Sam Clemens, convinced by his eavesdropping that Data and Guinan are invaders from the future, tells a reporter of the broad strokes of his theory that the 19th century is in as much danger as King Arthur's time was in his novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. He abruptly stops, however, when he sees Data emerging from a building and walking down the street. He moves to follow Data, whom we see passing a well-dressed couple (known to us as the true "invaders").

Some time later, Riker and Dr. Crusher (both in appropriate garb) are searching the morgue for signs of the aliens' presence. Beverly finds that many of the so-called "cholera victims" died, not from the disease, but from having their neural energy completely drained; their souls were stolen, if you will. She and Riker theorize that the aliens have traveled back to this disease- ridden time to use the epidemic as a cover for murder. They return to the apartment where the entire team is staying and report their findings, and the team plans to infiltrate the charity hospital from which many of the victims have come. Additionally, they note that the aliens should be detectable at close range via tricorder thanks to their triolic emissions, and note that they have not yet managed to contact Data.

Meanwhile, Sam Clemens is let into Data's hotel room with the help of Jack the bellboy, and in return advises Jack to follow his dreams and write about them. (Jack, his last name now revealed to be London, vows to do so.) Clemens takes a piece of Data's strange construct for safekeeping, then hides in the closet as Data returns with Guinan. Data and Guinan discuss ways to enter the cavern where Data's head will eventually be found, until Data suddenly notices the absence of the missing part. Guinan immediately believes it to be Clemens, and Clemens then accidentally reveals himself.

As Data replaces the transceiver, Clemens angrily defends his actions by claiming to be defending the interests of his race and his century. He challenges Data to explain his journeyings all over the city in search of the cavern they have now located, and accuses the pair of scheming to foul the 19th century with future technology.

Some time later, the away team is working in the charity hospital, surreptitiously setting "alarms" to react to the aliens' presence. Beverly, as a nurse, is the first to notice an alarm going off and moves to intercept the strange doctor and nurse that have just appeared. Without a word, they begin to move toward her, but she is saved by the arrival of the rest of the team. Overmatched, the two aliens phase away, but without benefit of the man's cane. The team tries to explain themselves to an arriving policeman, but eventually are forced to assault him and escape, fleeing in a cart driven by the arriving Data, whose device alerted him to the aliens' phasing.

Back in the team's apartment, the team tries to activate the cane. Phasered, it turns into the Ophidian they've been searching for and causes small time-shifts. However, the shifts are both very small and very short-lived; it becomes clear that a focusing mechanism is needed. The rest of the team heads for the cavern, as Data and Picard detour to Guinan's home. There, the true "first meeting" of Picard and Guinan takes place, as Picard for once finds himself with the advantage of foreknowledge.

As Clemens, tipped off by his reporter friend as to Data's involvement with the team at the hospital, heads for the cavern, the team arrives there. Geordi finds that the walls of the cave have effectively been turned into a giant focusing device for the Ophidian's power; a triolic "lens", if you will. Assuming the cavern on Devidia Two is similarly designed, destroying that cavern should stop the aliens' presence on Earth. They decide to attempt to use the Ophidian to head back to their century, but are stopped by the sudden arrival of Clemens, who threatens them all with his gun and demands they leave with him. Just at that time, however, the aliens phase back in and attempt to recover their cane. Data grabs it back and subdues the man, only to have the cane flare twice. The first flare seriously injures the female alien, and the second blows off Data's head and blows everyone else to the ground. When they revive, they see the cane vanish and a time-gate open. The male alien runs through, and all the away team save Picard (with an injured Guinan) follows. Just as the gate closes, however, Clemens revives and also follows through.

Back on Devidia Two, everyone seems all right, but Riker harshly upbraids Clemens for following. They find Data's headless body (still holding the cane), and all six people beam aboard the Enterprise. There, Geordi begins attempting to reattach the head they currently have, while Troi volunteers herself as Clemens's escort.

Five centuries earlier, Picard tends to a seriously injured Guinan. When she seems puzzled by why he would do so, he reveals something of how close they will one day become (well beyond friends, he says). They spy Data's head, which Picard refers to as history fulfilling itself.

Back in the 24th century, Guinan tells Riker that history must be allowed to fulfill itself, and refuses to tell him anything about what he should do. After Troi tells Clemens a bit more about her century (and convinces him that many of his century's baser elements such as poverty and greed have been eliminated), they arrive at Geordi's lab, where nothing constructive has happened yet. Clemens finds his broken watch and talks of having misjudged Data.

Back on Earth, Picard interrogates the dying alien, who insists that they needed human energy and had no choice but to do what they did. When Picard tells her of their plan to destroy the Devidia Two cavern, she gloats that the Enterprise's weaponry will only amplify the time distortion and destroy Earth as well. Dying, she fades into nonexistence.

While Worf (over Riker's initial objections, then with his grudging support) prepares a photon spread to destroy the cavern, Geordi finds an iron filing causing intermittent problems in Data's input polarizers. Puzzled, he wonders how it got there.

Picard, meanwhile, uses an iron filing to encode a message in Data's head. With one minute left in the 24th century until the torpedoes are launched, Geordi successfully revives Data, who comprehends Picard's message and aborts the torpedo launch. The problem revealed, they begin modifying the torpedoes in ways that would destroy the aliens without causing time- shifts.

However, that doesn't solve the problem of how to recover Picard. Beverly explains that their weaponry could open a gate, but only powerful enough for one person to go back and then one to go forward. Clemens offers himself as the obvious choice to return to his own time and allow Picard to return to his. He thanks Data for allowing him to begin a new adventure and recover from his own bitterness, then departs.

As Picard readies to leave the cave and help Guinan, Clemens rushes in with instructions. With less than five minutes until the torpedoes are launched against Devidia Two, he explains the situation to Picard and agrees to help Guinan get proper care. Picard bids both farewell (telling Guinan that he'll see her in a few minutes) and prepares to leave.

However, with no trace of him in the 24th century and signs that the aliens are becoming active, Riker orders the torpedoes fired. Picard arrives just as the first torpedoes hit, and is transported aboard barely in time. The cavern is destroyed, and Picard returns to a new understanding of his relationship with Guinan. Finally, Clemens gets Guinan help and, knowing what lies ahead, deliberately avoids picking up his 19th century watch, leaving it to gather dust just a few meters away from Data's head.

Highlight Listing:

"Time's Arrow, Part II" - The Enterprise crew travels between the 19th and 24th centuries in an attempt to prevent Data's death in the 19th century San Francisco.

Advertising Headline:

ESCAPE FROM THE PAST! A sealed fate. A fallen friend. Can the crew get Data to the future in time to save him?

TV log listing:

Crew goes back in time to save Data on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

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