Captain's log, stardate 41153.7.
Our Destination is Planet Deneb Four,
beyond which lies the great
unexplored mass of The Galaxy.
My Orders are to examine Farpoint,
a starbase built there
by the inhabitants of that world.
Meanwhile, I am becoming
better acquainted
with my new command, this
Galaxy Class USS Enterprise.
I am still somewhat in awe
of its size and complexity.
As for my crew,
we are short in several
key positions,
most notably a first officer,
but I am informed that
a highly experienced man,
one Commander William Riker,
will be waiting to join Our Ship
at our Deneb Four destination.
[Bridge]
PICARD:
You will agree, Data, that
Starfleet's orders are... difficult?
DATA:
Difficult? Simply,
'Solve The Mystery
of Farpoint Station.'
PICARD:
As simple as that.
TROI:
Farpoint Station. Even The Name
sounds mysterious.
PICARD:
It's hardly simple, Data,
to negotiate a friendly agreement
for Starfleet to use The Base
while at the same time snoop around
finding how and why the life form there built it.
DATA:
Inquiry. The word 'snoop?'
PICARD:
Data, how can you be programmed
as a virtual encyclopedia of human information
without knowing a simple word like 'snoop'?
DATA:
A Possibility : A Kind of Human Behaviour
I was not designed to emulate.
PICARD:
It means 'to Spy', 'to Sneak'.
DATA:
Ah! To seek covertly, to go stealthily,
to slink, slither --
PICARD:
Exactly, yes.
DATA:
Glide, creep, skulk,
pussyfoot, gumshoe.
TROI:
Captain, I'm sensing a powerful mind.
(Collision alert sounds)
TORRES:
Something strange on the detector circuits.
(A massive barrier appears in front of them in space)
DATA:
It registers as solid, Captain.
TROI:
Or an incredibly powerful forcefield.
But if we collide with either it could be very --
PICARD:
Shut off that damned noise.
Go to Yellow Alert.
WORF:
Shields and deflectors up, sir.
(The barrier ripples like chain mail)
PICARD:
Reverse power, full stop.
TORRES:
Controls to full stop, sir.
Now reading full stop, sir.
(There's a flash of light, and an Elizabethan era soldier appears, complete with breast plate and plumed hat)
Q.:
Thou are notified that Thy Kind
hath infiltrated The Galaxy too far already.
Thou art directed to return
to Thine Own Solar System immediately.
PICARD:
That's quite a directive.
Would you mind identifying
What You Are?
Q.:
We call ourselves The Q.
Or Thou Mayst Call Me That.
It's all much the same thing.
(The same force barrier stops two people exiting the turbolift)
Q .:
I Present My Self to Thee as a fellow Ship's Captain,
that Thou Mayst better understand me.
Go Back whence Thou camest.
(to Helmsman)
Stay Where Thou art!
(And the helmsman is frozen solid, phaser in hand)
PICARD:
Data, call medics.
TROI:
He's frozen!
PICARD:
He would not have injured You --
Do You recognise this, the stun setting?
Q:
Knowing Humans as Thou Dost, Captain,
wouldst Thou be captured helpless by Them?
Now, Go Back
or Thou Shalt
Most Certainly Die.
Captain's log, supplementary --
The frozen form of Lieutenant Torres
has been rushed to sickbay.
The Question, Now, is
The Incredible Power
of The Q.-Being.
Do We Dare Oppose It?
[Bridge]
Q. :
Captain, thy little centuries go by so rapidly.
Perhaps thou will better understand this.
(A flash of light and he is wearing a 20th century US military uniform, with a cigarette in his hand)
Q. :
Actually, The Issue at stake is Patriotism --
You must return to Your World
and put an end to The Commies.
All it takes is A Few Good Men.
PICARD :
What? That nonsense
is centuries behind Us.
Q. :
But You can't deny that
You're still a dangerous,
Savage, Child-Race.
PICARD:
Most certainly I deny it.
I agree we still were
when humans wore costumes like
that, four hundred years ago.
Q. :
At which time you slaughtered millions
in silly arguments about
How to Divide The Resources
of Your Little World.
And four hundred years before that,
You were murdering each other
in quarrels over tribal God-Images.
Since then,there are no indications
that Humans will ever change.
PICARD:
But even when we wore costumes
like that we'd already started
to make rapid progress.
Q:
Oh yeah? You want to review your rapid progress?
(Flash, and a change into a padded suit)
Q. :
Rapid progress, to where Humans learned
to Control Their Military with drugs.
WORF:
Sir, sickbay reports
Lieutenant Torres's
condition is better.
Q.:
Oh, concern for one's fellow comrade --
How touching.
WORF:
And now a personal request, sir.
Permission to clean up the bridge.
TASHA:
Lieutenant Worf is right, sir.
As Security Chief I can't just stand here and let --
PICARD:
Yes you can, Lieutenant Yar.
Q. :
(taking a snort of something)
Oh, better. And later, on finally
reaching Deep Space,
Humans of course found Enemies
to fight Out There, too.
And to broaden those struggles
You again found allies for still more murdering.
The Same Old Story,
all over again.
PICARD:
No. The Same Old Story is The One
We're meeting now.
Self-righteous life forms
who are eager not to learn,
but to Prosecute,
to Judge anything
They don't understand
or can't tolerate.
Q. :
What an interesting idea :
Prosecute and Judge.
Suppose it turns out we understand
You Humans only too well.
PICARD:
We've no fear of what the true facts about us will reveal.
Q. :
Facts about You? Splendid, splendid, Captain!
You're a veritable
Fountain of Good Ideas.
There are preparations to make,
but when we next meet, Captain,
We'll proceed exactly
as You suggest.
(A flash and He is gone)
WORF:
Sir, respectfully submit,
Our only Choice is to Fight.
TASHA:
Fight, or Try to Escape.
PICARD:
Sense anything, Commander?
TROI:
It's Mind is much Too Powerful.
Recommend, We Avoid Contact.
PICARD:
From This Point,
No Station aboard,
repeat No Station,
for any reason will
make use of
transmitted signals
or intercom.
We'll Try and Take Them
by Surprise.
Let's see what this
Galaxy-class Starship can Do.
(to Worf)
Lieutenant, inform Engine Room
to prepare for maximum acceleration.
WORF:
Aye, sir.
PICARD:
Records search, Data --
Results of detaching saucer-section
at high-warp velocity.
DATA:
Inadvisable at any
Warp Speed, sir.
PICARD:
Search Theoretical.
DATA:
It is possible, sir.
But absolutely no
margin for error.
PICARD:
Using print-out only, notify all decks
to prepare for maximum acceleration.
Now hear this, Maximum,
You're entitled to know,
means that We'll be
pushing Our Engines
well beyond safety limits.
Our Hope is to surprise
whatever That is Out There,
try and outrun it.
Our only other option is to
tuck tail between our legs and
Return to Earth as They demand.
(Worf makes his trip to Engineering and back)
WORF:
Engine Room ready, sir.
TROI:
The Board shows Green, Captain. All Go.
PICARD:
Stand by -- Engage.
(They swoop along and past The Barrier, which then turns into a ball and chases them)
WORF:
Velocity, Warp 9.2.
DATA:
Heading 351 mark 11, sir.
PICARD:
Steady on that.
TASHA:
The Hostile is now Giving Chase, sir.
Accelerating fast.
WORF:
We're now at Warp 9.3, sir,
which Takes Us past
The Red Line, sir.
PICARD:
Continue accelerating.
Counsellor, at This Point,
I'm open to guesses about
What We've just met.
TROI:
It it felt Like Something Beyond
what We'd consider A Life Form.
PICARD:
Beyond?
TROI:
Very, very advanced, sir,
or certainly very, very different.
WORF:
We're at 9.4, sir.
TASHA:
Hostile is now beginning
to overtake Us, sir.
PICARD:
Are You Sure?
DATA:
Hostile's velocity is already
Warp 9.6, sir.
Shall I put Them on the main viewer?
PICARD:
Reverse angle.
DATA:
Magnifying viewer image.
TASHA:
Hostile's velocity is 9.7, sir.
PICARD:
Worf, inform The Engine Room
We need more.
DATA:
Engine Room attempting
to comply, sir,
but They caution Us...
PICARD:
Go to Yellow Alert.
Arm aft photon torpedoes.
Place them on ready status.
TASHA:
Torpedoes to ready, sir.
TASHA:
Hostile now at Warp 9.8, sir.
WORF:
Our Velocity is only 9.5, sir.
DATA:
Projection, sir -- We may be able
to match Hostile's 9.8, sir.
But at extreme risk.
TASHA:
Now reading The Hostile
at Warp 9.9, sir.
PICARD:
Now hear this.
Print-out message, urgent,
all stations on all decks.
Prepare for emergency saucer sever.
You will command the saucer section, Lieutenant.
WORF:
I am a Klingon, sir.
For me to seek escape when
My Captain goes into battle —
PICARD:
You are a Starfleet officer, Lieutenant.
WORF:
Aye, sir.
PICARD:
Make The Mark, Data.
Note in Ship's log
that at this StarTime,
I'm Transferring Command to
The Battle Bridge.
(Picard, Data, Yar and Troi
leave the Bridge to unnamed crew)
Captain's log, StarDate 41153.7.
Preparing to detach saucer section. so that families and the majority of the ship's company can seek relative safety while the vessel's stardrive, containing The Battle Bridge and main armaments,
will turn back and confront the mystery that is threatening us.
[Battle Bridge]
(Families of various races make their way along corridors as the bridge crew settle into a more compact Bridge)
PICARD:
Lieutenant, Your Torpedoes must detonate
close enough to the hostile
to blind it at the moment we separate.
TASHA:
Understood, sir.
TROI:
All decks acknowledging, sir.
PICARD:
Worf, this is the Captain.
[Bridge]
PICARD :
At the moment of separation,
we will reverse power just enough
to get your saucer section out ahead and clear of us.
WORF:
Understood, Captain.
[Battle Bridge]
TASHA:
Torpedoes away, sir.
(Eight red dots shoot out from the stern)
PICARD:
Begin Countdown. Mark.
DATA:
Starship separation in six, five,
four, three, two, one.
(Gracefully, the huge saucer lifts away from the body of the ship)
DATA:
Separation is Successful, sir.
(The main body does a hand-brake turn and heads back to their pursuer. The torpedoes detonate.)
TASHA:
Torpedoes have detonated, sir.
PICARD:
Let's come to a stop.
Reverse power.
DATA:
Reverse power.
Decelerating.
PICARD:
Dead Stop.
We'll hold this position
and wait for Them.
TROI:
That will bring them here in just minutes, sir.
TASHA:
Will we make A Fight of it, Captain?
If We can at least damage Their Ship
we'll have a chance
PICARD:
Lieutenant, are You recommending
we fight a life form that can do
all those things?
I'd Like to Hear Your Advice.
TASHA :
I Spoke before I Thought, sir.
We should look for some way
to distract Them from
going after The Saucer.
O'BRIEN:
All forward motion stopped, sir.
PICARD:
Thank you, Conn.
Commander, Signal The Following,
in All Languages
and on All Frequencies.
We Surrender.
State that We are not asking
for any terms or conditions.
TROI:
Aye, sir.
All language forms and frequencies.
