1. It's been five months
since Marc's accident.
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2. I haven't missed a single hour
of my duties.
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3. I've volunteered for extra time
in the nursery.
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4. My language studies
are better than they've ever been.
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5. Somebody else might have given in,
but, uh, I didn't.
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6. Given in to what?
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7. Death is a normal part of life.
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8. Maybe some of us are better
at facing that than others.
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9. Maybe some of us
aren't facing it at all.
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10. What do you mean?
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11. Recovery from a great loss
involves a great deal of pain.
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12. If we try to avoid that pain,
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13. we can make it harder on ourselves
in the long run.
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14. But I feel fine.
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15. Today would have been
your husband's 38th birthday.
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16. You keep excellent records,
Deanna.
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17. Last night, I dreamt Marc
was with me celebrating.
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18. I was so glad that this nonsense
was finally over.
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19. Then I woke up. Alone.
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20. And I knew that he was dead.
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21. For the first time, I knew it.
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22. I looked around for anything
that belonged to him. Anything.
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23. I forgot that after the funeral,
I told them to take it all away.
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24. What in the world was I thinking?
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25. They didn't take everything away.
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26. How did you know?
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27. Oh...
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28. Oh...
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29. An ancient trail along the Kabul River
in the Himalayas.
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30. It's a wonderful program.
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31. Will, it would do you good
to have a little fresh holodeck air.
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32. I think my horsemanship is a little rusty
for the Himalayas, but thanks anyway.
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33. Nonsense. We'd program
an appropriately docile steed...
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34. Captain.
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35. Sensors indicate a vast field of...
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36. Of what, lieutenant?
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37. It's gone.
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38. But something did appear
directly in our path.
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39. Deflector shields are not encountering
elevated levels of interstellar matter.
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40. - A sensor echo, Data?
Uncertain.
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41. I have no unusual readings,
commander.
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42. I promise I'll come by
and see you tomorrow.
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43. Deanna, are you all right?
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44. What? What?
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45. You faded out there for a second.
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46. Oh, no, no, I'm fine.
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47. Um, I'm just very tired, that's all.
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48. Will I see you tomorrow?
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49. Tomorrow.
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50. Thank you, Deanna.
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51. Aah!
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52. An aggregate field of plane-polarized
objects has just appeared.
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53. And disappeared.
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54. Recommend we run a diagnostic
on the forward sensor array.
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55. We don't want a ghost tailing us
all the way to T'lli Beta.
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56. I'm not convinced it is a ghost.
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57. There may be something there,
commander.
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58. - Ensign Allenby, full stop.
- Aye, sir.
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59. Let's investigate both possibilities.
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60. Space, the final frontier.
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61. These are the voyages
of the starship Enterprise.
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62. Its continuing mission:
to explore strange new worlds,
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63. to seek out new life
and new civilizations,
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64. to boldly go where no one
has gone before.
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65. Captain's log, stardate 44356.9.
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66. Sensor diagnostics
have been completed
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67. and indicate
that all systems are normal.
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68. There remains no explanation
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69. for the images
which appeared in our path.
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70. I have completed another full scan
of the area, sir.
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71. There is no further indication
of the anomaly.
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72. Ensign, prepare
to resume course to T'lli Beta.
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73. Mr. Data, what velocity
would put us back on schedule?
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74. The resumption
of our present course at warp 6
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75. will place us in the T'lli Beta system
in six days, 13 hours, 47 minutes.
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76. What, no seconds?
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77. I have discovered, sir,
a certain level of impatience
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78. when I calculate a lengthy time interval
to the nearest second.
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79. - However, if you wish...
- No, no, minutes is fine.
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80. - Stand ready at warp 6, ensign.
- Aye, sir.
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81. Engage.
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82. Riker to Engineering.
Geordi, what the hell happened?
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83. Checking.
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84. Looks like the field collapsed
before we could enter warp.
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85. Recommend full stop
while I check it out.
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86. - Back to all stop, ensign.
- Aye, sir.
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87. All decks reporting.
Minor injuries only, sir.
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88. - Damage?
- None, sir.
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89. Weapons and shields normal.
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90. Go to yellow alert.
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91. Captain,
we've started moving again.
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92. Something is pulling us.
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93. Troi to Dr. Crusher.
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94. Yes, Deanna?
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95. Beverly, I'm feeling very dizzy.
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96. Did you hit your head?
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97. I'm not sure.
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98. I'm not sure what happened.
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99. Lie down, breathe deeply
and stay calm.
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100. I'm getting calls from all over the ship.
I'll be there as quickly as I can.
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101. New heading confirmed.
Zero-two-five, mark 273.
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102. Speed is holding
at one-tenth impulse.
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103. Whatever's pulling us
sure isn't in a hurry.
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104. - Picard to La Forge.
Go ahead, captain.
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105. If your engines are functioning,
we'll attempt to break free.
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106. Everything down here
seems normal enough, sir.
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107. But I suggest we take it
a bit slower this time.
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108. Ensign, bring us around
90 degrees to starboard.
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109. New course laid in
at 90 degrees to starboard.
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110. - One-quarter impulse. Engage.
Aye, sir.
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111. Nothing, captain.
Speed and course are unaffected.
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112. One-half impulse.
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113. No change.
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114. Full impulse. Rotate heading
in 5-degree increments.
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115. Aye, sir.
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116. La Forge?
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117. There's nothing wrong down here.
The engines are fine.
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118. Integrity field stress
exceeding 82 million kilodynes.
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119. Recommend
immediate shutdown, sir.
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120. Make it so, ensign.
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121. All engines down.
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122. We're still being pulled.
Same heading, same speed.
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123. I got here as quickly as I could.
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124. I've got a Sickbay filled
with headaches.
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125. How are you?
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126. Well, when I first called you,
I was feeling intense pain.
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127. Now it's gone,
but I'm feeling a bit foggy.
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128. I'd like to take you to Sickbay
and run an internuncio series on you.
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129. Can you walk?
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130. All senior staff
report to the Observation Lounge.
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131. - Are you up to that?
- I think so.
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132. What is it?
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133. Nothing. Nothing, I'm fine.
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134. Could it be some sort
of tractor beam?
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135. No other ship is indicated.
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136. Mr. Worf, what is your analysis?
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137. Tactical sensor readings
are indeterminate.
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138. They don't even give us enough
for an educated guess.
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139. And yet all of our sensors
are operating properly.
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140. Can there be an intelligence
at work here?
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141. Counselor, do you sense
a life form out there?
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142. No, I don't think so.
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143. No, there's nothing.
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144. Nothing.
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145. I sense nothing.
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146. It's all right, counselor.
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147. Perhaps there's nothing
out there to sense.
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148. Indeed. There are many races
that are not empathetically detectable.
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149. - The Breen, the Ferengi, the...
No.
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150. You don't understand.
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151. I don't sense anything.
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152. Not out there, not in here.
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153. All of you, you're all blank to me.
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154. There's no indication of a concussion
or a blow to the head.
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155. Just a pattern
of unresponsive neural cells
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156. throughout the cerebellum
and cerebral cortex.
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157. - Unresponsive?
- There's brain damage.
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158. How serious, I can't tell yet.
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159. But I feel perfectly fine otherwise.
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160. - Can you treat it?
- I'm not sure.
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161. I have to review the database
on Betazoid neurophysiology.
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162. The Betazoid brain
has a remarkable ability to heal itself.
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163. This condition
could just reverse itself in time.
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164. It might. But you are half-human.
That changes the map a little.
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165. I don't want to offer you
any false hopes.
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166. It's just hope, Beverly.
Not false hope.
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167. What would cause
something like this?
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168. Because it started at the same time
that we encountered the anomaly.
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169. There may be a connection.
I don't know.
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170. If you were anyone else,
you know the first thing I'd do?
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171. I'd send you to Counselor Troi.
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172. Well, then, I have an advantage,
don't I? I see her quite often.
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173. Deanna, it's no different
than one of us suddenly going blind.
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174. You don't have to tell me, Beverly.
I understand the psychology.
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175. You may understand it,
but you've never had to live with it.
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176. I may be perfectly fine tomorrow.
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177. And you may not.
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178. Now, I'll do my homework.
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179. I'll see what I can do
to regenerate those cells.
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180. But in the meantime,
I want you to talk with someone.
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181. There are several people on board
who have degrees in psychology,
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182. who are qualified therapists.
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183. Okay, fine. If I need to.
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184. Right now,
I just want to go back to work.
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185. Deanna.
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186. If there are no medical objections.
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187. No medical objections.
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188. Thank you, Beverly. Will.
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189. Come in.
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190. I don't have a psychology degree,
but if you'd like to talk...
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191. You know what
the worst part of this is?
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192. And I've seen it happen
to so many patients.
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193. What?
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194. The way other people change.
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195. How they start
to treat you differently.
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196. They walk on eggshells around you.
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197. Sometimes,
they avoid you altogether.
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198. Sometimes,
they become overbearing,
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199. reach out a helping hand
to the blind woman.
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200. - I'm sorry if I...
- I will not be treated that way!
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201. Hey.
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202. Oh, please.
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203. Deanna, I have never seen you
quite so scared.
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204. I'm fine.
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205. If I get better, I get better.
If I don't, I'll adapt.
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206. Life goes on.
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207. Deanna.
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208. I really have to finish this.
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209. I have some appointments
this afternoon.
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210. Probe launch successful.
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211. Telemetry transmissions
are being received.
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212. Okay, let's see what we've got.
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213. Nothing unusual here.
Same reading as the ship's sensors.
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214. Expanding analysis parameters,
including Bayesian functions,
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215. broad EM and subspace
spectrum polling.
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216. Mm-mm. No change.
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217. I am adding
virtual particle trajectories.
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218. Whoa.
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219. What is that?
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220. Unknown.
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221. I am attempting to analyze
motion pattern.
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222. Results still inconclusive.
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223. The last time
I saw anything that looked like that,
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224. I was skin-diving off the coral reefs
at Bracas V.
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225. You said you woke up
a new woman this morning.
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226. That's how I feel.
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227. Tell me about her, this new woman.
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228. She's, uh, not holding
anything back anymore.
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229. - She's not?
- Oh, I let it all out last night.
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230. I cried for two hours.
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231. I realized that I had never accepted
the loss of my husband.
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232. I worked hard, I kept busy,
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233. I did everything to pretend
it never happened.
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234. - And you feel different now?
- Completely.
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235. Can I share something important
with you?
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236. Of course.
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237. I've temporarily lost
my empathic sense.
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238. It's kind of like having one hand
tied behind your back.
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239. I'm so sorry.
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240. - Do you want me to come back?
- No, no, I'm fine.
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241. It's just, I feel before we continue,
it's important that you know that.
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242. - Okay?
- All right.
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243. Because I can't tell
how you're feeling this morning.
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244. But it seems to me
that one night of crying
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245. can't make up for months of denial.
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246. No, you're wrong.
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247. I feel better today
than I have in ages.
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248. You're absolutely wrong, Deanna.
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249. The probe's point of view reveals
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250. that the objects exist entirely
in two dimensions.
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251. On a single plane.
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252. They have length and width,
but not height.
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253. Virtually flat.
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254. That is why the ship's forward sensors
did not detect them initially.
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255. We were looking at them
along their edge.
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256. There was no surface to read.
I will illustrate.
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257. Are they a life form?
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258. The movement pattern
within the cluster
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259. is not a naturally
occurring phenomenon
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260. in the Newtonian sense.
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261. They appear to be alive.
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262. Can you explain why
they're pulling us along with them?
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263. Somehow, they're able to polarize
the graviton field as they move about.
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264. We're caught in the wake.
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265. How do we get out of it?
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266. The best idea for now
Copy !req
267. is to try a controlled overload
of the warp drive.
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268. Jump directly to warp 6.
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269. The laws of a three-dimensional
universe say it should work.
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270. Don't know about
a two-dimensional universe though.
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271. Fascinating. So many questions.
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272. How can a two-dimensional entity
have access
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273. to a three-dimensional universe?
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274. And are they aware of us?
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275. Number One,
if we can put off the T'lli Betans,
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276. I would like
to investigate this further
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277. as soon as we're free
of the graviton field.
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278. It's a shame we can't tell
if they're sentient.
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279. What do you mean by that?
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280. I'm doing the best that I can.
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281. No one suggested otherwise,
counselor.
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282. Mr. Data, try to isolate
any signal patterns from the cluster.
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283. Perhaps there'll be a basis
for communication.
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284. Mr. La Forge, we'll attempt your warp
jump as soon as you're prepared.
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285. That'll be all.
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286. Counselor...
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287. How are you feeling?
- Beverly, I can't do my job.
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288. I'm absolutely lost.
You have to do something.
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289. I cross-referenced your scan results
with the baseline files in the computer.
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290. Nothing helpful has turned up.
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291. And so far,
the lab work is inconclusive.
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292. Inconclusive?
What does that mean?
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293. It means there is nothing
I can do now.
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294. I am still trying.
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295. How do you people live like this?
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296. We get by pretty well, actually.
And so will you in time.
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297. You have no idea,
no idea what this is like.
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298. How can you know what it's like
to lose something you never had?
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299. I don't claim to.
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300. And yet you're telling me
that I'm supposed to get used to it.
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301. If our positions were reversed,
what would you tell me?
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302. If our positions were reversed,
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303. I wouldn't have been in here
treating skinned elbows
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304. while you were lying passed out
on your office floor.
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305. I'd have been there a lot sooner,
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306. perhaps in time to prevent this
from ever happening!
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307. I've been working with Ensign Brooks
since the death of her husband.
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308. She's avoided the reality
of what happened, denied it to herself.
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309. And I realize I've been doing
the same thing about my condition.
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310. It's perfectly understandable.
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311. It's time I accept the truth, captain,
and resign as ship's counselor.
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312. Resign?
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313. I can no longer fulfill my obligations.
What other option is there?
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314. Deanna,
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315. I've been fortunate to have access
to your Betazoid abilities.
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316. Most starship captains have to be
content with a human counselor.
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317. Empathic awareness
is not a requirement of your position.
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318. It is for me.
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319. I'm sure that after a while
you'll be able to adjust.
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320. They say when one loses a sense,
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321. the other senses
become stronger to compensate.
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322. Uh, a blind man develops
better hearing...
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323. With all due respect, captain,
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324. you don't know
what you're talking about.
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325. That is a common belief
with no scientific basis,
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326. no doubt created by normal people
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327. who felt uncomfortable
around the disabled.
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328. I am disabled.
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329. And I'm telling you
I cannot perform my duties.
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330. There was a teacher of mine
at the Academy
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331. who had been confined
to a wheelchair from birth.
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332. - She was a woman...
- Captain!
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333. Spare me the inspirational anecdote
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334. and just accept my resignation.
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335. Come in.
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336. I really would rather be alone
right now.
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337. Too bad.
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338. Shh... Shh...
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339. Is this how you handle
all your personnel problems?
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340. Sure.
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341. You'd be surprised how far a hug goes
with Geordi or Worf.
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342. Will...
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343. I don't know what to do.
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344. So you resign?
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345. You walk away from all the people
who care about you?
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346. I look around me and all I see
are surfaces without depth.
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347. Colorless, hollow.
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348. Nothing seems real.
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349. - I'm real.
- No, you're not.
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350. You're a projection,
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351. with no more substance to me
than a character on the holodeck.
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352. I don't believe that.
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353. You have no idea
how frightening it is
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354. to just be here
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355. without sensing you,
without sharing your feelings.
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356. That's it, isn't it?
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357. We're on equal footing now.
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358. What?
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359. You always had an advantage,
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360. a little bit of control
of every situation.
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361. That must have been
a very safe position to be in.
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362. To be honest...
Copy !req
363. I'd always thought there
was something a little too...
Copy !req
364. aristocratic
about your Betazoid heritage.
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365. As if your human side
wasn't quite good enough for you.
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366. That isn't true.
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367. Isn't it?
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368. La Forge to Riker.
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369. Go ahead, Geordi.
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370. We are ready to attempt
a controlled overload jump to warp 6.
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371. Acknowledged.
I'm on my way to the Bridge.
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372. I'll check in on you later.
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373. Really, you don't have to.
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374. I will check in on you later.
Copy !req
375. Setting new course
at optimal shearing angle.
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376. Bearing 217, mark 203.
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377. Engaging impulse engines now.
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378. - Mr. La Forge, go to warp.
Aye, sir.
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379. - Status?
- Unchanged.
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380. We have not broken free
of the graviton field.
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381. Integrity field pressure has increased
by 217 percent, captain.
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382. Warning. Differential stress
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383. will exceed upper limit
in 15 seconds.
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384. Disengage all engines.
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385. Warning.
Differential stress will exceed upper...
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386. Engines disengaged, sir.
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387. Report, La Forge.
Copy !req
388. The energy we wanted
to transfer to the nacelles
Copy !req
389. was absorbed
by the graviton wake instead.
Copy !req
390. It set up a torsional wave
that rebounded back to the ship.
Copy !req
391. We're lucky the hull
is still in one piece.
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392. This little nuisance is beginning
to lose its fascination.
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393. Sir, during our attempt
to break away,
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394. I recorded a momentary alteration
in the movement pattern
Copy !req
395. within the cluster.
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396. Do you think
we got their attention, Data?
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397. Perhaps. But just for an instant.
Copy !req
398. The pattern immediately returned
to its previous dynamic.
Copy !req
399. Follow up on it, Mr. Data.
Copy !req
400. Input your observations
into the universal translator.
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401. Aye, sir.
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402. Perhaps these movements themselves
are an attempt at communication.
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403. More tea?
I didn't mean to startle you.
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404. That's all right.
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405. I'm getting used to it.
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406. - May I?
- Sure.
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407. Are you really getting used to it?
Copy !req
408. No.
Copy !req
409. - Do you wanna talk about it?
- No.
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410. Good. I get so tired of people
coming in with their problems.
Copy !req
411. They come in,
they want a shoulder to cry on,
Copy !req
412. and generally,
it turns out to be mine.
Copy !req
413. You'd make a good counselor.
Copy !req
414. I think so too.
So I'm going to talk to Picard about it.
Copy !req
415. About what?
Copy !req
416. You becoming counselor?
Copy !req
417. Well, yes, you're leaving.
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418. That means there won't be
a counselor on board.
Copy !req
419. And I suppose I'll have
a very long line at that bar.
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420. It would be nice
to have a nice office too.
Copy !req
421. It's more than just letting them cry
on your shoulder.
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422. It takes an enormous commitment.
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423. I can do that.
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424. Guinan, people come to talk to you
about things they want to reveal.
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425. As ship's counselor,
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426. you have to get them to talk
about things they don't want to reveal.
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427. I could do that too.
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428. What are you do...
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429. You don't really want
to be ship's counselor.
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430. What would make you say that?
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431. I just know you're not serious.
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432. Have I given you any indication
that I might not be serious?
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433. - Not really, but...
- Then how do you know?
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434. Are your empathic abilities
coming back?
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435. No.
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436. I suppose it's just instinctive.
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437. Oh.
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438. I get it.
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439. You're trying to make me see
that I have other abilities to draw on.
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440. Human intuition, instincts.
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441. Guinan, those skills only develop
after years of experience.
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442. It's not that easy.
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443. No one said it was easy.
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444. It's much harder than you think.
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445. Human intuition and instinct
are not always right.
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446. But they do make life interesting.
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447. So I'm discovering.
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448. Problem, Data?
- Yes, commander.
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449. Sensors are detecting
highly accelerated interstellar gases.
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450. - Suggesting?
- Uncertain, sir.
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451. The phenomenon
is within visual range.
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452. On-screen.
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453. Magnify.
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454. It appears to be
a cosmic string fragment.
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455. Only 107 kilometers long.
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456. A cosmic string?
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457. No wider than a proton,
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458. but with gravitational fields
as powerful as a black hole.
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459. The two-dimensional beings
seem to be caught
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460. in the gravitational pull of the string.
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461. Their course is taking them
directly toward it.
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462. And us right along with it.
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463. Captain's log, stardate 44359.5.
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464. What began
as a curious inconvenience
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465. has turned into a serious threat.
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466. At current speed,
the two-dimensional beings
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467. and the Enterprise will be drawn
into the cosmic string fragment
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468. in seven hours.
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469. The entities offer no indication
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470. they are aware
of the string fragment, sir.
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471. Their course and speed
remain constant.
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472. Sir, I recommend we fire a spread
of photon torpedoes into their field.
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473. Must we destroy them
to save ourselves?
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474. It is unclear what effect
a photon torpedo
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475. would have
on two-dimensional beings, sir.
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476. Nevertheless.
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477. Well, we wouldn't necessarily
have to fire at them.
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478. Half a dozen photon torpedo bursts
directly in their path
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479. could make them change course.
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480. Make it so.
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481. Torpedoes armed.
Fire distribution set.
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482. Detonation at seven kilometers
ahead of the cluster.
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483. Data, launch another probe,
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484. patch the monitor through
to the main viewer.
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485. Probe is launched. On-screen.
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486. Proceed, Mr. Worf.
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487. Launching torpedoes.
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488. Detonation in five seconds.
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489. Three, two, one.
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490. There is no change
in the graviton field.
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491. The torpedoes
are having no effect, sir.
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492. Fire another volley directly
into that field, Mr. Worf.
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493. Launching torpedoes.
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494. Detonation in five seconds.
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495. Three, two, one.
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496. Matter-antimatter explosions
appear to be ineffective, sir.
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497. Come in.
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498. Janet. Oh, I'm sorry. I meant
to cancel your appointment today.
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499. Actually, I'm resigning
as ship's counselor.
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500. Why?
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501. I think it was fairly clear
during your last appointment.
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502. It was obviously non-productive.
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503. I couldn't sense
what you were feeling.
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504. Deanna, you were right about me.
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505. I had to go back
and look at what I was doing.
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506. See why I was trying
to convince myself,
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507. and you, that I was a new woman.
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508. You made me realize
I was doing exactly the same thing
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509. to myself as I was before,
trying to hide from the pain.
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510. Maybe you couldn't sense
what I was feeling,
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511. but you helped.
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512. Come.
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513. You wanted to see me, captain?
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514. Yes, counselor. Sit down, please.
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515. Our situation has become critical.
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516. The cluster remains
completely unresponsive.
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517. We have not been able
to alter its course
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518. towards the cosmic string fragment.
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519. - How much time do we have?
- Less than five hours.
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520. Which is why I have called you.
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521. Sir?
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522. All that remains is the possibility
of communication.
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523. There might be some way
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524. that we can warn them
of their impending destruction.
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525. I thought Data had already tried
to establish communication
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526. through the universal translator.
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527. He has tried every technical means
at our disposal to reach them.
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528. I wish I knew how to help, captain.
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529. But under the circumstances...
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530. If there is a psychology to these
creatures, we must discover it.
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531. If there is an explanation
for their behavior,
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532. we must know what it is.
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533. Even in your current condition,
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534. you are the most qualified person
aboard this ship to assist.
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535. Data is in Observation
attempting to formulate a strategy.
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536. I want you to join him.
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537. Deanna...
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538. we need you.
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539. Captain's log, supplemental.
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540. If our speed and course
remain unchanged,
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541. in one hour,
the Enterprise will be torn apart
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542. by the gravitational forces
of the cosmic string fragment.
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543. - Are your signals reaching them?
- Possibly.
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544. However, the beings
may perceive them
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545. as negligible noise rather than
an attempt at communication.
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546. Is there any evidence at all
that they're sentient?
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547. Negative.
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548. The nature of their movements
suggests a simple order of intelligence.
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549. I'm sorry, Data.
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550. I don't seem to be much help
without my empathic abilities.
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551. I just don't know how to draw
on my human instinct.
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552. As I do not have human instinct
per se, I cannot advise you, counselor.
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553. Right now,
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554. I feel as two-dimensional
as our friends out there.
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555. In the universe
but barely aware of it.
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556. Just trying to survive.
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557. On instinct.
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558. Data...
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559. what if they're simply acting
instinctively?
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560. There are inherent
inborn forces in every species.
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561. What they need. What they fear.
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562. We have to discover
what drives this species.
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563. I do not believe there is any way
we can know for certain, counselor.
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564. We can speculate
on the available evidence.
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565. The only evidence we have at present
is the brief interruption
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566. in their movement pattern
during our last attempt to break away.
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567. Which may suggest some kind
of awareness of our presence.
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568. Otherwise, their course and speed
have been constant.
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569. On a straight line
to the cosmic string.
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570. You're convinced the string's
gravitation is pulling them in?
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571. Because the cluster
is two-dimensional,
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572. I do not have enough direct evidence
to support that assumption.
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573. However,
it is the most reasonable hypothesis.
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574. Why?
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575. It is unlikely they would intentionally
move toward a destructive force.
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576. Moths fly toward a flame.
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577. Horses sometimes
run into a burning barn.
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578. Data, don't you see?
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579. We've been thinking
in three dimensions.
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580. We have to get two-dimensional.
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581. Pardon me?
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582. Subspace signals, photon torpedoes,
nothing's had an impact.
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583. It's reasonable to wonder
if a gravitational pull,
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584. even as strong as a cosmic string's,
would affect them.
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585. Please continue.
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586. What if they've chosen a course
to the cosmic string?
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587. A case of pure stimulus response.
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588. Driven by instinct,
just like the moth to a flame.
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589. If Counselor Troi's
supposition is correct,
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590. a replica of the string
projected behind the cluster
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591. could induce them
to reverse course,
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592. disrupting the graviton wake
long enough for us to escape.
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593. How do you simulate
a cosmic string?
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594. It has the gravitational force
of a hundred stars.
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595. I do not suggest simulating
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596. the gravitational field
of the string fragment.
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597. Rather the string's vibration.
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598. Vibration?
We're not talking about a violin, Data.
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599. No, Data's right.
The principle is still the same.
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600. A cosmic string emanates
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601. a characteristic set
of subspace frequencies
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602. as atomic particles decay
along its event horizon.
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603. I could use the ship's
parabolic dish to amplify
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604. and reflect those frequencies
back toward the cluster.
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605. The Enterprise itself
would echo the cosmic string.
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606. How much time do we have,
Mr. Worf?
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607. Twenty-three minutes, sir.
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608. Make it so.
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609. - Frequency scan detectors engaged.
Receiving.
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610. Data, we're picking up frequencies
across the entire electromagnetic
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611. and lower subspace spectrum.
Trying to isolate.
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612. Data, can you focus
the reflector field for me?
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613. Stand by.
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614. I am differentiating
particle emission signatures now.
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615. Good. Good, that's doing it.
Patterns are converging.
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616. Same course, same speed.
No change, sir.
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617. We are beginning to encounter
the gravitational effects of the string.
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618. Impact is in four minutes.
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619. Sir, shear force turbulence
is impairing our ability
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620. to create an accurate simulation.
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621. Geordi, fire up the impulse engines,
activate the ship's stabilizers.
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622. Stabilizers on.
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623. Electromagnetic
and subspace wave fronts
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624. approaching synchronization.
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625. Three minutes to impact.
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626. Status?
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627. The cluster is unaffected.
Same course, same speed.
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628. Let's try turning up the volume.
Increase the intensity, Mr. Data.
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629. Increasing by 50 percent.
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630. They're slowing.
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631. Graviton wake field is collapsing.
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632. - Mr. La Forge, get us out of here.
With pleasure, sir.
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633. The beings have resumed their course
into the string.
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634. Three seconds to impact.
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635. It's all right.
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636. They're home.
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637. We were wrong.
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638. The cosmic string
was never dangerous to them.
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639. It was the one place in the galaxy
they most wanted to be.
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640. Deanna?
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641. Yes.
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642. I sensed it.
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643. Such overwhelming intensity
of emotion.
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644. When we first encountered them,
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645. it must have been more
than my senses could process.
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646. A short circuit.
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647. Something like that.
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648. - Oh, Beverly...
- Apology accepted.
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649. Therapists are always
the worst patients.
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650. Except for doctors, of course.
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651. Come by and see me
in my office later, okay?
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652. I was so awful to her.
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653. Well, you were just being human.
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654. I never fully appreciated how difficult
and how rewarding it is to be human.
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655. But I had a lot of help.
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656. Thanks.
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657. Now, is that counselor position
still open aboard ship?
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658. It's been taken.
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659. I just thought I'd ask.
Better hours. Excuse me.
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660. And you.
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661. Thank you for making me face
my other half.
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662. - Frightening, wasn't it?
- A little.
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663. You were right though.
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664. There is something to be learned
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665. when you're not in control
of every situation.
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666. Welcome to the human race.
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667. By the way, the next time
you call me aristocratic...
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