"Dr Nessor, please contact station 12." "Dr Nessor, contact station 12." "Careful!" "He may have cranium damage." "Move him onto the diagnostic pad." "Slowly!" " Right." "Here we go." " Slowly." "That's good." "Alright, careful." " Readings?" " They're fluctuating, sir." "He took a severe blow." "Possible trauma to the telencephalon." "Start quadroline." "We'll need a complete del-scan series." " I can't find his cardial organ." " There's circulation." " There it is." "Up here." " In his digestive tract?" "Ever seen anything like this?" "He's missing three costal struts on one side... ..and four on the other!" "Think that's something?" "Look at this!" "He has digits on his terminus!" "What are you?" "!" "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." "What happened?" "You're in the crisis room at the Sikla Medical Facility." "You've had a severe injury, but you'll be alright." "I was caught in the riots when the police moved in." "It's the last thing I remember." "Can you tell us your name?" "Rivas." "Rivas Jakara." "Rivas Jakara?" "Where do you live?" "In the Marta community on the southern continent." "You're a long way from home." "Do you have any family we should notify?" "No, I have no family." "I have to get back." "You're in no condition to leave yet." "There are unusual things about your case, Mr. Jakara." "Your cranial lobes, for instance, they seem to be surgical implants." "I had cosmetic surgery to correct a genetic birth defect." " And these?" "Another birth defect?" " Yes." "Isn't that something?" "My father's were the same way." "You're saying your abnormalities are inherited genetic traits?" "I understand your confusion." "My personal physician is much more familiar with these genetic irregularities." "To be honest, I would feel much better back home under her care." "I'll talk to her." "What's her name?" "Crusher." "Actually, I'm not sure you'll be able to reach her." "Why not?" "She's taking a sabbatical." "Well, we'll do the best we can for you." "There was one other thing." "We found this curious-looking device in your clothes." "What is it?" "Just a toy." "I was taking it home as a present." "I thought you had no family." "It's for a neighbour's child." "Was anything else found?" "I had one piece of jewellery, a metal pin." "No, I'm sorry, this was all we found." "Genetic irregularities?" "That thing isn't even the same species!" "Keep your voice down!" "The last thing we need is a panic over...." "All the space flights have attracted creatures from outer space!" " That's what I don't want to hear!" " What will you do?" "Of all the medical facilities available,... ..why did he have to end up here?" " We ought to call Central Security." " Not till we've done a lot more." "A lot more." "I want his story checked out." "Search the library to make sure we've never seen anything like him." "What if there's more of them?" "They could be everywhere!" "I want security on his door 29 hours a day, and I want this kept quiet!" "Code-three drill in B Wing." "All instructors report immediately." "Code-three drill." "All instructors report." "At 12.4 after launch, the warp field generator will be activated." " And break the light barrier?" " Yes, Chancellor." "If we succeed, the craft will leave our star system and in minutes will head for the Garth system." "And then what?" "And then, Krola, we'll see what's there." "How long, Mirasta?" "We have the prototype design for the warp engine." "We'd simply have to build the production units." "If I get your approval today, ten months, maybe less." "Chancellor," "I'll admit Mirasta's enthusiasm for her work is seductive, but perhaps we're moving too fast." "Your opponents will see this as another example of you going against traditional ways." "My opponents look back as I look forward." "I do believe my people would choose to retreat after all we've done." "I agree." "The people accepted your social reforms because they believe in you." "But there are many who say we have gone far enough." "All these new ideas, new technology, and now space travel?" "It confuses them, frightens them." "I will not allow them to remain in the dark ages." "The warp programme will proceed as you have outlined, Mirasta." "And then we will slow down, Krola, to let everyone catch their breath." "Including you." "Mirasta Yale?" "Yes." "Please." "Don't be alarmed at our appearance." "My name is Jean-Luc Picard." "This is my associate, Deanna Troi." "What are you?" "We've come with some very important information." " About what?" " About space." "About the universe you are preparing to enter." "We come from a federation of planets." "Capt Picard is from Earth, which is over 2,000 light years from here." "I'm from another planet called Betazed." "We've monitored your progress toward warp-drive capability." "When a society reaches your level of technology and is about to initiate warp travel, we feel the time is right for first contact." "We prefer meeting like this, rather than a random confrontation in deep space." "We've come to you first as a leader in the scientific community." "Scientists generally accept our arrival more easily than others." "We usually encounter shock and fear on this sort of mission." "We hope you will help us to facilitate our introduction." "Is this a joke?" "Did Lupo and the others from the lab put you up to this?" "It's no joke." "You can see we're physically different from Malcorians." "And, with your permission, I'm prepared to prove it to you." "I would like that." "Picard to Enterprise." "Three to beam up." "It's everything I ever dreamed of!" "When I was a child, my parents would take me to the planetarium, and we would sit in the dark and it was as if I was on a spaceship, on my way to another world, to meet people on other planets." "Part of me is waiting for the lights to come up and the programme to end." "How did you know about me?" "We learn as much as possible about a planet before we make first contact." "One of the things we monitor are your broadcast signals, your journalism, your music, your humour." "Try to understand you better as a people." "I hate to think how you would judge us based on our popular music and entertainment!" "Indeed, we do get an incomplete picture, which is why we also do..." "..surface reconnaissance." "You've had people on our planet?" "For several years." "These are specialists, highly trained observation teams, superficially identical to you, and able to blend naturally into your society." "We've discovered that the most hazardous aspect of these missions is the lack of sufficient information." "You don't have to explain." "I understand, although not everybody on my planet would." "They would think you were trying to infiltrate our society." "Well, there is a difficulty here, one that has forced us to accelerate this entire process." "One of our people is missing." "My first officer, Cmdr William Riker, was on the planet surface coordinating, with the observation team, the final details of contact." "He disappeared." "My people have made enquiries but not yet located him." "If you could help..." "Of course!" "Where was Riker's last known location?" "The capital city." "He was under the name Rivas Jakara, a tourist from the Marta community." "We must find him before someone realizes what he really is." "If this gets out prematurely, it could seriously complicate matters." "Our ideology is based on the assumption that the Malcorian is a supreme life form, and our world is the centre of the universe." "Your arrival will change our entire understanding of life." "And some will not want it to change." "What about Durken?" "Durken." "He will be open-minded, but cautious." "You should not discuss your surveillance teams with him." "At least, not right away." "With the disappearance of Cmdr Riker, wouldn't it be prudent..." "Capt Picard, I must ask you to trust me on this." "If you tell the Chancellor about Cmdr Riker, you will undermine everything." "Durken will assign Krola, our minister of security, to find him." "Krola has his own political agenda." "He will perceive you as the greatest threat our people have ever known." "And he will not hesitate to use Riker to prove that he is correct." "From another planet, hundreds of them!" "It doesn't make sense that he's the only one." "Think about it." "I said this was to be kept a secret!" " You know Nilrem." " It's getting out of control." "I don't know what else he is, but he is still a patient in this facility." "We have a responsibility for his care and recovery." "Remind them of that." " You can't contain this much longer." " I know." "If people get scared enough, anything could happen." "Mr. Jakara, we have been unable to confirm anything you told us." "No physician named Crusher is on file." "Not on this planet." "Your address in Marta is an eating establishment." "The cook knows no Rivas Jakara." "It's a misunderstanding." "There are people on the other side of that door who believe that you are not one of us." "Not one of you?" "That you are from another planet." "Are you, Mr. Jakara?" " You realize what you're saying?" " I know how it sounds." "I'm not anxious to make a fool of myself." "This new era of space flight, it fires the imagination." "People see unidentified vessels in the sky that turn out to be weather balloons." "Well, it's far more likely that I'm a weather balloon than an alien!" "Our medical journals document genetic mutation in recent history." "Some unusual physical disfigurations have occurred." "I'm just another case for your journals, then." "Perhaps." "But you, Mr. Jakara, are hiding something." "And unless you tell me the truth about yourself, this rumour will persist and grow and could even become dangerous, most especially to you." "Chancellor." "Mirasta Yale would like to introduce someone." "Call back." "See if the Vice-Chancellor will do." "They're out here, waiting to see you, sir." "Alright." "Send them in." "Always time to meet your friends, Mirasta." "Chancellor, I think you might want to clear your afternoon schedule." "And this is the bridge." "Chancellor." "Environment and Engineering stations, mission operations and the two main science stations." "Data, allow me to introduce Chancellor Avel Durken and Space Administrator Mirasta Yale." " Chancellor, Minister." " Cmdr Data is my second officer." "He's an android, Chancellor, a constructed being!" "A machine?" "In a way." "The term "artificial life form" would be more accurate." "Captain, is there someplace we might speak together without distraction?" "Certainly." "Chancellor, with your permission, I'd like to beam to the surface." " I have matters to attend to." " Not a word to anyone about this." "Of course." "Mr. Data, will you escort the Minister?" "Chancellor." "Still no communication from Cmdr Riker?" "No." "He has not returned to our designated coordinates." "We have continued to scan the capital, without success." "I've been saving this for a special occasion." "My brother, on Earth, produces a fruit known as "grapes"" "which he turns into wine." "He's really quite good at it." "Chancellor, we have a tradition called a "toast"." "It is a drink to salute one's friends and good fortune." "And I would like to propose a toast to our new friendship." "We have something like this on Malcor III." "I think we shall find we have much in common." "And much that is not in common." "An opportunity to learn from one another." "You speak the language of diplomacy well." "A language I appreciate and understand." "But I have learned to not always trust it." "Trust requires time and experience." "My world's history has recorded that conquerors often arrived with the words, "We are your friends"." "We are not here as conquerors." " What do you want?" " A beginning." "But how we proceed is entirely up to you." " And if our wishes conflict?" " There'll be no conflict." "And if I should tell you to leave and never return to my world?" "We will leave and never return." "Chancellor, we are here only to help guide you into a new era." "I can assure you, we will not interfere in the natural development of your planet." "That is, in fact, our Prime Directive." "I can infer from that directive that you do not intend to share all this exceptional technology with us." "That is not the whole meaning, but part of it." "Is this how you maintain superiority?" "Chancellor, to instantly transform a society with technology would be harmful, and it would be destructive." "You're right, of course." "I'm overwhelmed, Capt Picard." "I'm quite overwhelmed." "I go home each night to a loving wife, two beautiful daughters." "We eat the evening meal together as a family." "I think that's important." "They always ask me if I've had a good day." "And how will you answer them tonight, Chancellor?" "I will have to say, this morning, I was the leader of the universe as I knew it." "This afternoon, I am only a voice in a chorus." "But I think it was a good day." "There are guards out there." "You'll never escape that way." " I'm not afraid of you." " Good." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "We shouldn't fear the unknown." "We should embrace it." " Can you help me get out of here?" " Are you really an alien?" "It's alright to tell me." "No, I'm not an alien." "I don't believe you." "You are an alien." " I really have to leave." " I can divert the guard's attention." "You might stand a chance through the service exit to the right." "To the right?" "Fine, let's do it." "Why should I?" "Well, you know why." "I don't belong here." "I have to get back on my ship, in space!" " I believe you!" " Now, will you help me?" " If you make love to me." " What?" "I've always wanted to make love with an alien." "Listen, Miss...?" "Lanel." "Lanel, I really have to get going." "All the other aliens are waiting for me." "It's not so much to ask, and then I'll help you escape." "It's not that easy." "There are differences in the way that my people make love." "I can't wait to learn!" " But, it's..." " It's your only way out of here..." "..my alien!" "Something's happened to him, I think he's dead." "Go on, get help!" "OK!" " No!" "That way!" " Thanks." "Will I ever see you again?" "I'll call you the next time I pass through your star system." "Stop him!" "Somebody stop him!" "Hold it!" "He's escaping!" "The alien's escaping!" "Grab him!" "Get him!" "Get him!" "Stop it!" "All of you!" "Stop it, now!" "Have you all lost your minds?" "They've aggravated the injury to his renal organ." " He's bleeding internally." " Get him into a surgical cubicle." "And call Central Security." "This has gone too far!" "Their leader, Picard, has made it clear that how we proceed is entirely our decision." "You cannot possibly be suggesting surrender!" "They're not hostile!" "Mirasta, you are incredibly naive." "Are you so enraptured with space that you are blind to this threat?" "I have seen their vessel, Krola." "If they chose to be hostile, we would not be standing here." "Why should they use force, when we are ready to lay down in fear?" "I do not lay down in fear, to them or to you, Krola." "I mean no disrespect, but I have repeatedly warned you about your policies, taking us too quickly where we have no business going!" "New philosophies, new economics, new technologies!" "Many still value our traditional way of life and I am willing to die to defend it!" "Open your eyes, Krola!" "We are part of a greater community." "We cannot ignore it!" "You would ignore them as they infiltrate and spy on us!" "What are you saying, Krola?" "We have captured one of their spies." "Chancellor, he is Capt Picard's first officer," "Cmdr Riker." "You knew about this, Mirasta?" "He has been missing for two days." "I told Capt Picard not to discuss this because I was afraid this would happen." "What else do you know, Mirasta?" "Everything!" "They have been on our planet, observing, for several years." "Years!" "Imagine what they have done." "Influenced our young, stirred up dissent." "They were collecting information." "Where is this Cmdr Riker now?" "He's in the Sikla Medical Facility." "He's recovering from surgery." "He suffered head injuries in an escape attempt." "He will recover consciousness in a few hours." "Will he survive?" "I didn't think he'd survive the injuries." "I have to interrogate him before he dies." "At least give him time to regain some strength." "Come back tomorrow." "It cannot wait until tomorrow." "Krola, we can get help from his ship." "With their medical technology, he might recover." "We're not giving him back." "He's the one advantage we have, now." "Use your drugs to revive him." "Those drugs increase cardial rate." "That's the last thing he needs." "It'd probably be enough to kill him." "You can't do it!" "Revive him." "I'm just a physician, Minister." "I know little about affairs of State, but he is a living, intelligent being." "I don't care if the Chancellor himself calls." "I have sworn an oath to do no harm, and I will not." "Then I'll find someone to replace you." "Chancellor." " You are punctual, Captain." " I know how busy you are." "Do you?" "You know much more about me than I know about you!" "In what respect?" "You speak of trust and peace and working together to enter a new era." "But you conduct secret surveillance posing as Malcorians." " Cmdr Riker?" " Cmdr Riker." "Mirasta said it would be a mistake to discuss..." "Yes, she's already tried to accept responsibility." "It was my error, not hers." "Chancellor, there is no starship mission more dangerous than first contact." "We never know what we will face when we open a door on a new world, how we will be greeted, what exactly the dangers will be." "Centuries ago, contact with the Klingon Empire led to decades of war." "It was decided then we would do surveillance before making contact." "It was a controversial decision." "I believe it prevented more problems than it created." "I can appreciate the logic of your position, Captain." "But full disclosure after contact would have been in order." "In time, there would have been full disclosure." "Please believe that." "On other worlds, it would not be an issue." "But here, everything our observers reported indicated that the people of this world would almost certainly react negatively to our arrival." "We could see that even surveillance might be interpreted as an act of aggression." "I hoped that we would have found Cmdr Riker before you did, so that this matter would not complicate our introduction." "It was a mistake." "Yes." "A mistake I might have made in your place." " I rather like it, actually." " Like it?" "That you make mistakes, like any man." "Chancellor, I have made some fine ones in my time!" "Now, I must ask you, will you release my officer?" "We'll talk again later, Captain." "Enterprise, one to beam up." "Yes, I understand." "I have been relieved of my duties, as I'm sure you already know." "You are Acting Director of the facility, Nilrem." "Revive him." "Leave us." "I am Minister Krola of Internal Security." "You are Riker, an alien." "Yes, we know." "Please bring my people here." "In time." "In time." "But first, I need to ask you some questions." "Thank you for seeing me." "If I did not depend so much on your expertise in space matters," "I would have asked for your resignation." "I felt I was acting in our people's best interests." "When you are selected to occupy this office, then you may decide on the best interests of our people!" "Picard I can excuse." "But you, Mirasta, you should have trusted me." "We must release Riker." "Any hope for a relationship with these people depends on it." "I can't afford to be the idealist you are, Mirasta." " Riker..." " I am prepared to release Riker, after we have interrogated him." "Are you prepared for him to die, Chancellor?" "His injuries are extremely serious." "A mob at the medical facility almost killed him." "Krola has ordered drugs to be used to revive him." "Drugs that are dangerous for him." "Without medical aid from his ship, Riker will not survive the day." "You must tell Picard where he is." "You have lied since your capture and I believe you are lying now." " We're here on a mission of peace." " Such noble creatures!" "Why do peaceful people develop such lethal weapons?" "Or do you still insist it's just a toy?" " An interesting toy, to be sure!" " It's only used for defence." "Perhaps, like many conquerors, you believe your goals to be benevolent." "I cannot." "For, however you describe your intentions, you still represent the end to my way of life." "I cannot permit that to occur." "Eventually, Durken would choose to welcome your people with arms open and eyes closed." "I must force him down another path." "When they find us, I will be dead, killed by your weapon." "The lines will be drawn." "A peaceful accord will no longer be an option." "No... !" "For my people!" "What happened?" "He shot him!" "The alien shot Krola!" "Get me three octares of adrulmine, EN charge unit, now!" "I have a circulation pattern." "It's very weak." "We have to get him on vital buffers now!" "I'm a physician." "Don't be frightened." "I need to know what happened." "Are you doctors?" " Yes." "He shot him." " With that thing!" " Crusher to Picard." " Go ahead." "Riker is near death." "There's brain activity." "I need to beam him up." "Acknowledged." "There's a male with a phaser wound to the chest." "I need to get him back, as well." "We'll meet you on the Enterprise." "Out." "They'll both be OK." "We were able to stabilize Will." "If we had been any later..." "Krola?" "He was never in any real danger." "The phaser was on stun." "Stun?" "It's a defensive weapon." "Do you know what happened?" "The angle of impact suggests that Krola's left hand was on the phaser." "They were struggling?" "Cmdr Riker was in no position to offer any kind of struggle." "Krola was trying to be a martyr?" "Where is this?" "You're aboard the starship, my foolish old friend." "No, Chancellor, you must not..." "You must not pursue relations with them." "Must not!" "I know." " But, Chancellor..." " Mirasta." "It goes against every instinct of my being." "My people are not ready to accept what you represent." "What happened in the hospital proves that." "And Krola is the best evidence of all." "We must slow down and allow those who are like him to join us in the present before we can move into the future." "But when we encounter other beings, our people must be ready!" "The warp programme will be delayed." "We'll divert resources to education and social development to prepare for when we are ready." " Chancellor, I strongly disagree!" " I know." "Captain, you once said if I asked you to leave, you would do so without hesitation." "I'm afraid I must ask you to do just that." "Well, it's your decision, Chancellor." "But I must say," "I regret I won't have the opportunity of knowing your people better." "We're a good people, a society with much potential." "Once we cross into space, we shall have to give up this self-importance, this conceit that we are the centre of the universe." "But this is not the time for that." "For now, we will have to enjoy that sweet innocence." "How will you keep a secret when so many have seen and heard so much?" "Stories will be told for many years, I have no doubt." "Of the ship that made contact, of the alien who was held prisoner." "There'll be charges of a government conspiracy." "The witnesses will tell their tales and people will laugh, and go back and watch the more interesting fiction of the daily broadcasts." "It will pass." "I'm sorry to say he's probably right." "Capt Picard, I have one last request." "Take me with you." "She'll be unhappy with the restrictions" "I must place upon her at home." "We may not be back here in your lifetime." "And I have to believe that you cannot be fully prepared for the realities of space travel." "I have been prepared for those realities since I was nine years old, sitting in a planetarium!" "Mr. Worf to my ready room." "Escort Chancellor Durken to the transporter room." "And assign quarters to Minister Yale." "She will be remaining on board." "Aye, sir." "Until we return, then." "With luck, we'll both be around to renew our friendship, Captain."