05x13 - The Masterpiece Society

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Captain's log, stardate 45470.1.

The Enterprise has been diverted
to the Moab Sector

to track a stellar-core fragment
of a disintegrated neutron star.

Our science teams
have been asked

to monitor the planetary disruptions
it may cause.

We've got a problem.

Our core fragment is going to pass
by Moab IV in six days.

Isn't that exactly
what we anticipated?

We didn't anticipate
there would be someone living there.

An artificial environment
has been constructed

on the southern continent, sir.

Have you definitely established
that there's someone inside it?

Yes, captain.
Sensors are reading human life forms.

Human?

Are they responding to our hails,
Mr. Worf?

Negative, sir.

Any starships reported missing
in this sector, Mr. Data?

No, sir.

How the hell did they find themselves
on a deserted planet?

I'm pretty sure they know
we're here.

Mr. La Forge?

Our sensors are picking up
deep EM readings.

It looks like wave patterns
from an obsolete subspace relay.

Which would suggest they also have
the ability to communicate with us.

Mr. Worf, open
the lower-band frequencies

most commonly used
in the last century.

Channel open.

This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard

of the Federation starship
Enterprise.

It is urgent that you respond.

Sir, the defensive shield around
the structure is increasing strength.

Not exactly a welcome mat.

We mean you no harm.

We must warn you

that your planet is about to experience
massive seismic disruptions

due to an approaching
stellar-core fragment.

No structure will be able
to withstand them.

They are responding.

On-screen.

Enterprise, I am Aaron Conor.

Mr. Conor, we were unaware

that there were human colonies
in this system.

I don't want to be rude, captain.

We don't wish to interact
with outsiders.

I'm only responding
because of your warning.

The fragment will have serious effects
on your planet within six days.

Yes, I know.
We have been tracking it.

But our biosphere is constructed
to withstand quakes

of 8.7 on the Richter scale.

Mr. Data.

The fragment has a density

of 100 billion kilograms
per cubic centimeter.

As a result, when it passes Moab IV,

it will cause tectonic shifts
well beyond 8.7 on the Richter scale.

I'm afraid we're going to have
to evacuate your people.

Evacuate?

That is not possible.

There must be an alternative.

Well, we will gladly explore
the possibility of it with you, Mr. Conor.

Would you like to come aboard
to discuss it?

Our environment is sealed.

No one can get in or out.

We are capable
of matter-energy transport.

"Matter-energy"?

We can take you
directly through the structure.

Really?

That's quite remarkable.

May we arrange for your transport?

No, I must remain here.

But under the circumstances,

I will permit a small delegation
from your ship inside the biosphere.

If only to see this matter-energy
transportation you speak of.

Very good.

Commander Riker and an away team
will be with you shortly.

Picard out.

This is a mistake, Aaron.

Good Lord, Martin,
what would you have me do?

Anything that would keep them
out of here.

We have nothing to hide.

We have a great deal to lose.

- What is that?
- It's them.

Look at this, Martin.

Incredible.

Subs corrected by awaqeded.

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.

It's lovely.

I can understand why you're reluctant
to leave, Mr. Conor.

Not just reluctant, Miss Troi.

It is imperative that we remain.

It would be su1c1de to evacuate.

It would destroy everything

we have worked for two centuries
to accomplish.

You see,
this is an engineered society.

- "Engineered"?
- Genetically engineered.

Our ancestors came from Earth
to create a perfect society.

They believed that through
controlled procreation,

they could create people
without flaws.

And those people
would build a paradise.

All of you have been
selectively bred?

Your DNA patterns chosen?

Eight generations of us.

We have immeasurably extended
the potential of humanity.

Physically, psychologically,

we have evolved beyond...

- Beyond...
- Beyond us.

Frankly, yes.

No one in this society
would be blind, for example.

No offense intended.

I can see you just fine, sir.

- Yes. Well, my point was just that...
- Thank you, Martin.

Perhaps you've also made it clear

there are still a few imperfections
we're working on.

For the most part, we have achieved
a fully integrated existence.

Not just among ourselves,
but with our environment.

We don't just live here,
we're a part of our environment.

It is part of us.

Every plant life,
every microscopic life form

is a part of the master design.

We cannot separate ourselves
from it

without irreparably altering
who and what we are.

Your presence here

has already begun to affect
the entire balance of our society.

If we don't survive,

the balance of our society
won't mean a great deal, will it?

I apologize.

But he is performing his function
as he is designed to do.

And what function might that be?

He is the interpreter of our founders'
intentions for this society.

- A judge?
- Yes, more or less.

Obviously,
he has no diplomatic talent.

And obviously, you do.

I have been bred
to fill this specific role.

We grow up knowing exactly
what our society needs from us.

What we are expected to do.

That must take some
of the fun out of it.

Not at all.

My entire psychological makeup
tells me that I was born to lead.

I am exactly
what I would choose to be.

Think of it another way.

Are there still people in your society

who have not yet discovered
who they really are,

or what they were meant to do
with their lives?

They may be in the wrong job.

They may be writing bad poetry.

Or worse yet,
they may be great poets

working as laborers,
never to be discovered.

That does not happen here.

It is, for us, an ideal existence

and we will not give it up easily.

We will do whatever we can
to help you preserve it.

Hannah, I'd like you to meet
our guests.

Oh, yes, of course.
From the starship.

I've been looking forward
to speaking with you.

Hannah Bates
is one of our scientists.

If there's any way to shore up
our defenses, Hannah will find it.

She has a remarkable talent
in theoretical physics.

I've worked up a few schematics

based on gravimetric potentials
and deflector-energy allocation.

Geordi, Troi and I
will return to the Enterprise.

When you've reached a conclusion,
you can contact us.

Commander,
if Mr. Conor doesn't mind,

I'd like to stay
and see more of his colony.

No, no, that would be fine.
I'd like you to see it.

Riker to Enterprise.

One to beam up.

Acknowledged, commander.

Energize.

Are you sure my being here
is not going to be disruptive?

Disruptive?

You mean what Martin was saying.

Well, I certainly wouldn't wish
to throw off your entire balance.

Too late, the damage is done.

Seriously.

I sometimes think
that strict interpreters like Martin

have forgotten we're still human.

We'll adjust, accommodate.

There must be other unexpected
events you have to deal with:

an untimely death, an accident.

Our geneticists
are able to screen out

any congenital health risks
before conception.

And our population is diverse enough
to maintain a genetic balance

in the event of accidental death.

But very little that is unexpected
occurs here.

Am I making this sound
incredibly dull?

Not at all.

I'll tell you the truth,
but I'll deny it if you tell Martin.

I found today exhilarating.

Meeting you.

Meeting new people,
with new ideas.

I feel the same about being here.

I'm something of a student
of human nature,

and I find this all fascinating.

"A student of human nature"?

- I'm the ship's counselor.
- Ah.

I'm afraid you wouldn't find
much work here, counselor.

I'd book my next vacation
at your hotel if you had one.

Well, in that case,
I shall have to have them build one.

The biosphere's superstructure will
never withstand the tectonic shocks.

The environment
would be compromised.

That's how I see it.

Your ship,

what kind of energy output
is it capable of generating?

We have a matter-antimatter
warp-reaction system,

the most powerful in Starfleet.

Normally kicks plasma
up into the terawatt range. Why?

Well, either we're gonna
have to move

or that fragment is.

We could move a small moon
or an asteroid,

but a stellar-core fragment?

That's much too massive
for our tractor beam.

What's that?

A wild idea, purely theoretical.

A multiphase tractor beam?

When we first spotted
the fragment approaching

I came up with the idea.

But we can't generate
the kind of energy we would need.

You can.

We'd need Hannah on the ship.

No.

With my theories
and their equipment,

we might be able
to alter the fragment's path.

It's our only chance
to avoid evacuation.

No one had ever come here
and no one had ever left, until today.

This is a date to note
in our history books.

This is in direct violation

of the intentions
of our founders, Aaron.

I don't think they intended us
to die, Martin.

Her absence will create
an additional imbalance.

Temporarily.

Circumstances require us
to be flexible.

We have no idea
how molecular transport

will affect her DNA.

It won't affect her DNA at all.

There's been over a century
of evidence to prove that.

You can go, Hannah.

May I return later?

I look forward to it.

Enterprise, three to beam up.

Energize.

Captain's log, supplemental.

Commander La Forge
and Hannah Bates

have spent three days
trying to find a way

to adjust the path
of the core fragment.

If they do not succeed
in the next 48 hours,

we will need to begin evacuation.

I believe some will choose to risk
death rather than leave, captain.

You've spent a good deal of time
on the surface.

How do you suggest
we change their minds?

I'm not sure we can.

It would mean abandoning
their fundamental way of life.

They've managed to turn a dubious
scientific endeavor into dogma.

You don't approve
of genetic engineering.

It was a bad idea
whose time has long passed.

They seem to have
made it succeed.

They've given away their humanity

with this genetic manipulation.

Many of the qualities
that they breed out:

the uncertainty,

self-discovery, the unknown.

These are many of the qualities
that make life worth living.

Well, at least to me.

I wouldn't want to live my life
knowing that my future was written,

that my boundaries
had been already set.

Would you?

I've asked myself that question
a lot during the past few days.

I don't know.

I doubt it.

Nevertheless,
it's what they believe in,

and it won't be an easy matter
to talk them into leaving.

This leader of theirs, Conor,
he seems to be a reasonable man.

I find him very reasonable.

Open to suggestions,

thoughtful,

quite disarming.

The perfect administrator.

I'm sure.

Will he leave when he sees
there's no other choice?

I don't know. I hope so.

You admire him.

Yes.

Then help him to see the reality

of what may happen to his colony.

If he makes the right decision,

if he's as good a leader
as he's designed to be,

then perhaps the others will follow.

If we increase the warp-power transfer
by 80 percent...

It's just gonna blow
the emitters again.

We won't be able to reinforce
the conduit to hold that power level.

It just doesn't work.

I haven't had any sleep in so long

my eyelids feel like I have
leaden weights attached to them.

- Geordi.
- Mm?

Were you always blind?

I'm sorry, I probably shocked
the hell out of you, didn't I?

- No.
- I'll put it back on.

Don't. I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to embarrass you.

I've never been embarrassed
by this, Hannah. Never.

I was born blind.

I've always been this way.

May I see it, your visor?

Sure.

So...

Guess if I had been conceived
on your world,

I wouldn't even be here now,
would I?

No.

No, I'd have been terminated
as a fertilized cell.

It was the wish of our founders

that no one have to suffer a life
with disabilities.

Who gave them the right to decide
whether or not I should be here?

Whether or not I might
have something to contribute?

I... I don't know what to say.

Here you go.

How does it work?

Well, the visor scans
the electromagnetic spectrum

from one hertz to 100,000 terahertz,

converts it all to usable frequencies,

and then transmits that information
directly to my brain.

Well, what about
the data-conversion rate?

How do you avoid
a sensory overload?

A bank of preprocessors compresses
the data stream into pulses.

You see, that way
my visual cortex never...

Wait a minute.

Wait just a minute.

We should be able to send
a high-energy pulse

through the tractor system.

If it's short enough,
it shouldn't overload the emitters.

The technology is right here.

If we could adapt
those pulse-compression routines,

and then apply them
to the warp power conduits...

We'd have to avoid tractor-force
rebounding, but that shouldn't be hard.

Sure. With a few modifications...

Oh, that's perfect.

What?

If the answer to all of this is in a visor
created for a blind man

who never would've existed
in your society.

No offense intended.

Please, Matthew, continue.

It's hard to believe.
So much loveliness here

just a few meters away
from such desolation.

It's hard to believe
we're about to lose it.

This may sound incredibly simplistic,

but can't you reengineer all this
on another planet?

A nursery rhyme
my mother used to read to me

has been running round and round
my mind since all this began.

A nursery rhyme?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king's horses

And all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Why do we tell our children
such ghastly stories?

Perhaps to prepare them
for times like these.

We are every bit as fragile as an egg

and as impossible to reconstruct.

We are integrated
and refined to such a degree

that any fundamental change
would lead to chaos.

I'm so sorry, Aaron.

I wish I could do something to help.

You have helped.

You've been wonderful
these past few days.

You've been my counselor.

No.

A counselor has to maintain
a discreet distance.

I'd rather think of us as friends.

Friends.

That just won't do either.

Will it?

Aaron.

I must confess.

Part of me knows that if I transport
through these walls,

you'll be on the other side.

This is wrong.

Terribly wrong.

In order to move the core fragment
to a safe trajectory,

we needed our tractor beam to be able
to handle high-powered pulses.

And we needed a much more
efficient emitter to do that.

About four times more efficient.

But we couldn't get
anywhere near that

without overloading
the emitter arrays.

So we added a little visor technology
to the process

and were able to boost
the effective force.

And at the same time,
lower the power-conduit stress levels.

What's the increase in efficiency?

Up to almost 300 percent.

- That's not enough.
- That's true.

We won't be able to move the fragment
as far as we'd like to but...

But if we also fortify the biosphere's
structural integrity at the same time...

With some of the shield improvements
that I've discovered here, it could work.

We'll have to lend them some
of our Engineering support crews.

Advise Mr. Conor. Number One,
brief the appropriate officers.

Prepare them for transport
as soon as Mr. Conor approves.

Yes, sir.

You're up early.

I'm still on Enterprise time.

Aaron,

I'm going back to the ship.

I'm not going to see you again.

Why?

Because it's the right thing to do.

I'm not convinced of that.

You know it as well as I do.

You're angry.

Yes, I'm angry.

I'm angry with myself
for allowing this to happen.

Deanna.

I could fall in love with you so easily.

But we both know the end
of that story, don't we?

How would Martin feel
about introducing half-Betazoid DNA

into the genetic balance?

If we have to evacuate,
anything's possible.

Listen to yourself.

A few days ago,
you wouldn't even talk to us.

This is my fault.

I'm so sorry.

I need you here.

This doesn't have to happen again.

I have to go.

Good news, Aaron.

We should be able to change
the course of the core fragment,

but we'll also need
to fortify the structure.

And we're gonna need help to do it.

We'll need to bring down
Engineering crews from the Enterprise

to work with your people
for the next 48 hours.

Engineering crews?

They have to install five new
shield generators and power supplies.

Fifty officers are waiting
for your approval to transport down.

We don't have much time, Aaron.

Is there any other choice?

None.

Enterprise, you may begin transport
when ready.

Captain's log, supplemental.

The Enterprise has moved

to a parallel course
with the core fragment.

We must adjust its trajectory
by a minimum of 1.2 degrees

to ensure the colony's safety.

Bring us within range
of the fragment, ensign.

Aye, sir.

- You may proceed, Mr. La Forge.
- Yes, sir.

- Good luck.
- You too.

Engage tractor beam.

Okay, let's give it a try.

Shutting down non-critical systems.

Emitter circuits 170 percent
over standard.

Increasing impulse power
to tractor emitters.

EPS power levels rising.

Transferring warp power
to tractor-beam generator.

Graviton generators
operating normally.

Surge pulse now synchronized.

Emitters radiating
at 320 percent over standard.

Bridge, we need more power.

Reduce life support
to minimum requirements, Mr. Data.

Aye, sir.

Three hundred and ninety percent
over standard.

Come on, come on.

No change in the fragment's course.

We've gotta increase
the pulse frequency.

The emitter circuits
won't hold for long.

We don't need them for long.

- Four hundred percent over standard.
- Okay, now we're getting there.

Fragment's moved 0.4 degrees
off its previous heading.

0.65. It's working.

We have lost one
of the emitter circuits, sir.

Life-support failure,
Decks 9, 12 and 13.

Engage evacuation procedures
for those decks.

Geordi, we're going to need
power back soon.

Acknowledged.

Fragment's new heading adjustment
is at 1.01 degrees.

- Is it enough?
- Not yet. Hold on.

We have lost
the second lateral emitter circuit.

Losing life support systems
on Decks 5 through 9.

Evacuation procedures initiated.

- Mr. La Forge.
- Hold on, captain.

Shipwide life-support failure
in 15 seconds, sir.

Almost there, Geordi.
Course shift is at 1.16 degrees.

Termination of all life support
in five seconds.

1.18.

Now, Mr. La Forge.

Yes, sir. Shutting down
all tractor emissions.

Transferring power
back to life support.

1.2. We've got it.

Life support normal on all decks.

Mr. Data.

The fragment's course
has been altered by 1.21 degrees, sir.

Hail the colony.

- Yes, captain.
- Success, Mr. Conor.

With the upgrades
to your biosphere,

the core fragment
should no longer be a danger.

I cannot adequately express
my appreciation to your crew.

Is Hannah able to hear me?

Yes, yes. Go ahead, Aaron.

This is an historic achievement,
Hannah.

You've done a wonderful thing
for our people.

Thank you.

We look forward to honoring you
appropriately when you return.

Thank you again, captain.
Conor out.

Captain's log, supplemental.

The stellar-core fragment has passed
safely out of the Moab System.

The colony was shaken
by powerful temblors,

but fortunately there were no injuries,
and only minor damage was reported.

Energize.

That should do it. All members
of the Enterprise crew

are accounted for, Mr. Conor.

They've been invaluable, commander.
Thank you again.

If there's nothing else,
we can be on our way.

Would you tell Deanna Troi for me that
I'm sorry I didn't get the opportunity

to say goodbye personally.

I'm sure she'll feel the same way.

A breach in the biosphere.

Get Hannah Bates.

Apparently, the refortification
wasn't adequate.

There's definite structural damage.

It appears that the tectonic shifts
created a breach.

- Can it be repaired?
- I don't know.

I'll have to run a diagnostic
in the lab.

Unless we seal it, and fast,
we may have to evacuate.

How long do we have?

Based on the level of toxicity
I'm reading,

it may only be a matter of hours.

- You mind if I give her a hand?
- By all means.

Isn't it amazing
after all we went through?

Yeah.

Amazing.

Looks bad.
It's cracked well beneath the surface.

Why are you doing this?

- What do you mean?
- There's no breach.

What are you talking about?

Look at it. It's right here.

I measured the toxic leak.
You saw me.

Hannah.

My visor's positronic scan
would have detected the leak.

Its molecular-pattern enhancer

would have picked up
even the smallest cr*ck.

The damned thing
doesn't miss much, does it?

Fine.

I'll tell them the truth.

Will that make you happy?

Why are you doing this?

I was born to be one of the best
scientific minds of my generation.

And in the past five days,

I have encountered technology
that I have barely imagined.

And I've gotta ask myself,
if we're so brilliant

how come we didn't invent
any of these things?

Well, maybe necessity
really is the mother of invention.

You never really look for something
until you need it.

But all my needs
have been anticipated

and planned for
before I was even born.

All of us in this colony
have been living in the dark ages.

It's like we're victims
of a 200-year-old joke.

Until you came, all we could see
was to the wall of our biosphere.

Suddenly our eyes have been opened
to the infinite possibilities.

- Asylum?
- She wants to leave the colony.

She may not be the only one.

The science teams that went down
to the surface

fielded a lot of questions
from the colonists

who were more than curious
about what's outside their world.

But why shouldn't
we grant them asylum?

We can't do that.

We have to do that.

Do you understand
what it would do to the colony?

I understand that these
are human beings with free will.

If she wants to leave,
she has every right to.

And what happens to the colony
if she does and others join her?

The society is genetically integrated.

Suddenly there would be gaps,
missing pieces.

It would destroy them.

There must be something
we can do to help.

We may have done too much
to help them already, doctor.

Well, we saved them
from destruction.

Did we?

Counselor, I think it's time
you took me to meet Mr. Conor.

Transporter Room 3.

Computer, halt.

Captain, I have to tell you
something.

And it isn't easy for me,
because I've used very poor judgment.

Actually, I've acted
quite unprofessionally.

Counselor.

What is it you say?
"Take a deep breath."

Conor and I have had a relationship.

I see.

It should never have happened.

I knew there was concern
about outside influences,

and I should have been
more careful.

What is your status with him now?

I did not intend to see him again.

Would you prefer
not to return to the surface?

No, I think I should come with you.

I wanted you to know
before we went down.

I appreciate that.

Computer, resume.

I wanted so much to help him,

to be there for him.

- But the more I was...
- Deanna.

We all went into this
with the best of intentions.

I should have walked away
as soon as I saw what was happening.

But you didn't.

And that's human.

We make mistakes.

Genetic manipulation or not,

nobody's perfect.

You would ignore
the welfare of the colony

for your own selfish interest?

The welfare of this colony
would be best served

by rejoining the human race.

She has been contaminated
by the people on that ship.

Aaron.

Mr. Conor, I believe
that you and I should talk.

This is your doing.

We never should have answered
your hails.

If we'd followed that advice, Martin,
we'd all be dead by now.

So much for the welfare
of this colony.

You are not taking her with you.

I'm leaving.

I'll tell you something else.
There are at least a dozen others

- who are ready to go with me.
- Hannah,

let's allow Aaron and Captain Picard
to discuss this.

Why don't we go for a walk?

There's nothing else
for them to talk about.

Martin.

- I think it would be helpful if I...
- I want to talk to Captain Picard alone.

- But...
- Thank you, Martin.

The irony is, he's the one
who saw this coming

from the moment you arrived.

Because I didn't wanna hear him,
I chose not to listen.

You made decisions
you felt would save your colony.

No.

I wish it were that simple.

I'm afraid I can't
forgive myself so easily.

You see, captain,

I know what Hannah Bates
is feeling.

I've been feeling it as well.

I found your people intriguing,

stimulating, as she has.

I've been every bit as curious
about you as the next man.

But I am not the next man.

I am the leader of these people,

and every genetic fiber of my being
demands that I protect them.

And instead, I have betrayed them.

I have allowed this to happen.

We've both allowed this to happen.

Then let us both find a way
to stop it from going any further.

I wish I could see a way.

Picard, I was born to govern
this colony, not to dismantle it.

If you force them to stay, you will be
suppressing their human rights.

If even a handful leave, the damage
to this society will be devastating.

What about the rights of those
who would stay behind?

They are the ones
who will inherit the social chaos

that will follow for generations.

Your arrival created this problem.

Your departure solves it.

That is simplistic.

Refuse them passage.

I cannot ignore the requests
of people, humans,

who ask for transport
away from here.

Nor can you ignore the fact
that thousands will suffer

if you agree to take them.

And as suffering grows,
more will demand to leave.

We are witnessing
the end of this existence.

I implore you, captain:

Do not let this happen.

You would have me make the decision
for you, but I can't do that.

I am willing to talk
to these people with you,

and I will urge them
not to make an impulsive choice.

But if finally
they choose to leave,

the Enterprise
will not turn them away.

Captain Picard has decided
to grant transport to any individuals

who wish to leave Genome Colony.

I am asking you to stay.

Aaron.

Don't you see
we can't be happy here any longer?

We were innocent.

It will never be that way again.

The experiences of the past week
will become part of our heritage.

We will adjust.

- In a few generations, we will be...
- We're not willing

to stay here a few generations.

All right.

Then give me six months.

Just wait six months
before you leave.

What will that accomplish?

It's true that our presence here

has had an unintended influence
on your society.

But it's done
and there is no way to undo it.

But feelings are running very high.

Perhaps, it's not such a bad idea

that you should take adequate time
to weigh carefully the consequences

of what you're about to do.

We are prepared
to return in six months.

In other words, we are being asked
to stay here for six months

while they pressure us
to change our minds.

In five days, you've seen only
the most superficial evidence

of what life is like
outside this biosphere.

Would you ever choose to live aboard
a ship in a bottle, captain?

You are in command of a starship.

You live to explore the unknown.
We ask for that same privilege.

Hannah.

This is your home.

We are all, in a sense, your family.

Don't we deserve an opportunity
to open a dialogue on this issue

at the very least?

- I am only asking for six months.
- It won't make any difference.

You'll only be putting the people
of this colony

through unnecessary pain
and anguish.

You are the ones causing pain
and anguish in this colony.

- You.
- Don't you see, Aaron? It's over.

It's time for you to lead our people
into a new era.

You could come with us.

When you're ready to come home,

you will be welcome.

What will you do now?

Attempt to assess the damage.

Spend the rest of my life
on the near-impossible task

of rebuilding this society
without the proper pieces.

Aaron, you acted in the best interests
of your people.

There was no way
to avoid what happened.

I replay each step in my mind

looking for the wrong turn,
mistake in judgment.

I can find only one.

And as hard as I try,

I cannot regret even that one.

In fact, I'm quite certain
that given the opportunity,

I would choose to make
the same mistake again.

I can only wonder why

with all the hundreds
of genetically compatible women

I would fall in love with you.

Don't say that.

Perhaps it's your imperfections
which make you so unique.

But I am in love with you,
Deanna Troi.

And I will always be.

Come.

The colonists are all onboard, sir.

- How many, finally?
- Twenty-three.

If ever we needed reminding

of the importance
of the Prime Directive, it is now.

The Prime Directive doesn't apply.

- They're human.
- Doesn't it?

Our very presence
may have damaged,

even destroyed, their way of life.

Now whether or not we agree
with that way of life,

whether they're human or not
is irrelevant, Number One.

We are responsible.

We had to respond to the thr*at
of the core fragment, didn't we?

Of course, we did.

But in the end,

we may have proved
just as dangerous to that colony

as any core fragment
could ever have been.