Stardate 45944.1: The Enterprise discovers an alien probe of unknown origin, which detects the Enterprise and sends a transmission. Picard is knocked unconscious. He “wakes up” as Kamin, an astronomer on the planet Kataan. As Kamin orients himself to life on this world with his wife Eline, he tries to make some attempts to locate the Enterprise, discovering in the process that Kataan faces imminent destruction from a sun about to go nova. Kamin ages yars, has children with Eline, watches old friends die and tries to convince people that their days on the planet are numbered. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, where Picard has been unconscious for mere minutes, Riker is determined to break the probe’s hold on Picard – but severing the link could kill Picard while he is still trapped in the mind of Kamin.
teleplay by Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields
story by Morgan Gendel
directed by Peter Lauritson
music by Jay ChattawayCast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Margot Rose (Eline), Richard Riehle (Batai), Scott Jaeck (Administrator), Jennifer Nash (Meribor), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Daniel Stewart (Young Batai)
Notes: Daniel Stewart, who plays the part of Kamin’s son in this episode, is Patrick Stewart’s real son. Many elements of this story are mentioned by Picard in the sixth season episode Lessons.
LogBook entry by Earl Green