Interface (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"Interface" is the 155th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the third episode of the seventh season.

In this episode, Geordi La Forge uses an experimental interface to his VISOR to try to reach his missing mother, a Starfleet captain.

Plot

At the beginning of the episode, Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge, Commander Data, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Crusher are testing an interface which allows La Forge to use the VISOR-compatible circuitry in his brain, along with a virtual reality suit to control a probe by remote control. This way La Forge can use the probe to go into areas that would be too dangerous for crew members to enter. When testing is complete, La Forge is informed that the ship his mother commanded has disappeared, and all aboard are presumed dead.

La Forge uses the interface to remotely control the probe and look for survivors on a ship that is trapped in a gas giant's atmosphere. He finds that there is no one left alive on the ship, but believes that he encountered his mother on the ship. Continued use of the probe soon exposes La Forge to unhealthy levels of neural stimulation.

La Forge is convinced that his mother was on board the ship, and wants to use the probe to communicate with his mother. But Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard refuse to allow him to use the interface suit again. La Forge decides to use the suit anyway. While in contact with the probe, he encounters the being who appears to be his mother again, but learns that she is actually a lifeform native to the gas giant. This being talks La Forge into taking the ship closer to the planet, so that she and others like her trapped on the ship can go home.

After he is reprimanded by Picard for his disobedience, La Forge concludes that his mother is in fact dead, and that it had all seemed so real he had thought he had a chance to say goodbye to her.

References

Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 7, disc 1, selection 3

External links

Template:StarTrek.com link

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Season 1	"Encounter at Farpoint, Part I" "Encounter at Farpoint, Part II" "The Naked Now" "Code of Honor" "The Last Outpost" "Where No One Has Gone Before" "Lonely Among Us" "Justice" "The Battle" "Hide and Q" "Haven" "The Big Goodbye" "Datalore" "Angel One" "11001001" "Too Short a Season" "When the Bough Breaks" "Home Soil" "Coming of Age" "Heart of Glory" "The Arsenal of Freedom" "Symbiosis" "Skin of Evil" "We'll Always Have Paris" "Conspiracy" "The Neutral Zone"
Season 2	"The Child" "Where Silence Has Lease" "Elementary, Dear Data" "The Outrageous Okona" "Loud as a Whisper" "The Schizoid Man" "Unnatural Selection" "A Matter of Honor" "The Measure of a Man" "The Dauphin" "Contagion" "The Royale" "Time Squared" "The Icarus Factor" "Pen Pals" "Q Who" "Samaritan Snare" "Up the Long Ladder" "Manhunt" "The Emissary" "Peak Performance" "Shades of Gray"
Season 3	"Evolution" "The Ensigns of Command" "The Survivors" "Who Watches the Watchers" "The Bonding" "Booby Trap" "The Enemy" "The Price" "The Vengeance Factor" "The Defector" "The Hunted" "The High Ground" "Deja Q" "A Matter of Perspective" "Yesterday's Enterprise" "The Offspring" "Sins of the Father" "Allegiance" "Captain's Holiday" "Tin Man" "Hollow Pursuits" "The Most Toys" "Sarek" "Ménage à Troi" "Transfigurations" "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"
Season 4	"The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" "Family" "Brothers" "Suddenly Human" "Remember Me" "Legacy" "Reunion" "Future Imperfect" "Final Mission" "The Loss" "Data's Day" "The Wounded" "Devil's Due" "Clues" "First Contact" "Galaxy's Child" "Night Terrors" "Identity Crisis" "The Nth Degree" "Qpid" "The Drumhead" "Half a Life" "The Host" "The Mind's Eye" "In Theory" "Redemption I"
Season 5	"Redemption II" "Darmok" "Ensign Ro" "Silicon Avatar" "Disaster" "The Game" "Unification, Part I" "Unification, Part II" "A Matter of Time" "New Ground" "Hero Worship" "Violations" "The Masterpiece Society" "Conundrum" "Power Play" "Ethics" "The Outcast" "Cause and Effect" "The First Duty" "Cost of Living" "The Perfect Mate" "Imaginary Friend" "I, Borg" "The Next Phase" "The Inner Light" "Time's Arrow, Part I"
Season 6	"Time's Arrow, Part II" "Realm of Fear" "Man of the People" "Relics" "Schisms" "True Q" "Rascals" "A Fistful of Datas" "The Quality of Life" "Chain of Command, Part I" "Chain of Command, Part II" "Ship in a Bottle" "Aquiel" "Face of the Enemy" "Tapestry" "Birthright, Part I" "Birthright, Part II" "Starship Mine" "Lessons" "The Chase" "Frame of Mind" "Suspicions" "Rightful Heir" "Second Chances" "Timescape" "Descent, Part I"
Season 7	"Descent, Part II" "Liaisons" "Interface" "Gambit, Part I" "Gambit, Part II" "Phantasms" "Dark Page" "Attached" "Force of Nature" "Inheritance" "Parallels" "The Pegasus" "Homeward" "Sub Rosa" "Lower Decks" "Thine Own Self" "Masks" "Eye of the Beholder" "Genesis" "Journey's End" "Firstborn" "Bloodlines" "Emergence" "Preemptive Strike" "All Good Things..., Part I" "All Good Things..., Part II"

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation
Characters	Beverly Crusher Wesley Crusher Data Geordi La Forge Guinan Miles O'Brien Keiko O'Brien Jean-Luc Picard Katherine Pulaski Q William Riker Ro Laren Deanna Troi Worf Tasha Yar
Episodes	Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Films	Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis
Video games	The Next Generation (1993) The Next Generation (1994) Generations: Beyond the Nexus A World for All Seasons A Final Unity Generations Klingon Honor Guard Birth of the Federation Hidden Evil
Related articles	Awards Cast Novels Pinball Role-playing Game USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) "These Are the Voyages..." Technical Manual Countdown Picard