Symbiosis ( episode ) After the " Enterprise " - D rescues a freighter crew and the ship ' s important cargo , Captain Picard faces a difficult dilemma : uphold the Prime Directive , or save an entire civilization from exploitation ? Summary . Teaser . The is investigating unusual solar flares and magnetic activity in the Delos system when they receive a distress signal from the Ornaran freighter " " orbit ing the fourth planet of the system . The bridge crew , Captain Picard and Commander Riker in particular , are perplexed by the apparent incompetence of the freighter ' s crew . Act One . The " Enterprise " reaches the freighter and Picard tries to discern the problem from the freighter ' s captain , but he is unable to describe it . Data determines the problem for him by connecting to his computer - - their electromagnetic coil is damaged . Picard offers to beam a new one over to them , but the captain admits he doesn ' t know how to install it , despite being captain for a long time . Instead of risking beaming their crew over , due to the solar interference , Yar attempts to beam them to the " Enterprise " by interconnecting their transporter system with theirs . On the first attempt , the cargo of the freighter is beamed over instead . Act Two . With little time to lose , Yar clears the cargo to cargo bay 11 and attempts to beam again . She is able to beam four onto the " Enterprise " - D in the nick of time . When the crewmembers , two Ornaran s and two Brekkian s , arrive , they are very anxious to see the cargo . Even though two of those aboard the freighter have been lost , the primary concern of all four is the cargo . The Ornarans , named T ' Jon and Romas , claim that they have paid for the cargo , therefore it belongs to them . The Brekkians , Sobi and Langor , argue that since the payment was lost on the destroyed freighter , the cargo still belongs to them . Sobi and T ' Jon begin to fight , using their natural electric charges , until Yar breaks it up by shooting at them with a phaser set on stun . The four are taken to the observation lounge , where T ' Jon and Romas reveal that the cargo is felicium , medicine that their planet needs to combat a plague on their planet . Furthermore , Langor and Sobi note that the medicine is very expensive to make , and they cannot give the medicine when payment has not been delivered . Then , T ' Jon reveals that Romas and himself are carrying the plague , and Captain Picard now realizes that the " plague " they have may infect the entire ship . He puts the ship on med alert . Act Three . As the Ornarans suffer from their lack of medicine in sickbay , the Brekkians continue to refuse them the cargo . Doctor Crusher reveals that she cannot find a cause of the signs of infection . The Ornarans entreat Picard to give them the felicium , and Picard offers to talk to the Brekkians , asking them to give enough for the Ornarans ' needs . The Brekkians agree to " two doses for immediate use . " In the cargo bay , Langor removes the casing and measures out two doses . It is revealed that Brekkian society is entirely dependent on the trade of felicium with the Ornarans ; they have no other industry , nor do they need it . The Ornarans provide all the goods they need in return . They have focused on increasing the potency of the felicium since there is no cure . Dr . Crusher goes to sickbay and observes the Ornarans take the drug . When they use it , the Ornarans act as if they are experiencing a drug high . Crusher deduces that the " medicine " is really an addictive drug . Dr . Crusher is now certain of this and informs Picard . Act Four . Data and Riker research the history of the drug which confirms the contraction of the Ornaran plague , though there is not much detail . Dr . Crusher interjects , convinced that the plague has already been cured , but now the Ornarans have become dependent on the addictive nature of the medicine . To Crusher ' s frustration , though , Picard says he cannot intervene in their societies , despite Crusher ' s belief she can develop a non - addictive version of the drug . Then , the " Enterprise " - D receives a signal from Ornara . Someone named Margan wants to contact T ' Jon , so Picard , Riker and Crusher go to the guest quarters . Meanwhile , Wesley Crusher wonders about how people become addicted to drugs , Yar explains the draw of drugs for people in desperate circumstances . She alludes to her possible use of drugs on her home planet . She says that , though drugs may seem to solve problems , they do not in reality make anything better . Wesley fails to understand , however . In the guest quarters for T ' Jon and Romas , Margan desperately pleads that the Ornarans on the " Enterprise " - D must get the felicium to Ornara . T ' Jon attempts to explain the situation , but Margan stops him and stops transmission . T ' Jon , frustrated , then attacks Riker and demands that the " Enterprise " - D send the felicium to the planet . Picard does not believe he will kill , and refuses . T ' Jon releases Riker . Act Five . Langor comes to the Ornarans ' guest quarters and asks to talk to Picard . He and Crusher go to the Brekkians ' quarters where they offer to " give " the drug to the Ornarans . Picard realizes that they have been purposely exploiting the Ornarans , and that they need to give the medicine now to keep them desiring more of the drug . Picard tells them that he knows , and that he cannot tell the Ornarans without violating the Prime Directive , much to Crusher ' s visible frustration . In the cargo bay , the Ornarans prepare to leave with the coils they need for their ships . Picard arrives with the Brekkians . He informs them they can leave with the medicine , however , he refuses to repair the Ornarans ' freighters , again citing the Prime Directive of non - interference for both decisions . Without the ability to repair their ships , the Ornarans will therefore not be able to obtain the drug anymore and begin to painfully withdraw from it . Additionally , they will believe they are dying . After beaming Sobi , Langor , T ' Jon and Romas down to Ornara with their cargo , Picard orders helmsman La Forge to put some distance from the Ornaran system and the " Enterprise " - D heads for the Opperline system , a place never before explored . Memorable quotes . " " Are we losing our professional detachment , Doctor ? " " " " . . . Beverly , the Prime Directive is not just a set of rules ; it is a philosophy . . . and a very correct one . History has proved again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization , no matter how well intentioned that interference may be , the results are invariably disastrous . " " " " It ' s hard to be philosophical when faced with suffering . " " " " Believe me Beverly , there was only one decision . " " " " I just hope it was the right one . " " " " And we may never know . " " " " Freighter , we ' re going to lock on the tractor beam and pull you out of orbit . " " " " Hey , that . . . that ' s great . " " " " Captain , my console seems to be overloading . " " " " Drugs . . . make you feel good . " " " " Behave yourselves , gentlemen . " " " " You ' re feeling better ? " " " " Yes , thank you . I ' m " fine " now . " " " " I guess I don ' t understand . " " " " Wesley , I hope you never do . " " " " Destination , sir ? " " " " I don ' t care . Let ' s just get some distance between us and this system . " " " " Course 970 , Mark 318 , Speed : Warp Three . " " " " Where will that take us , Mr . La Forge ? " " " " The Opperline system . " " " " An interesting choice . Why ? " " " " Curiosity . We ' ve never been there . " " " " Wesley , on my home world , there was so much poverty and violence that for some people , the only escape was through drugs . " " " " How can a chemical substance provide an escape ? " " " " It doesn ' t . But it makes you think it does . " " " " Captain , we are beaming over a replacement coil . " " " " Great . . . and that ' ll fix us up ? " " " " Yes , once it ' s installed . " " " " Right . " " ( pause ) " " And how do we do that ? " " " " What is the matter with these people ? " " " " Captain , how long have you been in command of this freighter ? " " " " Seven years , with 26 trips to Brekka . " " " " And you don ' t know how to align a controller coil ? " " " " It ' s never come up . " " Links and references . References . 2164 ; 2357 ; biobed ; biofilter ; board game ; Brekka ; Brekkian ; Brekkian ancestors ; bridge ; cargo ; Cargo Bay 11 ; conference lounge ; corona ; deflector shield ; Deimos ; Delos sun ; Delos system ; desktop monitor ; drug ; drug addiction ; Earth ; electricity ; electrocution ; electromagnetic coil ; Emergency Manual Override station ; " Enterprise " history ; Federation ; Federation scout ; felicium ; freighter ; ; Galaxy class decks ; homeostasis ; hostage ; Langor ' s grandfather ; lie ; long range shuttle ; magnetic field ; magnetism ; main engineering ; Mars ; med alert ; medical scan ; medical tricorder ; Milky Way Galaxy ; model ; moon ; murder ; narcotic ; neural scan ; number one ; observation lounge ; Opperline system ; Ornara ; Ornaran ; Ornaran freighter ; Ornaran plague ; PADD ; painting ; photosphere ; plague ; Prime Directive ; ready room ; " " ; Sanction casualties ; science station ; ship ' s store ; sickbay ; skant ; solar flare ; standard orbit ; star ; status report ; sunspot ; system interlock ; three - dimensional chess ; tractor beam ; transporter room ; turbolift ; Turkana IV ; type 1 phaser ; United Federation of Planets ; unnamed plants ; utility uniform ; viewscreen ; VISOR ; Vulcan ; warp core ; x - ray