". . . and as the
Universal Mind is not ruled by any external existence, likewise the firmament in Man (his
individual sphere of mind) is not subject to the rule of any creature, but is an
independent and powerful whole."
--Paracelsus
16th Century, Earth |
 |
"Soul Mates"
Act Breakdown: |
Geordi La Forge falls victim to a mysterious fatal illness when
the Enterprise arrives at the planet Galis to salvage a seemingly-inoperative vessel from
a decaying orbit. The crew of the vessel -- a previously unencountered race of beings --
suffers from the same ailment.
A team of scientists and an emissary duo (an elderly man and a
young girl) from Galis beam aboard for support. Sarla, the young girl, grows attached to
Data as she assists him in his quest for answers -- until she realizes he is a machine
and, to put it in her words, ". . . has no soul!" Riker and Worf discover
a punctured canister in the vessel's cargo hold.
Sarla grows silent as the crew of the Enterprise disagrees over
the varied definitions of a "soul." Data deciphers part of the vessel's log. One
of the aliens dies as Data examines the punctured canister from the vessel and it explodes
-- releasing its entire contents into the Enterprise's atmosphere.
Sarla grows hostile toward Data. An autopsy of the dead alien
uncovers a connection to Geordi and his VISOR. Contents from the canister are found
flushed throughout the dead alien's body. Troi has a nightmare where she sees a ghostly
energy cloud chase down one of the aliens in the hallways of the Enterprise. She wakes to
an apparition of Geordi mutating from a wall -- another dimension -- and realizes he is
somehow still very much alive.
Data suspects whatever has come aboard the Enterprise is sentient.
He comes across a series of schematics in the ship's log that lead him to activate a
contraption in the vessel's cargo hold. Sarla confronts him, realizing he is acting on his
own and without orders -- something a machine would never do. She reluctantly joins
him and together they commence to clear the Enterprise's atmosphere of the canister's
released contents. The crew is alerted just as Data activates the contraption and -- much
to his and Sarla's dismay -- another explosion destroys the room.
Fearing Picard won't allow them back aboard the alien vessel,
they board the craft without permission. Against heightened protest, Data and Sarla release
the contents of the remaining canisters. Moments later, Geordi awakens. The contents were souls
protesting their enslavement -- using Geordi as a hostage and Troi as a liaison. The
aliens die because, as the elderly emissary explains, ". . . the souls took the soul-traders
with them." In an emotional display, Sarla realizes Data is much more than just a
machine and begs forgiveness for her prior actions.
This was written as a sample episodic
television script.
It was not produced.
Preview Star Trek: TNG screenplay
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