The Enterprise is busy picking up relief supplies for the pollution-stricken planet of Tagra Four, and also picks up Amanda Rogers, an honor student interning on board. She is put to work in all departments, but primarily for Dr. Crusher, with whom she strikes up a fast friendship. However, strange occurrences seem to center on Amanda very quickly; her pet dogs (which she didn't bring on board) mysteriously appear and disappear in her quarters, and a large container nearly falls on Riker before suddenly being deflected (with no visible cause for either). Finally, things fly completely out of control when Amanda single-handedly contains and reverses a warp-core breach explosion.

Questions fly fast and furious at a conference shortly after this incident, but no answers are forthcoming until Q pays a visit. He confesses that he was responsible for the warp-core breach and the falling container, but only to test Amanda's powers - for, in fact, she is the offspring of two Q, and probably one herself. He announces that he's come to train her and then take her back to the Qontinuum, but in the end agrees to let her make the choice herself in exchange for Picard introducing them. The initial meeting goes very badly, however, as Q informs his superiors. "However, there is the possibility we won't have to terminate the girl."

Amanda, reluctantly, decides to allow Q to train her how to use her power. This training appears to hone her skills, but also strengthens her doubts about how to use it all. In fact, she even finds that in some circumstances they do her no good at all; when Q convinces her to speed up a test she's doing for Beverly, the artificial enhancement renders the results useless.

As the mystery around Amanda's parents deepens (they appear to have been killed by an extremely unusual tornado), Amanda appears to be embracing Q's amoral attitude more and more strongly. She joins him in a game of hide-and- seek while teleporting all around the ship, and briefly abducts Riker in an attempt to be romantic. This last backfires, however, even when she forcibly makes him love her. "I thought it would be romantic...but it's empty."

Picard, meanwhile, speaks to Q of his findings, and asks outright if the "tornado" that killed Amanda's parents was a tool of execution by the Qontinuum. Q does not answer, but suggests that it might have been, and insists that Amanda really has no choice in the matter. If she is a Q, he says, she must return with him; and if not, she is to be killed. When Picard asks Q what he's concluded, Q responds offhandedly, "I haven't decided yet."

As the Enterprise arrives at Tagra Four to begin its mission (now including the fixing of a dangerously damaged reactor), Picard decides to inform Amanda of the situation. She calls Q and demands to know what right the Qontinuum has to play judge, jury, and executioner, either for her or her parents. After a brief exchange over morality, he tells her that in fact, she is not to be harmed. She gets a choice: either return with him to the Qontinuum, or refuse to ever use her powers. (Her parents, he points out, chose the latter - and failed.) She chooses the latter, but after an immediate emergency on the planet forces her hand, she decides to go with him after all. After saying goodbye to both Crusher and Picard, she departs.

Highlight Listing:

A gifted young intern learns of her true heritage and must face the question, "To Q or not to Q?"

Advertising Headline:

ANOTHER Q? A young intern must choose between her dreams and her identity!

TV log listing:

A young women's [sic] dreams are shattered when she learns she's a Q 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