Alright, come in!
- Guinan, what's wrong? - I need a doctor.
Geordi beat me in straight sets. I think I have tennis elbow.
Well, you better go to sickbay. I think Dr Selar's on duty.
I don't want to see Dr Selar. I'm particular about my doctors.
You better get a new one. I'm not a doctor on this ship any more.
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.
A three-day shuttle to Starbase 23, transport back to Earth.
I can hear Admiral Brooks telling me how I've disgraced Starfleet Medical.
Then a day and a half before the inquiry begins and my career ends.
Beverly?
- My elbow. - Your elbow.
Let me see it.
Does this hurt?
- Yes, right there. - That's tennis elbow alright.
Here, hold your arm like this.
You know, I've never been to a formal inquiry.
I'll see if I can arrange one for you!
All you have to do is disobey orders, violate medical ethics
and cause an interstellar incident.
I guess that would do it.
Make a fist.
Do I have to hit you with my fist before you tell me what happened?
It started when those scientists came on board.
No. It started when I got curious.
Nothing wrong with that.
That's why I went to the Altine Conference.
I'd heard of a subspace technology developed by a Ferengi, a Dr Reyga.
A Ferengi scientist.
His invention was based on metaphasic fields,
but his methodology was most unorthodox.
- I like unorthodox. - Too bad you weren't there.
Nobody else would listen to him.
They all but jeered him off the stage.
But I had read his paper and his work was extraordinary.
So you gathered all these scientists to come hear this Ferengi.
Yes. I hoped I could be a facilitator.
I thought if I invited scientists from various cultures,
I could help them to understand the value of his ideas.
- Like a scientific diplomat. - Exactly.
After asking the Captain, I rounded up as many scientists as I could
from the field of subspace technology.
But of all the scientists I invited,
only four were interested in hearing about Dr Reyga's invention.
And I wasn't altogether sure they were going to be compatible.
Kurak was a warp-field specialist on the Klingon Homeworld.
I don't think Klingons regard scientists highly.
She always seemed a little defensive.
Dr T'Pan is practically a legend in the field of subspace morphology.
She's been Director of the Vulcan Science Academy for 15 years.
Her husband, Dr Christopher, came with her.
He was some kind of subspace theoretician.
Jo'Bril was a Takaran, the first one I'd ever met.
I had no idea what to expect from him.
And then there was Dr Reyga, the Ferengi scientist.
You've all seen my experimental data.
The metaphasic shield has been proven.
Forgive my scepticism, Doctor, but your claims are extravagant.
Protect a shuttle within a star's corona?
Not even your government believes it.
That's why I've invited you all here.
You have the vision to see the potential of the metaphasic shield.
I need help to develop the shield.
I will grant exclusive rights to whoever provides the resources.
I think you all realize what this shielding process could mean.
The possibilities of exploration and research are endless.
But only if it works.
I'm not convinced this metaphasic shield can withstand
the temperature or the radiation it would be exposed to.
But it has! Not only in countless simulations,
but in a field test that I conducted myself.
For which, of course, we have only your word.
Are you accusing me of falsifying my data?
You would not be the first scientist to manipulate experimental data.
Dr Reyga has offered to demonstrate his invention.
He's outfitted one of our shuttles with his shield.
I will take it into the corona of the star Vaytan.
That star has a dense corona and would emit very intense radiation.
It would be wise to choose a star of lesser magnitude.
I agree.
My own research suggests Vaytan's corona is extremely unstable.
What better way to test my invention?
I'm not concerned. The shield will hold.
I for one would feel more comfortable if someone else flew the shuttle.
Someone more objective.
I will volunteer for that.
I've spent years studying solar-plasma reactions.
The thought of being able to penetrate a star's corona.
It is a remarkable opportunity.
I've studied your data, Dr Reyga. You're on solid scientific ground.
I do not share your optimism, but if you wish to pilot the craft,
I would be more confident in your assessment than Dr Reyga's.
I agree. We need an impartial evaluation.
You'll have to know the controls and Dr Reyga's modifications.
I am an accomplished pilot. It will be no problem.
Well, what do you think?
I am gratified, Dr Jo'Bril.
It will not be difficult to operate the metaphasic controls.
The system activates automatically as you approach the star.
Well, then, we'll proceed at 1500 hours.
We'll meet on the bridge.
It wasn't ex actly an enthusiastic response to Dr Reyga's technology,
but given the circumstances and the quarrelsome personalities,
I was quite pleased.
- I thought it went well. Didn't you? - Thanks to you, Doctor.
I didn't do anything.
This is a chance I would never have had without you. I won't forget it.
Some of them still seem doubtful, but I'm sure they'll come around.
If I'm used to anything, it's scepticism.
After all, a Ferengi scientist is almost a contradiction in terms.
No, don't deny it. I know how the Ferengi are regarded.
I still expect the scientific community to be a little more open.
Well, the shield is a breakthrough. Many have tried to develop it.
It's only natural that there would be some resistance.
You mean jealousy. I know.
That might account for Dr T'Pan's attitude.
She's been working on that technology for years and you beat her to it.
I'm not interested in competition.
All I want is to be acknowledged. Respected as a scientist.
This invention will finally do that.
I figured the hard part was over.
I'd stepped out on a limb and it hadn't broken.
Not bad for my first venture into scientific diplomacy.
Captain, the shuttle has been launched.
On screen. Open a channel.
I am one million kilometers from the star's corona.
At three-quarters impulse,
I should reach it in approximately three minutes.
The metaphasic shielding has begun to form.
External temperature is 0.9 million Kelvins and rising.
Radiation levels are nearing 10,000 rads.
- That shouldn't effect the shuttle. - That's right.
Cabin temperature is 21 degrees and the radiation levels are normal.
Wait. I'm reading elevated neutrino levels in the cabin.
Those are from the subspace field around the shuttle.
Well within acceptable parameters.
Outside temperature rising rapidly. 1 .7 million Kelvins.
Temperature is still 21 degrees and the shield is holding.
350, 000 kilometers and closing.
This is incredible. I am actually flying into a star!
Congratulations, Doctor. This is an amazing achievement.
Radiation levels outside the shuttle are nearing 14,000 rads.
Cabin temperature is still normal.
I am now engulfed in the corona. It's astonishing.
You see, Doctors? Metaphasic shielding is a reality.
Dr Jo'Bril, can you give us an estimate of the plasma turbulence?
Dr Jo'Bril?
- Something's wrong. - What's going on, Mr. Data?
Sensors indicate increased baryon particles in the cabin.
No! That's not possible.
Dr Jo'Bril, can you hear me? Please respond.
Baryon levels are continuing to rise, sir.
I don't understand. This shouldn't happen!
- Mr. Worf, can you beam him out? - The solar radiation is interfering.
He must be at least 500,000 kilometers
from the star before we can get a transporter lock.
- We're losing him. - Dr Jo'Bril, listen to me.
It is imperative that you turn the shuttle.
Take it out of the corona. Do you understand me?
Pilot the shuttle away from the star.
The shuttle is emerging.
- Mr. Worf, get a lock on him. - Beam him directly to sickbay.
At that point the doubts of the others seemed justified.
I had no idea what had gone wrong
or how badly Dr Jo'Bril had been injured,
but I knew this could stop Reyga
being accepted by the scientific community.
20cc inaprovaline.
It's not working. Cortical stimulators.
Now.
Again.
I saw the sun.
So that was my first experience as a scientific diplomat.
A complete failure.
- I don't understand. - No?
I mean, I've lost patients before.
But this was different.
You know, when you're a doctor and you have patients, you're in control.
But when you send somebody on a mission,
all you can do is sit and watch.
That's what I felt. Helpless.
Anybody would. Don't be too hard on yourself.
What you say reminds me of something Jean-Luc said to me
when I was doing the autopsy on Jo'Bril.
It was the most puzzling autopsy I've done, and the most frustrating.
Jo'Bril's anatomy was unlike any I'd encountered,
and I've run into some unusual specimens.
How's it going?
I've never run into a humanoid species like this before.
His internal physiology is baffling.
He doesn't seem to have any discrete organs,
not in the traditional sense.
Practically every system is equally distributed throughout the body.
That should make him incredibly resistant to any injury.
So whatever killed him occurred at the cellular level.
- Any idea what it was? - No.
Something caused a system-wide failure, but I don't know what.
Were the solar radiation levels high enough to kill him?
His exposure to the star's radiation was minimal.
It's all very strange.
There's no apparent cause of death.
Doctor, here's the result of the tissue scan you asked for.
That's odd. The rate of cellular decay is extremely low.
Beverly, the answers will come.
Maybe even minimal exposure to radiation
altered the cellular physiology.
You know, you've been at this for hours.
- You need a good night's sleep. - I can't sleep.
I want to find out what killed him. I owe that to Dr Reyga.
You're doing it for him or yourself?
What do you mean?
You're the loneliest person in the world now.
No one can say anything, no one can do anything that will help.
And you think it will never go away. And you're right, it won't.
But you can get used to it.
I know it doesn't feel like that now, but you can.
At the time, I was too preoccupied with my problems
to understand what he was saying.
I wasn't thinking about the rest of my life.
I was trying to make sense of what had happened.
And I wasn't alone.
Jo'Bril's death had raised a lot of questions.
Geordi and Data were determined to find out what had gone wrong.
They went over every millimetre of the shuttle, with Dr Reyga's help.
Run a diagnostic on the EPS flow regulator.
The flow regulator is functioning normally.
And the fuel emitter? Has it maintained polarity?
Yes.
- The radial-force compensator? - I cannot locate any malfunctions.
All systems are operating according to your design specifications.
- Did you find anything? - No.
There must be something we've overlooked.
I've found damage to the hull.
That confirms your shield was breached by baryonic radiation.
Were the levels high enough to damage tissue?
I don't know.
Perhaps there was an interaction between the radiation and the shield.
No, that's not possible!
I anticipated every contingency.
Then maybe Jo'Bril ran into something which you didn't anticipate
and your shield just wasn't able to protect him.
My shield was not at fault.
Reyga seemed angry, but I knew it was because he was so disappointed.
Everything he'd worked for, hoped for, was slipping away.
And that made what I had to do next even harder.
In light of what happened,
it would be inappropriate to continue further testing.
If Dr Reyga perfects his metaphasic technology, we can try again.
Dr Crusher, please.
If I could have a little more time to investigate,
I could find what went wrong.
But that won't bring back Jo'Bril, will it?
I do not believe the shield will ever work.
Its very concept is flawed.
Just one more test.
Whom do you propose we sacrifice next?
- I will pilot the shuttle myself. - I'm sorry.
I'm responsible for the health and safety of all the people aboard.
I will not authorize further tests.
Very well.
But I will prove myself!
I had to admire his tenacity. He just wouldn't accept defeat.
I hoped he would prove himself.
But that was the last time I saw him alive.
We were in science lab four
when the ship's sensors registered a sizable plasma surge there.
Look at this. A plasma infuser.
It's completely discharged. It must have killed him instantly.
Perhaps he could not live with his failure and took his own life.
Or perhaps someone just wanted it to look that way.
Isn't it odd he held on so tightly to the infuser when it was discharged?
The normal reflex would be to drop it.
It could have affected his nervous system,
causing him to grip tighter.
I'll know when I do the autopsy.
- Is your examination complete? - For now.
- Have his body taken to the morgue. - Very well.
I remembered his passion and commitment
and his determination to prove himself,
and I was sure that this man had not taken his own life.
If anyone could understand that, I knew it would be Capt Picard.
I was with him right before he died. He was not suicidal.
But by your own admission, Reyga was a difficult man to understand.
Isn't it possible that he was simply masking his feelings?
I don't think so.
He was disappointed at the failure of his device
and he was upset at Jo'Bril's death,
but I never felt he was ready to end his own life.
If that's true, then someone killed him.
- Do you have any evidence of that? - Not yet.
But when I finish the autopsy, I hope I'll have it.
Beverly.
I'm afraid there will be no autopsy. The family were contacted.
They insist he must not be touched until they perform the death ritual.
But there's a question as to how he died.
- To them it's irrelevant. - I'll speak to them.
Believe me, they're adamant.
We rendezvous with a Ferengi vessel in 17 hours.
They will pick up Reyga's body then.
- Sorry. There will be no autopsy. - Jean-Luc, I cannot just drop this.
Don't you see? There may have been a murder.
Then you will have to find evidence some way other than an autopsy.
Isn't it pretty clear that Reyga died from a plasma discharge?
It won't be clear until after an autopsy.
He could have been poisoned
and had the infuser put in his hand after he died.
- He was murdered? - I don't discount the possibility.
Without a complete autopsy, there's no way to know for certain.
- Why won't the Ferengi allow it? - It's their death rituals.
A body can't be violated before it's buried.
The family cares more about ritual than finding out how he died.
I just can't get the information I need from a tricorder scan.
Suspects. If Reyga didn't kill himself, someone else did.
So who are the possible suspects?
Whoever would gain from his death.
The only ones to fit that category are the other scientists.
I don't understand. Do you have evidence that Reyga was murdered?
No, but I can't believe he took his own life
and I would like to explore any possibilities.
Why would anyone kill him?
I was wondering if you had some thoughts along that line.
I see. You are suggesting that I had such a motive.
Had Reyga's technology been successful,
you might have been displaced as the top scientist in your field.
But since it wasn't successful, it's illogical to say I had such a motive.
I must say I resent this, Doctor.
We have all been shocked by recent events.
There's nothing to gain by dragging us through these insinuations.
I'm just trying to uncover the truth and I need your help to do it.
Have you seen or heard anything
that might suggest someone else had a motive?
We want to forget the unpleasantness of these past several days,
not have it stirred up again.
I find it disturbing that you would try to foster suspicions among us.
Forgive me. I don't mean to upset you.
But have you noticed anything unusual?
I find your question distasteful.
Is there something you're not telling me?
I'm sure it's nothing.
I was in the science-laboratory store room yesterday.
Kurak was working in the lab.
Reyga came in and they got into an argument.
About what?
I don't know.
I couldn't hear anything clearly
until they started to shout at one another.
Then I heard Kurak say that Reyga had insulted her honour
and no Klingon would stand for that.
I do not believe she killed him.
These were words spoken in anger.
Kurak is volatile, passionate, but not a killer.
And, Doctor, neither are we.
Thank you.
I knew he might be right about Kurak.
Klingons make threats as a matter of course.
On the other hand, sometimes they follow through.
That looks like one of Dr Reyga's shield configurations.
Yes. Personal research.
Even though this technology failed?
No one has denied there is potential in the idea.
Which you're now free to develop.
Are you accusing me of something?
No. But I want to know why you threatened Dr Reyga.
I warned Dr Reyga
that if he persisted in his slander, he would pay the price.
What was his accusation?
I will not repeat his lies.
Were they lies?
Be careful, Doctor.
Insulting the honour of a Klingon can be extremely dangerous.
Did Reyga make that mistake?
I have heard enough of your accusations!
Now I will have your silence!
Well, you'll have to throw me a lot harder than that.
Now, what did he accuse you of?
Sabotage.
Of the metaphasic shield? Was that why it failed?
- How would I know? - Did you sabotage the project?
No. I did not.
Goodbye, Doctor!
Kurak refused to say anything more.
I wasn't sure if her silence was motivated by guilt
or just Klingon pride.
I was finding out that investigating a murder
was a little more perilous than I'd thought.
And for everything I'd been through,
I didn't have any more insight than I did before I started.
Which brought me back to Reyga's body.
The more I thought about it,
the more it seemed that the answers had to be there.
DNA traces, tissue anomalies,
a wealth of forensic clues that could shed light on the mystery.
So I made the decision.
Come.
Beverly.
This is something you need to know, but you're not gonna like it.
I did an autopsy on Dr Reyga.
What did you find?
Nothing.
I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done it.
You most certainly should not.
I made it clear that the family would not allow it.
Not only have you disobeyed my orders,
but you've interfered in the rituals of another culture.
You've put both of us in a difficult position.
The family will have to be notified.
I don't doubt that they will react strongly.
If the Ferengi government becomes involved, as I'm certain they will,
this could have very significant repercussions.
I'm not sure how much I can protect you.
You don't have to, Jean-Luc.
I knew what I was doing and I'm prepared to accept the consequences.
I could tell he was terribly disappointed in me
and that was almost the hardest part of all.
So that's the story. That's how I ended my career.
- Backhand volley. - What?
That's how I did it. Geordi kept hitting to my backhand.
Guinan, two people died on this ship, two lives ended horribly,
and you're worried about your tennis game?
- Are you upset? - You tell me.
You're supposed to be wise.
If you are upset, why mope here? Why don't you do something about it?
I've done all I could think of. It got me fired.
- You think Dr Reyga killed himself? - No.
- You think a murderer is on board? - Yes.
- Then why are you sitting here? - If I start digging around again...
You could be relieved of duty.
Chief Medical Officer's log, personal, stardate 46830. 1.
I leave the ship tomorrow to attend the board of inquiry.
That means I have less than 24 hours to get to the bottom of this mystery.
What are you doing?
I am running diagnostics
to make sure there was no permanent radiation damage to the shuttle hull.
You've studied Dr Reyga's shield system.
Do you think it was sabotaged?
There was no evidence to support that.
Just consider the possibility.
Access to the circuitry is prevented unless the shield emitter is active.
Any attempt at sabotage had to be made with the shield in operation.
The only time the shield was active was during the test flight.
Correct.
It is unlikely Jo'Bril would perform sabotage resulting in his own death.
I agree.
Would it be possible to sabotage the shuttle by remote during the flight?
A phased ionic pulse beamed into the metaphasic matrix
would result in a temporary system malfunction.
Where on board could you generate such a pulse?
It could be initiated from the lateral sensor array,
science labs one, four and 16, or the bridge science stations.
Let's assume someone did send out a phased ionic pulse.
What would have happened inside the shuttle?
A tetryon field would be formed in the cabin,
disrupting the metaphasic shield.
A tetryon field?
If Jo'Bril was exposed to a tetryon field,
it might have left traces in his tissue.
Thanks, Data.
- Beverly? - Yes?
The shuttle will take you to Starbase 23.
- You leave at 0700 hours tomorrow. - Thank you.
About everything that's going on. I'm sorry.
- I'm sure it will all work out. - Of course.
You know the inquiry is just a formality.
- Capt Picard will do all he can. - I'm sure that'll help.
But if you do anything foolish before that, it won't look good.
- I don't know what you mean. - I think you do know what I mean.
You ought to go to your quarters and read a good book.
If you make the situation worse, it'll be that much harder on you.
- Thank you. Your concern is noted. - Beverly!
I'm saying this to you as a friend.
Yes, Will, I know.
But, as a friend, please try to understand that I can't quit now
and I don't want you to become involved in this.
Computer, access ship's Medical logs and download current autopsy files.
Autopsy files are restricted to active Medical personnel only.
- Access denied. - Damn!
Dr Crusher? What do you need the autopsy files for?
Don't worry. I know I shouldn't be here. I'll go.
Computer, ...
..access autopsy files.
You'll need the files on Dr Reyga and Jo'Bril?
- Alyssa... - I can see this is important to you.
- I don't want you to get involved. - Is that an order?
- Yes. - Too bad you're not my boss now.
Thank you.
- So what do we do now? - Review the physiology records.
Then look again at the body to see if there's any tetryon traces.
Let's do it.
We need to run a tissue scan at the molecular level.
Calibrate the scanner to pick up tetryon particles.
Yes, Doctor.
- Recalibration complete. - Activate the scan.
Nothing.
Let's do it again.
Use the enhanced resolution mode to boost the sensitivity.
- Something in the subdermal tissue. - Narrow the scan field.
Tetryon traces!
Someone did sabotage the shield.
That's a possibility, but this is very circumstantial evidence.
There's only one way to know for certain.
Captain, I'm concerned about Beverly.
I've tried to talk to her but she's been avoiding me.
I'm not surprised.
This experience has been...
Captain. An unscheduled launch is taking place in shuttle bay two.
No idea. No one's filed a flight plan.
On screen.
That's the Justman, the shuttle Reyga modified.
Open a hailing frequency.
Dr Crusher, what do you think you're doing?
Testing a theory, Captain.
A theory?
I think Dr Reyga's shield does work.
Return to the ship immediately.
I'm sorry.
Mr. Worf, override the shuttle's computer.
Aye, sir.
Sir, she has isolated her navigational control.
Remote operation is not possible.
Get a tractor beam on her.
I cannot establish a lock. Solar interference is too high.
- Mr. Data, what is her heading? - Bearing 271, mark four, sir.
She is headed into the sun's corona.
Computer, begin monitoring external temperature.
External temperature 0.8 million Kelvins and rising.
What do you hope to accomplish?
I think Dr Reyga was right about his shield.
It failed because it was sabotaged. I'm going to prove it.
You can't be certain. You're betting your life on a hypothesis.
I'm not wrong.
External temperature 1.9 million Kelvins.
Sir, the shuttle is entering the corona.
What's happening?
I'm alright.
- Computer? Shield status. - Metaphasic shield holding.
All systems within normal operating parameters.
Congratulations, Dr Reyga. You did it.
Captain, post Security guards around the three visiting scientists.
One of them is responsible for sabotaging the first test.
I think if we...
Sir, we have lost contact.
Crusher to Enterprise. I've lost you. Come in.
Justman to Enterprise. Come in.
Enterprise, do you hear me?
They cannot hear you.
- I have severed communications. - How can you be alive?
I'd think after your autopsy on me you'd know the answer to that.
The slow rate of cellular decay.
It is a natural result of physiostasis.
Takarans can control their physiology at a cellular level.
We can create the appearance of death.
In the morgue, you were conscious. You heard everything we said.
You knew everything we were going to do.
Move away.
Move away.
What are you doing?
I'm sending out a transient subspace signal.
It will obscure the shuttle from the Enterprise sensors.
They will interpret it as a warp-engine breach.
They will believe that you have been destroyed.
- I'd like to thank you, Doctor. - For what?
All I wanted to do was discredit Reyga
so that no one would pursue his technology except me.
But you have given me more than I could have hoped.
Now I can take the prototype itself back to Takara,
where I will develop it into a weapon.
All I need do is wait here
until the Enterprise is convinced you are dead and leaves.
Captain, there is no indication of debris.
However, the subspace signal indicates a warp-engine breach.
Begin a search, starting with the shuttle's last known coordinates.
Plot a course toward the star.
Sir, we are picking up an object emerging from the corona.
Crusher to Enterprise. I'm alright. Returning to the ship.
And I finally have the answers I've been looking for.
Chief Medical Officer's log, stardate 46831.2.
I have been reinstated and I will resume my duties shortly.
In the meantime, I have a personal matter to attend to.
- Hi, Guinan. - Hello. Somebody's birthday?
Not unless it's yours. It's for you.
What's the occasion?
It's a thank-you. For giving me a kick in the butt.
Now, I didn't...
I did some research. This is the latest design, state of the art.
It is specifically designed to cushion all vibrations,
so you will never have tennis elbow again.
Thank you, Doctor.
This looks like a great racket, but I don't play tennis. Never have.