Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994): Season 7, Episode 18 - Eye of the Beholder - full transcript

We are losing containment
in the starboard nacelle tube.

- Get more power to the fuel coils.
- Aye, sir.

Mr La Forge, report.

I can't shut down the injectors.
Someone's locked out the controls.

The plasma-venting system
has engaged.

Two more decks.

Bridge, we've almost reached
the nacelle tube.

Acknowledged.

Release the hull plate.
We may have to jettison the core.

Aye, sir.

What happened?



He locked out the controls
and stepped up onto the walkway.

See if you can shut down
the plasma flow.

I'm afraid if we try to get closer,
he'll jump through the force field.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

Dan, it's me. It's Will Riker.

I was here yesterday, remember?

I didn't want to do it.

But I saw them.

And they laughed at me.

They laughed.

Whatever happened,
we can talk about it. I want to help.

Stay away!

I just want to see your face,
that's all. So we can talk.

I know what I have to do.



- Dan, no!
- I've unlocked the controls.

Shutdown procedure initiated.

There's still plasma in there.
It'll take time to vent off.

Tell me what happened.
Maybe I can help.

I know what I have to do.

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 civilisations...

...to boldly go
where no one has gone before.

A few more seconds,
I could have saved him.

Commander, you did everything
you could. It was not your fault.

It was strange.

I felt as if
he didn't even recognise me,

although I was with him the other
day, supervising the refit.

How was he then?

Fine. I complimented him on getting
the refit done faster than expected.

He was pleased that I'd noticed.

I met with him six weeks ago
during crew evaluations.

He was very positive.

He was looking forward
to going to the nacelle tube.

He was a good officer
with a fine career ahead of him.

I don't understand why he wanted...

In my years as a Starfleet captain,

I've had to notify many parents
of the loss of loved ones,

but never before of a suicide.

I would like
to be able to offer Lt Kwan's parents

some explanation of what happened,

to help them make sense of this.

Maybe he left a message of some kind,
explaining why he did it.

I'd like you two to piece together
a picture of his last few days.

If he made personal logs,
it might help to look at them.

You are authorised to do so.

- La Forge to Captain.
- Go ahead.

I've finished my damage assessment.
We can be under way within the hour.

Mr la Forge, the medical situation
on Barson II has worsened.

We have permission
to exceed warp-speed limitations

to get on schedule.

We can give you warp eight
if we need it.

Acknowledged.

Geordi, would you agree that
the instinct for self-preservation

is shared by most life forms?

I'd say it's the most basic instinct,
Data.

Then I find it difficult
to understand

why someone would deliberately
terminate their own existence.

I don't know, Data.

Maybe Lt Kwan felt there was
something wrong with his life,

something he felt powerless to fix.

I believe I understand.
I have been in a similar situation.

Really?

The months after my activation
were a difficult period for me.

There were many problems
to do with my becoming sentient.

Because your neural net
was still forming?

As I acquired new skills,
neural pathways would form,

replacing other
less complex pathways.

It was very disorienting.

I bet.

As my systems grew in complexity,

it was difficult to integrate new
pathways into my existing neural net.

The probability of cascade failure
grew with each additional pathway.

I concluded it would be safer,
and easier,

to shut myself down
and start again.

But then you wouldn't have remembered
anything that happened to you.

In a way, it would have been
like committing suicide.

So what did you do?

I decided against the procedure.

I chose to treat the problems I was
having as challenges to overcome

- Not obstacles to be avoided.
- Great way to look at it, Data.

I wish Lt Kwan had been able to
look at his problems the same way.

This is a Napean design.

His mother's Napean.
His father's human.

It all looks so normal.

For some reason,
I half expected it to be a mess.

It is strange to think that someone
could have considered ending his life

and yet give no outward sign.

Just before he jumped,
he seemed almost calm.

He must have been in a lot of pain
to do what he did.

It could be that the prospect of
ending the pain felt like a relief.

- This is Ensign Calloway, isn't it?
- Yes, she is a medical technician.

It's always hard
to lose someone you care about,

but to lose them like this...

We should check his personal logs.

This is his last entry, made
before going on duty this morning.

Personal log, stardate 47622. 1.

We finished the nacelle tube refit
last night.

After pulling two double shifts,

I'm looking forward
to spending time with Maddy.

Ensign Calloway.

That doesn't sound like a man
planning to take his own life.

No, it does not.

I can't believe he's really gone.

I keep thinking he'll show up

and tell me there's been
some terrible misunderstanding.

I thought you'd like to know
that in his personal logs,

Dan talked about you a great deal.

He loved you very much.

If that's true,
then how could he leave me like this?

That's what I'm trying to find out.

I know it's hard, but it would help
if you could tell me about him.

When was the last time
you saw him?

Two nights ago. We were planning
our next shore leave together.

Did he mention anything
that might have upset him?

No, not really.

He did say something about work,
about Lt Nara,

but it wasn't serious.

Nara. She's his superior
in the nacelle tube?

Yes.

Dan sensed that she...
Well, she felt threatened by him.

She thought
he was after her position.

Was he prone to mood swings
or depression?

No, but he was very sensitive
to other people's moods.

He used to look at me
and know what I was feeling.

I always loved that about him.

Well, Napeans are partially empathic.

Maybe he inherited
his mother's abilities.

He teased me that when I met her,
I wouldn't get away with anything.

We knew each other
for over two years,

but we didn't get together
until a few months ago.

We took it slow. We thought
we had all the time in the world.

Something must have happened to him,
Counsellor.

Something terrible, because it's
not like Dan to take his own life.

- I understand.
- Please find out what it was.

Can I help you?

I didn't see you there.
You're Lt Nara, aren't you?

Can I do something for you?

I'm investigating Lt Kwan's death.
I just wanted to look around.

It's such a shame.
He was a good man.

Did you notice any change
in his behaviour recently?

No.

I've been going over the last
few days, trying to see if I...

...if I missed any warning signs.

It's as if something inside him
just snapped.

- How was his job performance?
- Excellent.

He knew this ship better than most.

He helped build it
at Utopia Planitia.

Did he get on with his co-workers?

He was ambitious. He came in here
with all sorts of new ideas,

- Some of them very good ideas.
- But not all?

No.

But after he settled in,
we got along fine.

Excuse me a minute.
Feel free to look around.

Where was Lt Kwan's station?

Right there.

Are you alright?

I don't know.

I don't know how to describe it.

I was suddenly overwhelmed
by a flood of emotions.

Fear, rage, panic...

They weren't coming from any person.
They were just there, in the room.

Whose emotions were they?
You said you were alone.

I was.

I scanned the area.
I found no anomalous readings.

How could you be empathic
in an empty room?

I don't know.

Could Lt Kwan being partially
empathic have anything to do with it?

- What do you mean?
- I'm not sure.

But the feelings Troi described
are consistent with suicide.

Could his death
leave an empathic echo?

I don't see how.

But if I went back there, I might get
a better sense of what I experienced.

I don't think so. You're showing
high levels of psilosynine.

Psilosynine?

A neurotransmitter
involved in telepathy.

The experience overwhelmed you
the first time.

Wait until your levels
return to normal.

How long?

Three, maybe four hours.

This time I want someone with you.

I shall accompany you, Counsellor.

Captain's log, stardate 47623.2.

We've arrived at Starbase 328
on schedule.

After taking aboard medical supplies,
we will depart for Barson II.

Come in.

- Hello, Worf.
- Counsellor.

Have you found anything
in Lt Kwan's logs?

Everything I've read suggests
he was well-adjusted and optimistic.

It just doesn't make any sense.

Can I get you anything?

No, nothing.

Yridian tea.

I've been thinking about what
happened to me in the nacelle tube.

Whether it was an empathic echo,
left by Kwan's death.

Have your empathic experiences

always involved the physical presence
of another person?

- All the ones I'm sure of, yes.
- What do you mean, "sure of?"

Well, when I was a little girl,

my grandfather used to tell me
stories by the fire.

I would close my eyes and listen
to his mind for hours on end.

He told the stories telepathically?

My grandfather rarely spoke.
He said that was for off-worlders

and people
who didn't know any better.

Now, the only time I can remember
his stories

is when I go home
and sit by the fireplace.

Sometimes, when I'm alone there,

it's almost as if
I can hear his voice inside my head.

Yes.
I, too, have sought visions in fire.

I can't explain it,
but it feels real to me.

Just like what happened
in the nacelle tube.

There are things we do not
understand. They exist, nonetheless.

Perhaps I should let you get
some rest.

- It's alright.
- No.

If you will excuse me,
Counsellor.

- Mr Worf.
- Commander.

- Two Til'amin froths, please.
- Yes, sir.

Lt Corell seems to be enjoying
your company.

I'd like to think so.

Are you involved with her?

I'm not sure yet.
Why, are you interested in her?

No. But if I were, I would of
course discuss the situation with you

before proceeding further.

I appreciate it but that wouldn't
be necessary.

I'd never come between you
and someone you are involved with

or had ever been involved with.

Is there someone in particular
you mean?

No. Is there someone in particular
you'd rather I not be involved with?

Mr Worf, you sound like
you're asking to date my sister!

No, I was merely...

Never mind. Excuse me, sir.

- Could you open this door for me?
- Yes, but only for a short time.

After 90 seconds,
the plasma-venting system

engages to prevent degradation
of the force field.

I just want a quick look.

May I ask
what you're looking for?

I'm not sure.

Warning, plasma-venting system
will engage in 90 seconds.

No!

No, no, please!

Please, please!

No, don't! No!

Warning. Plasma-venting system
will engage in 80 seconds.

Worf?

Counsellor, are you alright?

Let's get out of here.

- Do you remember anything else?
- Yes, I think I do.

There was a tool crate on the floor.
It was labelled Utopia Planitia.

The shipyard where
the Enterprise was built.

Clearly, this was more
than an empathic echo.

It seems you were seeing something
that happened eight years ago.

Everyone was looking directly at me.

But it was as if I was seeing
through someone else's eyes.

Lt Kwan was partially empathic.

Maybe you were seeing
through his eyes.

It's possible,
but I don't see how it happened.

Well, putting that aside,

let's assume that,
by some inexplicable phenomenon,

you witnessed an event
that occurred to Lt Kwan.

Those faces you saw,
did you recognise any of them?

I've never seen the woman before.
Or the man who was with her.

But there was someone else there.

A man...

He was staring at me
in the most peculiar way.

I think he had reddish hair,
and he did seem familiar to me.

But it's all so hazy.
It's like trying to remember a dream.

There was a woman
who was frightened.

Then you saw her again, laughing,
presumably at Lt Kwan.

What does it all mean?

I don't know. But something
terrible happened there, I felt it.

Look through the personnel files
of Utopia Planitia.

See if you
recognise any of the faces.

If only I could go back into the room
without feeling overwhelmed.

It might help me remember
some relevant detail.

I could give you an inhibitor to
slow the production of psilosynine.

That might suppress
your empathic abilities

and make the experience manageable.

It would take about 16 hours
to synthesise.

- I'd like to try that.
- Very well, Counsellor.

I apologise for being late.

The viral medicines
we're taking to Barson II

require special security measures
to ensure they're contained.

Have you found anything?

No.

There were thousands of people
involved in building the Enterprise.

Perhaps you should
narrow the search parameters.

I think I have.
The man who looked familiar

may have served on the Enterprise
in the last seven years.

I've limited the search

to personnel who served at Utopia
Planitia and on the Enterprise.

Ensign Salvatore.
He transferred over a year ago.

Lt Ziff.
She's in quantum mechanics.

That's him.

Lt Walter Pierce.

I remember now. He came on board
about six months ago. In Engineering.

You were Lt Kwan's supervisor
at Utopia Planitia?

That's right.
I was sorry to hear what happened.

Were you ever
in the nacelle control room

while it was under construction?

I worked all over the ship.

In fact, I remember
running a power conduit

behind this wall here.

Were you ever in the nacelle room
at the same time as Lt Kwan?

It was a long time ago.
People were working everywhere.

- So you do not remember?
- I'm sorry. I don't.

Do you recall
if anything unusual happened there?

How do you mean?

An altercation, perhaps.
Possibly involving Kwan.

No. Nothing like that. As I remember,
things went pretty smoothly.

What's this all about,
if you don't mind my asking?

Not at all. In the nacelle room
I had an empathic experience.

The Counsellor may have been seeing
an event from eight years ago.

And I saw you there.
Do you have any idea why?

I'm afraid I don't.

Are you aware that I can sense
when someone's telling the truth?

I've heard that.

Then, if you remember anything
relevant to our investigation

you'll contact me?

Of course.

- Thank you, Lieutenant.
- Counsellor.

It's strange.
I couldn't read him at all.

But you implied that...

We have played poker many times.
I've never known you to bluff.

Well, it wouldn't be much of a bluff
if you knew, would it?

The fact I couldn't read him suggests
he must have some telepathic ability.

- But Pierce is human.
- That's what I don't understand.

Even though
I couldn't read his emotions,

I felt he was holding something back.

I thought so, as well.

We should access the Engineering logs
from Utopia Planitia.

We might find out more about him.

There may be something in them
about Lt Kwan as well.

It's going to take half an hour
to complete transmission.

Perhaps we should
continue this in the morning.

It is late.

- Yes, and you must be tired.
- A little.

So I will say goodnight.

Goodnight.

We should get an early start
tomorrow.

I think we should.
I'll see you in the morning.

Yes.

- Hello.
- Breakfast is ready.

That sounds nice.

But it can wait.

Why didn't we do this
a long time ago?

Crusher to Counsellor Troi.

Yes, Doctor?

I've synthesised the inhibitor.
Come when you're ready.

Acknowledged.

Crusher to Lt Worf.

Worf here.

Medical supplies are ready
to be taken to cargo bay.

I will be there shortly.

This should take effect immediately.

Will it completely suppress
my empathic abilities?

It's hard to say. I can increase
the dosage if it's not enough.

The cargo bay will be off limits
to all but Medical personnel.

- Thanks for your help, sir.
- You're welcome.

- Good morning.
- Counsellor.

Data and Geordi are in the
nacelle tube. Are you ready?

Yes.

Excuse me, sir.

About the cargo bay quarantine field?
We'll need a second field generator.

I'm needed here.
I'll join you as soon as I can.

Alright.

Apparently my help
was not so good after all!

Yes, it was. You were wonderful.

I think I know what is wrong...

Counsellor. You OK?

I'm fine. The inhibitor is working.
Have you found anything?

No, nothing unusual.

I don't remember these
from my empathic experience.

Have they always been here?

No. They were installed
two years ago.

Geordi.

I remember seeing a plasma conduit,
right there.

The main ODN line
runs behind that panel.

It lifts out so you can get to it.

Kwan was working on that conduit
the day before he died.

- Can you open it?
- Sure. It'll take just a minute.

Data.

Lt Nara. May I ask you something?

The work Kwan was doing,
was it unusual in any way?

He was refitting a field coil.

It was the first time that panel had
been opened since the ship was built.

Thank you.

No!

Counsellor. Are you alright?

Something happened
when you removed the panel.

There's something in there.

I'm getting readings indicating
organic material in this wall.

Organic?

You're right.
Let me reconfigure the beam.

We might be able to see what it is.
Here.

This dosage should prevent
any further empathic flashes.

The bone fragments are human.

I've sequenced a DNA sample. I'll try
to match it to Starfleet records.

Accessing personnel records.

I'd say these have been in the wall
about seven or eight years.

You said something happened
when the panel was opened.

Yes.

I wonder if these fragments
triggered your experience.

I'll run a resonance scan,
see if anything turns up.

Sir, I think we have a match.

The remains
are of an Ensign Marla Finn.

I'm trying to find a picture.

That's her.

That's the woman I saw.

It says she was reported missing
from Utopia Planitia

on stardate 40987.2.

Eight years ago. But how did her body
become embedded in a bulkhead?

Maybe there was an accident.

Or she was killed
and the murderer hid her remains.

Something's not right.
Pull up Lt Kwan's service record.

I thought so.

He didn't arrive at the shipyard
until six months after Finn's death.

I couldn't have seen
through his eyes.

Then whose?

It has to be someone
at least partially telepathic.

Pierce.

But you saw him there.

Yes, but not as clearly as everything
else. His face looked...

...like that.

A reflection.

So I was seeing through his eyes.

And Finn was trying to get away
from him. She was afraid of him.

I think it is time we had
another conversation with Lt Pierce.

Ensign Calloway.

Thank you for your help.

Deck ten.

Worf, can I ask you something?

Do you regret
what happened last night?

No, of course not.

I don't want to
jeopardise our friendship.

Deanna,
I do not regret being with you.

What is wrong?

I'm not feeling myself.
Maybe it's the inhibitor.

I'm so used to sensing what people
are feeling, and now I can't.

Perhaps I should
talk to Lt Pierce alone.

That might be a good idea.

I will meet you
in your quarters later.

I'll be waiting for you.

Deck eight.

Come in.

Security
to Counsellor Troi's quarters.

Acknowledged.

I don't understand. Lt Worf
said you wanted to talk to me.

- Where is he?
- He said he had to go somewhere.

Troi to Worf.

Computer, where is Lt Worf?

Lt Worf
is in Ensign Calloway's quarters.

Counsellor?

Take Lt Pierce to his quarters
and hold him there.

Security override.
Authorisation Troi Delta 29.

Stop it!

He's dead!

You killed him!

No!

You know what you have to do.

I know what I have to do.

What are you doing?

You're alive!

You're alright!

I opened the maintenance door
at Troi's request.

Then saw her standing
too near the force field.

It seemed so real! I can't believe
everything I experienced

happened in
just those few seconds.

Counsellor Troi was correct.
Pierce was partly telepathic.

His maternal grandmother
was born on Betazed.

What else have you found out?

According to our records, Pierce and
the other persons Troi identified

were killed in a plasma discharge
eight years ago.

Their bodies were never found.

I don't believe it was an accident.

I think Lt Pierce
found the other two having an affair.

He lost control and killed them both.

Later, he probably activated the
plasma stream and threw himself in!

The discharge would have obliterated
any evidence that it was murder.

I scanned behind the panel
Counsellor Troi asked me to.

I didn't find any bone fragments.

But I did find some traces
of cellular residue

showing some kind
of psionic signature.

Maybe when Lt Pierce was struck
by the plasma stream,

the subspace energy present imprinted
his empathic pattern in the residue.

Like a psychic photograph.

That's what triggered
my hallucination.

My mind took elements from my life
and created a situation

that in many ways mirrored
what happened to Pierce.

If you hadn't been there, I would
have jumped, just like he did.

Counsellor.

When I pulled you
from the plasma stream,

you seemed surprised I was alive.

Well, actually, in my hallucination,
you were killed.

May I ask by whom?

Well, you know what they say,
Mr Worf.

Hell hath no fury
like a woman scorned.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.