Curious to see how three
of history's greatest minds might interact in an unique
setting, Data plays poker in the Holodeck with
computer-generated recreations of Professor Stephen
Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Sir Isaac Newton. However,
just after Hawking wins a hand, the U.S.S. Enterprise
goes to Red Alert in response to a distress call from
the Ohniaka III outpost.
When the Enterprise arrives, a menacing-looking alien
vessel of an unknown design is found in orbit around the
planet. Efforts to communicate with it yield nothing, so
Riker, Worf and Data transport to the surface, finding
only dead bodies in the science station. Then, Data
opens a door to encounter ... one of the Borg. Several
more of the warrior aliens charge in, attacking the
officers, while in space the strange vessel suddenly
fires on the Enterprise. However, the Borg on the
surface are not performing as the calm, mindless drones
encountered in previous battles, but are instead quick,
vicious — ready to kill instead of assimilate ... and
are behaving like individuals. They focus on Data,
surprisingly identify him by name, then quickly rush
him. The emotionless android becomes enraged, slams a
Borg against the wall, and violently beats him to death.
The other Borg abruptly disappear, then the alien vessel
moves away and travels into a blinding flash of light,
vanishing. Riker and Worf stare at Data, who realizes
the impossible — he got angry.
In the Holodeck, Data
recreates his fight with the Borg, but cannot recapture
the anger. He returns to duty as they go to Red Alert —
the Borg are attacking the MS 1 Colony. Curious, Picard
wonders why the Enterprise in both cases happened to be
the nearest ship to these conflicts. They encounter the
same alien vessel, which escapes again into the flash of
light — but this time, the Enterprise gets drawn into
the strange subspace distortion with it.
Returning to normal
space, the alien vessel immediately fires upon the
Enterprise. Two Borg materialize onto the Bridge, but
Worf quickly kills one attacker and wounds the other.
After the fight ends, they realize the Borg ship has
once again vanished. Placed in the Brig, the survivor
tells Picard he is called Crosis, a name given to him by
an entity called the One. Data is left alone with Crosis,
who tells the android he is perfect for assimilation.
While talking, Crosis surreptitiously touches a control
on his artificial arm, and Data's head tilts very subtly
in response. Crosis reminds Data about the pleasure he
felt killing the Borg on Ohniaka III, and slowly
convinces Data that it is worth anything to feel an
emotion again — even if it means killing his friend
Geordi. Abruptly, a shuttlecraft leaves the Enterprise,
emitting a tachyon pulse that causes the subspace
distortion to appear. The shuttlecraft and the light
then vanish. The passengers: Crosis and Data.
Geordi duplicates the
tachyon pulse, and the Enterprise travels through one of
the subspace conduits, exiting 65 light-years from where
they were. The shuttlecraft's energy trail is traced to
an unexplored planet. Riker, Worf, and a heavily-armed
away team transport down and find the shuttlecraft, now
abandoned.
Picard institutes a
massive search for Data, utilizing all available
personnel, including himself, and leaves Dr. Crusher in
command of the Enterprise. Picard's team, composed of
Geordi, Troi and a security guard, search for hours,
then discover a large alien building. They enter a huge,
empty, foreboding room that seems to be some kind of
meeting hall, and realize it could be a trap, but before
they can escape, huge groups of Borg run in from
everywhere, screaming incessantly and trapping the away
team. The security guard tries to fire, but the
surrounding Borg kill him on the spot. They close in on
Picard, Geordi and Troi, who prepare to face certain
death, when a voice commands the Borg to stop. The three
officers turn toward the voice and are stunned to see
Lore, Data's "brother." |
