"Captain, I have identified the signal." "It is from the USS Jenolen, a Federation transport ship reported missing 75 years ago." "Code One Alpha Zero, ship in distress." " Take us out of warp." "All stop." " Aye, sir." "Report." "We have entered a massive gravitational field." "There are no stars or stellar bodies listed on our charts." "However, sensors indicate a strong gravitational source here." "Can you localize the source of the field?" "Sensors?" "I am having difficulty scanning it." "It appears to be 200 million kilometers in diameter." "That's as large as the Earth's orbit." "Why didn't we detect this before?" "The object's enormous mass causes gravimetric interference." "That might have prevented our sensors detecting it." "Mr. Data." "Could this be a Dyson Sphere?" "The object does fit the parameters of Dyson's theory." "A Dyson Sphere?" "It's an old theory." "I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it." "In the 20th century, a physicist, Freeman Dyson, postulated the theory that an enormous hollow sphere could be constructed around a star." "This would harness all the radiant energy of that star." "Any population living on the interior would have virtually inexhaustible sources of power." "Are you saying people live there?" "Possibly a great number of people." "The interior surface of the sphere is the equivalent of more than 250 million Class-M planets." "Sir, I have located the signal." "It is coming from the northern hemisphere." "Put us into synchronous orbit above that position." "Aye, sir." "I have located the Jenolen." "It is impacted on the surface." "Magnify." "There are no life signs." "There are small power emanations." "Life support is still functioning on minimal levels." "Riker to Engineering." "Geordi, transporter room three." "Mr. Worf." "This air's pretty stale." "Life support is barely operating." "See if you can increase the oxygen level." "Commander, the transporter is still on line." "It's being fed power from the auxiliary systems." "The rematerialisation subroutine has been disabled." "That's not all." "The phase inducers are connected to the emitter array." "The override is completely gone." "The pattern buffer is locked into a continuous cycle." "This doesn't make any sense." "Locking the unit into a diagnostic mode just sends matter array through the pattern buffer." "There's a pattern in the buffer." "It's completely intact." "There's less than 0.003 percent signal degradation." "How is that possible?" "I've never seen a transporter jury-rigged like this." "Could someone survive inside a transporter buffer for 75 years?" "I know a way to find out." "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." "Thank you, lad." "We've got to get Franklin out." " Someone else is in there?" " Franklin." "We went in together." "Something's wrong." "One of the inducers has failed." "Boost the gain on the matter stream." "Come on, Franklin." "I know you're in there." "It's no use." "His pattern's degraded 53 percent." "He's gone." " I'm sorry." " So am I." "He was a good lad." "I'm Cmdr Riker, Starship Enterprise." "Lt Cmdr La Forge." "The Enterprise." "I should have known." "I bet Jim Kirk himself hauled the old girl out of mothballs to look for me." "Capt Montgomery Scott." "Tell me, how long have I been missing?" " Well..." " Sir." "I have restored life support." "The oxygen levels will return to normal shortly." " Capt Scott, Lt Worf." " Lieutenant?" "Yes." "Captain, there are things we should talk about." "We should get you to sickbay." "Dr Crusher..." "You've changed the resonator array." "Geordi, our guest will have a lot of questions." "Not to worry." "I'll take care of him." "What have you done with the duotronic enhancers?" "Those were replaced with isolinear chips 40 years ago." "It's a lot more efficient." "That's an EPS power tap." "So you were on your way to the Norpin Colony when you experienced warp-engine failure?" "That's right." "We had an overload in one of the plasma-transfer conduits." "The Captain brought us out of warp." "We hit gravimetric interference." "There it was, as big as life." " Is that a conduit interface?" " Yeah, it is." "You were saying, as big as life." "You mean the Dyson Sphere?" "Aye, an actual Dyson Sphere." "Can you imagine the engineering skills needed to even design such a structure?" "It's amazing." "What happened when you approached it?" "Well, we began our survey of the surface." "We were just completing the initial orbital scan when our aft power coil suddenly exploded." "The ship got caught in the sphere's gravity well and down we went." "Franklin and I were the only ones to survive the crash." "Can I ask a question?" "What made you think of using the transporter buffer to survive?" "Well, we didn't have enough supplies to wait for the rescue, so we had to think of something." "But locking it into a diagnostic cycle so the pattern didn't degrade and cross-connecting it with the phase inducers to provide a power source, that's absolutely brilliant." "I think it was only 50 percent brilliant." "Franklin deserved better." "I think you'll enjoy the 24th century." "We've made incredible advances these last 80 years." "From what I've seen, you've got a fine ship." "A real beauty here." "I must admit to being a bit overwhelmed." "Wait till you see the holodeck." "You have a hairline fracture of the humerus." "It will ache for a few days, but it should be fine." "Thank you." "Well, I'll say this about your Enterprise, the doctors are a fair sight prettier." "I'm Jean-Luc Picard." "Welcome aboard, Capt Scott." "Thank you, sir, and call me Scotty." " How are you feeling?" " I don't know." "How am I feeling?" "Other than a few bumps, you're fine for a man of 147." "And I don't feel a day over 120." "It must say, I was surprised you were on board the Jenolen." "Our records didn't show you as crew." "I was never crew." "I was just a passenger." "I was heading for Norpin V to settle down and enjoy my retirement." "I see." "I would enjoy hearing you talk about your career." "I'm sure you would have fascinating insights into your time." " I'd be happy to." " Good." "I look forward to it." "We need to begin a full spectrograph analysis of the sphere." " I'll get right on it." " Good." " Once again, welcome on board." " I need to get to Engineering." "Engineering!" "I thought you'd never ask!" "Captain, the first thing you need to get is rest." "This has been a shock." "Don't push yourself." "We're pretty busy down there." "I promise I'll give you a tour when it's OK." "I'll find someone to show you your quarters." "Aye." "This is the food replicator and your computer terminal." "Good Lord, man, where have you put me?" "These are standard guest quarters." " I can try to find something bigger." " Bigger?" "In my day, even an admiral wouldn't have had such quarters." "I remember when we had to transport the Dohlman of Elas." "You never heard anyone whine so much about quarters as she did." "The holodecks, ten-forward and the gymnasium are at your disposal." "The computer will tell you how to find them." "Use these panels if you need anything." "These quarters remind me of a hotel room on Argelius." "Now, there is a planet." "Everything a man wants right at his fingertips." "Of course, on the first visit..." "Excuse me, I have to return to duty." "Well, then..." "Thank you." "Shut down the warp engines and recalibrate the aft sensors." "Aye, sir." "Can I help you, sir?" "I don't think so, lassie." "I'll let you know if you can." "Sir, this area is restricted." "Bartel, it's OK." "I'll handle it." "Capt Scott..." "We're in Engineering." "Call me Scotty." "Scotty, this isn't the time for a tour." "We're running a phase-seven survey of the sphere." "I'm not here for a tour, laddie." "I'm here to help." "That's very kind but we can handle it." "I was a Starfleet engineer for 52 years, Mr. La Forge." "I think I'm still useful." "You're right." "We'd be grateful for your help." "Good." "Let's get to work." "Sensors indicate a G-type star at the centre of the sphere." "There is a Class-M atmosphere clinging to the interior surface." "Any indication it is inhabited?" "Not as yet." "Our preliminary data suggests it is capable of supporting life." "We have been unable to find signs of current habitation." "Mr. Data, send class-four probes to survey the far side of the sphere." " Perhaps they'll have more luck." " Aye, sir." "Adjust the frequency of the main deflector..." "You need to phase-lock the warp fields within three percent." " What?" " Look here." "We use a multiphase-autocontainment field now." "It's meant to operate above three percent." "Well, that would make the difference." "We can restart the engines in ten minutes." "Thank you." "I remember a time when the old Enterprise was spiralling towards Psi 2000." "Thank you." "The Captain wanted to try a cold start of the warp engines." "I told him that without a phase lock, it would take 30 minutes." ""You cannot change the laws of physics," I told him." "He wouldn't believe me." "I came up with a whole new engine-start-up routine." "Do you know your dilithium crystals are going to fracture?" "We recomposite the crystals while they're still inside the articulation frame." "Look, I'd love to explain everything to you but the Captain wants this analysis done by 1300 hours." "Do you mind a little advice?" "Starfleet captains are like children." "They want everything right now and their way." "But the secret is to give them only what they need." "I said I'd have this done in an hour." " How long will it really take?" " An hour." "You didn't tell him how long it would really take?" "Of course I did." "Laddie, if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker..." "Capt Scott!" "I've tried to be patient, I've tried to be polite." "But I've got a job to do here." "Frankly, you're in the way." "I was driving starships while your great-grandfather was still in diapers." "I'd think you'd be grateful for some help." "I'll leave you to work, Mr. La Forge." " May I help you, sir?" " Aye, lad." "Scotch, neat." "There you go, sir." "Thank you." " What in blazes is this?" " Didn't you order Scotch?" "Laddie, I was drinking Scotch 100 years before you were born." "I can tell you, whatever this is, it is definitely not Scotch." "I believe I may be of assistance." "Capt Scott is unaware of synthehol." "Synthehol?" "Yes, sir." "It is an alcohol substitute served aboard starships." "It simulates the appearance, taste and smell of alcohol, but the intoxicating effects can be easily dismissed." "You're not quite human, are you?" "No, sir." "I am an android." "Lt Cmdr Data." "Synthetic Scotch." "Synthetic commanders." "I believe Guinan does keep a supply of non-syntheholic products." "Perhaps one of them would be to your liking." " What is it?" " It is..." "It is..." "It is green." "Please enter program." "The android at the bar said you could show me my old ship." "Let me see it." "Insufficient data." "Please specify parameters." "The Enterprise." "Show me the bridge of the Enterprise, you chattering piece of..." "There have been five Federation ships with that name." "Please specify by registry number." "NCC-1701 ." "No bloody A, B, C or D." "Program complete." "Enter when ready." "Here's to you, lads." "I hope I'm not interrupting." "I was coming off duty." "I wanted to see how you were doing." "Not at all." "Would you have a drink with me?" "Thank you." "I don't know what it is exactly, but I would be careful." "It's real..." "Aldebaran whiskey." "Who do you think gave it to Guinan?" " Constitution class." " Aye." " Are you familiar with them?" " There's one in the Fleet museum." "But then, of course, this is your Enterprise." "I actually served on two." "This was the first." "She was also the first ship I ever served on as chief engineer." "You know, I served aboard 11 ships." "Freighters, cruisers, starships." "But this is the only one I think of, the only one I miss." "The first vessel that I served on as captain was called Stargazer." "It was an overworked, underpowered vessel, always on the verge of flying apart." "In every measurable sense, my Enterprise is far superior." "But there are times when I would give almost anything to command the Stargazer again." "It's like the first time you fall in love." "You don't ever love a woman quite like that again." "Well, to the Enterprise and the Stargazer." "Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." "What do you think of Enterprise D?" "She's a beauty with a good crew." " But?" " But..." "When I was here, I could tell you the speed that we were travelling by the feel of the deck plates." "But on your ship, I feel like I'm just in the way." "75 years is a long time." "If you would care to study some technical schematics..." "I'm not 18." "I can't start out like a raw cadet." "No, there comes a time when a man finds that he can't fall in love again." "He knows that it's time to stop." "I don't belong on your ship." "I belong on this one." "This was my home." "This is where I had a purpose." "But it's not real." "It's just a computer-generated fantasy." "And I'm just an old man trying to hide in it." "Computer, shut this bloody thing off." "It's time I acted my age." "Come." "Mr. La Forge, I understand that before the Jenolen crashed, it had conducted a survey of the Dyson Sphere." "Have we accessed those records?" "We tried to download their memory core, but it was damaged." "We haven't got much out of it." "Perhaps Capt Scott could be of use in accessing that material." "It's possible." "He knows those systems better than any of us." " I'll have Lt Bartel beam down." " Mr. La Forge." "I would like you to accompany Capt Scott." " Me?" " Yes." "Look, this is not an order." "It's a request and it's one that you must feel free to decline." "One of the most important things in a person's life is to feel useful." "Now, Mr. Scott is a Starfleet officer." "I would like him to feel useful again." "I'll go with him, sir." "Thank you." "Commander." "I have found something which could be a communications device." "There is an antenna array 400,000 kilometers south of our present position." "It is emitting low-intensity subspace signals." " Can you open a channel?" " Not from our present orbit." "The array is directed away from us." "Ensign, prepare to put us in orbit." "Capt Picard, to the bridge." "Are you feeling alright?" "Never get drunk unless you're willing to pay for it, the next day." "I'll manage." "OK." "Energize." "Sensors indicate that the large circle is a portal or airlock, possibly leading to the interior." "Looks like the front door." "Should we ring the bell?" "Mr. Worf, open a channel to that communications array." "Aye, sir." " A tractor beam has locked on to us." " Get us out of here." "We've lost main power." "Auxiliary power down to 20 percent." "We're being pulled inside." "Auxiliary power failing." "The frequency of the beam is incompatible with our systems." "Warp- and impulse-engine relays have been overloaded." "I am attempting to compensate." "The tractor beams have released us." "Hold until we get our bearing." "Full sensor sweep." "Where are we?" "90,000,000 kilometers from the star's photosphere." "I am reading surface instability." " It may..." " Sir!" "The inertial from the tractor beams is still carrying us forward." "Impulse engines are off line." "I can't stop our momentum." "We're falling directly into the star." "The primary database should be on line now." "Give it a try." "OK." "I've got three access lines to the central core." "Still nothing." "Bunch of old, useless garbage!" "I say it's old." "It can't handle the interface of your converter." "This equipment was designed for a different era." "Now it's a piece of junk." "I don't know." "It's held together pretty well." "A century out of date." "It's just obsolete." "You know, that's interesting." "I think these systems haven't changed much in the last 75 years." "This transporter is basically the same system we use on the Enterprise." "Subspace radio and sensors still operate under the same basic principle." "Impulse engines haven't changed much in 200 years." "If it wasn't for the damage, it might be in service." "Maybe so." "But when they can build ships like your Enterprise, who'd pilot an old bucket like this?" "I don't know." "If she were operational," "I bet she'd run circles round the Enterprise at impulse speeds." "Just because something's old, don't throw it away." "We used to have something called a dynamic-mode converter." "You wouldn't have something like that?" "I haven't seen anything like that in a long time." "But I could come up with something similar." "La Forge to Enterprise." "La Forge to Enterprise, come in, please." " Interference?" " No, they're gone." "We will enter the photosphere in three minutes." "Manoeuvring thrusters?" "30 percent power." "Not enough to stop us." "No, but it may be enough to turn us into orbit and hold our distance." "Port thrusters, ahead full." "Starboard thrusters, back full." "Our flight path is changing." "Right 10.7 degrees." "Insufficient to clear the photosphere." "Lt Bartel, divert all power to the manoeuvring thrusters." "Aye, sir." "We're in orbit, Captain." "Our altitude is 150,000 kilometers." "I'll try to get main power back on line." "Very well." "Mr. Data, begin a scan of the interior surface for life forms." "I want to know who brought us in here and why." "Aye, sir." "I can't find them in orbit." "They could have crashed into the sphere." "We'd pick up background radiation if they'd gone down." "There's another possibility." "They could be inside the sphere." "Maybe." "Whatever happened, we've got to find them." "If we got the engines on line, we could track their impulse-ion trail." "Are you daft?" "The main drive assembly is shot." "The inducers have melted." "The power couplings are wrecked." "We'd need a week to get started." "But we don't have a week." "So, no sense in crying about it." "We'll see what we can do with your power converter." "The sphere appears to be abandoned." "Sensors show that the star is extremely unstable." "It is experiencing bursts of radiation and matter expulsions." "That would explain why they abandoned it." "But if no one is living there, how were we brought inside?" "I believe we triggered automatic piloting beams, designed to guide ships into the sphere." "Sir, sensors show a large magnetic disturbance on the star." "It is a solar flare." "Magnitude 12, class-B." "Shields?" "Shields are up, but only at 23 percent." "There is increased activity." "Sensors indicate solar flares will continue to grow." "In three hours, our shields will no longer protect us, sir." "Shunt the deuterium from the main cryopump to the auxiliary tank." "The tank can't withstand that kind of pressure." "Where did you get that idea?" "What do you mean, where did I get that idea?" "It's in the impulse-engine specifications." "Regulation 42/15, pressure variances on the IRC-tank storage?" " Yeah." " Forget it." "I wrote it." "A good engineer is always a wee bit conservative on paper." "Just bypass the cut-off valve and boost the flow." "It'll work." "OK." "If we've done our jobs properly, the engines should be coming back on line about now." "You were right." "The auxiliary tank is holding." "Take the bridge, Commander." "No." "You're the senior officer here." "I may be captain by rank, but I never wanted to be anything else but an engineer." "Alright." "Shields still holding but they are down another 15 percent." "Can we use the phasers to open a hole in the sphere?" "No." "The exterior shell is composed of carbon neutronium." "Weapons would be ineffective." "Mr. Data, we have to find some way out of here." "Begin scanning for another portal that might still be open." "The surface area is over 10 to the 16th square kilometers." "It will take seven hours to scan, sir." "I will endeavour to speed up the process." "The Enterprise ion trail leads to this point." "It looks like a doorway." "I bet you two bottles of Scotch that they're inside the sphere and that they went in right through that hatch." "No bet here." "The question is how?" "Look at the momentum distribution of the ions." "It would take an impulse engine full-reverse to put out a signature like that." "So they didn't go in willingly." "This looks like some kind of communications array." "Aye." "We found hundreds of them when we did our initial survey." " Did you hail them?" " Aye." "That was standard procedure." "We did it right before we crashed." "Yeah." "Hailing is standard procedure today, too." "Scotty." "What if those aren't communications arrays?" "What if they're access terminals which are triggered by subspace signals on certain frequencies?" "Frequencies like our standard ship's hail." "Exactly." "The Enterprise, when they saw that terminal, did what you did." "Opened a channel." "But they triggered something that activated that hatch and pulled the ship inside." "Very nice piece of reasoning." "Nice, indeed." "Yeah." "We could trigger the hatch, only we'd get pulled in, too." "Maybe all we need to do is to get our foot in the door." "We might not be pulled inside when the hatch opens if we keep our distance from the sphere." "Say, half-a-million kilometers." "Then, when the hatch starts to close, we move in and we use the Jenolen to jam the hatch open, hoping that the Enterprise will escape." "You can't be serious." "That hatch is huge." "It'll crush this ship like an egg." "The shields will hold." "Don't worry about that." "I can get a few extra gigawatts out of these babies." " It's crazy." " Geordi." "I have spent my whole life trying to figure out crazy ways of doing things." "I'm telling you, as one engineer to another, I can do this." "Alright." "Let's do it." "We're at 500,000 kilometers." "Engines are ready." "OK." "Here we go." "Come on." "There's nothing out here." "Give it up." "That's it." "Let's go." "Full impulse." "Sir, there's an audio message from Cmdr La Forge." "Enterprise, do you read me?" "Go ahead." "We read you." "We're using the Jenolen to hold open the hatch." "Our shields won't hold out." "Understood." "Ensign, set a course." "The plasma intercooler's gone." "The engines are overheating." "I've lost helm control." "La Forge to Enterprise." "Captain, we won't be able to move when you get here." "You'll have to destroy it to escape." "How long before we reach them?" "With impulse engines at 60 percent, one minute, 40 seconds." "Bridge to transporter room three, prepare to beam two from the Jenolen when we're within range." "It's coming apart, lad." "I can't do anything else." "Photon torpedoes armed and ready." "We are within transporter range." "Bridge to transporter room, energize." "Aye, sir." "Fire torpedoes." "There, now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" "Captain's log, stardate 46 125.3." "Starfleet has dispatched two science vessels to study the Dyson Sphere while we proceed to Star base 55." "So, this alien space baby, the size of a four-storey building, thought the Enterprise was its mother." " You're pulling my leg." " No, really." "It was suckling power directly from the ship's fusion reactors." "Dr Brahms and I changed the power frequency from 21 centimeters to 0.02 centimeters." " So you soured the milk!" " That's right." "Enjoy these times, Geordi." "You're the chief engineer of a starship." "And it's a time of your life that'll never come again." "When it's gone, it's gone." "I thought you were going to buy me a drink in ten-forward." "Actually, I had a better idea." "You're giving me one of your shuttles?" "Well, call it an extended loan." "Since you lost your ship saving ours, it seemed only fair." " She's not much to look at." " Every woman has her own charm." "You just have to know where to look." "She's slow, but she'll get you to the Norpin Colony, if that's where you want to go." "The Norpin Colony is for old men to retire." "Maybe someday I'll end up there, but not yet." "Well..." " Bon voyage, Mr. Scott." " Thank you, sir, for everything." " Mr. Scott." " Goodbye." "Bye-bye." " Scotty." " Thank you." "Bye." "Be well." " A good crew." " Yeah, they are." "And a fine ship." "A credit to her name." "But I've always found that a ship is only as good as her engineer." "From what I can see, the Enterprise is in good hands." "You take care of yourself out there." "Aye."