Data, there you are.
We need to install that plasma conduit right away.
We're bringing the new warp core online in less than three hours.
I will go to deck 20 and begin modifications.
Great. I'll meet you in engineering as soon as you're finished there.
This ought to be a lot of fun.
Data: Excuse me.
Do you have authorization to work in this area?
You are dismantling a warp plasma conduit.
I must ask you to stop.
Man: Be quiet.
Picard: 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.
Picard: Captain's log, stardate 47225.7.
Commander la forge has completed the installation of our new warp core.
We are preparing to test its capabilities.
Something wrong, sir?
I just got a message from starfleet command.
- Bad news? - You could say that.
I've been invited to the annual starfleet admirals' banquet.
My condolences.
I've managed to avoid it for the past six years,
but now it would seem that my luck has run out.
Can't think of anything more tedious.
Fifty admirals shaking hands,
making dull conversation, uninteresting food, boring speeches.
Can't you think of some excuse to get out of it?
After six years, number one, I don't think I have any excuses left.
Geordi, have you ever had a nightmare?
Yeah, sure, data. Everybody does from time to time.
I have had 111 dreams
since I first discovered this program nine months ago.
In all of that time, I have never experienced
such strange and disturbing imagery.
I believe it was a nightmare.
Yeah, well, nightmares are a part of dreaming, data.
Maybe you've just discovered another level to your program.
Perhaps.
I have also noted that I am spending an inordinate amount of time
thinking about nightmare imagery.
One could almost say I am preoccupied.
Well, it's perfectly normal, data. Sometimes when I have a nightmare,
I can't shake that weird feeling for a couple of days.
Tyler: Commander la forge?
Speaking of nightmares...
I just finished recalibrating the starboard eps module.
That's great, ensign. Thank you.
It's just like you said.
Reset the power tap, and the module came right online.
You have such a wonderful grasp of engineering principles.
I'm learning so much just being around you.
Ahem. I'll tell you what,
why don't you help Farrel check out the deuterium cartridges?
We're just about to bring the warp core online, all right?
Anything you say.
Geordi, you do not seem to appreciate ensign Tyler's enthusiasm.
She's enthusiastic all right. About me.
I do not understand.
She's got a crush on me, data.
- Oh. You do not share her affection? - Exactly.
And quite frankly, it's beginning to get a little bit uncomfortable.
I believe I understand. You are concerned
about unintentionally hurting ensign Tyler's feelings.
Yeah, something like that.
It would appear that you require a third party
to intervene on your behalf. I will be happy to speak to her.
No, data, I'll take care of it myself. Thanks.
Geordi, when I first awoke from my nightmare,
there was a brief moment when I...
Picard: Bridge to commander la forge.
What's our status?
We're ready to bring the new core online, captain. Stand by.
All right, let's do it.
Initializing deuterium-infusion sequence.
It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?
Now, let's see how fast she can run.
La forge to bridge.
Warp power at your discretion, captain.
Acknowledged.
Ensign gates, set course for starbase 219, warp six.
Engage.
Bridge to engineering. Mr. La forge, why isn't my ship moving?
I'm on it, captain.
There's a warp plasma conduit out of alignment.
But I think I've got it fixed now. Ready, sir.
Very well. Ensign gates.
- Mr. La forge... - Stand by, captain.
Captain, I am taking the warp coil engines off-line.
La forge to bridge. I'm sorry, sir,
but we're gonna have to reconfigure this plasma conduit.
It's gonna take at least a couple of hours, sir.
Enter.
- Hello, data. - Counselor.
What are you doing?
I've been watching spot sleep.
In the past 15 minutes, he has had 12 muscle spasms,
which indicates he was dreaming.
I have often wondered what spot dreams about.
His twitching and rapid breathing would seem to suggest anxiety.
But spot has never seen a mouse or any other form of rodentia.
He has never encountered an insect or been chased by a canine.
I understand you've had some interesting dreams recently.
Geordi was worried about you
and he wanted me to check in and see how you were doing.
That was very thoughtful of him.
I've been debating whether or not to initiate another dream sequence.
Because of the nightmares?
I have found them to be quite...
Unsettling.
Data, you shouldn't be afraid of dark imagery in your dreams.
It's a natural expression of your unconscious.
If you have an unconscious.
I'm not sure how your positronic brain works,
but if it's anything like ours, then there's a part of you
that's trying to express itself through your dream state.
And I think you should allow yourself to experience it.
As Sigmund Freud said:
"Dreams are the royal road to the knowledge of the mind."
Hmm. Thank you, counselor.
I believe I will initiate a dream program now.
Let me know how it goes. Good night, data.
Good night, counselor.
Good night, spot.
Computer, dim lights.
Delicious.
What kind of cake are you eating?
It is a cellular peptide cake. With mint frosting.
- Would you like a bite? - No, thank you.
Excuse me, Mr. Worf.
Aren't you going to answer that, Mr. Data?
- Sir? - That damn ringing.
Answer it, will you?
Yes, sir.
Please identify yourselves.
I must ask what you are trying to...
Be quiet.
Please, don't hurt me, data.
I am sorry, counselor.
No, don't. No, no, data.
What is wrong?
We've been trying to wake you for the last five minutes.
When you didn't show up on time in engineering, I got worried.
My internal chronometer was supposed to wake me
35 minutes ago.
You must have overslept.
That is not possible.
Something is wrong.
I can't find anything wrong with your internal time base.
As far as I can tell, your primary systems check out fine.
I will compare my autonomic logs with the ship's chronometer.
Perhaps we have overlooked something.
You know, data.
There's an awful lot we don't know about your dream program.
Maybe it was designed to cause side effects.
I mean, for all we know, Dr. Soong might have intended
for you to oversleep from time to time as part of the human experience.
It is a possibility. However, I would prefer to make certain
there are no anomalies in my neural net.
You know, I'm curious.
What were you dreaming about when we woke you up?
I have not fully assimilated its impact.
I would prefer to study the images further before discussing them.
Mm-hm. Sounds like it must have been pretty strange.
Strange is not a sufficient adjective to describe the experience.
Tell me more about this cake.
It is difficult to explain.
Counselor troi's body was a cake.
Her upper body.
Describe the knife you used to cut the counselor.
It had a black handle and a serrated blade,
and it was quite long.
- How long? - Twenty-five centimeters in length.
And what happened next?
One of the workmen pointed to her right shoulder.
At that moment,
I had an ovennhelming urge to cut a piece out of the cake.
- And did you? - Yes.
As I began slicing the cake,
she reacted as though I was causing her pain.
Yet I could not stop cutting.
- That is when I woke up. - Hm.
- Dr. Freud, I am curious... - Eh-eh-eh-eh.
I am curious. What do my nightmares mean?
I believe you are experiencing a classic dismemberment dream.
Or in your case, being a mechanical man,
a dismantlement dream.
I do not understand.
Your mechanistic qualities are trying to reassert themselves
over your human tendencies.
Ego and ID struggling for domination.
The workmen symbolize the ever-present ID
constantly working to destroy the ego.
Now, the image of counselor troi, a female, is devoured by you,
clearly indicating an unconscious desire
to possess your own mother.
- But I do not have a mother. - Do not interrupt.
The knife and its violent connotation
suggests a certain feeling of sexual inadequacy.
But I have no sexual desire.
Ah! Impotence on top of everything. It is all becoming clear to me now.
There might be a paper in this.
I do not believe I am being helped by this session.
Classic transference. Your anger toward me
is in fact the animosity you feel toward your father.
You are a polymorphously perverse individual, Mr. Data.
And I recommend full psychoanalysis.
I believe I can fit you in next Tuesday.
That will not be necessary.
Computer, end program.
Captain, incoming message from admiral Nakamura.
On-screen.
Captain. We were expecting you this morning.
Is there a problem?
Actually, we have been experiencing a few minor difficulties
with our new warp core,
but my chief engineer assures me that we will be undennay within the hour.
You're not trying to avoid this particular engagement,
are you, picard?
No, no, certainly not. I'm really looking fonnard to it.
Good. I'll expect you soon.
Nakamura out.
- I think he's on to you, sir. - Mm.
- La forge: La forge to bridge. - Go ahead, geordi.
We've just started it up, captain. All systems are holding steady.
Ready when you are, sir.
Ensign gates.
Set a course.
And engage.
Picard: Engineering, report.
The warp field has collapsed, sir.
It looks like we've blown the entire power converter, captain.
Impulse engines are down too. We're not going anywhere.
But I know just how to fix this. Give me two, three hours tops.
Talk about going nowhere fast.
Mr. Worf, open a channel to starbase 219.
Advise admiral Nakamura, I'll be a little later than I thought.
Aye, sir.
Tyler, how are you coming with that relay diagnostic?
Almost done, sir.
Excuse me. I need the plasma inverter.
It appears ensign Tyler still has a crush on you.
- It is clear you did not speak to her. - No, data, I haven't had the time.
Listen, I want you to take this brace coil
and run a metallurgical scan on it for me.
See if there are any microfractures.
Something wrong, data?
I am reminded of a recent dream.
This brace is reminiscent of—-
Riker: Are you going to answer that, commander?
What are you waiting for? Answer it.
Hello?
Freud: Kill them.
You must kill them all before it's too late.
La forge: Data.
Data, what's wrong?
I do not know.
Data: Everything seems to remind me of the nightmare.
Objects, sounds, smells.
And now I have seen elements of the dream in a waking state.
I cannot explain it.
Data, if you were one of my human patients,
I might be concerned right now.
I'd say you'd had a waking dream or an hallucination.
But you're not human.
I think we might be looking at some kind of technological problem.
I have run three complete self-diagnostics.
All of my systems are functioning normally.
Perhaps Dr. Freud was correct.
The knife I dreamed about
is the embodiment of my unconscious desire to inflict violence.
Data, even Freud said, "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."
But the bottom line is, I think you're developing
an almost obsessive interest in your own inner workings.
I'd almost call it the beginnings of a neurosis.
- That is not possible. - Why not?
You've eliminated all the technical explanations.
And it makes sense that as your neural net becomes more complex,
more human, that you might experience
the same kind of psychological complexities as a human.
Do you really think that is possible?
Data, you must be the first person who's come into my office
and been excited at the prospect of a new neurosis.
But, yes, I do think it's possible,
and I'd like to start counseling you on a regular basis.
- Daily? - No, we'll start weekly.
And as a first step, I'd like you to shut down your dream program
until our next session, just to be on the safe side.
Give yourself a chance to reflect on this experience.
Thank you, counselor. I look foward to our next meeting.
And, data...
Next time, see me before you see Sigmund.
Admiral, I can explain.
Admiral: Let me guess.
Your new warp core is malfunctioning again.
Unfortunately, the problem has affected our impulse systems.
At the moment, we are adrift.
Are you expecting to have this problem fixed soon
or shall we send out a tow ship to bring you in?
That will not be necessary.
I have every confidence in my engineering staff.
I will be at the banquet on time.
Picard out.
Have you tried reconfiguring the plasma conduits?
Yes, captain, two hours ago.
What about the relays?
Are you absolutely certain that you don't need a new phase inverter?
I am currently running a level-3 diagnostic of the relays, sir.
We will have the results of the analysis in approximately 10 minutes.
I see.
Oh, perhaps I could reconfigure these isolinear chips.
No, sir, please don't touch that.
Captain, commander data and I have the situation under control.
Now, if you'd just let us take care of it, the work would go much faster.
Captain? We could use an extra hand moving the containment pods.
If it wouldn't be an imposition.
Oh, no, not at all. I'd be delighted.
Good work, Tyler. I thought he'd never leave.
Data, I want you to give me a hand locking down this plasma cond...
Data?
Hello, data.
Are you all right?
What are you doing?
Hold very still, counselor.
Ever since you gave Alexander that music program,
he's been playing it all night, every night.
Just wanted to broaden his horizons. Besides, he likes it.
It is screeching, pounding dissonance. It is not music.
Worf, it's better than music. It's jazz.
Medical emergency. Deck 17, section 3-Alpha.
Man: We 're on our way.
I believe I had another waking dream, sir. But this time,
I had an uncontrollable urge to eliminate the image I saw.
And what you saw was some sort of mouth on troi's shoulder?
Yes, sir.
For a reason I cannot explain, I had the need to destroy it.
What about me? Did you see one of those mouths on my head as well?
No, sir. I saw a straw coming out of your head.
A straw?
As I said before, these are all images I originally experienced
in my dream program.
I do not have a rational explanation for them.
Mr. La forge?
Captain, we've run every possible diagnostic
on data's positronic net we can think of.
We can't find anything wrong. I could run a sub-polymer scan,
but it would take some time to set up the equipment.
Make it so.
In the meantime, Mr. Data, I'll have to relieve you of duty
and confine you to your quarters.
A sensible precaution, sir.
Deanna, you're in sickbay. It's all right.
- Data? - He's not here.
Just try to relax.
This vascular pad has healed the wound.
But you've lost a lot of blood, so I would like you to lie still for a while.
That's odd. There shouldn't be any discoloration after the treatment.
- This looks like some sort of rash. - What is it?
I'm picking up cellular degradation.
But it doesn't appear to be related to the lacerations.
There's also some kind of residual interphasic signature.
Nurse.
Bring me an interphasic scanner. I wanna take a closer look at this.
Commander.
I will have to confiscate your side arm.
Of course.
May I ask a personal favor?
Will you take care of spot for me?
Your animal.
I am afraid if I have another waking dream, I might injure him.
Of course.
Spot, come here.
Unlike a canine,
spot does not respond to verbal commands.
Goodbye, spot.
He will need to be fed once a day.
He prefers feline supplement number 25.
- I understand. - And he will require water.
And you must provide him with a sandbox.
And you must talk to him.
Tell him he is a pretty cat. And a good cat.
I will feed him.
Perhaps that will be enough.
Captain, we have a problem. Take a look at this.
Her tissue is breaking down on a cellular level.
And it's spreading.
At first, I thought it was a rash from the coil brace she was stabbed with.
But when I used the interphasic scanner, I found this.
Picard: What is it?
The question is, what are they?
I've tested all the medical staff,
and I've found them on almost everyone so far.
The cellular decay is accelerating in all cases.
I haven't found a way to stop it or even slow it down.
Looks like you're infected too.
The organisms appear to be attached to our epidermal layers
with osmotic tendrils.
They're tapping directly into the bloodstream.
And from what I can tell, they're spreading.
Riker: What are we dealing with here?
Are these creatures feeding on us?
Yes, in a very particular way.
They appear to be extracting our cellular peptides.
It's roughly analogous to the way terran leeches consume hemoglobin.
If they're not removed soon,
our bodies are going to lose all their cellular cohesion.
We'll collapse into nothing but a few pounds of chemicals.
All right. Is there any way that we can affect these organisms?
We've tried em radiation, subspace fields,
thermal protons, nothing's worked.
They seem to exist in some sort of interphasic state
just beyond our range of visual and sensor acuity.
The only way we can see them is to use an ip scanner.
Tricorders can't even pick them up.
Do we know where these things came from, Mr. Worf?
Well, I scanned the vicinity with an ip scanner.
There was no sign of any similar creatures
or any unusual interphasic activity.
Picard: What about Mr. Data?
There must be some connection between his odd behavior
and these creatures. Is he infested as well?
No. I scanned him, but I found nothing.
Data attacked counselor troi
because he saw a mouth on her shoulder.
And it was in that same area that we first saw one of the organisms.
Data also saw a straw in my head,
and then Beverly discovered an organism in the same place.
Those images are all part of data's dream.
Maybe somehow he is unconsciously perceiving these creatures.
Then perhaps it is time that we took a closer look at Mr. Data's dreams.
It is an interesting hypothesis.
If I am being affected by these interphasic creatures
on an unconscious level,
it may also explain my waking dreams
and my subsequent antisocial behavior.
What we wanna do, data, is link your neural net to the holodeck
and have you activate your dream program,
so as you dream, we can observe the dream images.
Perhaps we can learn more about these creatures
by interpreting the symbols and images of your dreams.
I see. The concept is similar to the method of directed dreaming.
Exactly. How soon can you have the link ready?
We'll need about an hour to establish all the interface parameters.
Make it so.
In the meantime, Mr. Data,
I suggest that you should prepare for bed.
I think we're ready, captain.
The link is active
and the holodeck has been calibrated to data's neural net.
- Ready, Mr. Data? - Yes, sir.
Normally, I would wish you pleasant dreams.
But in this case, bad dreams would be more helpful.
I understand, sir.
Initiating dream program. Stand by.
Let's be very observant.
Even the most insignificant image could be a very important symbol.
Right.
Picard: Here he comes.
Can we speak to data directly or would that wake him up?
He should be perceiving this as just another part of his dream.
Anything we say to him will be taken in that context.
You know, that sounds like a telephone ringer,
but I don't see a receiver.
Oh. Thank you.
Look at that. Her right shoulder.
That is the same place that data stabbed her.
In his waking dream, he said that there was a mouth on her shoulder.
They're both symbols of consumption. Mouth, food.
Mr. Data, what kind of cake is this?
It is a cellular peptide cake.
With mint frosting.
Cellular peptides. That's exactly what the creatures are extracting.
Riker: Will someone answer that damn ringing?
Captain, the ringing is getting worse.
What could the ringing symbolize? A bell? Sound?
An old-fashioned way of communicating?
Do you want some? It's delicious.
Will someone please get that?
Yes?
It's for you.
- Freud: Kill them. - Kill who?
Kill them before it's too late.
Who is this?
I am Dr. Sigmund Freud.
How does he fit into all this?
If I were to interpret my own appearance in this dream,
I would say I am the symbolic representation
of data's unconscious mind
trying to warn him about the dangers he perceives around him.
You mean the interphasic organisms?
Of course.
Tell me, doctor, how do we kill them?
Answer it.
Do not be so literal.
When I say, "answer it," I mean, respond to it, to them.
Be quiet.
- Picard: What do they represent? - I don't know.
But I do recognize that junction they're working on.
It's the plasma conduit we installed with the new warp core.
Respond. Respond to them? What does that mean?
What is it that you're doing?
Go away. Leave us alone.
Who are you?
We are your enemies.
Stop. You must not hurt my friends.
Be quiet.
Data, the shrieking noise you made, it causes them pain.
Be quiet.
I believe I understand.
- Geordi. - Yes, data?
You must adjust my positronic subprocessor
to emit an interphasic pulse.
Data, what's going on?
The workmen in my dreams
represent the organisms which are trying to demolish the ship.
The incessant ringing of the telephone,
Dr. Freud's cautions at the other end
were warnings of the dangers around us.
What about the shrieking noises that you made?
My positronic subprocessor detected high-frequency interphasic signatures
from the organisms,
which were symbolically represented in my dreams by a high shriek.
When you made those noises, the workmen reacted in pain.
That is why I have asked geordi to adjust my subprocessor.
If I can produce a high-frequency interphasic pulse,
it may have a similar effect on the creatures.
We're ready.
Picard to sickbay. Beverly, we're gonna be sweeping the ship
with a high-frequency ip pulse.
Will you monitor the creatures for any reaction?
Rusher: Understood.
It's working, captain.
Picard: Captain's log, supplemental.
The creatures infesting the enterprise have been completely eliminated.
We believe the infestation originated within the warp core we obtained
on starbase 84.
This conduit was manufactured on thanatos vii
using a new interphasic fusion process.
We think it was that process which attracted the organisms to the conduit,
where they lay dormant until we activated the warp core.
That's also why we couldn't get the core online.
The creatures were disrupting the plasma flow.
How long before we have warp power again?
Well, we're gonna have to manufacture a new conduit.
- That's at least six hours' work. - Six hours?
The banquet will be completely over by then. That's very unfortunate.
- I can try and speed things up a bit. - No, no, no. Uh...
I wouldn't want to sacrifice the safety of the ship.
Understood, sir.
Enter.
Counselor.
I did not have a chance to apologize for my actions.
Data, don't worry about it.
Geordi explained everything to me. It wasn't your fault.
But somehow, I thought turnabout would be fair play,
so I made us a little something to snack on.
I wonder...
What would Dr. Freud say about the symbolism
of devouring one's self?
Data, sometimes a cake is just a cake.