"Captain's Log, Stardate 41263.1 :" "We have rendezvoused with the USS Fearless from which a Starfleet propulsion expert and his assistant are beaming over to conduct tests on the Enterprise's warp drive engines." "They have completed similar adjustments on two other Starfleet vessels." "I don't understand your concern, Number One." "They're not authorized to make any alterations in our engines." "According to Starfleet's report, they will simply run tests on different ways of entering warp speed and different intermix formulas." "Where's the harm in that?" "It's the specs Kosinski sent us." "In my opinion, sir, they're gibberish." "Gibberish?" "Mr. Data would you explain?" "Sir, we put Mr. Kosinski's specs into the computer and ran a controlled test on them." "There was no improvement in engine performance." "Then how do you explain Starfleet's report that the same tests on the USS Ajax and the Fearless over there resulted in a measurable increase in propulsion?" "Our engines are new, sir, top condition." "The tests on those older ships to straighten out some engine inefficiency." "Bridge from transporter chief." "Two from USS Fearless are ready to beam over." "Stand by for Mr. Riker, Chief." "He's on his way." "Aye, sir." "Since you're concerned about these tests." "Yes, sir." "Captain, if I may" "I'll ask Counselor Troi to look these visitors over." "Very good." "Welcome aboard, Mr. Kosinski." "I'm the first officer, Commander William Riker and this is..." "Where is the Captain, please?" "He's engaged in other duties, sir." "A ship's engines should be the concern of a ship's Captain." "They are, sir which is why they have made the first officer directly responsible for an engine's conditions and performance-- guided, of course, by one of our chief engineers" "Lieutenant Commander Argyle, in this case." "A pleasure to meet you, sir." "I appreciated receiving the specs." "To which you have no end of questions." "Aye, I have." "And you, sir, are listed as...?" "As Mr. Kosinski's assistant." "My actual name is unpronounceable by humans." "You're from Tau Alpha C." "That's very distant." "All approved and described in the Starfleet communications." "Now, I would like to set up in the engine room immediately." "I'll have our chief engineer show you to his engine room." "No need." "I know my way around starships." "One thing that Kosinski isn't hiding is bad disposition." "Agreed." "Also he's arrogant, overbearing, self-important and very sure of himself and his ability." "And the other one?" "His assistant?" "He's the puzzle." "With most life-forms, I can usually feel something." "I may not be able to understand or interpret it but I feel something, if only a presence." "With him, nothing." "Empty space." "It's as though he isn't even here." "Something about this concerns me." "I don't know what." "I can point to no reason... yet." "Stay concerned, please." "The safety of the Enterprise may be entrusted to these two." "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." "Inform the Bridge" "I shall begin my first test in precisely 15 minutes." "Why is this child here?" "He's working on a school project." "And before you begin there are some questions." "First, tell us how you arrived..." "In order to save myself time" "let me ask those questions for you." "You received the information which Starfleet provided you fed it into your computer as precisely as humanly possible then you did a controlled test and then, to your astonishment, nothing happened." "So you said, "What's going on?" ""This doesn't work." "Kosinski's a fraud."" "You see, I have had this conversation on other Starfleet vessels before." "They didn't understand it." "Why should you?" "Surely you're not saying it's unexplainable." "I'm saying I'm not a teacher nor do I wish to become one." "I have neither the inclination nor the time." "You have all the time you need." "I don't think you understand." "This has already been approved by Starfleet Command." "But it hasn't been approved by the chief engineer or by me." "I didn't know that was necessary." "Now you do." "Perhaps I should speak to Captain Picard." "If you like." "It won't change anything." "How basic shall I be?" "I'll leave that to you." "Would you get on the auxiliary panel, please?" "In order to save time my assistant is going to lay in my base formulas more rapidly than any human being possibly could-- even myself." "So, here, then in the simplest possible terms, is what I do." "Now, this warp drive system has been tuned only in the grossest possible sense at least according to my standards." "What I do is specific." "Thank you." "Well, sufficient to say, for now, that these symbols..." "Something troubles you in the way this is configured?" "How about it now?" "Yes." "But shouldn't these be connected... here... and here?" "Now will it do what Kosinski says it will?" "It has a chance." "It might work better this way." "Yes." "...nature itself." "View with me, if you will this screen as we consider the following." "Now, is this merely mechanics or is it nature that we deal with in all of this?" "And what else than nature are the elementals of space and time?" "You are trained in the system." "You are... you go in a straight line-- competent, yes, perhaps even innovative in a minimalist sort of way-- but what I do here is not the end of the process." "It is the beginning." "So what do I do?" "Go back to the Fearless which I left with a more efficient warp drive system than I found?" "Or do you cast off your ignorance and allow me to continue?" "Can anything he's proposing damage our system?" "How could it?" "It's meaningless." "Then we should let him try it?" "What do you mean, "Let him try it"?" "!" "Don't talk about me in the third person as if I'm not standing right here." "Yes, we might as well let him try it." "Oh, yes, "We might as well let him try it."" "You are too generous." "Boy!" "Boy!" "Don't play with that." "Captain, main Engineering is ready to proceed." "Engineering, this is the Bridge." "It's your call." "Do this one just like last time." "Nothing changes." "Commander, I'll make my preliminary adjustments at warp 1.5 and complete them as we achieve warp four." "Engineering to Bridge." "Did you copy that?" "Affirmative, Number One." "You ready?" "We are." "La Forge, set in warp 1.5." "Warp 1.5, Sir." "Engage." "All right." "Here we go." "What are you doing?" "Captain, we're passing warp ten." "What is our velocity?" "It's off the scale, sir." "Reverse engines." "Captain, no one has ever reversed engines at this velocity." "That's because no one has gone this fast." "Reverse engines." "All stop." "Reading all stop, sir." "Position?" "Calculating it, sir." "Data, what do you read over there?" "A malfunction, I trust." "Position, Mr. La Forge." "Well, sir, according to these calculations we've not only left our own galaxy but passed through two others ending up on the far side of Triangulum-- the galaxy known as M-33." "That's not possible." "Data, what distance have we traveled?" "Two million, 700,000 light-years, sir." "I can't accept that." "You must, sir." "Our comparisons show it to be completely accurate." "And I calculate that at maximum warp, sir it would take over... 300 years to get home." "Captain's Log, Stardate 41263.2:" "This will be a rather unusual log entry assuming Starfleet ever receives it." "As I've already informed my crew a phenomenal surge of power during a warp speed experiment has sent our starship hurtling out of our own galaxy and past another taking us over two million, 700,000 light-years in a few minutes." "Message on this has already been transmitted to Starfleet, sir." "Which, traveling subspace, they should receive in 51 years, ten months, nine weeks, 16 days..." "Mr. Data!" "Sir?" "Captain Picard, I presume." "We're still trying to determine what happened." "The truth is, Captain, I made a mistake-- a wonderful, incredible mistake." "Just explain what brought us here." "As the power grew, I applied the energy asymptotically." "I anticipated some tilling, but it didn't occur." "Now, that was my error-- using the Bessel functions at the beginning." "What is he saying, Number One?" "Tell the truth, sir, it sounds like nonsense to me but... considering..." "Considering where we are... we must assume it isn't." "Can I do something to help?" "I can call my mother." "She's a doctor." "No, there's nothing she can do." "I need to rest." "I've been away too long." "What happened to you?" "Is it part of what happened to the ship?" "Please believe me." "I mean no harm to this vessel or those in it." "Is Mr. Kosinski like he sounds?" "A joke?" "No, that's too cruel." "He has sensed some small part of it." "That space and time and thought aren't the separate things they appear to be?" "I just thought the formula you were using said something like that." "Boy, don't ever say that again especially not at your age in a world that's not ready for such... such dangerous nonsense." "I've always suspected that this rate of speed was possible, of course but at this level-- no, never." "We're going to need new definitions, new parameters." "You could call it the Kosinski Scale." "Why not?" "Yes, of course, since I'm the one who has made the so-called warp barrier meaningless." "And Captain, this must be a special thrill for you." "Thrill?" "Mm-hmm, as an explorer." "In three centuries of space travel we've charted just 1 1 percent of our galaxy." "And then... we accomplish this." "Yes, but isn't the real point can you do it again?" "Can you get us home?" "Well, of course, I can." "I'll just do what I did before." "Coming, Riker?" "Commander Riker will join you soon in a moment." "Comment is invited." "Counselor?" "He's convinced he's right." "I've no doubt of that." "Captain, can you allow a man who's made one mistake back into a position where he may make another?" "Captain, what are our options, really?" "I mean, if this guy can't get us back, who will?" "Captain, we're here." "Why not avail ourselves of this opportunity for study?" "There is a giant protostar here in the process of forming." "No other vessel has been out this far." "Spoken like a true Starfleet graduate." "It is tempting, eh, Number One?" "Aye, sir, it is." "But as they say, sir, you're the Captain." "I know that If Kosinski can get us home" "Starfleet can use his technique to bring back a pure science vessel." "Do even more." "Number One, tell Kosinski to prepare to get us out of here." "Aye, sir." "Do you realize how many great advancements of mankind have been tied to speed?" "This is a moment in history right here, right now." "And your names will be forever linked with mine." "Excuse me, Commander Riker." "I don't think he did this." "I think..." "Not now, Wes." "Standing by, Number One." "But, sir..." "when all this happened" "I was watching his assistant..." "I'm sure this is fascinating, Wesley and I am looking forward to hearing all about it but not right now." "Aye, sir." "Come on." "He's too tired." "Why don't you do it by yourself?" "Yes, why not?" "Uh, No, I will help." "As you wish." "I've laid in the reciprocal course back, Captain." "Tell the Captain I am ready, first officer." "We're ready for you to engage, Captain." "As before, begin at warp 1.5." "Warp 1.5, sir." "This isn't working." "All stop." "Answering all stop, Captain." "According to the instruments, sir our speed never exceeded warp 1.5." "All stopped, sir." "Yes, but where is this place?" "Where none have gone before." "Captain's Log, Stardate 41263.3:" "Instead of returning to our own galaxy the Enterprise has gone forward to a place in the universe which is uncharted and unknown." "Our present position puts us at over a billion light-years from our galaxy." "Data, you have the helm." "I'll be in Engineering." "What is it?" "A Klingon targ." "My pet from home but when I was a child." "You're telling me it's a kitty cat?" "Yes." "I suppose you could call it that." "You darling." "What are you doing here?" "Now run." "This place isn't safe at all." "Oh!" "Tasha, what's wrong?" "You look scared to death." "I was, I was..." "This is crazy." "I was at the colony where I grew up being chased by a rape gang." "Are you all right?" "Well, you're safe now." "Captain!" "Captain!" "We need your help!" "What's wrong?" "Well, don't you see what's following us?" "Ensign, what are you doing?" "You look tense, Jean-Luc." "Come and have a cup of tea." "Maman." "I'll make it good and strong, the way you like it." "Maman?" "We can have a nice, long talk." "This can't be." "You've been..." "Dead?" "But I'm always with you." "You know that." "Yes, I've felt that." "But why now?" "Suddenly?" "You mean out here?" "At what you say is the end of the universe?" "Or do you see this as the beginning of it?" "We believe it the outer rim." "Maman, do you understand these things?" "Can you tell me where my ship is?" "What is this place?" "Captain, you were reported headed for..." "Just a moment, Number One!" "Can I help you, sir?" "No." "No, let's help all of us." "General quarters, red alert." "What is it, Captain?" "Captain, why are we at general quarters?" "I have to get everyone's attention." "This seemed to be the quickest way." "This is the Captain." "This is not a drill." "It seems that in this place the world of the physical universe and the world of ideas is somehow intermixed." "What we think also becomes a reality." "We must, therefore" "I repeat, must begin controlling our thoughts." "We will give you more on this as our understanding increases." "The Enterprise will stay at full alert until the crisis is over." "What did you do?" "It wasn't him; it never was." "It was his assistant." "What are you talking about?" "Kosinski wasn't controlling the warp experiment." "It was me!" "The equations he punched in were nonsense, just as we thought." "I honestly thought it was me." "I thought somehow... somehow I was operating on his level." "It was also my fault, Captain." "I should have realized it wasn't Kosinski." "How could you?" "How could any of us?" "Wesley did." "If you knew something, why didn't you say so?" "He tried, twice." "I didn't listen." "He's unconscious." "Why?" "I'm not certain yet." "He phased, sir." "What does that mean?" "Parts of him disappeared and then came back." "Nobody else was paying attention to him the first time." "When we saw it this time he seemed to be struggling, fighting it." "He's dying." "He mustn't." "He's the only one who can get us back." "Realistically, that doesn't seem possible." "Captain's Log, supplemental:" "Our position is unknown and our only chance of returning to the known universe is a dying alien who is generally humanoid but with a physiology sufficiently different from our own to create medical problems in caring for him." "Cause?" "I don't know." "My equipment doesn't register his kind of life signs." "I would have to guess exhaustion, fatigue." "Is he going to be all right?" "What is the boy doing here?" "Mom, he's my friend." "You may want him here before we're done, sir." "He seems to have developed some sort of special attachment to the boy." "My name is Wesley, Commander Riker." "He knows." "We all know." "Will he live?" "I'm not sure." "Wake him." "I recommend we let him come around on his own time." "We don't have that luxury." "Wake him." "He could die, and with him any chance we have." "Doctor, Wes, we all have other friends on board this ship." "If we stay here much longer, we may lose the ability to distinguish between thought and reality." "Now, regardless of the risk, wake him now." "Do you recognize me?" "I'm the Captain and I need answers." "I'll do my best... to provide." "Who are you?" "Or what?" "I am a traveler." "A traveler?" "What is your destination?" "Destination?" "Yes, what place are you trying to reach?" "Ah, place, no." "There is no specific place I wish to go." "Then what is the purpose of your journey?" "Curiosity." "That's not an answer." "I have certain abilities." "They give me a knowledge of propulsion." "I've been trading this for passage on Starfleet vessels." "And allowing Kosinski to take credit for what you did?" "It seemed the sensible way." "Until now." "Captain, I seek only transportation in order to see and experience your reality." "I am no threat to you, your ship or your crew." "He isn't, Captain." "I know he isn't." "Our "reality"?" "And in order to satisfy this curiosity you have brought my ship and my crew into grave risk." "I have made some mistakes." "Some mistakes?" "What mistakes could possibly explain these incredible explosions of velocity?" "I don't know if I can put this in terms you'll understand." "I believe that there may be a warp speed that can get us beyond galaxy M-33 but there is no velocity of any magnitude that can possibly bring us..." "wherever this is." "Is it true what our navigational sensors are telling us?" "Are we... are we millions of light-years away from where we were?" "Yes." "But what got us here?" "Thought." "Thought?" "You do understand, don't you that thought is the basis of all reality?" "The energy of thought-- to put it in your terms-- is very powerful." "That's not an explanation." "I have the ability to act like a lens which focuses thought." "That's just so much nonsense." "You're asking us to believe in magic." "Well, yes, this... this could seem like magic to you." "No." "No, it actually makes sense to me." "Only the power of thought could explain what has been happening, especially out here." "Thought is the essence of where you are now." "You do understand the danger, don't you?" "Chaos." "What we think is what happens." "It pains me I was so careless, Captain." "My intent was only to observe, not to cause this." "You should not be here until your far, far distant future." "Certainly not until you've learned control." "You are from a different time, aren't you?" "No, not exactly from another time... well, as you understand the concept... yes, perhaps that term fits as well as any." "And you have this ability to travel?" "Yes." "And others of your kind have the same ability?" "Oh, yes." "Then why, in all of our history, is there no record of you or someone like you ever having visited us?" "What wonderful arrogance." "There is no record because we have not visited you before." "Why not?" "Well, because... up until now, if you'll forgive this you've been uninteresting." "It's only now that your life-form merits serious attention." "I..." "I'm-I'm sorry." "What's happening?" "He's unconscious again." "Revive him." "Whatever you need from him, you better get it soon." "If I may suggest, sir, our first leap out of our galaxy was, as he said, a mistake." "Unless he was distracted by something." "And it weakened him in some way resulting in the incredible leap out here." "Theory." "Do you have any facts that fit this?" "Can you get us back?" "Wait, Captain, not so fast." "We have an opportunity here for scientific discovery." "And we report our observations how?" "To whom?" "Can you get us back?" "I will try." "Number One, take him down to main Engineering." "I'll be on the Bridge." "No!" "He's very weak." "The Captain is right-- we must hurry." "But first I request a moment with the Captain... alone." "Strange how he seems to care for you." "He will forget me in time, which is as it should be." "It's Wesley I wanted to speak to you about." "The boy?" "It's best you do not repeat this to the others-- especially not to the mother." "Whatever happens it is imperative that it proceed naturally." "I must get my ship back." "Do we have time for this?" "Oh, yes." "He and a few like him are why I travel." "You have it in your power to encourage him without interfering." "Encourage him in what?" "How shall I explain?" "Are you familiar with the intricacies of what is called here "music"?" "Somewhat." "And such musical genius as I saw in one of your ships' libraries-- one called Mozart who as a small child wrote astonishing symphonies." "A genius who made music not only to be heard but seen and felt beyond the understanding, the ability of others." "Wesley is such a person." "Not with music but with the equally lovely intricacies of time, energy, propulsion... and the instruments of this vessel which allow all that to be played." "You're right." "I must hurry now but you're right in something else." "He is just a boy for now." "He should be encouraged but told none of this." "We've got to get back home." "Take him to main Engineering." "Yes, sir." "I'll be on the Bridge." "Yes, sir." "Put it out!" "How?" "Think!" "Put the flame out in your thoughts." "Now, get to your station and concentrate on your assignment." "Yes, sir." "Captain's Log:" "Any time entry is meaningless." "We have no choice but to repeat the same warp experiment but with one variation." "A principal part of this warp formula will be the thoughts of everyone aboard the Enterprise." "We have no idea exactly how this works." "We understand only that the traveler makes use of this somehow." "It will be most important that those aboard avoid random thoughts that might change the reality of what we're attempting to do." "Do you have any further advice, Counselor?" "When you begin the attempt, there will be stress and it's only natural the crew's concentration will shift." "Plus some genuine fear, Captain." "You can't notice what's happening outside without feeling some of that." "All decks, all stations this is the Captain speaking." "All decks, I must have your full attention." "In a few moments, as we attempt to warp back home it is vital-- absolutely vital-- that you center your thoughts on your duty or on the welfare of the one called the traveler." "Think of giving him some of your strength." "Now, this is an order." "You must try to do this." "And, now, attempt to concentrate completely on your duty of the moment or on the traveler on his well-being." "Think of him as someone you care deeply for." "All decks, all stations-- battle stations." "I will need Kosinski back on the main computer." "You need me?" "Yes." "Helm, set in warp 1.5, retroactive course." "Warp 1.5 retroactive 2-6-1 mark 3-1, sir." "Bridge to Engineering, stand by." "I feel such an abundance of well-being on the ship." "It feels like quite wonderful." "Engineering to Bridge, we're ready." "On my order, Mr. Data, Mr. La Forge." "Engage." "It's not happening." "It's not enough." "Warp 1.5, sir, which is what my instruments have read all along." "And our position reads exactly what it was before this sleigh ride began, sir." "Cease red alert." "Sleigh ride?" "Or whatever you want to call it, Data." "I don't have a proper name for it." "The traveler's gone, sir." "Gone?" "He's phased... completely out of existence-- at least out of our existence." "Attention all decks." "This is to inform you that with your support the traveler has returned us to our own galaxy." "However, he has now left us." "Wherever he has gone, we wish him well." "Have the boy sent to the Bridge, Number One." "Wesley Crusher, report to the Bridge on the double." "Our next assignment is on this heading?" "Yes, sir." "Mr. Data, Mr. La Forge increase to warp five, same heading." "Warp five, sir." "On that same heading, sir." "Oh, Wesley, come on the Bridge." "Move!" "Commander Riker has told me how supportive you were in Engineering." "Well done." "Oh, at ease." "Sit here in command." "Captain, it's not allowed." "Your orders." "Oh, that's true." "Well, uh, I, uh, can't waive them again." "Only commissioned officers." "It's quite all right, sir." "I understand." "Please don't interrupt me, Wesley." "I'm sorry, sir." "Any commissioned rank?" "Even Ensign?" "That would give him authorized access to the Bridge." "Well, then, I'll have to make him an acting Ensign." "Captain's Log, Stardate 41263.4:" "For outstanding performance in the best Starfleet tradition" "Wesley Crusher is made acting Ensign with the duties and privileges of that rank and whether that rank becomes permanent, Mr. Crusher depends on you." "At the earliest opportunity, your entrance application for Starfleet Academy will be tendered." "Until then, you will learn this ship-- every operation, every function." "Commander Riker, a duty schedule for Mr. Crusher heavy on study." "Aye, sir." "Meanwhile, you can sit here and learn something." "Sir, should I send for Dr. Crusher?" "Why, is someone ill?" "Or would you rather tell her about this, Wes?" "If you don't mind, sir" "I'd like to sit here for a while." "I'll tell her later."