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We'll Always Have Paris

Captain's Log, Stardate 41697.9.

We're en route to Sarona VIII for much-needed shore leave.

The entire crew is looking forward to the diversion.

On a personal note

I have allowed myself the luxury of a head start.

( beeping )

I took advantage.

No, no, Lieutenant. The advantage was yours.

Come again.

En garde.

( beeping )

Interesting move, sir.

What technique was that?

The technique of a desperate man.

Interesting move, sir.

What technique was that?

The technique of a desperate man.

Captain... what was that?

Picard to Bridge.

RIKER: Captain.

Number One, did something unusual just occur on the Bridge?

Yes, sir. We experienced some kind of loop where everything repeats itself.

Here, too.

I'm on my way.

Report, Mr. Data.

Sensors show nothing, sir but it appears a moment in time repeated itself exactly.

For everyone.

It was like a feeling of deja vu.

Reports coming in from all decks, sir.

Computers were also affected, sir which would indicate the phenomenon was not an illusion but occurred in real time.

Number One find out if anything similar happened in this sector.

Sir, I am receiving an emergency transmission from the Pegos Minor System.

Put it on.

...542.2.

I repeat, this is Dr. Paul Manheim.

We are in need of help.

Urgent. All ships, please respond.

I repeat, coordinates are 66728.9 by 7075...

It is an automated signal, sir.

I am unable to establish contact.

This is Dr. Paul Manheim.

Shut it off.

Mr. La Forge, lay in a course on those coordinates.

Aye, sir.

Captain, you act as if there's a connection between the time distortion and the distress signal.

There is.

Paul Manheim.

15 years ago, he went off to work on experiments relating to non-linear time.

It appears he may have achieved some measure of success.

Speed, warp 8.

Aye, sir. Warp 8.

Engage.

Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.

Its continuing mission--

to explore strange new worlds

to seek out new life and new civilizations

to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Estimated arrival, Pegos Minor-- four hours, 35 minutes, 17 seconds.

I've never heard of Paul Manheim.

Mr. Data.

A highly respected scientist, considered a visionary.

He advanced several time-related theories.

One regarding the relationships between time and gravity was quite intriguing.

But neither that theory, nor any other, received wide acceptance.

15 years ago, he assembled a team of scientists to expand that research.

They disappeared.

Haven't been heard from since.

Did you know him, Captain?

I knew of him.

He was teaching at the university when I was in Paris but I, um... didn't have the pleasure.

I must change.

Number One, inform me half an hour before we reach those coordinates and keep trying to determine if the time distortion was specifically located on the Enterprise.

Yes, sir.

Captain.

Excuse me.

Yes, what is it, Counselor?

I think you would prefer to discuss this in private.

No, that's not necessary. Go on.

When Professor Manheim's name was mentioned you reacted with intense emotion.

Yes. Please, get to the point.

I don't want to interfere with your personal life but unresolved, strong emotion can affect judgment.

Well, thank you for your concern.

As Ship's Counselor, I offer my assistance.

What do you suggest?

Confronting deep personal issues is not easy for you.

You tend to suppress them.

There are a few hours until we arrive.

Perhaps you should use this time to analyze your feelings and put them into perspective.

Thank you, Counselor.

If I should need you further, I'll let you know.

Bridge.

Belay that.

Computer, estimated arrival at Pegos Minor?

COMPUTER: Two hours, nine minutes.

Holodeck Three.

Computer, this is Captain Picard.

Holodeck Three is clear.

Location: Paris.

Cafe des Artistes as it appeared...

22 years ago.

April the 9th, 1500 hours...

3:00.

Warm spring day.

COMPUTER: Program complete.

Monsieur, welcome to the Cafe des Artistes.

Is this your first time in Paris?

No.

This way.

That table.

Oh, mais bien sur, Monsieur. We are here to please you.

I've been away far too long.

Some wine? Some cheese?

I'm not very hungry.

I really came for the view.

Perhaps what you hunger for is not on the menu.

Perhaps not.

It was many years ago. I had a rendezvous.

I was to meet someone... someone here, at that very table.

Your young lady, she did not come?

Actually, I don't know.

I always imagined that she did.

You, however, did not.

Ah.

Well, trust Edouard.

I will bring something very special, just for you.

Let's go, huh? We've waited long enough.

Fran, you go. I'll stay a little longer.

He's not coming, Gabrielle.

No. After last night, I know he will.

I just know it.

Then he would be here.

You're making a fool out of yourself and I will not watch.

Do we know each other?

No.

The way you look at me-- do I remind you of someone?

No.

Yes, you do somewhat.

He's not coming.

Why?

What did I do to drive him away?

Maybe you did nothing.

Maybe he had no choice.

Maybe he was afraid.

Of what? Of me?

Oh, of being connected. Rooted.

Perhaps, if he's as young as you are he doesn't know yet exactly what it is he wants to do.

Maybe...

Enough of this self-indulgence.

Exit.

Captain, we've received communication from the Freighter Lalo as well as from a farming colony on Coltar IV.

Both described the same time distortion.

The Captain of the Lalo described it as a hiccup.

Hiccup?

Actually, sir, that may be an incorrect analogy.

How so, Data?

A hiccup is a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound.

If we were to continue this analogy to a body-function what occurred would be best represented by a...

Enough, Data.

Have you been able to learn any more specifics about the Manheim project?

All I have found, sir, is what you already know.

Manheim was concentrating on time gravity experiments when he left.

LA FORGE: Captain.

We've reached the coordinates specified.

There's nothing here.

I'm receiving new coordinates.

It's a relay signal, same source as the first one.

What are they, Worf?

664.8 by 1323.7 by 4949.9.

Very remote area, sir.

It's in the middle of the Vandor System a binary star system.

Main star is a B-class giant.

The companion star is a pulsar.

Set course for the new coordinates, Mr. La Forge.

Aye, sir.

Why is he making it this difficult to find him?

Hopefully, he'll tell us, Number One.

We have reached the coordinates, Captain.

Sensors indicate it is Vandor IV-- a planetoid in elliptical orbit around the binary system.

Standard orbit, Mr. La Forge.

Aye, sir.

Give me a visual.

Viewscreen on.

WORF: There's a small force field on the planet.

Latitude 20 degrees, nine minutes north.

Longitude 40 degrees, two minutes east of the present terminator.

Penetrable?

No, sir.

Open hailing frequencies.

Hailing frequencies open, sir.

This is Captain...

This is the Captain of the USS Enterprise responding to your call for help.

WOMAN: Enterprise. Thank you for hearing us.

Where are you?

We're in orbit around Vandor, now.

Then you can help me. I-I don't know what to do.

It's only the two of us left. He's having convulsions.

Please.

Can you lock on to her coordinates?

No, sir. The force field is preventing any kind of contact other than audio.

There is a force field at your location.

Yes, I know.

Good.

But it is preventing us from helping you.

Now, you must try to find some way to shut it down.

I'll try.

Force field is off.

Good. Lock on to their coordinates.

Beam them up directly to Sick Bay.

Dr. Crusher, prepare for a medical emergency.

Two to beam directly up to Sick Bay.

CRUSHER: We'll be ready, Captain.

That's where I'll be.

Number One. Mr. Data.

I'll help.

Easy. Easy.

I've got his legs.

How long has he been like this?

Several hours, at least.

He was in his lab, so I can't be sure.

I need to do some tests.

I... uh...

Jean-Luc.

I thought the voice sounded familiar.

Hello.

I should have known.

Who else would have charged to my rescue?

This is my First Officer, Commander William Riker.

Lieutenant Commander Data.

This is Jenice... Manheim.

A pleasure, Mrs. Manheim.

Thank you.

I have a number of questions for you.

I hope I can be of some help.

Why don't we sit down in here?

You said that there were only two of you left.

What happened to the rest of the crew?

They were working at the second lab.

Something happened there a few weeks ago.

They were all killed.

It was a terrible accident.

I don't know exactly what happened.

So many brilliant, wonderful minds... just gone.

Do you know the nature of Dr. Manheim's work?

Paul's always been interested in time.

He's never believed that it was immutable any more than space is immutable.

Over the last decade, he came to believe that we reside in one of infinite dimensions and what holds us here is the constancy of time.

Change that and it would be what he called opening the window to those other dimensions.

Which begins to explain what happened.

Have you been experiencing something up here?

Yes, what is emanating here is having repercussions light years away maybe even further.

That would explain his anxiety.

I had no idea it had gone so far beyond Vandor.

Why this place? Why Vandor?

All I can tell you about that is that Paul and the rest of the team searched for two years to find it.

Vandor is exactly what they needed-- a planetoid around a binary star.

Because of the dense gravity of the pulsar.

Did your husband ever attempt to define these dimensions to give you an idea of what he expected?

No, but he did say that he was very close to proving his theories.

And then the accident...

Did he anticipate that these experiments might be dangerous?

I didn't think so but, now in retrospect, he probably did.

That would explain the unusual precautions he began taking even before the accident-- the force field the elaborate security system.

And every time he started a new experiment he insisted that I stay in what he called a protected room.

Aha, and that's why you weren't affected.

Jean-Luc, he would never knowingly do anything to hurt anyone.

Yes, I believe that.

But as he saw his goal getting closer-- seeming possible-- he became more and more obsessive.

Maybe that clouded his judgment.

This is not how I imagined seeing you again.

Nor I you.

You've done well.

A great starship on the far reaches of the galaxy.

It's everything you'd hoped.

( chuckling )

Not exactly.

Nothing works just as you hope.

If you can't tell us any more

I need to send a team down to the lab.

You can't-- it's protected.

One of the young scientists made sure no one could get in.

CRUSHER: Uh, excuse me.

Is he worse?

He's resting.

But I'd like you to undergo some tests yourself.

My nurse will start them.

Thank you for your kindness, Doctor.

She's an old friend.

I gathered that.

It's her husband I'm more concerned with at the moment.

What's the prognosis?

I believe he's dying.

His neurochemistry has been affected but I don't know how or why.

I've never encountered anything like it before.

How long does he have?

Maybe a couple of days.

It's hard to predict.

All I can do is maintain him-- or attempt to maintain him-- until I find out what's causing the damage.

Can we talk to him?

Not now, not yet.

Incidentally, Captain the effects of the time distortions are now being felt in the Ilecom System.

Bridge.

( beeping )

In the past decade

Manheim has turned some vague theories into a practical application.

Yes, but without his help

I'm not sure we'll be able to pose any intelligent questions let alone come up with any solutions.

Incidentally, Captain the effects of the time distortions are now being felt in the Ilecom System.

It's us, before we stepped into the turbolift.

It's happening again.

I feel no disorientation.

Nor do I.

What was that?

I believe what could be termed as the Manheim effect is becoming more pronounced.

This is where we started.

If we are us.

Oh, we are us, sir but they are also us so, indeed, we are both us... at different points along the same time continuum.

Bridge.

( beeping )

What have you learned?

We have completed a scan of the planet's surface, sir.

We've discovered the second lab.

It's on the far side of the planet-- completely destroyed.

Unable to determine what caused it.

Otherwise, very little to clarify this situation.

Our sensors show an immense volume of energy emanating deep within the planet and concentrated near Manheim's remaining laboratory.

How is the energy being used?

No idea.

What's its source?

I cannot be sure, sir but I believe Manheim has developed a method for harnessing energy from the pulsar.

RIKER: It comes down to this, Captain-- we've learned everything we can from here and we are no closer to understanding it than we were 12 hours ago.

Manheim is unable to help us but, hopefully, having been a good scientist, he kept notes.

I would need to study Manheim's records, sir.

In order to do that we're going to have to go down there.

What about the defense system Mrs. Manheim spoke of?

It may have been connected to the main system and when she lowered the shields she may have turned that off, as well.

If not, we'll deal with it as best we can.

Prepare your team.

Aye, sir.

Coordinates set?

Yes, sir.

Energize.

There's a lack of integrity at the landing point.

I'm losing them.

Bring them back-- now!

Chief Herbert, what's going on?

There seems to be some kind of strange bouncing effect.

I can't get them to materialize.

My readings aren't complete.

Keep trying.

What are we doing back here?

You're lucky you made it back at all, sir.

Where am I?

Paul?

Thank God.

You're on the USS Enterprise.

They answered your distress signal.

I sent one?

Oh Paul, you're going to be just fine.

No, I am not fine, Jenice.

I'm not even close to fine.

Bridge, this is Dr. Crusher.

Professor Manheim is conscious.

MANHEIM: Remember, it was worth it.

What happened, what will happen, all of it.

It was all worth it.

Again.

It's changing again.

What is?

What do you see?

I am having difficulty.

With what? Are you in pain?

I have been on the other side.

I have touched another dimension.

Part of me is still there.

Help him.

Try to stay calm, Dr. Manheim.

I don't think it's going to help you, struggling against it.

My mind is floating between two places.

It is difficult to know which is which.

There is no way to explain it.

Dr. Manheim, I'm Captain Picard.

The same one?

She has told me about you.

Not all, but enough.

We need your help.

The situation is not good.

It will get worse.

What do we do? How do we stop it?

I am having difficulty holding the moment.

Doctor, this is Lieutenant Commander Data.

Will you explain the situation to him?

I am fully versed, sir, on all your theories regarding time and gravity.

How is that possible?

I am not even fully versed on all my theories.

I am an android.

Android? On a Starfleet vessel?

I am the only one, sir.

Your knowledge is useless because the work we have done here has made most of those theories obsolete.

Then you have harnessed a dynamic energy source.

Then you do understand, yes.

We were able to locate an energy source in the center of this planetoid.

We learned to enhance it, to focus it.

Everything worked too well.

The energy from the pulsar.

The energy from the planetoid.

We opened a crack... a window into another dimension.

The time distortion we felt.

Felt?

Then it is not confined to the planetoid?

The range is at least several thousand light years.

Captain, it must be stopped.

You must help me to execute a controlled shut-down of this experiment.

Get my notes.

They are in the lab.

How do we bypass the security system?

I'll give you the correct coordinates to beam safely down to Vandor and the codes you need to bypass security systems to get into my lab.

( gasps )

If what the professor has given me is accurate it is possible to repair the damage but it must be perfectly timed to coincide with another time distortion episode.

Can we predict the timing?

I believe so, sir.

We have to.

If we don't seal that hole, this other dimension he's opened will rip into the fabric of the galaxy.

Reality as we perceive it will not be the same.

Lieutenant Worf. Yes, sir?

I want those codes that Manheim gave Mr. Data rechecked and then checked again.

No one is beaming down to Vandor unless we can be reasonably sure they can get through.

Aye, sir.

I'm sorry for intruding.

I was told I'd find you here.

You're not intruding.

We're just finished. Come in.

Thank you.

I knew you wouldn't come to me.

No, not under these circumstances.

We have unfinished business.

Yes, we do.

Why didn't you come to meet me that last day in Paris?

I was afraid.

I didn't want this.

What?

The truth.

Oh, you want me to lie?

Of course.

A nice, soft, painless lie.

Oh, I got the days confused.

I thought it was Tuesday when it was Wednesday.

I went to the Cafe Moulin instead of the Cafe des Artistes.

Ah, that's better.

It was raining and you couldn't find a cab.

Mm-hmm.

I waited all day.

And it was raining.

It rained the rest of the week.

I went to Starfleet Headquarters looking for you but you'd already shipped out.

So, come on, Jean-Luc.

Let's hear the truth.

It was fear.

Fear of seeing you, losing my resolve.

Fear of staying.

Losing myself.

Fear that neither of these choices was right and that either would have...

For a long time, not a day went by that I didn't look up into the sky and wonder.

Each time that I returned to Earth my thoughts were filled with you.

I've thought a lot about this over the years.

And perhaps you're leaving out your greatest fear.

The real reason you left.

Which was?

That life with me would have somehow made you ordinary.

( chuckling )

You're wonderful.

And am I that transparent?

Only to me.

I wish I could talk to you, Professor Manheim.

I bet you were really something.

( moaning )

Deanna.

I wanted to see how he was doing.

The same.

Nothing I do seems to make any difference.

That's not why you're here.

I thought I was the empath.

Are you all right?

Why wouldn't I be?

I've got one of the medical wonders of the galaxy dying in my Sick Bay.

That's not what I meant.

I don't think I want to talk about what I think you mean.

Captain Picard...

I can't compete with a ghost from his past.

No one could.

She's not a ghost.

She's here right now.

She may be in the here and now but it's the ghost he sees.

Excuse me.

I have to get back to my patient.

How soon, Mr. Data?

If Dr. Manheim's information is correct by my calculations the next time distortion should occur between 28 to 47 minutes.

CRUSHER: Bridge, this is Sick Bay.

Dr. Manheim is awake and asking to speak to you, Captain.

Alone.

On my way, Doctor.

You asked for me.

I am not sure that I remembered all of the codes for the security system.

You should warn anyone going down there.

Thank you. I'll tell them to be cautious.

What I really wanted to talk to you about is Jenice.

Dr. Manheim, I did not come here to discuss your wife.

It is only this.

If anything should go wrong please take care of her for me.

Of course.

She never would admit this but she has had a terrible time these last years.

Had we not been so isolated she might have left me and I never would have known.

At least, not right away.

Perhaps I am not a man who should have a woman like her.

She deserves better.

You underestimate her.

I know, because I once did.

In both cases, the time distortions occurred along the same continuum as a preview or a reprise of a specific point in time.

Where we are, where we were and where we will be.

Data, I want this to be an away team of one-- you.

I don't think there's any reason to risk anyone else.

It is reasonable, sir.

After all, I am a machine, and dispensable.

"Indispensable" is the appropriate word.

I think it should be only you because you seem more able to control the effects of the time distortion.

Oh, I see, sir. That is quite true, sir.

I see time as a constant whereas humans perceive time as flexible.

Hence the expression

"time flies when you're having fun" which, until now, has always confused me.

Well, I want you to put a stitch in time and save much more than nine.

Sir?

If other members of the away team became disoriented it could create additional problems and perhaps increase the danger.

I will go immediately, sir.

Good luck, Data.

All right.

We have the coordinates exactly as the professor specified.

Enterprise.

Picard.

I am proceeding to the lab, sir.

Maintain an open frequency, Mr. Data.

Aye, sir.

( power humming )

( electrical static )

Mr. Data, what's going on?

Dr. Manheim forgot to mention one of his security precautions, sir.

I am proceeding into the laboratory.

( chiming roar )

PICARD: Mr. Data, this channel will remain open.

Please continue to report.

This appears to be the instrument

Dr. Manheim described.

It should confirm when the next time effect will occur.

Data, did Manheim give you enough information to decipher the security code?

I will know in a moment, sir.

According to calculations the next time effect will occur in one minute, 30 seconds.

What's the next step, Mr. Data?

I will need to add a specific amount of antimatter to rebalance and align the system.

PICARD: Will that plug the hole?

Theoretically, yes.

In reality, I do not know.

When the effect hits the force fields will align opening a clean, straight path to the other dimension.

Whatever the time distortion

I must add the antimatter at the appropriate moment.

Geordi, if the professor was right

I will need a 27-second countdown.

You've got it, Data.

Captain, I now have the antimatter and am moving towards the opening at the end of the lab.

The next time distortion should occur within seconds.

Geordi, begin countdown on my mark.

Now.

LA FORGE: 27, 26, 25...

( echoing ): 24-4, 23-3, 22-2, 21-1, 20...

Captain there appear to be three of us.

Should I drop the antimatter or wait for one of you?

Only one of us is in the correct time continuum.

Which one?

Me.

It's me.

LA FORGE: Fi-fi-five, fo-fo-four, thr-thr-three tw-tw-two, one-one-one. Now-now-now.

PICARD: Data, report.

Are you all right?

Yes, sir.

PICARD: Is it closed?

It is well-patched, sir.

Closed indicates a permanent condition which I cannot guarantee.

Patched is good enough.

Well done.

Beam back immediately.

With pleasure, sir.

This is amazing.

All your readings are completely normal.

Where is my wife? Is she all right?

She's right here.

Jenice.

Paul.

The effect has been reversed.

I can feel it.

We're safe.

How is he?

He needs rest.

There might be some residual effects but other than that, he'll be all right.

I feel like I am coming out of a long tunnel.

It's there.

Not at all like I thought it would be-- different.

Describe it.

I can't. Not yet.

The only words that fit are too pale because the images are so vibrant.

It's not like anything, anyone has ever experienced before.

There was.... no, no, there is this kind of life-- not like us, not like this...

What's the condition of my lab?

Intact, for the most part.

Don't tell me we're going back.

Oh, Jenice, we are so close.

We have learned so much to walk away.

Besides, we owe it to the others, our friends.

There have been so many sacrifices by so many good people.

We'll be going back.

Mm-hmm, yes, I can see that.

I'm sure the Federation will want to help in any way that it can.

Thank you.

This time, it will be different.

I promise.

( laughing )

It always is, my love.

You said my life would never be dull and it never has been.

Thank you.

Computer, this is Counselor Troi.

Request access.

Do you wish to terminate the current program?

No, continue the program.

Enter when ready.

The Captain is waiting for you inside.

How is this possible?

It's Paris.

Unbelievable.

Madame, this way.

The Captain is waiting for you.

This is so real.

Bien sur. Pourquoi pas?

Jean-Luc, don't tell me how you did it.

I don't care.

It's perfect.

It's as if we were really there.

I wanted to say good-bye properly this time.

( champagne fizzing )

I shall always picture you here.

( glasses clink )

I expect you to always come charging to my rescue.

I'll do my best.

Good-bye, Jean-Luc.

Be well.

And you.

Thank you for Paris.

Well, so much for my dramatically romantic exit.

Is anything wrong?

No, sir.

Then set course for Sarona VIII.

As I remember we were on our way for some much-needed shore leave.

Course plotted and laid in, sir.

Warp five.

Engage.

I've only been there once, but they've got this great club.

I don't remember the name of it-- they serve those blue concoctions.

It's across the square from the Zanza Men's Dance Palace.

It's called the Blue Parrot Cafe.

And you're buying.