- Investigating a rogue comet that's been traveling throughout the universe for over 87 million years, Picard discovers alien beings within the comet, which infest the computer systems on the Enterprise, as well as Data.
- While the Enterprise makes an astronomical study of a 87 million year old rogue comet, it discovers a ship-like construction, possibly the nucleus, which contains alien artifacts constituting the 'archive' of an Ancient culture. From then on the aliens take over, 'possessing' Data's positronic network to give him several of their personalities, including the talkative Ehad and the feared queen Musaka. Alas they also transform matter and even genetics aboard, so as to turn the ship into a city their style. Picard resolves to stop that by understanding and playing the key alien characters.—KGF Vissers
- The Enterprise makes an astronomical study of an 87-million-year-old rogue comet. There is a distortion within the comet's inner core, and it shoots an intense sensor echo. Enterprise will complete the scan of the comet in 39 hours. Strange objects and images start appearing all over the ship, in the computers, in Data's mind and in Deanna's room. Data decides to investigate further. Some kind of alien language has been downloaded into the computer's core. The readings started coming from the sensor array, which picked it up from the comet. Data starts to read the alien symbols and understand their meaning.
Picard orders phasers to be fired to melt the exterior of the comet. They discover a ship-like construction, possibly the nucleus, which contains alien artifacts constituting the 'archive' of an ancient culture. Data thinks this is an information archive of an ancient civilization. The ship is made of several unknown metals and is 87 million years old. Data believes that he is in communication with the ship like object.
Soon, the artifacts start appearing all over the Enterprise. Picard and Riker try to figure out the meaning of the symbols on the artifacts.
Geordi connects Data to the ship's computers to try and analyze the symbols appearing on the consoles. After being connected, Data feels as if he is losing his mind. From then on, the aliens take over, 'possessing' Data's Positronic network to give him several of their personalities, including the talkative Ihat and the feared queen Masaka. Data's Positronic net is now carrying 14 different alien personalities. Ihat tells Picard that Masaka wakes up and spreads death. Only Korgano can stop her from spreading the destruction. Ihat tells Picard to leave as soon as possible. A tractor beam emerges from the alien ship and contains an energy beam inside it. Enterprise loses all control systems. Alas the energy beam also transforms matter and even genetics aboard, so as to turn the ship into a city of their civilization & style. It starts the transformation from ten-forward on wards. Picard cannot launch photon torpedoes as they have been transformed into a nest of snakes.
Picard resolves to stop that by understanding and playing the key alien characters. 20% of the ship is transformed and the ship has lost propulsion and weapons systems. Geordi has managed to access the archive by sending an energy pulse back along the signal path. He works on locating the transformation program within the archive. Picard speaks to Ihat and learns that to trap Masaka he would have to build her temple using her sign. He gets the sign out of Ihat and Masaka's father (2 different personalities inside of Data). But Ihat warns Picard that Korgano is not chasing Masaka anymore, and only he can stop her.
Geordi hacks into the transformation program of the alien ship and transmits the Masaka's temple symbol. This converts one deck of the Enterprise into Masaka's temple. Data converts into Masaka by donning her mask and sits on the throne of the temple. Picard figures out that Korgano and Masaka are interchanging rulers of the civilization and apparently now it is Korgano's turn to rule. Masaka refuses to recognize Picard or to speak to him as Captain of the Enterprise. Picard asks Geordi to input Korgano's symbol into the alien ship's transformation program. The Program returns Korgano's mask.
Picard dons Korgano's mask. He figures Masaka is the sun and Korgano is the moon, and their rivalry depicts the day and the night, chasing each other. Picard uses this understanding to convince Masaka to start the chase again. She agrees, and disappears, returning the ship and all of its systems back to normal.
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