Force of Nature (TNG episode)

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"Force of Nature" is a seventh season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast on November 15, 1993. It is episode #161, production #709, written by Naren Shankar and directed by Robert Lederman.

Guest cast is Margaret Reed, Lee Arenberg and Michael Corbett.

[edit] Plot

A pair of scientists show that warp drives are harming the fabric of space.

The USS Enterprise-D is sent to the Hekaras Corridor, the only safe path through the sector, to investigate the disappearance of the medical ship U.S.S. Fleming. In the process they find a Ferengi ship, which is badly disabled. The Ferengi daimon contends a Federation buoy disabled his ship.

The Enterprise crew learns a Hekaran brother and sister, Rabal and Serova, are responsible for disabling the ships by using disguised ship-disabling mines. These siblings contend that sustained warp drive is destroying the fabric of space near their homeworld, and will eventually destroy their planet. Data determines that the research has merit, but requires more study. Picard requests a more thorough investigation from the Federation's Science Council.

However, Serova is not willing to wait for any more studies. In order to prove her theory she causes a warp breach in her ship, killing herself in the process. A rift is formed, and the Fleming becomes trapped in the damaged space. The Enterprise crew manages to find a way to "surf" through the rift without using warp drive, beam up the Fleming crew, and escape the rift.

Later, the Federation Council issues a new directive limiting all Federation vessels to a speed of warp five, except in extreme emergency.

This episode also features much dialogue between Geordi and Data concerning Data's cat, Spot. Geordi had a terrible experience babysitting it, and insists Spot needs training. Data tries multiple techniques, but is unsuccessful.

[edit] Background

In subsequent episodes of TNG the warp five speed limit was often disregarded for emergency missions. In the successor show, Star Trek: Voyager, the limit is not mentioned.

However, Voyager does have foldable nacelles and pylons. "Because Voyager employs a new folding wing-and-nacelle configuration, warp fields may no longer have a negative impact on habitable worlds, as established in TNG." (Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide V1.0)

This episode continues the Star Trek tradition of commenting on social or political conditions in real life. Warp drive can be seen as a metaphor for gas-powered vehicles in the world today. Just as the Federation does not suspect that warp drive could be harming anything, people in years past did not think auto emissions could harm the earth.

[edit] Trivia

Although Data and Geordi refer to Spot as "she", several previous episodes (e.g. Phantasms) suggest that Spot is in fact male. However, in the episode Genesis, Spot gave birth to a litter of kittens, making Spot's female gender cannonical.

Preceded by: "Attached"

Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

Followed by: "Inheritance"