Lonely Among Us

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Star Trek: TNG episode
"Lonely Among Us"
Episode no.	7
Prod. code	108
Airdate	November 2, 1987
Writer(s)	D.C. Fontana Michael Halperin
Director	Cliff Bole
Guest star(s)	John Durbin, Colm Meaney, Kavi Raz
Year	2363
Stardate	41249.3
Episode chronology
Previous	"Where No One Has Gone Before"
Next	"Justice"

"Lonely Among Us" is a first-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast November 2, 1987. It is episode #7, production #108, written by D.C. Fontana, based on a story by Michael Halperin, and directed by Cliff Bole.

Overview: A lost entity takes possession of Picard's mind.

[edit] Plot

On stardate 41249.3, the USS Enterprise head to the neutral world of Parliament after picking up delegates from two warring planets in the Beta Renner system — the reptilian Selay and canine Antican who both wish to join the Federation. While en route, Lt. Cmdr. Data detects a strange energy cloud moving alongside the ship. In a sensor maintenance room, Worf and La Forge conduct a routine inspection and as the ship passes the cloud, Worf is zapped by an energy bolt emitted from a console and falls unconscious. Dr. Crusher revives him, but he becomes violent forcing Crusher to sedate him.

Meanwhile, Lt. Yar and Commander Riker deal with Badar, the Antican chief delegate who demands their food served "alive" instead of synthesized meat from a replicator.

In sickbay, Dr. Crusher runs tests on Worf and during a scan, she is zapped by an arc of energy between them and is dazed for a moment. Counselor Troi enters and notices the Crusher's odd behavior. Crusher leaves and finds her son Wesley where she questions him about helm control — a subject Wesley finds strange coming from her. She then wanders onto the bridge taking a peculiar interest in the helm which puzzles Geordi. Captain Picard asks of Worf's condition, but she appears distant replying that Worf suffered a "mental aberration" but is fine now.

She then wanders to a science station where Data observes her calling up navigational functions. Data looks away for a moment missing the sight of an energy arc jumping from Beverly into the console. Beverly snaps back and is confused to find herself on the bridge. Soon, various systems begin to malfunction and Picard calls Assistant Engineer Singh who blames the problem on a power spike but he cannot explain the cause.

Elsewhere, Riker and Yar have another confrontation with Badar after two of his associates were discovered outside the Selay delegate's quarters brandishing weapons. Next, the Enterprise abruptly drops from warp. Agitated, Picard forwards a message to Parliament, but finds the subspace radio is also out. Data believes the problems are not endemic to the ship where Riker suspects a possible saboteur among the alien delegates.

In engineering, Wesley and Singh locate an anomaly in a computer link and Singh goes to fix the problem while Wesley heads to school. A while later, Worf discovers Singh's lifeless body and a murder investigation begins. Meanwhile, warp power is restored and the ship resumes course. Yar reports that the Antican's alibis seem suspicious but Data believes the aliens are more inclined to kill the Selay than ship's crew. Elsewhere, Deanna puts Worf and Dr. Crusher under hypnosis to gain insight into their unexplained blackouts where the two say they felt something invade their minds, but offer little else.

Suddenly, the Enterprise drops from warp again and as Picard leans over to check the conn he is zapped by an arc of energy. Geordi witnesses the surge and asks if he is all right. Seemingly unfazed, Picard asks why they've stopped where to Geordi's amazement, the readouts have returned to normal. Picard then orders a new heading back to the energy cloud in which a puzzled Riker questions the course change. Picard simply claims the cloud deserves another look.

Knowing something is odd, Riker, alongside Dr. Crusher, confront the Captain and tell him there is reason to believe he is under "alien control" and insist he goes to sickbay for analysis. Picard turns tables on them stating the primary mission of the Enterprise is to seek knowledge of the unknown. He then orders that they undergo the medical examinations themselves and demands to see the results afterward. With their hands tied by regulations, the officer leave. Later, Beverly returns with the results of the medical exams, but gains courage and pleads to the entity in control of Picard to come straight and explain its purpose for taking over the Captain. Picard finally says "it" and Jean-Luc have joined and soon the two will be "home".

When the Enterprise reaches the cloud, Picard makes an announcement to the crew explaining that when the ship passed through the cloud, it acquired a sentient presence which was scooped up inside the energy pathways. It was unable to get the crew's attention until it found the main computer and tried to seize direct control of the ship. It expresses regret for having killed the engineer who found its hiding place, but explains it had no choice but to protect itself. Having found Picard, the entity saw that it and the Captain share a common wonder about the universe. Now it shows desire for Picard's mind and itself to remain together indefinitely and allow Picard to explore the universe in ways he could never achieve in his physical form.

Riker orders Picard to stand down and relieves him of duty saying he is unfit for command. Picard reacts casting out arcs of energy across the bridge that hold everyone back. He then leaves with the crew helpless to stop him and transports himself into the cloud as a pattern of energy.

The Enterprise crew desperately search for the Captain, but after hours of scanning, Riker gives up and sets course for Parliament. At the last second, Deanna feels the Captain's presence lingering nearby and abandoned by the entity. Suddenly, a "P" appears on Geordi's console — "P for Picard" and everyone tries to pinpoint his location in the system. Data indicates the Captain's physical pattern is still held in the transporter buffer and acting on a wild theory, he tries to send Picard's essence into a reconstruction of his body. The attempt is successful and Picard returns to normal, however he does not remember what happened.

Their celebration is interrupted when Tasha announces a Selay delegate is missing, followed by a cook's report that the Anticans requested he boil up some reptile for them.