damaged enough , some enemy vessels will offer a surrender , and the player may also open hailing frequencies in the hopes the enemy will leave them be . Synopsis . In orbit around the Corax star , the " Enterprise " receives a hail from Dr . T ' Lirus , a Vulcan archaeologist studying the legend of the Integrated Field Derandomizer ( IFD ) on planet Codis Mu VI , who claims that she is being harassed by a Romulan away team . Setting course for the planet , an " Enterprise " away team beams down to the surface and subdues the Romulans , thus saving Dr . T ' Lirus . Beaming back to the ship , the " Enterprise " comes under attack from the Romulan scout ship that sent the away team down . The small ship proves to be no match for the " Enterprise " and quickly signals their surrender . The Romulans paint the " Enterprise " as the aggressors , claiming their attack has nearly cost the peace of the Neutral Zone . Leaving the system , Admiral Baldwin at Starfleet signals with news that a plague has ravaged planet Orientis Alpha IV , and orders the " Enterprise " to attend to it . Warping to the emergency , the ship finds an alien vessel in a degrading orbit around one of the planet ' s moons . Putting aside the alien ship temporarily , the " Enterprise " tends to the medical emergency on the planet . With their official duties completed , the ship returns to the derelict ship . The ship ' s sensors detect no power functioning aboard the alien ship and the crew is apparently immobile . Beaming an away team inside , the crew is able to make sufficient repairs to the alien ship ' s power and computer systems , as well as triggering the aliens from their stasis . They call themselves the Eunacians and claim that the damage to their ship has prevented them from making full use of a device called a " TAVAD " , which they bestow to the " Enterprise . " They explain that 10 , 000 years earlier , they won possession of the IFD but the responsibility proved to be too much for them . With no choice , they decided to send the IFD into the future , which is now , to prevent the IFD ' s misuse in their time . They plead with the " Enterprise " to continue their work . Beaming back to the ship , Admiral Baldwin signals and orders the " Enterprise " to the planet Orientis Gamma IIIB , a mining moon colony , where environmental systems have failed , trapping ten miners underground and orders the " Enterprise " crew to be careful as this moon isn ' t a totally friendly place . Upon arrival , an away team ( usually with Data assigned ) beams down and finds that the indigenous Ganalians have cocooned the miners . Rescuing all ten of them , they claim that their sonic impactors are constantly having to be replaced due to the Ganalians . With the mission complete , the " Enterprise " is hailed by Dr . T ' Lirus , who has learned of the TAVAD device that the crew has received . She summons the ship back to Codis Mu VI , but before arriving there , the " Enterprise " discovers a Ferengi ship in orbit around Codis Mu V . The captain calls himself Plak , a well - known smuggler , who strikes a deal with the " Enterprise " to provide them with the location of DaiMon Radny , who allegedly knows how to crack the Romulan subspace code , if the " Enterprise " doesn ' t arrest him and lets him go . The crew agrees and continues to Codis Mu VI , where the " Enterprise " beams the TAVAD down to Dr . T ' Lirus . She discovers that the TAVAD was built by a race called the Senatorius , which ruled the galaxy 100 , 000 years ago , and used the IFD as their main military weapon . Leaving the device with Dr . T ' Lirus for further study , Captain Picard suggests traveling to Starbase 220 in the hopes that they may know the exact location of DaiMon Radny . Admiral Hilioko directs the " Enterprise " to a place called " Fizaal ' s Happy Haven " on Codis Zeta V where a person like DaiMon Radny might be found . Captain Picard leads an unarmed away team down to the planet and discovers Radny , who is desperate to sell his inventory of sonic impactors . Picard directs him to the mining colony on Orientis Gamma IIIB in exchange for the Romulan subspace code . Intercepting a Romulan message back aboard the " Enterprise " , the crew discovers that the Romulans are desperate to find the IFD before the " Enterprise " does . Another message comes in from the " SS Nakatomi " , a Federation freighter under attack by an unknown adversary . Rushing to the location of the freighter , the alien ship explodes just as the " Enterprise " arrives . A message is sent from the bridge of the Federation freighter by the alien captain . Calling themselves the Chodak , they claim to have hijacked the freighter and promise the destruction of the Federation at their hands . With no choice , an away team beams over to the freighter to try and liberate the ship . The Chodak prove to be resilient against phaser fire and make formidable enemies . Furthermore , they have set up a force field system throughout the ship to hinder the away team ' s progress . Leaving one crewmember in engineering to work the force field controls , the rest of the away team systematically eliminate the alien invaders and insert two key cards into the bridge consoles , regaining control of the ship . With the ship liberated , the freighter ' s crew thanks the " Enterprise " just as another Romulan message comes in . The crew discovers that the Romulans and the Chodak have engaged in a fierce battle costing five hundred lives . Shortly thereafter , Dr . T ' Lirus summons the " Enterprise " back to Codis Mu VI , where she returns the TAVAD to them . She explains the TAVAD ( or " Temporary Artificial Variable Anomaly Device " ) creates a subspace corridor anywhere in the galaxy ; with this one being programmed to seek out the IFD . The device cannot be used as it requires a new source of pellentium and ravarium ores to fuel it . Calling in a favor , the " Enterprise " returns to Orientis Gamma IIIB . The miners , who were pleased that the " Enterprise " sent DaiMon Radny and his stock of sonic impactors to their planet , are anxious to help the crew and provide them with enough ore to power the TAVAD . The device , when activated , creates a subspace anomaly in the Verenitor Epsilon star system . Racing there at maximum warp , the " Enterprise " finds the disturbance , as well as a Romulan and Chodak ship also in the vicinity . Before the " Enterprise " can do too much , Captain Picard is whisked off the bridge . When Picard regains awareness , he finds himself in a large chamber . He also finds the Romulan commander and the Chodak captain also present . Standing on a pedestal intended for him , a group of non - corporeal aliens address the three captains and explain that , while the Senatorius used the IFD for evil , they hoped that the people of the 24th century were wiser than they were . They order the three to go to Verenitor Alpha I and Verenitor Beta V to find " the crystal shards " and then to return for the final test . Sent back to the " Enterprise " , Picard finds the subspace anomaly gone , replaced by the ominous visage of the mysterious IFD on the viewscreen . Setting course for Verenitor Alpha I , an away team beams to the surface . Forced to unravel the solution of various puzzles , the away team eventually finds the red crystal shard . Setting course for Verenitor Beta V , the " Enterprise " is plunged into two space battles : first with a robot ship with minimal defenses and then another with more advanced weapons . Defeating both ships , the second robot ship beams the green crystal shard aboard before being destroyed . Sending another away team to the planet ' s surface , the crew discovers a frozen wasteland with mysterious robot sentries and indigenous life forms who are impervious to phaser fire . Forced to work their way through adversity and maze , the away team ultimately discovers the third and final shard ; the blue one . With all the crystal shards secured , the " Enterprise " returns to the IFD , where Picard is once again snatched off the bridge . Armed with a phaser , Picard must outmaneuver and outfox both the Romulan captain and the Chodak captain before they kill him . Inflicting enough damage to both of them , they are both beamed back to their ships , allowing Picard to place the shards in their pedestals . With the blue and green shards in place , an alien in the center of the room begs Picard not to shoot him . He steps aside and commands Picard to place the final shard in the pedestal . Picard complies . The IFD sends the Romulan and Chodak ships back to their worlds . Picard decides that the power of the IFD is still too great for the people of this time and advises the IFD to send itself forward in time another 10 , 000 years , in the hopes that intelligent life will be wise enough to use it for peace by then .