Conspiracy (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "Conspiracy" | |
| Episode no. | 25 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 125 |
| Airdate | May 9, 1988 |
| Writer(s) | Tracy Tormé |
| Director | Cliff Bole |
| Guest star(s) | Henry Darrow, Ward Costello, Robert Schenkkan, Ray Reinhardt, Jonathan Farwell, Michael Berryman, Ursaline Bryant |
| Year | 2364 |
| Stardate | 41775.5 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "We'll Always Have Paris" |
| Next | "The Neutral Zone" |
"Conspiracy" is a first-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast May 9, 1988. It is episode #25, production #125, teleplay written by Tracy Tormé, based on a story by Robert Sabaroff, and directed by Cliff Bole.
Overview: The strange behavior of high-ranking officers leads Picard to uncover an alien conspiracy within Starfleet.
[edit] Plot
On stardate 41775.5, the USS Enterprise is en route to Pacifica when Captain Picard receives a priority transmission from Captain Walker Keel of the USS Horatio. Keel tells him they need to talk face-to-face on the planet Dytallix B in the Mira system as soon as possible – and not to trust anyone. The Enterprise arrives at the desolate planet where Worf detects three other Federation starships – the USS Renegade, (commanded by Tryla Scott); the USS Thomas Paine, (commanded by Captain Rixx); and the USS Horatio. None of the ships offer greetings and Picard beams to the planet alone.
Picard materializes before a mine entrance where three figures level phasers at him. Captain Keel steps from the shadows and barrages Picard with a series of personal questions to be sure Picard is not an imposter. Keel then introduces Rixx and Scott and gets down to business. The three declare there have been strange patterns emerging within Starfleet – unusual orders, irrational proposals, unexplained deaths and accidents, and together they believe a new threat is emerging within their ranks. Picard is incredulous without proof, but Keel insists those at the top level of command are changing somehow. Keel insists that Picard keep his eyes open and to communicate with him covertly.
Continuing course to Pacifica, Picard has Data review all orders Starfleet has given in the past six months to find any "anomalies". Next, the Enterprise comes upon a debris field which Worf determines to be the wreckage of the USS Horatio. Picard fills Riker in about the secret meeting and explains that during their visit to Relva VII, Admiral Quinn had indicated there was a subversion brewing within Starfleet. He believes Keel was warning of the same thing and destruction of the Horatio must have been sabotage. Data enters and relays his findings of a number of abnormal directives given with subtlety at the highest ranks. He suggests it could be an attempt to control vital areas of Federation. Riker wonders if it could be a prelude to invasion. Picard boldly decides to go to Earth and find out directly from the top.
The Enterprise heads at maximum warp to Earth and upon arrival, is greeted by three senior officers who call the ship – the Vulcan Admiral Savar, Admiral Arron, and the familiar Admiral Quinn. In the background is Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick. Savar inquires about the unscheduled visit and Picard requests a meeting. Savar tells Picard and Riker to join them for dinner in 20 minutes. Quinn mentions he'd like to pay a visit to the Enterprise instead and soon beams aboard. To Picard's disdain, Quinn says he doesn't recall the matter he discussed on Relva and states Picard must have misunderstood their discussion of Starfleet's problems with integration of new alien races. Picard dismisses himself for the dinner engagement, but as Quinn heads off, Picard takes Riker aside to tell him Quinn is an imposter. He may look and sound like him, but that isn't the man he knows. Riker is skeptical, but Picard tells him to keep an eye on him.
After Picard departs, Riker enters Quinn's quarters finding the man staring into a metal case. Riker inquires about the contents where Quinn explains it's a new life form discovered during a survey mission. Quinn reveals a squirming, bug-like creature with a nasty set of pincers. Quinn claims it to be "a superior form of life" leaving Riker puzzled. Riker suggest letting a science officer see it, but coldly, Quinn replies, "It won't like your science officer. It does like you." With strength unlike an old man, Quinn forcefully grabs Riker's arm. Riker tries to pull away, but Quinn attacks him with a karate kick to the chest. Riker tries to call for help, but Quinn grabs him and throws him across the room.
Meanwhile on Earth, Picard tries to explain his visit to the Admirals. Admiral Arron offers a toast to the Horatio almost sarcastically. Picard asks about the cause of the ship's destruction where Savar states it was negligence on the part of her captain. Deep inside, Picard rages with disbelief.
Back on the Enterprise, Worf and Geordi run to Quinn's room finding Riker on the floor. Quinn calmly tries to exit, but La Forge blocks the door. Quinn takes a swing at Geordi who fires his phaser but the old Admiral absorbs the beam and quickly recovers. Quinn then throws La Forge through the room doors and out into the corridor. Worf takes a defensive stance and strikes Quinn, who isn't fazed. He quickly tries to throw Worf as well, but suddenly, Dr. Crusher enters and hits Quinn with multiple phaser blasts to floor him.
In sickbay, Beverly examnines Admiral Quinn where she notices a pointy bump sticking out from the back of his neck which squirms when touched. Alarmed, Beverly begins a cranial scan. Picard contacts the Enterprise for an update and Beverly informs him of what happened with Quinn. She explains that he has some kind of parasite attached to his brain which gives the subject incredible strength. She tells him other infected people will have a gill protrusion on the back of the neck and that phaser stun has little effect against them.
Picard heads to dinner but finds the dinner bowl filled with squirming larva and is immediately disgusted. Picard watches the others take handfuls of the worms and gulp them down. Nauseated, Picard tries to walk away but finds Riker blocking his path. Admiral Arron checks Riker's neck who now has a parasite gill protruding from it.
Picard demands to know what they are. Savar states they have come a long way to join humanity as the brains while the human body will be the brawn. He indicates they will soon control everything, especially now that they have the Enterprise.
Picard sits dejected and watches Riker grab a handful of maggots. While the others grin with sinister delight, Riker prepares to put the worms in his mouth, but he suddenly withdraws his phaser and blasts a guard. Alarmed, Tryla draws her weapon, but Riker cuts her down. Picard acquires a fallen guard's weapon and shoots Savar who tries to subdue Riker with a nerve pinch. Riker then reaches behind his neck and removes the phony gill Crusher had placed on him. Riker and Picard then chase after Arron and shoots him from behind. As the man slumps to the floor a bug crawls from his mouth and scampers under a nearby door.
The two take a defensive stance and enter the room revealing Remmick sitting at a computer console. Remmick turns around to face them. Picard points to one of the parasites as it scampers toward Remmick, but Remmick allows the bug to crawl up his leg and finally enter his open mouth. Riker and Picard are horrified as Remmick's neck bulges from the movement of other bugs. He sarcastically says, "We mean you no harm. We seek peaceful co-existence."
With their phasers at maximum setting, Picard and Riker simultaneously fire at Remmick, whose head and upper torso explode. Dozens of dead alien bugs fall from the corpse, then a large creature rises from the remains of Remmick's lower torso and shrieks in anger. Riker and Picard fire at it until it disintegrates.
Afterward, Picard and Riker return to the ship. Dr. Crusher reports the parasite inside Quinn has diminished to nothingness. Apparently, they cannot survive without the mother creature that was inside Remmick. The lingering question is what those creatures are and where they come from. Data indicates, before Remmick was killed, he was sending a signal toward a distant quadrant of the galaxy. It appears to be a homing beacon, perhaps to guide something to Earth.
[edit] Notes
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- According to Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, the parasites were originally intended to be working for the Borg. The destruction of the colonies in the following episode ("The Neutral Zone") would then have led into the Borg's introduction in the second season premiere. However, due to the writers' strike of 1988, the Borg storyline was pushed back several months, and divorced from any relationship to the "Conspiracy" storyline. There was no further on-screen connection or reference to the conspiracy until its mention in passing in The Drumhead in the fourth season.
- In the Deep Space Nine books "Unity" and "Worlds of DS9: Trill", it is found that the parasites were originally created by genetic modifications of Trill symbionts; being a novel, this is of course not canon.
- This episode marks the last appearance of the first pattern Next Generation Admiral insignia. The insignia was changed in the second season.
- "Conspiracy" was unusually violent for an episode of Star Trek. The death of Remmick and the destruction of the mother creature was heavily edited by the BBC for broadcast in Britain, due to the series' 6pm timeslot.
- The original idea for this episode featured no mention at all of alien parasites; the conspiracy in question was simply an attempt by more militaristic members of Starfleet to take over the organization. Gene Roddenberry vehemently opposed such a move, believing that Starfleet would never stoop to such methods, and the alien angle was introduced.[citation needed] A plot similar to the original idea was used in the Deep Space Nine episodes "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost".
- A sequel to this episode, "The Sentry", was considered for possible use on Star Trek: Voyager, but the episode was never filmed. It would have involved the USS Voyager encountering the aliens' homeworld or discovering that Species 8472 were the creators of the aliens, thus explaining how the 8472s had obtained sufficient intelligence on humanity to recreate Starfleet Academy as seen in the Voyager episode "In the Flesh".[citation needed]
- During the filming of the meal scene, Jonathan Frakes (Riker) actually did eat one of the live worms (or at least put one of them in his mouth).[1]
- A "wood" doorway at Starfleet shortly afterward became the entrance to Ten-Forward on the Enterprise.
- This is the only episode of any Star Trek series where the ship's computer speaks in the first-person narrative. (to Data: "Thank you, sir. I comprehend.")
