998 – Decent Part 2 | Sleeping With TNG
You'll sleep as Lore becomes a bore after dealing with him is a chore, but Data is one I adore, heretofore even more, you can snore.
-
Episode 998 – Decent Part 2 | Sleeping With TNG
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and my patron peeps, what’s up, patron peeps? It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that gives you the sleeps. Thanks, patrons.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether it’s thoughts, things on your mind you’re thinking about, thoughts, feelings, anything you’re feeling emotionally or physically. So, you know, thing…whatever’s…thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine. Whatever it is. It could be…it probably is something else.
Whatever it is, it’s important and I’m here to take your mind off of it and keep you company while you fall asleep or drift off. What I’m gonna attempt to do is create a safe place like I said, where you could set all that aside, try to invite you in, and send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones. Oh, are my tones creaky. How creaky are they, Scoots? Creaky enough that you don’t need to listen to them. Creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents, all so you can drift off, not listen to me, and fall asleep. So, that basically means I’m gonna get mixed up, I’m gonna go off-topic, I’m gonna use words whose meanings I don’t know, and then go back and try to figure it out, then say wait a second, what was that?
Then say wait, was it…what…that made me remember this one time…and then I’ll say wait, am I remembering it correctly? All that stuff, that’s kinda pointless meanders and superfluous tangents. To all my regular listeners, I’m so glad you’re here and that I can help you, and to all my new listeners or potential new listeners…you’re right, I’m being presumptive there. I’m here…let me tell you a little bit about the podcast if you’re new, ‘cause if you’re skeptical or doubtful or you’re unsure, that’s a totally normal way to approach the show. In fact, I’d say that’s a pretty smart way. You say wait, is this supposed to put me to sleep? What are you doing? When does it get started? How or why does it work? I’d say, those are great questions; some of those I kind of barely have answers to.
The other thing I’ve heard from regular listeners is give this show a few tries. It does not necessarily work on the…it doesn’t ever actually work. You’ll kinda get a better understanding in a minute, but the podcast isn’t something that kinda works or doesn’t work. It’s just kinda there. You say wow, really, you’re selling me on this. I say yeah, give it a few tries too, ‘cause it takes some getting used to. On the first try, a lot of people are trying to figure it out or wait for it to get started. This is one podcast that’s…never gets started and is always going at the same time, like that bird that I talk about that my neighbor had one time that was a perpetual motion machine. The only thing…that’s the only thing I’ve ever seen done in perpetual…well, no. Now they have kinda dancing pandas and things like that.
Waving cats; those have usually some solar cells, and those are in perpetual motion as long as they…I mean, they…near-perpetual motion. So, if it was in perpetual motion, you’d say it never got started and in some sense, it’s not going anywhere. If it was like, some sort of…I don’t know. Like, what if the waving cat perpetual motion thing…like, the cat is actually not waving; it’s like it was…it’s moving. You say well, the cat’s not actually moving. It just is under the…it’s creating the illusion of motion. Some of you may be saying Scoots, you lost me. I say, great. I’m already…see? It’s already…it never started and it already did.
So, if you’re new, a couple other things to know; the reason I make the show is twofold or two layers…is one, I’ve been there in…tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, waking up too early or whatever, having to sleep in strange situations or on a thing, or over there, or go to bed early or get up early. I know how all that feels, so if I could help with that, that would be great. But what’s even more important to me is you, because you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a kinda wind-down routine or a bedtime that doesn’t have any dread, like something you could look forward to, and then restful sleep that you need. You deserve that and if I can provide that, that would be great because that means our world’s a better place.
If you’re rested, even a little bit more rested or you start to get a better…slowly you get more and more sleep, that means you could live your life a little bit more fully and be a little bit more present, and that means our world’s a better place. Just a fact, and it is a fact that your sleep is important and you deserve a good night’s sleep. So, that’s why I make the show. A couple other things to know if you’re…this is a podcast you don’t really listen to. That can be really hard to adjust…it’s a podcast to just barely kinda listen. Now, you can listen but if you’re listening, waiting for it to put a…put you to sleep, it kinda works in the way where you’re kinda just listening and you fall asleep. So, it’s a podcast you don’t really listen to. It doesn’t really put you to sleep, either.
I’m here to keep you company and then eventually you just wake up tomorrow or wake up to go to the WC, put the podcast back on. How come they didn’t call the channel the WB the WC? I mean, probably for a lot of reasons. Also because the company that owns it’s WB. Okay, well, we solved that mystery. That was the quickest mystery we’ve ever solved in the history of the podcast. They say, besides the obvious of calling a network the WC, there’s other factual reasons. Okay, fair enough, brain. We got that resolved. We don’t need to…whatever, get caught up on it. Oh, so this is a podcast you don’t listen to. It doesn’t even put you sleep, either. It just is here while you fall asleep. The show is over an hour, so you have plenty of time.
If you can’t sleep for some reason, I’m gonna be here keeping you company to the very end because keeping you company is just as important as you getting the sleep you need, because I know how L-O-N…whatever, however that word is…lone…I know how it can feel in the deep, dark night. There’s a reason dogs howl at the moon and not at the sun. I mean, one, it would be not good for their vision, but two, it captures…or why that’s used as a metaphor; because you say well, it has a certain feeling to it. I say, that’s what I’m here for. Okay, so, let me see if I can even be more confusing. So, the show doesn’t put you to sleep, you don’t listen to it, your sleep is important.
The other thing that can take some getting used to but the regular listeners kinda know what I’m gonna talk about here and they have adjusted for what works for them, is the structure of the show. The structure of the show is very intentional. It kinda goes along with the goals and the values of the podcast. So, the show starts off with a greeting so you feel welcome and seen; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Then there’s listener support and community support, then there’s support for the show via Patreon or sponsors and stuff like that, then there’s our intro. The intro runs between ten and twenty minutes long. It’s not part of the support or anything, though sometimes people think it is, maybe just ‘cause they keep skipping ahead or something.
The intro is a show within a show that serves a purpose of giving you some wind down and ideally getting folded into your own wind-down routine that you discover, whether you listen as you’re getting ready for bed or as you’re in bed or you’re doing some sort of other relaxing activity, or you’re falling asleep. There’s a small percentage of listeners that are falling asleep, or there’s a percentage of listeners that fall asleep, there’s also…3%, 2% of listeners skip head, a few thousand people listen to story-only episodes on Patreon. So, there’s different ways to listen to the intro, but the majority of listeners listen to it as they’re winding down. So, you’re getting kind of…getting ready for bed and slowly slipping into rest. That’s what the intro serves. It’s kind of a…not a…it’s either a warm-up or a cool-down.
Then there’s support for the show, and again, that aligns with…I like the [00:10:00] podcast to be free and twice a week, so that’s sponsor support. Then the podcast episode begins, and tonight we’ll be talking about an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which you don’t necessarily need to understand or watch Star Trek to get it. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on every detail you never wanted to know. So, we’ll talk about that and then there will be some thank-yous. So, that’s the structure of the show. That’s why I make the show. I don’t know, I’m really glad you’re here. I work really hard at this podcast. I yearn and I strive to help you fall asleep, so thanks for checking the podcast out, and here’s a couple ways I’m able to be here for you free twice a week.
Alright everybody, Scoots here. It’s time to get into some Trek here, to descend into a little Trek, if you don’t mind me saying, because we’re covering Part 2 of the episode Descent. It started out Season 7, Episode 1. If you don’t know where we left off, it starts with a recap of everything that happened with their first encounter with the Borg. I guess the Borg rebel ship, I would call it. We get…and Data’s saying stop. Data and Troi…don’t believe…I like how it goes I, then Hugh, then we are Hugh. I just like that progression. This isn’t a linear catch-up, too; it’s really done in a good way. I don’t think it’s linear but I mean, my brain is not exactly linear. Conduits to subspace, Borg…I was like you once, but the one…without feeling. The Borg says Data, sing it without feeling this time. We see Dr. Crusher in charge.
Song of song have joined? I don’t know what that means. Song…sons of Soong have joined together is what it means, Scoots. Oh, thanks, Scoots. Return to Federation space. Now, as the…what does that food maker…the same voice that runs the food maker says; now, the conclusion. But…oh, Data says…or Lore says by the way, we’re gonna put a stop to the Federation. I don’t know if this is the last Borg episode for TNG, but I would say what if it was Borg v Borg? I don’t know. Now knowing what I know, I gotta rewatch some other…the movie and stuff. But we see…I’ll run through my notes first, and then we’ll go through. Confident Lore, dual…dual? D-U-A-L, not the other one. Speaks…no, no, no. Never…oh, there’s a lot of song lyrics here. Never give it up. Intense desire to…something. Revive? Rewrite? Something.
I am talking to you, Picard. Lore sighs. My true calling. Give him something to believe in. After they say never gonna give it up, they say give me something to believe in. I am…Data to tell us. Using phaser as a pointer. Oh, I want Data to tell us. Picard tries the old talking to Data, not to Lore. Lots of talking but really good edits. Yeah, there’s a long discussion sequence like an episode of Sleep With Me, but they put in enough camera shots to make it work. You can’t take that away from me. So, there’s three lyrics. I don’t even…are those songs or lyrics from different songs? But you can’t take that away from me. Lore talks to Borg like a jerk. Purpose as to way…street. Fully artificial bio is over. Lore takes the phasers. You’re obsolete. Take them. More Borg talk or amused Borg talk? This episode doesn’t open ‘til 5:18.
Descent, Part 1. Acting Captain’s Log. I can’t read what I wrote. I think the Enterprise moves slowly from left to right. We have two people on the bridge in blue. I think Hugh…oh, officer Taitt or Lieutenant Taitt. Oh, I think so. Just posted here six weeks ago. Riker; go ahead…will though…Dr. Crusher says stop in or something. Crusher to Picard. They say there’s no signal in the Getty, it’ll look like. A gamma two-five vessel closing in. Let’s go on alert. We got seventy seconds. Salazar, get everyone off the surface. Worf and I will stay, Riker says. Riker out. Twenty-one sec…twenty seconds. Seventy-five still on planet. Mark something. 70%…rev it up, right? No damage. We go left to up…bottom-left to upper-right, maybe. No following. URL later, and then we see it’s Benito Martinez plays Salazar.
Those of you that watched a lot of what would have been called peak TV in the aughts…that was the aughts, right? You said well, it got…that was peak TV back then and it’s peak…you say well, it wasn’t peak. But Benito Martinez is so good, and he’s great as Salazar. Crusher; no happy face with…if sure. Round up…take cover. Riker out. We’ll be a few days on our own. On Our Own; that’s another song. A couple different songs. Picard’s still trying to talk to Data. Takes commander’s anger? Any other emotions? Feeling you negative ones. Feeding you negative ones. It’s how we act on them. But Data puts him undercover. I’m not…he’s not your puppet anymore. Long pause. Alright, so let’s see here. We got…Lore’s about to start his speech. What do you think of my followers, Picard? What do you think of my outfit?
You’re all velvety. Got a velvet Batman bodysuit. Picard says, you’re just teaching them to act amorally or immorally. Then Data says, we serve a higher purpose. Troi says, I have sensed feelings in you. Yep, my brother made that possible. Did he give you the chip? No, no, no. The one Dr. Soong made? No, no, no. I still have the emotional program my father designed, Lore says. I wouldn’t want to give it up. It’s what’s given me a sense of family. Really nice outfit on Lore. Lore could play a superhero or anti-hero. Said, I’m talking to you, Picard. I will tell you all you need to know. Don’t talk to Data. You talk to me. Picard says, you mess with the Borg. Lore shakes his head. You don’t get it, bruh. You got no idea what’s going on, here. This is my true calling, something to believe in, and I’d like to learn about that.
But I want to learn through Data, Picard says. He keeps trying to make eye contact and Lore steps in front of his vision. How about that, Data? Could you talk to us? Lore won’t let you talk. Data says, don’t try to drive a wedge between me and my brother. See? He’s not your pawn anymore. Then, I helped him break free. That could be another song. Just as I’ve helped them. Look at everybody. I’ve helped them become…they’re not mindless autonomatons anymore. They’ve got passion. Alive. Troi says, did you cause them to become individuals? He says, no. Come on, give me a break. You made the mess, Enterprise. Hugh interfaced with everyone, transferred his individuality, and destroyed things. Then they…Picard’s still trying to work it out. He goes, I want to know what’s going on with Data.
Lore says, this…that’s not what’s important. My calling’s important. Now I know why I was created. No one can take that away from me. Without me, these Borg were pointless, disoriented. They couldn’t function. Couldn’t even navigate their own vessel. Lost their sense of purpose, and I gave them their purpose. This episode does echo with metaphors of the last four years. My brother and I represent fully-artificial lifeforms, Data says. [00:20:00] We are their future; teach them well and let them lead the way. Or in Lore’s case, don’t teach them well. Says, you…you’re irrelevant now. So, we’re doing the same thing the Borg are doing, just a different way and different reasoning. We’re not assimilating, either. We’re assumilating. Data walks by him with this stern look on his face.
That’s when we cut to the open. So, quite…yeah, quite some time there. 7:03, 7:04, we get the Acting Captain’s Log Supplemental. Only a small crew left onboard. Can’t help the search for Data ‘cause of the EM field. I’m trying to work on the sensor array, filter out the pulses, and Taitt is doing the best…she goes, what’s your name? Taitt, sir. T-A-I-T-T. Don’t think I’ve seen you before. Yep; new. Six weeks ago. Well, never thought you’d be serving as Tactical Officer after six weeks. No, but that’s why we get amazing training. I’ve filtered out some of the noise. Good work. Riker to Enterprise. Will. We’re on Planet Sepia. Yeah, Enterprise to…we can’t get ahold of Picard. Call him. Crusher tries to call Picard, can’t get a signal. Not anyone on the team. Well, they were going into a…something in gamma two-five, like the Getty.
Then they say Borg ship coming in, here. Matches the configuration of the one on Ohniaka Three. How long do we got? Ninety seconds. Seventy seconds. Alright, get everybody off the planet, Salazar. Salazar goes to work, even using transporters in the Cargo Bay. They start sending people out in groups. She doesn’t want to leave Riker down there. He says your job is to protect the Enterprise; not me. Head back to Federation space. So, she says prepare to leave orbit. Borg’s powering up its forward weapons array. We got twenty seconds. Okay, Salazar, seventy-three people left. Alright, let’s do a face-off with them up ‘til the last second. Keep bringing people up. So, they do that; they don’t put up the shields ‘til the last second. Stand by. Five seconds, and do it. They use the shield, then they take off.
Shields are at 70%. They return fire but it doesn’t do anything. They actually go right by them. The Borg ship looks massive at different times. Okay, conduit maximum warp. The Enterprise, yeah, goes from lower-left to the center of the screen. Borg aren’t following us. Salazar; how many people we got left down there? Forty-seven. Okay, well, another minute we would have had them. Riker to team leader. Yeah, Powell here, sir. Round up everybody who’s left. Avoid contact with the Borg. Riker out. He says okay, we got a couple days, Worf, me and you on our own, just…not the same as when we were on that planet where I can get up to crazy things, but still. Then Data’s walking Picard, Troi, and Geordi into their room, showing them their quarters. I’m part of…I’m a willing party.
My time aboard the Enterprise was a waste of time. He takes their communicators. Goes, it was misguided trying to be a human. Evolutionary step in the wrong direction. Troi says, you’re really irritable. Do you feel any other emotions? Data goes, there are no other emotions. Geordi says just ‘cause you can’t feel them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Lore’s feeding you the negative ones. Data says, Troi said there’s no negative emotions. It’s how we act on them. Then that’s when Picard says well, what about all this…how…what…why are you acting like this, then? Data says, in quests like ours, sometimes you gotta make some sacrifices. It’s regrettable. Greater good must be served. So, I have the theme which obviously they didn’t learn from…they could have played this…say, anyway.
So, then he takes…he’s asking…oh, he asks Geordi for his visor. Take it off, man. Then he leaves. He confiscates Geordi’s visor, closes the door. He’s got a bitter look. I’m not your puppet anymore. He storms off. Picard looks…there’s a long, awkward pause. Then we come back. The Enterprise is center screen moving to the right side, filling the screen. Some more people arrive on the bridge. One, two, three, four, five more officers. Tachyon matrix is ready. Barnaby’s here from the surface. By the way, he’s a know-it-all, so…Taitt, stay on the bridge. I need you as a science officer. She says, sure. Okay, return course to the planet. We’re not leaving them stranded down there. We’ll send a…we’ll use a buoy to send our coordinates. Ensign, send a buoy. Then she says Barnaby, open the conduit.
After we send the buoy, we get to see some buoy action. Scan for Borg ships between here and the planet. No vessels detected. Okay, it must be hiding out somewhere, then. Well, how long will we have, then? Well, if all…if they’re up thirty seconds…then Crusher says Salazar, how long will it take to get everybody off the planet? Says, about a minute. She goes, we don’t got a minute. What’s the fastest? He goes maybe forty-five, fifty seconds. She goes okay, we’re gonna need fifteen seconds. So, she’s really putting Salazar under pressure. Let’s use the planet as a barrier, then. They won’t see us, right, if we’re on one side? Barnaby goes I guess so, yeah. We could drop out of warp at the last possible minute, gain a few seconds. Oh, and then Taitt goes but if you’re…oh, this is interesting.
So, I didn’t realize this was a callback. So, Taitt says yeah, but if your calculations are off…what if we bounce off the atmosphere? He goes, I’ll have to make sure my calculations are accurate. So, she says okay. But he tries to come back with that later. He doesn’t learn his lesson. Hard right, she says. Then we see Riker and Worf out hiking. Same path. We could be looking for hours. Then Worf says, except I got a reading here. Residual thermal traces. Could be human according to the decay rate. Riker goes, they went that-a-way. Then we go to the throne room. Lore and Data are there. He gives him the visor. Why do you want it? Oh, I wanted to wear it. He thinks he’s funny, Lore. Data doesn’t get it so he goes, that’s humor, buddy. It’s not humor though. It’s just Lore being a bully.
But he goes actually, I was gonna…he goes, maybe Geordi could be a cyborg minus the…he goes, but a human, not…and Data goes well, that hasn’t really worked out for the Borg so far. I don’t know if you know what you’re doing, Lore. Lore says yeah, well, if we try it out on them, better than the Borg. Data goes oh, okay, I get it. Then some more Borg march in. He says, this Borg disconnected himself from the others; wouldn’t let Crosis read his thoughts. He goes, why aren’t you staying linked to Crosis? I told you so. The guy’s kinda got a steampunk eye. It looks cool. He goes…Lore goes yeah, I know this is difficult. He really talks down to him but he’s telling him how he feels. I know you must feel uncertain. All these sensations are new, overwhelming. Isn’t that right?
He’s putting thoughts and feelings…he’s putting his own spin on things. He goes yeah, it’s…I have doubts. Lore says, it’s natural. No one’s gonna blame you for your doubts. But you gotta lose them to keep…he’s teaching him not good coping skills. He goes, I need you to remain linked to Crosis so that Crosis can keep…give you confidence. He goes, I can’t do it without you, buddy. I need you linked in. Will you help me? The Borg says sure, okay. Lore goes, good job. He’s pretty pleased with himself. He winks at Data. Data’s pleased with Lore. Then we go back to Geordi, Troi, Picard. I think there was a carrier wave coming off of Data or Lore. [00:30:00] That’s why he took my visor, ‘cause I could see him. He goes, he’s doing something with that chip from Soong, transmitting emotional programs to Data.
Troi goes yeah, but it’s only negative stuff. He goes yeah, it’s probably on purpose. He goes, but he would have had to disable his ethical program. Picard says, can we do something? They go yeah, we could reboot it if we do…if we figure out some…we’re gonna need some hardware though, like A-Team style. Let’s see if we could reboot it, though. Data might listen. Alright, might be worth a try. Any ideas of how we could do that? Then on cue, Data comes and gets Geordi. They go, where are you taking him? Data says, don’t worry about it. They go, come on Data, we’re gonna talk. He just walks off with Geordi. Then we see Riker and Worf coming up the hill. They see some Borg go by, hiking at first. You say, there’s nothing sadder than hiking Borg. They try to hide out, then they go around.
I guess they were avoiding one set of Borg on patrol. They see the Getty. They say commander, there’s a Getty-like building. Then they’re surrounded by Borg, Riker and Worf. They say oh, boy. They get led through first a cavern and then into an industrial-type area. It looks like a old storage facility or something. But they go in there. There’s old equipment. They say Hugh, is that you? Hugh, is that Hugh? He goes, Commander Riker. Haven’t you messed up enough stuff for us, Borg? Worf and Riker kinda get a awkward look on their face. It cuts to commercial. Let me go back to my notes, though. Lore and crew…visor; puts it on. Data no like. Work on your sense of humor. LaForge is a test. Borg have not worked out. I understand. Good. Bring in unlinked Borg to Crosis. Lore tells him how he should feel.
Steampunk eye…will you help me? Geordi can see a carrier wave. Ethical program deactivated. A pulse…I think a tachyon pulse. Geordi…Data, take Geordi. Wait; no. Borg on patrol. Riker and Worf…three Borg. They see the Getty. Busted in a cave. Big drum music. Hugh? Hugh? Add long pause. Then they come back from that. So, you blame us. Change? Charge? Choose. Riker lies. Worf won’t accept it. Hugh paces. Voices change as you grow up, buddy. This could…oh, this part is very 2016 to 2020. So, we’ll cover Lore competing or something…co-opting…the follow…Hugh. Kind of like a room…we go into a…the Island of Misfit Toys, in some sense. Hugh is mad. Can’t read that. Unlimited lady? Tell me about my friend. Your friend? My friend Geordi. Worf deep breathes. We were gonna be roomies.
Looks like Hugh’s eye, the effect behind it, has been downgraded, but that could just be that he’s getting more airtime in a different environment. Caverns to tunnels? Show us. Geordi on a lift. Data fades on Picard. Delayed humor. Nope. Geordi tries to convince him. His lights blink in sync. Don’t like those odds. Troi yells it’s a fake-out. Scuba move; busted by Data. Lead Geordi…be back later. Picard…oh, did lift something. Picard looks for circuits. Flux inhibitor, actually. He finds it. I said wow, this training that they must get…like, the…seriously, to get into the academy, you have to be the top of the top and then you must have to learn all this stuff. It kinda makes sense, you know, ‘cause if you’re on this giant ship in the middle of space, you’d have to fix things. Then we’re back.
The Enterprise, Crusher and crew, Taitt…hold on. Thirty-two seconds. Six still out there. Euro safe…full impulse. Big ship; no damage. 73% shields. Warp down. 344 mark 6. Into the sun. Crusher sits back and we go to an ad. Metaphysic…metaphasic shielding. The sun’s corona; 12,000 degrees C. 62% activated. It’s our best shot. Critical online. Something…dumping…7,000 degrees. Smiles. Oh, temperature dropping; 7,000 degrees. All stop. How long? We don’t know. Picard taking apart the device. Reboot ethical program. Data and Geordi talk old times; going sailing, tried to swim but you sunk…water out of your servos. That kinda reminded me of a song; you got water in your servos, Delilah. Borg, Lore, Data outside. Too early to tell. Data’s sad. Why are you talking like that?
Check your systems, bruh. Cut back on emotions. There’s a control in his fingernail. Yes, please, I want more, like Oliver used to say. Are you gonna thank me? Clearly clarify something. Crosis; he does not want to be a part of our future. Then we have the Enterprise rotating from right to left against the sun’s corona. Losing incongruity or some…integrity. Three-four…we don’t know. Idea…what? This dude…superfluid gas eruption. The guy’s a J-E-R-K. I only majored in solar dynamics, so it’s a long way to be mansplained. Nope, you’re wrong. Let’s do it. Fusion…take us back there. Well, darn tootin’. I don’t know what that says. Dan taken? Data and Geordi…I came for you. Geordi groans. Remove the fibers. Then they go into the theme room. He comes…he came for Picard, not for Geordi.
How can our actions that are wrong lead to the greater good? Picard asks while he’s doing a…he’s trying to reboot or he already had rebooted Data’s ethical program. Ah, captain, thank you so much. You’re going to assist me. Then we go to Worf who is just finishing presenting his plan for getting everybody out. Hugh turns away, though. Lore and Data commit. So, I can count on you? Big farm Picard, then. Data’s lips move. He stands stiff but he’s also kinda shaking a little bit. No, that would be wrong, he says. Then Lore tells two Borg to hold Data. I said, could two Borg hold Data? I don’t know about that. Lore makes a speech. My own dear brother. What? AP? I don’t…oh, ad. Then there’s this whole scrum. Worf and Riker…Lore…Worf and Riker show up. Lore runs. Data pursues.
Lore’s at a pyramid terminal. Careful. Lore tries to use his finger controls but Data phasers him. Lore, I must deactivate you. I love you, dear brother. Goodbye, Lore. Then we see the Getty and the moon. There’s a kinda clean-up, mop-up scene in the throne room. Then we’re back on the Enterprise. We see Data has his Pac-Man-like chip. Data’s cat’s there, whose, of course, name I forgot. [00:40:00] Geordi pets the cat. Data kinda tries to almost apologize. We’ll go through that. Does it work? Well, I don’t know. What a Hugh. Oh, they talk about friendship and I said, what about Hugh? Shouldn’t the three of you move in together? ‘Cause Geordi says well, I wouldn’t be a good friend if I did that. Geordi says well, I’ll hold onto this emotion chip because Data wants to destroy it.
He goes, but…well, I’ll hold onto it ‘til you’re ready. ‘Cause Data, like much of us in their…our angsty years said well, I’m just better off not feeling anything, you know? It only led me to trouble. But Geordi in the wise truth-teller roles says no, no, no. There’s so much more than that. Okay, so we have the scene where…more truth-telling with Hugh. We’re back…post-ad. They go, so you blame us for what happened to the Borg? Hugh goes yeah, you gave me the individuality and then sent me back there. You knew it would be passed on. Riker says, we considered it. He goes, then you made it possible for Lore to dominate us. He says no, no, no. Worf says, no way. He goes, you don’t know what the condition was when Lore found us.
He goes, we were a single-minded collective and then the voices were smooth and flowing. But when I got back there, the voices began to change. Uneven, discordant, and for the first time, people stopped…they had different ideas about stuff, about how to proceed. Couldn’t function. Got on each other’s nerves. Some people just disconnected. Then Lore came along and he goes yeah, you don’t know what it’d be like. You’d listen to any voice that promises change. Even if that voice insists on controlling you? Someone to show us out of a way of confusion. Lore, 20:26; in the beginning you seemed like a savior with promise and it was compelling. We gladly did everything you asked for us, but after a while it became clear. No idea how to keep his promise, and talked about the need for us to make sacrifices, not him.
Before we realized it, it was already…and Lore’s trying to remake us in his image, and that’s what happened when I came across the Enterprise, so not exactly loving you. Riker says sorry about that. We just want our…get our people anyway. We won’t cause you anymore trouble. Then Hugh says, what about my friend? Friend? Geordi, man. What do you mean, friend? My best friend. They have more of a ‘oh boy’ reaction to it, but they say well, Geordi’s caught. We wish you could. Let’s use that for our advantage. It’s probably hidden in the compound somewhere. It’s worse than that actually, Hugh, but Hugh says can’t risk getting busted, so can’t help you. Can you show us the way into the compound? Hugh says, I suppose. There’s caverns to tunnels and they connect with the control ducts.
Worf says okay, show them to me, and then I can determine the geography of this compound. We’ll form a rescue plan. Then we see Geordi and Data and…first he says, Data…Data pretends he’s Picard and uses Picard’s voice; Geordi, let me get you outta here. Geordi goes, thank goodness. Data’s doing something weird, man. He goes, ha, ha, ha. I was just kidding you. Trying to develop my sense of humor. Geordi says it needs some work, by the way. So, Data says okay, let me take a look at how your visor works. Maybe we can make you…I think we could work on making you into a full droid. Nano-correctal…some funny effects here probably not for bedtime, but you get to see Data working with Geordi. They say yeah, they…we’ll do the thinking for you now. Geordi goes, come on.
Data says, there’s only a 62% chance we’ll be doing the thinking for you. Otherwise, yeah, you’ll be resting well. Geordi’s like, can’t you tell you’re being manipulated? But Data’s not breaking right now. He goes yeah, well…he goes, I still got…if it doesn’t work out, I got Troi and Picard to test out on, too. He’s even amused. Geordi’s not amused. Then this is when Troi and Picard fake out one of the Borg and they manage to kinda get a…some sort of device off the Borg. They attempt a getaway, but of course everybody’s waiting for them right outside which is bad timing, but in the end it was just a distraction anyway, so it’s better they got caught trying to get away instead of got caught going through stuff. But if you got people from the Enterprise locked up, make sure you go through their pockets. Free advice.
So, they go back in. It’s Data and the Borg; no Lore. They say okay, we’re almost done with Geordi anyway. They say, Geordi’s stressed out, man. What are you doing? He goes, I’ll be back. But Picard says well, I got the device at least, so we could work on taking it apart. Got a transceiver. Geordi says okay, just find its phase…circuit phaser or whatever. Kedion pulse; reboot. I don’t know, Geordi tells him what to look for and Picard’s able to look for it. Modulate phase modulation circuits. So, I mean, I say bravo again to the training. But Picard’s working it. He’s taking it apart. He says okay, found it. Geordi says okay, we’re gonna have to find a flux inhibitor, though. Picard makes a face at that. Then we go back to the Enterprise. Can’t locate the Borg ship. Trying to filter out interference.
We’ll be within range in nineteen seconds. Then we see the ship. Okay, we’ll enter orbit and we’ll try to get everybody we can, right? Let’s hope it’s enough time. So, they go…ship kinda goes short stop, then they’re in standard orbit. Borg ship’s moving in. Get everybody off of there, Salazar. We got thirty-two seconds. Still can’t locate Picard or Riker or Worf. We’re getting everybody off except for those six, though. Borg ship’s powering up. Come on, chief; now or never. Preparing…raise shields. Lost port nacelle. Warp’s out. Full impulse, evasive. When they go by the Borg ship, it’s like…looks like…I don’t know if it’s perspective; it’s like, ten times the size of the Enterprise. Okay, shields at 73%. Let’s check the warp engines. Can’t outrun them. Okay, 3344 mark 6. Directly into the sun?
So, they’re making a run with the sun. Geordi was working on something with metaphasic shielding, though. Well, it’s not in his data banks. We can enter the sun’s corona. Borg ship wouldn’t be able to follow. Can you bring the program online? I don’t know. So, they’re trying to put on this experimental program Geordi was working on to hide out in the sun’s corona. Is it risky or not? Dr. Crusher says, just do it. We’ll figure it out. Let’s see if it works. It does work, so Geordi…deus ex Geordi, but in the middle of the episode, so I don’t know. So, the temperature goes down. Everybody’s relieved. They say okay, now we gotta work on a new plan. Maintain course while I do some thinking. They’re in the sun’s corona. Borg parks outside and waits for them.
They’re taking up a relative position waiting for us to come out. [00:50:00] Alright, how long can we last in here? We don’t know. Then we go back to Troi or Picard and Troi, and he says okay, now I just gotta boot this thing up. Maybe we could use the force field to get it started. Hopefully that’ll work. Then Geordi’s with Data. Remember the good times? Remember on that lake? He says, I have a complete record of that, yes. Geordi laughs. You went swimming; you jumped out of the boat. You had to walk along the bottom because you weren’t buoyant. Data goes yeah, I don’t have any buoyancy. He goes, it was a kilometer back to shore. One kilometer, forty-six meters. Took two weeks to get the water out of your servos. Data says okay, well, I’m ready to reboot you, Geordi, permanently.
He goes well, what would you think if you go back to normal that you rebooted Geordi, did a full wipe of everything that makes Geordi Geordi? Data goes well, huh. Well, maybe I gotta check your neural net a little bit more before I proceed. So, Geordi does get through to him, the old water in the…maybe there’s still some water in those servos, in the servo of his heart. Then we’re outside. Data walks out, says…goes, what’s up, Lore? What’s up, Data? You got progress? I had to take a break. Little early to tell. Lore goes, it’s not gonna work, but that’s fine. They’re just humans. Actually, in the background there’s two Borg discussing stuff. It’s definitely worth watching because they’re like, talking about eating a hoagie or something. Like, how big was the hoagie? They say, what’s a hoagie?
Like, a sandwich you put in your mouth. They’re doing that with their body language. Meanwhile, Lorg’s try…Lore’s trying to…he goes, you know, then I got it on the back of my hand. This is what the Borg are saying. What on the back of your hand? Mayonnaise on the back of my hand. Meanwhile, Lore uses his finger controls to cut up and ramp down Data’s emotion. Data does not like it. More emotion? Less? Well, I’ll just give you a little bit. Data says please sir, I’d like some more. A little more? Nah, a little less? Data breathes a sigh of relief. Aren’t you gonna thank me, dear brother? Thank you for messing with me. Well, I just hope this clarifies things for you. That’s when he says Crosis, we can’t trust my brother anymore. He’s too much like himself or something.
Go back to the corona…the metaphasic shielding’s wearing out. We’re not gonna be able to stand here longer than three or four minutes. We need a half-hour to fix the warp. That’s when Taitt goes, I have an idea; a solar fusion eruption. Take out the Borg ship. The other dude says, what? She goes yeah, a particle beam. A superfluid gas eruption. We just target the right place. It would take out the ship. She goes, how do you know? She goes well, it was my honors thesis in solar dynamics. The guy goes, this isn’t the academy. She goes, I’ve already started working on it. I’m pretty confident I have everything down. He goes, what if your calculations are off? She says…she repeats his words back to him; just have to make sure my calculations are correct, jerk face. He says, okay. So, they do it.
It causes a solar fusion thingamajig. I didn’t have any honors thesis…theses, so…but it does cause an eruption. Crusher watches seriously, but totally takes out the Borg ship. Problem solved. Mansplainer ever laughs and then gets serious again. Full impulse. Well done, Taitt. Let’s do this. Geordi’s got a bit like a…Troi’s kinda helping Geordi. He’s saying, I’m not feeling so hot. Data comes in. Not for here; for him. I’m here for you, Picard. But that was when the reboot thing was there. I mean, hopefully. He says, yeah…goes, does Lore tell you what to do now? Data says, it’s for the greater good. They’re in the throne room. Good? It isn’t good or bad, right or wrong. Goes, isn’t that a function of your ethics program? Correct. Well, what does the program tell you about changing Geordi out, and Lore?
Tells you those things are wrong, doesn’t it, Data? So, how can actions that are wrong lead to a greater good? Data says, you’re contempting to confuse me. I say well, yeah, I’ve had these conversations with people I know. Says, you’re sensing the truth, the ethical program. Then Lore walks in with a ton of Borg. Says, thanks so much for joining us. You’re gonna assist me in an important ceremony where we go bye-bye. Then we go back…Worf’s working on his plan. We’re gonna get…sneak into the compound. We’ll have to move fast. Can’t mess with the guards ‘cause they can communicate. Riker goes, we’ll figure it out. We’ll have to take that chance ‘cause you’re not helping us, Hugh. Hugh turns away. Riker…they both kinda roll up on Hugh, like kinda guilt him that he’s not helping Geordi.
They say yeah, we just ruined your entire species’ life, but we gotta get…then Lore says time to close the door on the past, commit yourself to the work that lies ahead of us. I can count…you can count on me, like one, two, three. Big farm Picard. He looks strapping in his Lore outfit. That’s when Data goes no, that’s unethical. So, not gonna do it. Can’t do it. At first he can’t even do it. He can’t…it’s not possible. That’s why I think his hand shakes. Says, Crosis, put two of your…I’m a crony of Crosis. Goes yeah, you’ve been around humans too long. There’s nothing worse than a crony of Crosis. Lore makes another speech all about sacrifice and better futures, teaching children well, and I’m not gonna ask anymore of you than I’m prepared to give myself. Yeah, baloney. Baloney, Lore.
He goes oh, my own dear brother. So, he’s gonna big farm Data, maybe? He says, goodbye, Data. I say, one…I don’t think…and then that’s when Hugh comes out of nowhere, protects Data like he’s Geordi. Then we have a total showdown. It totally becomes mayhem. Worf and Riker are there. Borg v Borg, but these are all individual Borg. Worf rescues Data. Lore makes a break for it; Data pursues. Picard looks around confused while it was total mayhem, but Riker and Worf are doing stuff. Then Lore’s at this diamond workstation. It’s got those things like you’d hand-hold, like if you’re taking a love test or what have at a carnival. He goes, don’t mess with that phaser, brother. He goes, I got a way outta here. Do you want to come with me? He goes, I’m willing to forget everything. We can start fresh.
I have a love test here with a tri…pyramid here, a light-up pyramid. Says, I’m hot stuff and we’re brothers, so maybe you’ll be hot stuff too, or maybe you’ll be hot to trot. I don’t know. I could give you papa’s emotional chip and second that emotion. It’s got memories, too, memories of our father. But he tries to stealthily do another program. He actually starts it. Then he makes a move on Data. Data’s too fast; stuns Lore, stares him down…very serious frown on his face. A frown on Data’s face. Goes up to Lore who’s resting, opens up his positron. He says, I gotta deactivate you. Without me, Lore says, you’ll never feel emotion again. Data goes yeah, I know. I realize that. But I got no other choice here, buddy. Also, I mean that not in the colloquial sense. That’s when Lore says I love you, brother.
One last chance to say dear brother, though. [01:00:00] He doesn’t do it. One of my favorite villainous phrases is ‘dear brother’ from Lore. Lore goes into rest mode. We see the Getty again, then we have the mop-up scene. Where’s Geordi and Troi? Already on the Enterprise. Beamed them aboard, boss. Data comes; Lore is no longer functioning. We gotta disassemble him though so he’s no longer a threat. Welcome back, Data. We’ll forget everything that happened. They say, thanks for the backup, Hugh. Why’d you do it? He goes well, maybe you affected me more than I realized. What’s next? Hugh says, I don’t know. Can’t go back to the collective. Can’t go back to Hogwarts. We need a new leader here. Not sure that’s true, Hugh. The leader might be Hugh; you.
Then Hugh says maybe in time we’ll learn to work together as a group and function as individuals. Good luck to Hugh, Picard says. Hugh says goodbye. Then we have the Enterprise going from left to center screen, kinda the right as it goes into the distance. Starbase 295 en route. Data holds up a Pac-Man-shaped silicon device. Doorbell rings. Geordi comes in. I don’t know how I forgot the name of the cat. Jenny K sent me a…the comic book of the cat. He goes yeah, Dr. Crusher says I’m gonna be all…100%, Data, despite how you’re messing with me. He goes, I’m relieved…you know, I’m relieved. I don’t know if Data cannot apologize or what. But he just says, I’m relieved. What’s that? Oh, this is a emotion chip. It’s a little bit broken but I’m gonna totally get rid of it.
The cat starts taking a bath, then it smells the chip, then it takes a bath. But it’s mostly watching. Geordi says, you wanted emotions your whole life. He goes yeah, I did, but look what they brought me; only misery. Can’t mess with my best friend. Plus, I know about your friendship with Hugh and I don’t want to be outranked. That’s when Geordi says I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I let you…cat’s really taking a bath now…if I could let you get rid of your dream now, would I? Maybe someday. Long pause. When you’re ready. No, keep it, buddy. We just see a good view of Data’s face thinking about it. It’s all in the face, and the episode comes to a close as the Enterprise goes across our screen and into your dreams. Goodnight.
[END OF RECORDING]
(www.leahtranscribes.com)
-
Notable Language:
- A Getty-Like Building
- Phase Modulation Circuits
- Deus Ex Geordi
Notable Culture:
- The WB (TV Channel)
- Benito Martinez
- Oliver Twist
Notable Talking Points:
- A Velvet Batman Body Suit
- You got to be the top of the top to get into the academy
- Holding it like a Love Tester at a Carnival