- While distracted by two antithetical races applying for Federation membership, the Enterprise picks up a sentient entity that can alternately possess either man or machinery.
- Heading for Parliament, the sector's neutral conference planet, the Enterprise transports peace delegates from two malevolent races, the carnivorous Anticans and the reptilian Selay, both of which want to join the Federation but can't stand each other long enough to occupy neighboring suites. Traveling past a mysterious energy cloud, something curious boards the ship, jumping between machinery and crew members, as if seeking a suitable host and learning about the ship without revealing itself. The crew catches on slowly, as nobody seems seriously affected by the highly intelligent host entity (except Wesley's engineering mentor Singh, killed in a warp technology energy surge).—KGF Vissers
- As the Enterprise provides transportation to two delegate parties constantly at odds with each other, the ship is invaded by something that jumps from computer terminal to crew members and back again, unbeknownst to the crew (even the ones being invaded).—Moviedude1
- The Enterprise's task: transport two warring parties to the planet Parliament for treaty negotiations. En route, however, they come across an energy cloud and, unbeknownst to the crew, an energy life force that inhabits both machinery and humanoids alike has boarded. When it takes control of the Captain, he - or it - announces that he - or they - will be leaving the ship to try and create a new species of being. Meanwhile, the edgy delegates seem quite prepared to kill one another.—garykmcd
- Heading for Parliament, the sector's neutral conference planet, the Enterprise transports peace delegates from two malevolent races, the carnivorous Anticans and the reptilian Selay, both of which want to join the Federation but can't stand each other long enough to occupy neighboring suites.
Traveling past a mysterious energy cloud, something curious boards the ship, jumping between machinery and crew members, as if seeking a suitable host and learning about the ship without revealing itself. It first enters Worf, via the ship's sensors. It gets into Beverly when she examines Worf. From Beverly it gets into helm control panel on the bridge. Many of the ship's systems malfunction and Mr Singh (from Engineering) thinks it's due to a circuit short. which is impossible since the impacted systems don't interact with each other at all. at first Picard and Riker think that someone from the Anticans or the Selay are sabotaging the ship's system to delay its arrival at the parliament. But Yar can't find anything by interrogating them.
The crew catches on slowly, as nobody seems seriously affected by the highly intelligent host entity (except Wesley's engineering mentor Singh (Kavi Raz), killed in a warp technology energy surge). Wesley had investigated the warp consoles and provided some leads to Singh that might explain the failing of the warp engines. Singh investigated them further and was killed by an energy surge. But the surge restores the ship's warp drives and Picard orders to get underway towards the Parliament.
Deanna tries to hypnotize Beverly and Worf to see why they have blackouts for certain periods of their memory (during which they were in control of the alien entity). Both report the presence of someone else that took control of their minds. Suddenly the Enterprise loses all helm control. Wesley is convinced that the warp computers didn't get repaired, they just "became" alright. From helm the entity gets into Picard. Picard now orders to return to the energy cloud where they started from. Everyone on the bridge is puzzled.
Deanne senses that Picard has suddenly become dangerous and confides in Riker, Beverly, Data and Geordi. When Beverly and Riker confront Picard, he orders them to sickbay for mental evaluation. But later Picard admits to Beverly that there is an entity in there with him, in his body and that entity is in command.
As the Enterprise reaches the energy cloud, Picard announces (with the entity in command), that when the ship passed it, it took on board a sentient being, which was yanked away from its natural world. The being was frantic and moved from person to person till it found the helm controls to stop the ship that was carrying it away from its home. Now, by combining with Picard, the entity is home Deanna senses that the entity plans to transport Picard into the cloud, but not as matter, only as energy. When Riker tries to stop him, Picard (with entity in charge) attacks the entire bridge and flees towards the transporter room, and beams into the energy cloud.
After an hour, Deanna senses Picard and says that he is alone in the cloud, since the combination with the entity was not possible out there. Riker takes the ship closer to the cloud. Picard enters the ship via its sensors and is in its circuitry. Since Picard was the last person to beam out, his molecular pattern is in the transporter. Data energizes and Picard (whose energy was in the Transporter circuits), beams into existence once again.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content