The Enterprise crew is assisting in re-liquefying the core of Atrea Four by drilling holes to "magma pockets" near the core and injecting hot plasma into the core from there. However, Data soon finds he has more concerns than this one project, because one of the scientists, Dr. Juliana Tainer, claims to have been Data's co-creator - and Noonian Soong's wife!

Her story is, in many ways, quite convincing. She says that she married Soong in secret owing to parental pressure, and that Data has no memory of her because his early experiences were erased after a difficult "childhood". Juliana is very surprised to hear that Data and Soong have actually met, and finds herself hit very hard by the news of Soong's death, despite the fact that she left him years and years ago. Even with all these details, however, Data is initially very skeptical of her claims, in part because Soong never mentioned her. He searches for as much corroborative detail as he can, and finds enough to convince him that she's telling the truth.

They continue to get to know each other, discussing things such as the choice of Data's gender, and the programming of both manners and modesty into Data's personality after some childhood difficulties. The initial drilling to the magma pocket is successful, and with a few hours to kill, Data shows Juliana his quarters.

There, Juliana is swept away by the "beauty" of Data's violin playing, and asks to accompany him in an upcoming recital. Her mood worsens, however, after she sees a painting of Lal and hears of her tragic story. Later, after they practice, she asks Data if he intends to create another android, and worries about whether it's right to create something with such little chance of survival. She speaks from experience; apparently, she and Soong had three android "miscarriages" before a successful creation - and that creation was Lore. Eventually, she reveals that she was initially opposed to Data's creation, and admits that she forced Soong to leave Data behind when the Crystalline Entity attacked, worried that otherwise she might have to deactivate him as she did Lore. She leaves, in tears.

As the drilling continues (including a small crisis which Juliana solves with surprising speed), Juliana's current husband Pran reignites the conversation from the previous night. Juliana manages to describe her viewpoint and how wrenching it was to have to deactivate Lore. "I'm not trying to justify leaving you behind," she tells Data, "I'm just sorry I did." Data is satisfied by this, and they continue their work.

After the recital, at which both Data and Juliana are superb, Data goes to sickbay to ask for Juliana's medical records, being surprisingly tight-lipped about why he wants them. No obvious problems are found, but Data will say only that Juliana "is not who she claims to be." The investigation is interrupted by reports of a cave-in in one of the magma pockets, however, and Data and Juliana quickly beam down to the pocket to reset the plasma injectors before the seismic activity renders their work useless. In the process, however, Data and Juliana must jump off a cliff to reach the beam-back point - and when Juliana misses the jump slightly, she falls unconscious, and her arm breaks; breaks OFF, revealing that she too is an android!

In sickbay, it becomes clear that she's also a Soong-type android, but not why she is unconscious. (It is also revealed that Data has had strong suspicions of this for some time.) Data finds an information chip in her brain, and uses it to call up a holodeck interface with Soong, who even anticipated the possibility of Data finding Juliana out. Soong tells Data that there was a real Juliana, whom he married, but that she died shortly after the attack on Omicron Theta. He transferred her consciousness into this android Juliana, flawlessly - so flawlessly, in fact, that Juliana does not know she is an android; and neither does anyone else, until now. Soong regrets not telling Juliana of his love for her more often, and urges Data to spare her happiness, by not telling her of her true nature. "The truth is," he emphasizes, "in every way that matters, she IS Juliana Soong."

Data asks his crewmates for advice on what to tell Juliana, but in the end faces the choice himself. Despite his own wishes for a kindred spirit, he tells her merely that she was injured in the fall, and reveals nothing as the project is wrapped up. As they part, Data tells her that he wanted to reveal something: "My father told me that he had only one great love in his life, and that he regretted never telling her how much he cared for her. I am certain he was referring to you." Juliana leaves, again leaving Data as the only self-aware android in existence.

Highlight Listing:

"Inheritance" - A routine mission to save an endangered planet brings Data face-to-face with a woman who claims to be his mother.

Advertising Headline:

DATA MEETS HIS MOTHER! When his creator's wife visits the Enterprise, Data must cope with "feelings" he never knew he had!

TV log listing:

Data meets his long-lost mother on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

Operation SNAFU

In one scene, Juliana is seen stepping onto the transporter pads wearing heels, and arrived on the planet wearing flats. (UV)

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