Episode 275: "Emergence" 

Picard and the crew are concerned when an unexplained series of mechanical malfunctions occurs aboard the Enterprise. First, a runaway train suddenly appears in the Holodeck, then the ship takes itself into warp and locks out all propulsion access. Determined to regain control, Picard orders an emergency core shutdown, but before Geordi can carry out the order, the ship takes itself out of warp. An investigation reveals the Enterprise somehow protected itself — it would have exploded just a moment later if it didn't go to warp.
Wondering how the ship was able to do this, Geordi and Data investigate and discover a complex network of nodes and circuitry forming at several points on the ship. When Geordi attempts to examine one of the nodes, it defends itself by emitting a force field. Since the nodes appear to converge in the Holodeck, Riker, Data, and Worf investigate, and are shocked to find several different programs running at once, with characters from all of them riding as passengers on a train. Data attempts to depolarize the power grid, but the characters stop him, then change the train's direction and force Data, Worf, and Riker to leave. At the same time, the Enterprise slips back into warp, and Picard realizes he may not be able to stop it. Data then deduces that the ship is somehow forming its own intelligence.

Data believes that the computer's ability to see, talk, and even reproduce somehow enabled it to go beyond those capacities to learn to think for itself. Since the Holodeck appears to be the focal point, Data and Worf return to the train with Troi. They notice the recurring image of a three-dimensional molecule, and Troi questions a hitman who protects a gold brick and tells her he has to get to Keystone City. The train reaches its destination, and Troi follows him to a brick wall, where he inserts his gold brick and announces that he is laying the foundations. Meanwhile, Picard and Geordi detect strange activity in Cargo Bay Five, where Geordi discovers a glowing shape that looks like the molecule image.

Back on the Holodeck, Data depolarizes the power grid. Suddenly, the ship starts to shake, and Geordi orders Data to stop, then later surmises that the ship is protecting the object being created in the Cargo Bay. Troi adds that the characters in the Holodeck could represent specific aspects of the ship, and Picard encourages her to interact with them again in hopes of gaining control. This time, Troi, Data, and Worf cooperate with the characters, and power and life support systems are immediately restored. Picard and Riker notice that the ship has arrived at a white dwarf star and transports vertion particles back to Cargo Bay Five via a tractor beam. When the supply of particles is exhausted, the "molecule" in the bay goes dark, the Holodeck characters become distraught and the train derails.

The entire ship shuts down, and Picard and Riker join Geordi in the Cargo Bay. They examine the "molecule" and realize that the Enterprise is attempting to create a lifeform — one that will die if more vertion particles aren't found. Abruptly, the ship starts moving again, this time in the direction of another white dwarf. Unfortunately, the trip will exhaust the ship's oxygen supply, killing everyone unless something is done. Picard realizes their only hope is to create an artificial source of vertion particles. But while Geordi believes this can be done in a nearby nebula, Troi, Worf, and Data must somehow convince the Holodeck characters to change direction. Amazingly, they manage to do so, the particles are created, and the entire scene, including the mysterious new lifeform which has now formed, disappears into space, bringing the U.S.S. Enterprise back to normal.

Production: 275
Season: 7 Episode: 23

Original Air Date: 05.09.1994
Stardate: 47869.2

Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
Brent Spiner as Data
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
David Huddleston as Conductor
Vinny Argiro as Hitman
Thomas Kopache as Engineer
Arlee Reed as Hayseed
Many of the crew were avid fans of Japanese animation, and often put in references to their favorite shows. This includes the "Exocomps" in the episode "Quality of Life" were modeled after the robot Namno from "Dirty Pair," while other episodes often referenced characters from "Urusei Yatsura" (1981). The "Akira-class" starships are also meant as a double reference to the Anime film of the same name and director Akira Kurosawa. The alien race of the Nausicaans might also have been named after the title character from "Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind".

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                STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 
                              
                          "Emergence" 
                          #40277-275 
                              
                           Story by 
                         Brannon Braga 
                              
                          Teleplay by 
                          Joe Menosky 
                              
                          Directed by 
                          Cliff Bole 
THE WRITING CREDITS MAY NOT BE FINAL AND SHOULD NOT BE USED
FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING
WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
Copyright 1994 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights
Reserved. This script is not for publication or
reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If
lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department.
                         FINAL DRAFT
                       FEBRUARY 17, 1994
           STAR TREK: "Emergence" - 02/17/94 - CAST 
                STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 
                          "Emergence" 
                             CAST                               
                              
            PICARD                  CONDUCTOR
            RIKER                   ENGINEER
            DATA                    HAYSEED
            BEVERLY                 HITMAN
            TROI               
            WORF               
            GEORDI  
           
            Non-Speaking            Non-Speaking
             N.D. SUPERNUMERARIES    FLAPPERS
                                     MAN IN GREY FLANNEL SUIT
                                     GUNSLINGER
           STAR TREK: "Emergence" - 02/17/94 - SETS 
                STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 
                          "Emergence" 
                             SETS 
            INTERIORS                  EXTERIORS
          
            USS ENTERPRISE             USS ENTERPRISE
              BRIDGE
              CORRIDOR                 NEW YORK STREET/SUBWAY
              SICKBAY                  NY STREET/CONSTRUCTION
              ENGINEERING               SITE
              JEFFERIES TUBE           NY STREET/INTERSECTION
              HOLODECK
                TRAIN/SALON CAR        PROBE
                TRAIN/ENGINE ROOM
          
              OBSERVATION LOUNGE
              CARGO BAY
              READY ROOM
    STAR TREK: "Emergence" - 02/18/94 - PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 
                STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 
                          "Emergence" 
                            
                      PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 
                   CORDANNAS      kore-DAN-us
                   GIORDANO       jee-or-DON-oh
                   MEKORDA        meh-CORE-da

Click this link to view the complete script in a TXT format