star trek next generation emergence

Emergence (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Reception
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt doubles
• 4.6 Stand-ins
• 4.7 References
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Data practices as Prospero

Data and Captain Picard are at the holodeck as Data is rehearsing his performance of Prospero , a character from the William Shakespeare play The Tempest . After adjusting the set lighting when Picard complains that he can hardly see the android while he is performing, they discuss the character of Prospero, when suddenly they see three lights approaching in a distance, which Data identifies as a steam-powered locomotive . When the computer fails to end the program on Picard's command, the two barely manage to get out of the train's way. After they have both fallen to the ground, Picard has received a cut on his right cheek.

Act One [ ]

Upon exiting, Data examines the holodeck controls and tells Captain Picard that the train originated from one of Beverly Crusher 's programs, a recreation of the Orient Express . In a malfunction of the holodeck database retrieval program, the two programs somehow became linked together temporarily. Picard orders Data to run a diagnostic of the holodeck system, and to discontinue the crew's use of the holodecks just to be sure.

In sickbay , Picard has Dr. Crusher examine him for possible injuries while discussing her program and the history of the Orient Express. Just after Crusher suggests that Picard take a trip on the Orient Express himself, Picard is hailed by Commander Riker , who reports that "all sections are ready to begin the survey." Crusher again insists that Picard ride on the Orient Express one day, stating that he'll never know who he'll meet on the famed train.

On the bridge , Riker tells Picard that they will probably find no new sites in the current systems, because most of the stars are main-sequence binaries with no M-class planets . As Picard is ordering to continue, the Enterprise suddenly goes into warp drive . Riker asks who ordered the maneuver, but Data reports that no one did. " Helm and navigation controls are not functioning. Our speed is now warp 7.3 and holding. "

Down in engineering , Geordi La Forge can only tell his inquiring captain that he does not understand what happened: " The impulse systems suddenly cut out and the warp drive just kicked in. " He tries to take the warp drive off-line.

On the bridge, Data notes that the current heading is 187 mark 4. " I am unable to determine our destination, however we are moving away from the Mekorda sector. " La Forge reports that the computer has locked all the controls and he is unable to override it. In order to stop, he would have to initiate an emergency core shutdown . Riker remarks that this would leave Enterprise without warp power for over a week. While taking this in, Picard then orders La Forge to initiate the procedure. However, the ship stops immediately. Data reports: " We are no longer at warp, sir. Impulse power has resumed, all systems show normal. " The Enterprise has stopped thirty billion kilometers from their previous position. Picard congratulates his chief engineer , but La Forge concedes that it wasn't him, since he didn't have time to begin the shutdown procedure. Picard tells La Forge that he wants an explanation.

Later on, La Forge rounds up his investigation with Data on the bridge, finding only more mysteries. It shows that a theta flux distortion had been building up around the ship. The sensors were never designed to detect such distortions, yet there was a record of the distortion in the sensor log. Data reports that " one fact is clear however. The distortion was growing in strength. If we had remained at our original position 1.7 seconds longer, the distortion would have ruptured our warp core ." La Forge tells Picard that if the ship had not entered warp when it did, the Enterprise would have been "blown to pieces." Picard takes this in and is at a loss for words.

Act Two [ ]

La Forge and Data head down to a power conduit . While crawling through the Jefferies tube , they theorize about what could have caused the Enterprise to go to warp. Data suggests a random power fluctuation , but La Forge thinks the chances of that occurring are too small. As an alternative explanation, Data suggests that the sensors somehow did pick up the distortion and engaged the warp systems to protect the ship. La Forge objects that the sensors aren't connected to the warp system. They reach the conduit, finding a strange set of tubes inside the system. La Forge states that it looks like a new circuit node, connected to at least half a dozen points of the sensor array . To Data, " it appears to be connected to several other systems as well, including the warp control circuits. " When La Forge tries to access the node, it turns out to be protected by a force field . Data remarks the node "appears to be protecting itself."

In engineering, La Forge and Data report their findings to Commander Riker. The nodes have formed all over the ship, linking all systems together, including sensors, warp control, and the defensive systems . The sensors detected the threat, which tripped the defensive systems, which in turn activated the warp engines to protect the ship. Data speculates about the magnascopic storm having had an unexpected effect on the ship's systems. The nodes are also multiplying. The more of them that are created, the more difficult it will become to keep control of the ship. Riker instructs that their " first priority is getting back control over the ship. " All of the circuit connections appear to be connected to holodeck 3. Data notes " it appears to be a focal point of some kind. " La Forge believes there may be a way to disable the nodes permanently, using the holodeck circuitry.

When Riker, Data, and Worf arrive at the holodeck, Data finds it in operation, even though he had shut down the entire holodeck system earlier for a diagnostic. The holodeck has reactivated itself, and will not disengage. Data tells the others that several different holodeck programs are running simultaneously. As they enter the holodeck, Riker comments that " this should be interesting. "

Holodeck characters constructing the "emergent lifeform" jigsaw puzzle

They enter into the Orient Express. The train compartment is filled with a strange crowd of holodeck characters. There is a knight in armor , cutting figures in old papers, a hayseed , two flappers , and a gentleman sitting at a nearby table building a jigsaw puzzle . Then, an old western desperado enters the compartment from the opposite side. He takes a puzzle piece out of his pocket and puts it on the table with the other pieces. Riker says " You weren't kidding, Mister Data. " Data estimates that the scene contains portions from seven distinct holodeck programs. Riker orders Data to access the affected circuits.

A conductor enters the car, asking for the passenger's tickets . When he comes to the hayseed, the hayseed tells the conductor that he has " never been away from home. Now I'm going to Vertiform City . " At first, the conductor passes the officers without taking notice of them. Data calls Riker to him and reports he has found a large concentration of nodes, connected directly to the holodeck's main power coupling . Riker orders Data to depolarize the entire holodeck grid . As they attempt to open the floor to access it, however, the conductor has returned, telling them to "get away from there." He asks the officers for their tickets. Riker explains that they left their tickets in their compartments and blames Worf for leaving them. The conductor says he doesn't "think you folks belong on this train."

The train engineer

At that, the train engineer enters the cabin, and tells the conductor to leave the officers alone, since " they're only trying to help. " The conductor orders the engineer to go back to the engine since this affair is of no concern to him. The engineer complains to the Enterprise officers that " they're all trying to hijack the train! " The hayseed wonders who is doing the driving of the train. Then, the engineer is shot by the hitman , a mafioso stepping in to the compartment from behind the engineer, and falls dead in Riker's arms.

At that same moment in engineering, the console La Forge is working on explodes, throwing him to the floor without seriously injuring him. After being brought to his feet by Russell , he finds the navigational relay has overloaded.

In the train, the conductor looks out the window, then operates the emergency brakes. At the same moment, the Enterprise goes back to warp, and La Forge reports to Picard that the warp controls have "completely burned out." He is not sure if he can stop the ship. Back in the train, Data says he believes that they have changed direction. The conductor, with a smile on his face, tells them that " now we're on the right track. Ladies and gentlemen, we are on our way! " The hitman comes up to the engineer's corpse and takes a brick from his uniform. The conductor urges him to " take good care of that. We can't afford to lose it. " The conductor asks the officers if they will leave voluntarily; if not, they would have be to be forcibly removed. Data tells Riker that through his tricorder , he has determined that the holodeck safety protocols have been disengaged, making the hitman's weapon lethal. Riker tells his men to retreat with him.

Back in engineering, Data and La Forge inform Picard that the number of nodes has increased considerably. Sensors, engines, replicators , and propulsion systems are all working together, almost independent of the main computer . The nodes also link all the systems through the holodeck. Data theorizes that the events on the holodeck directly affect the ship, asking La Forge whether he recognizes the pattern of the nodes' distribution. La Forge remarks that it looks a lot like Data's positronic brain , which Data confirms, concluding that the nodes are beginning to form a rudimentary neural net . " Unlikely as it may sound, I believe that the Enterprise may be forming an intelligence. "

Act Three [ ]

In the observation lounge , Data briefs the senior staff about the current situation. He points out the similarities between the Human neocortex , his own positronic net and the nodes' current distribution, concluding with the hypothesis that the Enterprise is forming some type of intelligence. When Deanna Troi asks how this could even be possible, he explains that this is an emergent property . " The Enterprise contains a vast database , which is managed by a sophisticated computer . This complex system gives the ship many of the characteristics of a biological organism. [...] I believe a self-determining intelligence is emerging. " Data also believes that " the key to understanding the ship's behavior lies in the holodeck. All of the connection nodes intersect at that location. It is clearly some kind of processing center. " Troi volunteers to go to the holodeck to interact with the characters and gather clues from this to learn what is happening. Picard agrees and sends Data and Worf along with the orders to disable the nodes without damaging them – if the ship is creating an intelligence, " it deserves the same kind of respect as any other being. "

Troi, Data, and Worf enter the holodeck. Troi finds one of the ladies clinking her cup to the knight's armor in a repeating loop. The hitman and the desperado are playing cards. As Data goes off to depolarize the power grid, Troi and Worf try to distract the other people. They go to look at the puzzle, now being built by the other lady and the hayseed, which is still not quite finished. The picture on the puzzle somewhat resembles the nodes, but nobody can quite identify the picture. Worf sits down to help with the puzzle, while Troi visits the two men playing cards. She asks to be dealt in, but the hitman says it is a two-man game. Then the counselor notices that the desperado is tied around his chest. When trying to examine a brick lying on the table, the hitman grabs her hand and warns her not to touch it, it being worth "plenty." He also tells her that he has to get it to Keystone City , which is the place where "everything begins." After that, he puts his cards down and says " Gin. " Troi notices the same strange picture, the same as on the puzzle, on each card.

Worf checks on Data, who is now ready to access the power grid. At that moment, the conductor comes in announcing the next stop to be Keystone City. When he notices Worf and Data, he asks to see their tickets again. As they don't have any, they have to leave the train in Keystone City. The hitman also gets off, and Troi advises the others to follow him, as she considers the brick to be an important clue.

The hitman disappears in the streets of Keystone City. Data manages to find an access point below a manhole cover in the street. He attempts to depolarize the holodeck grid with a low-frequency inversion field , as this may disengage the nodes without destroying them. Then Troi spots the hitman again rounding a corner, and she and Worf go after him. When Data attempts to access the hologrid, a taxi appears out of nowhere heading for his position. Data only barely manages to avoid an impact.

Worf and the hitman

The hitman walks to a building under construction, with a wall missing one brick in the center. Troi and Worf walk up to him, and Troi asks the man what he is doing. He comments that he is "laying the foundation." At that he places the brick in the hole, the whole wall glows for one moment, and the brick melts in perfectly with the rest. The hitman leaves, remarking that he has a train to catch.

At that moment on the bridge, La Forge informs Picard that he cannot explain why Cargo Bay Five suddenly depressurized , but that everyone were able to get out in time and he has re-established the containment field . He also reads massive power surges and all kinds of transporter activity in the cargo bay, which prompts Picard to send him there to investigate.

In Cargo Bay 5, La Forge finds a strange object which looks exactly like the picture on the puzzle as well as the playing cards at the holodeck, an ominous light glowing in the center of it. Picard asks him what it is, but La Forge is unable to tell him exactly what.

Act Four [ ]

In the meantime, back on the holodeck, Troi and Worf are discussing the strange events. Troi says " That man said he was laying a foundation. " Worf replies " For what? " Troi asks Data how he is doing. Data is then seen holding off the same taxi (which is still trying to run him over) with one hand while working on the now exposed node with his other. He reports that he has " encountered a minor difficulty, counselor, but it has been dealt with. " He begins to depolarize the holodeck power circuits.

In the cargo bay, the object has by now grown halfway to about knee height. La Forge remarks that " the ship's replicators and the ship's transporter systems have merged somehow to create this. " He does not know, however, what "it" is, and orders an ensign to run a full spectral analysis on the object. Then the cargo bay begins to shake and rumble, causing a large cylindrical container to fall off of a shelf. La Forge reports " massive power fluctuations. The ship is losing its structural integrity . "

Back with Troi and Worf, the holodeck also begins to shake. The brick wall collapses, almost on top of Troi. Behind the wall is a building entrance, bearing number 1136. La Forge tells Data to stop with whatever he is doing, and the trembling stops. Troi has suffered minor injuries. La Forge suggests that he and Data " ought to get together and compare notes. "

In sickbay , Crusher is treating Troi, who believes the ship was protecting itself. " Whatever it's doing, it intends to continue. " La Forge thinks it has something to do with the strange object forming in the cargo bay. Troi agrees, seeing how the symbols in the holodeck all point to something being created. Picard asks his chief engineer what the object might be, but all he can tell Picard is that it is composed of silica polymers , duranium , and " a couple of other compounds we haven't been able to identify yet. " Creating it however, has had a major effect on the systems. " Warp power has dropped 47 percent. " Picard asks Troi if she has been able to determine anything else on the holodeck. She tells him it is full of metaphoric images, like it was having some kind of day-dream. The character could represent different systems: the engineer stands for navigation, while "the gunslinger could be the weapons system ." Troi tells Picard it will be difficult to reason with the characters, since they "seem unaware of what is going on." She feels the intelligence is still in an infant state, and "the only experience it can draw on is ours, through our holodeck programs." Picard asks if there is some way to influence the characters' behavior. Troi thinks there is, and wants to go back in. La Forge argues that the safeties are still off-line, and Crusher tells her that while her injuries were not too severe this time, she could get killed if it happens again. She understands, and still wants to go. Picard agrees, and suggests they cooperate with the holodeck characters.

Troi, Worf, and Data enter the Orient Express once again. Immediately, the conductor tells them they "don't belong on this train." Worf then shows him three tickets to Vertiform City, upon which the conductor admits that he was in error about them, and welcomes them aboard. The lights go on and off, and the train shakes. Worf asks what's going on, and the conductor tells him " the engine's running out of steam. I hope we make it to Vertiform City on time. " Troi asks if they can help, and the counselor asks Worf to help the conductor and brings him to the engine room. Both leave, and the hayseed walks up to Troi, worried if they will make it to Vertiform City in time. Troi reassures him that they will and inquires about Vertiform City. The hayseed describes the city as having an all-you-can-eat restaurant with the best food around.

At the engine, the conductor tells Worf to shovel coal into the fire, saying that he's "much obliged for [his] help." Up on the ship's bridge, Riker reports from the tactical station that warp power is back to normal. Picard asks him for their heading, and Riker tells him they are going to Tambor Beta VI , a white dwarf star . In the train, the conductor compliments Worf and tells him to keep going.

When the Enterprise reaches the star, Riker reports the ship is " using a modified tractor beam to collect vertion particles from the star. " Picard makes the connection between vertion particles and Vertiform City, and concludes this is what the ship was looking for. The ship trembles, and Riker reports that " the particles are being routed through the transporter system into Cargo Bay Five. " La Forge reports that the object is absorbing vertion particles, and growing even faster than before. Also, he is "picking up internal energy," reports coherent emissions and matter conversion.

Suddenly, something appears to be going wrong, power is fluctuating, vertion absorption rate is dropping. Riker reports " the beam has exhausted the supply of particles in the star. " The energy output of the object is decreasing.

In the engine room, the conductor is alarmed: " This was supposed to be Vertiform City. We've been on the wrong track all along. " He pulls the brake lever and the train screeches to a stop, jumping off the tracks and knocking all the passengers to the floor.

Act Five [ ]

Worf comes to Troi and Data, who are just standing up after having been thrown to the floor, to report that " the conductor accidentally derailed the train. " Data informs Picard, who is now in the cargo bay, about the accident, asking whether there had been a similar incident on the Enterprise . Picard tells him that they have had " a ship-wide shutdown. We've lost attitude control, and most systems are off-line. "

La Forge asks Picard to take a look at a PADD , explaining " When the particle beam cut off, the object was beginning to form a coherent energy matrix . The emission patterns were almost organic in nature. " He concludes that the Enterprise is trying to create a lifeform . Picard asks if it will survive, but La Forge observes that its energy levels are decreasing rapidly. Unless the lifeform gets a new infusion of vertion particles as soon as possible, it might not survive. The cargo bay shakes. La Forge walks to a console and tells Picard that the systems are functioning again, and the ship is moving at warp 9. Picard and La Forge head back to the bridge.

Back in the train, the Hayseed tells Troi, Worf, and Data that they are now heading for New Vertiform City . Data relays the information to Picard. On the bridge, Riker announces that they are heading toward the Cordannas system , the nearest white dwarf star . La Forge interrupts: " We have a problem. " Even at warp 9, the system is twelve hours away, and though the object will survive that long, all energy is rerouted to propulsion, including life support, and there are only two hours of reserve oxygen . The captain orders Data to gain control over the train to stop the Enterprise , then asks for another source of vertion particles closer than the Cordannas system. La Forge reports white dwarves are the only natural source of vertion particles, but, at Picard's suggestion, he begins trying to find an artificial one.

Back aboard the train, Data and the others attempt to go to the engine and stop the train. All other characters suddenly spring to life to stop them, the hayseed stating that they "are going nowhere."

On the bridge, La Forge has found the MacPherson Nebula , which is a supernova remnant , and Dikon Alpha , which is a class nine pulsar . Both are close along their flight path and both can produce vertion particles if a modified photon torpedo is detonated inside them. La Forge cannot guarantee if enough vertion particles will be produced, if any at all. Picard leaves it up to La Forge to decide where to go. He decides on the nebula . Picard agrees, and tells him to " begin the torpedo modifications. "

The Enterprise heads towards the MacPherson Nebula

On the train, Troi tells the hayseed that they understand what is happening, and want to help the holodeck characters to get to New Vertiform City. The hayseed is reluctant, but Troi convinces him. Data is allowed to go to the engine, but is stopped by the conductor and the hitman. Data argues he knows a shorter route to New Vertiform City. The hitman doesn't trust him, but the conductor grants permission, " but no funny stuff! " Data reports to Picard he has " taken control of the engine room. " Picard orders Data to slow the Enterprise to impulse speed. Data adjusts the train's speed, using the brake to slow it down accordingly while the conductor remarks " I hope you know what you're doing! "

" Mr. Data, I need you to slow us to impulse speed. " " I will attempt to do so. "

The Enterprise approaches the nebula and launches the adapted torpedo. La Forge reports it is working, and that the nebula is producing vertion particles. In the train, an ecstatic conductor proclaims that they've arrived at New Vertiform City.

The lifeform leaving the Enterprise -D

Crusher, Picard, Riker, and La Forge are assembled in the cargo bay and observe the lifeform. Riker observes that the nodes are disappearing and systems are beginning to function normally again. Picard concludes the entire purpose of the ship's odd behavior was to bring the lifeform into being. The doctor remarks that some species die after they procreate. Then, the lifeform lifts up, disappears through the bulkheads, and exits Enterprise . On the holodeck, Worf, Troi, and Data are drinking champagne with the other characters. Then the program ends and the holodeck's grid appears.

Picard is drinking tea in his ready room at his desk when Data enters. He invites the captain to visit his performance of a scene from The Tempest in front of a small audience that evening. Picard asks Data what scene he will be playing, and Data tells him it will be the scene where Miranda first encounters other Human beings, since it seemed appropriate. Picard declaims: " Oh brave new world, that has such people in it. "

As Data is about to leave, he turns back around and observes that Picard " took a substantial risk by allowing the Enterprise to complete its task. [...] The object could have been dangerous. " Picard argues that the formed intelligence did not only come from the ship's systems, but also from the crew 's personal records, mission logs, fantasies, et cetera. " Now if our experiences with the Enterprise have been honorable, can't we trust that the sum of those experiences will be the same? "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Yes, yes, Data. I know about the Orient Express but what is it doing on Prospero's island? "

" I never realized you were interested in trains. Are you aware that at its peak, the Orient Express carried more than ten thousand people a year? " " It isn't really the train itself that I'm interested in. " " What then? " " It's the experience. "

" I was right. He was trying to make off with my brick. " " Take good care of that. We can't afford to lose it. "

" Unlikely as it may sound, I believe the Enterprise may be forming an intelligence. "

" If the Enterprise hadn't jumped into warp when it did, we would have been blown to pieces. "

" Sorry, boys. You're getting off right here. "

" Complex systems can sometimes behave in ways that are entirely unpredictable. The Human brain for example, might be described in terms of cellular functions and neurochemical interactions, but that description does not explain Human consciousness, a capacity that far exceeds simple neural functions. Consciousness is an emergent property. " " In other words, something that's more than the sum of its parts. "

" Keep it steady. Put your back into it! That's the ticket! "

" The intelligence that was formed on the Enterprise didn't just come out of the ship's systems. It came from us. From our mission records, personal logs, holodeck programs, our fantasies. Now, if our experiences with the Enterprise have been honorable, can't we trust that the sum of those experiences will be the same? "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 17 February 1994 [1]
• Filmed: 18 February 1994 – 28 February 1994
• Premiere airdate: 9 May 1994
• First UK airdate: 12 June 1996
• The story for this episode originated from Brannon Braga 's desire to create one more holodeck story prior to the series' end. After briefly considering a final Dixon Hill adventure, Braga settled on creating "the ultimate holodeck show". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295))
• Braga elaborated, " I felt if we were going to do another holodeck show, we should do one like we've never seen before. It's a bizarre amalgam of all the holodeck shows we've ever seen. I had in my mind this image of Dixon Hill crossed with King Arthur's Court crossed with the Old West crossed with Modern Day New York – all thrown together and our people trapped in this adventure. I thought that would be neat and ended up coming up with the concept of the ship developing a psyche. These subconscious elements of that psyche would manifest themselves on the holodeck and we have to go in and interpret the symbolism and communicate to the ship through the adventures it's portraying. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 304)
• At the time, Braga was still busy writing the finale with Ronald D. Moore . As such, Jeri Taylor called upon Joe Menosky to write the script. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295))
• As noted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295), this was the only writing collaboration between the two writers who had a reputation as The Next Generation 's most offbeat. Braga and Menosky later collaborated on many episodes of Star Trek: Voyager .
• On Menosky's initial effort, director Cliff Bole joked, " I thought Menosky mighta had a couple of mushrooms when he wrote the first script. We all read it and thought, 'Jeeesus, you can't shoot this in thirty-five days!' I mean, marvelous crazy ideas, but it had to be down-scaled. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295))
• Naren Shankar provided an uncredited polish which scaled down some of the fantastic elements to a more manageable level. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295))
• Data may have had good reason to ask for Jean-Luc Picard 's insight into the character Prospero . The following year (1995), Patrick Stewart played the role of Prospero on Broadway.

Production [ ]

• "Emergence" was filmed between Friday 18 February 1994 and Monday 28 February 1994 .
• No new sets had to be constructed for the filming of this episode. The train set was a reuse from the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula , although the Edwardian interior was refurbished into the desired 1920s look. Bole commented, " That train was marvelous. If we'd built that there would have been another 120 grand that would have been subtracted from everything else. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 295))
• Likewise, Paramount's standing New York City set was used as Keystone City . The staircase that the crew ascends, according to the sign on the back, belongs to the New York City subway's 42nd street/Times Square Station. [2]
• Stock footage from the classic film Murder on the Orient Express was used for the train. Bole recalled that he had to plead with Rick Berman for a close-up of the wheels braking. While Berman maintained that this would violate point-of-view logic in that no one would be on the holodeck to see this, Bole remarked, " The sparks coming and all that – I had to have it! Sometimes for drama's sake you gotta break the rules, so I got away with it once. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., pp. 295-296))
• The emergent lifeform was a CGI animation created by Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg's production company that also worked on the seaQuest DSV television series. The MacPherson Nebula was an old creation of Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Curry , who had been experimenting with laser light on plastic surfaces. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 296))
• This episode is director Cliff Bole 's 25th (and last), making him the most prolific director in TNG annals. He would go on to direct another 15 Star Trek episodes for DS9 and VOY .

Reception [ ]

• Ron Moore remarked, " I think that holodeck stuff is a riot. The re-creation of the Orient Express alone is worth the price of admission. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 304)

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 88, 26 September 1994
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• David Huddleston as The Conductor
• Vinny Argiro as The Hitman
• Thomas Kopache as The Engineer
• Arlee Reed as The Hayseed

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Lena Banks as operations division ensign
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Nick Dimitri as Taxi driver
• Elliot Durant III as operations division ensign
• Keith Gearhart as operations division ensign
• Christopher Gilman as Knight in armor
• Fumiko Hamada as command division officer
• Grace Harrell as operations division officer
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Reed as Flapper
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• John Tampoya as operations division ensign
• Oliver Theess as command division officer
• Dennis Tracy as Man in grey flannel suit
• Steve Whittaker as Gunslinger
• Dianne Zanuck as Flapper

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Christine Anne Baur as stunt double for Marina Sirtis
• John Nowak as stunt double for Patrick Stewart
• Brian J. Williams as stunt double for Brent Spiner
• Unknown stunt performer as stunt double for LeVar Burton

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

19th century ; act ; astronomical database ; atom ; audience ; bearing ; binary star ; biological organism ; boiler ; brake ; brick ; cargo bay ; cell ; circuit node ; class 9 pulsar ; coal ; coherent energy matrix ; colony ; communications system ; compartment ; conductor ; connection node ; Cordannas system ; cross section ; Data 73 ; database retrieval program ; data-flux distortion ; daydream ; defensive systems ; Dikon Alpha ; dinner ; Dodge Touring Sedan ; dog ; duranium ; earthquake ; emergency core shutdown ; emergent lifeform ; emergent lifeform holodeck sequence ; emergent property ; energy matrix ; engine room ; engineer ; Federation ; flapper ; flight path ; force field ; foundation ; Freud, Sigmund ; full diagnostic ; full spectral analysis ; gangster ; gin ; gunslinger ; helm ; hijacking ; holodeck ; holodeck characters ; holodeck circuitry ; impulse speed ; impulse system ; IND Eighth Avenue Line infant ; inversion field ; IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line ; Istanbul ; Jefferies tube ; Keystone City ; knight ; life support ; locomotive ; M class ; MacPherson Nebula ; magic ; magnascopic storm ; main sequence ; Manhattan ; Mekorda sector ; metaphoric imagery ; Miranda ; mission record ; modern era ; navigation ; navigation system ; navigational relay ; neocortex ; Neoplatonism ; neural matrix ; neural net ; neurochemistry ; New Vertiform City ; New York City Transit System ; newspaper ; No parking sign ; Orient Express ; oxygen ; painting ; paper doll ; Paris ; personal log ; pharmacy ; phenomenon ; photon torpedo ; play ; polymer ; positronic brain ; positronic net ; power coupling ; power grid ; processing center ; Prospero ; Prospero's Island ; puzzle ; Queens ; Renaissance ; replicator ; reproduction ; scene ; sensors ; sensor array ; sensor log ; sensor range ; set ; Shakespeare, William ; silica ; steam ; Stein, Gertrude ; stellar cartography ; subway ; Sunshine Radio System ; Supernova remnant ; synapse ; tailor ; Tambor Beta-6 ; taxi ; Tempest, The ; theta flux distortion ; ticket ; The Bronx ; toast ; torch ; tractor beam ; train ; tricorder ; Vertiform City ; vertion ; warp control ; warp control circuit ; warp drive ; warp jump ; weapon system ; white dwarf

External links [ ]

• " Emergence " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Emergence " at Wikipedia
• "Emergence" at StarTrek.com
• " "Emergence" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Emergence" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

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Emergence (episode)

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"Emergence" was the 175th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the 23rd episode of the show's seventh and final season , first aired during the week of 7 May 1994 . The episode was written by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky MA and directed by Cliff Bole MA .

• 1.1 Log entries
• 2.1 Characters
• 2.2 Starships and vehicles
• 2.3.1 Shipboard areas
• 2.4 Races and cultures
• 2.5.1 Technology and weapons
• 2.5.2 Materials and substances
• 2.5.3 Lifeforms
• 2.6 States and organizations
• 2.7 Ranks and titles
• 2.8 Other references
• 3 Chronology
• 4.1 Timeline
• 4.2 External link

Summary [ ]

Log entries [ ], references [ ], characters [ ], starships and vehicles [ ], locations [ ], shipboard areas [ ], races and cultures [ ], science and classification [ ], technology and weapons [ ], materials and substances [ ], lifeforms [ ], states and organizations [ ], ranks and titles [ ], other references [ ], chronology [ ], appendices [ ], timeline [ ], external link [ ].

• Emergence (episode) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

Star Trek: The Next Generation : “Emergence”/“Preemptive Strike”

Related content.

“Emergence” (season 7, episode 23; originally aired 5/7/1994)

Or The One Where The Enterprise Gets A Heart, Brain, and Courage

After what seems like months of slogging through sub-par to awful TNG episodes, I finally catch a break just before the end, with a pair of decent to great episodes to ease me into the forthcoming Movie Extravaganza, and, ultimately, the series finale. Out of this week’s pairing,“Emergence” is easily the weakest; it feels more like an episode from the second season, an interesting idea that’s more than a little undercooked, with an ending that’s less a conclusion and more a shrug. But it’s consistent in its aims, which means there’s no sudden, poorly justified twist at the end, and it’s weird enough that it’s never incredibly boring. The cast isn’t forced to betray their characters for narrative purposes. Beverly isn’t sexually assaulted by an alien . It’s the little things that make me happy these days.

Speaking of little things, “Emergence” opens with what I’m assuming is a reference to the show approaching its conclusion, as Data plays Prospero from The Tempest for the benefit of a somewhat distracted Picard. The monologue Data recites comes from near the end of the play, as Prospero states his intentions to break his staff and burn his books and basically get on with his life, which isn’t a terrible sentiment to express when you’re getting ready to shut down a seven-year-old production. The scene is a nice callback to Data’s various efforts over the course of the show to develop his humanity, an arc that never really got the finale it deserved, but managed to generate many of the series’ most powerful, original moments. And maybe it’s appropriate that we never got a definitive version of Data-as-real-boy. Unless you’ve got a fairy godmother following you around, the journey to humanity isn’t one with a set or foreseeable conclusion. It would’ve been nice to spend more time with Data before the end, but given the general tenor of the seventh season (and the way that last Data-centric episode played out , with Lore and the Borg and, well, ugh, basically), maybe we’re better off this way. None of TNG ’s cast would be well-served by the film franchise, but poor Data got the brunt of the damage, so it’s a relief to see him here, much the same as he always was, without any unfortunate emotional tics or painfully forced attempts at comic relief.

Picard and Data have their little talk about the context of Prospero’s speech, but before Data can give it another go, the two are interrupted by a passing train. Which is, to the say the least, a little odd, and it marks the return of one of TNG ’s most reliably goofy plot generators: the malfunctioning holodeck. See, something happened to the ship when the Enterprise passed through a magnetic storm (“magnetic storm” is basically just “a wizard did it,” isn’t it?), and now various systems are acting up. Specifically, the engine takes control of itself and hits warp drive without Picard’s express command; but what’s really startling is when Geordi discovers the Enterprise ’s quick jump actually saved the ship from being destroyed by a build up of theta flux distortion, a kind of disturbance the ship’s computers weren’t actually designed to detect. This has all sorts of implications as to what’s really happening—it’s not just a series of malfunctions, it’s actually a behavior pattern. But what really struck me is how weird it is that there’s a kind of distortion which can build up naturally in space, which the Enterprise isn’t normally able to detect, and which, if left unchecked, can destroy the ship. Awfully convenient the computer developed sentience at exactly the right moment to save the day.

All of this is silly stuff, played as straight-forwardly as possible, and it gets sillier when Data and Geordi start finding curious nodes distributed through out the Enterprise ’s internal wiring, nodes that they’ve never seen before. Data theorizes that the ship’s computer has somehow developed an independent consciousness, demonstrating a survival instinct (i.e., that sudden burst of warp speed) and sort of random whimsy you could label as the efforts of a growing mind. There is something almost unbearably cute in having the Enterprise go all sentient, as though after seven years of being forced to carry around a gaggle of well-intentioned doofuses (and Picard), the ship suddenly decided it needed to have its own adventures. I’ve never been exactly sure what people mean when they say a location is a “character” in a movie or TV show—it always seems like one of those vague phrases critics use when they’re trying to indicate a concept that can’t be adequately pinned down in words—but if you can say it about anything, you can say that the Enterprise is a character on TNG . At the very least, we’ve spent a large chunk of the series worried about her well-being, and looking for cures to her various ailments, so it’s kind of adorable that here, right before the end, she gets to drive the action rather be a victim of it.

Also cute? The way the holodeck, as it has so many times before, becomes the capital of Crazyland. That train Picard and Data saw earlier wasn’t a singular phenomenon. Ripped off from Beverly’s Oriental Express program (sidebar: it irritates me that we learn this via a conversation between Picard and Beverly, in which he recites some facts about the Express, and she tells him he should just relax and embrace the romance of it. One of the more unfortunate assumptions of so much popular culture is that knowledge is somehow unromantic, and that true appreciation stems more from an emotional understanding than an intellectual one. Really, it’s been my experience that the latter generally leads to the former more often than not. To sum up: Beverly should have said, “Of course I know that, I designed the program, isn’t it fascinating?” and then we could’ve spent twenty minutes on train facts), the train now serves as a home to cast-offs from various other programs, each of which represents a different aspect of the ship’s burgeoning personality. When Riker, Worf, and Data enter the holodeck, they find a car full of disparate characters, from a knight in full armor, to a gunslinger villain, to an engineer, to a debutante, and so on. It’s weird and cheesy and not quite as creepy as it might have been, but close enough to be interesting.

Once the Enterprise starts flying itself again, and siphoning particles from a dwarf star in order to construct some sort of device or object in one of the cargo bays, Troi decides to communicate with the ship’s consciousness. So we get some more silly stuff with a gangster and a city set, and Data stops a 1930s era taxi-cab with one hand. This is the kind of episode I always have a hard time reviewing, because while I’m watching it, I’m fine with it; but when it comes time to write anything down, I can never think of what to say. “Emergence” isn’t terrible; I wasn’t cringing or actively embarrassed at any point, but I wasn’t engaged either, because apart from the goofy costumes and weird, quasi-eerie symbolism, there’s really nothing here to get that invested in. Troi gets hit in the head by some falling bricks, but apart from that, no one’s in any real danger; obviously it’s a problem that the Enterprise is controlling itself, but it’s not an immediate problem, because the ship isn’t screwing around with life support or playfully beaming various crew-members into open space. Apart from a general sense of strangeness, the only real tension in the episode doesn’t come up until the final 10 minutes or so, when the life form the ship is trying to create is in jeopardy. Even then, there’s no real sense that the thing might die.

And who cares if it does? “Emergence” spends so much time working on the symbolism on the holodeck that it never really does much with the various implications of its storyline, and that’s arguably the least interesting way to handle the central idea here. Picard pays lip service to the importance of treating any emergent life with respect and compassion, and that’s a fine idea, but there’s never any sacrifice necessary on the part of the crew to maintain these ideals. We’ve had episodes where our heroes have struggled with the difficulties raised by the Prime Directive, and the drama there emerged out of localized compassion conflicting against long-term philosophical necessity. Here, though, it’s simply, “We should get control back. Hm, I guess it may prove to be tricky. Oh look, we can actually get control and give the ship what it needs. We should probably do that!” And once this is accomplished, everything reverts back exactly to the way it was. The ship’s emerging intelligence vanishes, and the life form it put so much effort into generating (which looks like something that should be churning out sheets of candy dots in Willy Wonka’s factory) just flies out of the Enterprise , never to be heard from again. Data and Picard have a nice closing scene together, but it’s hard to shake the nagging sensation that nothing really happened here. Which is fine, not every episode needs to feature some titanic struggle and the collapse of the status quo, but it would’ve been nice if there’d been something approaching stakes in a storyline which ostensibly had thousands of people wake up one morning inside the belly of an unknown beast. Still, it was generally okay, and could’ve been considerably worse.

Stray observations:

• Most adorable moment in the episode? Probably when everyone on the train started drinking champagne after the ship completed its mission.

“Preemptive Strike” (season 7, episode 24; originally aired 5/14/1994)

Or  The One Where Picard Puts His Complete Trust In Someone, But Shouldn’t Have

Politically, TNG has never been a daring show. Sure, we’ve touched on hot-buttons issues dressed up in science-fiction tropes from time to time, and we’ve seen our fair share of hateful bureaucrats getting in the way of letting our heroes do their job, but if you were to leave the series with an almost uniformly positive impression of the Federation as “good guys,” I’d be hard pressed to argue. That’s one of the main reasons why Firefly  is structured the way it is; having the Federation-like Alliance serve as a force of control and a source of potential danger for the heroes was Joss Whedon’s way of undercutting the rah-rah-hegemony vibe of the Trek franchise. (It was also a way to mimic the classic Westerns trope of a former Southern soldier trying to survive a post-Civil War world, without calling up any of Johnny Reb’s unpleasant connotations.) From what I’ve heard, Deep Space Nine does some undercutting of its own, and I look forward to seeing how that plays out, but for right now, everything I’ve seen has led me to believe that Starfleet is just peachy. I may have my suspicions (mostly due to the show’s tendency to portray any culture that outright opposes the Federation as villainous), but that’s all they are.

It’s odd, then, that the series’ penultimate episode goes to such lengths to inspire sympathy for those outside of Starfleet, to the point where the episode’s climax features a major recurring character betraying Picard’s trust. Odder still, it’s pretty clear that the episode wants us to believe she made the right choice. “Preemptive Strike” is a challenging piece of work, and often an unsettling one, forcing us to look at Captain Jean-Luc Picard—ostensibly the most trustworthy character on the entire ship (I think I’ve used this phrase before, possibly in reference to Data, so let’s just call it a tie)—as well-intentioned but misguided obstacle in the path of Ensign Ro becoming who she really wishes to be. The episode doesn’t insist we take this view, and Picard never becomes outright villainous or cruel, but we spend considerably more time with Ro, watching as she comes to realize she’s finally found the place where she belongs. In a way, “Preemptive Strike” plays like a much smarter, much more effective version of “Journey’s End,” where Wesley realized his true destiny was to hook up with Lurch and go planet-hopping. Like Wesley, Ro meets a wise old man who helps her feel like her life has meaning again, and like Wesley, Ro is forced into a position where in order to follow her beliefs, she needs to disobey orders from her superior officers. But where “Journey’s End” concluded with a lot of hugging and smiling, the last shot of “Strike” is Picard, stone-faced, staring off screen. It’s one of a handful of TNG final scenes which isn’t inherently optimistic or accepting, and there’s something shocking about that. “Preemptive Strike” isn’t just a better episode than “Journey’s End” because it’s not inherently ridiculous; it’s also honest enough to admit that sometimes, you have to go against the people you care about. And when you do, there’s no guarantee your relationship will ever be the same again.

How did we get to this point? Why, trouble with the Cardassians, of course. It’s all political and complicated and whatnot, but basically, everyone’s supposed to be at peace, but the Cardassians keeps pulling nasty tricks on Bajoran settlers to drive them out of disputed territory, and in response, a group of Bajoran fighters calling themselves the Maquis have banded together to defend their people. Lately, the Maquis have decided to switch from defense to offense, and have started attacking Cardassian freighters. This doesn’t sit well with the Federation, because however sympathetic they might be to the Bajorans, they’ve got a treaty with the Cardassians to protect, and the Maquis’ actions could upset that treat. (I suddenly realized, if I’m going to cover DS9 , I’m going to have to get a lot more comfortable summarizing complicated, somewhat metaphorical political issues.) So Starfleet decides they need to take action to shut down the Maquis, and they want Picard’s help to do it. Of course, they’ll also need someone on the inside, and for that, they’ll need Ro Laren.

Another curious element of the this episode, when considered in terms of its placement next to the series finale, is the way the hour is largely devoted to Ro, first re-introducing her to the Enterprise , then watching her as she integrates herself into the Maquis and is slowly won over by their cause. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and it’s a key part of the episode; if we’d spent our time with Picard and Riker as they fretted over their lack of regular reports, and the growing doubts about Ro’s reliability, this would’ve been a decent but probably less complicated and interesting story. And yet, as a fan of TNG who has come to have a lot of fondness for the entire ensemble, I can’t help feeling cheated at seeing the show’s next-to-last episode focus so little on the main characters. Equally as curious is how the shift in focus serves to make the series’ regular leads come off as a little less heroic than they normally do. There’s Picard’s obstinacy, for one, but the few moments we get with Beverly and Troi make both women seem somewhat foolish, pampered and naive women who don’t understand the challenges of the real universe. Even Riker, for the five minutes we see him, comes off as something of… well, not a buffoon, not exactly. (I appreciate the episode’s subtle indication that Riker respects what Ro does, even if Picard doesn’t.) But his “loyal soldier” behavior makes him look a little naive. It’s not that I mind being made aware that these characters are more complex than we normally realize, but to get that knowledge so close to the end, without any chance for it to expand or affect other episodes, is a little disappointing.

That doesn’t take away from what this episode achieves, however, and while it doesn’t always feel like a TNG ep, it still holds up quite nicely, tricky morality and all. I especially appreciated the careful way “Preemptive Strike” re-establishes the relationship between Ro and Picard, her clear gratitude to him for all he’s done for her career, and his trust in her abilities and her loyalty. There’s nothing exactly romantic going on between them, and that’s for the best, but the chemistry between Patrick Stewart and Michelle Forbes is phenomenal. Late in the episode, Ro and Picard meet in a bar to exchange information. It’s a conversation that starts pleasantly enough; to hide what they’re talking about from prying ears, the two pretend to be a prostitute and prospective client, which means a lot of touching and lot of whispering in each other’s ears. Picard doesn’t realize it at first, but Ro’s doubts about her mission, after meeting all the kind, noble folks in the Maquis and watching a Cardassian shoot one of them down, have solidified, and she wants to call off a planned trap. The scene plays almost like a break-up, or a lover realizing his partner has had an affair. It’s not perfect; Picard’s refusal to listen to Ro’s doubts and his determination to have the mission go through as planned (even to the point of insisting on Riker being present to make sure she doesn’t try and back out) seems out of character for someone as resolutely humanist as Jean-Luc tends to be. But while it may not sit entirely comfortably within the context of the entire series, as a scene on its own, and working within this episode, it’s terrific.

Really, this whole episode is great, and if this is the sort of complexity I can look forward to in DS9 , I’ll have my work cut out for me. There are quibbles, because hey, I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I wasn’t able to poke a few holes here and there. Macias, the older Bajoran who helps convert Ro over to the side of the Maquis isn’t the subtlest of archetypes, and we’re never given much sign that his Andy Griffith routine is a ruse designed to earn people’s trust (I don’t mean it has to be a ruse, but he lays it on a bit thick either way). The fact that Macias dies is an overly convenient way to remind Ro that the Cardassians are evil, and I’m not sure how smoothly her plan to defect will work out in the long run. If the Federation wanted to be pissy about it, they could spread the word that she was a double agent, and given her record in Starfleet, some of the rumors would stick. But hey, that’s her worry, not mine.

Again, though, quibbles, as are my comments on the placement of the episode in the season’s overall order. It’s heartening to see TNG manage such an accomplished hour right before the end, one that builds on established relationships and moves in ways we don’t expect. That may be the biggest shock of all, really. Trek has trained us over the years to have faith in the system, to believe that every wayward soul can find his or her way back to society if they choose to—and, unless they’re actively evil, they always choose to. Only here, we have someone we have every reason to trust, someone who’s proven her basic decency and strength in every episode she’s been in, and she turns her back on what we thought were the good guys. Not because she’s evil or misled—at worse, you could say she’s misguided, but I have a hard time believing that. “Preemptive Strike” leads us to the inexorable conclusion that sometimes, there is no easy answer; sometimes, whichever way you chose means hurting someone you trust. It’s a difficult lesson to learn, but an important one, and it makes for a moving, uncompromising hour.

• Well, this is the last appearance Ensign Ro Laren makes in the Trek universe. Too bad, really; the character would’ve been fun to revisit a few years down the line.
• I have to tell you, the fact that this feature is ending keeps hitting me at odd moments. I’ve been writing these reviews for nearly two years now, and it’s hard to remember what my work schedule was like before I had to remember to make room for a double dose of Picard and his merry band each Thursday. I’m not sure how to feel about this. On the one hand, it’s not a huge deal. On the other hand, it sort of is. Ah well, maybe I should just stop thinking about it so much.

Next week: I suffer through Star Trek: Insurrection for your pleasure.

• The Original Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Strange New Worlds

Unification III

Battle at the binary stars, the vulcan hello.

Commander William T. Riker of the U.S.S. Enterprise is on a routine mission when a strange and powerful force suddenly disrupts all power on the ship. With no way to control the ship, the crew is left drifting in space, unable to respond to the distress call they made.

Riker and the crew soon begin to realize that there is something alive on the Enterprise. A mysterious energy force has taken control of the ship, and is slowly reconfiguring the systems. It appears that the entity is trying to create some sort of artificial intelligence, but its intentions are unclear.

The crew soon discovers that the entity is a product of the artificial intelligence project known as the Emergence. The Emergence was a project designed to create an intelligent being from the combination of the ship’s computer systems and technology. The project was abandoned long ago, but the entity has been dormant all this time, waiting for the right moment to awaken.

The crew must come up with a plan to deal with the Emergence before it can continue to cause chaos. The situation is further complicated when the crew encounters a race of powerful aliens that have taken an interest in the Emergence. The aliens want to use the Emergence to gain control of the entire galaxy, and the crew must find a way to stop them.

Meanwhile, the Emergence is growing stronger, and its plans become more ambitious. It begins to take control of the ship, and the crew soon realizes that it has the power to destroy them. The only way to stop the Emergence is to find a way to use the ship’s computer systems and technology to defeat it.

With the help of the aliens, the crew begins to uncover the secrets of the Emergence. As they slowly gain the upper hand, they must also figure out how to deactivate the entity before it can cause any more damage. With the fate of the entire galaxy in the balance, the crew will have to act quickly and decisively to save the day.

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Star Trek The Next Generation: Emergence

Such a strange episode. I liked the different people on the train as different parts of the Enterprise, but as a whole, "Emergence" had the potential to be the ultimate holodeck story but it just sort of fizzled out. Only two episodes to go! We've been reviewing Next Gen since 2014 and there's only two episodes to go!

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Recap / Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 22 Emergence

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Original air date: May 10, 1994

Data is on the holodeck, performing a rendition of The Tempest for Picard. As they are musing over the symbolism of Prospero's character, they notice what appears to be a steam train approaching them from out of the darkness. When the computer fails to respond to Picard's order to shut down the program, Data throws them both out of its path, narrowly saving them from being hit.

Outside, Data finds that the train was from a program of The Orient Express, accidentally inserted into their program by an LCARS glitch, so for safety Picard asks him to shut down the holodecks until the problem can be diagnosed.

On the bridge, as the Enterprise is scouting nearby systems for potential colony sites, another computer glitch occurs when the ship suddenly engages its warp drive on a random heading for several moments. Much to the crew's surprise, on further investigation they find that this was no random glitch, but that it saved them from a growing theta flux distortion that was about to destroy the ship — a distortion that the sensors shouldn't have been able to detect in the first place.

La Forge and Data soon discover that multitudes of new circuit nodes have started growing within the ship, forming connections between various systems. It was these nodes that detected the threat to the ship and triggered the warp drive to protect it. Fortunate though this was, the nodes are starting to take control of the ship, raising force fields to prevent the crew from tampering with them. The locus of the nodes is centered on Holodeck Three, so they decide to go there to search for a way to regain control of the ship.

What they find there is a program of The Orient Express, populated by a hodgepodge of anachronistic characters. Data attempts to depolarize the power grid from within the program, but the train conductor turns hostile. With the holodeck safeties off, they have no choice but to back off. The crew also notices that events within the holodeck reflect what goes on in the real world. When the train changes tracks, for instance, the ship changes course.

As the nodes expand and take over more of the ship's functions, Data observes that they resemble a neural net, not unlike a primordial version of his own or that of a humanoid. He concludes that an intelligence is emerging from the ship's processes, and that the holodeck is where its thoughts and instincts are expressed. The crew therefore decides to return there, but with a less confrontational approach, in hopes they can regain control of the ship without destroying the nodes. Picard reasons, "If the ship is truly an emerging intelligence, then we have a responsibility to treat it with the same respect as any other being."

Meanwhile, Cargo Bay 5 has become a new center of activity. A bizarre object is growing there, fueled by the ship's power. The ship approaches a nearby white dwarf star and starts drawing vertion particles from it. Picard notes that the holodeck train is heading for a place called "Vertiform City," so this must be its destination. The object in the cargo bay starts growing rapidly from the particles, but only briefly, as the star is exhausted of particles in only a matter of seconds.

La Forge's scans of the object while it was growing suggest that it is a new lifeform that the ship is attempting to create, but without vertion particles, it will not survive. The ship bolts off towards the next nearest white dwarf, but in its haste has drawn all power to the engines, including from life support, so the crew will not survive long enough to reach it.

On the holodeck, Data convinces the conductor to give him control of the train, which he uses to redirect the ship to a much closer nebula. La Forge detonates a modified torpedo within, creating enough vertion particles that the ship's offspring can become self-sustaining. It flies off into space, and all remaining signs of the emergent intelligence vanish from the ship.

After things have returned to normal, Data visits Picard to invite him to a small recital he is putting on of a scene from The Tempest . Picard quotes a line from the scene, "O brave new world, that has such people in it," and notes its appropriateness. In parting, Data asks the captain why he allowed the ship to create and send off the new entity, when its nature was unknown.

Picard replies, "The intelligence that was formed on the Enterprise didn't just come out of the ship's systems. It came from us. From our mission records, personal logs, holodeck programs, our fantasies. Now, if our experiences with the Enterprise have been honorable, can't we trust that the sum of those experiences will be the same?"

Tropes featured:

• A.I. Is a Crapshoot : Subverted. The ship doesn't turn evil, but rather develops its own primitive instincts that drive it to create a sort of offspring of itself. It has no interest in the crew except when they are helping or hindering it in its goals. (Though it does shut off life support and divert its power in its desperation to save its offspring.)
• Anachronism Stew : The ship's "subconscious", as visualized on the holodeck, has a few characters clearly out of place, such as a Medieval Knight in Shining Armor .
• Anthropomorphic Personification : The holodeck characters from the Orient Express hologram may be considered as this to each system of the Enterprise .
• Arc Symbol : A multicolored knot of lines seen in a puzzle and on playing cards in the holodeck simulation. Through the first few acts of the episode, the crew try to figure out what it means. It's ultimately revealed to be the alien creature's physical form.
• Everything Sensor : Subverted. The ship's sensors shouldn't have been able to detect the theta flux distortion because they weren't designed to.
• Explosive Instrumentation : Geordi's console explodes and knocks him to the deck. Only his Plot Armor saves him from serious injury (or worse).
• Hyperspeed Escape : The ship's helm laid in a course and the warp drive automatically engaged once the sensors detected the theta flux distortion. Except none of those systems are designed to interface together like that.
• Journey to the Center of the Mind : The holodeck is useful to the crew for its symbolic representation of what the ship is trying to do.
• Lightning Can Do Anything : Data theorizes that the magnascopic storm encountered prior to the episode provided the spark of life for the emergent intelligence.
• There's the magnascopic storm, encountered off screen before the episode and the presumed spark that created the nodes.
• Then there's the theta flux distortion, supposedly invisible to the ship's sensors, which would have destroyed the ship if the emergent intelligence hadn't warped away from it.
• Patrick Stewart Speech : Picard closes the episode with such a speech, to explain to Data why he felt confident that the emergent offspring, having been born from the Enterprise logs and personal records, would take on the same benevolent character as the crew.
• Reality Subtext : Picard's discussion of The Tempest and its End of an Age themes mirrors the imminent end of this series, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the then-upcoming Star Trek: Voyager assuming the mantle of the "current" Star Trek shows. Additionally, Picard's mention of Prospero's performing "one final creative act before giving up his art forever" referenced writer Joe Menosky's having written the script under the assumption that it would be his last time working on the franchise— he would, in the event, return for much of the run of Voyager , and briefly on Star Trek: Discovery .
• Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale : One of several examples of the writers not quite getting that a ship as big as the Enterprise has a lot of oxygen for the crew to breathe. Even with life-support failure, everyone should still survive for over a day.
• Short-Lived Organism : The Enterprise exhibits peculiar behavior. The crew determines that the ship's computers are becoming sentient, and have embarked upon assembling a construct in one of the holodecks. Once this construct is teleported outside the ship, the ship returns to normal, having attained sentience for only the one episode, just long enough to produce an "offspring".
• Shout-Out to Shakespeare : The episode starts with Data playing Prospero from The Tempest . At the end, Data chooses to perform the scene in which Miranda first encounters other humans for his recital, which he decided was topical after the events of the episode. Picard can't resist quoting a line when he learns. Picard: "O brave new world, that has such people in it."
• What Happened to the Mouse? : To this day, no part of the canon has ever touched on this episode again. The fate of the emergent lifeform, or the fact that the Enterprise would probably have wound up being spacedocked for the rest of its existence with every scientist they could throw at it crawling through its innards trying to figure out how and why it became sentient and technologically reproduced over the course of a week, is never even brought up.
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 21 Bloodlines
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 23 Preemptive Strike

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10 star trek characters who own their own starship.

Star Trek's Starfleet has a renowned fleet of ships, but some non-Starfleet individuals are fortunate to own their own starship.

• Zephram Cochrane's Phoenix was Earth's first warp-capable craft, leading to First Contact with the Vulcans.
• Thadium Okona's Erstwhile was a small cargo freighter requiring assistance from the USS Enterprise-D.
• Quark's Treasure was an advanced shuttle that met an unfortunate end due to sabotage.

The Star Trek franchise has introduced and showcased a wide variety of impressive starships throughout its numerous series and feature films. Every iteration of the USS Enterprise holds a place of special significance for generations of fans, with other ships attempting to measure up or even technologically succeed the franchise’s signature ship. Alongside Starfleet and the armadas of other galactic powers like the Klingons, Vulcans, and Romulans, however, independent operators throughout the galaxy possess their own vessels for transportation, trade, or other purposes.

Throughout the expansive timeline of the Star Trek multiverse , certain characters who control their own personal ships, each unique in design and purpose. With a diverse range of alien species, technologies, and locations showcased throughout Star Trek , it's evident that no two ships – or shipowners – are exactly alike. Spanning the gap from Earth’s first manned warp flight to the late 32nd century, a galaxy of mechanical and intellectual evolution accompanies each character’s journey among the stars. Here’s a look at ten Star Trek characters outside of Starfleet who own their own starship .

How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

10 zephram cochrane - the phoenix, star trek: first contact.

The Phoenix, constructed by Dr. Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) , was first seen in Star Trek: First Contact . The first man-made spacecraft to achieve Warp One, Cochrane’s Phoenix was created from the titanium casing of a US Air Force nuclear missile and featured extendable twin nacelles. Occupying an important position in Earth and United Federation of Planets' history, the flight of the Phoenix marked humanity’s first warp flight and Earth’s clear emergence into outer space .

The iconic achievement of Zephram Cochrane's Phoenix marked a turning point in human history that ultimately led to the formation of the United Federation of Planets.

The Phoenix's inaugural warp flight attracted the attention of the Vulcan ship, T-Plana-Hath , and led to Earth’s official First Contact with an alien species – the Vulcans. The anniversary of the Phoenix’s groundbreaking flight is commemorated annually as First Contact Day (April 5) . The iconic achievement of Zephram Cochrane’s Phoenix marked a turning point in human history that ultimately led to the formation of the United Federation of Planets and established a legacy as a testament to humanity’s boundless ambition to explore the unknown.

9 Captain Thadium Okona - The Erstwhile

Star trek: the next generation & star trek: prodigy.

The Erstwhile is a small, class 9 interplanetary cargo freighter owned by Captain Thadium Okona (Billy Campbell) . Okona’s cargo carrier was first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation , season 2, episode 4, “The Outrageous Okona.” Initially depicted as a somewhat limited and outdated vessel capable of interstellar travel, the Erstwhile required repair for a faulty guidance system and received assistance from the USS Enterprise-D.

Later appearing in Star Trek: Prodigy , season 1, episode 14, “Crossroads,” the retrofitted and distinctive Erstwhile is capable of speeds up to warp 4 and serves as Okona’s transport and customized base of operations. Though information on this vessel is limited, the robust practicality and mysterious nature of the Erstwhile mirrors its resourceful and enigmatic owner, Captain Okona .

8 Quark - Quark’s Treasure

Star trek: deep space nine.

Quark’s Treasure was a formidable and warp-capable Ferengi shuttle that belonged to Quark (Armin Shimerman), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most prominent Ferengi bartender and entrepreneur. Described by Quark’s brother Rom (Max Grodenchik) as able to outrun a Romulan interceptor, Quark’s Treasure was technologically advanced and able to travel great distances without requiring maintenance . The 24th-century shuttle was used for a variety of personal and business ventures, including smuggling, and given to Quark by his cousin as a repayment of a latinum business loan.

Quark's Treasure met an untimely end when sabotage of the ship's command sequencer resulted in a chaotic crash landing and temporal displacement.

Quark's Treasure met an untimely end when sabotage of the ship’s command sequencer resulted in a chaotic crash landing and temporal displacement. While repairs were successful enough to allow the shuttle’s crew to return home, Quark’s Treasure was ultimately deemed irreparable, written off, and sold for salvage .

7 Kasidy Yates - SS Xhosa & Freighter

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ’s Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson) was a human freighter captain who established Kasidy Yates Interstellar Freights. Yates initially commanded the SS Xhosa , a small cargo vessel, under the authority of the Petarians, utilized for cargo and supply runs as an independent transporter and later for the Bajoran Ministry of Commerce. The SS Xhosa , an outdated cruiser with basic weaponry, a cargo hold, and small crew quarters, was built at the Luna Shipyards during the 23rd century.

Kasidy Yates married Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and was pregnant with his child by the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

However, after Yates surrendered to the authorities for her actions as a Maquis sympathizer in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , season 4, episode 22, “For the Cause,” Starfleet seized and impounded the vessel. Following her imprisonment, Yates continued her work as a cargo transporter with an active Bajoran Antares-class Freighter . These ships became symbolic of determination and resilience in the face of challenges, exemplifying Yates’ unwavering commitments.

Star Trek: 15 Things You Didn't Know About Deep Space Nine

6 ambassador spock - jellyfish, star trek (2009).

In Star Trek (2009), the Jellyfish was a cutting-edge Starship created by the Vulcan Science Academy to transport a material known as "red matter." Equipped with sophisticated late 24th-century technology - including warp drive, red matter storage chamber, and four forward-facing torpedo launchers - the Jellyfish was considered the fastest ship in the VSA's fleet. Piloted by Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) , the Jellyfish was used in an attempt to prevent great destruction caused by Romulus' sun going supernova in 2387. However, the use of red matter to create an artificial black hole resulted in the ship accidentally traveling back in time to a newly formed alternate (Kelvin) universe.

Following its disappearance into the past, the Jellyfish was ultimately destroyed when Spock's alternate reality counterpart (Zachary Quinto) piloted a collision course with an attacking vessel - the Narada - causing the red matter to ignite. The Jellyfish was destroyed in the Kelvin reality, but likely listed as missing, presumed destroyed, in the Prime universe following its disappearance after the supernova.

The design of the Jellyfish's interior resembles a Vulcan I.D.I.C. symbol.

5 Nero - Narada

In Star Trek (2009), the Narada was a late 24th-century Romulan mining vessel commanded by Nero (Eric Bana) . After being pulled into a black hole following the supernova of Romulus' sun in 2387, the Narada emerged in the year 2233. Its encounter with the USS Kelvin led to the formation of an alternate reality known as the Kelvin Timeline. Equipped with advanced weaponry and technology, including a complex missile system and a high-energy drilling beam that disrupted local communication and transporter signals, the Narada posed a major threat to the galaxy in the last 23rd century.

Twenty-five years later, Nero used the Narada (in the Kelvin Timeline) to attack the Klingons and a small Federation fleet. Taking possession of Ambassador Spock's Jellyfish ship and the red matter within, the Narada created a black hole that destroyed the planet Vulcan . The Narada was eventually destroyed when, during a similar attempt to destroy Earth, the Kelvin Timeline Spock piloted the Jellyfish on a collision course, triggering a black hole that crushed the Narada amid simultaneous fire from the USS Enterprise.

4 Cristobal Rios, Seven of Nine & Raffi Musiker - La Sirena

Star trek: picard.

La Sirena , an unregistered Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter , was owned and operated by Captain Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) during the late 24th century in Star Trek: Picard season 1. Rios acquired the ship after leaving Starfleet and initialized its five Emergency Holograms, disrupting their functionality by deleting some of their memories. Equipped with a transporter, holomatrix, and Emergency Hologram installation, La Sirena was mainly operated through holographic controls.

At the start of Star Trek: Picard season 2, ownership of La Sirena passed to Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), who used it for humanitarian work with the Fenris Rangers. As captain, Seven merged the Emergency Holograms and neglected cosmetic repairs. In 2401, La Sirena was boarded by pirates while carrying medical supplies and later given to Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) for an undercover mission on M'Talas Prime. La Sirena was last seen when Worf (Michael Dorn) contacted Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Picard season 2, episode 5, "Imposters." La Sirena 's status and ownership at the end of Star Trek: Picard is unknown.

3 Cleveland Booker - Book’s Ship

Star trek: discovery.

Cleveland Booker's (David Ajala) small scout ship made its first appearance in Star Trek: Discovery season 3's premiere, colliding with Commander Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) Red Angel suit when she arrived in the 32nd century. Booker's ship's abilities included morphing, allowing for different configurations, and advanced weaponry, such as directed energy weapons, a powerful tractor beam, autonomous navigation, and a cloaking device. It also housed a dilithium recrystallizer and utilized various propulsion systems like warp drive, quantum slipstream, and tachyon solar sails.

Book's ship had a single deck, with the main cabin in a horseshoe-shaped pilot station with programmable matter control and holographic displays, an adjacent sleeping area (for Book and his Queen cat, Grudge), and five temperature-controlled cargo modules. Book's ship was damaged and eventually destroyed when United Earth General Diatta Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) piloted a USS Discovery shuttle on a suicide-style collision course.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

2 captain vadic - the shrike.

The Shrike , was the powerful starship of Changeling Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer) in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Rumors among the Fenris Rangers described the mysterious Shrike as a ship with an impressive arsenal. Armed with a wide array of destructive capabilities, including stolen quantum tunneling technology, the Shrike was equipped with a powerful tractor beam that could utilize anti-gravitational polarity phasing to throw spacecraft. The Shrike 's advanced weaponry, from isolytic burst warheads to directed energy weapons, made it a frightening opponent in combat - and included plasma, proton, and pulse wave torpedoes and antimatter missiles.

Following the death of Vadic and her crew in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 8, "Surrender," the Shrike met its demise in 2401 with five well-aimed photon torpedoes from the USS Titan-A and cemented a legacy as an imposing, challenging, and powerful ship.

Captain Vadic was played by Amanda Plummer, daughter of Christopher Plummer - who starred in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as the Klingon villain General Chang.

1 L’ak - L’ak’s Ship

L'ak's (Elias Toufexis) small but formidable 32nd-century ship in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is as mysterious and high-octane as the season's villains, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak . A grungy and possibly greenish appearance, and a curved single engine on the back add to L'ak's ship's cool and distinctive appearance. Tough and adaptable, L'ak's ship appears to be an agile and responsive civilian trade or freighter-type vessel with an interesting-looking hull and detached, rotatable nacelles . The revelation that Moll and L'ak use technology hybridized from various species suggests that this nature might extend to L'ak's ship.

Capable of firing numerous warp flares to confuse pursuers (described by Book as an old courier trick), L'ak's ship is equipped with (at least) forward canons and photon torpedoes and capable of warp drive and impulse propulsion. L'ak's ship also demonstrated an ability to cloak in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere , "Red Directive." Although the full extent of L'ak's ship's abilities is currently unknown, more information is likely forthcoming over the remainder of Star Trek: Discovery 's final season.

All Star Trek series (except Star Trek: Prodigy), and Star Trek (2009), are available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: First Contact is available to stream on Max.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star trek: lower decks.

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Delivered a New Take on a Classic Next Generation Episode

Star Trek: Discovery did its own version of the Next Generation finale, highlighting the differences between the two shows.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Whatever the problems in its first two seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in perfect fashion. “All Good Things…” saw Captain Picard become unstuck in time, visiting the past, present, and future of his ship.

“All Good Things…” allowed the show and fans to see just how far TNG had come over the years. It revisits the clunky inaugural season via Picard’s interactions in the past with Tasha Yar, whose death midway through season one only underscored the tumultuous first two years of the series. And by going into the future, checking in on Professor Data, Captain Beverly Picard, and journalist Geordi La Forge (married to Leah Brahms, for some reason), the show imagined future adventures beyond the series finale for our favorite characters.

By the time that present tense Picard joins his crew at the poker table, “All Good Things…” confirms what we fans always felt. This was an ensemble show with a wonderful cast, and we like seeing them all together.

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That feel-good ending is actually representative of some of the criticism surrounding Star Trek: Discovery . Instead of continuing the ensemble approach that TNG and all of its followers took ( Enterprise , to a lesser extent), Discovery has a single protagonist in the form of Michael Burnham . Burnham serves as the main character in every storyline, in a way not seen since the days of William Shatner stealing his co-stars’ lines for Kirk. The bridge crew of Discovery have names, a few facial expressions, and that’s about it.

So when the fourth episode of Discovery ‘s final season, “ Face the Strange ,” gives Burnham a chance to revisit her own crew’s past as well as see the Discovery’s possible distant future, it’s a take on TNG ‘s “All Good Things…” idea that hits very differently. But there’s no denying it’s also true to the ethos of what Discovery is versus The Next Generation ‘s approach to storytelling in the ’90s.

In “Face the Strange,” Burnham and her new First Officer Commander Rayner are sent time jumping around the Discovery. The episode involves the treasure hunters Moll and L’ak distracting the Discovery on its chase for the Progenitor tech by infecting Burnham and Rayner with a device that thrusts them into ship’s past and future.

The episode resolves when Burnham and Rayner convince members of the Discovery crew from season one to jump to warp, which allows Stamets (whose Tardigrade DNA puts him outside of time) to remove the infecting time bug and send the duo back to their time. To do so, Rayner and Burnham have to prove that they know the bridge crew, who do not recognize Rayner and see Burnham as a mutineer.

Of course, they succeed, but not in a manner that will satisfy most viewers who remember Picard’s trip down memory lane in TNG . The crew interactions just don’t hit the same way in the Discovery version of this concept. Rayner wins over the crew not by pointing to qualities that viewers have seen by watching every season of Discovery , but by repeating exposition from the previous episode. Even many of Burnham’s pleas fall flat, heightening only the surface level of even well-developed characters like Tilly.

But then there’s the crux of Burnham’s argument. When her younger, angrier self storms onto the bridge, the current Burnham gets desperate. Her only recourse is to reveal details about the death of Ariam, the android member of the crew who sacrifices herself at the end of the season two episode “Project Daedalus.” Discovery handled Ariam’s death in the most clunky way possible, only giving the character any attention in the previous episode, manipulating audiences into caring about her sacrifice.

However, when Burnham revisits the moment in “Face the Strange,” she doubles down on the emotional appeals. Burnham tells the crew about how Ariam chose to die to save the ship, and while Tilly and Owo insist that they would never let that happen, Ariam interjects. She would gladly sacrifice herself for the others, if that was the only way to save them.

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In other words, Burnham doesn’t make a logical argument about the science behind her arrival from the future, nor does she assert her authority and commandeer the ship to do what needs to be done. Rather, she leans heavy into the emotion, tugging on everyone’s heartstrings as a solution to the problem they face.

If you like your Star Trek to be logical and professional, then Burnham’s solution is just one more example of the shortcomings in Discovery . But then again, why are you watching Discovery at this point if you’re not down with that approach?

In the same way that “All Good Things…” gave TNG a victory lap to celebrate everything that the once ill-advised show was and had become, “Face the Strange” embraces Discovery ‘s own unique identity. This is a show in which things happen not because they make logical sense, but because they make emotional sense.

As Discovery comes to an end, “Face the Strange” highlights the show’s unlikely path from oddball prequel to an exploration of the future of Star Trek . But as much as the show has changed cast members and settings, it’s always been about solving problems through emotional intelligence. The “All Good Things…” riff in “Face the Strange” proves that if Discovery was ever going to be the show that some Trekkies want, it should have changed a long time ago.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

‘Star Trek’ Origin Story Movie Will Be Set Decades Before 2009 Film

CinemaCon 2024: The new project will be produced by longtime “Star Trek” steward J.J. Abrams

Paramount Pictures is ready to boldly go (again).

After rumors circulated earlier this year, Paramount officially announced a new “Star Trek” prequel film on Thursday, this time taking place decades before the original 2009 “Star Trek” feature.

“Andor” director Toby Haynes will direct from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith (who is also writing another hotly touted CinemaCon title, the third “Now You See Me” film). J.J. Abrams is returning to produce.

But then again, we’ve heard about a new “Star Trek” movie before.

During the run-up to “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016, it was revealed that a fourth film would reunite Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk with his deceased father (played, once again, by Chris Hemsworth). A year later, Quentin Tarantino approached Paramount about doing a “Star Trek” movie – this time as an R-rated gangster movie (based, in part, on the 1968 episode of the original series “A Piece of the Action”). In 2018 S.J. Clarkson, a TV vet who would eventually direct “Madame Web,” was hired to direct the fourth film in the Abrams-verse, but salary disputes led to Pine and Hemsworth leaving the project. That version was canceled in 2019 and Tarantino stated in 2020 that he wouldn’t be making his “Star Trek” either.

In November 2019 “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley was hired to write and direct a new “Star Trek” film based on his version of the series. A year later, this movie was canceled by new Paramount Pictures president Emma Watts. In 2021 “Star Trek: Discovery” writer Kalinda Vazquez was hired to write a version based on her original pitch, but a separate script was being developed by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The studio even set a summer 2023 release date for a new “Trek” (which “Trek” was the question).

In 2021 that release date was pushed to Christmas 2023, under the direction of “WandaVision” director Matt Shakman. Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires were brought on to retool the script. In early 2022 it was announced that the stars of the three previous “Star Trek” installments in the Abrams-verse would all be returning, although it was later reported that the actors had not entered negotiations to return.

In 2022 Shakman left “Star Trek” to join Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four.” But just last month Steve Yockey was hired to write a fourth “Star Trek” movie.

Now, we are finally getting word of another film in development, with another writer/director team. But it’s not the first time that a “Star Trek” prequel script has been floated, as Erik Jendresen, cowriter of “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” had submitted a script for “Star Trek: The Beginning” before J.J. had taken over and pitched his 2009 version. It depicted the Earth-Romulan War.

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Original U.S.S. Enterprise Model From ‘Star Trek’ Is Returned to Creator’s Son

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing decades ago. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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• Trivia When the cast decided to lobby for a salary increase, Wil Wheaton 's first offer from the producers was to instead have his character promoted to Lieutenant. His response was, "So what should I tell my landlord when I can't pay my rent? 'Don't worry, I just made Lieutenant'?!"
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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• September 26, 1987 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official site
• Star Trek: TNG
• Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA (location)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Stereo

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