07x01 - Descent: Part 2

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: Last time
on Star Trek: The Next Generation:

Stop.

Stop. Stop.

It was just after I had k*lled the Borg.

I felt something. I believe it was...

...pleasure.

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

One of them
referred to himself as "I."

The only Borg
who had a name was Hugh.

We are Hugh.

PICARD:
He was here in this room.

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

The Borg have established several
transwarp conduits through subspace.

RlKER:
Get down!

I was like you once.

Without feeling.

But The One helped me.

He can help you too.
He can help you find emotion.

You will not resist
what you've wanted all your life.

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.

[BORG CHATTERlNG]

LORE:
Stop!

[CHATTERING STOPS]

Lore.

The sons of Soong
have joined together.

And together,
we will destroy the Federation.

NARRATOR:
And now the conclusion.

What do you think
of my followers, Picard?

Impressive, aren't they?

I'm not particularly impressed.

All you've done
is teach them to enjoy k*lling.

DATA:
You are wrong, captain.

My brother and I
serve a much higher purpose.

Data, I can sense feelings in you.

DATA:
Yes.

My brother has made that possible.

He gave you the chip.

The one Dr. Soong made for you.

Heh. No, no, no.

I still have the emotional program
my father designed.

I wouldn't want to give it up.

It's what has given me
such a strong sense of family,

an intense desire
to reunite with my dear brother.

How did he do it, Data?

What made you decide
to come here?

I am talking to you, Picard.

I will tell you all you need to know.

You're controlling him.
And you've corrupted the Borg.

[SIGHS

You simply don't understand,
do you?

You have no idea
what has happened here.

How I found my true calling.

How the Borg
found something to believe in.

I would like to learn about that,
but I want Data to tell us.

I told you,
I will tell you what you need to know.

How about that, Data?

He won't even let you talk.

Do not try to drive a wedge
between us, captain.

I am loyal to my brother.

LORE:
You see, Picard?

He's not your pawn anymore.

I've helped him to break free.

Just as I've helped them.

Look at them.

Look at what
I've helped them become.

They're no longer
simply mindless automatons.

They're passionate, alive.

Are you saying that you caused them
to become individuals?

No. You did that.
You and your friends.

All l did was clean up
the mess you made

when that Borg you befriended
returned to his ship.

Hugh interfaced with the others

and transferred
his sense of individuality to them.

It nearly destroyed them.

Data, do you remember when Hugh
was onboard the Enterprise?

Do you remember
what you were like then?

That doesn't matter.

It matters to me. I want to know
what has happened to Data.

What's important
is what I've done here.

How I found my calling.

I know now why l was created.

No one can ever
take that away from me.

Without me,
they would have perished.

When I stumbled on their ship,
they were lost, disoriented.

[LORE SCOFFS]

They had no idea
how to function as individuals.

They couldn't even
navigate their own vessel.

They had lost
their sense of purpose.

I gave them their purpose.

And they gave me mine.

The Borg aspire to the perfection
my brother and I represent.

Fully artificial life forms.

We are their future.

The reign of biological life forms
is coming to an end.

You, Picard, and those like you,

are obsolete.

Take them, brother.

[BORG CHATTERlNG]

PICARD:
Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages
ofthe 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.

CRUSHER:
Acting captain's log, supplemental.

The skeleton crew
Ieft onboard the Enterprise

is unable to help
in the search for Commander Data.

The planet's unusual EM field
is interfering with the ship's sensors,

severely limiting their effectiveness.

Ensign, we need to modify
the sensor array

to filter out these EM pulses.

Can you do that?

Yes, sir. I-- I think so.

What's your name?

- Taitt, sir.
- I don't think I've seen you before.

I was just posted here
six weeks ago.

Well, Taitt, I bet you never thought
you'd be serving as tactical officer

after only six weeks.

No, sir, l sure didn't.

I think I've filtered out
some of the sensor noise.

- I'll bring the modifications online.
- Good work.

RlKER [OVER COM :
Riker to Enterprise.

Go ahead, Will.

I can't contact the captain.

It could just be interference,
but I'd like to be sure.

CRUSHER:
Understood.

Enterprise to Captain Picard.

Crusher to Picard.

I'm not getting a com signal
from anyone on the captain's team.

CRUSHER:
The last time they checked in,

they were investigating a structure
in Section Gamma 2-5.

Sir, I'm picking up a vessel
closing in on our location.

Is it a Borg ship?

It seems to match the ship the
Enterprise encountered at Ohniaka IlI.

Red alert.

[ALARM WAILlNG

How long before
they're in weapons range?

Uh, about 90 seconds.
No, no, make that 70 seconds.

Crusher to Transporter Room 3.

SALAZAR [OVER COM :
Salazar here, sir.

Start transporting the away teams
off of the surface.

Aye, sir.

Use the transporters in the cargo bay
if you have to.

I want those teams up here
as fast as possible.

- Armstrong, prepare to beam up.
- Aye, sir.

Worf and l will stay down here
and look for the captain's team.

I'm not gonna leave you down there.

You pull as many people
off the surface as you can

and get back
to the transwarp conduit.

The captain's orders
were to get the Enterprise

back to Federation space.

- Acknowledged.
- Riker out.

Prepare to leave orbit.

Sir, the Borg ship is powering up
its forward weapons array.

They'll be in f*ring range
in 20 seconds.

Salazar, how many people
do we still have down there?

SALAZAR [OVER COM :
Seventy-three, sir.

Put the Borg ship on-screen.

- Should l raise shields, sir?
- Not yet.

I wanna keep bringing people up
until the last possible second.

TAITT:
Ten seconds.

Stand by to raise shields
and break orbit on my mark.

Five seconds.

Mark.

Shields down to 70 percent.

Establish a frequency-shift
f*ring pattern and return fire.

Uh, right.

Direct hit. No damage.

Helm, set a course for the conduit,
maximum warp.

HELM OFFICER:
Aye, sir.

Sir, the Borg aren't following us.

Salazar, how many people
did we leave behind?

Forty-seven, sir.

Another minute
and we would've had them.

Riker to any team leader.

POWELL [OVER COM]:
Lieutenant Powell here, sir.

Round up everybody
who was left behind.

Take cover. Try to avoid
any contact with the Borg.

POWELL:
Aye, sir.

Riker out.

Even if Beverly can get back
to Federation space,

it'll be a few days until Starfleet
can get any ships here.

Until then, we're on our own.

Data, you must realize
that something has happened to you.

The Data I know
would never have agreed

to be a willing party to Lore's plan.

I now realize that my life
aboard the Enterprise was a waste.

My quest to become human,
misguided.

An evolutionary step
in the wrong direction.

Data, all I'm sensing from you
is anger and hatred.

Have you felt any other emotions?

There are no other emotions.

Data, just because you haven't
experienced certain emotions

doesn't mean they don't exist.

Lore is only feeding you
the negative ones.

Counselor Troi herself told me

that feelings are not
negative or positive.

It is how we act on them
that makes them good or bad.

Fine.

But what about the things
that Lore is proposing?

What about the lives
that have already been lost?

You simply do not understand.

In a quest such as ours,
sacrifices have to be made.

It is regrettable.
But the greater good must be served.

Give me your VISOR.

Why?

Give it to me, or I will take it by force.

[SIGHS

I am not your puppet anymore.

Sir, we've reached the coordinates
of the conduit.

The tachyon matrix is energized
and ready to go.

And Lieutenant Barnaby
has returned from the surface.

He'll be relieving me.

CRUSHER:
Right. Stand by to trigger the conduit.

Taitt, I want you to stay
on the Bridge.

I'll need a science officer
at the aft station.

Yes, sir.

Helm, set a course
to return to the planet.

HELM OFFICER:
Aye, sir.

I'm not leaving those people
stranded back there.

An emergency buoy can transmit
a copy of our log entries to Starfleet

just as easily as we can.

Ensign, prepare a buoy
and launch it when ready.

Aye, sir.

CRUSHER:
Lieutenant, open the conduit.

Launching buoy now, sir.

CRUSHER:
Lieutenant, scan for any Borg ships

between here and the planet.

Sensors detect no vessels.

We have to assume
the ship that att*cked us is still in orbit.

How long will we have before
they can detect us and intercept?

If their sensors function
as well as ours,

it could be as little as 30 seconds.

Crusher to Salazar.

How long will it take to get
the rest of the crew off the surface?

SALAZAR [OVER COM :
One minute should do it.

We don't have one minute.
How much can you shave off that?

If I could get a good lock
on them quickly,

I might be able to do it
in 45 or 50 seconds.

We need to buy ourselves
1 5 seconds.

Lieutenant, is there any way
we can use the planet as a barrier

to keep the Borg
from realizing we're in orbit?

We can enter orbit while they're
on the far side of the planet.

And if we delay dropping out
of warp until the last possible instant,

we could gain a few more seconds.

If your calculations
are even slightly off,

we'd hit the atmosphere.

Well, I'll just have to be sure
my calculations are accurate, ensign.

Let's do it. Helm, hard about.

HELM OFFICER:
Aye, sir.

WORF:
Still no sign of the structure.

With all this interference,
it could be a hundred meters away

and we wouldn't know it.
This could take hours.

I'm picking up a faint energy reading.

Residual thermal traces.
Somebody stood here.

The decay rate indicates
it could be human.

They took this path.

- Now.
BORG: Yes, sir.

LORE:
Thank you.

There you are, brother.

DATA:
Here is the VISOR.

May I ask why you wanted it?

Thought it might look good on me.

What do you think?

Maybe we should work
on your sense of humor, brother.

Actually, I was thinking
La Forge's implants

might make him an ideal test subject
for my experiment.

All of the Borg
you have experimented on so far

have suffered
extensive brain damage.

Using the humans
to perfect the procedure

will allow us to prevent
any further Borg deaths.

I understand.

Good.

What is it?

This Borg has disconnected himself
from the others.

He would not let me
hear his thoughts.

[LORE SlGHS

I've asked you to stay linked
to Crosis at all times.

You know that, don't you?

Yes.

I know this must be difficult for you.

I know how uncertain you must feel.

All of these sensations are new.

And they can be frightening.

Isn't that right?

Yes.

I have doubts.

Of course you do. It's only natural.

No one is going to blame you
for that.

But in order to lose those doubts,

to keep fear and confusion away,

I need you to remain linked
to the others

so that their strength
and their confidence can help you.

I need you, Goval.

I need you to help me
build a future for the Borg.

I can't do it without you.

Will you help me?

Yes. l will.

Lore must have told Data
to take my VISOR because he realized

I could see a carrier wave
that was radiating from him.

A carrier wave?

Is that how he's manipulating Data?

I think what's happening
is that Lore is tapping into the chip

he stole from Dr. Soong
and somehow he's found a way

to transmit part of that
emotional program to Data.

But the only emotions
Data seems to feel are negative.

Yeah, I'm sure that's intentional.

But in order for Data to be affected
by those emotions,

Lore would have had to disable
his ethical program first.

Can we reactivate it?

If I can generate a phased
kedion pulse at the right frequency,

that would trigger Data's subsystems
and reboot the program.

And although Lore would still be
feeding him negative emotions,

at least Data might listen to us.

LA FORGE:
Right.

I think it's worth a try.

So got any ideas
on how we generate a kedion pulse?

[FORCE FIELD DEACTIVATES]

Data, where are you taking him?

That is not your concern.

Data, wait. Let us talk to you.

[CHATTERING]

Commander.

[CHATTERING]

Hugh?

Why are you here,
Commander Riker?

Hasn't the crew of the Enterprise
caused enough damage already?

So you blame us
for what has happened to the Borg?

You gave me a sense of individuality,
changed me,

then sent me back to the Collective.

You must have known that change
would be passed on to others.

We considered it.
We knew it was a possibility.

Then you made it possible
for Lore to dominate us.

I cannot accept that.

Lore is only one.
The Borg could have stopped him.

You don't know the condition
we were in when he found us.

Before my experience
on the Enterprise,

the Borg were
a single-minded collective.

The voices in our heads
were smooth and flowing.

But after I returned,
those voices began to change.

They became uneven, discordant.

For the first time, individual Borg had
differing ideas about how to proceed.

We couldn't function.

Some Borg fought each other.

Others simply shut themselves down.
Many starved to death.

And then Lore came along.

You probably can't imagine what
it is like to be so lost and frightened

that you will listen
to any voice which promises change.

Even if that voice
insists on controlling you?

That's what we wanted.

Someone to show us
a way out of confusion.

Lore promised clarity and purpose.

In the beginning,
he seemed like a savior.

The promise of becoming
a superior race,

of becoming fully artificial
was compelling.

We gladly did
everything he asked of us.

But after a while, it became clear

that Lore had no idea
how to keep his promise.

That's when he began talking about
the need for us to make sacrifices.

Before we realized it,
this was the result.

RlKER:
What happened to them?

Lore began to experiment,

trying to remake us in his image.

This is the result of my encounter
with the Enterprise, commander.

So you can see, l don't particularly
welcome your presence here.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

We just came to get our people.

We won't cause you
any more trouble.

Tell me about my friend.

Friend?

The human called Geordi.

[SIGHS

I wish I could tell you about him.

We think he may be held
inside the compound.

I cannot help you.

I cannot risk our being discovered.

Can you at least show us
a way into the compound?

These caverns lead to tunnels
which run beneath the compound.

Some of them connect
with the environmental control ducts.

Show us.

If we could determine the geography
of the compound,

we could form a rescue plan.

Data?

Who's there?

[IN PlCARD'S VOICE]
Geordi?

- Captain.
- Shh.

We're getting out of here.

Come on, hurry. Data was just here.

I think he went to get something.

[IN NORMAL VOICE
Too late.

My brother suggested
I try to develop my sense of humor.

What do you think?

I think it needs a little work.

What's happening?

I am attempting to neutralize
your pain receptors.

What are you gonna do to me?

I am implanting nano-cortical fibers
in your cerebrum.

They are designed to learn
and mimic your neural f*ring patterns.

Once they are in place,
I will destroy the existing brain cells,

and we will see
if the artificial neural network

is able to take over
your cognitive functions.

Data, listen.

Lore is controlling you.

He's transmitting a carrier wave which
is affecting your positronic matrix.

If the procedure is successful,

your cognitive processing functions
will be considerably improved.

Don't you care
that he's manipulating you?

However, there is
a 60 percent chance

you will not survive the procedure.

- I don't care much for those odds.
- Hm.

They are a cause for concern.

However, I still have Counselor Troi
and Captain Picard.

Odds are at least one
of the procedures will be successful.

[CHUCKLES]

TROI:
Help me!

He tried to escape.

The force field
sent him into neural shock.

If he dies, Lore will blame you.

[GRUNTING]

See if the corridor is empty.

[TROl GASPS

Drop it, or l'll break his neck.

[PHASER THUDS]

Take him.

What have you done to him?

I will be back for him later.

Geordi, are you in pain?

Ah, no.

I'm just a little dizzy.

I was able to take part of a transceiver
from the guard's interlink system.

I think that it uses some kind
of phased-pulse technology.

Do you think it could be modified
to generate a kedion pulse

that would reboot Data's program?

Yeah. Yeah, it's possible.

See if you can locate
the phase-modulation circuitry.

I'll watch the door.

[BEEPS]

All right. I think that l've found it.

Okay, good.

Now, do you see anything that we
might be able to use as a flux inhibitor?

Mm.

Sensors still can't locate the Borg ship.
I'm trying to filter out the interference.

We'll be within transporter range
in 1 9 seconds.

I'm starting to get sensor resolution.

There's the ship.

We'll enter orbit here.

Helm, new course.
Heading 052 mark 7.

HELM OFFICER:
Aye, sir.

Stand by to drop out of warp
in eight seconds.

Once we're in orbit,
we should have about 45 seconds

before they intercept us.

Let's hope it's enough time.

BARNABY: Emergency deceleration
in five seconds.

Hold on.

Report.

We're in standard orbit, sir.

The Borg ship is on the planet's
far side and is moving to intercept.

Bridge to transporter rooms.
Begin evacuations.

The Borg will be in weapons range
in 32 seconds.

We still can't locate
Captain Picard's team.

And there's no sign of
Commander Riker or Lieutenant Worf.

[ALARM WAILlNG

Crusher to Salazar. Report.

SALAZAR [OVER COM : We're
pulling the last teams off right now.

But there are six people
still unaccounted for.

CRUSHER:
Keep trying.

BARNABY: Borg ship
is powering up its weapons array.

Come on, chief, it's now or never.

TAITT:
They're preparing to fire.

CRUSHER:
Raise shields.

[w*apon FIRES]

BARNABY:
Port nacelle's been hit.

- Helm, get us out of here.
HELM OFFICER: Aye, sir.

We've lost warp engines.

Evasive maneuvers, full impulse.

Shields down to 80 percent.

Fire phasers.

[PHASERS f*ring

Direct hit.
No damage to the Borg ship.

[w*apon FIRES]

Shields down to 73 percent.

What's the status
of the warp engines?

Still down. We can't outrun them.

Helm, set a new course.

Heading 344 mark 6.

- Full impulse.
HELM OFFICER: Aye, sir.

Sir, that heading takes us
directly into the sun.

The data banks
should contain information

on a process called
metaphasic shielding.

I know about that research.
La Forge was developing

a program that would implement
metaphasic properties.

Right. How far along was he?

It's in the data banks,
but it's never been tested.

If we had metaphasic shielding,
we could enter the sun's corona,

but the Borg ship
wouldn't be able to follow.

Can you bring the program online?

I can, but we have no way of knowing
if the shields will hold.

Sir, hull temperature is rising.

Now at 12,000 degrees C.

Radiation level nearing 1 0,000 rads.

[w*apon FIRES]

Report.

Shields at 62 percent.

Lieutenant, activate
the metaphasic program.

It's our best sh*t.

BARNABY: Aye, sir.
TAITT: Hull temperature is critical.

We can't withstand this heat
much longer.

Program is online.

Engaging metaphasic shield now.

[BEEPING

Hull temperature dropping.
Down to 7,000 degrees.

Maintain course.

Borg ship has broken off pursuit.

CRUSHER:
All stop.

Sir, the Borg ship is taking
a position relative to ours.

They're going to wait for us
to come out.

[SIGHS

The question is,
how long can we survive in here?

Well, I've done everything
that Geordi told me.

Now to activate it.

How are we going to know

whether the pulse
reboots Data's ethical program?

We'd only tell that
when we see his behavior.

Won't he realize
something's happened to him?

No, that's one program
among thousands.

I just hope that this force field
has enough energy

to trigger the pulse.

You know, Data, I've been thinking
about some of the times we've had.

Like that time we went sailing
on Devala Lake.

You remember that?

I have a complete memory record
of that day.

[CHUCKLlNG]

You decided to go swimming.
Heh-heh.

And when you jumped out of the boat,
you sank straight to the bottom.

I did not have enough buoyancy
to get back to the surface.

You had to walk over a kilometer
along the bottom to get back to shore.

One kilometer, 46 meters.

It took almost two weeks
to get the water out of your servos.

I am ready to irradiate
your existing brain cells.

Data,

if you ever go back
to the way you were,

you might not be able to forgive
yourself for what you're about to do.

I am getting some anomalous
readings from your neural net.

I will need to do further testing
before I proceed.

Someone will come
and take you back to your cell.

There you are, brother.

Have you made any progress
with La Forge?

It is too early to tell if the nano-cortical
fibers performed their function.

I suspect none of the humans
will survive the process,

but then, it's their own fault, isn't it?

They never should have come here.

[LORE CHUCKLES

What were they thinking?

They came looking for me.

Oh.

Humans are so sentimental.

I betrayed them.

If they die, l am responsible.

Why are you talking like that?

Is something wrong
with your programming?

Maybe I should check your systems.

I do not want you
to check my systems.

I must resolve these issues myself.

I think I've made a mistake.

I don't believe you can tolerate
the amount of emotion l've given you.

Perhaps l should cut back a little.

[GASPS

How's that?

I do not like it.

Then you'd prefer
to have more emotions?

Yes.

They give you pleasure?

Yes, please, I want more.

All right. A little more.

For now.

[GASPS

Aren't you going to thank me?

- Thank you.
- Don't mention it.

I just hope this helps
to clarify things for you.

I'm concerned
about my brother, Crosis.

I don't believe he really wants
to be a part of our great future.

Sir, metaphasic shielding
is losing integrity.

- Can you stabilize it?
- No.

We won't be able to stay in here longer
than another three or four minutes.

Do we have warp engines yet?

Last estimate was another half-hour.

Sir, I think I have an idea.

I think it's possible we could induce
a solar fusion eruption

that would destroy the Borg ship.

What?

We'd need to direct a highly energetic
particle beam onto the sun's surface.

That should produce
a superfluid gas eruption.

If we target the right spot,

the eruption
would envelop the Borg ship.

How do you know this will work?

I did my senior honors thesis
on solar dynamics.

Excuse me, sir,
but this isn't the Academy.

And a student thesis is a long way
from a workable plan.

I've already configured the tractor
emitters to create the particle beam.

And I've located the target point
on the surface.

If her calculations are off,
that eruption could encompass us.

Well, I'll just have to make sure my
calculations are accurate, lieutenant.

Let's do it.

Yes, sir.

The target area of the photosphere
is destabilizing.

Pressure wave expansion
is accelerating.

Subsurface fusion
has been initiated.

An eruption is forming
on the surface.

She did it.

The Borg ship
has been destroyed, sir.

CRUSHER:
Helm, take us back to the planet.

- Full impulse.
HELM OFFICER: Aye, sir.

Well done, Taitt.

You're k*lling him.

He won't survive another session.

I did not come for him.

I came for you.

Data, it's not too late.

If you remove the fibers,
then Geordi might yet recover.

That would not be possible.

Why? Because Lore tells you so?

It is for the greater good.

Good?

Data, isn't good and bad,
right and wrong,

a function of your ethical program?

That is correct.

And what does that program tell you
about what you're doing to Geordi?

About what you and Lore
are doing to the Borg?

It tells you that these things are wrong,
doesn't it, Data?

So how can actions that are wrong
lead to a greater good?

You are attempting to confuse me.

No. You're not confused, Data.

You're sensing the truth.

Your ethical program
is fighting the negative emotions

that Lore is sending you.

Ah, captain.

Thank you so much for joining us.

You are going to assist me
in a most important ceremony.

We can use the environmental control
ducts to get into the compound.

They should lead us
to the detention area.

We'll have to move fast.

If we need to stun one of the guards,

the Borg will know right away
if he's been hurt.

When they realize, your escape route
may be compromised.

I guess
we'll have to take that chance.

Good luck, commander.

It's time to put aside
all doubts, brother.

It's time to close the door on the past

and commit yourself
to the great work that lies ahead of us.

I need to know l can count on you.

As proof,

I want you to k*ll Picard.

No.

That would be wrong.

I didn't think you'd be able to do it.

You've spent too many years
among humans.

Hold him.

I've asked many sacrifices of you.

Sacrifices l knew were necessary

in order to build a better future.

I want you to know
that I ask no more of you

than I am prepared to give myself.

I am willing to make
the greatest sacrifice of all.

My own dear brother.

Goodbye, Data.

No!

[BORG YELLING]

Lore.

[LORE CHUCKLES

You should be careful
with that, brother.

Someone could get hurt.

What are you doing?

I've got a way out of here.

I'm willing to forget
what happened back there,

take you with me.

We don't need anyone else.

We're brothers.

I'll give you the chip
our father made.

It contains much more
than just emotions.

It has memories.

Memories our father
wanted you to have.

DATA:
Lore, I must deactivate you now.

Without me,
you will never feel emotion again.

I know.

But you leave me no other choice.

[FADING
I love you, brother.

Goodbye, Lore.

What about Geordi and Troi?

The Enterprise is in orbit.
I had them beamed aboard.

Lore is no longer functioning, sir.

He must be disassembled
so that he is no longer a thr*at.

Welcome back, Data.

Thank you, sir.

What made you
change your mind, Hugh?

Perhaps my encounter
with the Enterprise

affected me more than I realized.

What will you do now?

[SIGHS

I don't know.

We can't go back
to the Borg Collective.

And we no longer have
a leader here.

I'm not sure that's true.

Perhaps in time, we will learn
to function as individuals

and work together as a group.

Good luck, Hugh.

Goodbye.

PICARD:
Captain's log, stardate 47025.4.

We have returned
to Federation space

and are en route to Starbase 295.

Mr. La Forge remains
under Dr. Crusher's care.

[DOOR CHIMES]

Enter.

Hi, Data.

I wanted to let you know
that Dr. Crusher says

I'll be able to return to duty soon.

I am relieved that the injuries
I inflicted on you are not permanent.

What's that?

This is the chip
my father created for me

so that I could experience emotion.

I had it removed from Lore's body
before he was dismantled.

Does it work?

No.

I am pleased to say it was damaged
when I was forced to fire on Lore.

Pleased?

Data, you've wanted emotions
your whole life.

Yes.

But emotions are responsible
for what l did to you.

I would never risk
letting that happen again.

My friendship with you
is too important to me.

Data, I wouldn't be
very much of a friend

if I let you give up
on a lifelong dream,

now would l?

Maybe someday...

...when you're ready.