Star Trek: The Next Generation s06e15 Episode Script
Tapestry
Bring the status units in here,|on line.
Dr Selar can use ward three|and I'll stay here.
- Sickbay, they're coming in now.
|- Acknowledged.
Be ready.
Let's go.
Get him on here.
What happened? The Lenarians attacked us|outside the conference room.
He's in cardiac arrest.
|Connect the pulmonary support units.
Internal haemorrhaging.
The regulator|of his artificial heart is fused.
He's got liver and spleen damage.
- What kind of weapon caused it?|- A compressed tetryon beam.
The activity in the isocortex|is falling.
Cortical stimulators.
Now.
Again.
His respiratory system|is shutting down.
Levels in the isocortex|are still falling.
Damn! Prepare for Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc.
|You're dead.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages|of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission,|to explore strange new worlds, .
.
to seek out new life|and new civilisations, .
.
to boldly go|where no one has gone before.
Q, what is going on? I told you.
You're dead.
This is the afterlife and I'm God.
- You are not God!|- Blasphemy.
You're lucky I don't cast you out|or smite you.
The bottom line is, your life|ended about five minutes ago, under the inept ministrations|of Dr Beverly Crusher.
No.
I am not dead.
Because I refuse to believe|that the afterlife is run by you.
The universe|is not so badly designed.
Very well.
If you require|more evidence of your postmortem status,|I'll provide you some.
Jean-Luc, I told you|not to go to that Academy.
Father.
I told you Starfleet|would bring you to a bad end, but you wouldn't listen.
Now look at you.
|Dead before your time.
- Q, enough of this.
|- Enough what? Why couldn't you have listened? Didn't you know that I worked|for your best interests? Q, stop this.
After all these years, even now, you manage|to disappoint me, Jean-Luc.
He's not the only one|who'd like a word with you.
Jean-Luc, why did you do it? There are people down there! - There must be another way.
|- They're firing on us.
- If you continue on this course|- Direct hit.
These are the voices|of all the people you've killed.
- Whom I've killed? What do you mean?|- Death has made you a little dim.
These are the voices|of all the people who have died through your actions|or inactions.
If you have any words|of apology or regret, I believe they're all listening.
They're a surly bunch,|so don't drag it out.
I won't perform for your amusement.
It's not for me.
It's for you.
It's an opportunity|to make peace with your sordid past.
I can't believe you'd do this|for my soul.
Now that you've shuffled off|the mortal coil we can spend a little time together.
A little time together? - How much?|- Eternity.
You're sure you have no regrets|or guilt about your former life? I can't have you whining|and complaining through time.
If I'm really dead, then my only|regret is dying and finding you here.
You wound me.
After all, I was not the cause|of your death.
This was.
- Is that?|- Your artificial heart.
You might have lived|if you had a real one, instead of|this unreliable technology.
By the way, how did you lose yours? - A mistake.
|- Is that a regret? I regret many things from those days.
Really? It wasn't very smart of you|to take on three Nausicaans, was it? No, it wasn't.
And did I hear a laugh? It's so unlike you|to have a sense of humour, especially about getting stabbed|through the back.
I was different in those days.
Arrogant, undisciplined,|with far too much ego.
And too little wisdom.
|I was more like you.
Then, you must have been far more|interesting.
Pity you had to change.
The pity is, I had to be impaled|through the back before I learned that lesson.
I started that fight|with those Nausicaans.
I started it because Because I was young and cocky.
If I'd been more responsible,|I wouldn't have needed this heart.
I wouldn't have died from|a random energy surge 30 years later.
So, if you had to do it|all over again? Things would be different.
- Bravo.
|- Nicely done.
Cortin.
Cortin Zweller.
Yes.
Boy, she must have hit you|pretty hard! - You deserved it.
|- You're slowing down, Johnny.
You should have seen|that one coming.
Marta Batanides.
- Are you OK?|- Yes, I'm fine.
I'm just a little disoriented,|that's all.
He's playing for sympathy now.
I'm gonna eat, then go to the casino|at Bonestell.
You coming? - I'll catch up with you there.
|- You sure you're OK? Yes, I'm fine.
|Really, Marta, I'm fine.
Come on, Marty.
|I bet he's got another date.
That's it, isn't it?|You are incorrigible.
Attention on deck, Ensign Picard! - Q.
|- That's Capt Q to you, young man.
What is the point|of creating this fantasy? This is no fantasy, I assure you.
|It's all very real.
You're 21 years old again.
A brash young man,|fresh out of the Academy.
I certainly don't look it.
Well, to everyone else you do.
So, Q, I thought you told me|that I was dead? - Now it seems I'm alive.
|- You mortals are so obtuse.
How can you believe life and death|are such static and rigid concepts? I can take your life|and give it back to you again with the snap of a finger.
Let's say that may be true.
What is the purpose|in bringing me here? You said you regretted many things.
Here's a chance to change|some of them.
Change them?|You mean change the past? Even if you have been able|to bring me back in time somehow, you know that|an alteration in this timeline will have a profound impact|on the future.
Please! Spare me|your egotistical musings on your pivotal role in history.
Nothing you do here|will cause galaxies to explode.
To be blunt,|you're not that important.
I won't do it.
I won't alter history.
Very well! Since you attach so much importance|to the continuity of time, .
.
I give you my personal guarantee that nothing you do here|will hurt anyone or have an adverse effect|on what you know of as history.
The only thing at stake here|is your life and peace of mind.
Now, whether you believe me or not,|you are here.
And you have a second chance.
What you choose to do with it|is entirely up to you.
Do you know where you are? Starbase Earhart.
|We came here right after graduation to await our first|deep-space assignments.
That's right.
It's two days before your encounter|with a Nausicaan sword.
You have that long to make|whatever changes you wish.
If you can avoid|getting stabbed this time, which I doubt, I will take you back|to what you think of as the present.
And you will go on with your life|with a real heart.
- Then, I won't die?|- Of course you'll die.
It'll just be at a later time.
What if I don't avoid the fight?|What if I won't make the changes? Then, you die on the table|and we spend eternity together.
- Wonderful.
|- I'm glad you think so.
I'm curious about one thing, Johnny.
Why did that attractive woman strike|you just now? Something you said? Her name was Corlina.
|I'd arranged to take her out today.
Then she discovered that I had already made a second date|with another woman called .
.
Penny.
And Corlina was, naturally, upset.
I'd no idea you were such a cad.
|I'm impressed.
- Computer, what is the time now?|- 1611 hours.
In fact, Penny is waiting for me,|right now.
Well, carry on.
Well, you're awfully quiet today.
What happened to that dashing young|ensign from last night? The one with the winning smile|and the smooth talk about my eyes.
I'm just|a little more contemplative.
And what are you contemplating? Penny Do you think we could talk|for a while? I hardly know you.
Where you're from, what your|interests are, your last name.
I come from Rigel, my last name|is Muroc and I like men in uniform.
I think that's enough talking.
What's wrong? I don't look|as attractive as I did last night? No.
Not at all.
I think|you're a very handsome woman.
Handsome? That's something|you say to old ladies.
You're certainly not an old lady.
I didn't want your pity.
Penny for your thoughts.
You never told me|you were such a ladies' man.
I wasn't.
I was a puerile adolescent led by his hormones|instead of his head.
Your friends know how to have fun.
|You ought to take lessons.
Excuse me.
- He's winning.
|- Of course.
I thought you had a date.
She decided to leave.
You're getting old, Johnny.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
Very, very nice.
Forget Starfleet|and play dom-jot for a living.
This is nothing.
A little|trigonometry, some wrist action.
Now, barokie, there's a game.
Human! Play dom-jot, human.
I think I could be persuaded|to play one more game.
Corey, don't play him.
- Why?|- It'll cause trouble.
He's a Nausicaan.
They can get very ill-tempered|if they lose.
- So can l.
|- No, listen to me.
- This is a mistake.
Don't play him.
|- What's gotten into you? Let's go.
I see you've found|your Nausicaan friend.
You seem unimpaled so far.
I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Get him, Corey.
Ensign Zweller|seems to be doing well.
He's gonna lose.
|The Nausicaan is cheating.
Really? I'm beginning|to like these Nausicaans.
If history repeats itself, Corey|will figure it out later tonight, and then he'll want revenge.
And will you help your best friend|avenge this injustice? I did last time.
I rigged the table|so that he would win in a rematch.
Picard, you cheated? - I'm impressed.
|- It was a stupid mistake.
The Nausicaan didn't take kindly|to losing.
Nor his friends.
They were outraged.
|They wanted a fight.
I gave them one.
That's a beautiful story.
It gets you right here, doesn't it? Ten! Dom-jot.
Human play dom-jot.
I've played a lot of dom-jot.
I've never seen balls|roll that well for anyone.
- So, he was cheating?|- I bet he had a magnetic device.
- It was controlling the balls.
|- That's terrible.
- We gotta get even.
|- What did you have in mind? Well, we can do to him|what he did to us.
Cheat.
This time, we rig the table|so his device will backfire on him.
That won't solve anything.
It'll teach him not to go|round cheating Starfleet officers.
All it'll do is provoke him.
And provoking a Nausicaan|is not a good idea.
I can handle him.
What if he brings|some of his Nausicaan friends? That's when I'll have to depend|on my friends to help me out.
Corey, there's got to be|a better way to handle this.
When did you start backing away|from a good fight? Look, we're not cadets any more.
|We're officers.
We should set|a higher standard for ourselves.
It was a good idea|but let's just forget it, OK? He'll get over it.
I hope so.
- What?|- Nothing.
It's just you'd usually|be the one plotting revenge.
Yes.
That would be|more in character, wouldn't it? Much.
I always suspected you had|a hidden streak of responsibility.
Perhaps it's just|that I'm getting older.
Maybe these bars are starting|to feel a little heavy, Ensign.
Ensign Picard and Ensign Batanides.
|It sounds weird, doesn't it? It's going to take|some getting used to.
It's too bad we can't|get used to it together.
- Well, the three of us, I mean.
|- Of course.
Come.
Flowers! Is there a John-Luck Pickard here? From one of your conquests,|no doubt.
I guess some things|aren't going to change.
Did I interrupt anything sordid,|I hope? No, Q, you did not.
Pity.
She's quite attractive.
We were friends.
Nothing more.
Is that another regret I hear?|My, my.
We're riddled with regrets|about our youth, aren't we? My friendship with Marta|is not something I regret.
But you wish it had been more|than friendship? Well, maybe you can change all that.
Q, what is it you want? You should know Mr Zweller|has decided not to take your advice.
He's in the Bonestell Facility rigging the table|to beat the Nausicaan.
I guess you weren't that persuasive.
Corey.
Don't sneak up on me.
I thought|you were the foreman.
Sorry.
I'm glad you're here.
|Hand me that magnaspanner.
I'm not here to help.
I'm here to stop you|from making a serious mistake.
You sound like my mother.
Cheating the Nausicaans could have|consequences for all of us.
- It's too big a risk.
|- You are my mother! Gee, Mom, I'll tell those Nausicaans|I don't mind if they cheat me.
- This is not a joke.
|- It better be.
Now, I'm gonna finish my work here.
If you wanna help me, fine.
|If not, I'll see you at the starbase.
I said you're not doing this.
Are you gonna hit me, Johnny? No.
I'll tell the gambling foreman|someone tampered with his table.
Alright.
Have it your way, Ensign Picard.
I just couldn't make him understand.
- At least he finally did give it up.
|- But he didn't take it well.
You know Corey.
He'll forget|all about it by tomorrow.
I hope you're right, because he and l|were friends for years after this.
I mean, I hope we will be.
You know, .
.
you keep smiling at me.
Well, I've just never seen you|like this before.
You're so serious.
Do I really seem that different? Maybe I'm just not used to seeing you|in your officer's uniform.
No, it's more than that.
You do seem different.
Well, I'm not complaining|or anything.
- I think it suits you.
|- Really? Yes.
It's very attractive.
Johnny.
Haven't you ever thought|about us getting together? Yes, I have, actually.
I've thought about it|for a long time.
- Why didn't you ever say so?|- I don't know.
And at this moment, .
.
I really have no idea why not.
You've said so now.
Morning, darling.
Feeling a little jumpy this morning? Are we guilty, perhaps? I don't feel guilty|about anything, Q.
No? "We're just friends, Q.
|Nothing more.
" And we're still friends.
So, what's next? I don't know.
What I do know is,|things will be different.
I'm sure.
- Good morning.
|- Johnny.
What's wrong? Well, this is the morning after.
Look, I don't regret|anything that happened last night.
I hope you don't either.
I don't know.
We've been friends for a long time .
.
and now .
.
I'm afraid we've ruined|that friendship.
Then, perhaps we should .
.
forget about what happened|and try to I wish I could.
It would be much easier|to say goodbye tomorrow.
We're all supposed|to get together later for our last big night out|before we all ship out.
Don't do anything|that makes you uncomfortable.
We've planned it.
I'll be there.
Well, let's see.
You've managed|to get slapped by one woman, a drink thrown in your face|by another, and alienate your two best friends.
|Doing well so far.
The only thing left to avoid is|getting stabbed through the heart.
I think you'll like the Ajax.
I hear that Capt Narth|is an excellent officer.
So I hear.
Well, here's to the class of '27.
Play dom-jot, human.
Give you a better chance.
Give you a bigger stick maybe.
I don't think we're interested.
They are undari.
Cowards! What did you say? Coward.
Like all Starfleet.
You talk and you talk,|but you have no guramba.
- Why don't we find out?|- Don't be a fool.
Play dom-jot with someone else.
|Just go about your business.
Maybe I play with her.
|Give her a good time.
Starfleet! I'm sorry, Corey.
|He was reaching for a weapon.
I don't know who you are any more, but you're not my friend.
Goodbye, Johnny.
Congratulations, mon capitaine.
|You did it.
Can I help you, Mr Picard? Mr Worf.
This is not for me.
Take it to Cmdr La Forge|in Engineering.
What's happened? - Is something wrong?|- I'm not sure.
Mr Worf,|what is my rank and position? You are lieutenant junior grade,|Assistant Astrophysics Officer.
Are you feeling alright? Who's the captain of this ship? Capt Thomas Halloway.
Perhaps I should escort you|to sickbay.
No.
I can find my own way there.
|Thank you, Commander.
Beverly, something's happened.
- I'm not sure|- Well, well, well.
What seems to be the trouble,|Leutnant Picard? Q, what have you done? I've done exactly as I promised.
|I've returned you to the present.
This is not the present I remember.
|You said nothing would change.
Nothing has changed,|Jean-Luc, except for you.
But that's what you wanted.
To change the man you were|in your youth.
You did it.
This is the man you are today.
And you should be happy.
You have a real heart|beating in your chest.
You live out the rest of your life|in safety, running tests, making analyses and carrying reports|to your superiors.
Excuse me, am I interrupting? - No, not at all.
Have a seat.
|- Thank you.
I'd like to talk to you|about my future on the Enterprise.
Of course, Lieutenant.
- Jean-Luc, isn't it?|- I should go.
No.
I would very much|like to hear your thoughts.
First of all, I would like you|to be straightforward with me.
How would you evaluate me|as an officer? Well, your performance records|have always been good.
You're thorough, dedicated.
Steady, reliable.
Punctual.
I see.
What would you say if I told you that I believed that I was capable|of being very much more? Let's discuss this|at your next evaluation.
I would appreciate discussing it now.
You see, I feel that I would like|to move beyond Astrophysics to Engineering or Security, something|that might even lead to Command.
Frankly, Lieutenant,|I don't think that's realistic.
Why? This isn't the place to discuss this.
Please.
|This is very important to me.
I believe that I can do more.
Hasn't that been the problem|all along? Throughout your career|you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary|to attain them.
Would that be your evaluation? I agree with the Counsellor.
To get ahead, take chances.
Stand out in a crowd, get noticed.
I see.
We don't want to lose you.
|You're a good officer.
Just not one who stands out.
I'll talk to Cmdr La Forge|in Engineering.
But, Command? Well, we'll see.
Senior officers,|report to the Captain's ready room.
Acknowledged.
We should talk about this later.
Alright, Q, that's enough.
You've made your point.
Q? La Forge to Lt Picard.
I'm still waiting|for that statistical analysis.
I'm on my way.
Main Engineering.
Are you having a good laugh now, Q? Does it amuse you to think of me living out my life|as a dreary man in a tedious job? I gave you something|most mortals never experience.
A second chance at life.
And now all you can do is complain? I can't live out my days|as that person.
That man is bereft of passion|and imagination! That is not who I am! Au contraire,|he's the person you wanted to be.
One who was less arrogant|and undisciplined in his youth.
One who was less like me.
The Jean-Luc you wanted to be, the one who did not fight|the Nausicaan, had a different career|from the one you remember.
That Picard never had a brush|with death, never faced his own mortality, never realised how fragile life is,|how important each moment must be.
His life never came into focus.
He drifted for much of his career,|with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment|to the next, never seizing the opportunities|that presented themselves.
He never led the away team|on Milika III to save the ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's|bridge when its captain was killed.
And no one ever offered him|a command.
He learned to play it safe.
And he never, ever|got noticed by anyone.
You're right, Q.
You gave me the chance to change|and I took the opportunity.
But I admit now, it was a mistake.
Are you asking me for something,|Jean-Luc? Let me put things back|the way they were before.
Before you died in sickbay.
|Is that what you want? I would rather die as the man I was|than live the life I just saw.
Coward! Like all Starfleet.
You talk and you talk,|but you have no guramba.
- What did you say?|- I said, you are a coward.
That's what I thought you said.
His vital signs are stable.
Captain.
Jean-Luc.
You were injured, but I think|you're going to be alright.
I still don't know|what to make of it.
Was it a dream? Or was it|one of Q's elaborate tricks? A lot of people near death|have strange experiences, but I have|never heard one so detailed.
There's still part of me|that cannot accept that Q would give me a second chance, or that he'd demonstrate|so much compassion.
And if it was Q, .
.
I owe him a debt of gratitude.
In what sense?|He put you through hell.
There are many parts of my youth|that I'm not proud of.
There were loose threads.
Untidy parts of me|that I would like to remove.
But when I pulled|on one of those threads, .
.
it unravelled the tapestry|of my life.
I was just trying to imagine|a hellbent-for-leather young officer insulting a Nausicaan twice his size.
I wish I could know|that Jean-Luc Picard.
That wasn't the first run-in I had|with a couple of surly Nausicaans.
- Really?|- Yes.
During my sophomore year, I was|assigned to training on Morikin VII.
There was a Nausicaan outpost|on an outlying asteroid.
One day
Dr Selar can use ward three|and I'll stay here.
- Sickbay, they're coming in now.
|- Acknowledged.
Be ready.
Let's go.
Get him on here.
What happened? The Lenarians attacked us|outside the conference room.
He's in cardiac arrest.
|Connect the pulmonary support units.
Internal haemorrhaging.
The regulator|of his artificial heart is fused.
He's got liver and spleen damage.
- What kind of weapon caused it?|- A compressed tetryon beam.
The activity in the isocortex|is falling.
Cortical stimulators.
Now.
Again.
His respiratory system|is shutting down.
Levels in the isocortex|are still falling.
Damn! Prepare for Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc.
|You're dead.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages|of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission,|to explore strange new worlds, .
.
to seek out new life|and new civilisations, .
.
to boldly go|where no one has gone before.
Q, what is going on? I told you.
You're dead.
This is the afterlife and I'm God.
- You are not God!|- Blasphemy.
You're lucky I don't cast you out|or smite you.
The bottom line is, your life|ended about five minutes ago, under the inept ministrations|of Dr Beverly Crusher.
No.
I am not dead.
Because I refuse to believe|that the afterlife is run by you.
The universe|is not so badly designed.
Very well.
If you require|more evidence of your postmortem status,|I'll provide you some.
Jean-Luc, I told you|not to go to that Academy.
Father.
I told you Starfleet|would bring you to a bad end, but you wouldn't listen.
Now look at you.
|Dead before your time.
- Q, enough of this.
|- Enough what? Why couldn't you have listened? Didn't you know that I worked|for your best interests? Q, stop this.
After all these years, even now, you manage|to disappoint me, Jean-Luc.
He's not the only one|who'd like a word with you.
Jean-Luc, why did you do it? There are people down there! - There must be another way.
|- They're firing on us.
- If you continue on this course|- Direct hit.
These are the voices|of all the people you've killed.
- Whom I've killed? What do you mean?|- Death has made you a little dim.
These are the voices|of all the people who have died through your actions|or inactions.
If you have any words|of apology or regret, I believe they're all listening.
They're a surly bunch,|so don't drag it out.
I won't perform for your amusement.
It's not for me.
It's for you.
It's an opportunity|to make peace with your sordid past.
I can't believe you'd do this|for my soul.
Now that you've shuffled off|the mortal coil we can spend a little time together.
A little time together? - How much?|- Eternity.
You're sure you have no regrets|or guilt about your former life? I can't have you whining|and complaining through time.
If I'm really dead, then my only|regret is dying and finding you here.
You wound me.
After all, I was not the cause|of your death.
This was.
- Is that?|- Your artificial heart.
You might have lived|if you had a real one, instead of|this unreliable technology.
By the way, how did you lose yours? - A mistake.
|- Is that a regret? I regret many things from those days.
Really? It wasn't very smart of you|to take on three Nausicaans, was it? No, it wasn't.
And did I hear a laugh? It's so unlike you|to have a sense of humour, especially about getting stabbed|through the back.
I was different in those days.
Arrogant, undisciplined,|with far too much ego.
And too little wisdom.
|I was more like you.
Then, you must have been far more|interesting.
Pity you had to change.
The pity is, I had to be impaled|through the back before I learned that lesson.
I started that fight|with those Nausicaans.
I started it because Because I was young and cocky.
If I'd been more responsible,|I wouldn't have needed this heart.
I wouldn't have died from|a random energy surge 30 years later.
So, if you had to do it|all over again? Things would be different.
- Bravo.
|- Nicely done.
Cortin.
Cortin Zweller.
Yes.
Boy, she must have hit you|pretty hard! - You deserved it.
|- You're slowing down, Johnny.
You should have seen|that one coming.
Marta Batanides.
- Are you OK?|- Yes, I'm fine.
I'm just a little disoriented,|that's all.
He's playing for sympathy now.
I'm gonna eat, then go to the casino|at Bonestell.
You coming? - I'll catch up with you there.
|- You sure you're OK? Yes, I'm fine.
|Really, Marta, I'm fine.
Come on, Marty.
|I bet he's got another date.
That's it, isn't it?|You are incorrigible.
Attention on deck, Ensign Picard! - Q.
|- That's Capt Q to you, young man.
What is the point|of creating this fantasy? This is no fantasy, I assure you.
|It's all very real.
You're 21 years old again.
A brash young man,|fresh out of the Academy.
I certainly don't look it.
Well, to everyone else you do.
So, Q, I thought you told me|that I was dead? - Now it seems I'm alive.
|- You mortals are so obtuse.
How can you believe life and death|are such static and rigid concepts? I can take your life|and give it back to you again with the snap of a finger.
Let's say that may be true.
What is the purpose|in bringing me here? You said you regretted many things.
Here's a chance to change|some of them.
Change them?|You mean change the past? Even if you have been able|to bring me back in time somehow, you know that|an alteration in this timeline will have a profound impact|on the future.
Please! Spare me|your egotistical musings on your pivotal role in history.
Nothing you do here|will cause galaxies to explode.
To be blunt,|you're not that important.
I won't do it.
I won't alter history.
Very well! Since you attach so much importance|to the continuity of time, .
.
I give you my personal guarantee that nothing you do here|will hurt anyone or have an adverse effect|on what you know of as history.
The only thing at stake here|is your life and peace of mind.
Now, whether you believe me or not,|you are here.
And you have a second chance.
What you choose to do with it|is entirely up to you.
Do you know where you are? Starbase Earhart.
|We came here right after graduation to await our first|deep-space assignments.
That's right.
It's two days before your encounter|with a Nausicaan sword.
You have that long to make|whatever changes you wish.
If you can avoid|getting stabbed this time, which I doubt, I will take you back|to what you think of as the present.
And you will go on with your life|with a real heart.
- Then, I won't die?|- Of course you'll die.
It'll just be at a later time.
What if I don't avoid the fight?|What if I won't make the changes? Then, you die on the table|and we spend eternity together.
- Wonderful.
|- I'm glad you think so.
I'm curious about one thing, Johnny.
Why did that attractive woman strike|you just now? Something you said? Her name was Corlina.
|I'd arranged to take her out today.
Then she discovered that I had already made a second date|with another woman called .
.
Penny.
And Corlina was, naturally, upset.
I'd no idea you were such a cad.
|I'm impressed.
- Computer, what is the time now?|- 1611 hours.
In fact, Penny is waiting for me,|right now.
Well, carry on.
Well, you're awfully quiet today.
What happened to that dashing young|ensign from last night? The one with the winning smile|and the smooth talk about my eyes.
I'm just|a little more contemplative.
And what are you contemplating? Penny Do you think we could talk|for a while? I hardly know you.
Where you're from, what your|interests are, your last name.
I come from Rigel, my last name|is Muroc and I like men in uniform.
I think that's enough talking.
What's wrong? I don't look|as attractive as I did last night? No.
Not at all.
I think|you're a very handsome woman.
Handsome? That's something|you say to old ladies.
You're certainly not an old lady.
I didn't want your pity.
Penny for your thoughts.
You never told me|you were such a ladies' man.
I wasn't.
I was a puerile adolescent led by his hormones|instead of his head.
Your friends know how to have fun.
|You ought to take lessons.
Excuse me.
- He's winning.
|- Of course.
I thought you had a date.
She decided to leave.
You're getting old, Johnny.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
Very, very nice.
Forget Starfleet|and play dom-jot for a living.
This is nothing.
A little|trigonometry, some wrist action.
Now, barokie, there's a game.
Human! Play dom-jot, human.
I think I could be persuaded|to play one more game.
Corey, don't play him.
- Why?|- It'll cause trouble.
He's a Nausicaan.
They can get very ill-tempered|if they lose.
- So can l.
|- No, listen to me.
- This is a mistake.
Don't play him.
|- What's gotten into you? Let's go.
I see you've found|your Nausicaan friend.
You seem unimpaled so far.
I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Get him, Corey.
Ensign Zweller|seems to be doing well.
He's gonna lose.
|The Nausicaan is cheating.
Really? I'm beginning|to like these Nausicaans.
If history repeats itself, Corey|will figure it out later tonight, and then he'll want revenge.
And will you help your best friend|avenge this injustice? I did last time.
I rigged the table|so that he would win in a rematch.
Picard, you cheated? - I'm impressed.
|- It was a stupid mistake.
The Nausicaan didn't take kindly|to losing.
Nor his friends.
They were outraged.
|They wanted a fight.
I gave them one.
That's a beautiful story.
It gets you right here, doesn't it? Ten! Dom-jot.
Human play dom-jot.
I've played a lot of dom-jot.
I've never seen balls|roll that well for anyone.
- So, he was cheating?|- I bet he had a magnetic device.
- It was controlling the balls.
|- That's terrible.
- We gotta get even.
|- What did you have in mind? Well, we can do to him|what he did to us.
Cheat.
This time, we rig the table|so his device will backfire on him.
That won't solve anything.
It'll teach him not to go|round cheating Starfleet officers.
All it'll do is provoke him.
And provoking a Nausicaan|is not a good idea.
I can handle him.
What if he brings|some of his Nausicaan friends? That's when I'll have to depend|on my friends to help me out.
Corey, there's got to be|a better way to handle this.
When did you start backing away|from a good fight? Look, we're not cadets any more.
|We're officers.
We should set|a higher standard for ourselves.
It was a good idea|but let's just forget it, OK? He'll get over it.
I hope so.
- What?|- Nothing.
It's just you'd usually|be the one plotting revenge.
Yes.
That would be|more in character, wouldn't it? Much.
I always suspected you had|a hidden streak of responsibility.
Perhaps it's just|that I'm getting older.
Maybe these bars are starting|to feel a little heavy, Ensign.
Ensign Picard and Ensign Batanides.
|It sounds weird, doesn't it? It's going to take|some getting used to.
It's too bad we can't|get used to it together.
- Well, the three of us, I mean.
|- Of course.
Come.
Flowers! Is there a John-Luck Pickard here? From one of your conquests,|no doubt.
I guess some things|aren't going to change.
Did I interrupt anything sordid,|I hope? No, Q, you did not.
Pity.
She's quite attractive.
We were friends.
Nothing more.
Is that another regret I hear?|My, my.
We're riddled with regrets|about our youth, aren't we? My friendship with Marta|is not something I regret.
But you wish it had been more|than friendship? Well, maybe you can change all that.
Q, what is it you want? You should know Mr Zweller|has decided not to take your advice.
He's in the Bonestell Facility rigging the table|to beat the Nausicaan.
I guess you weren't that persuasive.
Corey.
Don't sneak up on me.
I thought|you were the foreman.
Sorry.
I'm glad you're here.
|Hand me that magnaspanner.
I'm not here to help.
I'm here to stop you|from making a serious mistake.
You sound like my mother.
Cheating the Nausicaans could have|consequences for all of us.
- It's too big a risk.
|- You are my mother! Gee, Mom, I'll tell those Nausicaans|I don't mind if they cheat me.
- This is not a joke.
|- It better be.
Now, I'm gonna finish my work here.
If you wanna help me, fine.
|If not, I'll see you at the starbase.
I said you're not doing this.
Are you gonna hit me, Johnny? No.
I'll tell the gambling foreman|someone tampered with his table.
Alright.
Have it your way, Ensign Picard.
I just couldn't make him understand.
- At least he finally did give it up.
|- But he didn't take it well.
You know Corey.
He'll forget|all about it by tomorrow.
I hope you're right, because he and l|were friends for years after this.
I mean, I hope we will be.
You know, .
.
you keep smiling at me.
Well, I've just never seen you|like this before.
You're so serious.
Do I really seem that different? Maybe I'm just not used to seeing you|in your officer's uniform.
No, it's more than that.
You do seem different.
Well, I'm not complaining|or anything.
- I think it suits you.
|- Really? Yes.
It's very attractive.
Johnny.
Haven't you ever thought|about us getting together? Yes, I have, actually.
I've thought about it|for a long time.
- Why didn't you ever say so?|- I don't know.
And at this moment, .
.
I really have no idea why not.
You've said so now.
Morning, darling.
Feeling a little jumpy this morning? Are we guilty, perhaps? I don't feel guilty|about anything, Q.
No? "We're just friends, Q.
|Nothing more.
" And we're still friends.
So, what's next? I don't know.
What I do know is,|things will be different.
I'm sure.
- Good morning.
|- Johnny.
What's wrong? Well, this is the morning after.
Look, I don't regret|anything that happened last night.
I hope you don't either.
I don't know.
We've been friends for a long time .
.
and now .
.
I'm afraid we've ruined|that friendship.
Then, perhaps we should .
.
forget about what happened|and try to I wish I could.
It would be much easier|to say goodbye tomorrow.
We're all supposed|to get together later for our last big night out|before we all ship out.
Don't do anything|that makes you uncomfortable.
We've planned it.
I'll be there.
Well, let's see.
You've managed|to get slapped by one woman, a drink thrown in your face|by another, and alienate your two best friends.
|Doing well so far.
The only thing left to avoid is|getting stabbed through the heart.
I think you'll like the Ajax.
I hear that Capt Narth|is an excellent officer.
So I hear.
Well, here's to the class of '27.
Play dom-jot, human.
Give you a better chance.
Give you a bigger stick maybe.
I don't think we're interested.
They are undari.
Cowards! What did you say? Coward.
Like all Starfleet.
You talk and you talk,|but you have no guramba.
- Why don't we find out?|- Don't be a fool.
Play dom-jot with someone else.
|Just go about your business.
Maybe I play with her.
|Give her a good time.
Starfleet! I'm sorry, Corey.
|He was reaching for a weapon.
I don't know who you are any more, but you're not my friend.
Goodbye, Johnny.
Congratulations, mon capitaine.
|You did it.
Can I help you, Mr Picard? Mr Worf.
This is not for me.
Take it to Cmdr La Forge|in Engineering.
What's happened? - Is something wrong?|- I'm not sure.
Mr Worf,|what is my rank and position? You are lieutenant junior grade,|Assistant Astrophysics Officer.
Are you feeling alright? Who's the captain of this ship? Capt Thomas Halloway.
Perhaps I should escort you|to sickbay.
No.
I can find my own way there.
|Thank you, Commander.
Beverly, something's happened.
- I'm not sure|- Well, well, well.
What seems to be the trouble,|Leutnant Picard? Q, what have you done? I've done exactly as I promised.
|I've returned you to the present.
This is not the present I remember.
|You said nothing would change.
Nothing has changed,|Jean-Luc, except for you.
But that's what you wanted.
To change the man you were|in your youth.
You did it.
This is the man you are today.
And you should be happy.
You have a real heart|beating in your chest.
You live out the rest of your life|in safety, running tests, making analyses and carrying reports|to your superiors.
Excuse me, am I interrupting? - No, not at all.
Have a seat.
|- Thank you.
I'd like to talk to you|about my future on the Enterprise.
Of course, Lieutenant.
- Jean-Luc, isn't it?|- I should go.
No.
I would very much|like to hear your thoughts.
First of all, I would like you|to be straightforward with me.
How would you evaluate me|as an officer? Well, your performance records|have always been good.
You're thorough, dedicated.
Steady, reliable.
Punctual.
I see.
What would you say if I told you that I believed that I was capable|of being very much more? Let's discuss this|at your next evaluation.
I would appreciate discussing it now.
You see, I feel that I would like|to move beyond Astrophysics to Engineering or Security, something|that might even lead to Command.
Frankly, Lieutenant,|I don't think that's realistic.
Why? This isn't the place to discuss this.
Please.
|This is very important to me.
I believe that I can do more.
Hasn't that been the problem|all along? Throughout your career|you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary|to attain them.
Would that be your evaluation? I agree with the Counsellor.
To get ahead, take chances.
Stand out in a crowd, get noticed.
I see.
We don't want to lose you.
|You're a good officer.
Just not one who stands out.
I'll talk to Cmdr La Forge|in Engineering.
But, Command? Well, we'll see.
Senior officers,|report to the Captain's ready room.
Acknowledged.
We should talk about this later.
Alright, Q, that's enough.
You've made your point.
Q? La Forge to Lt Picard.
I'm still waiting|for that statistical analysis.
I'm on my way.
Main Engineering.
Are you having a good laugh now, Q? Does it amuse you to think of me living out my life|as a dreary man in a tedious job? I gave you something|most mortals never experience.
A second chance at life.
And now all you can do is complain? I can't live out my days|as that person.
That man is bereft of passion|and imagination! That is not who I am! Au contraire,|he's the person you wanted to be.
One who was less arrogant|and undisciplined in his youth.
One who was less like me.
The Jean-Luc you wanted to be, the one who did not fight|the Nausicaan, had a different career|from the one you remember.
That Picard never had a brush|with death, never faced his own mortality, never realised how fragile life is,|how important each moment must be.
His life never came into focus.
He drifted for much of his career,|with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment|to the next, never seizing the opportunities|that presented themselves.
He never led the away team|on Milika III to save the ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's|bridge when its captain was killed.
And no one ever offered him|a command.
He learned to play it safe.
And he never, ever|got noticed by anyone.
You're right, Q.
You gave me the chance to change|and I took the opportunity.
But I admit now, it was a mistake.
Are you asking me for something,|Jean-Luc? Let me put things back|the way they were before.
Before you died in sickbay.
|Is that what you want? I would rather die as the man I was|than live the life I just saw.
Coward! Like all Starfleet.
You talk and you talk,|but you have no guramba.
- What did you say?|- I said, you are a coward.
That's what I thought you said.
His vital signs are stable.
Captain.
Jean-Luc.
You were injured, but I think|you're going to be alright.
I still don't know|what to make of it.
Was it a dream? Or was it|one of Q's elaborate tricks? A lot of people near death|have strange experiences, but I have|never heard one so detailed.
There's still part of me|that cannot accept that Q would give me a second chance, or that he'd demonstrate|so much compassion.
And if it was Q, .
.
I owe him a debt of gratitude.
In what sense?|He put you through hell.
There are many parts of my youth|that I'm not proud of.
There were loose threads.
Untidy parts of me|that I would like to remove.
But when I pulled|on one of those threads, .
.
it unravelled the tapestry|of my life.
I was just trying to imagine|a hellbent-for-leather young officer insulting a Nausicaan twice his size.
I wish I could know|that Jean-Luc Picard.
That wasn't the first run-in I had|with a couple of surly Nausicaans.
- Really?|- Yes.
During my sophomore year, I was|assigned to training on Morikin VII.
There was a Nausicaan outpost|on an outlying asteroid.
One day