PICARD: Captain's log, stardate 44085.7.
Due to a medical emergency,
we have been forced to cut short a two-day liberty on Ogus II
and set course for Starbase 416.
It seems a young man's practical joke
has come dangerously close to a lethal conclusion.
Well, Mr. Potts, why don't we start at the beginning?
We were at the arcade, sir.
And I brought this balloon with me filled with red pillion dye.
Willie's always making fun of me, I figured I'd get him back.
Hey, slow down.
We programmed the game for an ordinary láser duel.
You know, 21 points. Four points for a—
Yes, I'm familiar with the game. Go on.
JAKE: We went out to the forest behind the east arcade.
I told Willie that his láser pistol looked kind of funny.
Almost like a real one.
When I went behind the trees, I put the balloon into my vest, and then—
And then you made your 9-year-old brother believe that he'd killed you?
- Yes, sir. - And then he ran away?
Yes, sir.
And while he was hiding, he ate the fruit of a cove palm.
It was just a joke, sir. I didn't think this was gonna happen.
Are you aware of the infectious nature
of the parasites which inhabit the cove palm?
I am now, sir.
Are you also familiar with the terms that I agreed to keep you boys
on the Enterprise when your parents went on sabbatical?
That we'd stay out of trouble, sir.
- Mr. Data. DATA [OVER COM]: On my way, sir.
Think about it, Mr. Potts.
While you're at it, think what may have happened
had we not been this close to a starbase medical facility.
[DOOR OPENS]
Were you able to contact the boy's parents?
They have been made fully aware of the situation, sir.
RIKER: Good. Escort this young man to the quarantine anteroom.
Perhaps he could assist us in lifting his brother's spirits.
Aye, sir.
He really could die.
Fortunately, we are only two days away from Starbase 416
and their laboratory can isolate—
[CLICK]
Can isolate what, sir?
Their laboratory can isolate what, commander?
Sir, I know I made a mistake
and I can tell you're angry, but if you're not gonna talk to me...
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.
Back so soon, Mr. Data.
LA FORGE [OVER COM]: La Forge to bridge.
PICARD: Go ahead, commander.
LA FORGE: Captain, we've completed our dilithium vector calibrations.
We are currently at warp four-point-five.
You're clear to increase to warp seven.
Very good, Geordi. Let me know if you—
Captain, did you request a course correction?
LA FORGE: I didn't say we could increase speed
to warp nine-point-one, sir.
New course set for heading three-four-one, mark two-two-one.
- Course set by whom? - Not by me, commander.
What's going on?
Data, who programmed the new coordinates?
WESLEY: Warp nine-point-three, commander.
LA FORGE: I don't advise this, captain.
If we're going to maintain our realignment progressions,
we shouldn't be pushing warp eight for at least an hour.
Commander.
[SYSTEMS POWER DOWN] [ALARM WAILING]
COMPUTER: Evacuate bridge.
Deck 1 life support failure in 30 seconds.
Turbolifts 2, 3, 4. Everyone.
- Transfer helm to Engineering, Geordi. LA FORGE: Aye, sir.
La Forge, let's get a diagnostic sweep under way.
COMPUTER: Evacuate bridge.
Deck 1 life support failure in 20 seconds.
Reassemble in Engineering.
COMPUTER: Evacuate bridge.
Deck 1 life support failure in 10 seconds.
Deck 1 life support has been terminated.
Our velocity is holding steady at warp nine-point-three.
- Do you wish to override? - No, not yet.
Computer, isolate cause of life support failure.
COMPUTER: Atmosphere conditioning pumps on Deck 1
- are operating in negative mode. - How can that be?
There are seven independent safety interlocks to prevent that.
Captain, I believe we've found the problem
- but it really doesn't make sense. - Bring the Enterprise to a full stop.
Aye, sir. Full stop, ensign.
It's not responding, sir.
I'm gonna have to do this at a manual level, sir.
Wes.
We're still at the altered heading, holding at warp nine-point-three.
Captain, force fields have been established
on all main bridge turbolift doors and service crawlways.
Computer, locate Lieutenant Commander Data.
COMPUTER: Commander Data is on the main bridge.
What the hell is he up to?
Number One, take a security team up to Deck 2.
Try and break through from below.
- Commander. - Everything's locked up, captain.
We have no control of impulse or warp engines from here.
Navigation's not responding either, sir.
Picard to main bridge.
Commander Data, do you hear me?
I repeat. Mr. Data, do you hear—?
Computer. Recognize Data, lieutenant commander.
Alpha One clearance.
COMPUTER: Priority clearance recognition, Alpha One.
Maintain minimum auxiliary power and disengage subspace communication.
COMPUTER: Acknowledged.
He is on the bridge, sir.
Mr. La Forge.
Prepare for saucer separation.
- Sir, we're at warp nine-point-three. - I'm aware of the risks, ensign.
When the umbilical splits, we should regain primary control.
- Do you agree? - Yes, sir.
The saucer module should fall out of warp within two minutes.
Be prepared to sweep back, pull it in with a tractor beam.
Aye, sir.
Initiate auto sequence.
[IN PICARD'S VOICE] Computer, recognize Picard, Jean-Luc.
Alpha Two clearance.
COMPUTER: Priority clearance recognition, Alpha Two.
Cancel separation sequence.
COMPUTER: Sequence canceled.
Isolate all remaining command functions
and accept related orders and inquiries from main bridge only.
The separation sequence has been aborted, captain.
Computer, recognize Jean-Luc Picard, Alpha Two priority,
and re-establish separation procedure immediately.
COMPUTER: Orders regarding command functions
are no longer accepted from your present location.
And what location are they accepted from?
COMPUTER: Interface terminals on main bridge only.
You're the only one who has clearance to localize command functions.
It seems Commander Data has acquired it as well.
WORF: The isolinear subprocessor extends 3.5 meters.
RIKER: I've got a clear path to panel J14-Baker.
What's that going to do for us?
J14-Baker backs onto Science Station 2, commander.
RIKER: Have they reinverted the environmental control sequencer?
Yes, sir. Life support has been re-established.
RIKER: Then, you and Casey get up here. Let's get to it.
[IN NORMAL VOICE] Computer.
Configure a perimeter field charge,
Sections 9-K through 12-T.
[FORCE FIELD BUZZES]
RIKER: What the hell was that?
WORF: He's activated a force field, sir.
RIKER: Great. Just great.
- Chief O'Brien. O'BRIEN: Yes, captain.
We had better disable the site-to-site transporter function.
When we get wherever we're going,
I don't want Mr. Data beaming off the bridge.
I'll get right to it, sir.
- Dr. Crusher. CRUSHER: Yes, captain.
Is your quarantine intact?
CRUSHER: So far Sickbay force fields don't seem to have been affected.
- The boy? - He's all right.
But he's not going to stay all right.
Sir, we have to get this ship to a starbase medical facility.
It seems that Mr. Data has other plans for the Enterprise right now.
Oh, come on, I can't believe that.
Everybody's played a practical joke on somebody at one time or another.
Not me.
Not even a little one?
How about April Fools'?
I can't believe that you're telling me
that you've never tried to pull something even on April Fools' Day?
What for? It's never funny to the one getting fooled.
Well, I'm sure your brother didn't intend for it to get this out of hand.
Certainly not to the degree it has.
Take a deep breath.
What's so funny about making someone think you killed them?
Take a deep breath.
[INHALES THEN EXHALES]
Have you been drinking all the water I asked you to?
- Yes. - Well, keep it up.
There might be a slight delay in reaching starbase and I want—
There, you see?
How can I tell him when he's not gonna listen to me?
Why don't you try, Jake?
It's just a waste of time. He won't listen.
Computer, prepare to transport me directly to the following coordinates.
COMPUTER: Site-to-site transport interlocks
have been manually deactivated.
Can you override?
COMPUTER: Negative.
Show me the shortest route to Transporter Room 1.
Computer, prepare to activate cascade force field sequence
in the following progression.
LA FORGE: No matter what we try,
the computer will only accept commands from the bridge, sir.
He has blocked every subspace channel, sir.
We cannot even call for help.
Have you tried tracing back navigation inputs?
We don't even know what star system we're in, sir.
The only way we knew we'd come out of warp was by looking out a window.
O'BRIEN: O'Brien to Captain Picard.
Go ahead, chief.
O'BRIEN: Captain, he's up to something.
- What now? - He discovered the site-to-site lockout.
I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to make it to a transporter room now.
Mr. Worf, I want security teams along all the main passageways
and in every transporter room.
And see if the computer will be good enough
to give us the precise stun setting to disable Mr. Data.
Yes, sir.
Computer, estimate the time from this location to Starbase 416 at warp nine.
COMPUTER: Inquiries regarding command functions
are no longer accepted from your present location.
[IN PICARD'S VOICE] Computer, establish a security code
for access to all functions previously transferred to bridge.
COMPUTER: Enter code.
1734-6732-1476 Charlie
3278-9777-643 Tango
732 Victor 731
1788-8732-47
6789-7643-76.
Lock.
COMPUTER: Security code intact for all specified inquiries and orders.
Computer, initiate cascade sequence.
Accepting instructions from Commander Data en route.
Now.
He's out. Security team approaching location.
[YELLS]
[IN NORMAL VOICE] Intersection 8-J. Aft port.
Establish.
I order you to stop.
Computer, begin scan-phase.
No, no, it's too close.
This has gone far enough, Data.
DATA: Computer, 3-meter cross-seal.
I wouldn't advise that, sir.
The phase coils don't take well to ricochets.
What's he doing?
He's reactivating the site-to-site transport interlocks.
Does that mean he'll be able to—?
[INSECTS CHIRPING AND BIRDS TWITTERING]
[BUZZING]
[SOONG CHUCKLES]
Ah.
Aha.
Ah.
You're right on time.
SOONG: Open.
One of these,
and one of these.
There you are.
I fail to recall how I arrived here.
I sent for you.
[CHUCKLES]
In a manner of speaking.
And who are you, sir?
[CHUCKLES]
Data to Enterprise.
Enterprise, do you read me'?
I always loved that face.
Please, sit down.
We were headed for a medical facility.
I was taking the boy's brother to Sickbay and—
I'm sure your starship will be back for you soon. Please, sit down.
I must find a way to contact the Enterprise.
Tell me, do I look somewhat, uh, familiar to you?
You do bear a resemblance to Dr. Noonian Soong,
- the cyberneticist who constructed me. - Ha-ha-ha.
But Dr. Soong was killed shortly afterward by the Crystalline entity.
[CHUCKLES]
Ah. There we are.
This is your lucky day, Data.
You've found your long lost father and he's alive.
What do you think of that?
But the colony was destroyed. There were no survivors.
I, uh...
I never felt too comfortable living anywhere
without a prearranged route of escape.
I admit, I, uh...
I wouldn't have guessed I'd be running from a giant snowflake, but, uh...
It is really you.
Captain, the quarantine field in Sickbay.
PICARD: You have access to it?
When he transferred force field control to the bridge,
he must have only specified the fields he was planning to initiate.
The quarantine field was already operating.
Under normal circumstances, we could divert that field energy
and use it to cancel the force field protecting the bridge.
But we have to retain the medical quarantine.
Determine the absolute minimum field energy Dr. Crusher needs
and use the rest to get me onto my bridge.
How are you this morning?
Not so great.
I'm having trouble standing up. I get sort of dizzy.
You heard the old story about the man who goes to his doctor?
He says, "Doctor, it hurts when I raise my arm like this."
The doctor says, "Then don't raise your arm like that."
So if I get dizzy standing up—
Then don't stand up.
[DOOR OPENS]
Okay, doc, we're ready.
If all goes well, you shouldn't notice a thing.
Make sure it goes well, commander.
Your brother tells me that you still won't speak to him.
So?
It's hard on him too.
He feels very guilty about what happened.
He's your brother.
Why is everyone so worried about him?
I'm the one who's sick.
I'm the one who's gonna die.
Hey, nobody is going to die, Willie.
Do you hear me? Nobody.
Captain, we are in.
ICARD [OVER COM]: We're on our way, lieutenant.
Computer, restore tactical station.
COMPUTER: Deactivation of command function overrides
requires Alpha Two clearance.
Beverly thinks it's going to be tight.
Let's hope he didn't take us too far off-course.
Let's hope.
It won't answer to my clearance, sir.
Computer, this is Captain Picard.
Return all command functions to their stations.
COMPUTER: Alpha Two clearance recognized.
Please enter security code.
Security code?
Data. I was afraid of something like this.
Sensors are operative.
Well, at least that's something.
What have you got?
No fix on Data.
But I am picking up a single life form on the surface, sir. It appears human.
That's a human that has the answers to a lot of questions.
- Something else. - What is it?
A small vessel. Entering orbit.
I detect no life forms aboard, sir.
SOONG: Mm-hm. Good.
[SOONG CHUCKLING]
Good, good, good. Keep it up, keep it up.
Old Tom Handy swore you'd never master that.
Uh, Data, Data, whistle for me.
[WHISTLING "POP GOES THE WEASEL']
Yeah, well, all right. That's enough, sit down, sit down.
Ah. Beautiful. Beautiful.
You know, I've been able to keep track of you from time to time.
You've become something of a celebrity in cybernetic circles.
Uh, Data...
Why Starfleet?
Sir?
I gave you the ability to choose whatever you wanted.
To do whatever you wanted.
Why Starfleet?
It was Starfleet officers who rescued me.
Oh. So you decided to emulate your emancipators, huh?
How disappointing.
What choice of vocation would have met with your approval, sir'?
Well, I often hoped
you might become a scientist.
Perhaps even a cyberneticist.
To follow in your footsteps, as it were?
I see nothing wrong with that.
May I ask you a question, sir?
Certainly. Anything you like.
Why did you create me?
Why does a painter paint? Hmm?
Why does a boxer box?
You know what Michelangelo used to say?
That the sculptures he made were already there before he started,
hidden in the marble.
All he needed to do was, whoosh, remove the unneeded bits.
It wasn't quite that easy with you, Data.
But the need to do it, my need to do it,
was no different than Michelangelo's need.
Now, let me ask you a question.
Why are humans so fascinated by old things?
Old things?
Old buildings, churches, walls, ancient things, antique things.
Tables, clocks, knick-knacks. Why?
Why? Why?
There are many possible explanations.
If you brought a Noophian to Earth, he'd probably look around and say,
"Tear that old village down, it's hanging in rags.
Build me something new, something efficient."
But to a human, that old house,
that ancient wall, it's a shrine.
Something to be cherished.
Again I ask you, why?
Perhaps for humans, old things represent a tie to the past.
[SCOFFS]
Well, what's so important about the past?
People got sick. They needed money.
Why tie yourself to that?
Humans are mortal.
They seem to need a sense of continuity.
Aha.
Hmm. Why?
To give their lives meaning,
a sense of purpose.
Oh. Well...
And, uh, this continuity,
does it only run one way, backwards to the past?
I suppose it is a factor in the human desire to procreate.
Oh. So you believe that having children
gives humans a sense of immortality, do you?
It is a reasonable explanation to your query, sir.
And to yours as well, Data.
[DOOR OPENS]
Lore.
Looks like we have ourselves a family reunion.
Open.
I implore you, do not reactivate him.
SOONG: Don't be ridiculous, Data.
Lore is far from the maniacal android you have made him out to be.
In any case, he'll obey me.
He always did.
But he admitted to an alliance with the Crystal entity.
To gain its favor, he betrayed the colonists
and would have betrayed the Enterprise as well, had I not—
Shh.
One more.
That should do it.
Shh-shh-shh.
[CHUCKLES]
So you're still alive.
I'm surprised you woke me.
Why didn't you just take me apart again and be done with it?
That is why the two of you captured me, isn't it?
SOONG: Data had nothing to do with this, Lore.
And nobody captured you.
Not exactly, that is.
You see, both of your brains contain a simple homing device.
Data's was activated purposefully.
Yours...
Uh, well, until you walked through that door,
I had no idea you'd ever been reassembled.
No thanks to you.
But thanks to you, dear brother,
I spent nearly two years drifting in space.
If it hadn't been for a fortunate encounter
with a Pakled trade ship, I'd still be out there.
I had no alternative. You would have destroyed the Enterprise.
Well, since I seem to be an uninvited guest at your little party,
I'll leave you with your beloved son and be on my way.
SOONG: Lore, wait. There are questions I can answer.
You'll have no chance to ask them later.
You see, I'm dying.
Yeah, I'm dying.
Dying from what, sir?
LORE: Wait a minute.
What do you mean you're dying?
You look fine.
You're not that old. You look fine.
What is this? Some kind of a trick?
I wish it were.
We have control of sensors,
life support and auxiliary power, captain.
- Nothing more. - The code, Mr. La Forge?
We can't even locate the file address.
That would tell us how many digits we're talking about.
Not that it would really help much.
- I want something that will really help. CRUSHER: And quickly too.
Willie Potts has 24 hours, 36 tops.
If it goes much longer than that, the only thing left for Starbase 416
will be to do a postmortem.
Geordi, if the computer's programmed to allow Data to transport down,
it would figure that it'd allow him to beam back up.
- Right? - It would figure.
Data would have left a trace imprint when he beamed down?
Sure, everybody does.
So, what would be involved in pulling that trace
and finding a way to make the computer think someone else is Data?
Maybe a few someone elses?
We'd have to access the transport controller,
reset it to a testing mode.
Convince it that it's still back in school accepting simulated inputs.
Not gonna be easy without the main computer.
But I suppose we could network a few tricorders together.
- Try, Mr. La Forge. - Yes, sir.
[LORE CHUCKLES]
You did what you had to do?
What kind of answer is that?
The only one I can give you.
You were not functioning properly.
Lore told me the colonists envied him
because you made him so completely human.
[CHUCKLES]
I wouldn't exactly have used the word envious, Data.
You disassembled me. You took me apart.
Lore also told me that the colonists petitioned you to replace him
with a less perfect android.
Oh.
The last thing you should think of yourself as, Data, is less perfect.
The two of you are virtually identical, except for a bit of programming.
It was a lie.
Another lie.
I would have proven myself worthy to you
if you'd just given me a chance.
But it was easier just to turn your back and build your precious Data.
You were the first.
You meant as much to me as Data ever did.
But you were unstable.
The colonists were not envious of you, they were afraid of you.
- You were unstable. - I am not less perfect than Lore.
Why didn't you just fix me?
It was within your power to fix me.
It wasn't as easy as that.
The next logical step was to construct Data.
Afterward, I planned to get back to you, to fix you.
Heh. Next logical step?
I am not less perfect than Lore.
[IN MOCKING TONE] I am not less perfect than Lore.
Enough. Both of you, sit down.
Sit down.
For all these years, I've been plagued by what went wrong.
With all of your complexities, Lore. Your nuances.
Basic emotion seemed almost simple by comparison.
But the emotion turned and twisted,
became entangled with ambition.
Lore, if I had known you were no longer sitting in pieces
on some distant shelf...
If I had known that I could simply press a button and bring you here,
I would have spent those years trying to make things right for you as well.
But all I knew of was Data.
So I worked long and hard.
And now, I believe I've succeeded.
This...
This is why I brought you here, Data.
Basic emotions.
Simple feelings, Data.
Your feelings.
I've imagined how hard it's been for you,
living amongst beings so moved by emotion.
I don't have to imagine.
I know how hard it's been.
You'd be surprised, Data.
Feelings do funny things.
You may even learn to understand your evil brother.
[CHUCKLES]
To forgive him.
We will be more alike, Data, you and I.
You'll see.
[CHUCKLES]
I'm happy for you.
- I question your sincerity, Lore. - Oh.
Perhaps with this, you'll learn to be more trusting, Data.
Your brother has had good reason to be bitter.
But, sir, Lore was responsible for—
He wasn't given the chance that you and I were given.
To live.
But now, I'm sure he understands why I did what I had to do.
If there were only time, Lore. What a shame.
The procedure is quite simple.
Hmm. I'm tired. I need to rest first.
I'm tired.
PICARD: They're sure this is going to work?
Nobody knows the transporters better than O'Brien and La Forge.
They've managed more than a sleight of hand with our authorization codes.
They can insert them into the recall loop?
The computer should think all three of us are Data.
I just hope we don't all beam back looking like Data.
O'BRIEN: Whenever you say, sir.
Bring him home, Number One. Energize.
SOONG: Data?
[SINGING] The sons of the prophet Were valiant and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear
But of all the most reckless Or so I am told
[CHUCKLES]
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir
- How do you feel? - I've always loved that ditty.
I could never quite get the cadence right.
Thank you, father.
You called me father.
Well, what would you prefer I called you? Often Wrong?
What did Lore tell you about that?
That is what the colonists called you, isn't it?
Often Wrong Soong.
It's a very sloppy rhyme.
Wrong Soong. Wrong Soong.
It just doesn't work. Let's see.
SOONG: Data, how are you feeling?
Often Wrong's got a broken heart
Can't even tell his boys apart
Lore.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, well, well. You're not as feeble as I thought you were.
This won't work. Those circuits, they weren't designed for you.
- Where's Data? - Where's Data?
You didn't fill Data with substandard parts, did you, old man?
No, that honor was bestowed upon me.
You owe me, old man.
Not him, me.
It wasn't meant for you. You're not listening to me.
It must be removed.
[CHUCKLES]
Nice try, Often Wrong.
Nice try.
[GASPS]
I don't know exactly what it's doing, but its doing something.
I didn't know you were alive. If I had—
[GROANS]
[SINGING] There were brave men aplenty
All well known to fame
Who served in the ranks of the Czar
[HUMMING]
The human is here.
And Data?
No way of knowing.
Set them on stun.
LA FORGE: Down here.
It's all right, take it easy.
This is Dr. Noonian Soong.
That's impossible. Soong's dead.
No, I'm telling you. Look at this stuff. It's Soong all right.
[DOOR OPENS]
Here. Let me.
Would you mind telling me what's going on here?
- He surprised me. - Commander.
What has happened here?
Doctor. Dr. Soong.
So alike.
[CHUCKLES]
He's so...
I couldn't tell you apart.
There was only one chip.
I tried to tell him but...
I couldn't...
I wanted— I couldn't build another one.
RIKER: Tried to tell who?
- Damn it, Data, what's going on? - Lore, sir.
He was inadvertently summoned here by the same signal
which activated my homing circuitry.
It seems that after nearly two years
in interstellar space, he was—
Mr. Data, there's a very sick boy on the Enterprise
who's not getting any better.
We're dead in the water until you get us out of here.
It's all right.
Access your third nested memory file
and execute instruction
five-one-five-five.
That will clear your memory block.
I was unaware of having caused any inconvenience, sir.
We'll discuss it later, Mr. Data.
Doctor, you're coming with us too. You need to get to Sickbay.
[SCOFFS]
Young man, I've lived here a long time.
I have no plans to die anywhere else.
But, sir, our medical facility may be able to—
Go, go, go, Data, go. Go with your friends.
May I say goodbye to Dr. Soong, sir?
Alone, sir.
Everybody dies, Data.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, almost everybody.
Do you believe that we are, in some way, alike, sir?
In many ways, I'd like to believe.
Then it is all right for you to die,
because I will remain alive.
You know that I cannot grieve for you, sir.
You Will.
In your own way.
Goodbye. Goodbye, Data.
Goodbye, father.
[CHUCKLES]
PICARD: Captain's log, stardate 44091.1.
We have been at Starbase 416 for three days.
Young Willie Potts is responding well to treatment
and has been returned to the Enterprise.
The transfer went well?
He'll remain in quarantine for another week or two,
but he's out of the woods.
Splendid.
[GROWLS]
Well, Mr. Data, I see your gift to them is well received.
Yes, sir. The boys appear to have reconciled their differences.
They're brothers, Data.
Brothers forgive.