Where Silence Has Lease
| "Where Silence Has Lease" |
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"Where Silence Has Lease" is the second episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is episode #28, production #128, written by Jack B. Sowards and directed by Winrich Kolbe.
Overview: The Enterprise becomes enveloped by a void in space where the crew are tested by a powerful alien presence.
Plot
During a charting mission in the Morgana Quadrant, the USS Enterprise detects a cloud of pure blackness in space, which visually blocks out the stars behind it. Captain Picard orders a probe to be launched, which disappears on entry. A second probe disappears similarly.
Suddenly, the blackness envelops the Enterprise, but causes no harm. Data reports that the sensors detect nothing, that the void has no mass or dimension, and logically shouldn't exist. Picard orders an exit course, but the Enterprise makes no progress. Data drops a stationary beacon to use as a positional reference. At warp, the signal rapidly fades behind the ship, but is soon picked up again dead ahead – proof the ship is running in circles.
Suddenly, a Romulan Warbird de-cloaks ahead and fires a volley of torpedoes at the Enterprise. Picard orders return fire, but the weapons vaporize the enemy suspiciously quickly. Sensors then detect the USS Yamato (NCC-71807)—the Enterprise's sister ship—incoming. The ship ignores hails, and Commader Riker beams over with Worf to investigate. They find an empty ship, which has three bridges, that are seemingly linked together in a loop.
On the Enterprise, Data spots an apparent opening in the void. However, transporter Chief Miles O'Brien has trouble bringing Riker and Worf back, as the Yamato begins to fade away. O'Brien manages to return Riker and Worf just as the Yamato vanishes. Several more openings appear, each time closing before the ship can reach them. Finally, Picard orders a full stop.
Counselor Troi, who sensed nothing beforehand, now detects a curious intelligence lurking nearby. A moment later, a face appears on the viewer, identifying itself as Nagilum. Picard tries to be friendly toward the entity, but Nagilum ignores him and begins asking direct questions about human sexual reproduction, and their "limited existence". Without warning, the ship's conn officer, Ensign Haskell, begins to convulse violently, and collapses on the floor. Dr. Pulaski rushes to help him but he is dead. Nagilum observes Picard's angry reaction with fascination.
Nagilum states that he wishes to conduct experiments on the crew to better understand death saying, in a matter of fact fashion, that it shouldn't cost more than around a third to a half of Picard's people, and promptly vanishes. After some deliberation Picard decides to activate the auto-destruct, rather than allow Nagilum to harm anyone else.
With time ticking down, Picard goes to his quarters and listens to Eric Satie's "Gymnopédie". Soon Counselor Troi solemnly enters, followed by Data. Troi warns that blowing the ship up won't stop Nagilum, while Data poses questions about the nature of death. Picard admits that he is unable to say for sure if there is life after death, but believes human existence has some essence beyond the physical. Data responds that they should not destroy themselves, and Troi agrees, calling his decision "wrong."
Picard is suspicious of this talk and asks the computer for the location of Data, and Nagilum's bluff is revealed when the computer reports that he is on the bridge. The dopplegangers vanish and Data calls to announce the void has vanished. With seconds remaining on the countdown, Picard orders a random course change to anywhere. After remarking that this could be "part of the illusion," Picard cancels the auto-destruct with seconds remaining.
After Picard returns to his ready room, Nagilum's visage suddenly appears on the desk screen where he offers his "evaluation" of humanity: "You seem to find no tranquility in anything. You struggle against the inevitable. You thrive on conflict. You are selfish, yet you value loyalty. You are rash, quick to judge, slow to change. It’s amazing you’ve survived." He concludes that humans have no common ground with his kind, but Picard disagrees, saying they are both curious species. With a chuckle, Nagilum agrees.