06x26 - Descent: Part 1

[bunniefuu]

HAWKING: But then I said,
"In that frame of reference,

the perihelion of Mercury would have
precessed in the opposite direction."

[LAUGHING]

That is a great story.

Quite amusing, Dr. Hawking.

You see, Sir Isaac,
the joke depends on an understanding

of the relativistic curvature
of space-time.

If two non-inertial reference frames
are in relative motion--

Do not patronize me, sir.
I invented physics.

The day that apple fell on my head

was the most momentous day
in the history of science.

HAWKING:
Not the apple story again.

That story is generally considered
to be apocryphal.

What? How dare you!

Uh, perhaps we should return
to the game, hmm?

Now, let's see, where were we?

Yes, you raised Mr. Data four,

which means that, um, the bet
is seven to me?

The bet is ten.

Can't you do simple arithmetic?

[SIGHS]

I don't even know why I'm here
in the first place.

What is the point of playing
this ridiculous game?

When I play poker with my shipmates,
it often appears to be a useful forum

for exploring the different facets
of humanity.

I was curious to see how three
of history's greatest minds

would interact in this setting.

So far, it has proved to be
most illuminating.

And profitable. Ha, ha.

Can we get this over with, please?

It's your bet.

HAWKING:
I raise 50.

Blast. I fold.

I fold as well.

The uncertainty principle
will not help you now, Stephen. Hmm?

All the quantum fluctuations
in the universe

will not change the cards
in your hand.

I call. You are bluffing.

And you will lose.

HAWKING:
Wrong again, Albert.

Well...

Hmm.

RIKER [OVER COM]: Red alert.
All personnel report to duty stations.

We will have to continue this
another time.

End program.

We've received a distress call
from the Ohniaka Ill outpost.

They said they were under att*ck.

Ohniaka Ill?

There's no strategic value
to that outpost.

Were they able to identify
the attackers?

No. We haven't been able
to raise them since the initial contact.

We are entering
the Ohniaka system, sir.

- Bring us out of warp, ensign.
- Aye, sir.

Sensors detect one ship
orbiting the third planet.

Its configuration does not match
anything in our records.

Standby phasers
and photon torpedoes.

Hail them, Mr. Worf.

No response, sir.

Put them on-screen.

It does not appear
to be attacking the outpost, sir.

They might've att*cked
before we got here.

Or they might simply be
another victim.

What about the outpost?

There is a great deal
of electromagnetic interference.

I am unable to determine whether
there are any life forms present.

Worf, Data, you're with me.

These wounds were caused
by a forced plasma beam,

similar to a Ferengi hand phaser.

Sort of brutal even for the Ferengi.
Any sign of survivors?

Electromagnetic interference
is still making it difficult

to get a precise reading.

How many people were assigned
to this outpost?

Two hundred and seventy-four.

We're gonna need to do
a room-to-room search.

Worf, you and Corelki
start searching the north wing.

- You and I will take the south.
- Aye, sir.

Mechanism appears
to be jammed, sir.

RIKER:
There's not much damage.

Doesn't look like they were interested
in the station, just the people.

I have bypassed the primary system.

PICARD:
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.

[GRUNTS]

[RUMBLING]

Evasive maneuvers, ensign.
Return fire.

[RUMBLING]

Shields down to 80 percent.
Compensating with auxiliary power.

You have k*lled Torsus.
I will make you suffer for this.

Biological organism, Klingon.

Biological organism, human.

[GRUNTS]

Stop it.

Stop.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

StOp!

Artificial life form.

Starfleet rank:
Lieutenant commander.

Name: Data.

LA FORGE: Captain, the alien ship
is breaking orbit.

They're gone, sir.

Our sensors indicate there was
some kind of subspace distortion

just before they disappeared.

I'll have to study these readings

before I can get
any more specific than that.

- Take us back to Ohniaka Ill.
WOMAN: Aye, sir.

Data?

Data, are you all right?

Yes, sir.

What happened?

L got angry-

PICARD:
Captain's log, stardate 46982.1.

Because of his unusual behavior
on the planet surface,

Commander Data has asked
to be temporarily relieved of duty.

Unfortunately,
this means he will not be able

to help us investigate
a disturbing new change

in the behavior of the Borg.

They were fast, aggressive,
almost vicious.

It was more like fighting Klingons
than Borg. No offense.

None taken.

There was another difference.

I don't believe they were part
of the Borg collective.

I think they were acting
as individuals.

What?

One of them referred to himself as I.

And that Borg showed concern
for a fallen 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 behavior.

PICARD: Did they show any interest
in assimilating you

or your technology?

They seemed more concerned
with the death of their colleague

and with destroying us.

I didn't see anything that suggested
they wanted to assimilate anybody.

The Borg's entire existence

was centered 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 this moment on,

I want to maintain
a level-2 security alert.

- Post armed officers on every deck.
- Aye, sir.

Number One, I want you to 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'm gonna contact
Starfleet Command.

Hmm. Well...

Your positronic net checks out.

Everything else looks fine.

My internal diagnostic
also finds nothing wrong.

I don't know, Data.
There's nothing here

that would indicate anything that might
cause any sort of behavioral anomaly.

I agree.

Geordi, I believe
I have experienced my first emotion.

No offense, Data, but how
would you know a flash of anger

from some odd kind
of power surge?

You're correct in that I have no frame
of reference to confirm my hypothesis.

In fact, I am unable to provide
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, okay.

Well, when I feel angry, first, I, uh...

First, I feel hostile.

Could you describe feeling hostile?

Oh, yeah, it's like feeling belligerent.

Combative.

Could you describe feeling angry
without referring to other feelings?

[CHUCKLES]

No. I guess I can't.

I just feel angry.

That was my experience as well.

I simply felt angry.

Hmm.

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 experience
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.

PICARD:
Captain's log, stardate 46984.6.

No additional Borg att*cks have
been reported in the past two days.

However, Starfleet has dispatched
Admiral Nechayev

to take command in 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 take command
of Task Force 3,

consisting of the Enterprise,
the Crazy Horse and the Agamemnon.

Understood.

Captain,

I've read the report that you submitted
to Admiral Brooks last year

regarding the Borg you called Hugh.

And I've been trying 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 entire collective once and for all.

But instead,
you nursed the Borg back to health,

treated it like a guest, gave it a name
and then sent it home.

Why?

When Hugh 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 thought I had no choice

but to respect his rights
as an individual.

Of course you had a choice.

You could have taken
the opportunity

to rid the Federation
of a mortal enemy.

One that has k*lled tens of thousands
of innocent people

and which may k*ll even 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.

And I will not sacrifice them
in order--

Your priority is to safeguard
the lives of Federation citizens,

not to wrestle with your conscience.

Now, I want to make it clear

that if you have a similar opportunity
in the 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 attempted to produce
an emotional response

by subjecting myself
to 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 subjecting myself
to 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 a negative emotion.

I wanted to concentrate
on something more positive.

Data, feelings aren't positive
and negative.

They simply exist.

It's what we do with those feelings
that becomes good or bad.

[SIGHS]

For example,
feeling angry about an injustice

could lead someone to take
a positive action to correct it.

But my study of humanity indicates

there are some emotions
that 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, counselor?

What if those are the only emotions
I am capable of experiencing?

Would that not make me
a bad person?

We've served together
for a long time

and I think 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, counselor.

When I was fighting the Borg,
I felt angry.

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 k*lled 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.
All hands to battle stations.

Lay in a course. Engage warp nine.

[ALARM WAILING]

We received a distress call
from the New Berlin colony.

- They're under att*ck.
PICARD: What's our ETA?

At warp nine,
15 minutes, 3O seconds.

Contact the Crazy Horse
and the Agamemnon.

Have them standing by
in case we need them.

Incoming message from
the New Berlin colony. They have...

...cancelled their distress call.

Evidently, a Ferengi trading ship
entered their system

and someone panicked.

Third time today.
Stand down red alert.

Reduce speed,
return to our patrol route.

Mr. Worf, acknowledge
the signal from New Berlin

and transmit another copy
of Starfleet's ship recognition protocols

and tell them to read it this time.

Aye, sir.

PICARD:
Captain's log, supplemental.

We have been on patrol
for 16 hours

and there are no reports
of further Borg activity.

But tensions continue to run high

on the colonies and outposts
in this sector.

Do I have a name?

CRUSHER [ON COMPUTER]:
I'm Beverly.

He's Geordi. And you, you--

LA FORGE:
No, wait a minute.

- That's it. Hugh.
- We are Hugh.

[DOOR BEEPS]

PICARD:
Come.

I thought you might like to see this.

Geordi's analysis of the subspace
distortion the Borg used to escape.

An artificially created
energy conduit?

That could be anything.

We don't have enough information
at this--

I don't want excuses, Number One,
I want answers.

I'm sorry.

He was here in this room, Will.

I could have rid the Federation
of a mortal thr*at, and I let him go.

Sending Hugh back to the Borg
was a very risky,

a very dangerous choice.

But it was the moral thing to do.

Well, it may turn out
that the moral thing to do

was not the right thing to do.

Stop it. Stop. Stop.

Stop. Stop.

Stop.

Data, am I interrupting something?

Yes. But it is all right.
Do you need me?

Uh, I wanted to see if you were ready
to return to duty.

I need some help with an analysis
on the ship the Borg were using.

I believe I am able
to resume my duties.

Data, exactly what is it
that you're doing here?

I am attempting to re-create
the experience

which caused
my initial outburst of anger.

- Any luck?
- None so far.

I have almost completed
this experiment.

May I finish before we return
to Engineering?

Yeah, sure.

Computer, reset Borg simulation
to time index 2.1.

Increase Borg strength
by 2O percent.

Run program.

Stop it. Stop.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

[BORG GRUNTS]

Computer, reset simulation
to time index 2.1.

Increase Borg's strength
by 3O percent.

COMPUTER:
Unable to comply.

A 30 percent increase
would exceed safety limits.

Geordi, the computer requires
a voice authorization

of two senior officers in order
to disable the safety routine.

Will you help me?

Data, wait a minute.
That thing could k*ll you.

During the original incident,

the Borg presented
a genuine danger to my life.

Since the Holodeck's safety
routine is in place,

I know my life is not in danger.

Since I am trying to duplicate
the conditions

of the original incident
as closely as possible,

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
just to prove some theory.

This experiment may hold the key
to something I have sought all my life.

[SIGHS]

It's crazy.

There's gotta 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
iflchoose.

Yeah, and I'm your friend

and I'm not gonna just stand around
and let you do this.

RIKER [OVER COM]:
Red alert. All hands, battle stations.

Confirmed.
The MS 1 Colony is under att*ck.

Doesn't it seem strange to you
that there have been two Borg att*cks

and the Enterprise has been
the nearest ship in both instances?

Captain, we are nearing
the MS System.

I have located the Borg ship.
It is heading away from the colony.

- Take us out of warp near that ship.
- Stand by to lock phasers on target.

WORF: Within visual range.
PICARD: On-screen.

Lay in an intercept course,
full impulse. Lock phasers.

We are closing, sir.
Within phaser range in 30 seconds.

Sensors are detecting
a subspace distortion

forming directly ahead
of the Borg ship.

They're not gonna get away
with it this time.

Picard to Engineering.

Transfer auxiliary and emergency
power to the impulse engines.

LA FORGE:
Acknowledged.

Impulse engines are now
at 125 percent.

Within phaser range in 10 seconds.

[RUMBLING]

We appear to be caught
in some kind of energy matrix.

- All engines back full.
- Shields failing.

We are being pulled inside.

[RUMBLING]

Inertial dampers failing.

Main power is off-line.
I am switching to backups.

Picard to Engineering.

Can we transfer auxiliary power
to the warp nacelles?

Try to break us out by using the--

We have returned to normal space.
Navigational systems are still off-line.

I will attempt to make a celestial fix
using secondary systems.

Captain,
the Borg ship is directly ahead.

It is coming about.

PICARD:
On-screen.

Shields down to 16 percent.

FRANKLIN:
Get down!

[GRUNTING]

RIKER:
Franklin's dead, sir.

Is everyone else all right?

Aye, sir.

Security reports
there are no other intruders aboard.

Captain.

The Borg ship is gone.

Sensor logs indicate they entered
the distortion field 30 seconds ago.

They beamed on board as a diversion
to give their ship time to escape.

This is another change
in the Borg behavior.

They left their dead
instead of vaporizing them.

DATA:
Captain.

This one is still alive.

I've stabilized his condition.

He's still pretty weak,
but he should make a full recovery.

Can you awaken him?

Yes, but it's very risky. His heart rate
and blood pressure are up--

Do it.

All right.

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.

PICARD:
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 at third vertebrae.
Death is immediate.

I am Locutus of Borg.

You will respond to my questions.

This is going nowhere.

Doctor, I want you to do an autopsy
on the other one.

Compare the differences with what
we learned of Hugh's anatomy.

See if there have been
any recent modifications

which might explain
these behavioral differences.

Data, run a bio-spectral 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 Ill,
I was forced to k*ll a Borg.

L got angry-

How did it feel to get angry?

Did it give you pleasure?

It would be unethical to take pleasure
in another being's death.

You didn't answer my question.

Did it feel good to k*ll?

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 Ill

when you felt pleasure
in k*lling 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 k*lling someone.

No.

That would not be ethical.

You don't sound very sure
of yourself.

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 Ill,
would you k*ll your friend?

Would you k*ll Geordi?

Yes.

I would.

Our current theory
is that the Borg have established

several transwarp conduits
through subspace.

A ship, when entering the conduit,
is immediately accelerated

to an extremely high-warp velocity.

It's like falling into a fast-moving river
and being swept away by the current.

How fast would a ship travel
through one of these conduits?

Uh, we don't know.

Normal subspace limitations
don't apply to transwarp variables.

But I'd say based on the distance
we covered

during our trip through the conduit,
the speed would have to be

at least 20 times faster
than our maximum warp.

How do they open the conduits?

The Borg ship emitted some kind of
high-energy tachyon pulse

just before we saw
the subspace distortion.

It seems as though the conduits
are keyed to respond

to tachyon transmissions
of a specific frequency.

- Is there any way for us to dupli--
- Captain, a shuttlecraft has left Bay 2.

PICARD: Who authorized a launch?
- There was no authorization.

Picard to shuttlecraft. 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.

Command override
is not functioning.

Captain, I'm picking up
a tachyon surge.

It looks like whoever is in the shuttle

is trying to trigger
the transwarp conduit.

Do we know who's on board?

It is the Borg prisoner...

...and Commander Data.

Mr. La Forge, can we follow them
into the conduit?

We've got a pretty good reading
on tachyon pulse they sent.

We might be able to duplicate it.

The question is, is Data a prisoner?

Or did he go willingly?

The command overrides
used to disable the tractor beam

were Commander Data's.

The Borg could have downloaded
the code from Data's positronic net.

Perhaps Data's recent flash of emotion
has something to do with this.

It could have affected him
more profoundly than we realize.

Either way, we have to find him.

I've set up a temporary tachyon matrix
in the main deflector.

I think I can use it to simulate
the pulse sent by the shuttle.

- Mr. Worf, red alert.
- All hands, battle stations.

[ALARM WAILING]

Bring us to the last known coordinates
of the shuttlecraft.

Shields up. Weapons ready.

- Mr. La Forge?
- Energizing the matrix.

Emitting tachyons
in the lower bandwidth.

Sensors show no unusual
subspace activity.

All right.
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, ensign.
One-half impulse.

Power levels
are down to 67 percent.

Compensating with auxiliary power.

[RUMBLING]

Report.

Navigational sensors show
that we've traveled

65 light years
from our previous position.

Can you locate the shuttle?

No, sir.
There is no indication of the shuttle

within range of our sensors.

Maybe we can find an energy
signature from their engines.

- Captain.
PICARD: Yes, Mr. La Forge?

I've scanned three different
star systems within sensor range.

There is evidence of at least
two advanced civilizations,

but I'm reading no life signs.

But there are indications
that plasma weapons

have been 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 that course, ensign.
And engage at full impulse.

WOMAN:
Aye, sir.

We've traced the shuttle's energy
signature to this point on the surface,

but there's too much interference
to scan a location.

Are they intentionally jamming
our sensors?

It looks more like
a natural phenomenon.

There's an unusually high amount
of EM interference

in the planet's magnetosphere.

Can we transport
through the interference?

We could, but there could be 5O Borg
down there waiting for us

and we'd never even know it.

I think we have to take the risk.

Agreed.

Take a well-armed away team

and transport down
to those coordinates.

Have the transporter chief keep
a permanent lock on your signal

so we can get you out of there
at the first sign of trouble.

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.

It is useless beyond 100 meters.

There's no structures in the area.
They could have gone anywhere.

Can you determine how long they've
been gone from the shuttlecraft?

The engine's been off
a little over three hours.

Stand by, Number One.

Assuming that they're still together,

how far could they have traveled
in three hours?

Well, Data can move pretty fast
even over rough terrain,

but based on what we know
about the Borg,

I don't think they should be able
to move any faster than you or I.

They might have been able

to get 15 to 20 kilometers away
from the shuttle by now.

- Picard to Riker.
RIKER [OVER COM]: Riker here.

We're gonna start sending down
other away teams.

Set up a command post
and begin mapping a search plan.

RIKER: Understood.
- Picard out.

I want to use the shuttlecraft
for low-level reconnaissance.

Have the designated pilots
assemble in main shuttlebay.

Aye, sir.

And all available personnel,
including you and me,

will begin to put together
four-man away teams.

I'll leave a skeleton crew
on board the ship.

Who will be in command
of the Enterprise?

Any last orders?

PICARD:
If the Borg should att*ck,

don't wait for me or anyone else
to return to the ship,

but take the Enterprise
to the 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 manning 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
fluctuation in Data's power cells.

Home in on that response
with the tricorders.

Yeah, I thought about that.

The only problem is that the pulse
would probably have to be so powerful

that it would destroy Data's
positronic net in the process.

Captain, I think I found something.

Come on.

I'm having a very difficult time
scanning the interior.

PICARD: Can you tell if it was built
by the Borg?

Well, I don't think so.

There are no Borg
energy signatures.

But there is a door
or hatch or something,

about 2O meters this way.

[TRICORDER BEEPING]

TROI: This seems to be some kind
of meeting place.

PICARD: Well, 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 entire structure could be
shielded from our sensors.

Let's go.

BORG:
There they are.

[CHATTERING]

LORE:
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.

[ALL SHOUTING]