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Descent: Part 2

ANNOUNCER: Last time on Star Trek: The Next Generation...

Stop.

Stop!

Stop!

It was just after I had killed the Borg.

I felt something.

I believe... it was... pleasure.

I don't believe they were part of the Borg collective.

One of them referred to himself as "I."

The only Borg who had a name was Hugh.

We are Hugh.

PICARD: He was here in this room.

I could have rid the Federation of a mortal threat and I let him go.

The Borg have established several transwarp conduits through subspace.

DATA: Get down!

I was like you once-- without feeling but the one helped me.

He can help you, too.

He can help you find emotion.

You will not resist what you've wanted all your life.

If the Borg should attack don't wait for me or anyone else to return to the ship but take the Enterprise to the transwarp conduit.

Return to Federation space.

( Borg chattering )

MAN: Stop!

Lore.

The sons of Soong have joined together.

And together we will destroy the Federation.

ANNOUNCER: And now, the conclusion.

What do you think of my followers, Picard?

Impressive, aren't they?

I'm not particularly impressed.

All you've done is teach them to enjoy killing.

DATA: You are wrong, Captain.

My brother and I serve a much higher purpose.

Data, I can sense feelings in you.

Yes. My brother has made that possible.

He gave you the chip-- the one Dr. Soong made for you.

( scoffs )

No, no, no, no, no.

I still have the emotional program my father designed.

I wouldn't want to give it up.

It's what has given me such a strong sense of family-- an intense desire to reunite with my dear brother.

How did he do it, Data?

What made you decide to come here?

I am talking to you, Picard.

I will tell you all you need to know.

You're controlling him and you've corrupted the Borg.

( sighing )

You simply don't understand, do you?

You have no idea of what has happened here-- how I found my true calling how the Borg found something to believe in.

I would like to learn about that but I want Data to tell us.

I told you,

I will tell you what you need to know.

How about that, Data?

He won't even let you talk.

Do not try to drive a wedge between us, Captain.

I am loyal to my brother.

LORE: You see, Picard?

He's not your pawn anymore.

I've helped him to break free just as I've helped them.

Look at them.

Look at what I've helped them become.

They're no longer simply mindless automatons.

They're passionate.

Alive.

Are you saying that you caused them to become individuals?

No. You did that-- you and your friends.

All I did was clean up the mess you made when that Borg you befriended returned to his ship.

Hugh interfaced with the others and transferred his sense of individuality to them.

It nearly destroyed them.

Data, do you remember when Hugh was on board the Enterprise?

Do you remember what you were like then?

That doesn't matter.

It matters to me.

I want to know what has happened to Data.

What's important is what I've done here-- how I found my calling.

I know now why I was created.

No one can ever take that away from me.

Without me, they would have perished.

When I stumbled on their ship, they were lost, disoriented.

They had no idea how to function as individuals.

They couldn't even navigate their own vessel.

They had lost their sense of purpose.

Well, I gave them their purpose and they gave me mine.

The Borg aspire to the perfection my brother and I represent-- fully artificial life-forms.

We are their future.

The reign of biological life-forms is coming to an end.

You, Picard... and those like you...

... are obsolete.

Take them, brother.

( buzz of Borg conversation )

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.

♪♪

CRUSHER: Acting Captain's log, supplemental.

The skeleton crew left on board the Enterprise

is unable to help in the search for Commander Data.

The planet's unusual EM field

is interfering with the ship's sensors

severely limiting their effectiveness.

Ensign, we need to modify the sensor array to filter out these EM pulses.

Can you do that?

Yes, sir.

I-I think so.

What's your name?

Taitt, sir.

I don't think I've seen you before.

I was just posted here six weeks ago.

Well, Taitt, bet you never thought you'd be serving as tactical officer after only six weeks.

No, sir, I sure didn't.

I think I've filtered out some of the sensor noise.

I'll bring the modifications on line.

Good work.

Riker to Enterprise.

Go ahead, Will.

I can't contact the captain.

It could just be interference, but I'd like to be sure.

Understood.

Enterprise to Captain Picard.

Crusher to Picard.

I'm not getting a com signal from anyone on the captain's team.

The last time they checked in they were investigating a structure in section Gamma 2-5.

Sir, I'm picking up a vessel closing in on our location.

Is it a Borg ship?

It seems to match the configuration of the ship the Enterprise encountered at Ohniaka III.

Red alert.

How long before they're in weapons range?

Uh, about 90 seconds.

No, no, make that 70 seconds.

Crusher to transporter room three.

Salazar here, sir.

Start transporting the away teams off of the surface.

Aye, sir.

Use the transporters in the cargo bay if you have to.

I want those teams up here as fast as possible.

Armstrong, you and the others prepare to beam up. Aye, sir.

Beverly, Worf and I will stay down here and look for the captain's team.

I'm not going to leave you down there.

You pull as many people off the surface as you can and get back to the transwarp conduit.

The captain's orders were to get the Enterprise back to Federation space.

Acknowledged.

Riker out.

Prepare to leave orbit.

Sir, the Borg ship is powering up its forward weapons array.

They'll be in firing range in... in 20 seconds.

Salazar, how many people do we still have down there?

73, sir.

Put the Borg ship on screen.

Should I raise shields, sir?

Not yet.

I want to keep bringing people up until the last possible second.

TAITT: Ten seconds.

Stand by to raise shields and break orbit on my mark.

Five seconds.

Mark.

Shields down to 70%.

Establish a frequency shift firing pattern and return fire.

Uh... right.

Direct hit. No damage.

Helm, set a course for the conduit, maximum warp.

ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

Sir, the Borg aren't following us.

Salazar, how many people did we leave behind?

47, sir.

Another minute and we would have had them.

Riker to any team leader.

Lieutenant Powell here, sir.

Round up everybody who was left behind take cover and try to avoid any contact with the Borg.

Aye, sir.

Riker out.

Even if Beverly can get back to Federation space it will be a few days until Starfleet can get any ships here.

Until then, we're on our own.

Data, you must realize that something has happened to you.

The Data I know would never have agreed to be a willing party to Lore's plan.

I now realize that my life aboard the Enterprise was a waste.

My quest to become human misguided-- an evolutionary step in the wrong direction.

Data, all I'm sensing from you is anger and hatred.

Have you felt any other emotions?

There are no other emotions.

Data, just because you haven't experienced certain emotions doesn't mean they don't exist.

Lore is only feeding you the negative ones.

Counselor Troi herself told me that feelings are not negative or positive.

It is how we act on them that makes them good or bad.

Fine but what about the things that Lore is proposing?

What about the lives that have already been lost?

You simply do not understand.

In a quest such as ours, sacrifices have to be made.

It is regrettable but the greater good must be served.

Give me your VISOR.

Why?

Give it to me or I will take it by force.

( sighing )

I am not your puppet anymore.

Sir, we've reached the coordinates of the conduit.

The tachyon matrix is energized and ready to go and Lieutenant Barnaby has returned from the surface.

He'll be relieving me.

Right. Stand by to trigger the conduit.

Taitt, I want you to stay on the bridge.

I'll need a science officer at the aft station.

Yes, sir.

Helm, set a course to return to the planet.

ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

I'm not leaving those people stranded back there.

An emergency buoy can transmit a copy of our log entries to Starfleet just as easily as we can.

Ensign, prepare a buoy and launch it when ready.

Aye, sir.

CRUSHER: Lieutenant, open the conduit.

TAITT: Launching buoy now, sir.

Lieutenant, scan for any Borg ships between here and the planet.

Sensors detect no vessels.

We have to assume the ship that attacked us is still in orbit.

How long will we have before they can detect us and intercept?

If their sensors function as well as ours it could be as little as 30 seconds.

Crusher to Salazar.

How long will it take to get the rest of the crew off the surface?

One minute should do it.

We don't have one minute.

How much can you shave off that?

If I could get a good lock on them quickly

I might be able to do it in 45 or 50 seconds.

We need to buy ourselves 15 seconds.

Lieutenant, is there any way we can use the planet as a barrier to keep the Borg from realizing we're in orbit?

We can enter orbit while they're on the far side of the planet.

And if we delay dropping out of warp until the last possible instant we could gain a few more seconds.

TAITT: If your calculations are even slightly off, we'd hit the atmosphere.

I'll just have to be sure my calculations are accurate,

Ensign.

Let's do it.

Helm, hard about.

ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

Still no sign of the structure.

With all this interference it could be 100 meters away and we wouldn't know it.

This could take hours.

I'm picking up a faint energy reading.

Residual thermal traces.

Somebody stood here.

The decay rate indicates it could be human.

They took this path.

There you are, brother.

Here is the VISOR.

May I ask why you wanted it.

Thought it might look good on me.

What do you think?

Maybe we should work on your sense of humor, brother.

Actually, I was thinking La Forge's implants might make him an ideal test subject for my experiment.

All of the Borg you have experimented on so far have suffered extensive brain damage.

Using the humans to perfect the procedure will allow us to prevent any further Borg deaths.

I understand.

Good.

What is it?

This Borg has disconnected himself from the others.

He would not let me hear his thoughts.

( sighs )

I've asked you to stay linked to Crosis at all times.

You know that, don't you?

Yes.

I know this must be difficult for you.

I know how uncertain you must feel.

All of these sensations are new and they can be frightening.

Isn't that right?

Yes.

I have doubts.

Of course, you do.

It's only natural.

No one is going to blame you for that.

But in order to lose those doubts to keep fear and confusion away

I need you to remain linked to the others so that their strength and their confidence can help you.

I need you, Goval.

I need you to help me build a future for the Borg.

I can't do it without you.

Will you help me?

Yes, I will.

Lore must have told Data to take my VISOR because he realized I could see a carrier wave that was radiating from him.

A carrier wave?

Is that how he's manipulating Data?

I think what's happening is that Lore is tapping into the chip he stole from Dr. Soong and somehow he's found a way to transmit part of that emotional program to Data.

But the only emotions Data seems to feel are negative.

Yeah, I'm sure that's intentional.

But in order for Data to be affected by those emotions

Lore would have had to disable his ethical program first.

Can we reactivate it?

If I can generate a phased Kedion pulse at the right frequency, that would trigger

Data's subsystems, and reboot the program.

And although Lore would still be feeding him negative emotions at least Data might listen to us.

Right.

I think it's worth a try.

So, got any ideas on how we generate a Kedion pulse?

( force-field deactivates )

Data, where are you taking him?

That is not your concern.

Data, wait. Let us talk to you.

( distant voices )

( mechanical whirring )

Commander.

( footsteps approaching )

Hugh?

Why are you here Commander Riker?

Hasn't the crew of the Enterprise caused enough damage already?

So, you blame us for what has happened to the Borg?

You gave me a sense of individuality changed me, then sent me back to the collective.

You must have known that change would be passed on to others.

We considered it.

We knew it was a possibility.

Then you made it possible for Lore to dominate us.

I cannot accept that.

Lore is only one.

The Borg could have stopped him.

You don't know the condition we were in when he found us.

Before my experience on the Enterprise the Borg were a single-minded collective.

The voices in our heads were smooth and flowing but after I returned those voices began to change.

They became uneven, discordant.

For the first time individual Borg had differing ideas about how to proceed.

We couldn't function.

Some Borg fought each other.

Others simply shut themselves down.

Many starved to death.

And then, Lore came along.

You probably can't imagine what it is like to be so lost and frightened that you will listen to any voice which promises change.

Even if that voice insists on controlling you?

That's what we wanted-- someone to show us a way out of confusion.

Lore promised clarity and purpose.

At the beginning, he seemed like a savior.

The promise of becoming a superior race-- of becoming fully artificial-- was compelling.

We gladly did everything he asked of us but, after a while, it became clear that Lore had no idea how to keep his promise.

That's when he began talking about the need for us to make sacrifices.

Before we realized it, this was the result.

RIKER: What happened to them?

Lore began to experiment trying to remake us in his image.

This is the result of my encounter with the Enterprise, Commander.

So you can see

I don't particularly welcome your presence here.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

We just came to get our people.

We won't cause you any more trouble.

Tell me about my friend.

Friend?

The human called Geordi.

I wish I could tell you about him.

We think he may be held inside the compound.

I cannot help you.

I cannot risk our being discovered.

Could you at least show us a way into the compound?

These caverns lead to tunnels which run beneath the compound.

Some of them connect with the environmental control ducts.

Show us.

If we could determine the geography of the compound we could form a rescue plan.

( beeping )

Data?

Who's there?

( Picard's voice ): Geordi.

Captain...

( Picard's voice ): Shh. We're getting out of here.

Come on, hurry.

Data was just here.

I think he went to get something.

( normal voice ): Too late.

My brother suggested

I try to develop my sense of humor.

What do you think?

I think it needs a little work.

( whirring )

What's happening?

I'm attempting to neutralize your pain receptors.

What are you going to do to me?

I'm implanting nano-cortical fibers in your cerebrum.

They are designed to learn and mimic your neural firing patterns.

Once they are in place

I will destroy the existing brain cells.

Then we will see if the artificial neural network is able to take over your cognitive functions.

Data, listen.

Lore is controlling you.

He's transmitting a carrier wave, which is affecting your positronic matrix.

If the procedure is successful your cognitive processing functions will be considerably improved.

Don't you care that he's manipulating you?

However, there is a 60% chance you will not survive the procedure.

I don't care much for those odds.

Hmm...

They are cause for concern.

However, I still have Counselor Troi and Captain Picard.

Odds are at least one of the procedures will be successful.

TROI: Help me!

He tried to escape.

The force-field sent him into neural shock.

If he dies, Lore will blame you.

( groaning )

See if the corridor is empty.

( gasping )

Drop it, or I'll break his neck.

Take him.

What have you done to him?

I will be back for him later.

Geordi, are you in pain?

No, I'm just a little dizzy.

I was able to take part of a transceiver from the guard's interlink system.

I think that it uses some kind of phased pulse technology.

Do you think it could be modified to generate a Kedion pulse that would reboot Data's program?

Yeah. Yeah, it's possible.

See if you can locate the phase modulation circuitry.

I'll watch the door.

( clicking )

( beeping )

All right.

I think that I've found it.

Okay, good.

Now, do you see anything that we might be able to use as a flux inhibitor?

Hmm...

Sensors still can't locate the Borg ship.

I'm trying to filter out the interference.

We'll be within transporter range in 19 seconds.

I'm starting to get sensor resolution.

CRUSHER: There's the ship.

We'll enter orbit here.

Helm, new course-- heading 052 mark 7.

ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

Stand by to drop out of warp in eight seconds.

TAITT: Once we're in orbit we should have about 45 seconds before they intercept us.

Let's hope it's enough time.

BARNABY: Emergency deceleration in five seconds.

Hold on.

Report.

We're in standard orbit, sir.

The Borg ship is on the planet's far side and is moving to intercept.

Bridge to transporter rooms, begin evacuations.

The Borg will be in weapons range in 32 seconds.

We still can't locate Captain Picard's team and there's no sign of Commander Riker or Lieutenant Worf.

Crusher to Salazar. Report.

We're pulling the last teams off right now but there are six people still unaccounted for.

CRUSHER: Keep trying.

BARNABY: Borg ship is powering up its weapons array.

Come on, Chief, it's now or never.

TAITT: They're preparing to fire.

Raise shields.

( explosion )

BARNABY: The port nacelle has been hit.

Helm, get us out of here.

ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

We've lost warp engines.

Evasive maneuvers, full impulse.

TAITT: Shields down to 80%.

Fire phasers.

Direct hit.

No damage to the Borg ship.

Shields down to 73%.

What's the status of the warp engines?

Still down. We can't outrun them.

Helm, set a new course-- heading 344 mark 6.

Full impulse. ENSIGN: Aye, sir.

Sir, that heading takes us directly into the sun.

The data banks should contain information on a process called metaphasic shielding.

I know about that research.

Commander La Forge was developing a program that would implement metaphasic properties.

Right, how far along was he?

Well, it's in the data banks but it's never been tested.

If we had metaphasic shielding, we could enter the sun's corona but the Borg ship wouldn't be able to follow.

Can you bring the program on line?

I can, but we have no way of knowing if the shields will hold.

Sir, hull temperature is rising-- now at 12,000 degrees C.

Radiation level nearing 10,000 rads.

Report.

Shields at 62%.

Lieutenant, activate the metaphasic program.

It's our best shot.

Aye, sir.

Hull temperature is critical.

We can't withstand this heat much longer.

Program is on line.

Engaging metaphasic shield now.

Hull temperature dropping.

Down to 7,000 degrees.

Maintain course.

Borg ship has broken off pursuit.

All stop.

Sir, the Borg ship is taking up position relative to ours.

They're going to wait for us to come out.

The question is, how long can we survive in here?

Well...

I've done everything that Geordi told me.

Now to activate it.

How are we going to know whether the pulse reboots Data's ethical program?

We'll only tell that when we see his behavior.

Won't he realize something's happened to him?

No, that's one program among thousands.

I just hope that this force-field has enough energy... to trigger the pulse.

You know, Data

I've been thinking about some of the times we've had.

Like that time we went sailing on Devala lake.

You remember that?

I have a complete memory record of that day.

( chuckling )

You decided to go swimming and when you jumped out of the boat you sank straight to the bottom.

I did not have enough buoyancy to get back to the surface.

You had to walk over a kilometer along the bottom to get back to shore.

One kilometer, 46 meters.

It took almost two weeks to get the water out of your servos.

I am ready to irradiate your existing brain cells.

Data... if you ever go back to the way you were you might not be able to forgive yourself for what you're about to do.

I am getting some anomalous readings from your neural net.

I will need to do further testing before... I proceed.

Someone will come and take you back to your cell.

There you are, brother.

Have you made any progress with La Forge?

It is too early to tell if the nano-cortical fibers performed their function.

I suspect none of the humans will survive the process but then... it's their own fault, isn't it?

They never should have come here.

What were they thinking?

They came looking for me.

Oh, humans are so sentimental.

I betrayed them.

If they die, I am responsible.

Why are you talking like that?

Is something wrong with your programming?

Maybe I should check your systems.

I do not want you to check my systems.

I must resolve these issues myself.

I think I made a mistake.

I don't believe you can tolerate the amount of emotion I've given you.

Perhaps I should cut back a little.

( gasps )

How's that?

I do not like it.

Then you prefer to have more emotions?

Yes.

They give you pleasure?

Yes, please, I want more.

All right.

A little more... for now.

Aren't you going to thank me?

Thank you.

Don't mention it.

I just hope this helps to clarify things for you.

I'm concerned about my brother, Crosis.

I don't believe he really wants to be a part of our great future.

Sir, metaphasic shielding is losing integrity.

Can you stabilize it?

No. We won't be able to stay in here longer than another three or four minutes.

Do we have warp engines yet?

Last estimate was another half hour.

Sir, I think I have an idea.

I think it's possible we could induce a solar fusion eruption that would destroy the Borg ship.

What?

We'd need to direct a highly energetic particle beam onto the sun's surface.

That should produce a superfluid gas eruption.

If we target the right spot the eruption would envelop the Borg ship.

How do you know this will work?

I did my senior honors thesis on solar dynamics.

Excuse me, sir but this isn't the academy and a student thesis is a long way from a workable plan.

I've already configured the tractor emitters to create the particle beam and I've located the target point on the surface.

If her calculations are off that eruption could encompass us.

Well, I'll just have to make sure my calculations are accurate, Lieutenant.

Let's do it.

Yes, sir.

The target area of the photosphere is destabilizing.

Pressure wave expansion is accelerating.

Subsurface fusion has been initiated.

An eruption is forming on the surface.

She did it.

The Borg ship has been destroyed, sir.

CRUSHER: Helm, take us back to the planet full impulse.

Aye, sir.

Well done, Taitt.

You're killing him.

He won't survive another session.

I did not come for him.

I came for you.

( groaning softly )

Data, it's not too late.

If you remove the fibers, then Geordi might yet recover.

That would not be possible.

Why? Because Lore tells you so?

It is for the greater good.

Good?

Data, isn't good and bad, right and wrong a function of your ethical program?

That is correct.

And what does that program tell you about what you're doing to Geordi?

About what you and Lore are doing to the Borg?

It tells you that these things are wrong doesn't it, Data?

So how can actions that are wrong lead to a greater good?

You are attempting to confuse me.

No, you're not confused, Data.

You're sensing the truth.

Your ethical program is fighting the negative emotions that Lore is sending you.

Ah, Captain.

Thank you so much for joining us.

You are going to assist me... in a most important ceremony.

We can use the environmental control ducts to get into the compound.

They should lead us to the detention area.

We'll have to move fast.

If we need to stun one of the guards the Borg will know right away if he's been hurt.

When they realize your escape route may be compromised.

I guess we'll have to take that chance.

Good luck, Commander.

It's time to put aside all doubts, brother.

It's time to close the door on the past and commit yourself to the great work that lies ahead of us.

I need to know I can count on you.

As proof, I want you to kill Picard.

No... that would be wrong.

I didn't think you'd be able to do it.

You've spent too many years among humans.

Hold him.

I've asked many sacrifices of you-- sacrifices I knew were necessary in order to build a better future.

I want you to know that I ask no more of you than I am prepared to give myself.

I am willing to make the greatest sacrifice of all...

... my own... dear brother.

Good-bye, Data.

No!

( Borg yelling )

( yelling continues )

( grunting )

( grunting and groaning )

Lore.

You should be careful with that, brother.

Someone could get hurt.

What are you doing?

I've got a way out of here.

I'm willing to forget what happened back there-- take you with me.

We don't need anyone else.

We're brothers.

I'll give you the chip our father made.

It contains much more than just emotions.

It has memories.

Memories... our father wanted you to have.

( groans )

Lore, I must deactivate you now.

( speaking haltingly ): Without me you will never feel emotion again.

I know... but you leave me no other choice.

( beeping )

( voice slowing ): I... love you... brother.

Good-bye, Lore.

What about Geordi and Troi?

The Enterprise is in orbit.

I had them beamed aboard.

Lore is no longer functioning, sir.

He must be disassembled so that he is no longer a threat.

Welcome back, Data.

Thank you, sir.

What made you change your mind, Hugh?

Perhaps my encounter with the Enterprise affected me more than I realized.

What will you do now?

( sighing )

I don't know.

We can't go back to the Borg collective and we no longer have a leader here.

I'm not sure that's true.

Perhaps in time, we will learn to function as individuals

and work together as a group.

Good luck, Hugh.

Good-bye.

Captain's Log, Stardate 47025.4.

We have returned to Federation space

and are en route to Starbase 295.

Mr. La Forge remains under Dr. Crusher's care.

( door chiming )

Enter.

Hi, Data.

I wanted to let you know that Dr. Crusher says

I'll be able to return to duty soon.

I am... relieved that the injuries

I inflicted on you are not permanent.

What's that?

This is the chip my father created for me so that I could experience emotion.

I had it removed from Lore's body before he was dismantled.

Does it work?

No.

I am pleased to say it was damaged when I was forced to fire on Lore.

Pleased?

Data, you've wanted emotions your whole life.

Yes.

But emotions are responsible for what I did to you.

I would never risk letting that happen again.

My friendship with you is too important to me.

Data, I wouldn't be very much of a friend if I let you give up on a lifelong dream now would I?

Maybe someday... when you're ready.

♪♪