The Masterpiece Society ( episode ) The " Enterprise " tries to save a " perfect " colony from destruction , but the assistance causes damage of its own . Summary . Teaser . While the crew is observing the fragment , they find that Moab IV , one of the planet s it would affect as it passes by , is inhabited by Human s and that an artificial environment biosphere has been created there . When they contact the inhabitants , after a reluctant response by Aaron Conor , Picard arranges for Commander Riker and an away team to beam down . Act One . The away team explains to Conor and Martin Benbeck that given the nature of the stellar core fragment evacuation may be inevitable . However , Conor and Benbeck explain that it is in fact imperative that they remain on the planet and preserve the colony . It is explained to Commander Riker , Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Commander La Forge that this is a genetically - engineered society ; their ancestors came from Earth to create a perfect society , believing that through controlled procreation they could create people without flaws and those people would build a paradise . They have evolved beyond Humanity . They also explain that they have achieved a fully integrated existence with their environment , thanks also to their master design . They cannot separate themselves from it without irreparably altering who and what they are . Benbeck , who is the interpreter of the colony founders ' wishes , is the one who continually emphasizes the importance of preserving the balance of their society . He dislikes the away team ' s presence . Conor , on the other hand , is more receptive : he understands the necessity of them being here , and being the diplomat he is , welcomes them , and allows La Forge to work with Hannah Bates – their top astrophysicist – to find a solution . He even begins to find a liking in counselor Troi . However , he reiterates that this is a perfect existence for them which they will not give up easily . When Bates shows La Forge a design for a multiphasic tractor beam , he believes the " Enterprise " could use it to move the fragment just enough to reduce the effects below dangerous levels . However , he would need her assistance in setting it up , which means she would have to leave the colony and beam up to the " Enterprise " . Benbeck strongly objects , arguing that her absence would create a dangerous imbalance . Insistent though he is , Conor overrules him , and she is beamed aboard . Act Two . While discussing the matter with Captain Picard , Troi notes that some of the colonists would chose to risk death rather than leave . Picard , who is opposed to the very " idea " of genetic engineering , has a hard time buying that . He thinks it is a bad idea whose time has long passed . In his opinion , the genetic engineering practiced by the founders of the colony eliminates much of the qualities that make life worth living . He advises Troi to use Conor ' s openness to suggestions and reasonable attitude , as well as her personal admiration for him , to help him see the reality of the situation and convince others to do the same . Meanwhile , as Bates and La Forge work on their multiphasic tractor beam , they find that it would overload some of the power conduit s . As they try to come up with a solution , a tired La Forge takes his VISOR off , and she sees his non - functioning eyes . He bitterly observes that he probably wouldn ' t be here , were he born on their world , likely terminated as a fertilized cell . When she asks about how it works , he explains it to her and suddenly has an idea as how to solve the problem : he suggests using the same technology that his VISOR utilizes . He chuckles , saying that it would be an irony if the answer to all of this is in a device created for a blind man who never would have existed in their society . Down on the planet , during a piano recital by , there is an earthquake . It is the first tremor of what would become many . Counselor Troi is strongly attracted to Conor , almost falling in love . That ' s when she realizes that this is all wrong . Conor is obviously changed , ever since the " Enterprise " has been in touch with the colony , and she is concerned that this is affecting his decision making . He seems willing to throw everything away for her , not just for the survival of the colony . Act Three . La Forge and Bates brief Picard and Riker on the design they came up with . They can ' t quite get what they need , so they suggest additionally fortifying the biostructure , which means beaming down about fifty engineers from the " Enterprise " . Picard approves and Riker will make preparations while they get Conor ' s approval . On the planet , Troi tells Conor she must leave because her presence is affecting the decision . Despite the concern about external influences on the colony , she allowed herself to become involved with him , and is angry at herself for it . Conor begins to say he doesn ' t see it that way , and that he needs her , but she is convinced they both know what would happen if they continued the relationship . They get interrupted when La Forge and Bates beam down to brief Conor on their plan . He is surprised at the need for even more people in their environment , but reluctantly agrees . Act Four . Bates and La Forge activate the tractor beam in engineering and begin to use it on the fragment . Slowly but surely , the " Enterprise " pushes the fragment away , almost losing life support in the process . Conor is pleased , as is everyone on the colony . He is patched through to Bates and tells her the entire colony will celebrate her return . After the channel is closed , Bates walks away , looking reluctant to returning . Act Five . It is only now , after most of the engineering crews have left , that the damage has been done . When Bates indicates a breach in the artificial biosphere and goes to the lab to analyze it , La Forge points out that there is no such breach for his VISOR ' s positronic scan would have detected even the smallest crack . He concludes she faked the incident . Bates admits she did that because of her encounters outside her world : if she ' s so brilliant , she wonders , why didn ' t she invent starship s or deflector shield ing . As a result , she requests asylum , and Riker indicates she may not be the only one wishing to leave . Captain Picard himself decides it is time for him to finally meet Aaron Conor . On the way to the transporter room , Troi confesses to Picard her brief relationship with Conor , apologizing for acting so unprofessional but assures him she can still beam to the surface . As Troi notes that she only wanted to help Conor , Picard reminds her they all went into this with good intentions and , in the end , " " nobody ' s perfect " " . When they arrive , Benbeck immediately starts attacking Picard , saying all of these people wanting to leave is his fault . Conor decides to talk to Captain Picard alone , and explains he didn ' t want to listen to Martin from the first moment they were hailed . He understands the desire to leave , with a curiosity about the outside world , and feels responsible for it happening . He asks that Picard refuse them passage , since his leaving will solve the problem he created with his arrival . Picard points out that this is simplistic . He cannot deny their Human rights , whatever other consequences it may have . However , he is willing to try to dissuade them from leaving . Conor and Picard stand before Hannah and the others wanting to leave , and Conor implores them to consider staying asking them to at least wait six months . Picard tries as diplomatically as possible to convince the colonists not to make any hasty decisions but to carefully consider the consequences , telling them that feelings are running high and they ' re only had the briefest of glimpses into the life outside the biosphere . Despite this and the promise that the " Enterprise " will return in six months , Hannah stands firm insisting that being forced to stay will only cause more problems . Conor finally gives in , but decides not to leave as well instead telling the departing colonists they are welcome to return if they like . He then discusses his impossible task of rebuilding the colony with Troi , and while he doesn ' t know what his mistake was he knows he would do it all again if he could before confessing he has fallen in love with her . The " Enterprise " takes twenty - three colonists in all , and Picard points out to Riker this is the best reminder of the Prime Directive . Riker reminds Picard that because they ' re Human the Prime Directive does not apply . Despite that technicality Picard tells Riker that ultimately they are responsible for any consequences , good or bad , to the colony and were just as destructive as any core fragment could ever have been . Memorable quotes . " " Perhaps it is your imperfections that make you so unique ? " " " " This is wrong . " " " Terribly " wrong . " " " " Picard , I was born to govern this colony , not to dismantle it . " " " " If you force them to stay , you will be suppressing their Human rights . " " " " Your arrival created this problem ; your departure solves it . " " " " That is simplistic . " " " " We were innocent . It will never be that way again . " " " " It was the wish of our founders that no one have to suffer a life of disabilities . " " " " Who gave them the right to decide whether or not I might have something to contribute ? " " " Oh , that ' s perfect . " " " " What ? " " " " If the answer to all of this is in a VISOR created for a blind man who never would have existed in your society . " " " " My VISOR ' s positronic scan would have detected the leak . Its molecular - pattern enhancer would pick up even the smallest crack . " " " " The damn thing doesn ' t miss much , does it ? " " " " They ' ve managed to turn a dubious scientific endeavor into dogma . " " " " They ' ve given away their Humanity with this genetic manipulation . Many of the qualities that they breed out – the uncertainty , self - discovery , the unknown – these are many of the qualities that make life worth living . Well , at least to me . I wouldn ' t want to live my life knowing that my future was written , that my boundaries had been already set . " " " " Genetic manipulation or not , nobody ' s perfect . " " " " We are responsible . " " " " We had to respond to the threat of the core fragment , didn ' t we ? " " " " Of course we did . But , in the end . . . we may have proved just as dangerous to that colony as any core fragment could " ever " have been . " " Links and references . References . abortion ; administrator ; Alpha Moab ; artificial biosphere ; asteroid ; astrophysicist ; asylum ; Betazoid ; blindness ; ; colony ; conception ; disability ; DNA ; defensive shield ; dogma ; Earth ; earthquake ; egg ; emitter array ; engineering team ; eugenics ; Federation ; genetic engineering ; geneticist ; Genome colony ; governor ; graviton generator ; hertz ; hotel ; Human rights ; Humpty Dumpty ; laborer ; matter - antimatter warp reaction system ; matter - energy transport ; microscopic lifeform ; Moab I ; Moab II ; Moab III ; Moab IV ; Moab V ; Moab VI ; Moab sector ; Moab system ; molecular pattern enhancer ; molecular transport ; moon ; multiphase tractor beam ; neutron star ; number one ; nursery rhyme ; parallel course ; piano ; plant ; plasma ; poet ; poetry ; positronic scan ; " Prelude Number 4 " ; Prime Directive ; procreation ; Richter scale ; scientist ; shield generator ; shock ; stellar core fragment ; subspace relay ; suicide ; terahertz ; terawatt ; theoretical physics ; toxicity ; tractor beam ; tractor beam generator ; tractor beam systems ; tractor emitter ; turbolift ; VISOR ; visual cortex ; welcome mat