

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

The Enterprise discovers a duplicate of Picard from six hours in the future.

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Summary

Teaser

En route to the Endicor system, Commander Riker is busily preparing an omelette made from 'Owon eggs he picked up at Starbase 73. Soon, Data, La Forge, Worf, and Pulaski show up for the meal. La Forge and Pulaski take the first bites of their omelettes but are immediately disgusted while Data observes. However, Worf is rapidly eating the omelette, which he describes as "delicious." Soon after, Captain Picard calls Riker to the bridge.

The USS Enterprise-D has encountered a Starfleet shuttlecraft adrift in space, which is odd because at this time there should not be any Federation vessels.

Act One

Once the pod is brought aboard the Enterprise, the crew discovers that it is not only the El-Baz, one of their own shuttles, but it contains an unconscious double of Picard. After Doctor Pulaski examines the unconscious Picard, it is found that his brain waves are out of phase, but his heart is strong. Also, Counselor Deanna Troi detects very little emotion from him, but she believes he is truly as much Picard as their captain. Finally, the shuttle he was in appears to be off-line.

Back en route to the Endicor system, Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Geordi La Forge attempt to transfer power to the shuttle, but end up shorting out its circuits. In sickbay, Dr. Pulaski examines the other Picard in more detail. She is able to determine that he is alive but all other readings seem to fluctuate erratically. At Captain Picard's request, Pulaski attempts to revive him but instead almost kills him. It seems that the stimulant had the opposite effect.

Meanwhile, La Forge and Data apply a power inverter to the shuttle to try and extract the logs from it. After an adjustment fails, Data suggests doing the opposite of the previous procedure, and the power comes back online. La Forge sees that the stardate on the shuttle's chronometer is six hours in the future and deduces that the other Picard must be from that time.

Act Two

Pulaski is now successful in waking the future Picard, but he is disoriented and confused. The present Picard calls a staff meeting and La Forge shows him the logs he was able to retrieve from the shuttle. The visual log shows some sort of distortion, and the shuttle leaving the Enterprise, with Riker watching, then the Enterprise itself being destroyed. This is followed by an audio log by the Captain himself:

"Captain's personal log, supplemental. I have just witnessed the total destruction of the USS Enterprise with a loss of all hands, save one – me."

Despite this, the crew decides to remain on course as they realize that the Enterprise crew may have already committed to a series of unalterable events.

Pulaski theorizes that as they move closer to the time in which the other Picard left, his internal body clock is realigning, and that when normal time intersects with the time in which he left, for that instant he would begin to function normally and there will be two Picards. Troi begins to feel emotion from the future Picard and realizes that his one wish is to leave the Enterprise.

Act Three

Still on course to Endicor but not far from a meeting with fate, the other Picard is now more coherent. The present Picard begins to question him, becoming frustrated at his counterpart's abandonment of the Enterprise. Troi tries to reason with Picard, saying that the other is afraid. Picard, now disgusted at his other self, denies all familiarity with him and leaves sickbay. Pulaski then tells Troi that she will relieve the present Picard of duty should his judgment become impaired which Troi assures her it won't.

Picard now debates with Commander Riker as to how and why the other Picard traveled through time, bringing up The Traveler and Paul Manheim's experiments with time. Riker suggests that Picard suppress his natural tendencies to try and save the Enterprise from decisions he may make and not to second-guess himself.

Suddenly, without warning, an energy vortex appears beneath the Enterprise.

Act Four

In order to avoid being pulled in, La Forge has to hold the warp engines at 30% just to maintain their position. After being probed by the center of the vortex, Picard decides to stay and investigate, but then begins to worry that staying was the mistake which caused the destruction of the Enterprise. He decides to leave immediately, but trying to escape the vortex only results in the Enterprise being pulled further inside.

The warp engines now have to be held at warp 7 just to maintain their position. A Class-1 probe is launched, but is destroyed by the vortex. Almost immediately after, both Picards are struck by some sort of energy beam. When the beam strikes again and La Forge is forced to hold the ship at maximum warp, Riker suggests destroying the vortex. Troi deduces that the energy wants Picard and he must leave the ship to distract its attention, now realizing what the plan of his counterpart was.

Act Five

Returning to his counterpart in sickbay, who is now much more aware of himself and his surroundings, he orders him released and follows him to shuttlebay two. The other Picard says that the entity recognizes Picard as the "brain" of the Enterprise and wants him, not the ship. Both Picards now argue as to what to do, with the present Picard trying to get as much information from the future Picard as he can before he gets to the shuttle.

With the future Picard unwilling to divulge any more information and the present Picard now seeing that his counterpart is unable to alter his actions, locked into a single event and purpose, he realizes that it is not him that will enter the shuttle but his counterpart. Future Picard admits that there is another option, but he believes it will never work. Trying to get his future self to tell him, present Picard goes over every option he can think of.

Noting future Picard's reaction to the suggestion of going forward into the vortex, present Picard realizes that this is the other option. As future Picard starts to get into the shuttle, present Picard kills his counterpart with a phaser to stop him from leaving, and then returns to the bridge, calling Pulaski to the shuttlebay, accompanied by Chief Miles O'Brien.

Picard orders that a course be set for the center of the vortex with all the power the ship can muster, and that their position be held no matter what. With the Enterprise coursing through the vortex, Chief O'Brien witnesses the other Picard and his shuttle vanish from existence and seconds later the Enterprise bursts back out into normal space.

Later, Picard is in the conference lounge after the ordeal with the energy vortex, contemplating while looking out at the lounge's windows into space. Riker walks in and Picard reflects on meeting himself, telling him "They say if you travel far enough, you will eventually meet yourself. Having experienced that, Number One, it's not something I would care to repeat."

Log entries

Memorable quotes

"What went wrong? You know, don't you? What did you do? What happened? Why did you leave the ship? Don't turn away. Look at me. Picard! Look at me!"

- Picard, interrogating his future self



"What's our other option?"

"This is our only chance."

"I let you… But first tell me: What is – what was – your other choice? What was it? You don't know what I'm talking about. You're locked into a single intent. Unable to change. Unable to alter…"

"…There is no other way."

"What was the other choice?"

- Picard, interrogating his future self



"Captain, I think this is one instance where you should suppress your natural tendencies."

"Oh, really?"

"One of your strengths is your ability to evaluate the dynamics of a situation, and then take a definitive preemptive step, take charge. Now, you're frustrated because you not only can't see the solution, you can't even define the problem."

- Riker and Picard



"Release him."

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"No. Release him."

- Picard and Dr. Pulaski



"There is the theory of the Mobius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop."



- Worf



"Captain Picard! I cannot allow you to leave. Before we can go forward, the cycle must end."

- Picard, killing his future self with a phaser



"Well, they say if you travel far enough you will eventually meet yourself. Having experienced that, Number One, it's not something I would care to repeat."

- Picard



"Well, at least the waiting's over."

- Riker, when the Enterprise is enveloped by the energy vortex



"Delicious."

- Worf, enjoying the omelette of 'Owon eggs



"A lot of questions, Number One. Damn few answers."

- Picard, after his experience of meeting himself

Background information

Production history

Story and script

Production

Continuity

Reception

Ronald D. Moore later described this episode as " so ponderous. They agonize about what to do the whole show. All right, already! " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 93)

" ( , p. 93) The episode was previewed at the 1989 StarFest convention in Denver, Colorado.

Video and DVD releases

Starring

Also starring

Special appearance by

Guest star

Uncredited co-stars

Stunt double

Stand-ins

References

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Other references

Unused production references

Alaska stew; Kobe beef; moose; musk ox

Log entries



