05x18 - Cause and Effect

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Aired: September 28, 1987 – May 23, 1994.*
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Series is set 78 years after the original series -- in the 24th century.
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05x18 - Cause and Effect

Post by bunniefuu »

Damage report.

Casualty reports coming in
from all over the ship.

The starboard nacelle
has sustained a direct impact.

We are venting drive plasma.

Initiating emergency core shutdown.

Inertial dampers failing.
We're losing attitude control.

This is the Bridge.
All hands to emergency escape pods.

Core shutdown is unsuccessful.

We are losing antimatter
containment.

We've got to eject the core.

Ejection systems off-line.

Core breach is imminent.

All hands abandon ship.

Repeat, all hands abandon...

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.

Captain's log, stardate 45652.1.

The Enterprise has entered an area of
space known as the Typhon Expanse.

We are the first Starfleet vessel
to chart this unexplored region.

Sometimes I wonder if he's stacking
the deck.

I assure you, commander,
the cards are sufficiently randomized.

I hope so.

Eight, ace, queen.

The dealer receives a four.

No bet.

Ten, seven, no help there.

A pair of ladies for the doctor.

Dealer receives a nine.

Doctor?

May I remind you since you show the
highest hand, you control the next bet.

Thank you, Data.

I'll bet 10.

Worf?

Jack, four,

deuce, six.

Twenty.

- Your 20, and 50 more.
- Fifty?

I'm in.

I will also see the bet.

Seven, and a possible straight
for Commander Riker.

Jack, still no help for the Klingon.

Eight.

Nine for the dealer.

Twenty.

Too rich for my blood.

Your 20, 100 more.

Fold.

Two hundred.

Your two, and three hundred more.

He does not have a straight.

Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?

Let's see your cards.

Take it.

How'd you know I was bluffing?

I just had a feeling.

I guess it's better to be lucky
than good.

It's the way your left eyebrow raises
when you're bluffing.

Just kidding, commander.

- Ogawa to Dr. Crusher.
- Go ahead.

Commander La Forge needs you
in Sickbay.

On my way-

At first, I thought the catwalk
was spinning.

As it turns out, it was me.

Luckily Ensign Fletcher was there
to grab me.

It's a long way down to the bottom
of the warp core.

You have all the symptoms
of an inner ear infection.

That would explain the dizziness
and the headaches.

But there's no physical evidence.

My guess is you've been working
too hard.

Well, I have been putting a lot of extra
hours on this Typhon Expanse project.

I'll give you 20 CC of vertazine.

That should clear up the dizziness,
but finding time to relax is up to you.

What? What is it?

Geordi, have you had
these symptoms before?

- No.
- You're sure?

Yeah, I'm positive. Why?

It's funny.

I feel like we've discussed
this before,

and I remember giving you
a hypospray for dizziness.

Well, I've never had these symptoms
before today,

so you must be thinking
about another patient.

No, I'm sure it was you.

Well, try to get some rest,

and stay away from high places
for a few days, just in case.

Thanks, doc.

- Good night.
- Good night.

As you can see,
the Typhon Expanse is huge.

If we want to chart the most remote
star system,

we'll have to launch a probe
within a few hours.

Fine.
What about the luminosity studies?

Ahh... That may pose a problem.

How so?

Flux spectrometers are still down
for realignment.

I thought they were supposed
to be back online yesterday.

They were, until the
stellar dynamics lab

decided they needed to install
new modules.

I recommend we use
the gravitron polarimeter.

It will perform a similar function.

Make it so, Mr. Data.

Captain, I have something
I'd like to report.

Yes, doctor?

I heard voices in my room last night.

I was alone, so at first I thought
I was imagining things.

But this morning, ten other people
reported hearing voices

at the same time as I did.

What were the voices saying?

I couldn't make them out.

Data, did the sensors pick up
anything unusual last night?

No anomalous readings
were reported.

When we're through here,
recheck the sensor logs.

Aye, sir.

Counselor?

I sensed nothing unusual last night.

Maybe it's a problem
with the com system.

- Bridge to Captain Picard.
- Go ahead.

We are getting unusual readings,
20,000 km off the starboard bow.

On our way.

Report.

Sensors didn't detect the phenomenon
until we were almost on top of it, sir.

It is a highly-localized distortion
of the space-time continuum.

On-screen.

Back us off, ensign.

Nice and slow.

Aye, sir.

Captain, maneuvering thrusters
are not responding.

The distortion field is fluctuating.

All main systems just went down.

- Power levels are dropping rapidly.
- Red alert.

There is energy build-up
in the distortion field.

We have to get out of here, now.

Captain, something is emerging.

Shields up. Evasive maneuver.

Shields inoperative.

The helm's not responding.

The vessel is on a collision course.

- Impact in 36 seconds.
- Hail them.

No response.

- Suggestions?
- Decompress main shuttle bay.

The expl*sive reaction
may kick us out of the way.

Captain, I suggest we use
the tractor beam

to alter the other ship's trajectory.

Mr. Worf, make it so.

Engaging tractor beam.

Damage report?

Casualty reports coming in
from all over the ship.

Starboard nacelle
has sustained a direct impact.

Venting drive plasma.

Initiating emergency core shutdown.

Inertial dampers failing.
We're losing attitude control.

This is the Bridge.
All hands to emergency escape pods.

Core shutdown was unsuccessful.

We are losing
anti-matter containment.

We've got to eject the engine core.

Ejection systems are off-line.

Core breach is imminent.

All hands abandon ship.

Repeat, all hands abandon...

Captain's log, stardate 45652.1.

The Enterprise has entered an area of
space known as the Typhon Expanse.

We are the first Starfleet vessel
to chart this unexplored region.

Sometimes I wonder if
he's stacking the deck.

I assure you, commander, the cards
have been sufficiently randomized.

I hope so.

Eight. Ace. Queen.

The dealer receives a four.

No bet.

Ten, seven, no help there.

A pair of ladies for the doctor.

Dealer receives a nine.

Doctor? May I remind you since
you show the highest hand,

you control the next bet.

ls there something wrong, doctor?

No. Um...

I'll bet ten.

Jack, four, deuce, six.

Twenty.

Your 20, and I'll raise you 50.

You're going to call my bluff,
aren't you?

I think I'll quit While I'm ahead.

How did you know I was going
to call your bluff?

I just had a feeling.

Me too.

Ogawa to Doctor Crusher.

Go ahead.

Commander La Forge needs you
in Sickbay.

On my way.

At first, I thought the catwalk
was spinning.

As it turns out, it was me.

I was lucky Ensign Fletcher was there
to grab me.

It's a long way down to the bottom
of the warp core.

You have all the symptoms
of an inner ear infection.

That would explain the headaches
and the dizziness.

But there's no physical...

What?

What is it?

Geordi, have you ever had these
symptoms before?

Come to think of it, I think I have.

Do you recall when?

No, I don't.

We've had this discussion before,

and I know I've given you
this examination.

Let's check the medical logs.

You've been treated several times
for headaches related to your visor.

But I read no mention of dizziness.

Must be d?jà-vu.

Both of us?

About the same thing?

Crusher to Picard.

Yes, doctor?

Do you have a minute, Jean-Luc?

My Aunt Adele cured a lot of sleepless
nights with this steamed milk.

Thank you.

Hmm. Nutmeg.

Whenever I get insomnia,
I try to perfect the recipe.

It was the eeriest feeling.

When the glass broke,

it triggered the sensation even more
intensely that I had done it all before.

You know,

earlier, I was reading this book,

and I had the distinct feeling that
I had read certain paragraphs before.

But, I assumed

that I'd read the book years ago
and I'd forgotten.

I've had this feeling for hours.

Then the voices.

Well.

It could be nothing more than
the result of a sleepless night.

But let's be sure.

Have Data and Geordi run
a shipwide diagnostic,

concentrating on the time and place
when you heard the voices.

And we'll discuss the results tomorrow
at 0700 hours.

Thank you.

For everything.

Oh, thank Aunt Adele.

The internal scans were negative.

There was no evidence of auditory
anomalies anywhere on the ship.

As far as the sensors are concerned,
nothing unusual happened last night.

Ten other people reported hearing
voices at the same time I did.

- Bridge to Captain Picard.
- Go ahead.

We are getting unusual readings
20,000 km off the starboard bow.

On our way.

Report.

Sensors didn't detect the phenomenon
until we were almost on top of it, sir.

There is a highly-localized distortion
of the space-time continuum.

On-screen.

Back us off, ensign.

- Nice and slow.
- Aye, sir.

Captain, maneuvering thrusters
are not responding.

The distortion field is fluctuating.

All main systems just went down.
Power levels are dropping rapidly.

Red alert.

There is an energy build-up
in the distortion field.

We have to get out of here, now.

Captain, something is emerging.

Shields up. Evasive maneuvers.

Shields inoperative.

The helm is not responding.

The vessel is on a collision course.

Impact in 36 seconds.

Hail them.

No response.

Suggestions?

Decompress main shuttlebay.

expl*sive reaction
may blow us out of the way.

Captain, I suggest
we use the tractor beam

to alter the other ship's trajectory.

Make it so, Mr. Worf.

Engaging tractor beam.

Damage report.

Casualty reports coming in
from all over the ship.

Starboard nacelle has sustained
a direct impact.

We are venting drive plasma.

Initiating emergency core shutdown.

Inertial dampers failing.
We're losing attitude control.

This is the Bridge.
All hands to emergency escape pods.

Core shutdown was unsuccessful.

We are losing
antimatter containment.

We've got to eject the core.

Ejector systems are off-line.

Core breach is imminent.

All hands abandon ship.

Repeat, all hands abandon...

Captain's log, stardate 45652.1.

The Enterprise has entered an area of
space known as the Typhon Expanse.

We are the first Starfleet vessel
to chart this unexplored region.

Sometimes I wonder
if he's stacking the deck.

I assure you, commander,
the cards are sufficiently randomized.

I hope...

so.

Something wrong, Mr. Worf?

I am experiencing nlb'poH.

The feeling I've done this before.

Yes, last Tuesday night.

That's not what I mean.

I've been having the same feeling.

Keep dealing, Data.

Eight. Ace.

A queen.
You're gonna give me a queen.

And you're going to get a four.

Deal, Data.

But no one has bet.

Forget the bet, just deal.

Ten.

Seven.

Queen.

Nine.

Jack.

Four.

Deuce. Six.

This is highly improbable.

- How did we know?
- Wait.

- Crusher to Sickbay.
- Sickbay here.

ls Commander La Forge there?

No, doctor, he's not.

Wait a minute. He just came in.

- You wanted to see me, doctor?
- Yes.

Captain,

have you been getting the feeling

that you've experienced
certain things before?

A sense of repetition?

Yes, recently.

While I was reading.
Why do you ask?

There have been similar incidents
reported all over the ship.

Feelings of d?jà-vu.

I had a premonition Geordi
was going to come into Sickbay.

A few seconds later, he did,

with the symptoms
of an ear infection.

I was going to run
the standard tests,

but somehow I had a feeling
that they would turn out negative.

So I ran an optical diagnostic

which traced the problem
to Geordi's visor.

His dizziness is being caused
by a phase shift in his visual receptors.

It's causing him to see images
that aren't there.

They're like blurry afterimages.

I ran a scan to see if I could detect
what he was seeing.

I picked up miniscule distortions
in the surrounding dekyon field.

Somehow his visor is translating
those distortions into visual impulses.

Could be a malfunction in the ship's
warp field generator. I'll check it.

Run a localized subspace scan
to look for anything else.

Aye, sir.

Keep me advised.

- Crusher to Commander La Forge.
- La Forge here.

Geordi,

I just heard what sounded like voices
in my room, but no one else is here.

Sensors just picked up
something strange too.

- We're checking it out.
- I'm on my way.

Looks like you managed to record
6.2 seconds worth.

Let's see if we can filter the signal
and clear it up a little bit.

Then I wasn't just hearing things?

The sound itself appears
to have been real.

However, the acoustic energy does
not correspond to any ship's system,

nor to any voice communication sent
at the time you heard it.

Then where did the sound
come from?

Well, you heard voices
at the same time

our localized subspace scan picked up
a dekyon field distortion.

The two may be related.

Let's give another listen.

Computer, perform a narrow
bandwidth analysis.

Eliminate all non-vocal
waveform components.

Can we isolate the voices,
find out what they're saying?

Computer, continuous playback,
please.

There are approximately
1000 voices overlapping.

The voices are those
of the Enterprise crew.

Our voices.

I'm sorry to call you all here so early.

But we couldn't wait until
0700 hours.

We think we may have an explanation
for the odd occurrences around here.

Commander.

This is going to sound pretty wild.

Somehow we've entered what seems
to be a temporal causality loop.

We think we're stuck in a specific
fragment in time

and we've been repeating that same
fragment over and over again.

ls this what's causing our d?jà-vu?

Yes, but it's more than that.

In d?jà-vu, you only think
you're repeating events.

We actually are.

Our theory is this.

Every time the loop begins again,

everything resets itself,
and starts all over.

We don't remember anything
that happened before,

so each time through the loop,
we think it's the first.

We could have come into this room,
sat at this table,

and had this conversation
a dozen times already?

A dozen, a hundred.

It's impossible to tell.

We could have been trapped here
for hours, days, maybe years.

If what we're saying is true,

those voices I heard might have
been echoes from previous loops.

It's the same with the phase shift
in my visor,

afterimages in time.

If you're right about this,

how did it happen?
How did we get there?

I have a hypothesis
that may explain that, captain.

I have analyzed the recording
Dr. Crusher made.

Most of it is quite ordinary.

One hundred fifty discussions
about ship operations,

252 conversations
of a personal nature,

five couples engaged
in romantic encounters.

Your point, Mr. Data.

There is evidence of some sort
of disaster aboard the Enterprise

severe enough that the captain
ordered all hands to abandon ship.

I have isolated three segments
of this recording that are crucial.

A highly-localized distortion

of a space-time continuum.

Collision course.
Impact in 36 seconds.

All hands abandon ship.

Repeat, all hands abandon...

Worf refers to a distortion.

If this were a temporal distortion,
and if we were close enough to it,

it's possible that a large
enough expl*si*n

might have ruptured
the space-time continuum.

We collided, exploded, then got caught
in this repeating loop of time.

If you're right, we could escape
from the loop by avoiding the collision.

That's our guess.

Perhaps we should reverse course.

For all we know, reversing course
may be what leads us into the crash.

No. We can't afford to start
second-guessing ourselves.

We'll stay on this course
until we have reason to change it.

But let's do everything that we can
to avoid the collision.

Captain, we might not be able
to figure out

how to avoid this accident
until it's too late.

And if the loop begins again,

we'll forget everything
we learned this time around.

What do you suggest?

If we do find a way
to avoid this collision,

we should try to send
that information into the next loop.

Is that possible?

We have seen that echoes,
or afterimages from previous loops,

appear as distortions
in the dekyon field.

We may be able to send a deliberate
echo into the next loop.

- Like a message in a bottle.
- Exactly.

We could enhance a dekyon emission
to create a specific pattern,

and send ourselves a message.
Not a long one,

probably only a few characters.
Maybe one word.

How do we know we'll pick up
that word the next time through?

If the dekyon emission
is modulated correctly,

it will set up resonances
in my positronic subprocessors.

I will receive the information on what
you would call a subconscious level.

Now, there's the catch.

We have no way of knowing how this
information will be perceived by Data.

It might be like a,
a post-hypnotic suggestion.

Even with all these uncertainties
we've got to try.

Take whatever steps are necessary
to send a message. Dismissed.

You know, it's possible
we've tried this a thousand times

and it's never worked.

Do you have the feeling
that you've done this before?

- No, I don't.
- Neither do I.

Maybe that's a good sign.

Let's test the emitter.

Particle accelerators at full power.

Dekyon field active,
particle flux nominal.

- We're in business.
- All we need now is a message.

Senior officers report to the Bridge.

On our way.

We've got to figure out
how we handled this before.

Back us off, ensign.

Nice and slow.

Aye, sir.

Captain, maneuvering thrusters
are not responding.

The distortion field is fluctuating.

All main systems just went down.
Power levels are dropping rapidly.

There is an energy build-up
in the distortion field.

We have to get out of here, now.

Captain, something is emerging.

Shields up. Evasive maneuvers.

Shields inoperative.

The helm's not responding.

Vessel is on a collision course.
Impact in 36 seconds.

Hail them.

No response.

Suggestions?

Decompress main shuttle bay.

The expl*sive reaction may blow us
out of the way.

Captain, I suggest we use
the tractor beam

to alter the other ship's trajectory.

Make it so, Mr. Worf.

Engaging tractor beam.

Damage report.

Casualty reports are coming in
from all over the ship.

Starboard nacelle has sustained
a direct impact.

We are venting drive plasma.

Initiating emergency core shutdown.

Inertial dampers failing.
We're losing attitude control.

This is the Bridge.
All hands to emergency escape pods.

Core shutdown is unsuccessful.
We are losing anti-matter containment.

We've got to eject the core.

Ejection systems are off-line.

Core breach is imminent.

All hands abandon ship.

Repeat, all hands abandon...

Captain's log, stardate 45652.1.

The Enterprise has entered an area of
space known as the Typhon Expanse.

We are the first Starfleet vessel
to chart this unexplored region.

Sometimes I wonder
if he's stacking the deck.

I assure you, commander,
the cards are sufficiently randomized.

I hope so.

Something wrong, Mr. Worf?

I am experiencing nlb'poH.

The feeling I've done this before.

Yeah, last Tuesday night.

That is not what I mean.

I've been having the same feeling.

Wait.

An eight,

an ace, a queen, and a four.

Deal the cards, Data.

Three. All threes.

I was positive I knew
what cards were going to be dealt.

I was also sure.

Finish dealing the hand.

Look at this.
We've all got three of a kind.

First, we get a three.

And then three of a kind.

Ogawa to Dr. Crusher.

Go ahead.

Commander La Forge
needs you in Sickbay.

I'm on my way.

At first, I thought the catwalk
was spinning.

As it turns out, it was me.

I was lucky Ensign Fletcher
was there to grab me.

It's a long way down to the bottom
of the warp core.

You have all the
symptoms of an inner ear infection.

That would explain the headaches,
dizziness.

But I don't see any physical...

What?

What is it?

Geordi, have you ever had
these symptoms before?

Now that you mention it,
I think I have.

Do you recall when?

No, I don't.

I know we've had this discussion
before, and I remember

giving you this examination.

Let's check the medical logs.

You've been treated several times
for headaches related to your visor,

- but there's no mention of dizziness.
- Must be d?jà-vu.

Both of us? About the same thing?

I'd like to run an optical diagnostic.

For an ear infection?

I have a hunch.

Now hold still,
this pulse may be a little bright.

Have you made any changes
to your visor lately?

No, why?

I'm detecting a small phase shift
in your visual receptors.

Crusher to Captain Picard.

Yes, doctor?

Can you come to Sickbay
immediately? It's urgent.

I'm on my way.

His dizziness is being caused
by a phase shift in his visual receptors.

It's causing him to see things
that aren't there.

They're like blurry afterimages.

I ran a scan to see if
I could detect what he was seeing.

I picked up miniscule distortions
in the surrounding dekyon field.

His visor seems to be translating
those distortions into visual impulses.

Could be a malfunction in the ship's
warp field generator. I'll check it out.

While you're at it,
run a localized subspace scan

to look for anything unusual.

Aye, sir.

Keep me advised, doctor.

Lateral sensors online,
subspace scanners, active.

Data, would you run a level two
diagnostic on the warp subsystems?

All threes. That can't be right.

I encountered the numeral three
an inordinate number of times

over the last two hours.

We have a dekyon field fluctuation
on Deck 9, section 28.

Crusher to Commander La Forge.

La Forge here.

I just heard what sounded like voices
in my room.

But there's no one here.

Sensors just picked up something
strange too. We're checking it out.

I'm on my way down.

Dr. Crusher? Are you all right?

I'm fine.

I have isolated three segments
of this recording that are crucial.

A highly-localized distortion
of the space-time continuum.

Collision course.
Impact in 36 seconds.

All hands abandon ship.
Repeat, all hands abandon...

Worf refers to a distortion.

If this were a temporal distortion,
and if we were close enough to it,

it's possible that a large
enough expl*si*n

might have ruptured
the space-time continuum.

We collided, exploded, then got stuck
in this repeating loop of time.

If you're right, perhaps we can escape
from the loop by avoiding the collision.

That's our guess.

Perhaps we should reverse course.

For all we know, reversing course
might be what leads us to the crash.

We can't afford to start
second-guessing ourselves.

We should stay on this course
until we have reason to change it.

But in the meantime, I think we should
do what we can to avoid a collision.

Captain, we've been seeing
the number three all over the ship.

On consoles, in a poker game.

To date, we have
encountered 2,085

conspicuous examples
of the number three.

All of these threes can't be
coming up by accident.

Maybe someone's trying
to tell us something.

We came to the same conclusion,
so we ran a shipwide diagnostic.

The only unusual thing we found
was a dekyon field modulation

in Data's positronic subprocessors.

- What could be causing it?
- I don't know,

but if I wanted to send information
from one loop into the next,

I might use a method
like a dekyon emission.

You think we sent ourselves
a message?

Would make sense. Maybe we are
trying to tell ourselves something.

If that were true,
what could three indicate?

Maybe we should run a level three
diagnostic on all key systems.

That's good idea.
I'll have the computer run a pattern

matching algorithm
on the number three.

- Bridge to Captain Picard.
- Go ahead.

We're getting unusual readings,

20,000 kilometers
off the starboard bow.

On our way.

Report.

Sensors didn't detect the phenomenon
until we were almost on top of it.

It is a highly-localized distortion
of the space-time continuum.

On-screen.

How do you think we
handled this before?

Back us off, ensign.

Nice and slow.

Aye, sir.

Captain, maneuvering thrusters
are not responding.

The distortion field is fluctuating.

All main systems just went down.

Power levels are dropping rapidly.

There is an energy build-up
in the distortion field.

We have to get out of here now.

Captain, something is emerging.

Shields up. Evasive maneuvers.

Shields inoperative.

The helm's not responding.

The vessel is on a collision course.

- Impact in 36 seconds.
- Hail them.

No response.

Suggestions?

Decompress main shuttle bay.
The expl*sive reaction

- may kick us out of the way.
- Captain,

I suggest we use the tractor beam
to alter the other ship's trajectory.

Make it so, Mr. Worf.

Engaging tractor beam.

The tractor beam
will not be successful.

I am decompressing
the main shuttlebay.

We are clear of the distortion.

Data, what happened?

At the last moment,
I speculated that three

might refer to the number
of rank insignia

on Commander Riker's uniform.

That indicated to me
that his suggestion

might be the correct
course of action.

Data, you must have picked up
a message we sent from the last loop,

and stacked the deck in the
poker game without realizing it.

That is possible.

I may also have inadvertently
been responsible

for the unexplained occurrences
of the number three.

Mr. Worf, end red alert.

And try to access
a Federation time-base beacon.

Let's see if we can find out how long
we've been in this causality loop.

Time-base confirms our chronometers
are off by 17.4 days.

- Reset them, Mr. Data.
- Aye, sir.

Captain, we are being hailed
by the other vessel.

Computer identifies it
as the U.S.S. Bozeman.

A Federation starship.

Soyuz Class.

Soyuz Class? They haven't been
in service in over 80 years.

Open a channel.

This is Capt. Morgan Bateson
of the Federation starship Bozeman.

Can we render assistance?

I'm Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
of the Federation starship Enterprise.

We were just going to ask you
the same thing.

Captain Picard, your vessel
is not familiar to us.

Captain, have you any idea
what has just happened?

Our sensors detected
a temporal distortion.

Then your ship appeared.
We nearly hit you.

The Enterprise has been caught up
in a temporal causality loop.

And I suspect that something similar
may have happened to you.

You must be mistaken, we left
starbase only three weeks ago.

Captain,

do you know what year this is?

Of course, I do. it's 2278.

Perhaps you should beam
aboard our ship.

There's something we need
to discuss.
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