That Just Does Them In

The people that I've seen who’ve been really hurt have been hurt mostly by deceit, 

and that's also worth thinking about. 

You get walloped by Life. 

There’s no doubt about that—

absolutely no doubt about that. 

But I've thought for a long time that, maybe, people can handle earthquakes, cancer, even death, but they can't handle betrayal, and they can't handle deception — 

They can't handle having the rug pulled out from underneath them 

by people they Love and Trust. 

That just does them in. 

It makes them ill, 

and it hurts them: 

psychophysiologically, 

it damages them. 

But, more than that, it makes them 

cynical, bitter, vicious, and resentful. 

They start to act that all out in The World, 

and that makes it worse.

Deanna Troi :

Kestra, take those tomatoes to Daddy, 

and then set the table for dinner, please.

Deldeth m'rant.

Zeth.

Sojii Asha :

That wasn't Viveen.

Deanna Troi :

Harpanthi.

Spoken by The Mind Witches of the Southern Ice.

I never managed to learn much Viveen.

Sojii Asha :

How many languages did Thad invent? 

Deanna Troi :

11.

12, if you count Pahlplah, the language of butterflies.

But it doesn't have words.

Only wingbeats.

Sojii Asha :

I love that.

Deanna Troi :

Thad was born and raised on starships.

From the time he was very little, 

he was fascinated by the idea that people had homeworlds.

Betazed.

Earth.

He wanted a homeworld of his own, 

so he invented one. Ardani.

It means "Home".

Sojii Asha :

Ardani.

Deanna Troi :

When Thad got sick, we came here to Nepenthe.

He loved it here.

This became his homeworld.

Sojii Asha :

What did he have? 

Deanna Troi :

Mandaxic neurosclerosis.

It's a silicon-based virus.

It's very rare, and in theory, completely curable.

You just have to culture the infected cells 

in an active positronic matrix.

But by the time Thad came down with MN, 

there were no active positronic matrices.

And no one was allowed to develop new ones.

Sojii Asha :

Because of the synth ban.

Deanna Troi :

So, you see, Soji, ‘Real’ isn't always ‘Better’.

Sojii Asha :

Kestra told you.

Deanna Troi :

She told me this is all very new to you.

That you're very new.

Sojii Asha :

That's just a guess.

I really don't know anything at all.

Except that, for some reason, the Romulans are very interested in figuring out where I came from.

Where I was made.

Well, one Romulan.

Narek.

He got me to believe that he cared about me.

I thought he even loved me.

I trusted him, but it was all a mind game.

He was trying to trick me into remembering information he needed.

And then he tried to kill me.

Deanna Troi :

It must be very hard to feel that you can trust anyone now.

Sojii Asha :

You think? 

This way that you're being right now, all sensitive and caring, 

that makes me trust you less.

I don't trust you or Kestra -- 

I definitely don't trust Picard.

This whole thing, if it's even really happening, 

how do I know it's not another game? 

That it isn't Real? 

Like my childhood.

Like my parents.

You bring me to this beautiful place, surround me with warm, friendly people and good food, and -

PICARD :

Torture you? Destroy you? 

Yeah, you're right.

All this is an elaborate plot.

I wouldn't trust any of us if I were you.

Riker :

Hey, hey! 

All you had to say is 

"Dinner is Served".

You all right? 

PICARD :

She could have broken me in half.

I suppose I should be encouraged that she held back.

Baby steps.

Riker :

Yes, sir.

Deanna Troi :

This isn't something a ship's counselor is supposed to say, but -- 

You Had it Coming.

Riker :

Easy there, Imzadi!

Deanna Troi :

Do you have any idea what that Young Woman's been through? 

What she's going through now, 

what the Romulans did to her? 

To you, the idea that all this could be some kind of subterfuge or Simulation is preposterous.

But to her, it would be more of The Same.

You know you're Real, but she has no reason to believe that...!

She has no reason to believe that she herself is Real.

Her Capacity to Trust was a flaw in her programming.

She's been manipulated, tortured.

Her very consciousness has been violated.

[ There is smoke coming from The Oven ]

Dad! 

PICARD :

What I need to be --

Deanna Troi :

You need to be Jean-Luc Picard.

Compassionate, patient, curious.

PICARD :

And one other thing --

Useful.

Deanna Troi :

Let us help you, Jean-Luc.

Pretend that our dinner table is 

the ready room of the Enterprise.

We'll find a way forward, together.

RIKER :

Cancel red alert! Burnt tomato.

Dinner is served.