The Neutral Zone (TNG episode)
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"The Neutral Zone" is the finale of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It it the twenty-fifth episode. It originally aired on May 16, 1988 and took place in the year 2364 on stardate 41986.0.
Synopsis
ST-TNG_The_Neutral_Zone.jpg
While Captain Picard is at an emergency Federation conference, the Enterprise discovers an "ancient" satellite from Earth. Commander Riker initially dismisses it, but Data persuades Riker to let him explore the capsule. Data and Worf beam onto the capsule and discover twelve cryogenic freezing chambers. Some are empty, some have decomposed bodies due to broken seals on the chambers, but three of the occupants are still viable. Data and Worf return to the ship with the three units containing the people.
Picard returns to the ship and orders La Forge to take the ship into the Neutral Zone at warp 8, and calls a staff meeting. There Picard reveals that two starbases have been destroyed and there has been no contact with several others. Although the Romulans have had no contact with the Federation in over fifty years, they are the only apparent suspects. It is theorized that the Romulans want to engage the Enterprise in battle to see how well the Federation has advanced, so Picard states that fighting shall be used only as a last resort.
Dr. Crusher informs Picard of the three people from the satellite, and explains that, not having any other idea what to do, she has thawed them. They all died of things that are easily curable in the 24th century and were frozen after their deaths in the hopes that future generations would be able to revive and heal them; Dr. Crusher has done so, and they are asleep in sickbay. Picard calls Data to sickbay and admonishes him for bringing over the patients at such an inopportune time even though they were already dead. Data was able to access information about the three people from a disk on the satellite. Claire Raymond was a homemaker who died at 35 of an embolism. Ralph Offenhouse was a financier who died at 55 of advanced cardiomyopathy. L. Q. "Sonny" Clemmonds was a musician who died from heavy chemical abuse. They all died during the late 20th century (presumably the 1980s or 1990s). Picard returns to the bridge and orders Riker to take care of the patients until there is time to figure out what to do with them.
In guest quarters, Riker tries to help ease them into 24th century life. Raymond is very surprised at being in the future, and surmises her husband must have bought the deal. Offenhouse wants to get in contact with his banks and check on the money he has saved for himself. Riker puts it off, saying they can talk to Picard when the crisis is over.
On the bridge, Counselor Troi gives her description of the Romulans. She calls them "creatures of extremes", noting that they have the capacity for cruel violence and gentle tenderness. She describes them as having a great deal of curiosity and belief in the superiority of their kind. She stresses that they will not initiate anything, preferring instead to wait for their opponents to "commit" themselves. Picard digests this information.
In the guest quarters, Clemmonds is pleased at the high quality of the replicator, but is disappointed when he learns that television died out by 2040. Picard calls Riker and asks him and Data to report back to the bridge. Offenhouse tells Riker that he would like to speak to the captain, and Raymond asks what will happen to them. Riker says that will be up to the captain.
Six hours from the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise is unable to establish contact with any of the nine outposts in the sector. Riker points out that such a destruction fits the Romulans' historical pattern, to which Data replies that Starfleet's information on the Romulans is 53 years out of date. Riker points out that the Romulans' information on the Federation is similarly out of date, and says he believes that the Romulans are destroying outposts so that Starfleet will send their best starship out to investigate, giving the Romulans "a perfect chance to see firsthand how far [the Federation has] advanced, both in technology and in technique." Riker and Worf feel the Enterprise should take the initiative. Data says that he agrees only if the Romulans' intentions are actually hostile.
The meeting is suddenly interrupted when Offenhouse hails Captain Picard from the communications console in the guest quarters. He demands to talk to Picard, complaining of being continually put off, saying that the Enterprise is the worst-run ship he has encountered (he tells them to "take some lessons from the QE2"). While Offenshouse is demanding some way of making contact with his banks on Earth, Picard shows up in the guest quarters and tells Offenhouse to refrain from using the comm panel. Offenhouse states that his own situation is far more important than Picard's and demands to be able to contact the law firm on Earth that he was a client of in the twentieth century. While he and Picard go back and forth about the nature of money and possessions, Raymond starts crying, mentioning her children; Picard calls in Counselor Troi to help. While Raymond and Troi are talking, Raymond mentions wanting to know what happened to her children, so Troi offers to look up the information. Clemmonds asks Dr. Crusher to tell Data he's looking for him, and when Data comes, Clemmonds tells him he wants to have a party, as he is very bored. Clemmonds asks for a guitar, but Data is called to the bridge as the ship approaches the Neutral Zone.
There is no trace of the outpost the Enterprise was looking for, and there is no evidence of any kind of conventional attack. They set course for the next closest outpost and move on. In the guest quarters Offenhouse says he can tell things are serious and sets off to find out what is going on. The ship arrives at the second outpost and it, too, is missing from its planet. Riker and Worf suggest raising red alert and going to battle stations; Picard says he does not wish to act rashly, so yellow alert is raised instead. Offenhouse finds his way into a turbolift and heads to the bridge. Worf's scanners indicate a disturbance in space that could be a cloaked Romulan vessel. Riker advises arming the photon torpedoes and sending power to the phasers, but Picard decides against it, as it would alert the Romulans of their intentions and force them to take similar actions. The sensors indicate a decloaking Romulan ship, but it recloaks after a moment. Offenhouse, who had entered the bridge moments before, asks "Who the hell are 'they'?", alerting the bridge crew of his presence. Riker tells two security officers to get Offenhouse off the bridge, but he refuses to budge, and before anyone can do anything the Romulan ship again decloaks.
The Enterprise hails the Romulan vessel. After a moment, the Romulans respond. When Captain Picard points out that they have crossed the Neutral Zone into Federation territory, the Romulans say that it was necessary. They report that their outposts on the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone were also destroyed. They say that they know the Federation did not destroy the outposts because they feel the Federation is not powerful enough to commit that much destruction. Picard asks who did destroy the outposts. Before the Romulans have a chance to speak, Offenhouse says, "They haven't got a clue! They're hoping you know, but they're too arrogant to ask." Picard proposes a cooperation with the Romulans, an agreement to share the results of their respective investigations on the matter; the Romulans agree with reservations. Before closing the hailing frequencies, the Romulan commander states that "we are back." The Romulan ship departs.
Troi finds a living descendant of Raymond's on Earth, her great-great-great-great-great-grandson Thomas. Raymond remarks that he looks just like her husband. Later, in the observation lounge, Picard informs the three patients that they will be sent to Earth on a different ship. Offenhouse asks what he will do now that his money and office are gone. Picard points out that material needs do not exist in the twenty-fourth century. "What's the challenge?" asks Offenhouse. "The challenge, Mr. Offenhouse," says Picard, "is to improve yourself, to enrich yourself. Enjoy it." The episode ends with the Enterprise traveling off to rendezvous with the ship that will take Raymond, Offenhouse, and Clemmonds back to Earth.
Miscellaneous
This episode is the first episode to establish a year in the Gregorian calendar (2364) in addition to a stardate (41986.0), allowing fans to reconstruct the history of the Star Trek universe in relation to modern times.
The attacks in this episode were later revealed to have been caused by the Borg, who were not known at this time to either the Federation or the viewers of the show. Originally, the Borg were to be brought into the series as a race of cybernetic insectoids to replace the Ferengi (thought to be a failure as an ongoing threat). However the Writer's Strike of 1988 caused this incarnation of the Borg to be pushed back to later in the season, and budget restrictions made them humanoid.
External links
- Template:Memoryalpha article
- Episode synopsis (http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/episodes/TNG/detail/68358.html) at StarTrek.com