DIRECTED BY
AIRED ON
September 20, 1993
RUNTIME
45 minutes
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202
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2024-09-11 20:35:11
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SUMMARY
Stardate: 47025.4. Data abducts Picard, Troi and Geordi and holds them prisoners of the Borg, while he derives pleasure from being evil. Dr. Crusher is left in command of the Enterprise as it comes under attack from a Borg vessel.
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REVIEWS
Good
Written by
Pike on 2018-05-17
★
★
★
★
★
I am slowly starting to understand much more and equally appreciate more this season, now that things are taking shape.
SUMMARY
I give the episode 5 out of 10. Good.
___________________________________________
Underwhelming
Written by
kimmy on 2019-08-22
★
★
★
★
Attention all decks. This is the final season. I get contradicting readings from different articles I read, but it appears that: As soon as The Next Generation started being quite successful (already in season 1?), all the actors were contracted all the way to season 6. Contracts were negotiated for season 7 and 8, but on the one hand costs were growing and growing for everyone involved, and Paramount was anxious to launch the Star Trek TNG movie franchise which it considered would have a higher return on investment, while DS9 was already underway. So season 8 was scrapped — apparently to the surprise of the actors! — and plans to do the movies were accelerated — to the dismay of the writers, who were dealing with TNG s7 and DS9 s2 and at the same time had to develop Generations and Voyager, both to be launched immediately after TNG wrapped! Season 7 is, according to everyone involved, a weak season. There are hits and misses (and I haven’t seen the real misses, so let’s say there are more misses than hits), at times you can feel there is less budget available despite still a good photography, and in general it looks as if not many people complained it ended when it did. There is a sense that the writers want to give closure to some character arcs, and those arcs were rather loose; at times it feels as if they are opening new chapters instead of closing them. Still, the hits are really great!
So, about this episode: meh.
Picking up from Part 1: There were some interesting parts here, with the effects of Picard’s decision to return Hugh to the Borg (I, Borg): the Borg became confused with individuality, the Collective broke down, and when Lore came the individual Borg were willing to trade their freedom with a newly found sense of purpose. And so Lore created his cult, where the Borg are again brainwashed, it’s just that they are brainwashed in a different way (Lore encourages a lost Borg to reconnect with the Collective…but inside their local Collective they also have individual names?). There are some interesting parallels with the way human group dynamics work, from religious cults to fascism.
There is also Hugh himself, who is not the leader, and his underground resistance. But if there is a Collective to which all Borg plug in, then how does Hugh’s resistance even exist? And ultimately, it seems that this group of Borg is not the whole Collective but just a faction that broke off after the Hugh incident: so even if the episode ends with Hugh at the head of a group of “free Borg“, the main part of the Borg Collective is still a menace out there. Picard’s decision was justified after all, at least in part.
I also liked the parts onboard the Enterprise, with acting Captain Crusher and a group of unknown Ensigns escaping the Borg by diving in the sun’s corona.
BUT there are many things wrong with this episode.
There’s so much backstory here that it is simply told to us in very long dialogue scenes. Not much seems to happen over the whole episode, it takes place in a single location. Interesting trivia: the Borg compound is actually the same place where Camp Khitomer was shot in Star Trek VI!
Data, for all his touching Pinocchio quest to be “a real boyâ€, is reduced here to a mere slave of his circuitry. Lore turns a knob up, he feels dizzy and behaves badly; Geordi emits some different waves, he feels different. There is little real development here, rather there is regression: we are reminded even more that he is nothing more than a machine.
Troi points out that there are no negative feelings or emotions, only negative actions; yet in this second part the concept of negative feelings is brought up again and again.
The Borg used to be this superhuman technological force that was completely alien. Here they are reduced to fist fighting among themselves, like in any random dumb brawl.
Lore plans to destroy the Federation (with no good reason) and his plan is to turn everyone into an artificial being, from human to cyborg to android. It would be much simpler to kill everyone and create artificial beings from scratch, no? This gives rise to Data experimenting on Geordi, who used to be his friend, which is interesting emotionally. In the end, Data is able to deactivate Lore, so that menace is done for good.
So I can’t say I liked this two-parter much. I think both Lore and the Borg offered better story possibilities than what we got.
Alumni-spotting:
One of the one-time faces we see on the Enterprise in this episode is a young Benito Martinez, who went on to become a major character in The Shield, David Aceveda!
TRANSCRIPT
Last time on Star Trek: The Next Generation
(Data strangles a Borg)
DATA: Stop. Stop. Stop.
DATA: It was just after I had killed the Borg, I felt something. I believe it was pleasure.
RIKER: I don't believe they were part of the Borg collective. One of them referred to himself as I.
TROI: The only Borg who had a name was Hugh.
HUGH [on monitor]: We are Hugh.
PICARD: He was here in this room. I could have rid the Federation of a mortal threat, and I let him go.
LAFORGE: The Borg have established several transwarp conduits through subspace.
(the Bridge is boarded)
SECURITY: Get down!
(Worf shoots a Borg)
CROSIS: I was like you once. Without feeling. But the One helped me. He can help you too. He can help you find emotion. You will not resist what you've wanted all your life.
PICARD: If the Borg should attack, don't wait for me or anyone else to return to the ship, but take the Enterprise to the transwarp conduit. Return to Federation space.
LORE: Stop!
PICARD: Lore.
DATA: The sons of Soong have joined together. And together, we will destroy the Federation.
And now, the conclusion.
[Borg hall]
LORE: What do you think of my followers, Picard? Impressive, aren't they?
PICARD: I'm not particularly impressed. All you've done is teach them to enjoy killing.
DATA: You are wrong, Captain. My brother and I serve a much higher purpose.
TROI: Data, I can sense feelings in you.
DATA: Yes. My brother has made that possible.
PICARD: He gave you the chip. The one Doctor Soong made for you.
LORE: No, no, no, no, no. I still have the emotional programme my father designed. I wouldn't want to give it up. It's what has given me such a strong sense of family, an intense desire to reunite with my dear brother.
PICARD: How did he do it, Data? What made you decide to come here?
LORE: I am talking to you, Picard. I will tell you all you need to know.
PICARD: You're controlling him, and you've corrupted the Borg.
LORE: You simply don't understand, do you? You have no idea what has happened here. How I found my true calling. How the Borg found something to believe in.
PICARD: I would like to learn about that, but I want Data to tell us.
LORE: I told you. I will tell you what you need to know.
PICARD: How about that, Data? He won't even let you talk.
DATA: Do not try to drive a wedge between us, Captain. I am loyal to my brother.
LORE: You see, Picard? He's not your pawn anymore. I've helped him to break free, just as I've helped them. Look at them. Look at what I've helped them become. They're no longer simply mindless automatons. They're passionate. Alive.
TROI: Are you saying that you caused them to become individuals?
LORE: No, you did that. You and your friends. All I did was clean up the mess you made when that Borg you befriended returned to his ship.
DATA: Hugh interfaced with the others and transferred his sense of individuality to them. It nearly destroyed them.
PICARD: Data, do you remember when Hugh was on the Enterprise? Do you remember what you were like then?
LORE: That doesn't matter.
PICARD: It does to me. I want to know what has happened to Data.
LORE: What's important is what I've done here. How I found my calling. I know now why I was created. No one can ever take that away from me. Without me, they would have perished. When I stumbled on their ship, they were lost, disoriented, they had no idea how to function as individuals. They couldn't even navigate their own vessel. They had lost their sense of purpose. I gave them their purpose. And they gave me mine.
DATA: The Borg aspire to the perfection my Brother and I represent. Fully artificial life forms. We are their future.
LORE: The reign of biological life forms is coming to an end. You, Picard, and those like you are obsolete. Take them, brother.
(Lore takes the phasers away)
Acting Captain's log, supplemental. The skeleton crew left on board the Enterprise is unable to help in the search for Commander Data. The planet's unusual EM field is interfering with the ship's sensors, severely limiting their effectiveness.
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: Ensign, we need to modify the sensor array to filter out these EM pulses. Can you do that?
TAITT: (a young woman) Yes, sir. I think so.
CRUSHER: What's your name?
TAITT: Taitt, sir.
CRUSHER: I don't think I've seen you before.
TAITT: I was just posted here six weeks ago.
CRUSHER: Well, Taitt, I'll bet you never thought you'd be serving as Tactical Officer after only six weeks.
TAITT: No, sir, I sure didn't. I think I've filtered out some of the sensor noise. I'll bring the modifications online.
CRUSHER: Good work.
RIKER [OC]: Riker to Enterprise.
CRUSHER: Go ahead, Will.
[Planet surface]
RIKER: I can't contact the Captain. It could just be interference, but I'd like to be sure.
CRUSHER [OC]: Understood.
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: Enterprise to Captain Picard. Crusher to Picard.
TAITT: I'm not getting a comm. signal from anyone on the Captain's team.
CRUSHER: The last time they checked in they were investigating a structure in section gamma two five.
TAITT: Sir, I'm picking up a vessel closing in on our location.
CRUSHER: Is it a Borg ship?
TAITT: It seems to match the configuration of a ship the Enterprise encountered at Ohniaka Three.
CRUSHER: Red alert. How long before they're in weapons range?
TAITT: Er, about ninety seconds. No, make that seventy seconds.
CRUSHER: Crusher to Transporter room three.
SALAZAR [OC]: Salazar here, sir.
CRUSHER: Start transporting the away teams off of the surface.
[Transporter room]
SALAZAR: Aye, sir.
CRUSHER [OC]: Use the transporters in the cargo bay
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: If you have to. I want those teams up here as fast as possible.
[Planet surface]
RIKER: Armstrong, you and the others prepare to beam up.
ARMSTRONG: Aye, sir.
RIKER: Beverly, Worf and I will stay here and look for
[Bridge]
RIKER [OC]: The Captain's team.
CRUSHER: I'm not going to leave you down there.
[Planet surface]
RIKER: You pull as many people off the surface as you can and get back to the transwarp conduit. The Captain's orders were to get the Enterprise back to Federation space.
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: Acknowledged.
RIKER [OC]: Riker out.
CRUSHER: Prepare to leave orbit.
TAITT: Sir, the Borg ship is powering up its forward weapons array. They'll be in firing range in, in twenty seconds.
CRUSHER: Salazar, how many people do we still have down there?
SALAZAR [OC]: Seventy three, sir.
CRUSHER: Put the Borg ship onscreen.
TAITT: Should I raise shields, sir?
CRUSHER: Not yet. I want to keep bringing people up until the last possible second.
TAITT: Ten seconds.
CRUSHER: Stand by to raise shields and break orbit on my mark.
TAITT: Five seconds.
CRUSHER: Mark.
(an energy bolt hits)
TAITT: Shields down to seventy percent.
CRUSHER: Establish a frequency shift firing pattern and return fire.
TAITT: Er, right.
(two torpedoes are fired)
TAITT: Direct hit, no damage.
CRUSHER: Helm, set course for the conduit, maximum warp.
HELM: Aye, sir.
TAITT: Sir, the Borg aren't following us.
CRUSHER: Salazar
[Transporter room]
CRUSHER [OC]: How many people did we leave behind?
SALAZAR: Forty seven, sir.
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: Another minute and we would have had them.
[Planet surface]
RIKER: Riker to any team leader.
POWELL [OC]: Lieutenant Powell here, sir.
RIKER: Round up everybody who was left behind. Take cover. Try to avoid any contact with the Borg.
POWELL [OC]: Aye, sir.
RIKER: Riker out. Even if Beverly can get back to Federation space, it'll be a few days before Starfleet can get any ships here. Until then, we're on our own.
[Holding cell]
PICARD: Data, you must realise that something has happened to you. The Data I know would never have agreed to be a willing party to Lore's plan.
DATA: (taking the comm. badges) I now realise that my life aboard the Enterprise was a waste. My quest to become human was misguided. An evolutionary step in the wrong direction.
TROI: Data, all I'm sensing from you is anger and hatred. Have you felt any other emotions?
DATA: There are no other emotions.
LAFORGE: Data, just because you haven't experienced certain emotions doesn't mean they don't exist. Lore is only feeding you the negative ones.
DATA: Counsellor Troi told me herself that feelings are not negative or positive. It is how we act on them that makes them good or bad.
PICARD: Fine. But what about the things that Lore is proposing? What about the lives that have already been lost?
DATA: You simply do not understand. In a quest such as ours, sacrifices have to be made. It is regrettable, but the greater good must be served. Give me your visor.
LAFORGE: Why?
DATA: Give it to me or I will take it by force.
(Geordi takes it off)
DATA: I am not your puppet anymore.
(he turns on the forcefield and walks away)
[Bridge]
(relief crew enter the Bridge)
TAITT: Sir, we've reached the coordinates of the conduit. The tachyon matrix is energised and ready to go. And Lieutenant Barnaby has returned from the surface. He'll be relieving me.
CRUSHER: Right. Stand by to trigger the conduit. Taitt. I want you to stay on the Bridge. I'll need a Science Officer at the aft station.
TAITT: Yes, sir.
CRUSHER: Helm, set a course to return to the planet.
HELM: Aye, sir.
CRUSHER: I'm not leaving those people stranded back there. An emergency buoy can transmit a copy of our log entries to Starfleet just as easily as we can. Ensign, prepare a buoy and launch it when ready.
TAITT: Aye, sir.
CRUSHER: Lieutenant, open the conduit.
TAITT: Launching buoy now, sir.
CRUSHER: Lieutenant, scan for any Borg ships between here and the planet.
BARNABY: Sensors detect no vessels.
TAITT: We have to assume the ship that attacked us is still in orbit.
CRUSHER: How long will we have before they can detect us and intercept?
TAITT: If their sensors function as well as ours it could be as little as thirty seconds.
CRUSHER: Crusher to Salazar. How long will it take to get the rest of the crew off the surface?
SALAZAR [OC]: One minute should do it.
CRUSHER: We don't have one minute. How much can you shave off that?
[Transporter room]
SALAZAR: If I can get a good lock on them quickly, I might be able to do it in forty five or fifty seconds.
[Bridge]
CRUSHER: We need to buy ourselves fifteen seconds. Lieutenant, is there any way we can use the planet as a barrier to keep the Borg from realising we're in orbit?
BARNABY: We can enter orbit while they're on the far side of the planet. And if we delay dropping out of warp until the last possible instant, we could gain a few more seconds.
TAITT: If your calculations are even slightly off, we'd hit the atmosphere.
BARNABY: I'll have to be sure my calculations are accurate, Ensign.
CRUSHER: Let's do it. Helm, hard about.
HELM: Aye, sir.
[Planet surface]
WORF: Still no sign of the structure.
RIKER: With all this interference it could be a hundred metres away and we wouldn't know it. This could take hours.
WORF: I am detecting a faint energy reading.
RIKER: Residual thermal traces. Somebody stood here.
WORF: The decay rate indicates it could be human.
RIKER: They took this path.
[Borg hall]
LORE: (to Borg) Now, thank you. There you are, brother.
DATA: Here is the visor. May I ask why you wanted it?
LORE: I thought it might look good on me. What do you think? Maybe we should work on your sense of humour, brother. Actually, I was thinking La Forge's implants might make him an ideal test subject for my experiment.
DATA: All the Borg you have experimented on so far have suffered extensive brain damage.
LORE: Using the humans to perfect the procedure will allow us to prevent any further Borg deaths.
DATA: I understand.
LORE: Good. What is it?
CROSIS: This Borg disconnected himself from the others. He would not let me hear his thoughts.
LORE: I've asked you to stay linked to Crosis at all times. You know that, don't you?
GOVAL: Yes.
LORE: I know this must be difficult for you. I know how uncertain you must feel. All of these sensations are new and they can be frightening. Isn't that right?
GOVAL: Yes. I have doubts.
LORE: Of course you do. It's only natural. No one is going to blame you for that. But in order to lose those doubts, to keep you from fear and confusion away, I need you to remain linked with the others so that their strength and their confidence can help you. I need you, Goval. I need you to help me build a future for the Borg. I can't do it without you. Will you help me?
GOVAL: Yes. I will.
[Holding cell]
LAFORGE: Lore must have told Data to take my visor because he realised I could see a carrier wave that was radiating from him.
PICARD: A carrier wave? Is that how he's manipulating Data?
LAFORGE: I think what's happening is that Lore is tapping into the chip he stole from Doctor Soong and somehow he's found a way to transmit part of that emotional programme to Data.
TROI: But the only emotions Data seems to feel are negative.
LAFORGE: Yeah, I'm sure that's intentional. But in order for Data to be affected by those emotions, Lore would have had to disable his ethical programme first.
PICARD: Can we reactivate it?
LAFORGE: If I can generate a phased kedion pulse at the right frequency, that would trigger Data's subsystems and reboot the programme.
PICARD: And although Lore would still be feeding him negative emotions, at least Data might listen to us.
LAFORGE: Right.
TROI: I think it's worth a try.
LAFORGE: So, got any ideas on how we generate a kedion pulse?
(Data enters and hauls Geordi to his feet)
PICARD: Data, where are you taking him?
DATA: That is not your concern.
PICARD: Data, wait. Let us talk to you.
[Planet surface]
(Worf and Riker hide from a Borg patrol, then come over a ridge.)
WORF: Commander.
(it's the building, and they're surrounded by Borg)
[Caverns]
RIKER: Hugh?
HUGH: Why are you here, Commander Riker? Hasn't the crew of the Enterprise caused enough damage already?
(a little later)
WORF: So you blame us for what has happened to the Borg?
HUGH: You gave me a sense of individuality, changed me, then sent me back to the Collective. You must have known that change would be passed on to others.
RIKER: We considered it. We knew it was a possibility.
HUGH: Then you made it possible for Lore to dominate us.
WORF: I cannot accept that. Lore is only one. The Borg could have stopped him.
HUGH: You don't know the condition we were in when he found us. Before my experience on the Enterprise, the Borg were a single-minded Collective. The voices in our heads were smooth and flowing. But after I returned, those voices began to change. They became uneven, discordant. For the first time, individual Borg had differing ideas about how to proceed. We couldn't function. Some Borg fought each other. Others simply shut themselves down. Many starved to death.
RIKER: And then Lore came along.
HUGH: You probably can't imagine what it is like to be so lost and frightened that you will listen to any voice which promises change.
WORF: Even if that voice insists on controlling you.
HUGH: That's what we wanted. Someone to show us the way out of confusion. Lore promised clarity and purpose. In the beginning, he seemed like a saviour. The promise of becoming a superior race, of becoming fully artificial was compelling. We gladly did everything he asked of us. But after a while, it became clear that Lore had no idea how to keep his promise. That's when he began talking about the need for us to make sacrifices. Before we realised it, this was the result.
RIKER: What happened to them?
HUGH: Lore began to experiment, trying to re-make us in his image. This is the result of my encounter with the Enterprise, Commander. So you can see I don't particularly welcome your presence here.
RIKER: I'm sorry you feel that way. We just came to get our people. We won't cause you any more trouble.
HUGH: Tell me about my friend.
RIKER: Friend?
HUGH: The human called Geordi.
RIKER: I wish I could tell you about him. We think he may be held inside the compound.
HUGH: I cannot help you. I cannot risk our being discovered.
RIKER: Can you at least show us a way into the compound?
HUGH: These caverns lead to tunnels which run beneath the compound. Some of them connect with the environmental control ducts.
WORF: Show us. If we can determine the geography of the compound, we can form a rescue plan.
[Lore's lab]
(Geordi is strapped down on a metal frame that's raising)
LAFORGE: Data? Who's there?
DATA: (as Picard) Geordi?
LAFORGE: Captain.
DATA: Shh. We're getting out of here.
LAFORGE: Come on, hurry. Data was just here. I think he went to get something.
DATA: (as himself) Too late. My brother suggested that I try to develop my sense of humour. What do you think?
LAFORGE: I think it needs a little work.
(Data aims an instrument at Geordi's visor inputs)
LAFORGE: What's happening?
DATA: I'm attemptin to neutralise your pain receptors.
LAFORGE: What are you going to do to me?
(Data is injecting something into Geordi's forehead)
DATA: I am implanting nano-cortical fibres in your cerebrum. They are designed to learn and mimic your neural firing patterns. Once they are in place, I will destroy the existing brain cells. We'll see if the artificial neural network is able to take over your cognitive functions.
LAFORGE: Data, listen. Lore is controlling you. He's transmitting a carrier wave which is affecting your positronic matrix.
DATA: If the procedure is successful, your cognitive processing functions will be considerably improved.
LAFORGE: Don't you care that he's manipulating you?
DATA: However, there is a sixty percent chance you will not survive the procedure.
LAFORGE: I don't care much for those odds.
(more injections)
DATA: They are cause for concern. However, I still have Counsellor Troi and Captain Picard. The odds are that at least one of the procedures will be successful.
[Holding cell]
TROI: Help me!
(a Borg comes to see Picard lying on the floor)
TROI: He tried to escape. The force field sent him into neural shock. If he dies, Lore will blame you.
(the innocent Borg takes down the force field and enters. He leans over Picard and gets one of his tubes pulled out, rendering him unconscious)
PICARD: See if the corridor is empty.
(but Data is bringing Geordi back)
DATA: Drop it or I will break his neck.
(Troi drops the Borg hand weapon and helps guide Geordi into the cell)
DATA: Take him.
(Borg remove their fallen comrade)
PICARD: What have you done to him?
DATA: I will be back for him later.
(Data leaves)
TROI: Geordi, are you in pain?
LAFORGE: No. I'm just a little dizzy.
PICARD: I was able to take part of a transceiver from the guard's interlink system. I think that it uses some kind of phased-pulse technology. Do you think it could be modified to generate a kedion pulse that would reboot Data's programme?
LAFORGE: Yeah, yeah, it's possible. See if you can locate the phase modulation circuitry.
TROI: I'll watch the door.
PICARD: All right, I think I've found it.
LAFORGE: Okay, good. Now, do you see anything that we might be able to use as a flux inhibitor?
[Bridge]
(at an aft station)
TAITT: Sensors still can't locate the Borg ship. I'm trying to filter out the interference.
BARNABY: We'll be within transporter range in nineteen seconds.
TAITT: I'm starting to get sensor resolution. There's the ship.
CRUSHER: We'll enter orbit here.
BARNABY: Helm, new course, heading zero five two mark seven.
HELM: Aye, sir.
BARNABY: Stand by to drop out of warp in eight seconds.
TAITT: Once we're in orbit, we should have about forty five seconds before they intercept us.
CRUSHER: Let's hope it's enough time.
BARNABY: Emergency deceleration in five seconds.
CRUSHER: Hold on.
(whoomph)
CRUSHER: Report.
TAITT: We're in standard orbit, sir. The Borg ship is on the planet's far side, and is moving to intercept.
CRUSHER: Bridge to Transporter rooms. Begin evacuations.
BARNABY: The Borg will be in weapons range in thirty two seconds. We still can't locate Captain Picard's team and there's no sign of Commander Riker or Lieutenant Worf.
CRUSHER: Crusher to Salazar. Report.
SALAZAR [OC]: We're pulling the last teams off right now.
[Transporter room]
SALAZAR: But there are six people still unaccounted for.
CRUSHER [OC]: Keep trying.
[Bridge]
BARNABY: The Borg ship is powering up its weapons array.
CRUSHER: Come on, Chief. It's now or never.
TAITT: They're preparing to fire.
CRUSHER: Raise shields.
BARNABY: The port nacelle's been hit.
CRUSHER: Helm, get us out of here.
HELM: Aye, sir.
BARNABY: We've lost warp engines.
CRUSHER: Evasive manoeuvres, full impulse.
(they sail past the massive Borg vessel)
TAITT: Shields down to eighty percent.
CRUSHER: Fire phasers.
BARNABY: Direct hit. No damage to the Borg ship.
TAITT: Shields down to seventy three percent.
CRUSHER: What's the status of the warp engines?
BARNABY: Still down. We can't outrun them.
CRUSHER: Helm, set a new course, heading three four four mark six. Full impulse.
HELM: Aye, sir.
TAITT: Sir, that heading takes us directly into the sun.
CRUSHER: The databanks should contain information about a process called metaphasic shielding.
BARNABY: I know about that research. Commander La Forge was developing a programme that would implement metaphasic properties.
CRUSHER: Right. How far along was he?
BARNABY: It's in the databanks but it's never been tested.
CRUSHER: If we had metaphasic shielding, we could enter the sun's corona but the Borg ship wouldn't be able to follow. Can you bring the programme online?
BARNABY: I can, but we have no way of knowing if the shields will hold.
TAITT: Sir, hull temperature is rising. Now at twelve thousand degrees C. Radiation level nearing ten thousand rads.
(weapons hit)
CRUSHER: Report.
TAITT: Shields at sixty two percent.
CRUSHER: Lieutenant, activate the metaphasic programme. It's our best shot.
BARNABY: Aye, sir.
TAITT: Hull temperature is critical. We can't withstand this heat much longer.
BARNABY: Programme is online. Engaging metaphasic shield now.
TAITT: Hull temperature dropping. Down to seven thousand degrees.
CRUSHER: Maintain course.
BARNABY: The Borg ship has broken off pursuit.
CRUSHER: All stop.
TAITT: Sir, the Borg ship is taking up position relative to ours. They're going to wait for us to come out.
CRUSHER: The question is, how long can we survive in here?
[Holding cell]
PICARD: Well, I've done everything that Geordi said. Now to activate it.
TROI: How are we going to know whether the pulse reboots Data's ethical programme?
PICARD: We'll only tell that when we see his behaviour.
TROI: Won't he realise something's happened to him?
PICARD: No, it's one programme among thousands. I just hope this force field has enough energy to trigger the pulse.
(he slides the tiny device forward, and the blue is sucked into it)
[Lore's lab]
LAFORGE: You know, Data, I've been thinking about some of the times we've had. Like that time we went sailing on Devala Lake. You remember that?
DATA: I have a complete memory record of that day.
LAFORGE: You decided to go swimming, and when you jumped out of the boat you sank straight to the bottom.
DATA: I did not have enough buoyancy to get back to the surface.
LAFORGE: You had to walk over a kilometre along the bottom to get back to shore.
DATA: One kilometre forty six metres.
LAFORGE: It took almost two weeks to get the water out of your servos.
DATA: I am ready to irradiate your existing brain cells.
LAFORGE: Data, if you ever go back to the way you were, you might not be able to forgive yourself for what you're about to do.
DATA: I am getting some anomalous readings from your neural net. I will need to do further testing before I proceed. Someone will come and take you back to your cell.
[Borg compound, outside]
LORE: There you are, brother. Have you made any progress with La Forge?
DATA: It is too early to tell if the nano-cortical fibres performed their function.
LORE: I suspect none of the humans will survive the process but then, it's their own fault, isn't it? They should never have come here. What were they thinking?
DATA: They came looking for me.
LORE: Humans are so sentimental.
DATA: I betrayed them. If they die, I am responsible.
LORE: Why are you talking like that? Is something wrong with your programming? Maybe I should check your systems.
DATA: I do not want you to check my systems. I must resolve these issues myself.
LORE: I think I've made a mistake. I don't believe you can tolerate the amount of emotion I've given you. Perhaps I should cut back a little.
(he pulls back a fingernail)
LORE: How's that?
DATA: I do not like it.
LORE: Then you prefer having more emotions?
DATA: Yes.
LORE: They give you pleasure.
DATA: Yes. Please, I want more.
LORE: All right, a little more. For now. Aren't you going to thank me?
DATA: Thank you.
LORE: Don't mention it. I just hope this helps to clarify things for you.
(Data leaves)
LORE: I am concerned about my brother, Crosis. I don't believe he really wants to be a part of our great future.
[Bridge]
BARNABY: Sir, metaphasic shielding is losing integrity.
CRUSHER: Can you stabilise it?
BARNABY: No. We won't be able to stay in here longer than another three or four minutes.
CRUSHER: Do we have warp engines yet?
BARNABY: Last estimate was another half hour.
TAITT: Sir? I think I have an idea. I think it's possible we could induce a solar fusion eruption that would destroy the Borg ship.
BARNABY: What?
TAITT: We need to direct a highly energetic particle beam onto the sun's surface. That should produce a superfluid gas eruption. If we target the right spot, the eruption would envelop the Borg ship.
CRUSHER: How do you know this will work?
TAITT: I did my senior honours thesis on solar dynamics.
BARNABY: Excuse me, sir, but this isn't the Academy. And a student thesis is a long way from a workable plan.
TAITT: I've already configured the tractor emitters to create the particle beam and I've located the target point on the surface.
BARNABY: If her calculations are off, that eruption could encompass us.
TAITT: Well I'll just have to make sure my calculations are accurate, Lieutenant.
CRUSHER: Let's do it.
TAITT: Yes, sir.
(a beam lances out from the belly of the Enterprise)
TAITT: The target area of the photosphere is destabilising. Pressure wave expansion is accelerating.
BARNABY: Subsurface fusion has been initiated. An eruption is forming on the surface.
(whoosh, kaBOOM)
BARNABY: She did it! The Borg ship has been destroyed, sir.
CRUSHER: Helm, take us back to the planet. Full impulse.
HELM: Aye, sir.
CRUSHER: Well done, Taitt.
[Holding cell]
(Data enters)
PICARD: You're killing him. He won't survive another session.
DATA: I did not come for him. I came for you.
[Borg hall]
PICARD: Data, it's not too late. If you remove the fibres, then Geordi might yet recover.
DATA: That would not be possible.
PICARD: Why? Because Lore tells you so?
DATA: It is for the greater good.
PICARD: Good? Data, isn't good and bad, right and wrong, a function of your ethical programme?
DATA: That is correct.
PICARD: What does that programme tell you about what you're doing to Geordi? About what you and Lore are doing to the Borg? It tells you that these things are wrong, doesn't it, Data? So how can actions that are wrong lead to a greater good?
DATA: You are attempting to confuse me.
PICARD: No, you're not confused, Data. You're sensing the truth. Your ethical programme is fighting the negative emotions that Lore is sending you.
LORE: Ah, Captain. Thank you so much for joining us. You are going to assist me in a most important ceremony.
[Cavern]
WORF: We can use the environmental control ducts to get into the compound. They should lead us to the detention area.
RIKER: We'll have to move fast. If we need to stun one of the guards, the Borg will know right away that he's been hurt.
HUGH: When they realise, your escape route may be compromised.
RIKER: I guess we'll have to take that chance.
HUGH: Good luck, Commander.
[Borg hall]
LORE: It's time to put aside all doubts, brother. It's time to close the door on the past and commit yourself to the great work that lies ahead of us. I need to know I can count on you. As proof, I want you to kill Picard.
(Data raises the weapon)
DATA: No. That would be wrong.
LORE: I didn't think you'd be able to do it. You've spent too many years among humans.
CROSIS: Hold him.
(we see Hugh amongst the crowd)
LORE: I've asked many sacrifices of you. Sacrifices I knew were necessary in order to build a better future. I want you to know that I ask no more of you than I am prepared to give myself. I am willing to make the greatest sacrifice of all. My own dear brother. Goodbye, Data.
HUGH: No!
(Hugh rushes forward and stops Lore from firing. Crosis pushes him off then is shot by either Riker or Worf up in the gallery. Fights break out between Lore's Borg and Hugh's group. Lore makes a run for it and Data follows. Picard is totally ignored.)
[Lore's lab]
DATA: (holding a weapon) Lore.
LORE: You should be careful with that, brother. Somebody could get hurt.
DATA: What are you doing?
LORE: I've got a way out of here. I'm willing to forget about what happened back there and take you with me. We don't need anyone else. We're brothers. I'll give you the chip our father made. It contains much more than just emotions. It has memories. Memories our father wanted you to have.
(Lore zaps Data with emotion, making him gasp, but Data still managed to shoot Lore)
DATA: Lore, I must deactivate you now.
LORE: Without me, you will never feel emotion again.
DATA: I know, but you leave me no other choice.
LORE: I love you, brother.
DATA: Goodbye, Lore.
[Borg hall]
PICARD: What about Geordi and Troi?
RIKER: The Enterprise is in orbit. I had them beamed aboard.
(Data enters)
DATA: Lore is no longer functioning, sir. He must be disassembled so that he is no longer a threat.
PICARD: Welcome back, Data.
DATA: Thank you, sir.
RIKER: What made you change your mind, Hugh?
HUGH: Perhaps my encounter with the Enterprise affected me more than I realised.
PICARD: What will you do now?
HUGH: I don't know. We can't go back to the Borg Collective, and we no longer have a leader here.
PICARD: I'm not sure that's true.
HUGH: Perhaps in time, we will learn to function as individuals and work together as a group.
PICARD: Good luck, Hugh.
HUGH: Goodbye.
Captain's log, stardate 47025.4. We have returned to Federation Space and are en route to Starbase two nine five. Mister La Forge remains under Doctor Crusher's care.
[Data's quarters]
(Data is holding a small circle with a triangle cut out of it in a pair of tweezers when the doorbell rings)
DATA: Enter.
LAFORGE: Hi, Data. I just wanted to let you know that Doctor Crusher says I'll be able to return to duty soon.
DATA: I am relieved that the injuries I inflicted on you are not permanent.
LAFORGE: What's that?
DATA: This is the chip my father created for me so that I could experience emotions. I had it removed from Lore's body before he was dismantled.
LAFORGE: Does it work?
DATA: No. I am pleased to say it was damaged when I was forced to fire on Lore.
(he puts it in a box)
LAFORGE: Pleased? Data, you've wanted emotions all your life.
DATA: Yes. But emotions were responsible for what I did to you. I would never risk letting that happen again. My friendship with you is too important to me.
(Data prepares to phaser the box, and Geordi picks it up instead)
LAFORGE: Data, I wouldn't be very much of a friend if I let you give up on a life-long dream, would I? Maybe someday, when you're ready.
2024-09-11 20:35:11 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
