The First Duty

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45703.9: The Enterprise is heading back to Earth so Picard may deliver Starfleet Academy’s commencement address, and the crew is also looking forward to an aerial stunt display performed in orbit over Saturn by Nova Squadron, the Academy’s elite flight group, including Wes Crusher. As the Enterprise arrives, news reaches Picard and Dr. Crusher that Nova Squadron’s five planes have collided during a practice maneuver, injuring four of the pilots and killing one of them. An inquiry is launched into the accident, and squadron leader Locarno – backed up by Wes and the other cadets – testifies that blame lies on Cadet Joshua Albert, who died. Picard, while the investigation is underway, pays a visit to his old friend Boothby, the Academy gardener since Picard’s days as a cadet. Wise old Boothby, and later Picard himself, begin to wonder if perhaps the surviving cadets of Nova Squadron aren’t simply diverting the responsibility for their own mistake.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar
directed by Paul Lynch
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Jacqueline Brooks (Admiral Brand), Ray Walston (Boothby), Robert Duncan McNeill (Nicholas Locarno), Ed Lauter (Lt. Commander Albert), Richard Fancy (Captain Setalk), Walker Brandt (Hajar), Shannon Fill (Sito)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Quality Of Life

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46307.2: The Enterprise arrives at Tyrus 7A to observe a new experimental method of mining, the particle fountain, which uses a stream of high-density particles to extract and lift planet-based ore from an orbiting station. A malfunction occurs while Geordi is visiting the station, and Dr. Farallon, the ambitious head of the particle fountain project, introduces her other innovation, a small repair robot called an exo-comp, which is able to correct the problem almost instantly. Later, while Data is visiting the station, another accident happens and Data notices an exo-comp exhibiting a will to survive. Data hypothesizes that the exo-comps are living beings with their own intelligence, and possibly the beginnings of sentience. But when he asked to prove that the exo-comps are alive, one of them appears to fail a test on the Enterprise, but has actually realized that it is being tested, and is therefore intelligent and alive, though Dr. Farallon refuses to acknowledge the exo-comps’ status. A crisis strands Picard and Geordi on the station, endangered by rising radiation levels, and Farallon proposes a solution which would amount to a suicide mission for the exo-comps. When the crew prepares to implement the solution and save Picard and Geordi, Data stands in the way of the rescue operation to protect the exo-comps’ rights.

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
based upon material by L.J. Scott
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Ellen Bry (Dr. Farallon), J. Downing (Tyran Scientist), David Windsor (Transporter Chief Kelso), Majel Barrett (Computer voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Babel

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 46425.8: Business as usual is keeping O’Brien the busiest man on DS9, as systems continuously break down almost at random, mainly food replicators. In the course of his repairs, O’Brien accidentally activates a concealed Bajoran device designed to release an adaptive virus into the food generated by that replicator. He is immediately stricken with the disease, which scrambles his brain’s ability to connect language, stimuli and responses. Quark, impatient to get service back on schedule at his bar, unwittingly spreads the virus to all of his patrons, and a stationwide epidemic ensues. Bashir, before falling victim to the virus himself, discovers that the plague was created by the Bajora in an attempt to prevent the construction of the station years ago, and it is eventually fatal. Most of the population is rendered useless, with a few exceptions, among them Odo, Major Kira and Quark. They must find an antidote to the virus and try to ensure the station’s safety until a cure can be found.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by Michael McGreevey and Naren Shankar
story by Sally Caves and Ira Steven Behr
directed by Paul Lynch
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Jack Kehler (Jaheel), Matthew Faison (Surmak Ren), Ann Gillespie (Nurse Jabara), Geraldine Farrell (Galis Blin), Bo Zenga (Asoth), Richard Ryder (Bajoran Deputy), Frank Novak (Businessman), Kathleen Wirt (Aphasia Victim), Lee Brooks (Aphasia Victim), Todd Feder (Federation Male)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Face Of The Enemy

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46519.1: Counselor Troi, waking up after being kidnapped from a neuro-psychology seminar, finds herself aboard a Romulan Warbird, posing as a member of Romulan intelligence to participate in a carefully plotted defection attempt by a Vice-Proconsul of the Romulan High Council. With the clandestine guidance of a member of the Romulan crew, Troi plays her role convincingly. In the meantime, a former human defector to Romulus returns to the Federation and arrives on the Enterprise with a message to Picard from Ambassador Spock, who remains in hiding on Romulus assisting defectors and dissidents. The message sends an unwitting Picard to rendezvous with the ship carrying Troi and the defector, an encounter which forces Troi to make a split-second decision to either break with the intricate plans of the defection scheme, or to follow her Romulan confidant into what may be a trap.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Naren Shankar
story by Renè Echavarria
directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
music by Don Davis

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Scott MacDonald (N’Vek), Carolyn Seymour (Toreth), Barry Lynch (DeSeve), Robertson Dean (Pilot), Pamela Winslow (Ensign McKnight), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Suspicions

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46830.1: Dr. Crusher goes out on a limb by gathering some of the brightest minds in the galaxy aboard the Enterprise to listen to a proposal from Ferengi scientist Reyga for a powerful subspace shield. Skepticism and competition divide the scientists, but a demonstration is arranged, using an Enterprise shuttle. The pilot, who is also one of the scientists, dies when the experiment goes wrong. Beverly, already regretful for the failure of Reyga’s invention, suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investiagation when Reyga himself is found dead.

Order the DVDswritten by Joe Menosky and Naren Shankar
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Tricia O’Neil (Kurak), Peter Slutsker (Dr. Reyga), James Horan (Jo’Bril), John S. Ragin (Dr. Christopher), Joan Stuart Morris (T’Pan), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Gambit Part I

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47135.2: Riker, Troi, Worf and Crusher are searching for the missing Captain Picard on Desica II to no avail. A Yridian claims he witnessed Picard’s death in a seedy bar after an argument with a group of aliens, and offers to give Riker some clues in exchange for safe passage off the planet. Once aboard the Enterprise, the Yridian leads Riker to a planet in the Barada system, where an away team led by Riker beams down to hunt for possible leads in the investigation. A well-armed group of aliens under the command of a Romulan ambushes the away team, and Riker is captured and beamed away with the attackers. Data takes command of the Enterprise and pursues the alien ship. Riker finds himself in the hands of a band of mercenaries commanded by Baran, a vicious-tempered leader who maintains the loyalty of his crew – and Riker – by using pain-generating implants which he controls. Riker is astounded to find that the newest member of the rogue crew on their mysterious mission to raid ancient Romulan artifacts is a knowledgeable rogue named “Galen” – better known to Riker as Captain Picard.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Naren Shankar
story by Christopher Hatton and Naren Shankar
directed by Peter Lauritson
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Richard Lynch (Baran), Robin Curtis (Tallera), Caitlin Brown (Vekor), Cameron Thor (Narik), Alan Altshuld (Yranac), Bruce Gray (Admiral Chekote), Sabrina LeBeauf (Ensign Giusti), Stephen Lee (Bartender), Derek Webster (Lt. Sanders)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Gambit Part II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47160.1: Riker is accepted into Baran’s outlaw fold by pretending to be an old enemy of “Galen,” and the mercenaries’ mission continues. Picard discovers that Baran’s gang is not looking for Romulan artifacts, but for ancient Vulcan artifacts. The Romulan mercenary Tallera reveals herself as an undercover Vulcan security operative, and she earns Picard’s trust enough for him to reveal his own identity. A Klingon shuttle pilot carrying the last of three vital artifacts is intercepted by the Enterprise, which becomes Baran’s next target. Riker is left for dead on the Enterprise by Picard to resume command, as Picard leads a mutiny among the mercenaries and kills Baran. Picard must try to play into Riker’s hands without arousing the mercenaries’ suspicions – or Tallera’s.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ronald D. Moore
story by Naren Shankar
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Richard Lynch (Baran), Robin Curtis (Tallera), Caitlin Brown (Vekor), Cameron Thor (Narik), James Worthy (Koral), Sabrina LeBeauf (Ensign Giusti), Martin Goslins (Setok)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Force of Nature

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47310.2: Investigating the mystery of missing starships, the Enterprise finds that a brother and sister have been misleading and damaging all warp-capable vessels that enter the region of space near their home world, claiming that warp engines are agitating a sensitive subspace rift which threatens to destroy everything nearby if it becomes active. Reluctant to accept this theory, Picard and the crew plan to rescue the damaged ships and move along, but when one of the protesters opens the subspace rift with a burst of warp energy, the Enterprise may be unable to escape.

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Robert Lederman
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Michael Corbett (Rabal), Margaret Reed (Serova), Lee Arenberg (Prak), and Spot

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Homeward

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47423.9: Dr. Nikolai Rozhenko, Worf’s human foster brother, has sent a distress call from his hidden cultural observation post on Boral II, a planet whose atmosphere is going to break down in less than two days. Worf beams down, disguised as a Boralan, only to find that his brother has also been masquerading as a native and providing them with means of survival based on the technology of his observation post. Nikolai is admonished by Picard for his severe violation of the Prime Directive, but when the planet is within seconds of dying, commits an even greater breach by transporting a handful of Boralans into a holodeck simulation of the shelter on their world. The Enterprise crew – especially Worf – are now left with the dilemma of relocatintg the simplistic Boralans to a new world without revealing the true nature of their surroundings. Damage to the holodeck jeopardizes the mission.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Naren Shankar
television story by Spike Steingasser
based upon material by William N. Stape
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Paul Sorvino (Nikolai Rozhenko), Penny Johnson (Dobara), Brian Markinson (Vorin), Edward Penn (Kateras), Susan Christy (Tarrana), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Preemptive Strike

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47941.2: A reception for recent Stafleet Advanced Tactical Training graduate Ro Laren is cut short when the Enterprise responds to a Cardassian ship’s distress call. Arriving on the scene, Picard and the crew discover that the Cardassians are under attack by a flotilla of small vessels commanded by the renegade Maquis. After chasing them off and assisting the Cardassians, the Enterprise receives a visit from Admiral Nechayev, who delivers to Picard the message that Starfleet intends to use Ro to infiltrate the Maquis, and she accepts the mission, posing as an ex-Starfleet defector and gaining the acceptance of the Maquis. However, when Ro and her “fellow” Maquis are the targets of a vicious Cardassian sneak attack, she questions Starfleet’s rationale for stopping the Maquis and makes her defection a reality.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Renè Echavarria
story by Naren Shankar
directed by Patrick Stewart
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Michelle Forbes (Lt. Ro Laren), John Franklyn-Robbins (Macias), Natalija Nogulich (Admiral Nechayev), William Thomas Jr. (Santos), Shannon Cochran (Kalita), Richard Poe (Gul Evek)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Heroes and Demons

Star Trek: VoyagerStardate 48693.2: As Voyager passes near a protostar, Janeway and Torres try to beam some samples of its photonic material aboard. When they try to enlist Harry’s help in studying it, they find that he has disappeared from the ship. Chakotay and Tuvok go to where Harry was last found – the holodeck – and try to learn what happened to their comrade by interacting with Harry’s Beowulf holodeck program. Even Chakotay and Tuvok vanish when Grendel comes to ravage the Hall Heorot. Someone needs to venture into the holodeck to find where the missing crewmen are going, or if they’re still alive. Into Hrothgar’s keep steps a new warrior, the only member of Voyager’s crew immune to the threat of being snatched out of the holodeck. The affair of Grendel was made known to him on his native soil; space travelers said that this hall, best of holo-scenarios, stands empty and useless to all warriors after the evening light becomes hidden beneath the cover of the sky. Therefore his people – or specifically Captain Janeway – advised that he should investigate because they know what his strength can accomplish…but can the holographic doctor grapple with something other than a medical emergency?

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Roxann Biggs-Dawson (B’Elanna Torres), Jennifer Lien (Kes), Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Tuvok), Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim), Marjorie Monaghan (Freya), Christopher Neame (Unferth), Michael Keenan (Hrothgar)

LogBook entry by Earl Green
(featuring a paraphrase from the 1966 English translation of “Beowulf” by Prof. M.H. Abrams, based on F. Klaeber’s third edition in 1950)

The Quickening

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate not given: Bashir, Dax, and Kira are on a routine biosurvey mission in the Gamma Quadrant when they receive a 200-year-old distress signal. They follow it to a planet where the population, once a spacegoing culture, is suffering from an incurable fatal disease inflicted on them by the Jem’Hadar for defying the Dominion. Bashir becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the Blight, despite the opposition from natives who feel he is giving them nothing but false hope.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Rene Auberjonois
music by David Bell

Guest Cast: Michael Sarrazin (Trevean), Ellen Wheeler (Ekoria), Dylan Haggerty (Epran), Heide Margolis (Norva), Loren Lester (Attendant), Alan Echeverria (Patient), Lisa Moncure (Latia)

LogBook entry by Tracy Hemenover

The Way We Weren’t

FarscapeChiana discovers an old recording that reveals the fate of Moya’s previous Pilot – he was killed by a squad of Peacekeepers under Crais’ command, a squad that included Aeryn. The discovery forces both Aeryn and Pilot to re-examine how they first came to Moya as part of Crais’ project to breed a Leviathan warship. Aeryn, stuck on guard duty while pursuing assignment as a fighter pilot, became involved with Velorek, the Peacekeeper Leviathan expert in charge of the project. Pilot, eager to be bonded with a ship, allowed the Peacekepers to mechanically bind him to Moya when she did not immediately accept him. In the present, overcome by guilt, Pilot demands that Aeryn leave the ship and detaches himself from Moya.

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Alex Dimitriades (Velorek), Lani John Tupu (Capt. Crais)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Beware of Dog

FarscapeChiana brings a small creature called a Vorc aboard Moya; the traders who sold it to her convinced her that the Vorc will rid the Leviathan of parasites. The others are skeptical that there even are any parasites, and even if there are, the Vorc appears too feeble to do anything about them. Shortly thereafter, Crichton seems to confirm at least part of Chiana’s story – he claims to have seen a beast of some kind trying to damage Moya. Since Crichton also claims to be seeing visions of Scorpius, however, his judgement is not wholly trusted at the moment. Then D’Argo encounters the beast, and in their altercation D’Argo is poisoned. Zhaan tells the crew to use the Vorc to find the creature so she can concoct an antidote; to their surprise, they see the small creature transform into the larger beast. But when they bring it to Zhaan, she can find no trace of the poison in its system. There is another predator on the ship – but what is its relation to the Vorc and to the others aboard ship?

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Martin O’Leary (Ravorc)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Liars, Guns and Money Part 2: With Friends Like These

FarscapeWhen Moya arrives at the slave auction, D’Argo discovers to his horror that Scorpius has gotten there first and purchased the slaves – which he is perfectly willing to exchange for Crichton. Crichton’s alternate plan is to use the money which would have purchased Jothee to hire some of the less savory characters they’ve encountered in the Uncharted Territories for a breakout. But when most of the crew heads out on a recruitment drive, Zhaan and Chiana discover that they are victims of a double cross. Natira, head of the Shadow Depository, had replaced the actual ingots with creatures that had begun to eat Moya. Only intense heat – enough to injure Moya – will eliminate the parasites. When the others return to a damaged Moya to discover they no longer have the wealth to finance the operation, Crichton decides it might be time to put himself out of his misery for everyone’s benefit.

Order the DVDswritten by Naren Shankar
directed by Catherine Millar
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Paul Goddard (Stark), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Claudia Karvan (Natira), Nicholas Hope (Akkor), Matt Newton (Jothee), David Franklin (Lt. Braca), John Adam (Bekhesh), Jeremy Sims (Rorf), Jo Kerrigan (Rorg), David Wheeler (Durka), Lionel Haft (Zelkin), David Bowers (Kurz), Thomas Holesgrove (Teurac)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer