Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994): Season 4, Episode 10 - The Loss - full transcript
As an unknown force drags the Enterprise, Deanna Troi struggles with the loss of her empathic abilities.
It's been five months
since Marc's accident.
I haven't missed
a single hour of my duties.
I've volunteered
for extra time in the nursery.
My language studies are better
than they've ever been.
Somebody else
might have given in
but, uh, I didn't.
Given in to what?
Death is a normal part of life.
Maybe some of us are better
at facing that than others.
Maybe some of us
aren't facing it at all.
What do you mean?
Recovery from a great loss
involves a great deal of pain.
If we try to avoid that pain
we can make it harder
on ourselves in the long run.
But I feel fine.
Today would have been
your husband's 38th birthday.
You keep excellent records,
Deanna.
Last night, I dreamt Marc
was with me, celebrating.
I was so glad that this nonsense
was finally over.
Then I woke up
alone...
and I knew that he was dead.
For the first time, I knew it.
I looked around for anything
that belonged to him...
anything.
I forgot that after the funeral,
I told them to take it all away.
What in the world
was I thinking?
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
They didn't take
everything away.
How did you know?
...an ancient trail
along the Kabul River
in the Himalayas.
It's a wonderful program.
Will, it would do you good
to have a little
fresh holodeck air.
I think my horsemanship
is a little rusty
for the Himalayas,
but thanks anyway.
Nonsense.
We'd program
an appropriately docile steed...
Captain.
Sensors indicate
a vast field of...
Of what, Lieutenant?
It's gone.
But something did appear
directly in our path.
Deflector shields
are not encountering
elevated levels
of interstellar matter.
A sensor echo, Data?
Uncertain. I have
no unusual readings, Commander.
I promise I'll come by
and see you tomorrow.
Deanna, are you all right?
What? What?
You faded out there
for a second.
Oh, no.
No, I'm fine.
Um, I'm just very tired,
that's all.
Will I see you tomorrow?
Tomorrow.
Thank you, Deanna.
Oh...
Oh!
An aggregate field
of plane-polarized objects
has just appeared.
And disappeared.
Recommend we run a diagnostic
on the forward sensor array.
We don't want
a ghost tailing us
all the way to T'lli Beta.
I'm not convinced it is a ghost.
There may be
something there, Commander.
Ensign Allenby, full stop.
Aye, sir.
Let's investigate
both possibilities.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages
of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission...
to explore strange new worlds
to seek out new life
and new civilizations
to boldly go
where no one has gone before.
Captain's Log, Stardate 44356.9.
Sensor diagnostics
have been completed
and indicate
that all systems are normal.
There remains no explanation
for the images
which appeared in our path.
I have completed another
full scan of the area, sir.
There is no further
indication of the anomaly.
Ensign, prepare to resume course
to T'lli Beta.
Mr. Data, what velocity
would put us back on schedule?
A resumption
of our present course
at warp six will place us
in the T'lli Beta
system in six days
13 hours, 47 minutes.
What? No seconds?
I have discovered, sir,
a certain level of impatience
when I calculate
a lengthy time interval
to the nearest second.
However, if you wish...
No, no.
Minutes is fine.
Stand ready at warp six, Ensign.
Aye, sir.
Engage.
Riker to Engineering.
Geordi, what the hell happened?
Checking.
Looks like the field collapsed
before we could enter warp.
Recommend full stop
while I check it out.
Back to all stop, Ensign.
Aye, sir.
All decks reporting.
Minor injuries only, sir.
Damage?
None, sir.
Weapons and shields normal.
Go to Yellow Alert.
Captain, we've started
moving again.
Something is pulling us.
Troi to Dr. Crusher.
Yes, Deanna?
Beverly...
I'm feeling very dizzy.
Did you hit your head?
I'm not sure.
I'm not sure what happened.
Lie down, breathe deeply
and stay calm.
I'm getting calls
from all over the ship.
I'll be there
as quickly as I can.
New heading confirmed:
025 mark 273.
Speed is holding
at one-tenth impulse.
Whatever is pulling us
sure isn't in a hurry.
Picard to La Forge.
Go ahead, Captain.
Mr. La Forge, if your engines
are functioning
we'll attempt to break free.
Well, everything down here
seems normal enough, sir.
But I suggest we take it
a bit slower this time.
Ensign, bring us around
90 degrees to starboard.
New course laid in
at 90 degrees to starboard.
One-quarter impulse.
Engage.
Aye, sir.
Nothing, Captain.
Speed and course are unaffected.
One-half impulse.
No change.
Full impulse.
Rotate heading
in five-degree increments.
Aye, sir.
La Forge?
There's nothing wrong down here.
The engines are fine.
Integrity field stress exceeding
82 million kilodynes.
Recommend immediate
shutdown, sir.
Make it so, Ensign.
All engines down.
We're still being pulled.
Same heading, same speed.
I got here
as quickly as I could.
I've got a Sick Bay
filled with headaches.
How are you?
Well, when I first called you
I was feeling intense pain.
Now it's gone
but I'm feeling a bit foggy.
I'd like to take you
to Sick Bay and run
an inner nuncial series on you.
Can you walk?
All senior staff report
to the observation lounge.
Are you up to that?
I think so.
What is it?
Nothing.
Nothing. I'm fine.
Could it be some sort
of tractor beam?
No other ship is indicated.
Mr. Worf, what is your analysis?
Tactical sensor readings
are indeterminate.
They don't even give us enough
for an educated guess.
And yet all of our sensors
are operating properly.
Can there be an intelligence
at work here?
Counselor, do you sense
a life-form out there?
No, I don't think so.
No.
There's nothing.
Nothing.
I sense nothing.
It's all right, Counselor.
Perhaps there's nothing
out there to sense.
Indeed, there are many races
that are not empathically
detectable.
The Breen, the Ferengi...
No, you don't understand.
I don't sense anything
not out there, not in here.
All of you
you're all blank to me.
There's no indication
of a concussion
or a blow to the head.
Just a pattern
of unresponsive neural cells
throughout the cerebellum
and cerebral cortex.
Unresponsive?
There's brain damage.
How serious, I can't tell yet.
But I feel perfectly fine
otherwise.
Can you treat it?
I'm not sure.
I have to review the database
on Betazoid neural physiology.
The Betazoid brain
has a remarkable ability
to heal itself.
This condition could just
reverse itself in time.
It might, but you
are half-human.
That changes the map a little.
I don't want to offer
you any false hopes.
It's just hope, Beverly,
not false hope.
What would cause
something like this?
Because it started
at the same time
that we encountered
the anomaly.
There may be a connection.
I don't know.
If you were anyone else,
you know the first thing I'd do?
I'd send you to Counselor Troi.
Well, then I have
an advantage, don't I?
I see her quite often.
Deanna, it's no different
than one of us
suddenly going blind.
You don't have
to tell me, Beverly.
I understand the psychology.
You may understand it
but you've never had
to live with it.
I may be perfectly
fine tomorrow.
And you may not.
Now, I'll do my homework.
I'll see what I can do
to regenerate those cells
but in the meantime, I want
you to talk with someone.
There are several people onboard
who have degrees in psychology
who are qualified therapists.
Okay. Fine.
If I need to.
Right now, I just want
to go back to work.
Deanna...
If there are
no medical objections?
No medical objections.
Thank you, Beverly.
Will.
Come in.
I don't have a psychology degree
but if you'd like to talk...
You know what the worst part
of this is?
And I've seen it happen
to so many patients.
What?
The way other people change.
How they start
to treat you differently.
They walk on eggshells
around you.
Sometimes
they avoid you altogether.
Sometimes
they become overbearing...
reach out a helping hand
to the blind woman.
I'm sorry if I...
I will not be treated that way!
Hey!
Imzadi.
Oh, please.
Deanna
I've never seen you
quite so scared.
I'm fine.
If I get better, I get better.
If I don't, I'll adapt.
Life goes on.
Deanna.
I really have to finish this.
I have some appointments
this afternoon.
Probe launch successful.
Telemetry transmissions
are being received.
Okay, let's see what we've got.
Nothing unusual here.
Same reading
as the ship's sensors.
Expanding analysis parameters.
Including Bayesian functions...
broad EM
and subspace spectrum polling.
Hmm-mm.
No change.
I am adding
virtual particle trajectories.
Whoa.
What is that?
Unknown.
I am attempting to analyze
motion pattern.
Results still inconclusive.
Last time I saw anything
that looked like that
I was skin-diving
off the coral reefs at Bracas V.
You said you woke up
a new woman this morning.
That's how I feel.
Tell me about her,
this new woman.
She's, uh, not holding
anything back anymore.
She's not?
Oh, I let it all out last night.
I cried for two hours.
I realized
that I had never accepted
the loss of my husband.
I worked hard, I kept busy.
I did everything to pretend
it never happened.
And you feel different now?
Completely.
Can I share something
important with you?
Of course.
I've temporarily lost
my empathic sense.
It's kind of like having
one hand tied behind your back.
I'm so sorry.
Do you want me to come back?
No, no, I'm fine.
It's just...
I feel before we continue
it's important
that you know that, okay?
All right.
Because I can't tell
how you're feeling this morning.
But it seems to me
that one night of crying
can't make up
for months of denial.
No, you're wrong.
I feel better today
than I have in ages.
You're absolutely wrong, Deanna.
The probe's point of view
reveals that the objects exist
entirely in two dimensions
on a single plane.
They have length and width,
but not height.
Virtually flat.
That is why
the ship's forward sensors
did not detect them initially.
We were looking at them
along their edge.
There was no surface to read.
I will illustrate.
Are they a life-form?
The movement pattern
within the cluster
is not a naturally
occurring phenomenon
in the Newtonian sense.
They appear to be alive.
Can you explain why they're
pulling us along with them?
Somehow they're able to polarize
the graviton field
as they move about.
We're caught in the wake.
How do we get out of it?
The best idea for now is to try
a controlled overload
of the warp drive.
Jump directly to warp six.
The laws of a three-dimensional
universe say it should work.
Don't know about a two-
dimensional universe, though.
Fascinating.
So many questions.
How can a two-dimensional
entity have access
to a three-dimensional
universe?
And are they aware of us?
Number One, if we can
put off the T'lli Betans
I would like
to investigate this further
as soon as we are free
of the graviton field.
It's a shame we can't tell
if they're sentient.
What do you mean by that?
I'm doing the best that I can.
No one suggested otherwise,
Counselor.
Mr. Data, try to isolate
any signal patterns
from the cluster.
Perhaps there'll be
a basis for communication.
Mr. La Forge, we'll
attempt your warp jump
as soon as you're prepared.
That will be all.
Counselor...
How are you feeling?
Beverly, I can't do my job.
I'm absolutely lost.
You have to do something.
I cross-referenced
your scan results
with the baseline files
in the computer.
Nothing helpful has turned up.
And so far,
the lab work is inconclusive.
Inconclusive?
What does that mean?
It means there is nothing
I can do now.
I am still trying.
How do you people
live like this?
We get by pretty well, actually,
and so will you, in time.
You have no idea... no idea...
what this is like.
How can you know what it's like
to lose something you never had?
I don't claim to.
And yet you're telling me
that I'm supposed
to get used to it.
If our positions were reversed,
what would you tell me?
If our positions were reversed
I wouldn't have been in here
treating skinned elbows
while you were lying passed out
on your office floor.
I'd have been there a lot sooner
perhaps in time to prevent this
from ever happening!
I've been working
with Ensign Brooks
since the death of her husband.
She's avoided the reality
of what happened
denied it to herself.
And I realize I've been doing
the same thing
about my condition.
It's perfectly understandable.
It's time I accept
the truth, Captain
and resign as Ship's Counselor.
Resign?
I can no longer fulfill
my obligations.
What other option is there?
Deanna...
I've been fortunate
to have access
to your Betazoid abilities.
Most starship Captains
have to be content
with a human Counselor.
Empathic awareness
is not a requirement
of your position.
It is for me.
I'm sure that, after a while,
you'll be able to adjust.
They say when one loses a sense
the other senses become stronger
to compensate.
A blind man develops
better hearing...
With all due respect, Captain
you don't know
what you're talking about.
That is a common belief
with no scientific basis
no doubt created
by normal people
who felt uncomfortable
around the disabled.
I am disabled
and I'm telling you
I cannot perform my duties.
There was a teacher
of mine at the Academy
who had been confined
to a wheelchair from birth.
She was a woman...
Captain, spare me
the inspirational anecdote
and just accept my resignation.
Come in.
I really would rather
be alone right now.
Too bad.
Shh...
Is this how you handle
all your personnel problems?
Sure.
You'd be surprised
how far a hug goes
with Geordi or Worf.
Will...
I don't know what to do.
So, you resign?
You walk away from all the
people who care about you?
I look around me,
and all I see
are surfaces without depth...
colorless, hollow.
Nothing seems real.
I'm real.
No, you're not.
You're a projection
with no more substance
to me
than a character
on the holodeck.
I don't believe that.
You have no idea
how frightening it is
to... to just be here,
without sensing you
without sharing your feelings.
That's it, isn't it?
We're on equal footing now.
What?
You always had an advantage...
a little bit of control
of every situation.
That must have been
a very safe position to be in.
To be honest...
I'd always thought there was
something a little too...
aristocratic about
your Betazoid heritage.
As if your human side wasn't
quite good enough for you.
That isn't true.
Isn't it?
La Forge to Riker.
Go ahead, Geordi.
We are ready to attempt
a controlled overload jump
to warp six.
Acknowledged.
I'm on my way to the Bridge.
I'll check in on you later.
Really, you don't have to.
I will check in on you later.
Setting new course
at optimal shearing angle...
bearing 217 mark 203.
Engaging impulse engines now.
Mr. La Forge, go to warp.
Aye, sir.
Status?
Unchanged.
We have not broken free
of the graviton field.
Warning.
Differential stress
will exceed upper limit
in 15 seconds.
Disengage all engines.
Warning. Differential stress
will exceed upper...
Engines disengaged, sir.
Report, La Forge.
The energy we wanted
to transfer to the nacelles
was absorbed
by the graviton wake instead.
It set up a torsional wave
that rebounded back to the ship.
We're lucky the hull
is still in one piece.
This little nuisance
is beginning
to lose its fascination.
Sir, during our attempt
to break away
I recorded
a momentary alteration
in the movement pattern
within the cluster.
Do you think we got
their attention, Data?
Perhaps,
but just for an instant.
The pattern immediately returned
to its previous dynamic.
Follow up on it, Mr. Data.
Input your observations
into the universal translator.
Aye, sir.
Perhaps these movements,
themselves
are an attempt at communication.
More tea?
I didn't mean to startle you.
That's all right.
I'm getting used to it.
May I?
Sure.
Are you really
getting used to it?
No.
Do you want to talk about it?
No.
Good.
I get so tired of people
coming in with their problems.
They come in, they want
a shoulder to cry on
and generally,
it turns out to be mine.
You'd make a good Counselor.
I think so, too
so I'm going to talk
to Picard about it.
About what?
You becoming Counselor?
Well, yes. You're leaving.
That means there won't
be a Counselor onboard
and I suppose I'll have
a very long line at that bar.
It would be nice to have
a nice office, too.
It's more than just letting them
cry on your shoulder.
It takes an enormous commitment.
I can do that.
Guinan, people come
to talk to you
about things they want
to reveal.
As Ship's Counselor
you have to get them
to talk about things
they don't want to reveal.
I could do that, too.
What are you...?
You don't really want
to be Ship's Counselor.
What would make you say that?
I just know you're not serious.
Have I given you any indication
that I might not be serious?
Not really, but...
Then how do you know?
Are your empathic abilities
coming back?
No.
I suppose it's just instinctive.
Oh.
I get it.
You're trying to make me see
that I have other abilities
to draw on...
human intuition, instincts.
Guinan, those skills
only develop
after years of experience.
It's not that easy.
No one said it was easy.
It's much harder than you think.
Human intuition and instinct
are not always right
but they do make
life interesting.
So I'm discovering.
Problem, Data?
Yes, Commander.
Sensors are detecting
highly-accelerated
interstellar gases.
Suggesting?
Uncertain, sir.
The phenomenon
is within visual range.
On screen.
Magnify.
It appears to be
a cosmic string fragment
only 107 kilometers long.
A cosmic string?
No wider than a proton
but with gravitational fields
as powerful as a black hole.
The two-dimensional beings
seem to be caught
in the gravitational pull
of the string
Their course is taking
them directly toward it.
And us right along with it.
Captain's Log, Stardate 44359.5.
What began
as a curious inconvenience
has turned
into a serious threat.
At current speed,
the two-dimensional beings
and the Enterprise
will be drawn into
the cosmic string fragment
in seven hours.
The entities offer no indication
they are aware
of the string fragment, sir.
Their course and speed
remain constant.
Sir, I recommend we fire
a spread of photon torpedoes
into their field.
Must we destroy them
to save ourselves?
It is unclear what effect
a photon torpedo would have
on two-dimensional beings, sir.
Nevertheless...
Well, we wouldn't necessarily
have to fire at them.
Half a dozen photon torpedo
bursts directly in their path
could make them change course.
Make it so.
Torpedoes armed.
Fire distribution set.
Detonation at seven kilometers
ahead of the cluster.
Data, launch another probe.
Patch the monitor through
to the main viewer.
Probe is launched.
On screen.
Proceed, Mr. Worf.
Launching torpedoes.
Detonation in five seconds.
Three... two... one.
There is no change
in the graviton field.
The torpedoes are having
no effect, sir.
Fire another volley directly
into their field, Mr. Worf.
Launching torpedoes.
Detonation in five seconds.
Three... two... one.
Matter-antimatter explosions
appear to be ineffective, sir.
Come in.
Janet.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I meant to cancel
your appointment today.
Actually, I'm resigning
as Ship's Counselor.
Why?
I think it was fairly clear
during your last appointment.
It was obviously non-productive.
I couldn't sense
what you were feeling.
Deanna, you were right about me.
I had to go back
and look at what I was doing
see why I was trying
to convince myself and you
that I was a new woman.
You made me realize
I was doing exactly
the same thing to myself
as I was before...
trying to hide from the pain.
Maybe you couldn't sense
what I was feeling
but you helped.
Come.
You wanted to see me, Captain.
Yes, Counselor.
Sit down, please.
Our situation
has become critical.
The cluster remains
completely unresponsive.
We have not been able
to alter its course
towards the cosmic
string fragment.
How much time do we have?
Less than five hours.
Which is why I have called you.
Sir?
All that remains
is the possibility
of communication.
There might be some way
that we can warn them
of their impending destruction.
I thought Data had already tried
to establish communications
through
the universal translator.
He has tried
every technical means
at our disposal to reach them.
I wish I knew how to help,
Captain
but under the circumstances...
If there is a psychology
to these creatures
we must discover it.
If there is an explanation
for their behavior
we must know what it is.
Even in your current condition
you are
the most qualified person
aboard this ship to assist.
Data is in observation
attempting to formulate
a strategy.
I want you to join him.
Deanna
we need you.
Captain's Log, supplemental.
If our speed
and course remain unchanged
in one hour, the Enterprise
will be torn apart
by the gravitational forces
of the cosmic string fragment.
Are your signals reaching them?
Possibly.
However, the beings may
perceive them
as negligible noise, rather than
an attempt at communication.
Is there any evidence at all
that they're sentient?
Negative. The nature
of their movements
suggests a simple order
of intelligence.
I'm sorry, Data.
I don't seem to be much help
without my empathic abilities.
I just don't know how to draw
on my human instinct.
As I do not have
human instinct, per se
I cannot advise you, Counselor.
Right now
I feel as two-dimensional
as our friends out there.
In the universe,
but barely aware of it.
Just trying to survive...
on instinct.
Data...
what if they're simply
acting instinctively?
There are inherent
inborn forces in every species.
What they need, what they fear.
We have to discover
what drives this species.
I do not believe
there is any way
we can know
for certain, Counselor.
We can speculate
on the available evidence.
The only evidence
we have at present
is the brief interruption
in their movement pattern
during our last attempt
to break away.
Which may suggest some kind
of awareness of our presence.
Otherwise, their course
and speed have been constant.
On a straight line
to the cosmic string.
You're convinced the string's
gravitation is pulling them in?
Because the cluster
is two-dimensional
I do not have
enough direct evidence
to support that assumption.
However, it is the most
reasonable hypothesis.
Why?
It is unlikely
they would intentionally move
toward a destructive force.
Moths fly toward a flame.
Horses sometimes run
into a burning barn.
Data, don't you see?
We've been thinking
in three dimensions.
We have to get two-dimensional.
Pardon me?
Subspace signals,
photon torpedoes...
nothing's had an impact.
It's reasonable to wonder
if a gravitational pull...
even as strong
as a cosmic string's...
would affect them.
Please continue.
What if they've chosen
a course to the cosmic string?
A case
of pure stimulus response.
Driven by instinct,
just like the moth to a flame.
If Counselor Troi's
supposition is correct
a replica of the string
projected behind the cluster
could induce them
to reverse course
disrupting the graviton wake
long enough for us to escape.
How do you simulate
a cosmic string?
It has the gravitational
force of a hundred stars.
I do not suggest simulating
the gravitational field
of the string fragment.
Rather, the string's vibration.
Vibration? We're not talking
about a violin, Data.
No, Data's right.
The principle is still the same.
A cosmic string emanates
a characteristic set
of subspace frequencies
as atomic particles decay
along its event horizon.
I could use
the ship's parabolic dish
to amplify and reflect
those frequencies
back toward the cluster.
The Enterprise, itself,
would echo the cosmic string.
How much time do we have,
Mr. Worf?
23 minutes, sir.
Make it so.
Frequency scan detectors
engaged.
Receiving.
Data, we're picking up
frequencies
across the entire
electromagnetic
and lower subspace spectrum.
Trying to isolate.
Data, can you focus
the reflector field for me?
Stand by.
I am differentiating particle
emission signatures now.
Good.
Good. That's doing it.
Patterns are converging.
Same course, same speed.
No change, sir.
We're beginning to encounter
the gravitational effects
of the string.
Impact is in four minutes.
Sir, sheer force turbulence
is impairing our ability
to create
an accurate simulation.
Geordi, fire up
the impulse engines.
Activate the ship's stabilizers.
Stabilizers on.
Electromagnetic
and subspace wave fronts
approaching synchronization.
Three minutes to impact.
Status.
The cluster is unaffected.
Same course, same speed.
Let's try
turning up the volume.
Increase the intensity,
Mr. Data.
They're slowing.
Graviton wake field
is collapsing.
Mr. La Forge,
get us out of here.
With pleasure, sir.
The beings have resumed
their course into the string.
Three seconds to impact.
It's all right.
They're home.
We were wrong.
The cosmic string
was never dangerous to them.
It was the one place in the
galaxy they most wanted to be.
Deanna?
Yes...
I sensed it.
Such overwhelming intensity
of emotion.
When we first encountered them,
it must have been more
than my senses could process.
A short circuit.
Something like that.
Oh, Beverly...
Apology accepted.
Therapists are always
the worst patients.
Except for doctors, of course.
Come by and see me
at my office later, okay?
I was so awful to her.
Well, you were just being human.
I never fully appreciated
how difficult...
and how rewarding it is...
to be human.
But I had a lot of help.
Thanks.
Now, is that Counselor position
still open aboard ship?
It's been taken.
I just thought I'd ask.
Better hours.
Excuse me.
And you...
Thank you for making me face
my other half.
Frightening, wasn't it?
A little.
You were right, though.
There is something to be learned
when you're not in control
of every situation.
Welcome to the human race.
By the way, the next time
you call me "aristocratic..."
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
since Marc's accident.
I haven't missed
a single hour of my duties.
I've volunteered
for extra time in the nursery.
My language studies are better
than they've ever been.
Somebody else
might have given in
but, uh, I didn't.
Given in to what?
Death is a normal part of life.
Maybe some of us are better
at facing that than others.
Maybe some of us
aren't facing it at all.
What do you mean?
Recovery from a great loss
involves a great deal of pain.
If we try to avoid that pain
we can make it harder
on ourselves in the long run.
But I feel fine.
Today would have been
your husband's 38th birthday.
You keep excellent records,
Deanna.
Last night, I dreamt Marc
was with me, celebrating.
I was so glad that this nonsense
was finally over.
Then I woke up
alone...
and I knew that he was dead.
For the first time, I knew it.
I looked around for anything
that belonged to him...
anything.
I forgot that after the funeral,
I told them to take it all away.
What in the world
was I thinking?
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
They didn't take
everything away.
How did you know?
...an ancient trail
along the Kabul River
in the Himalayas.
It's a wonderful program.
Will, it would do you good
to have a little
fresh holodeck air.
I think my horsemanship
is a little rusty
for the Himalayas,
but thanks anyway.
Nonsense.
We'd program
an appropriately docile steed...
Captain.
Sensors indicate
a vast field of...
Of what, Lieutenant?
It's gone.
But something did appear
directly in our path.
Deflector shields
are not encountering
elevated levels
of interstellar matter.
A sensor echo, Data?
Uncertain. I have
no unusual readings, Commander.
I promise I'll come by
and see you tomorrow.
Deanna, are you all right?
What? What?
You faded out there
for a second.
Oh, no.
No, I'm fine.
Um, I'm just very tired,
that's all.
Will I see you tomorrow?
Tomorrow.
Thank you, Deanna.
Oh...
Oh!
An aggregate field
of plane-polarized objects
has just appeared.
And disappeared.
Recommend we run a diagnostic
on the forward sensor array.
We don't want
a ghost tailing us
all the way to T'lli Beta.
I'm not convinced it is a ghost.
There may be
something there, Commander.
Ensign Allenby, full stop.
Aye, sir.
Let's investigate
both possibilities.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages
of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission...
to explore strange new worlds
to seek out new life
and new civilizations
to boldly go
where no one has gone before.
Captain's Log, Stardate 44356.9.
Sensor diagnostics
have been completed
and indicate
that all systems are normal.
There remains no explanation
for the images
which appeared in our path.
I have completed another
full scan of the area, sir.
There is no further
indication of the anomaly.
Ensign, prepare to resume course
to T'lli Beta.
Mr. Data, what velocity
would put us back on schedule?
A resumption
of our present course
at warp six will place us
in the T'lli Beta
system in six days
13 hours, 47 minutes.
What? No seconds?
I have discovered, sir,
a certain level of impatience
when I calculate
a lengthy time interval
to the nearest second.
However, if you wish...
No, no.
Minutes is fine.
Stand ready at warp six, Ensign.
Aye, sir.
Engage.
Riker to Engineering.
Geordi, what the hell happened?
Checking.
Looks like the field collapsed
before we could enter warp.
Recommend full stop
while I check it out.
Back to all stop, Ensign.
Aye, sir.
All decks reporting.
Minor injuries only, sir.
Damage?
None, sir.
Weapons and shields normal.
Go to Yellow Alert.
Captain, we've started
moving again.
Something is pulling us.
Troi to Dr. Crusher.
Yes, Deanna?
Beverly...
I'm feeling very dizzy.
Did you hit your head?
I'm not sure.
I'm not sure what happened.
Lie down, breathe deeply
and stay calm.
I'm getting calls
from all over the ship.
I'll be there
as quickly as I can.
New heading confirmed:
025 mark 273.
Speed is holding
at one-tenth impulse.
Whatever is pulling us
sure isn't in a hurry.
Picard to La Forge.
Go ahead, Captain.
Mr. La Forge, if your engines
are functioning
we'll attempt to break free.
Well, everything down here
seems normal enough, sir.
But I suggest we take it
a bit slower this time.
Ensign, bring us around
90 degrees to starboard.
New course laid in
at 90 degrees to starboard.
One-quarter impulse.
Engage.
Aye, sir.
Nothing, Captain.
Speed and course are unaffected.
One-half impulse.
No change.
Full impulse.
Rotate heading
in five-degree increments.
Aye, sir.
La Forge?
There's nothing wrong down here.
The engines are fine.
Integrity field stress exceeding
82 million kilodynes.
Recommend immediate
shutdown, sir.
Make it so, Ensign.
All engines down.
We're still being pulled.
Same heading, same speed.
I got here
as quickly as I could.
I've got a Sick Bay
filled with headaches.
How are you?
Well, when I first called you
I was feeling intense pain.
Now it's gone
but I'm feeling a bit foggy.
I'd like to take you
to Sick Bay and run
an inner nuncial series on you.
Can you walk?
All senior staff report
to the observation lounge.
Are you up to that?
I think so.
What is it?
Nothing.
Nothing. I'm fine.
Could it be some sort
of tractor beam?
No other ship is indicated.
Mr. Worf, what is your analysis?
Tactical sensor readings
are indeterminate.
They don't even give us enough
for an educated guess.
And yet all of our sensors
are operating properly.
Can there be an intelligence
at work here?
Counselor, do you sense
a life-form out there?
No, I don't think so.
No.
There's nothing.
Nothing.
I sense nothing.
It's all right, Counselor.
Perhaps there's nothing
out there to sense.
Indeed, there are many races
that are not empathically
detectable.
The Breen, the Ferengi...
No, you don't understand.
I don't sense anything
not out there, not in here.
All of you
you're all blank to me.
There's no indication
of a concussion
or a blow to the head.
Just a pattern
of unresponsive neural cells
throughout the cerebellum
and cerebral cortex.
Unresponsive?
There's brain damage.
How serious, I can't tell yet.
But I feel perfectly fine
otherwise.
Can you treat it?
I'm not sure.
I have to review the database
on Betazoid neural physiology.
The Betazoid brain
has a remarkable ability
to heal itself.
This condition could just
reverse itself in time.
It might, but you
are half-human.
That changes the map a little.
I don't want to offer
you any false hopes.
It's just hope, Beverly,
not false hope.
What would cause
something like this?
Because it started
at the same time
that we encountered
the anomaly.
There may be a connection.
I don't know.
If you were anyone else,
you know the first thing I'd do?
I'd send you to Counselor Troi.
Well, then I have
an advantage, don't I?
I see her quite often.
Deanna, it's no different
than one of us
suddenly going blind.
You don't have
to tell me, Beverly.
I understand the psychology.
You may understand it
but you've never had
to live with it.
I may be perfectly
fine tomorrow.
And you may not.
Now, I'll do my homework.
I'll see what I can do
to regenerate those cells
but in the meantime, I want
you to talk with someone.
There are several people onboard
who have degrees in psychology
who are qualified therapists.
Okay. Fine.
If I need to.
Right now, I just want
to go back to work.
Deanna...
If there are
no medical objections?
No medical objections.
Thank you, Beverly.
Will.
Come in.
I don't have a psychology degree
but if you'd like to talk...
You know what the worst part
of this is?
And I've seen it happen
to so many patients.
What?
The way other people change.
How they start
to treat you differently.
They walk on eggshells
around you.
Sometimes
they avoid you altogether.
Sometimes
they become overbearing...
reach out a helping hand
to the blind woman.
I'm sorry if I...
I will not be treated that way!
Hey!
Imzadi.
Oh, please.
Deanna
I've never seen you
quite so scared.
I'm fine.
If I get better, I get better.
If I don't, I'll adapt.
Life goes on.
Deanna.
I really have to finish this.
I have some appointments
this afternoon.
Probe launch successful.
Telemetry transmissions
are being received.
Okay, let's see what we've got.
Nothing unusual here.
Same reading
as the ship's sensors.
Expanding analysis parameters.
Including Bayesian functions...
broad EM
and subspace spectrum polling.
Hmm-mm.
No change.
I am adding
virtual particle trajectories.
Whoa.
What is that?
Unknown.
I am attempting to analyze
motion pattern.
Results still inconclusive.
Last time I saw anything
that looked like that
I was skin-diving
off the coral reefs at Bracas V.
You said you woke up
a new woman this morning.
That's how I feel.
Tell me about her,
this new woman.
She's, uh, not holding
anything back anymore.
She's not?
Oh, I let it all out last night.
I cried for two hours.
I realized
that I had never accepted
the loss of my husband.
I worked hard, I kept busy.
I did everything to pretend
it never happened.
And you feel different now?
Completely.
Can I share something
important with you?
Of course.
I've temporarily lost
my empathic sense.
It's kind of like having
one hand tied behind your back.
I'm so sorry.
Do you want me to come back?
No, no, I'm fine.
It's just...
I feel before we continue
it's important
that you know that, okay?
All right.
Because I can't tell
how you're feeling this morning.
But it seems to me
that one night of crying
can't make up
for months of denial.
No, you're wrong.
I feel better today
than I have in ages.
You're absolutely wrong, Deanna.
The probe's point of view
reveals that the objects exist
entirely in two dimensions
on a single plane.
They have length and width,
but not height.
Virtually flat.
That is why
the ship's forward sensors
did not detect them initially.
We were looking at them
along their edge.
There was no surface to read.
I will illustrate.
Are they a life-form?
The movement pattern
within the cluster
is not a naturally
occurring phenomenon
in the Newtonian sense.
They appear to be alive.
Can you explain why they're
pulling us along with them?
Somehow they're able to polarize
the graviton field
as they move about.
We're caught in the wake.
How do we get out of it?
The best idea for now is to try
a controlled overload
of the warp drive.
Jump directly to warp six.
The laws of a three-dimensional
universe say it should work.
Don't know about a two-
dimensional universe, though.
Fascinating.
So many questions.
How can a two-dimensional
entity have access
to a three-dimensional
universe?
And are they aware of us?
Number One, if we can
put off the T'lli Betans
I would like
to investigate this further
as soon as we are free
of the graviton field.
It's a shame we can't tell
if they're sentient.
What do you mean by that?
I'm doing the best that I can.
No one suggested otherwise,
Counselor.
Mr. Data, try to isolate
any signal patterns
from the cluster.
Perhaps there'll be
a basis for communication.
Mr. La Forge, we'll
attempt your warp jump
as soon as you're prepared.
That will be all.
Counselor...
How are you feeling?
Beverly, I can't do my job.
I'm absolutely lost.
You have to do something.
I cross-referenced
your scan results
with the baseline files
in the computer.
Nothing helpful has turned up.
And so far,
the lab work is inconclusive.
Inconclusive?
What does that mean?
It means there is nothing
I can do now.
I am still trying.
How do you people
live like this?
We get by pretty well, actually,
and so will you, in time.
You have no idea... no idea...
what this is like.
How can you know what it's like
to lose something you never had?
I don't claim to.
And yet you're telling me
that I'm supposed
to get used to it.
If our positions were reversed,
what would you tell me?
If our positions were reversed
I wouldn't have been in here
treating skinned elbows
while you were lying passed out
on your office floor.
I'd have been there a lot sooner
perhaps in time to prevent this
from ever happening!
I've been working
with Ensign Brooks
since the death of her husband.
She's avoided the reality
of what happened
denied it to herself.
And I realize I've been doing
the same thing
about my condition.
It's perfectly understandable.
It's time I accept
the truth, Captain
and resign as Ship's Counselor.
Resign?
I can no longer fulfill
my obligations.
What other option is there?
Deanna...
I've been fortunate
to have access
to your Betazoid abilities.
Most starship Captains
have to be content
with a human Counselor.
Empathic awareness
is not a requirement
of your position.
It is for me.
I'm sure that, after a while,
you'll be able to adjust.
They say when one loses a sense
the other senses become stronger
to compensate.
A blind man develops
better hearing...
With all due respect, Captain
you don't know
what you're talking about.
That is a common belief
with no scientific basis
no doubt created
by normal people
who felt uncomfortable
around the disabled.
I am disabled
and I'm telling you
I cannot perform my duties.
There was a teacher
of mine at the Academy
who had been confined
to a wheelchair from birth.
She was a woman...
Captain, spare me
the inspirational anecdote
and just accept my resignation.
Come in.
I really would rather
be alone right now.
Too bad.
Shh...
Is this how you handle
all your personnel problems?
Sure.
You'd be surprised
how far a hug goes
with Geordi or Worf.
Will...
I don't know what to do.
So, you resign?
You walk away from all the
people who care about you?
I look around me,
and all I see
are surfaces without depth...
colorless, hollow.
Nothing seems real.
I'm real.
No, you're not.
You're a projection
with no more substance
to me
than a character
on the holodeck.
I don't believe that.
You have no idea
how frightening it is
to... to just be here,
without sensing you
without sharing your feelings.
That's it, isn't it?
We're on equal footing now.
What?
You always had an advantage...
a little bit of control
of every situation.
That must have been
a very safe position to be in.
To be honest...
I'd always thought there was
something a little too...
aristocratic about
your Betazoid heritage.
As if your human side wasn't
quite good enough for you.
That isn't true.
Isn't it?
La Forge to Riker.
Go ahead, Geordi.
We are ready to attempt
a controlled overload jump
to warp six.
Acknowledged.
I'm on my way to the Bridge.
I'll check in on you later.
Really, you don't have to.
I will check in on you later.
Setting new course
at optimal shearing angle...
bearing 217 mark 203.
Engaging impulse engines now.
Mr. La Forge, go to warp.
Aye, sir.
Status?
Unchanged.
We have not broken free
of the graviton field.
Warning.
Differential stress
will exceed upper limit
in 15 seconds.
Disengage all engines.
Warning. Differential stress
will exceed upper...
Engines disengaged, sir.
Report, La Forge.
The energy we wanted
to transfer to the nacelles
was absorbed
by the graviton wake instead.
It set up a torsional wave
that rebounded back to the ship.
We're lucky the hull
is still in one piece.
This little nuisance
is beginning
to lose its fascination.
Sir, during our attempt
to break away
I recorded
a momentary alteration
in the movement pattern
within the cluster.
Do you think we got
their attention, Data?
Perhaps,
but just for an instant.
The pattern immediately returned
to its previous dynamic.
Follow up on it, Mr. Data.
Input your observations
into the universal translator.
Aye, sir.
Perhaps these movements,
themselves
are an attempt at communication.
More tea?
I didn't mean to startle you.
That's all right.
I'm getting used to it.
May I?
Sure.
Are you really
getting used to it?
No.
Do you want to talk about it?
No.
Good.
I get so tired of people
coming in with their problems.
They come in, they want
a shoulder to cry on
and generally,
it turns out to be mine.
You'd make a good Counselor.
I think so, too
so I'm going to talk
to Picard about it.
About what?
You becoming Counselor?
Well, yes. You're leaving.
That means there won't
be a Counselor onboard
and I suppose I'll have
a very long line at that bar.
It would be nice to have
a nice office, too.
It's more than just letting them
cry on your shoulder.
It takes an enormous commitment.
I can do that.
Guinan, people come
to talk to you
about things they want
to reveal.
As Ship's Counselor
you have to get them
to talk about things
they don't want to reveal.
I could do that, too.
What are you...?
You don't really want
to be Ship's Counselor.
What would make you say that?
I just know you're not serious.
Have I given you any indication
that I might not be serious?
Not really, but...
Then how do you know?
Are your empathic abilities
coming back?
No.
I suppose it's just instinctive.
Oh.
I get it.
You're trying to make me see
that I have other abilities
to draw on...
human intuition, instincts.
Guinan, those skills
only develop
after years of experience.
It's not that easy.
No one said it was easy.
It's much harder than you think.
Human intuition and instinct
are not always right
but they do make
life interesting.
So I'm discovering.
Problem, Data?
Yes, Commander.
Sensors are detecting
highly-accelerated
interstellar gases.
Suggesting?
Uncertain, sir.
The phenomenon
is within visual range.
On screen.
Magnify.
It appears to be
a cosmic string fragment
only 107 kilometers long.
A cosmic string?
No wider than a proton
but with gravitational fields
as powerful as a black hole.
The two-dimensional beings
seem to be caught
in the gravitational pull
of the string
Their course is taking
them directly toward it.
And us right along with it.
Captain's Log, Stardate 44359.5.
What began
as a curious inconvenience
has turned
into a serious threat.
At current speed,
the two-dimensional beings
and the Enterprise
will be drawn into
the cosmic string fragment
in seven hours.
The entities offer no indication
they are aware
of the string fragment, sir.
Their course and speed
remain constant.
Sir, I recommend we fire
a spread of photon torpedoes
into their field.
Must we destroy them
to save ourselves?
It is unclear what effect
a photon torpedo would have
on two-dimensional beings, sir.
Nevertheless...
Well, we wouldn't necessarily
have to fire at them.
Half a dozen photon torpedo
bursts directly in their path
could make them change course.
Make it so.
Torpedoes armed.
Fire distribution set.
Detonation at seven kilometers
ahead of the cluster.
Data, launch another probe.
Patch the monitor through
to the main viewer.
Probe is launched.
On screen.
Proceed, Mr. Worf.
Launching torpedoes.
Detonation in five seconds.
Three... two... one.
There is no change
in the graviton field.
The torpedoes are having
no effect, sir.
Fire another volley directly
into their field, Mr. Worf.
Launching torpedoes.
Detonation in five seconds.
Three... two... one.
Matter-antimatter explosions
appear to be ineffective, sir.
Come in.
Janet.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I meant to cancel
your appointment today.
Actually, I'm resigning
as Ship's Counselor.
Why?
I think it was fairly clear
during your last appointment.
It was obviously non-productive.
I couldn't sense
what you were feeling.
Deanna, you were right about me.
I had to go back
and look at what I was doing
see why I was trying
to convince myself and you
that I was a new woman.
You made me realize
I was doing exactly
the same thing to myself
as I was before...
trying to hide from the pain.
Maybe you couldn't sense
what I was feeling
but you helped.
Come.
You wanted to see me, Captain.
Yes, Counselor.
Sit down, please.
Our situation
has become critical.
The cluster remains
completely unresponsive.
We have not been able
to alter its course
towards the cosmic
string fragment.
How much time do we have?
Less than five hours.
Which is why I have called you.
Sir?
All that remains
is the possibility
of communication.
There might be some way
that we can warn them
of their impending destruction.
I thought Data had already tried
to establish communications
through
the universal translator.
He has tried
every technical means
at our disposal to reach them.
I wish I knew how to help,
Captain
but under the circumstances...
If there is a psychology
to these creatures
we must discover it.
If there is an explanation
for their behavior
we must know what it is.
Even in your current condition
you are
the most qualified person
aboard this ship to assist.
Data is in observation
attempting to formulate
a strategy.
I want you to join him.
Deanna
we need you.
Captain's Log, supplemental.
If our speed
and course remain unchanged
in one hour, the Enterprise
will be torn apart
by the gravitational forces
of the cosmic string fragment.
Are your signals reaching them?
Possibly.
However, the beings may
perceive them
as negligible noise, rather than
an attempt at communication.
Is there any evidence at all
that they're sentient?
Negative. The nature
of their movements
suggests a simple order
of intelligence.
I'm sorry, Data.
I don't seem to be much help
without my empathic abilities.
I just don't know how to draw
on my human instinct.
As I do not have
human instinct, per se
I cannot advise you, Counselor.
Right now
I feel as two-dimensional
as our friends out there.
In the universe,
but barely aware of it.
Just trying to survive...
on instinct.
Data...
what if they're simply
acting instinctively?
There are inherent
inborn forces in every species.
What they need, what they fear.
We have to discover
what drives this species.
I do not believe
there is any way
we can know
for certain, Counselor.
We can speculate
on the available evidence.
The only evidence
we have at present
is the brief interruption
in their movement pattern
during our last attempt
to break away.
Which may suggest some kind
of awareness of our presence.
Otherwise, their course
and speed have been constant.
On a straight line
to the cosmic string.
You're convinced the string's
gravitation is pulling them in?
Because the cluster
is two-dimensional
I do not have
enough direct evidence
to support that assumption.
However, it is the most
reasonable hypothesis.
Why?
It is unlikely
they would intentionally move
toward a destructive force.
Moths fly toward a flame.
Horses sometimes run
into a burning barn.
Data, don't you see?
We've been thinking
in three dimensions.
We have to get two-dimensional.
Pardon me?
Subspace signals,
photon torpedoes...
nothing's had an impact.
It's reasonable to wonder
if a gravitational pull...
even as strong
as a cosmic string's...
would affect them.
Please continue.
What if they've chosen
a course to the cosmic string?
A case
of pure stimulus response.
Driven by instinct,
just like the moth to a flame.
If Counselor Troi's
supposition is correct
a replica of the string
projected behind the cluster
could induce them
to reverse course
disrupting the graviton wake
long enough for us to escape.
How do you simulate
a cosmic string?
It has the gravitational
force of a hundred stars.
I do not suggest simulating
the gravitational field
of the string fragment.
Rather, the string's vibration.
Vibration? We're not talking
about a violin, Data.
No, Data's right.
The principle is still the same.
A cosmic string emanates
a characteristic set
of subspace frequencies
as atomic particles decay
along its event horizon.
I could use
the ship's parabolic dish
to amplify and reflect
those frequencies
back toward the cluster.
The Enterprise, itself,
would echo the cosmic string.
How much time do we have,
Mr. Worf?
23 minutes, sir.
Make it so.
Frequency scan detectors
engaged.
Receiving.
Data, we're picking up
frequencies
across the entire
electromagnetic
and lower subspace spectrum.
Trying to isolate.
Data, can you focus
the reflector field for me?
Stand by.
I am differentiating particle
emission signatures now.
Good.
Good. That's doing it.
Patterns are converging.
Same course, same speed.
No change, sir.
We're beginning to encounter
the gravitational effects
of the string.
Impact is in four minutes.
Sir, sheer force turbulence
is impairing our ability
to create
an accurate simulation.
Geordi, fire up
the impulse engines.
Activate the ship's stabilizers.
Stabilizers on.
Electromagnetic
and subspace wave fronts
approaching synchronization.
Three minutes to impact.
Status.
The cluster is unaffected.
Same course, same speed.
Let's try
turning up the volume.
Increase the intensity,
Mr. Data.
They're slowing.
Graviton wake field
is collapsing.
Mr. La Forge,
get us out of here.
With pleasure, sir.
The beings have resumed
their course into the string.
Three seconds to impact.
It's all right.
They're home.
We were wrong.
The cosmic string
was never dangerous to them.
It was the one place in the
galaxy they most wanted to be.
Deanna?
Yes...
I sensed it.
Such overwhelming intensity
of emotion.
When we first encountered them,
it must have been more
than my senses could process.
A short circuit.
Something like that.
Oh, Beverly...
Apology accepted.
Therapists are always
the worst patients.
Except for doctors, of course.
Come by and see me
at my office later, okay?
I was so awful to her.
Well, you were just being human.
I never fully appreciated
how difficult...
and how rewarding it is...
to be human.
But I had a lot of help.
Thanks.
Now, is that Counselor position
still open aboard ship?
It's been taken.
I just thought I'd ask.
Better hours.
Excuse me.
And you...
Thank you for making me face
my other half.
Frightening, wasn't it?
A little.
You were right, though.
There is something to be learned
when you're not in control
of every situation.
Welcome to the human race.
By the way, the next time
you call me "aristocratic..."
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.