The Enterprise has been called back to Earth to investigate evidence of extraterrestrial visitations to San Francisco in the late 19th century, the most shocking piece of which is Data's head! As the head is inspected, everyone is very edgy to be seeing this apparent sign of Data's death. Everyone, that is, except Data himself, who sees it as a sign that he may not have to worry about outliving all of his friends.

It's hypothesized that the aliens visiting Earth might been shape-changers, appearing human. The trail leads them to the planet Devidia Two; no life signs are found, but temporal anomalies are sensed, and triolic waves identical to those on Earth are also picked up. Riker takes down an away team which specifically excludes Data (a bit of "protection" Data finds irrational, but accepts), and there Deanna senses traces of terrified life-forms; human ones.

Data finds traces of "synchronic" disturbances in the area, which implies that whatever other life on the planet is out of phase with the Enterprise crew, if only by a fraction of a second. It is possible to use a subspace field to align the two parties, but the only tool sensitive enough for the job is in Data's brain. He beams down and uses a subspace generator to align himself with the inhabitants of the planet. He speaks to the away team (one-way only, alas) of faceless aliens. He finds a caged snakelike creature, which is picked up by two aliens. A temporal tornado of sorts arises, however, and with a blinding flash, the generator returns, without Data.

Data, meanwhile, awakes to find himself in 1893 San Francisco, and seeks a room at a nearby hotel. Lacking money, he cannot get one, but he hears tell of a poker game going on in the hotel. He crashes this game, joins in, and wins enough money to keep himself going indefinitely. He befriends the bellboy and hires him to get supplies for his coming "inventions." As the bellboy rushes off to collect these supplies, a derelict Data spoke to is approached by two well- dressed humans, one carrying a cane and the other a handbag. As he coughs his way to a possible death by cholera, one of the visitors raises her handbag, which emits a beam that strikes the derelict. He stiffens, and a small globe of energy leaves his body for the bag. They close the bag and walk off.

Meanwhile, in the 24th century, the mission continues over the crew's worries about Data; Geordi gets to work on jury-rigging a bigger and better field generator. Guinan, shortly thereafter, tells Picard in no uncertain terms that he must accompany the away mission; if not, she says, he and Guinan may never meet. Back in San Francisco, Data's mysterious invention is proceeding apace, but he comes to a halt when he sees an advertisement in the local newspaper for a literary reception, hosted by a wealthy socialite: Guinan.

At this reception, Guinan and Samuel Clemens are having a lengthy discussion when Data crashes the party. He attempts to talk to Guinan. She shows no signs of knowing who he is, but when he mentions a starship, she quickly assumes an air of friendship and hustles him away. They talk in the back of the house, where he explains to her who he is and where he's from. Their explanation is interrupted, however, when they notice the eavesdropping form of Mr. Clemens...

Back in the 24th century, Picard joins the away team and sends Worf back to watch over the ship. The field is activated and tuned, and they find themselves seeing the aliens Data spoke of: glowing...faceless...sitting...feeding. The energy globes, their "food", seem organic in nature, but Troi suggests that what she's sensing is traces of the last moments of people's lives, and that they all died in terror. Suddenly, a glowing "gate" opens, and two aliens come through, one holding a handbag. The bag is attached to an apparatus near the away team, and more globes pour into the device. The other alien is carrying a snakelike creature, who hisses, reactivating the gate. The aliens walk back through, presumably back to San Francisco.

The away team follows. The gate closes.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Highlight Listing:

"Time's Arrow" - After Data learns of his own death in late- 19th-century San Francisco, a freak accident transports him back to that period.

Advertising Headline:

OUT OF THE PAST! Data learns he died in the 19th century! Can the crew save him from a fate that has already happened?

TV log listing:

Can the crew save Data from a death in his past? STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

Operation SNAFU

The paper that Data picks up is dated "Sunday, August 11, 1893". Unfortunately, August 11, 1893 was a Friday. (V) Also, during the episode "Clues", Guinan says she was late because she had trouble getting into her dress, yet, in this episode, she is seen wearing a dress. (V)

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: November 09, 2010