While doing so, they observe some odd interactions between the bellboy and assistant manager, but are warmly greeted by the employees who address them as “foreign visitors” and are bemused and irritated by their questions about the hotel and its people. Data realises that the entities are neither alive nor human, prompting Riker to ask the obvious question: What are they?! Will, you wouldn’t believe us if we told you.

Back on the ship, Picard is getting annoyed because Riker’s out past curfew without phoning home. Troi reassures him that Riker is not feeling in any danger, which begs the question of how sensitive her telepathy really is. He’s hundreds of miles away! Not to mention beyond the reach of all conventional science! She’s just making it up, isn’t she?

Data plays cards for a bit before Riker and Worf decide they’ve had enough and try to leave. But using the door brings them back inside the casino. They’re unable to leave! The “people” are oblivious to their requests for information about a way out, and even shooting the walls doesn’t make a dent! Data’s scanner then notices human DNA elsewhere in the building. With nothing better to do, the team follows it and finds the dead deceased corpse of S. Richey, one of the occupants of the NASA vessel, who was stuck in the hotel alone for 38 years.

Richey’s journal reveals that his crew were accidentally killed by aliens, who guiltily placed him – the only survivor – in a replica of what they believed to be Earth society after misinterpreting a poorly-written book on board Richey’s craft. Regaining contact with the Enterprise, Riker and Co read the rest of the novel and eventually find a loophole that should allow them to exit: the book dictates that foreign investors buy the hotel. Riker, Worf and Data will become those investors!

And from that point on the plan goes off without a hitch. They win the money they need, using Data’s android cheating skills, and then leave. Er, someone probably should’ve taken another pass at this screenplay. It’s also a shame Richey didn’t think of this, really. Well, I guess they are Starfleet’s finest!