First Contact ( episode ) An injury to Commander Riker during a reconnaissance mission threatens the prospects for first contact with a culture on the verge of warp travel . Summary . Teaser . Riker is injured , and being treated at a hospital on an alien planet . The doctors , while trying to assess Riker ' s injuries , notice various peculiarities in his physiology – the cardial organ in the wrong place , missing costal strut s , and digits on his terminus . His face had been surgically altered to help him blend in , but not his entire body . Act One . Riker is posing as Rivas Jakara , from the Marta community on the southern continent . When he awakens , he explains to Dr . Berel that his abnormalities are gene tic , and that his own physician , Dr . Crusher is familiar with them – but she ' s on sabbatical . The doctors and hospital officials of the Sikla Medical Facility are not convinced . Dr . Berel decides to keep it quiet until they thoroughly check out his claims , but with a guard posted at his door " 29 hours a day " . The Malcorian s are on the verge of possessing warp capabilities . Mirasta Yale , a scientist , presents her plans for a warp drive to Chancellor Avel Durken to get approval for funding , amid objections from the minister of security , Krola , who states that the people are frightened and confused by new technology . Ultimately , the chancellor agrees to fund the warp drive program . Later , Picard and Troi beam into Mirasta ' s lab as she is working , startling her . After introducing themselves , they inform her that they have been monitoring her progress with warp drive and now feel it is appropriate to make first contact with the Malcorians . In response to her natural skepticism , Picard offers her proof . Mirasta accepts , and they beam her back to the with them . Act Two . Mirasta Yale walks into Ten Forward and after seeing her homeworld from space begins to reminisce about her times in the planetarium when she was a nine - year - old . She had always wanted to know about other worlds and cultures . Captain Picard and Deanna Troi explain to Yale that they had been monitoring her planet for years , analyzing their popular culture , broadcast signals , and entertainment . Picard explains how the Federation also sends down observation teams to blend in with the culture . He reveals to Yale that the undercover observation teams have been gathering information on her species for years . Picard then tells Yale that Riker is missing on the planet somewhere near the capital city . Yale agrees to do whatever she can to find him . Yale states that the Malcorians ' culture holds the belief of being superior in the galaxy and that it may be difficult to change that belief . Yale asks Picard not to discuss the missing Riker in front of Chancellor Durken and Krola , for fear that Krola will use him as a scapegoat in calling the warp project as a great threat to their culture and race . Back in the hospital , there is quite a stir . Doctor Berel is annoyed over the attention , but the nurse Tava says that it will be difficult to hold back the interest . Riker ( Jakara ) is being questioned in his room . Doctor Berel tells him that there is no Doctor Crusher on the planet . He accuses Riker of being a member of an alien species . Riker continues to deny the accusations ; however , the doctor advises that he believes Riker is hiding something and that he cannot stay in hiding forever . Meanwhile , a busy Chancellor Durken reluctantly receives Yale to his office with Picard following behind . Durken is shocked over what he sees , and Yale suggests that Durken clear his afternoon schedule . Act Three . Chancellor Durken is given a tour of the " Enterprise " and is brought to the bridge by Picard with Yale . Chancellor Durken and Yale both meet Commander Data as well , in awe of the android , a " constructed being " as Yale puts it . After the captain and the chancellor leave them to speak privately to one another , Data informs Yale that there is still no word from Commander Riker . In Captain Picard ' s ready room , Picard offers Durken wine from his brother ' s vineyard . Picard proposes a toast to the new friendship between the Federation and the Malcorians . Durken does not completely trust Picard ' s overtures of friendship , and he perceives it as a prelude to attack from an interstellar conqueror . Durken asks what Picard will do if the chancellor asks them never to return to his planet . Picard says that they will respect his wishes and stay away . Picard explains the Prime Directive after Durken asks why the Federation would not offer their superior technology to his people . Picard says that it would be irresponsible and destructive . Durken agrees and goes back to his family on the planet , deciding to tell his children that he had a good day . Back in the hospital , Riker is attempting to escape where he encounters a nurse named Lanel , who tells him he cannot escape due to the guards outside . Lanel asks if Riker is an alien . When he says no , she does not believe him . Lanel offers to let Riker escape to his spaceship in space , but only if he would make love to her . Riker says no , but Lanel insists , eager to learn how Humans make love . " " I can ' t wait to learn " " , she eagerly says . Lanel fulfills her part of the bargain , distracting a guard by saying she thinks Riker is dead . Lanel asks if she will ever see Riker again . Riker says " " I ' ll call you the next time I pass through your star system . " " He runs into several people who stop his escape and begin to beat him . The beating exacerbates the injury to his kidney and he begins bleeding internally . Doctor Berel , growing tired of the escalation in violence , instructs his staff to contact central security and to escort Riker back to his room for surgery . Act Four . Krola , Yale , Chancellor Durken , and a member of their staff are having a meeting regarding what to do in regard to first contact with the Federation . Krola believes that Yale and Chancellor Durken are being naive and that the reforms Yale and Durken are making are destroying the Malcorian culture . After stating that Krola is overreacting and that Captain Picard has no intention of conquering the planet , Krola says that they do not have to since Durken and Yale are willing to give over their planet with open arms . In order to further drive home his point , Krola says that he has captured a spy – Commander Riker . Yale then explains how the captured man is Captain Picard ' s first officer , and that she instructed Picard not to discuss Riker with Durken . Durken then angrily demands all the information that Yale was keeping from him . Krola arrives at the Sikla Medical Facility to interrogate Commander Riker . Yale pleads to contact the " Enterprise " to help Riker . Krola asks Doctor Berel to revive Commander Riker using drugs that would increase his heart rate and vascular pressure , but Berel refuses , citing an analog to the Hippocratic Oath that he will " do no harm " . Krola then says that he will find someone else to replace Berel . At their next meeting , a deeply concerned Chancellor Durken confronts Captain Picard with Commander Riker ' s discovery on the planet when Picard arrives in Durken ' s office . Picard explains that when Starfleet met with the Klingon s , contact was " disastrous " and decades of war resulted . After that , the Federation decided that surveillance of this nature was necessary . He assures Durken that in time , full disclosure of the surveillance would have been made . Picard had hoped that his crew would have found Commander Riker before the Malcorians did , because the Malcorians most likely would have reacted negatively to the Federation ' s arrival . Durken is pleased with Picard ' s forthrightness , and comforted by the fact that he makes mistakes . Durken informs Picard that he will make a decision later regarding Riker . Back in the medical facility , Krola relieves Berel as medical director and locates Dr . Nilrem , who agrees to revive Riker . Act Five . Once Riker is revived , Krola asks to be left alone with him . Krola agrees to bring Riker ' s people to the hospital , but only after he answers his questions . Chancellor Durken is furious with Yale , stating that he would have asked for her resignation if it weren ' t for her vast expertise in space travel . Durken says that he is prepared to release Riker to Picard once he has been questioned , but Yale states that Riker condition is extremely grave , and he might not survive interrogation . Krola demands to know why a race of peaceful people would have such lethal weapons , while holding Riker ' s phaser . Riker explains that the weapon is only used for defense , but Krola does not believe him . Krola says that he must force Durken to keep him from forging an accord with the Federation . Krola then places the phaser in Riker ' s hands and fires it into his own chest , hoping to die as a martyr . Riker passes out again as Nilrem and Tava enter the room ; they believe that Riker has shot Krola and that the security minister is going to die . Doctor Crusher , Worf , and Martinez materialize in the hospital room at this point to rescue Riker . She reports Krola ' s condition and that she will need to beam him up as well . Picard , who is in Durken ' s office , receives word of this and says that he will meet them on the " Enterprise " . Durken accompanies him . Crusher reports that Riker was stabilized and that they saved him just in time . Krola is fine as well , because the phaser was only set on stun , but Beverly is able to ascertain that his injury was self - inflicted . Upon regaining consciousness , he weakly begs Durken once more not to trust the aliens . In Captain Picard ' s ready room , Chancellor Durken regretfully declines Picard ' s offer for first contact , and agrees to delay the development of warp technology in order to allow the Malcorians more time to prepare themselves . Picard agrees , though he expresses sorrow that he will not be able to learn more about the Malcorian society . He asks Durken how they will keep the alien contact a secret . Durken says that even though stories of a government conspiracy will circulate for many years , they will pass in time . As a final request , Yale requests that Picard take her with him . Picard agrees , and summons Worf to escort Chancellor Durken to the transporter room and to assign quarters to Administrator Yale . Picard bids Durken a friendly farewell , hoping that they will meet again someday to continue their friendship . Memorable quotes . " " I can ' t find his cardial organ . ( searching in new area ) There it is . Up here . " " " " In his digestive tract ? " " " " What are you ? " " " " Mirasta Yale ? " " " " Yes ? " " " " Please , don ' t be alarmed at our appearance . " " " " My name is Jean - Luc Picard . This is my associate , Deanna Troi . " " " " It ' s everything I ever dreamed of . " " " " . . . will you help me [ get out of here ] ? " " " " If you make love to me . " " " " . . . What ? " " " " I ' ve always wanted to make love with an alien . " " " " . . . It ' s not that easy , there are differences in the way that my people make love . " " " " I can ' t wait to learn . " " " " Chancellor , I think . . . you might want to clear your afternoon schedule for this . " " " " Will I ever see you again ? " " " " I ' ll call you the next time I pass through your star system . " " " " It ' s far more likely that I ' m a weather balloon than an alien . " " " " . . . he is a living , intelligent being . I don ' t care if the chancellor himself calls down here . I have sworn an oath to do no harm , and I will not ! " " Links and references . References . address ; administrator ; adrulmine ; artificial lifeform ; aspiration drill ; Betazed ; birth defect ; Bolian ; cardial organ ; Central Province ; Central Security ( Malcor III ) ; chancellor ; Chateau La Barre ; cosmetic surgery ; costal strut ; daily broadcast ; del - scan series ; digestive tract ; digit ; Durken ' s family ; Earth ; economics ; Federation ; first contact ; Garth system ; grape s ; ichor ; inherited genetic trait ; internal bleeding ; ; Jakara ' s father ; Jakara ' s neighbors ; jke ; journalism ; Klingon Empire ; light barrier ; Lupo ; Malcor III ; Malcorian s ; Malcorian civilians ; Malcorian Space Bureau ; Malcorian warp ship ; Marta community ; Marta community restaurant cook ; medical journal ; Minister ; Nessor ; octare ; outer space ; ; planetarium ; Prime Directive ; quadroline ; renal organ ; restaurant ; sabbatical ; Sikla Medical Facility ; southern continent of Malcor III ; telencephalon ; terminus ; toast ; tourist ; vice chancellor ; warp field generator ; weather balloon ; wine ; Yale ' s parents