But then I said, "In that frame of reference,
Mercury's perihelion would have precessed in the opposite direction!"
A great story!
Quite amusing, Dr Hawking.
Sir Isaac, the joke depends
on an understanding of the curvature of space-time.
If two non-inertial reference frames are...
Do not patronize me, sir. I invented physics.
The day the apple fell on my head was the most momentous day in science.
Not the apple story again!
That story is considered apocryphal.
What? How dare you!
Perhaps we should get on to the game?
Now, where were we? Yes, you raised Mr. Data four.
Which means that the bet is seven to me?
The bet is ten! Can't you do simple arithmetic?
I don't know why I'm here in the first place.
What is the point of this ridiculous game?
When I play poker with my shipmates,
it is a useful forum for exploring the different facets of humanity.
I was curious to see
how three of history's greatest minds would interact.
So far, it has proved to be most illuminating.
And profitable!
Can we get this over with, please?
It's your bet.
- I raise 50. - Blast! I fold.
I fold as well.
The uncertainty principle will not help you now, Stephen.
All the quantum fluctuations in the universe will not change your cards.
I call. You are bluffing, and you will lose.
Wrong again, Albert.
Well...
Red alert. All personnel to duty stations.
We will have to continue this another time.
End program.
We received a call from the Ohniaka III outpost.
They said they were under attack.
Ohniaka III? It has no strategic value.
- Did they identify the attackers? - No, and we've lost contact.
- We are entering the Ohniaka system. - Bring us out of warp, Ensign.
There is one ship orbiting the third planet.
- Its configuration is unknown. - Stand by phasers and torpedoes.
- Hail them, Mr. Worf. - No response, sir.
Put them on screen.
- It is not attacking the outpost. - They might have attacked already.
Or they might simply be another victim.
What about the outpost?
There was a lot of electromagnetic interference.
I do not know if there are any life forms present.
Worf, Data, you're with me.
These wounds were caused by a plasma beam, similar to a Ferengi phaser.
It's brutal even for the Ferengi. Any sign of the survivors?
Electromagnetic interference is still making a reading difficult.
- How many people worked here? - 27 4.
We need to do a search.
Worf and Corelki, north wing. You and I will take the south.
The mechanism appears to be jammed, sir.
Not much damage.
They weren't interested in the station, just the people.
I have bypassed the primary system.
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.
Evasive manoeuvres, Ensign. Return fire.
Shields down to 80 percent. Compensating with auxiliary power.
You have killed Torsus. I will make you suffer for this.
Biological organism, Klingon.
Biological organism, human.
Stop it.
Stop!
Artificial life form.
Starfleet rank, lieutenant commander.
Name, Data.
- The alien ship is breaking orbit. - Intercept course. Fire torpedoes.
They're gone, sir.
There was some kind of subspace distortion before they disappeared.
I'll have to study these readings before I can get any more specific.
- Take us back to Ohniaka III. - Aye, sir.
Data?
Data, are you alright?
- Yes, sir. - What happened?
I got angry.
Captain's log, stardate 46982. 1.
Because of his unusual behaviour on the planet's surface,
Cmdr Data has asked to be temporarily relieved of duty.
Unfortunately, he will not be able to help investigate
a disturbing new change in the behaviour of the Borg.
They were fast, aggressive, almost vicious.
It was more like fighting Klingons than Borg. No offence.
None taken.
I don't believe they were part of the Borg collective.
- They were acting as individuals. - What?!
One of them referred to himself as "l".
And he showed concern for a comrade. He even called him by name.
The only Borg who had a name was Hugh. And we gave it to him.
Maybe Hugh has something to do with this change in their behaviour.
Did they show any interest in assimilating you or your technology?
They were concerned with their dead colleague and killing us.
Nothing suggested they wanted to assimilate anybody.
The Borg's existence centred around acquiring cultures and technology.
If that's changed, then they must have a new objective.
We have to find out what it is.
Mr. Worf, from now on I want to maintain a level-two security alert.
- Post armed officers on all decks. - Aye, sir.
Number One, analyze our sensor readings of the Borg ship.
Try to determine if it was something they constructed
or an alien ship that they captured,
then run an analysis of this subspace distortion they used to escape.
- Aye, sir. - I'll contact Starfleet Command.
Well, the positronic net checks out.
Everything else looks fine.
My internal diagnostic also finds nothing wrong.
Nothing here indicates anything that might cause any behavioural anomaly.
I agree.
Geordi, I believe I have experienced my first emotion.
No offence, Data,
but how would you know a flash of anger from some kind of power surge?
You are correct in that I have no frame of reference for my hypothesis.
In fact, I am unable to give a verbal description of the experience.
Perhaps you could describe how it feels to be angry.
I could then use that as a reference.
Yeah, OK.
Well, when I feel angry, first I...
First, I feel...
..hostile.
Could you describe feeling hostile?
Yeah, it's like feeling belligerent, combative.
Could you describe feeling angry without referring to other feelings?
No, I guess I can't.
I just feel angry.
That was my experience as well. I simply felt angry.
Well, let's say you're right and this is a real emotion.
How is that possible?
I do not know.
Perhaps I have evolved to the point where emotions are within my grasp.
Perhaps I will have other emotions as time goes by.
Well, I hope you're right.
I'd hate to think that anger is all you're capable of feeling.
Captain's log, stardate 46984.6.
No additional Borg attacks have been reported in the past two days.
However Starfleet has despatched Admiral Necheyev to this sector
in preparation for a possible Borg invasion.
There will be 15 starships in this sector by the day after tomorrow.
The Gorkon will be my flagship. You will command Task Force Three.
This ship, the Crazy Horse and the Agamemnon.
Understood.
Captain, I've read the report you submitted to Admiral Brooks last year
regarding the Borg you called Hugh.
I've tried to figure out why you let him go.
I thought that I had made that clear.
As I understand it, you found a single Borg at a crash site,
brought it aboard the Enterprise, studied it, analyzed it,
and eventually found a way to send it back to the Borg
with a program that would have destroyed the collective.
But instead you nursed the Borg back to health, treated it like a guest,
gave it a name and sent it home. Why?
When Hugh was separated from the Borg collective he began to grow,
to evolve into something other than an automaton.
He became a person.
When that happened,
I felt I had no choice but to respect his rights as an individual.
You had a choice.
You could have rid the Federation of a mortal enemy,
one that has killed tens of thousands of innocent people and may kill more.
No one is more aware of the danger than I am.
But I am also bound by my oath and my conscience
to uphold certain principles.
I will not sacrifice them...
Your priority is to protect our citizens,
not to wrestle with your conscience.
I want to make it clear that if you have a similar opportunity in future,
an opportunity to destroy the Borg,
you are under orders to take advantage of it.
Is that understood?
Yes, sir.
For the past six hours,
I have tried to produce an emotional response by using various stimuli.
Like what?
I listened to several operas known to be uplifting,
I watched three holodeck programs designed to be humorous,
and I made four attempts to induce sexual desire
by using erotic imagery.
- What happened? - Nothing.
I'm curious.
Why are you ignoring the one emotion you've already experienced?
Why aren't you trying to make yourself angry again?
Anger is negative. I wanted to concentrate on something positive.
Data, feelings aren't positive and negative, they simply exist.
It's what we do with them that becomes good or bad.
For example, feeling angry about an injustice
could lead someone to take a positive action to correct it.
But my study of humanity indicates that some emotions are harmful,
such as jealousy or hatred.
Those are very strong emotions
and you're right, very little good can come from them.
But I don't think that an exploration of anger
need necessarily lead to hatred or malice.
But what if it does, Counsellor?
What if those are the only emotions I am capable of experiencing?
Would that not make me a bad person?
We've served together a long time. I've come to know you pretty well.
I have to believe if you ever reach your goal of becoming human,
you won't become a bad one.
I wish I were as confident as you, Counsellor.
When I was fighting the Borg, I felt angry.
But when I think back on the incident,
I realize that I was also experiencing another sensation.
It was not the same as anger. But I think it was an emotion.
When exactly did you feel this other emotion?
It was just after I had killed the Borg.
I looked down at his body.
I felt something.
If you had to give this feeling a name, what would you call it?
I believe it was...
..pleasure.
Red alert! Battle stations. Lay in a course. Engage warp nine.
The New Berlin Colony say they're under attack.
- What's our ETA? - 15 minutes, 30 seconds.
Contact the Crazy Horse and the Agamemnon.
Incoming message from the New Berlin colony.
They have cancelled their distress call.
A Ferengi trading ship entered their system and they panicked.
Third time today. Stand down! Return to our patrol route.
Mr. Worf, acknowledge New Berlin's signal
and send another copy of Starfleet's ship-recognition protocols
and tell them to read it this time!
Aye, sir.
Captain's log, supplemental. We have been on patrol for 16 hours
without any reports of further Borg activity.
But tensions continue to run high on the colonies in this sector.
- Do I have a name? - I'm Beverly.
He's Geordi, and you... you...
No, wait a minute. That's it. Hugh!
We are Hugh.
Come.
This is the analysis of the subspace distortion the Borg used to escape.
"An artificially created energy conduit"?
- That could be anything. - We lack information.
I don't want excuses, I want answers!
I'm sorry.
He was here in this room, Will.
I could have rid the Federation of a mortal threat and I let him go.
Sending Hugh back to the Borg was a very risky, very dangerous choice.
But it was the moral thing to do.
It may turn out that the moral thing to do was not the right thing to do.
Stop it. Stop.
Data, am I interrupting?
Yes, but it is alright. Do you need me?
I wanted to see if you were ready to return to duty.
I need help with an analysis on the ship the Borg used.
I believe I am able to resume my duties.
Exactly what is it you're doing here?
I am attempting to recreate the experience which caused my anger.
- Any luck? - None so far.
I have almost completed this experiment.
- May I finish before we go? - Yeah, sure.
Computer, reset Borg simulation to time index 2.1 .
Increase Borg strength by 20 percent.
Run program.
Stop it. Stop.
Computer, reset simulation to time index 2.1 .
Increase Borg strength by 30 percent.
Unable to comply. A 30 percent increase would exceed safety limits.
The computer requires the voice authorization of two senior officers
in order to disable the safety routine.
- Will you help me? - Wait. That thing could kill you.
During the original incident, the Borg posed a danger to my life.
With the holodeck's safety routine in place, I know there is no danger.
Since I am trying to duplicate the conditions of the original incident,
I must also attempt to duplicate my jeopardy as well.
Data, we're talking about an experiment here.
You can't put your life on the line to prove some theory!
This experiment may hold the key to something I have sought all my life.
This is crazy! There's got to be another way.
Can't you think of some other way to make yourself angry?
I have tried other stimuli, but they have been unsuccessful.
I understand your objections,
but it is my life and I have a right to risk it if I choose.
Yeah, and I'm your friend and I'm not gonna let you do this.
Red alert! All hands, battle stations.
Confirmed. The MS 1 Colony is under attack.
Isn't it strange that in two Borg attacks,
we have been the nearest ship in both instances?
Captain, we are nearing the MS system.
The Borg ship is heading away from the colony.
- Take us out of warp near that ship. - Stand by to lock phasers on target.
- Within visual range. - On screen.
Lay in an intercept course. Lock phasers.
We are closing. Within phaser range in 30 seconds.
Sensors are detecting a subspace distortion ahead of the Borg ship.
They won't get away this time.
Engineering, transfer auxiliary and emergency power to impulse engines.
Acknowledged.
- Impulse engines now at 125 percent. - Within phaser range in ten seconds.
We appear to be caught in an energy matrix.
- All engines back full. - Shields failing.
We are being pulled inside.
Dampers failing.
Main power off line. I'm switching to backups.
Picard to Engineering, can we transfer auxiliary power?
Try to break us out by using the...
We have returned to normal space. Navigational systems still off line.
I will attempt a celestial fix using secondary systems.
Captain, the Borg ship is directly ahead. It is coming about.
- On screen. - Shields down to 16 percent.
Get down!
Franklin's dead, sir.
Is everyone else alright?
Aye, sir.
Security reports there are no other intruders aboard.
Captain.
The Borg ship is gone.
Sensor logs show they entered the distortion field 30 seconds ago.
They beamed on board as a diversion to give their ship time to escape.
Another change. They left their dead instead of vaporising them.
Captain, this one is still alive.
I've stabilized his condition.
He's still weak, but he should make a full recovery.
- Can you waken him? - Yes, but it's very risky.
- His heart rate is up. - Do it.
Alright.
Lower the force field.
What is your designation?
I do not have a designation.
My name is Crosis.
Crosis? How did you get that name?
- It was given to me by The One. - Who is that?
The one who will destroy you.
But you are Borg.
Your goal is not to destroy, but to assimilate us into your collective.
We do not assimilate inferior biological organisms.
We destroy them.
Tell me more about this One. Does he have a name?
Is he called Hugh?
Klingon. Shatter cranial exoskeleton at the tricipital lobe.
Death is immediate.
Why must this One destroy biological organisms?
Human.
Sever spinal cord. Death is immediate.
I am Locutus of Borg! You will respond to my questions.
This is going nowhere.
Doctor, do an autopsy on the other one.
Compare it with what we learned of Hugh's anatomy.
See if there have been any recent modifications
that explain behavioural differences.
Data, run a biospectral analysis on this Borg.
See if he is trying to send a subspace signal to the others.
Aye, sir.
You are not like the others.
You do not have to be destroyed. You can be assimilated.
- I do not wish to be assimilated. - Resistance is futile.
You will not resist what you've wanted all your life.
I was like you once.
Without feeling. But The One helped me.
He can help you, too. He can help you find emotion.
Have you ever felt a real emotion, Data?
Yes.
On Ohniaka III, I was forced to kill a Borg.
I got angry.
How did it feel to get angry? Did it give you pleasure?
It would be unethical to take pleasure in another's death.
You didn't answer my question.
Did it feel good to kill?
Yes.
If it is unethical to take pleasure from another being's death,
you must be a very unethical person.
No.
That is not correct.
My creator, Dr Soong, gave me a program
which defines my sense of right and wrong.
In essence, I have a conscience.
It didn't seem to be functioning on Ohniaka III
when you felt pleasure in killing that Borg.
Step away from the force field.
Your proximity is interfering with my scan.
You enjoyed it.
That surge of emotion inside you
as you watched the life drain from your victim.
It was unlike anything you've ever felt before.
It was a very potent experience.
You'd like to feel that way again.
Yes.
You'd do anything to feel that way again,
even if it meant killing someone.
No.
That would not be ethical.
You don't sound very sure. Is your ethical program functioning?
Data?
Do you have a friend?
Yes.
His name is Geordi.
If it meant that you could feel emotions again,
the way you did on Ohniaka III, would you kill your friend?
Would you kill Geordi?
Yes.
I would.
Our current theory is that the Borg have established transwarp conduits.
The ship enters the conduit and is immediately accelerated.
It's like falling into a river and being swept away by the current.
How fast would a ship travel through these conduits?
We don't know. Normal limitations don't apply to transwarp variables.
But I'd say, based on our trip through the conduit,
the speed would be at least 20 times faster than our maximum warp.
How do they open the conduits?
The Borg ship emitted a high-energy tachyon pulse
just before we saw the subspace distortion.
It seems the conduits are keyed to respond to a specific frequency.
Can we duplicate...
Captain, a shuttlecraft has left bay two.
- Who authorized a launch? - No one.
Picard to shuttle. Identify yourself and return to the ship immediately.
Mr. Worf, lock on with a tractor beam and return it to the ship.
Aye, sir.
The tractor beam has been disabled. Override is not functioning.
Captain, I'm picking up a tachyon surge.
Whoever's in the shuttle is trying to trigger the transwarp conduit.
Do we know who's on board?
It is the Borg prisoner.
And Cmdr Data.
Can we follow them into the conduit?
We can read their tachyon pulse. We might be able to duplicate it.
The question is, is Data a prisoner? Or did he go willingly?
The overrides used to disable the tractor beam were Cmdr Data's.
The Borg could have got the codes from Data's positronic net.
Perhaps Data's recent flash of emotion is connected to this.
It could have affected him more deeply than we realize.
- Either way, we have to find him. - I've set up a tachyon matrix.
I can simulate the pulse sent by the shuttle.
- Mr. Worf, red alert. - All hands, battle stations!
Bring us to where we last saw the shuttle.
Shields up. Weapons ready.
- Mr. Forge? - Energizing the matrix.
Emitting tachyons in the lower bandwidth.
Sensors show no unusual subspace activity.
Alright. Switching to the secondary bandwidth.
Nothing.
Maybe if I try alternating the frequencies.
Captain, there is an energy fluctuation directly ahead of us.
- It is the subspace distortion. - Take us in. Half-impulse.
Power levels are down to 67 percent.
Compensating with auxiliary power.
Report.
Navigational sensors show that we've travelled
65 light years from our previous position.
Can you locate the shuttle?
No, sir. There is no indication of the shuttle within sensor range.
Maybe we can find an energy signature from their engines.
Captain, I've scanned three different star systems within sensor range.
There is evidence of at least two advanced civilizations,
but I read no life signs.
But there are signs plasma weapons were fired in those systems recently.
The Borg have been busy.
I think we've found the shuttle's energy signature.
Their heading, 247 mark 059.
Lay in that course, Ensign. Engage at full-impulse.
Aye, sir.
We traced the shuttle to this point
but there's too much interference to scan.
- Are they jamming our sensors? - More likely a natural phenomenon.
There's a lot of EM interference in the planet's magnetosphere.
Can we transport through it?
We could, but there could be 50 Borg down there and we'd never know it.
We have to risk it.
Agreed. Take a well-armed away team and transport down.
Have the transporter chief keep a lock on you
so we can get you out quickly.
Aye, sir. Mr. Worf, you're with me.
Riker to Enterprise. We're on the surface.
There's no sign of any Borg.
Or Data.
The shuttle appears to be abandoned.
The EM interference is limiting the tricorder range beyond 100 meters.
There are no structures. They could have gone anywhere.
Can you tell when they left the shuttle?
The engine's been off three hours.
Stand by.
If they're still together, how far could they travel in three hours?
Data can move pretty fast, but based on what we know about the Borg,
they shouldn't be able to move any faster than you or I.
They might have been able to get 15 to 20 kilometres away by now.
Picard to Riker. I'm going to send down other away teams.
Set up a command post and begin mapping a search plan.
- Understood. - Picard out.
I want to use the shuttlecraft for reconnaissance.
- Assemble the designated pilots. - Aye, sir.
All personnel, including you and me, will create four-man away teams.
I'll leave a skeleton crew on board the ship.
Who'll be in command of the Enterprise?
Any last orders?
If the Borg should attack, don't wait for me to return to the ship,
but take her to a transwarp conduit. Return to Federation space.
Got it.
Good luck, Jean-Luc.
Good luck, Captain.
I've sent out 12 teams so far.
I've got your team searching section Gamma 24.
Worf and I will take Theta 16 when the last team comes down.
- Who's at the command post? - Wallace and Towles.
Ready?
Anything, Mr. La Forge?
Well, no.
Nothing, sir.
What if we modified the phasers to send out a luvetric pulse?
It might create a resonance in Data's power cells.
Home in on that response with the tricorders. I thought about that.
But the pulse would probably have to be so powerful,
it would destroy Data's positronic net in the process.
Captain, I think I've found something.
Come on.
I'm having a very difficult time scanning the interior.
Can you tell if it was built by the Borg?
I don't think so. There are no Borg energy signatures.
But there is a door or a hatch or something about 20 meters this way.
This seems to be some kind of meeting place.
It certainly hasn't been abandoned.
Something's wrong.
I can't get any kind of energy signatures from these light sources.
It's a dampening field.
This structure could be shielded from our sensors. Let's go.
There they are!
Block the exit.
Stop!
- Data? - That's not Data.
What?!
You should listen to her, Captain. She's way ahead of you.
Lore!
Right.
And I'm not alone.
The sons of Soong have joined together.
And together, we will destroy the Federation.