Clues (episode)

The crew of the Enterprise wakes up after apparently passing through a wormhole, finding mysteries surrounding their blackout. Data begins to act suspiciously, prompting the command staff to wonder if he has been compromised.

Summary
After completing a mission early, the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is granted extra personal time to pursue their interests. Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to show Guinan his Dixon Hill Holodeck program, and attempts to explain to her why Humans find mysteries fascinating. Just then, Data informs him of the discovery of a T-Tauri type star near the Ngame Nebula. The sensors have detected that the system has one M-class planet, and a small, unstable wormhole, which disappears. Data notes such phenomena are not uncommon in T-Tauri systems – thirty-nine had been observed since 2267. Suddenly the wormhole reappears, and flings the vessel 0.54 parsecs from the system, and causes the entire crew, with the exception of Lieutenant Commander Data, to fall unconscious.

Act One
As the crew awakens, Data informs Picard that the crew was knocked out for only 30 seconds. Picard orders Worf to launch a probe to study the M-class planet that they were going to investigate before they went through the wormhole, and they continue on their regular course. However, while treating minor injuries, Dr. Beverly Crusher discovers that her Diomedian scarlet moss has shown a full day's growth. As the probe approaches the planet, it detects that the planet has a hydrogen-helium composition with a frozen helium core, clearly not an M-class planet. This confuses some of the crew, but they conclude that the wormhole may have been interfering with the sensors. When Picard is in his ready-room, Beverly comes in with her moss, and explains that they have experienced a full day's growth. Picard cannot come up with an explanation.

Act Two
At the staff briefing Data tries to explain away these contradictions, quoting an obscure theory by Pell Underhill. After Data leaves, Geordi La Forge informs the rest of the staff that the computer's chronometer has been tampered with, and that only he and Data would be capable of doing it. Picard asks Data if he would consent to being examined by La Forge. Data agrees.

Act Three
Evidence continues to mount that suggests the time of collective unconsciousness was much longer than 30 seconds – indeed, it now appears an entire day had passed. Geordi examines but cannot find anything wrong with Data, yet Dr. Crusher learns lieutenant Worf's wrist had been broken and repaired, without either's knowledge, implying that the crew was not only "missing" a day but was also not even unconscious during the entire time.

Geordi next attempts to discover whether Data rigged the probe they launched. He finds Data made it appear as though the observed planet was essentially identical to Tethys III. Picard orders Geordi to launch a second probe to the system, and this time they find there is in fact a much-different, class-M planet. It now is clear Data had at least tampered with the first probe and makes it seem doubtless that he has been concealing information and fabricating data to keep the rest of the crew from discovering the truth about what really happened during their alleged 30 second collective loss of consciousness. Picard implores Data to tell him the truth, but Data refuses; not even the threat of a court martial can compell him to end his by-now obvious mendacity.

Act Four
Picard decides to set a course back to the T-Tauri system. As soon as they arrive, an energy pulse passes through the shields and possesses Counselor Deanna Troi and informs Data that "the plan has failed." Data asks the entity for more time and argues that the destruction of the Enterprise at this time would serve no purpose. Just then, Geordi enters and tells Data that the Captain has asked him to come to the bridge. Data does so, and implores Picard to leave the T-Tauri system. Picard refuses and demands to know why Data will not tell him the truth. Just as the possessed Troi enters the bridge, the android finally informs him that he, Picard, had ordered Data to lie.

Act Five
The crew finds that the system in reality contains a Class M planet inhabited by the Paxans, a violently xenophobic and highly advanced race. They terraformed their planet in order to conceal it from intruders. When an intruder comes within their space, the "wormhole" (actually an energy field) renders the ship's crew unconscious in biochemical stasis, and the ship is transported out of their space to just over half a parsec away. The idea is that when the crew awakens, they believe they were knocked unconscious by a freak wormhole and proceed on their way. However, the Paxans had never had to deal with an android before: their bioagents have no effect on Data, and Data had promptly taken action to revive the crew, foiling the Paxans' plan. A representative of the Paxans then possessed Counselor Deanna Troi and threatened to destroy the ship to protect their secret. Picard then created his plan to have the Paxans wipe their short-term memory and force Data into a pledge of secrecy. In this way, the first contact incident could be "undone" and the Paxans left alone.

The body of Troi is possessed by the same Paxan representative to communicate with the crew and warns that their prior attempt to "undo" the contact has failed. Picard explains that the previous attempt had been imperfect; too many clues were left behind that piqued their natural curiosity and led to the unraveling of the plan. In order to prevent the Paxans from destroying the ship and killing all aboard, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew again work to alter or erase all records concerning the true nature of the planet: this time taking into account the problematic inconsistencies previously discovered. Only Data is allowed to retain any knowledge of what happened to the ship and crew during the missing day, and he is again instructed to conceal that knowledge.

Once the crew is brought back from stasis again, the conversation goes approximately the same as the first time. However, when Data suggests launching a probe, the look on Picard's face suggests he also knows, and thus orders him to dispatch a hazard advisory to Starfleet, hopefully preventing any other Federation ships from coming in contact with the Paxans.

Memorable Quotes
"Then, Mister Data, I'm going to ask you again, and I order you to directly answer me. What really happened to us?"

"I cannot answer that." "What would you have me do, Data? How would you handle this if our positions were reversed?" "I am apparently guilty of falsifying the Enterprise's records, of interfering with an investigation, of disobeying a direct order from my commanding officer. Your duty seems clear, sir." "Do you know what a court martial would mean? Your career in Starfleet would be finished." "I realize that, sir." "Do you also realize that you would most likely be stripped down to your wires to find out what the hell has gone wrong?" "Yes, sir. I do."
 * - Picard and Data in Data's quarters

Story and production

 * The story for this episode came from fan Bruce D. Arthurs, who had submitted a spec script to the producers. Michael Piller recalled that the story was very good, but the script needed a rewrite. Piller gave the job to Joe Menosky during the hiatus. He noted that the changes were "mostly restructuring caused by the departure of Wil Wheaton and a major dialogue polish." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 215) Piller was so impressed with Menosky's efforts that he gave him a staff job on the show. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion 2nd ed., p. 154)
 * The book The Red Dwarf Programme Guide notes that the story had an "uncanny" resemblence to an earlier Red Dwarf episode, Thanks for the Memory.
 * To differentiate the flashbacks from scenes set in the "present", director Les Landau used longer and more fluid camera takes. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion 2nd ed., p. 155)
 * This episode is considered a bottle show. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., p. 154)
 * The episode was filmed between Thursday and Friday  on Paramount Stage 8, 9, and 16. Additional second unit and insert shots in Data's quarters were filmed on Tuesday  on Paramount Stage 13.
 * First UK airdate: 21 September 1994

Continuity

 * Worf's Mok'bara classes are first seen in this episode.
 * Alyssa Ogawa is given her first name in this episode. Her last name would not be mentioned until.
 * Data references the USS Trieste, a ship he stated he was familiar with in.

Reception

 * Michael Piller remarked, "I really loved that show. It's one of my favorites of the year. It was a perfectly realized classic mystery put together in a Star Trek format, which came together into a very satisfying episode." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 215)
 * A mission report for this episode by Patrick Daniel O'Neill was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 16, pp. 15-18.

Video and DVD releases

 * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 44,.
 * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 4.5,.
 * As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection.

Starring

 * Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
 * Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring

 * LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
 * Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
 * Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
 * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
 * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars

 * Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
 * Pamela Winslow as McKnight
 * Rhonda Aldrich as Madeline


 * And

Special guest star

 * Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

Co-stars

 * Patti Yasutake as Nurse
 * Thomas Knickerbocker as Gunman

Uncredited co-stars

 * Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
 * Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) computer voice
 * Joe Bauman as Garvey
 * Michael Braveheart as Martinez
 * Carl David Burks as Russell
 * Cameron as Kellogg
 * Gerard David as operations division ensign
 * Elliot Durant III as operations division ensign
 * Margaret Flores as science division officer
 * Hammers as Locklin
 * Greg Kishi as civilian
 * Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
 * Randy Pflug as Jones
 * John Rice as science division officer
 * Pamela Winslow as McKnight
 * Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace

Stunt double

 * Christopher Doyle as stunt double for Thomas Knickerbocker

Stand-ins

 * Brett - stand-in for LeVar Burton
 * Candace Crump - stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg
 * Kai - stand-in for Patti Yasutake
 * Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis & Rhonda Aldrich
 * Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner & Thomas Knickerbocker
 * Lorine Mendell - stand-in for Gates McFadden & Pamela Winslow
 * Randy Pflug - stand-in for Colm Meaney
 * Richard Sarstedt - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
 * Dennis Tracy - stand-in for Patrick Stewart
 * James Washington - stand-in for Michael Dorn