Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) - full transcript

While on a mission to observe the peaceful Ba'ku race, Lt. Commander Data suddenly behaves as if having to fear for his existence. The immortal Ba'ku, whose planet offers regenerative radiation and therefore incredible lifespans, live in harmony with nature and reject advanced technology. Their planet and their culture is secretly researched by the Federation associated with an alien race called the Son'a. But the Son'a intend to abduct the Ba'ku in order to take the planet for themselves and for the Starfleet officials who all would like to regenerate their bodies. But they did not think of the loyalty of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E to the Prime Directive.

There he is! Let's get him.

Come on.

Verifying materialization

sequence.

Bring up resolution

on radar unit 12.

- Area 7 to command.

- Go ahead.

We could use another

survey team out here, sir.

Base to ensign mccauley

and ensign gilles.

Please report to area 7 and

assist the edaphology team.

Acknowledged.

Transferring anthropometric data

files to secondary processor.

- Ethnographic studies indicate 97%...

- The ecological analysis...

Still working on correlating

that unidentified...

The comparative linguistic

analysis is complete, sir.

Admiral dougherty is waiting for this.

Transmit it to the ship.

Alert! Area 12!

- The android, he's out of control.

- Report.

He's headed toward the village.

We're trying to stop him.

Over there!

Magnify.

Hold your fire.

What is it? What's happening?

Base to commander data.

Rerouting micro-hydraulic

power distribution.

- Regulating thermal overload.

- Data, report to base immediately!

Transferring positronic matrix functions.

Engaging secondary protocol.

He's trying to remove

the headpiece.

All field units,

intercept the android.

Artim, artim, it's all right.

Get inside. Now.

Find shelter. Everyone, get inside.

Now. Back to your homes! Move it!

Now! Move!

Secondary protocol is active.

- They can see him.

- Stop him! Now!

Commander data, stand down. That's

an order! I repeat, stand down!

Who are they?

It's an m-class planet.

Population, 300 million.

- Say the greeting again.

- Yew-cheen chef-faw.

Emphasis on the "cheen"

and the "faw."

You either need a new

uniform or a new neck.

My collar size is exactly

as it was at the academy.

Of course it is.

Our guests have arrived.

They are eating the floral

arrangements on the banquet tables.

I guess they don't believe

in cocktails before dinner.

Oh, my god! Are they vegetarian?

That's not in there.

Perhaps we should have the chef whip

up a light balsamic vinaigrette,

something that goes well

with chrysanthemums.

- Bridge to captain picard.

- Go ahead, ensign.

Command wants to know our

eta at the goren system.

The goren system?

They need us to mediate

some territorial dispute.

No, no.

We can't delay the archeological

expedition to hanoran ii.

That'll put us right in the

middle of the monsoon season.

- Captain.

- Thank you.

The diplomatic corps is busy

with dominion negotiations.

Yes. So they need us to put

out one more brush fire.

Can anyone remember when

we used to be explorers?

- Deck 10.

- Yew-cheen chef-faw.

Remember, they have a significantly

less advanced technology than ours.

They only achieved

Warp drive last year.

And the federation council decided to

make them a protectorate so quickly.

In view of our losses to

the borg and the dominion,

the council feels we need all the

allies we can get these days.

Captain on deck.

You'll be expected to dance

with the regent cuzar.

- Can she mambo?

- Very funny.

The captain used to

cut quite a rug.

La forge to picard.

Captain, I need to talk to

you before the reception.

- Captain. Doctor.

- Mr. worf!

- Worf.

- What the hell are you doing here?

- I was at the manzar colony...

- He's a little late, geordi.

- Can it wait?

- I don't think so.

Excuse me. Tell him

that I'm already here,

and I'll talk to him when he arrives.

Mr. worf, I have...

Geordi, the captain would

like you to come up here.

Tell him we've received a communiqué

from admiral dougherty. It's about data.

Yew-cheen chef-faw, regent cuzar.

Welcome aboard the enterprise.

Captain picard,

may I welcome you in the

time-honored tradition of my people?

We are so honored to be accepted

within the great federation family.

- We have a dance later, I believe.

- I look forward to it.

- Counselor.

- Nice bead work.

Captain. Excuse me. Captain.

Captain, admiral dougherty is

aboard a son'a ship in sector 441.

- He's requesting data's schematics.

- Is something wrong?

The message doesn't say.

Data should have

been back by now.

They were only scheduled to observe

the ba'ku village for one week.

Geordi, would you set

up a secure comm link

- with the admiral in the anteroom?

- Aye, sir.

Captain, hars adislo.

We met at the nel bato

conference last year.

Did you ever have a

chance to read my paper

on thermionic transconductance?

Would you excuse me?

He's not acknowledging

any starfleet protocols,

not responding to

any of our hails.

Have you any idea what

precipitated this behavior?

None. Now he's holding our

people hostage down there.

Well, the enterprise could be at

your position in two days, admiral.

That's probably not a good idea.

Your ship hasn't been

fitted for this region.

There are environmental

concerns.

What kind of concerns?

We haven't fully identified

the anomalies yet.

They're calling this whole

area the briar patch.

Took us a day to

reach a location

where we could even

get a signal to you.

Just get me data's schematics. I'll

keep you informed. Dougherty out.

- His emotion chip?

- He didn't take it with him.

- Send the admiral data's schematics.

- Aye, sir.

- Yes, sir?

- Ensign, would you report to the galley

and tell the chef to

skip the fish course?

Aye, sir.

I would like our guests to depart

as soon as etiquette allows.

I'm going to ask worf to delay his

return to ds9 so that he can join us.

We're gonna stop by sector 441

on our way to the goren system.

- They are in opposite directions, sir.

- Are they?

I never should have let you talk me into

that duck blind in the first place.

Your federation procedures

have made this mission

ten times as difficult

as it needed to be.

Our procedures were in place to

protect the planet's population

from unnecessary risk.

Planet's population, 600 people.

If you want to avoid unnecessary risks,

next time, leave your android at home.

Bridge to ahdar ru'afo. We

are approaching the planet.

Take us into a high orbit.

Lie down, admiral. The girls'll

take 20 years off your face.

- Another time, perhaps.

- Your self-restraint puzzles me, admiral.

You continue to deny yourself every

benefit this mission has to offer.

I prefer to wait until we

can share the benefits

with all the people

of the federation.

- Report.

- Phaser blast. Unknown origin.

Raise shields.

- Take us out of orbit.

- Photon torpedoes. Brace for impact.

- The vessel has broken off pursuit, sir.

- Visual contact.

That's our ship.

Captain, we're about to lose all

communications with starfleet.

Do you have everything

you need from command?

I've downloaded all the files

on the duck blind mission

- and the son'a.

- You have two days to become experts.

Mr. worf, our job is to come up

with a plan to safely capture data.

I've already had commander la

forge modify this tricorder

with one of data's

actuation servos.

Its operational range is only 4

meters, but it Will shut him down.

Good to have you back, Mr. worf.

Slow to one-third. Take us in.

Half a century ago, they

conquered two primitive races,

the tarlac and the ellora,

and then integrated them into

their culture as a labor class.

Look at this.

The son'a are known

to have produced

mass quantities of the

narcotic ketracel-white.

Their ships are rumored

to be equipped

with isolytic subspace weapons

outlawed by the second

khitomer accord.

Why would we be involved

with these people?

Good question.

- You haven't done that in a long time.

- What?

- What you're doing to my neck.

- Was I doing something to your neck?

Bridge to commander worf.

- Worf!

- Captain.

I don't know how they do

it on deep space nine,

but on the enterprise, we still

report for duty on time.

- Sorry, sir. I'm on my way.

- We'll skip the court-martial this time.

Picard out.

When was the last time we

aligned the torque sensors?

- Two months ago, sir.

- They don't sound right.

The torque sensors are out

of alignment by 12 microns.

You could hear that?

When I was an ensign, I could

detect a three-micron misalignment.

Excuse me, sir. The son'a ship

with admiral dougherty aboard

has entered tracking range.

Straighten your baldric, commander.

On screen.

Captain, I wasn't expecting you.

This is too important for the enterprise

to be on the sidelines, admiral.

I wish I had better news.

Commander data attacked us in a

mission Scout ship yesterday.

Ru'afo and I have decided

to send in an assault team.

Commander worf and I are working on

several tactical plans to see...

Your android has turned

dangerously violent, captain.

Considerable damage was done to my ship.

He must be destroyed.

I know what data means

to starfleet, Jean-Luc,

but our crew is at the mercy

of those people on the planet.

If our first attempt

to capture data fails,

I Will terminate him.

I should be the one to do it.

I'm his captain and his friend.

All right, you have 12 hours, captain.

Then I want you out of the briar patch.

In the meantime, we'll

head out to the perimeter

to call for son'a reinforcements

in case you fail.

- Understood.

- Good luck, captain. Dougherty out.

Sensors are not picking up any

ships coming from the surface.

Transmit a wideband covariant signal.

That ought to get his attention.

He must be using the planet's

rings to mask his approach.

The metaphasic radiation from the

rings is in a state of extreme flux.

We'll steer clear of those.

Come out, come out,

wherever you are.

Sir?

That's something

that my mother...

Hold on.

Open all hailing frequencies.

Data, this is captain picard.

Data, please respond.

If we fire tachyon bursts,

it might force him to reset

his shield harmonics.

- When he does, we can beam him out.

- Make it so.

Direct hit. He's resetting

his shield harmonics.

Beam him out.

- He has activated a transport inhibitor.

- Prepare to enter the atmosphere.

We'll use the ionospheric

boundary to shake him.

Scanners are off-line.

Evasive maneuvers,

heading 1-4-0 Mark 3-1.

He can fly a ship. He can

anticipate tactical strategies.

Clearly his brain

is functioning.

We've seen how he responds to threats.

I wonder how he would respond...

Mr. worf, do you know

Gilbert and Sullivan?

No, sir, I have not had a chance

to meet all the new crew members

since I have been back.

They're composers, worf,

from the 19th century.

Data was rehearsing a production of h.M.S.

Pinafore just before he left.

A British tar is a soaring soul.

As free as a mountain bird.

His energetic fist should

be ready to resist.

A dictatorial word.

Sing, worf, sing.

His nose should pant.

And his lip should curl.

His cheeks should flame.

And his brow should furl.

His bosom should heave.

And his heart should glow.

And his fist be ever ready

for a knockdown blow.

His nose should pant and

his lip should curl.

His cheeks should flame

and his brow should furl.

His bosom should heave and

his heart should glow.

And his fist be ever ready

for a knockdown blow.

Prepare the docking clamps.

His eyes should flash

with an inborn fire.

His brow with scorn be wrung.

He never should bow down

to a domineering frown.

- Or the tang of a tyrant tongue.

- Or the tang of a tyrant tongue.

His heart should stamp.

And his throat should growl.

His hair should curl.

And his face should scowl.

His eyes should flash.

And his breast protrude.

And this should be his

customary attitude.

His foot should stamp and

his throat should growl.

His hair should curl

and his face...

Inertial coupling is

exceeding tolerance.

If we do not release him, he

may destroy both vessels.

I'm not letting go of him.

- We must stabilize the damping field.

- Reroute emergency power

to inertial dampers.

The auto-sequencer was

damaged by phaser fire.

Transferring controls to manual.

Power sequence realigned.

Engaging stabilizers.

- Damping field established.

- Maximum power.

Now, Mr. worf.

Captain, commander data

is safely in custody.

Captain, subahdar

gallatin, son'a command.

Lieutenant Curtis, attaché

to admiral dougherty.

- Are you all right?

- We've been treated extremely well.

They have incredible mental

discipline, clarity of perception.

- My name is sojef.

- Jean-Luc picard.

These are my officers, Dr.

crusher, counselor troi.

- Would you like something to eat?

- No, we're here to rescue them.

As you wish, but I would ask

you to disarm yourselves.

This village is a

sanctuary of life.

Prepare the hostages for

transport to the ship.

They should be quarantined before

joining the ship's population.

We were under the impression they

were being held against their Will.

It's not our custom to

have guests here at all,

let alone hold anyone

against their Will.

The artificial life-form would

not allow them to leave.

In fact, he told us they were our

enemies and that more would follow.

- Are you our enemy?

- Anij.

My people have a strict policy of

non-interference in other cultures.

It's our prime directive.

Your directive apparently doesn't

include spying on other cultures.

The artificial life-form

is a member of my crew.

Apparently, he was taken ill.

There was a phase variance

in his positronic matrix

which we were unable to repair.

I think the captain finds

it hard to believe

that we'd have any skills

repairing a positronic device.

Our technological abilities

are not apparent

because we have chosen not to

employ them in our daily lives.

We believe that when you create a

machine to do the work of a man,

you take something

away from the man.

But at one time, we explored

the galaxy, just as you do.

- You have Warp capability?

- Capability, yes.

But where can Warp drive take

us except away from here?

I apologize for our intrusion.

And because they have

Warp capability,

the consequences to their

society Will be minimal.

You've done a terrific

job, Jean-Luc.

Now pack your bags and get

the hell out of there.

How's data?

In stasis. La forge is

completing the diagnostic.

I'll need all your paperwork tomorrow.

We're heading back your way.

Set a course to

rendezvous with us,

so you can transfer the crew

and equipment on your way out.

You're not finished here?

Just a few loose ends to tie up.

Dougherty out.

Come in.

- Hi.

- You got a minute?

Sure.

I need a little counseling.

Well, there's a first

time for everything.

So, do I lie down or what?

Well, whatever makes

you comfortable,

but this isn't one of the

usual therapeutic postures.

- But it is comfortable.

- Why don't you try sitting up?

Why don't you try lying down?

Well, you're in

quite a mood today.

Do you really need counseling or

did you come down here to play?

- I think I'm having a midlife crisis.

- I believe you.

I'm not sleeping well.

Dr. crusher has something

that can take care of that.

What I need, I can't get from Dr.

crusher.

Counselor, do you think it's possible

for two people to go back in time,

fix a mistake they've made?

On this ship,

anything's possible.

- Yuck!

- Yuck?

- I never kissed you with a beard before.

- I kiss you and you say "yuck"?

I had to reconstruct data's

neural net and replace these.

They contain memory engrams.

- How were they damaged?

- By a son'a weapon.

There's no doubt about it, captain.

That's what caused data to malfunction.

But the son'a report claims

that they didn't fire

until after he malfunctioned.

Well, I don't believe

it happened that way.

Why would they fire on

him without provocation?

All I know is that he was functioning

normally until he was shot.

Then his fail-safe

system was activated.

Fail-safe?

His ethical and moral subroutines

took over all of his basic functions.

But you're saying that he

still knew the difference

between right and wrong.

In a sense, that's all he knew.

The system is designed

to protect data

against anyone who might try to

take advantage of his memory loss.

And yet he attacked us, and he told

the ba'ku that we were a threat.

- Are the implants bothering you?

- I'm all right. I think I'm just tired.

- Geordi? Captain?

- You're on the enterprise, data.

I seem to be missing

several memory engrams.

There they are.

Data, what's the last

thing that you remember?

His nose should pant and

his lips should curl.

From the mission.

I was in an isolation suit

gathering physiometric

data on the ba'ku.

My last memory is going into the

hills following some children.

Artim, do you remember where you

were on the day of lightning

when the artificial

life-form appeared to us?

- In the hills by the dam.

- Can you show us?

There is no reason to fear me.

I am now operating within

normal parameters.

- What?

- They fixed me.

- Captain, the boy is afraid of me.

- It's nothing personal, data.

You have to remember, these

people have rejected technology.

I am the personification of

everything they have rejected.

Until this week, that young man

probably never saw a machine,

let alone one that

walks and talks.

Bridge to riker.

Can I get back to you, Mr. worf?

Admiral dougherty is

on the comm link, sir.

Patch him through. Yes, admiral?

Why haven't you left orbit?

Captain picard is still

on the surface, sir.

Doing what?

He didn't want to leave until

we could adequately explain

why data malfunctioned.

His future in starfleet

could depend on it.

Remind the captain

his 12 hours are up.

- Yes, sir.

- Dougherty out.

Your body is producing

far too many toxins.

We've reached the limit

of genetic manipulation.

I won't need anymore

genetic manipulation

if our federation friends Will

allow us to complete this mission.

Tricorder functions are limited

due to heavy deposits of

kelbonite in these hills.

How about a passive

radiation scan?

Curious.

There appear to be strong neutrino

emissions coming from the lake.

- Can he breathe underwater?

- Data doesn't breathe.

- Won't he rust?

- No.

Captain! Captain!

I believe I know what is causing

the neutrino emissions.

The vessel is clearly

federation in origin, captain.

"Just a few loose

ends to tie up."

- We're not interested in such things.

- I am.

I think it would be

wiser if you didn't...

I'm going with you.

It is a holographic projection.

Incomplete, I might add.

What you're seeing is a

computer-driven image

created by photons

and force fields.

I know what a

hologram is, captain.

The question is, why would anyone

want to create one of our village?

Data, if you were following the

children and discovered this ship...

It is conceivable, I was shot to

protect the secret of its existence.

Why would they duplicate this village

except to deceive the ba'ku?

- Deceive us?

- To move you off this planet.

You go to sleep one

night in the village,

wake up the next morning

on this flying holodeck,

transported en masse.

Within a few days,

they're relocated on a similar

planet without ever realizing it.

Why would the federation or the

son'a wish to move the ba'ku?

I don't know.

Computer, end program.

Decloak the vessel.

Help! I can't swim!

Don't panic.

I've been shot at,

thrown into the lake out of a

ship that's come to abduct us.

What's there to panic about?

In the event of a water landing,

I have been designed to serve

as a floatation device.

Mr. worf, did the hostages mention

anything about a cloaked ship

during their debriefing?

- No, sir.

- Debrief them again.

- Have you been in a fight, Mr. worf?

- No, sir. It is a gorch.

A gorch?

A pimple, sir.

Well, it's hardly noticeable.

Smooth as an android's

bottom, eh, data?

I beg your pardon, sir?

Admiral dougherty wants to

know why we haven't left yet.

We're not going anywhere.

Deck 5.

You klingons never do

anything small, do you?

Dr. crusher asked to speak

to you when you returned.

- Picard to crusher.

- Captain.

The son'a hostages

declined to be examined.

I had them confined to quarters.

- And our people?

- They're fine.

In fact, they're

better than fine.

Increased metabolism, improved

muscle tone, high energy.

We should all be so lucky.

Very well, doctor. Picard out.

Worf, don't release the son'a officers

till I've talked to ahdar ru'afo.

Aye, sir.

Commander, may I...

Computer, music.

- No. Not that, something Latin.

- Specify.

The mambo.

That's more like it.

How old are you?

We came here from a solar system

on the verge of self-annihilation,

where technology had created weapons

that threatened to destroy all life.

A small group of us set

off to find a new home,

a home that would be isolated

from the threats of other worlds.

That was 309 years ago.

And you haven't aged

a day since then.

Actually, I was a good deal

older when we arrived,

in terms of my

physical condition.

There's an unusual

metaphasic radiation

coming from the planet's rings.

It continuously regenerates

our genetic structure.

- You must've noticed the effects by now.

- We've just begun to.

- I suppose you're 75.

- No, I'm 12.

The metaphasic radiation

won't begin to affect him

until he reaches maturity.

To most off-landers, what you

have here is more valuable than

gold-pressed latinum.

I'm afraid that's the

reason that someone

may be trying to take

your world away from you.

The artificial

life-form was right.

If it were not for data, it's probable

that you would be relocated by now.

How can we possibly

defend ourselves?

The moment we pick up a weapon,

we become one of them.

- We lose everything we are.

- It may not come to that.

Clearly, the architects of this

conspiracy want to keep it a secret,

not only from you, but

from my people, as well.

I don't intend to let them.

We've always known that to

survive, we had to remain apart.

It hasn't been easy.

Many of the young people want

to know more about the offland.

They're attracted to stories

of a faster pace of life.

Most of my people who

live that fast a life

would sell their souls

to slow it down.

But not you?

There are days.

You don't live up to your

reputation as an offlander, picard.

Well, in defense of offlanders,

there are many more people like me.

Who wouldn't be tempted by the

promise of perpetual youth?

I don't think so.

You give me more

credit than I deserve.

Well, of course I'm tempted.

Who wouldn't be?

But some of the darkest chapters

in the history of my world

involve the forced relocation

of a small group of people

to satisfy the demands

of a large one.

I'd hoped that we had learned

from our mistakes but

it seems that some

of us haven't.

This is extraordinary

craftsmanship.

It's the work of students.

They're almost ready

to become apprentices.

In 30 or 40 years,

some of them Will take their

place among the artisans.

Apprenticing for 30 years.

Did your people's mental

discipline develop here?

More questions.

Always the explorer.

- If you stay long enough, that'll change.

- Will it?

You stop reviewing what

happened yesterday,

stop planning for tomorrow.

Let me ask you a question.

Have you ever experienced

a perfect moment in time?

A perfect moment?

When time seemed to stop

and you could almost

live in that moment?

Seeing my home planet from

space for the first time.

Yes, exactly.

Nothing more complicated

than perception.

You explore the universe.

We've discovered that a

single moment in time

can be a universe in itself,

full of powerful forces.

Most people aren't aware enough

of the now to even notice.

I wish I could spare a

few centuries to learn.

It took us centuries to learn that it

doesn't have to take centuries to learn.

There's one thing I

don't understand.

In 300 years, you never

learned to swim?

I just haven't got

around to it yet.

I wonder if you're aware of the trust

you engender, Jean-Luc picard.

- In my experience, it's unusual for...

- For an offlander?

For someone so young.

- Geordi?

- Captain.

As it turns out, there wasn't anything

wrong with my implants at all.

There was something

right with my eyes.

When Dr. crusher removed

the ocular connection,

she found that the cells

around my optic nerve had...

Started to regenerate.

It may not last, and if

it doesn't, I just...

I just wanted, before we go...

You know, I've never

seen a sunrise,

at least, not the

way you see them.

Come.

Am I to understand that you're

not releasing my men, captain?

We found the holoship.

Ru'afo, why don't you let

the captain and me...

No!

This entire mission has been one

federation blunder after another.

You Will return my men

or this alliance Will end with

the destruction of your ship.

You're looking well, Jean-Luc.

Rested.

I won't let you move them, admiral. I

Will take this to the federation council.

I'm acting on orders from

the federation council.

How can there be an order to

abandon the prime directive?

The prime directive

doesn't apply.

These people are not

indigenous to this planet.

They were never meant

to be immortal.

We'll simply be restoring them

to their natural evolution.

Who the hell are we

to determine the next course

of evolution for this people?

Jean-Luc, there are 600

people down there.

We'll be able to use the

regenerative properties

of this radiation

to help billions.

The son'a have

developed a procedure

to collect the metaphasic particles

from the planet's rings.

- A planet in federation space.

- That's right.

We have the planet. They

have the technology,

a technology we can't duplicate.

You know what that makes us?

Partners.

Our partners are nothing

more than petty thugs.

On earth, petroleum once turned

petty thugs into world leaders.

Warp drive transformed

a bunch of romulan

thugs into an empire.

We can handle the son'a. I'm

not worried about that.

Someone probably said the same thing

about the romulans a century ago.

With metaphasics, lifespans

Will be doubled.

An entire new medical

science Will evolve.

I understand your chief engineer

has the use of his eyes

for the first time in his life.

Will you take that

away from him?

There are metaphasic particles

all over the briar patch.

Why does it have to

be this one planet?

It's the concentration in the rings

that makes the whole damn thing work.

Don't ask me to explain it.

I only know they inject

something into the rings

that starts a

thermolytic reaction.

When it's over, the planet Will

be uninhabitable for generations.

Admiral, delay the procedure. Let

my people look at the technology.

Our best scientific minds already have.

We can't find any other way to do this.

Then the son'a can establish

a separate colony

on the planet until we do.

It would take 10 years

of normal exposure

to begin to reverse

their condition.

Some of them won't

survive that long.

Besides, they don't want to live

in the middle of the briar patch.

- Who would?

- The ba'ku.

We are betraying the principles upon

which the federation was founded.

It's an attack upon

its very soul.

And it Will destroy the ba'ku,

just as cultures

have been destroyed

in every other forced

relocation throughout history.

Jean-Luc, we're only

moving 600 people.

How many people does it take,

admiral, before it becomes wrong?

A thousand? Fifty thousand?

A million?

How many people does

it take, admiral?

I'm ordering you to

the goren system.

I'm also ordering the release

of the son'a officers.

File whatever protests

you wish to, captain.

By the time you do,

this Will all be done.

Gallatin.

So, the righteous starfleet

captain finally released you.

Yes.

Did you encounter any

problems on the surface?

No, sir.

But it wasn't easy

being among them.

I'm sure. Just don't forget

what they did to us.

We'll have them rounded

up in a day or two.

We needn't bother with a

federation holoship anymore.

- Just get the holding cells ready.

- Yes, sir.

I'm going to miss these little

flesh-stretching sessions

of ours, my dear.

Re-routing the transport grid to

avoid detection was wise, sir.

However, the transporter is

rarely used after 0200 hours.

Taking the captain's

yacht out for a spin?

Seven metric tons of

ultritium explosives,

eight tetryon pulse launchers

and 10 isomagnetic

disintegrators.

Looks like you're planning

on doing some hunting.

Return to your quarters.

- That's an order.

- No uniform, no orders.

Captain, how could I

look at another sunrise

knowing what my sight

cost these people?

I feel obliged to point out that

the environmental anomalies

may have stimulated certain

rebellious instincts common to youth,

which could affect

everyone's judgment.

Except mine, of course.

Okay, data, what do you

think we should do?

Saddle up. Lock and load.

They won't begin the procedure while

the planet is still inhabited,

so our job is to keep

the planet inhabited.

Will, geordi, go back and put a

face on what's happening here.

Make the council see the ba'ku.

It's too easy to

turn a blind eye

to the suffering of a

people you don't know.

- I'll be back before you know it.

- We'll hold out as long as we can.

The injector performs perfectly

in every simulation.

Sir, as the enterprise

left orbit,

one of their support craft

went down to the surface.

What?

Appeared to be the captain's yacht.

Five persons on board.

We're not waiting until morning.

Take the shuttles and get

everyone off the surface tonight.

Gallatin.

If picard or any of his people

interfere, eliminate them.

We're leaving the village!

Take only what you need!

Bring food! We may not

be back for days!

It is a transport inhibitor.

It Will help prevent spaceships from

beaming anyone off the surface.

These veins of kelbonite

running through the hills.

Will interfere with

their transporters,

and when the terrain forces

us away from the deposits,

then we'll use transport

inhibitors as a compensation.

The mountains have the heaviest

concentration of kelbonite.

Once there, it'll make transport

virtually impossible.

There are caves in

those mountains.

Then we should be able to hold out

for a long time once we're there,

but they're not gonna make

it easy for us to get there.

Captain!

We've activated the transport

inhibitors around the village.

Good.

Let's move these people out!

Transporters are

not functioning.

They're blocking the beams

with some kind of inhibitors.

We'll have to locate

and destroy them.

No, no. Son, you're carrying too much.

We have a long climb ahead of us.

We've lost three transport inhibitors.

There's a gap in the field.

Artim!

Father!

They're following the

kelbonite deposits,

using the interference to

block our transporters.

- Recommendations?

- Take me down. Let me talk to picard.

Talk!

We should send down an assault

team and take them by force.

That is not an

acceptable option.

If people get hurt, all the support

we have in the federation...

Federation support,

federation procedures,

federation rules.

Look in the mirror, admiral.

The federation is old.

In the past 24 months,

they've been challenged by every

major power in the quadrant.

The borg, the cardassians,

the dominion,

they all smell the scent of

death on the federation.

That's why you've

embraced our offer,

because it Will give your

dear federation new life.

Well, how badly do you

want it, admiral?

Because there are hard

choices to be made now.

If the enterprise gets

through with news

about their brave captain's

Valiant struggle

on behalf of the defenseless ba'ku,

your federation politicians Will waver.

Your federation opinion polls

Will open a public debate.

Your federation allies Will want their say.

Need I go on?

There's an alternative

to an all-out assault.

Isolinear tags would allow our

transporters to lock onto them.

We'd have to tag

every one of them.

That would take time,

and we don't have it.

The enterprise is only 19 hours

from communications range

with the federation.

- I'll order riker to turn around.

- Picard's first officer.

You really believe he'll listen?

My ships are capable of

intercepting the enterprise

before it reaches the perimeter.

I could send them to...

To escort it back.

But commander riker

might not want to come.

Send your ships.

- Do you like being a machine?

- I aspire to be more than I am.

I know why. So people like us

won't be afraid of you anymore.

Perhaps.

Don't you ever get tired?

My power cells continually

recharge themselves.

I can't imagine what it's

like to be a machine.

Perhaps it would

surprise you to know

that I have often tried to imagine

what it is like to be a child.

- Really?

- Really.

For one thing, your legs are

shorter than everyone else's.

But they are in a

constant state of growth.

- Do you find it difficult to adapt?

- Adapt?

A child's specifications

are never the same

from one moment to the next.

It is a wonder you do not

trip over your own feet.

Sometimes I do.

My legs are exactly 87.2

centimeters in length.

They were 87.2 centimeters

the day I was created.

They Will be 87.2 centimeters

the day I go off-line.

My operation depends on

specifications that do not change.

I Will never know the

experience of growing up

or tripping over my own feet.

But you've never had adults telling

you what to do all the time

or bedtimes or having to

eat food you don't like.

I would gladly accept the

requirement of a bedtime

in exchange for knowing what

it is like to be a child.

- Do machines ever play?

- Yes. I play the violin,

and my chess routines

are quite advanced.

No, I mean, haven't you

ever just played for fun?

Androids do not have fun.

Look, if you wanna know what

it's like to be a child,

you need to learn to play.

Captain.

Mr. worf, you need a haircut.

Accelerated hair growth is

often experienced by klingons

during jak'tahla.

- Jak'tahla?

- Roughly translated, puberty,

although for a klingon, that

scarcely does it justice.

Any severe mood swings, unusual

aggressive tendencies,

- you let me know at once.

- Yes, sir.

The ba'ku need some rest, sir.

According to the geo-scan,

this is the safest area within

the next few kilometers.

Very well. We'll take an hour.

- Have them break out some rations.

- Aye, sir.

Right beyond that Ridge

is where the caves begin.

We can hide there for days.

By now, the son'a Will

have scanned this area.

They'll know that

as well as we do.

It's been 300 years since

I've seen a bald man.

How is it that you

never married?

And don't tell me it's just because

you haven't got around to it yet.

- What's the rush?

- I should warn you,

I've always been attracted

to older women.

- How are you doing this?

- No more questions.

Commander, I'm showing two son'a

ships on an intercept course.

- How long till they reach us?

- Eighteen minutes.

We won't be able to get a transmission

out of here for at least another hour.

They're hailing us.

Tell them our transceiver

assembly is down,

that we can send messages

but not receive them.

- I don't think they believe us.

- Why not?

Photon torpedo.

Isn't that the universal greeting

when communications are down?

I think it's the universal greeting

when you don't like someone.

Full impulse.

Manifolds can't handle full

impulse in the patch, commander.

If we don't outrun them, the manifolds'll

be the only thing left on the ship.

- I'll be in engineering.

- Red alert! All hands, battle stations!

And have you noticed how your

boobs have started to firm up?

Not that we care about such

things in this day and age.

Thank you, data.

I've an odd craving for the

blood of a live kolar beast.

This environment must

be affecting me again.

And have you noticed how your

boobs have started to firm up?

Not that we care about...

Take cover!

Isolinear tags. The transporters

can lock onto them.

We have to find shelter.

There's a cavern at the

base of the next hill.

This way!

- Shields at 60%.

- Engineering to bridge.

We're burning

deuterium down here.

We're gonna blow ourselves up. We

won't need any help from the son'a!

What's inside that

nebula cluster?

Cometary debris, pockets

of unstable metreon gas.

We don't want to

go in there, sir.

Yes, we do. I'll take

it from here, ensign.

Time to use the briar patch

the way brer rabbit did.

Inside the caves, quickly!

Everyone! This way!

Inside.

Definitely feeling

aggressive tendencies, sir.

They've detonated an isolytic burst.

A subspace tear is forming.

On screen.

I thought subspace weapons were

banned by the khitomer accord.

Remind me to lodge a protest.

Our Warp core is acting

like a magnet to the tear.

We're pulling it like a

zipper across space.

Options?

- We could eject the core.

- Will that stop the tear?

You got me, commander.

That's your expert opinion?

Detonating the Warp core might

neutralize the cascade.

Then again, it might not.

Subspace weapons are unpredictable.

That's why they were banned.

The tear is closing on us.

- Impact in 15 seconds.

- Eject the core.

I just did.

Impact in 10 seconds.

Detonate!

Get me a medic over here!

It worked, commander. The

tear has been sealed.

Yeah, but there's nothing to

stop them from doing it again,

and we're fresh out

of Warp cores.

We're still 36 minutes from

transmission range, sir.

We're through running

from these bastards.

Another 43 reported taken, sir.

Captain, they're trying to drive

us out so their drones can tag us.

With all the hydrothermal

vents in the substrata,

the structural integrity of this

cavern is not going to hold for long.

- Is there another way out of here?

- I don't know.

Captain, tracking the water's

course may reveal another exit.

Mr. worf, come with us.

I'm reading a nitrogen-oxygen flow

behind that calcite formation, captain.

Will this structure hold if

we were to blast through?

I believe it is safe, sir.

Fire.

Get everybody into those caves,

and set up force fields

once they're inside.

Aye, sir.

Geordi, are those

pockets of metreon gas?

Yes, commander. Highly volatile. I'd

recommend we keep our distance.

Negative. I want to use the ramscoop

to collect as much of it as we can.

The purpose being?

The purpose being,

I intend to shove it

down the son'a's throat.

Commander, if one of their

weapons hits that gas...

It's our only way out of here, Mr.

Daniels.

I wouldn't be surprised

if history remembers this

as the riker maneuver.

If it works.

Computer, access manual

steering column.

Transfer helm

controls to manual.

Bridge, storage cells are

at maximum capacity.

They're powering their

forward weapons array, sir.

Blow out the ramscoop. Stand by.

Full thrusters.

Ramscoop released.

Captain.

Data, troi, keep

these people moving.

Bring them out.

I suspect it won't be long

before the drones get here.

Keep moving! Keep moving!

They found caves on higher ground.

We'll be safe there.

Captain, take a look at this

med-scan, his DNA profile.

- How can that be possible?

- Maybe we should ask them.

Artim, what are you doing? Come.

- Is this the last group?

- Yes, sir.

Get them ready to move out.

We need to hurry.

Anij went to find artim.

- Go with tournel!

- No, I wanna stay with you!

It is safer there. Go!

Worf to picard!

Two life-signs, one of

them extremely faint.

There are almost 4 metric tons

of rock blocking our way.

No. That might cause

another cave-in.

Anij?

Anij?

- Worf to picard.

- Yes? Yes, I can hear you.

We are trying to

get to you, sir.

Anij.

Help is on the way.

- Worf, hurry. Anij is hurt.

- How bad is she, captain?

- I'm losing her.

- We're coming as fast as we can.

Anij, stay with me.

Help me find the power to

keep you in this moment.

Stay with me.

Don't let go of this moment.

She's stabilizing.

- Is it safe to move her?

- Safer than leaving her here.

And you thought it would

take centuries to learn.

Order them to surrender and I promise

you won't be court-martialed.

If a court-martial is the only way to

let the people of the federation know

what is happening

here, I welcome it.

The enterprise has

destroyed one of my ships!

The other is on fire,

requesting assistance.

The enterprise would only

fire to defend itself.

Ru'afo must have

ordered the attack.

I can't believe he would

have given that order

without your consent, admiral.

I wonder which of us Will be

facing that court-martial.

There's nothing further

to be gained from this.

You're right. This

is going to end now.

The ba'ku want to stay on the planet.

Let them.

- I'm going to launch the injector.

- You're not going to launch anything...

In six hours, every living

thing in this system.

Will be dead or dying.

You would kill your

own people, ru'afo?

Your own parents,

brothers, sisters?

Didn't you know, admiral?

The son'a and the ba'ku

are the same race.

Picard just told us.

Our DNA is identical.

Which one were you?

Gal'na? Ro'tin?

Those names, those

children are gone forever.

What's he talking about?

A century ago, a group

of our young people

wanted to follow the

ways of the offlanders.

They tried to take over the

colony, and when they failed...

When we failed, you

exiled us to die slowly.

You're ro'tin, aren't you?

There's something in the voice.

Would you be his friend, gal'na?

I helped your mother bathe

you when you were a child.

She still speaks of you.

You've brought the federation into

the middle of a blood feud, admiral.

The children have returned

to expel their elders,

just as they were once expelled,

except that ru'afo's need for revenge

has now escalated into parricide.

It was for the federation.

It was all for the federation.

We're taking this ship out of here.

This mission is over.

- It is not over.

- It is over!

I do not take orders from you!

If you launch the injector while

the planet's still populated,

the federation Will

pursue you until...

The federation Will never

know what happened here.

Admiral dougherty Will not

be joining us for dinner.

Deploy the collector.

- Do you have a problem with that order?

- May I talk to you alone?

- Deploy the collector.

- Yes, sir.

Moving them is one thing.

Killing them all...

No one hated them more

than you, gal'na.

We've come a long way together.

This is the moment we've

planned for so many years.

Separate the starfleet personnel and

secure them in the aft cargo hold.

See that picard joins them.

The shields in that section

won't protect them against

the thermolytic reaction.

Thank you for reminding me.

Jean-Luc.

Come with me.

It must have been strange for

you when you were a hostage,

surrounded by all the friends and

family you knew all those years ago,

each one looking exactly

as they did then.

Like looking through the

eyes of childhood again.

And here you are,

closing those eyes,

trying not to see what bitterness

has done to the son'a,

how it's turned

ru'afo into a madman.

And you, turned you

into a coward,

a man who denies his

own conscience.

Get in.

A coward without the moral

courage to prevent an atrocity.

You offend me!

Is this how a federation

officer pleads for his life?

I'm not pleading for my life.

I'm pleading for yours.

You can still go home, gal'na.

Computer, close turbolift doors.

What you're asking me

to do is impossible.

Do you know how to

disable the injector?

I would need to

be on the bridge.

The crew is loyal to ru'afo.

An assault would fail.

Perhaps we can lure him away.

It doesn't matter where he is.

As soon as he realizes

something's happening,

he'll override my commands with

one word to his comm link.

If he doesn't realize

something's happening...

Can you get me to a transmitter?

I need to speak with data and

worf down on the planet.

We'll need their help.

Deck 12.

Initiate separation protocols.

Activating injector assembly.

Separation in three minutes.

A small craft is coming

up from the surface.

It's powering up its weapons.

- On screen.

- One person aboard. It's the android.

He's no threat.

- Data to picard.

- Go ahead, data.

Captain, they're

ignoring my attack.

Keep firing tachyon bursts

into the shield grid.

- Is worf in position?

- Yes, sir.

He is ready for

simultaneous transport.

We're approaching the bridge.

Picard out.

Separation in one minute.

Sir, the federation ship is creating

a disruption in our shield.

If they go out of phase,

it'll increase our exposure

to the thermolytic reaction.

Very well. Destroy that ship.

Reset our shield harmonics.

Do not delay the countdown.

Data to picard. They are

rotating their shield harmonics.

I am attempting to return

to the surface, sir.

The federation ship

has been disabled.

Separation in 20 seconds.

- What is that?

- I don't know.

- The systems don't seem affected.

- Separation in 10 seconds.

Five seconds.

Injector assembly has separated.

Exactly as the

simulations predicted.

I'm not showing any change

in metaphasic flux levels.

Your scanners must

be malfunctioning.

All ship functions are off-line.

How can there be no ship functions

if the viewscreen is working?

Artificial gravity is stable.

Life support is...

A holodeck.

We were transported to the holoship

when we reset our shields.

Everything we saw

was an illusion.

Ru'afo, authorization Delta 2-1.

Override all interlinked commands

to injector assembly one.

Unable to comply.

Injector assembly one

has been deactivated.

All injector subsystems aboard the

collector are confirmed off-line.

Decloak the holoship and

engage a tractor beam.

Aye, sir.

The crew knows

something's happened.

I've secured the bridge.

This ship is equipped with

14 long-range transporters.

Are they all useless?

They must have been

locked and secured

after we were beamed here.

Isolate one

and re-route its command sequence

through the auxiliary processor.

Sir, there's nothing we can do. They

already have control of our ship.

I don't plan on going

back to our ship.

- Mr. worf, destroy that thing.

- Aye, sir.

Weapons systems have

been taken off-line.

The crew is re-routing

bridge controls.

Captain, there is a problem

aboard the collector.

The launch sequence has resumed.

Collector shields have been raised.

Someone's on board.

It's ru'afo.

Can you override the

launch sequence from here?

Not without his access codes.

Is there a self-destruct?

Yes, but without the codes,

it would have to be activated

at the upper control

matrix on the collector.

Mr. worf, try and find some way

to beam through those shields.

You'd have to detonate it manually.

There'd only be a two-second delay.

We may be able to transport

between the shield generators

if we are within 100 meters.

Take us into position.

Remain at your post, commander.

I'll need you to beam me back.

We're approaching the collector.

One minute before separation, you'll

see the cryogenic tanks venting.

Weapons fire could

ignite the exhaust.

Separation in 2 minutes

and 15 seconds.

Intruder alert. Intruder alert.

Captain!

Worf?

I'm picking up captain picard's

bio-signature on board the collector.

- Enterprise to picard!

- Number one.

We're approaching your position.

Do you need assistance?

I may need a lift

in a minute or so.

We're on our way.

Separation in one minute.

- Report.

- It's ru'afo's ship!

On screen.

Sensors are reading over 100

ba'ku on board and one klingon.

Target their ventral

engines and life support.

Set a collision course.

Stop!

Ru'afo, we're getting

too old for this.

After today, that won't be a

problem for either of us.

Separation in 30 seconds.

You're really going to

risk igniting the exhaust?

All right, I Will!

- Shields at 60%.

- Hold your course.

- He wouldn't.

- Yes, he would.

Now!

Stand by, captain. We're

right around the corner.

Sorry, time's up.

What kept you, number one?

The federation council has

asked me to inform you

that the ba'ku relocation Will be halted

while they conduct a top-level review.

Sir, ru'afo's ship

is hailing us.

- On screen.

- On screen.

Captain, the son'a crew would

like to negotiate a cease-fire.

It may have something

to do with the fact

that we have three

minutes of air left.

We have plenty over here, Mr. worf.

Prepare to beam aboard.

You think when we get away from

this metaphasic radiation,

it'll change the way we feel?

Your feelings about

her have not changed

since the day I met

you, commander.

This place just let them out

for a little fresh air.

I wish there were a way

to bring them back home.

Ask them.

I'm afraid there's too much

bitterness on both sides.

Mother and son.

You arranged this?

I thought it might begin

the healing process.

What am I going to

do without you?

I wish I could stay,

but these are perilous

times for the federation.

I can't abandon it to

people who would threaten

everything that I've spent

a lifetime defending.

I have to go back,

if only to slow things down

at the federation council.

But I have 318 days of

shore leave coming and.

I intend to use them.

Data?

It's time to go.

I have to go home now.

- Bye.

- Bye.

Mr. data, I hope

we'll see you again.

Data! Don't forget. You have to

have a little fun every day.

Good advice.

Picard to enterprise.

Seven to beam up.

Energize.

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