The Chase ( episode ) Picard tries to finish his old archaeology teacher ' s monumental last mission : solving a puzzle that leads Humans , Romulans , Klingons and Cardassians to the secret of life in this galaxy , revealing the origin of humanoid life . Summary . Teaser . While the is studying protostar s in the Volterra Nebula , Captain Picard receives an unexpected visit from Richard Galen , a reclusive professor , and personal mentor of his , from Starfleet Academy . In the " Enterprise " s observation lounge , Galen gives the captain a rare archaeological gift , a Kurlan naiskos , and encourages him to take a leave of absence from Starfleet to go on an expedition of vast importance to the galaxy . Act One . Picard and Galen sit together in Ten Forward . Galen urges him to accept , telling Picard that when he announces his findings , it will be heard across the galaxy . Picard asks the professor if he can sleep on it . " " Dream not of today " " , he tells the captain . Picard briefly mulls it over while talking to Dr . Crusher the next morning at breakfast , but knows that he can never leave the " Enterprise " , despite the tempting offer . He informs Galen that he cannot go with him , and receives a bitter rebuke from his former teacher , who immediately leaves on a shuttlecraft for his next destination . Not long after , the " Enterprise " receives a distress call from Galen ' s shuttle , as it is under attack by a Yridian vessel . With a moderate phaser hit , Worf destroys the ship , but he is confused as he should not have been able to . They barely retrieve the professor , but , unfortunately , Galen dies in sickbay – telling Picard with his last breath that his earlier rebuke had been too harsh . Act Two . Data and Geordi La Forge discover that Galen tried to protect certain files in his computer system when the Yridians attacked . However , without anything to narrow their search , it will be almost impossible to discover what the number blocks actually mean . Assuming the Yridians were going to sell the information , Picard asks about where Galen was . Data says his course had taken him through a star system with no current inhabitants , but with a planet , Ruah IV , capable of sustaining life . Picard abandons the ship ' s current diplomatic timeline to the planet Atalia VII to follow the clues in the number blocks listed in Galen ' s database . It will take four days to get there . When they arrive , they see that there are some proto - hominid s , but no sign of previous civilizations . Picard recalls that Galen was planning to head to Indri VIII on his archaeological expedition . Picard believes here is some connection between the two planets and he intends to find it , though Riker reminds him of the diplomatic responsibilities . When the " Enterprise " arrives at Indri VIII , they find the planet ' s atmosphere being destroyed , killing all life on the planet . Picard asks if they can prevent the destruction but Worf announces that the effect is global ; they cannot stop it . Act Three . In a science lab , Crusher and Picard discover that the number blocks from Galen ' s database are actually DNA strands from 19 different species , each of which has existed in the lifeforms of these planets since the formation of life on these planets , all scattered across the Quadrant . Crusher has all the DNA strands combined together by protein link compatibility . It forms a strange shape that Picard and Crusher cannot identify . In engineering , Commander La Forge tells Picard and Crusher that it is not part of a natural design but rather an algorithm , suggesting that it is part of some kind of program . Picard , Data , Crusher and La Forge cannot determine what the purpose of the program is or why someone designed it apparently 4 billion years before . La Forge has tried every DNA material in the " Enterprise " s database to run the program but they cannot find any compatible protein combinations . Picard muses on this computer program designed by an apparently advanced civilization four billion years ago . " " Whatever information this program contains could be the most profound discovery of our time . . . or the most dangerous . The professor knew that . " " In Picard ' s ready room , he remembers Galen telling him earlier that he was in the neighborhood near Kurl . Crusher suggests he was in the Kurlan system collecting DNA samples . Picard , while looking through a PADD , finds that only one planet in the Kurlan system is capable of supporting life : Loren III . Picard has the " Enterprise " proceed to Loren III at maximum warp where they are immediately confronted by two Cardassian warships , prepared to attack in order to protect the planet for only their scientific mission . Immediately , the , a Klingon attack cruiser , decloak s , making the situation all the more tense . Act Four . Picard decides to invite the commanding officers of each vessel to the " Enterprise " to discuss the situation and collaborate . Meeting Gul Ocett and captain Nu ' Daq , he plays his cards , relating that the " Enterprise " crew has determined that Galen ' s research leads them to believe that a computer program has been written and scattered throughout the galaxy , being stored in the genetic code of organisms on certain planets . An uneasy truce is forged between the three powers so as to share the data the three factions contain . In the science lab , Ocett and Nu ' Daq provide their samples . Combined , it appears there are still missing pieces . Picard supposes that there should be a pattern , for the designers would have wanted the code to be found . He has Crusher program the computer to use the locations of the samples to extrapolate where the missing DNA would be . It will take some time , so Ocett and Nu ' Daq wait . Nu ' Daq decides to use this time to seek out Data in Ten Forward and challenge him physically , unsuccessfully . He then attempts to bribe him if he will tell him first what the results will be , also unsuccessfully . However , chief engineer La Forge discovers that the " Enterprise " s defensive systems have been tampered with – rightfully anticipating deception on the part of the Cardassians . Secretly , Picard and Nu ' Daq decide to tamper with their data a bit prior to the meeting . All three factions meet back in the science lab to view the star chart inferred by the data points . Immediately , and as predicted , Ocett transports off of the " Enterprise " and begins firing on both the " Maht - H ' a " and the " Enterprise " . Act Five . The " Enterprise " makes a good show of being damaged , and then heads to the proper coordinates with Nu ' Daq on board , since the " Maht - H ' a " needs a bit of time to get operational . Once at the final planet , Vilmor II , they transport to the surface to take tricorder measurements of lichen growing in an ancient seabed . They don ' t get too far when Ocett and a team beam next to them . Then , suddenly , a team of Romulan s appear , insisting that everyone leave the premises . They must have been monitoring communications since Galen ' s shuttle was intercepted . They all start to argue and threaten to destroy what they came for . Covertly , the away team takes readings of the lichen , and find that the program can reconfigure the tricorder to display a holographic image of a humanoid , silencing everyone . The recorded humanoid explains that her civilization existed in the galaxy alone , billions of lonely years before any of the others developed . As such , they spread their genetic material to other planets , in the hopes of creating a rich ecosystem of humanoid s who could fulfill the joys of finding and integrating with alien cultures that these first beings never had . Most parties seem disgusted at the thought of a common progenitor . Back on board the " Enterprise " , Picard is pleased at solving the mystery , but wishes Galen could see it , and that the message had not fallen on deaf ears . Then , he receives an unexpected message from the Romulan commander . In light of the recent events , he expresses his opinion that Humans and Romulans are not so dissimilar after all , and hopes that one day , the two powers could stand together in friendship . Memorable quotes . " " When finished . . . and I announce my findings , it will be heard halfway across the galaxy . " " " " Dream not of today . " " " " If I go , I go for " good " . . . and it ' s not something that I ' m prepared to do . " " " " Will you come with me ? " " " " . . . I can ' t . " " " " Then I ' ll be going . " " " " Jean - Luc . . . I was too harsh . " " " " This is not part of a natural design , Captain . This is part of an algorithm coded at the molecular level . " " " " An algorithm ? Are you saying that these DNA fragments are elements in some kind of computer program ? " " " " I know how it sounds , but there ' s no way this could be a random formation . This is definitely part of a program . " " " " This fragment has been part of every DNA strand on Earth sine life began there and the other fragments are just as old . Someone must ' ve written this program over four billion years ago . " " " " So . . . four billion years ago someone scattered this genetic material into the primordial soup of at least 19 different planets across the galaxy ? " " " " The genetic information must have been incorporated into the earliest lifeforms on these planets and then passed down through each generation . " " " " But why would anyone do this in the first place ? " " " " And what was this program designed to do ? " " " " Well , we couldn ' t know that until we assembled the entire program and ran it . We ' ve tried all of the DNA material uin the Federation computer but we haven ' t benn able to come up with any compatible proteins . " " " " Then , they must be from world outside the Federation . " " - La Forge , Picard , Crusher , and Data " " Until we assemble it , we will never know its purpose . " " " " He ' s right . As far as we know it might just be a recipe for biscuits ! " " " " Biscuits ? If that ' s what you believe , then go back to Cardassia , I will send you my mother ' s recipe . " " " " My upper spinal support is a polyalloy designed for extreme stress . My skull is composed of cortenide and duranium . " " " " A being of your abilities would go far in the Empire . " " " " You are attempting to bribe me . " " " " That ' s all ! ? If she were not dead , I would kill her ! " " " " It would seem that we are not completely dissimilar after all ; in our hopes , or in our fears . " " " " Yes . . . " " " " Well then perhaps , one day . . . " " " " . . . one day . . . " " Links and references . References . Al - Leyan transport ; archeology ; archaeologist ; arboretum ; Atalia VII ; Atalia system ; attack cruiser ; B ' aht Qul challenge ; battle station ; biological database ; biosphere ; biscuit ; bribery ; Caere ; Cardassia ; Cardassian ; Cardassian war vessel ; centurion ; class M ; datastream ; deciduous ; Deep Space 4 ; dilettante ; DNA ; Earth ; earthwork s ; emitter diode ; Federation ; Fifth Dynasty ; final exam ; flight log ; ; genus ; goose ; Indri VIII ; Indri system ; inertial damper ; information dealer ; jigsaw puzzle ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; Kurl ; Kurlan ; Kurlan " naiskos " ; Kurlan system ; L - class ; level 3 diagnostic ; level 4 security ; lichen ; Loren III ; Loren system ; ; M ' Tell ; Master of Tarquin Hill ; medical tricorder ; micropaleontology ; monument ; number one ; offensive systems ; orbit ; ; plasma ; proto - hominid ; province ; pupil ; Rahm - Izad ; Rahm - Izad system ; Roman ; Roman Empire ; Romulan ; Romulus ; Ruah IV ; Ruah system ; Satarran ; ; scholar ; science laboratory ; Sector 21459 ; short - sightedness ; Sothis III ; standard orbit ; Subsector 3383 ; tricorder ; Troy ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; unnamed shuttle ; Vilmor II ; Vilmoran system ; vital sign ; Volterra Nebula ; ; Vulcan ship ; ; Ya ' Seem ; Yash - El ; Yridian ; Yridian destroyer Other references . USS " Enterprise " Personnel Database : Aaamazzara ; Alpha Carinae I ; Alpha Cygnus II ; ; ; ; ; ; Delos IV ; ; Eminiar VII ; ; Gamma Trianguli IV ; ; ; ; ; ; Regulus V ; Rigel VI ; Selcundi Drema ; Sherman ' s Planet ; ; Sigma Draconis system ; ; Taurus I ; Therbia ; Triacus ; Triskelion Prime ; ; Tycho IV ; ; Xendi Sabu II ; Unreferenced material . Aolian Cluster ; Kea IV ; macchiato ; nail polish