1. I like to cook all kinds of stuff,
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2. like yogurt and raisin salad,
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3. chocolate chip pancakes
and purple omelets.
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4. Purple omelets?
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5. You put grape juice in the eggs.
Isabella doesn't like it very much.
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6. She says it tastes funny.
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7. I can see her point.
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8. Would you like some sugar
with your tea?
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9. Yes, please.
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10. Isabella, would you like some?
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11. - Yes, but she takes two cubes.
- Mm-hm.
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12. I'll bet Isabella is very pretty.
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13. She's very, very pretty.
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14. She has blond hair and a blue dress
with white buttons.
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15. Her ears are pierced and she's tall.
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16. Maybe you could draw me a picture.
I'd love to see what she looks like.
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17. - You don't think she's real.
- I think she's real for you.
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18. And that is real enough for me.
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19. Honey? I think it's time
for you to go now.
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20. You don't wanna keep
Keiko waiting.
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21. I have to go plant
the nasturtiums now.
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22. I'm Keiko's helper
in the arboretum today.
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23. - Is that so?
- You go ahead, sweetie.
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24. And be home in time for dinner.
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25. I hope I see you soon.
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26. - Maybe we can be friends.
- Okay.
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27. - Counselor Troi?
- Yes?
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28. Isabella says she likes you.
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29. Why, thank you, Isabella.
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30. I can understand your concern,
Ensign Sutter,
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31. but really, you have nothing
to worry about.
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32. It's a normal, healthy activity for
children to engage in imaginary play.
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33. I'm just afraid she's not making
any real friends.
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34. She spends all of her time
with Isabella.
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35. You've been moving from starship to
starship since Clara was two years old.
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36. Maybe Isabella provides
a constant companion.
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37. She knows this is one friend
she won't have to leave behind.
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38. You're probably right.
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39. Give Clara a chance.
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40. Once she learns to make
new friends on the Enterprise,
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41. you'll probably find that she'll leave
her imaginary world behind.
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42. Captain's log, stardate 45852.1.
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43. The Enterprise has arrived
at FGC-47,
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44. a nebula which has formed
around a neutron star.
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45. We are eager to investigate
this unique formation.
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46. We've got elevated quantities
of hydrogen, helium and trionium,
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47. - but nothing the shields can't handle.
- Shields up.
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48. Take us in, ensign.
One quarter impulse.
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49. Aye, sir.
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50. In order for the lateral sensors to
complete their scheduled observations,
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51. additional processing time
will be required.
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52. We could steal a couple of hours
from the engineering team
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53. while they're recalibrating
the thermal interferometry scanner.
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54. Will two hours be enough to
complete the high resolution series
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55. - on the neutron star?
- No problem.
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56. We'll double up
the main sensor bandwidth
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57. while they're freeing up
the lateral units.
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58. Hmm.
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59. And then after dinner, then what?
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60. Well, we went to the holodeck
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61. and took a walk
on the Champs Elysées.
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62. The neural scanner still seems
to be a bit off.
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63. Let's check the sensor calibrations.
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64. I'll run a diagnostic.
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65. - And?
- And?
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66. - After Paris?
- He has shore leave next month.
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67. He asked me to go to Risa with him.
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68. No problem,
Nurse McClucoch can cover for you.
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69. I don't think I'm going, doctor.
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70. I hear it's a very
uninhibited atmosphere.
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71. Personally, I don't think I'm ready
for that kind of fun.
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72. Try to talk him into Tavila Minor.
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73. They have a cruise
down the Jokri River.
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74. The iridescent currents
are beautiful.
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75. See, Isabella?
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76. You have to stick your finger
into the soil as far as it can go.
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77. We're making a home for the seeds.
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78. Now they need to be watered.
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79. But the baby seeds are very small,
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80. so we mustn't give them
too much to drink.
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81. "OLD MacDONALD HAD A FARM']
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82. Hello?
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83. Is anybody there?
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84. Hello.
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85. Isabella?
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86. Hello, Clara.
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87. Space, the final frontier.
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88. These are the voyages
of the starship Enterprise.
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89. Its continuing mission:
to explore strange new worlds,
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90. to seek out new life
and new civilizations,
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91. to boldly go where no one
has gone before.
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92. Isabella?
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93. How come I can see you?
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94. Is something wrong
with the way I look?
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95. No. It's just I've never seen you before.
Not for real.
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96. Well, now you can see me for real.
Doesn't that make you happy?
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97. Yes, it's wonderful.
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98. Can we go now?
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99. We'd better finish planting
the seeds first.
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100. I'm tired of planting.
Let's do something else.
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101. - Like what?
- Like...
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102. I would really like to explore the ship.
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103. We'd better finish planting first.
I promised Keiko.
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104. We can finish later.
Let's go look around.
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105. I'd better ask my daddy.
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106. Your daddy won't mind.
We can tell him later. Come on.
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107. So, what are we gonna call
this nebula?
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108. FGC-47 just doesn't have
the proper ring to it.
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109. - Why don't we call it "Sutter's Cloud"?
- Heh.
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110. The rotational period
of the neutron star is 1.35 seconds.
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111. That's a bit on the long side. See if you
can get a reading on the particle flux.
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112. - Aye, sir.
- No, I was thinking
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113. about something more along the lines
of "the La Forge Nebula."
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114. It's got sort of a majestic sound,
don't you think?
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115. Given the selections,
I prefer FGC-47.
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116. - What was that?
- Felt like we hit something.
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117. Shields have registered an impact,
however,
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118. sensors show nothing in the vicinity.
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119. Forward velocity is down
by 0.2 percent and dropping.
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120. Engineering, report.
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121. There could be something wrong
with the shields, captain.
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122. We're checking it out now.
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123. Systems are normal, sir.
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124. So did we hit something or not?
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125. Shields say yes, sensors say no.
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126. This is very strange.
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127. Ensign, give me a breakdown
on the shield energy conversion
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128. and then run a spectral... Whoa.
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129. Where did you come from?
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130. I'm Clara Sutter. That's my daddy.
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131. Clara, you can't be here right now.
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132. But Isabella
wanted to see Engineering.
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133. I don't care what Isabella
wanted to see.
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134. You go back to our quarters
right now.
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135. But Daddy...
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136. Bridge to La Forge.
Our speed is still dropping.
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137. I hear you, captain, I'm increasing
the power to the impulse engines,
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138. but forward velocity just isn't
consistent with engine output.
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139. - Explanation.
- It seems like there's something
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140. increasing the drag coefficient on
the ship, but we can't find the source.
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141. If we can't correct it, we may have to
reverse course and leave the nebula.
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142. Give me a couple of minutes here,
captain.
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143. Clara, now.
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144. I'm sorry, commander.
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145. Why do you keep disappearing
like that?
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146. The grownups don't believe
I'm real.
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147. When they're around,
I have to be invisible.
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148. Wait here.
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149. The drag coefficient continues
to increase.
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150. Our velocity has fallen
by 12 percent.
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151. Velocity is increasing.
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152. Ship's speed has stabilized
at one quarter impulse.
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153. That's great, Data. What did you do?
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154. I did nothing. The problem seems
to have corrected itself.
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155. - Where did you go?
- There was something I had to do.
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156. I don't have an explanation, captain.
We seemed to hit something,
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157. then we started losing speed.
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158. So far as we can tell, there's nothing
out there to hit.
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159. Could some sort of damping field
have caused us to lose velocity?
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160. We have simulated
several such fields
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161. but were unable to reproduce
the same drag coefficient.
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162. We still don't know why the problem
suddenly corrected itself.
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163. It seems we're looking
at a unique phenomenon.
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164. One that hasn't been recorded
before.
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165. Question is, do we stay here
and check it out?
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166. Might be dangerous.
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167. Since we have only experienced
the phenomenon once,
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168. it is impossible to estimate the risks.
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169. Captain, I'd like to stay here
for a little bit,
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170. collect some samples
of the gaseous matter,
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171. see what it tells us.
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172. Agreed. Collect your samples,
Mr. La Forge.
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173. We'll proceed with caution.
Dismissed.
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174. - What's in here?
- That's the door to the cargo bay.
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175. We can't go in there.
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176. Let's go someplace
with a lot of people.
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177. Okay. Isabella, why are you
so serious lately?
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178. What do you mean?
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179. You haven't even smiled
once today.
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180. - You're my best friend, Isabella.
- Why?
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181. I don't know. Because we do things
together and we trade secrets.
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182. - Does everybody have a best friend?
- If they're lucky.
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183. - Before I had you, I didn't have one.
- Why not?
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184. Every time I made friends
with someone,
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185. my daddy's job would change
and we'd move to a new ship.
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186. It takes time to make a best friend.
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187. - How long?
- Depends.
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188. With you, not very long.
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189. You always listened to me,
even when I was sad.
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190. Clara, I'm glad we're best friends.
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191. - Race you.
- Okay.
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192. Ready, set, go.
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193. This area is not designated
for children. Are you lost?
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194. Where are you supposed to be?
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195. We were only playing. We're sorry.
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196. Return to your quarters.
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197. - And we will forget this incident.
- Thank you.
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198. Come on.
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199. Okay, I've configured
the magnetic coil
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200. to collect samples of gaseous matter
from the nebula.
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201. Go ahead and activate
the beam emitter.
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202. I'm setting the fractionater
to continuous cycle.
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203. Good. We'll collect samples
from eight random sections.
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204. That ought to give us
a reliable measure.
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205. Commander, I understand you had
a parent who was in Starfleet.
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206. Mm. Two of them,
as a matter of fact.
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207. My father was an exo-zoologist,
my mother, a command officer.
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208. They must have been posted
to a lot of different assignments.
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209. That's putting it mildly.
They were always on the move.
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210. Some of the times together,
sometimes separately.
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211. I never knew whether or not I would
be stationed with my father
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212. while he studied invertebrates
in the Modean system,
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213. or on some outpost
near the Neutral Zone with my mom.
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214. - Was that hard on you?
- I don't remember it that way.
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215. It must have been disruptive
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216. if you didn't stay in one place
long enough to make friends.
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217. Well,
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218. I suppose there were some aspects
of my childhood
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219. that were less than ideal, but to me
it was just one long adventure.
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220. Children are a lot stronger
than you think.
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221. As long as they know you love them,
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222. they can handle just about anything
life throws at them, you know?
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223. Thanks, commander.
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224. No, it's a Samalian coral fish
with its fin unfolded.
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225. I believe what you are seeing is the
effect of the fluid dynamic processes
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226. inherent in the large scale motion
of rarified gas.
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227. No, no. Heh. First it was a fish,
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228. and now
it's a Mintonian sailing ship.
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229. - Where?
- Right there.
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230. Don't you see the two swirls
coming together to form the mast?
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231. I do not see it.
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232. It is interesting that people try to find
meaningful patterns
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233. in things that are essentially
random.
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234. I have noticed that the images
they perceive sometimes suggest
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235. what they are thinking about
at that particular moment.
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236. Besides, it is clearly a bunny rabbit.
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237. Looks as though someone's
lost their way. Excuse me.
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238. Hello. Are you looking
for someone?
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239. No. I brought Isabella to see
Ten-Forward.
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240. Oh, I see. Well, ordinarily,
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241. we only would let you in
with a grownup.
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242. But since you brought Isabella,
you can be my guest.
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243. Won't you join me?
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244. Thank you.
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245. Now, how about two papalla juices
with extra bubbles?
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246. Just one, please.
Isabella isn't thirsty.
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247. Oh.
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248. One juice.
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249. - You aren't like the other grownups.
- Oh, no?
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250. They don't think Isabella is real.
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251. Well, most grownups have
a hard time with things they can't see.
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252. Why?
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253. Well, because they get preoccupied
by other things.
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254. Like what?
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255. Like how much fuel it takes
to power a ship,
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256. or whether we should go
to one star system or another.
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257. Or whether little girls should go
to bed at 7,
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258. or be allowed to stay up till 8.
Copy !req
259. So their heads get so full,
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260. that they forget about the things
that are important to you and me.
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261. Like imaginary friends.
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262. If the other grownups don't
understand, how come you do?
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263. Well, maybe because
when I was your age, I had one.
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264. - You did?
- Mm.
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265. - What was she like?
- It wasn't a she.
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266. - What was he like?
- It wasn't a he.
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267. - It?
- It was a Tarcassian razorbeast.
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268. It had dark brown fur
and gold eyes.
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269. And huge, spiny wings.
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270. And it would fly past so fast,
nobody could see it but me.
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271. - Sounds scary.
- Oh, it was.
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272. Especially when he smiled.
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273. But the best thing about him was
I could curl up on his furry belly
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274. and he had the softest purr
you ever heard.
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275. Put me right to sleep every night.
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276. I tell you,
that razorbeast was a good friend.
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277. So is Isabella.
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278. - Hello, Clara.
- Hello.
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279. Clara and Isabella and I
were just having a conversation.
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280. Would you and Isabella like to come
for a walk with me?
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281. I guess so. Bye.
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282. Bye, Clara.
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283. Bye, Isabella.
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284. Clara, you haven't been on the ship
very long, so maybe you don't know,
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285. but Ten-Forward is usually
for grownups.
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286. I know that. I didn't want to go.
But Isabella wanted to see.
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287. If Isabella is making you do things
you know are wrong,
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288. then you must tell her
it's not acceptable.
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289. I tried to. But she doesn't listen.
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290. Deck 32.
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291. Clara, do you want me
to talk to Isabella?
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292. Isabella, it's not very nice to get
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293. Clara to do things
that she isn't supposed to.
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294. She's over there.
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295. From now on, I want you to ask
a grownup
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296. before you go to any place
that's off-limits.
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297. - What did she say?
- She said...
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298. Clara, please tell me
what Isabella said.
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299. She said you better leave us alone.
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300. I'm a little concerned at the turn
this is taking.
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301. It seems Clara is beginning to do
inappropriate things
Copy !req
302. and blaming them on Isabella.
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303. She came into Engineering today.
She said it was Isabella's idea.
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304. I don't think it's too serious yet,
but we should make more of an effort
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305. to get her involved
with real friends her own age.
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306. The Children's Center is having
a ceramics class this afternoon.
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307. - Why don't I take Clara?
- I think she'd like that.
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308. I'll see if there's any room left
in the class. In the meantime,
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309. I think you should make yourself
more available to Clara.
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310. Let her know she doesn't have
to rely on Isabella
Copy !req
311. when she needs someone to talk to.
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312. Counselor, thank you.
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313. Are you mad at me?
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314. I'm sorry I got you into trouble.
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315. - That's okay.
- Are we still best friends?
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316. Here. You can help me
put this together if you want.
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317. - Clara, why are grownups so mean?
- They're not mean.
Copy !req
318. They're just more serious
than we are.
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319. Sometimes I wish
they would just go away.
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320. - You do?
- Yes. I don't like them.
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321. I'm bored. Let's go back
to Engineering.
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322. We're not allowed to go there.
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323. I thought we were best friends.
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324. - We are.
- Then why won't you play with me?
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325. - I told you.
- You always listen to the grownups.
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326. - You don't care about me.
- That's not true.
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327. I thought we'd have fun together,
once you could really see me.
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328. I thought you'd like me.
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329. Let's go to Engineering, Clara.
Just for a little while.
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330. No one will know.
It'll be our secret.
Copy !req
331. And if they find us,
we'll tell them we got lost.
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332. - Who is it?
- Counselor Troi.
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333. - Hello, Clara.
- Hi.
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334. I came to ask if you'd like to go
to a ceramics class.
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335. Can Isabella come too?
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336. No. Let's do something
with Isabella another day.
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337. Well, okay.
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338. Sir, as we move deeper
into the nebula,
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339. sensors indicate that the levels
of helium and trionium
Copy !req
340. are continuing to rise.
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341. Is it something that
the shields can't handle?
Copy !req
342. No, sir, we are well within
tolerance levels.
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343. - Mr. Data?
- Shields have registered an impact.
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344. But the sensors show nothing
out there, right?
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345. There is no indication
of anything near the ship.
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346. Forward velocity is dropping, captain.
Down by 0.4 percent.
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347. Can we go to warp speed?
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348. Until we determine the cause
of the drag coefficient,
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349. I would not recommend it, sir.
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350. Forward velocity down
by 1.1 percent.
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351. Ensign, increase power
to the impulse engines.
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352. Aye, sir.
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353. Impulse engines now at full power.
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354. We are no longer losing speed.
Forward velocity is holding steady.
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355. The drag coefficient is still present,
but it has stabilized.
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356. Bridge to Commander Riker.
Check with Mr. La Forge.
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357. See if he found anything in
the matter sample from the nebula.
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358. On my way, sir.
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359. - Any luck?
- Yeah, take a look at this.
Copy !req
360. We tried radiating the subject matter
Copy !req
361. with just about everything we could
think of. We didn't find anything until
Copy !req
362. we subjected it
to a high-frequency warp field.
Copy !req
363. We think this is
what we've been running into.
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364. Do you know what it is?
Copy !req
365. We think so,
now that the sensors can read it.
Copy !req
366. It seems to be a highly cohesive form
of plasma, like a strand of energy.
Copy !req
367. We figure it's a segment of just part
of a network of a much larger strands.
Copy !req
368. When these things come
in contact with our shields,
Copy !req
369. it produces a resonant effect,
Copy !req
370. and that creates the drag coefficient
we've been experiencing.
Copy !req
371. - Is there anything like this on record?
- No, sir.
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372. Do you know how many of them
there might be?
Copy !req
373. No, but if we run the warp field
generators through the deflector grid,
Copy !req
374. we could radiate a field
outside the ship.
Copy !req
375. We'd be able to see for ourselves.
Let's do it.
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376. Alexander, I thought you might like
a partner.
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377. This is Clara Sutter.
She's new on the Enterprise.
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378. Clara, meet Alexander Rozhenko.
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379. I'm making a cup for my father.
Wanna help?
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380. Go ahead.
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381. Well, you're supposed to put them
in a row.
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382. Like this.
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383. Clara, would you like some clay
of your own?
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384. Here, honey.
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385. I've never made a cup before.
Copy !req
386. - How do you make the round part?
- Well, it's easy.
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387. You take a big piece of clay
like this.
Copy !req
388. You push your hand into it.
Copy !req
389. Warp field generators
are standing by.
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390. Captain, we should be able
to illuminate any strands
Copy !req
391. within 2000 kilometers
of the ship.
Copy !req
392. - Proceed.
- Initiating field generation.
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393. Remarkable.
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394. It is an irregular lattice
composed of approximately
Copy !req
395. 47 million strands of energy.
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396. Captain, with this many of them,
the resonant effect on our shields
Copy !req
397. - could cause a problem.
- Agreed.
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398. Ensign, bring us about.
Take us out of the nebula.
Copy !req
399. That may be difficult, sir.
Copy !req
400. I am detecting a significant number
of strands behind us.
Copy !req
401. - Do your best, ensign.
- Aye, sir.
Copy !req
402. Hot chocolate.
Copy !req
403. Mm.
Copy !req
404. Computer, I need my appointment
schedule for next week.
Copy !req
405. Kryonian Tigers aren't so scary.
I saw one once.
Copy !req
406. You did?
Copy !req
407. My father took me to the zoo
on Brentalia.
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408. All the tiger did was lick my hand.
And he smelled funny.
Copy !req
409. - I think we need more water.
- I'll get some.
Copy !req
410. - Isabella?
- Clara.
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411. - I didn't do it.
- Who did?
Copy !req
412. It was Isabella.
Copy !req
413. - I don't see anybody.
- She's invisible.
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414. I spent two weeks on that.
That was really mean.
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415. I didn't do it. I didn't.
Copy !req
416. Clara, there's no such thing
as invisible people.
Copy !req
417. You're lying.
Copy !req
418. - Hey.
- Isabella, stop.
Copy !req
419. Clara.
Copy !req
420. Why were you being so mean to me?
Why did you do that to my friend?
Copy !req
421. Because you ran away from me.
Copy !req
422. You left me alone.
Copy !req
423. - I had to do everything by myself.
- You're scaring me.
Copy !req
424. I was going to protect you, Clara.
I liked you.
Copy !req
425. But now I don't care.
Copy !req
426. Now, when the others come,
Copy !req
427. you can die along
with everyone else.
Copy !req
428. Status, Mr. Data.
Copy !req
429. At our current speed,
we will clear the nebula
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430. in 12 minutes, four seconds.
Copy !req
431. Continue a full sensor sweep. I want
all the information we can gather.
Copy !req
432. Captain, forward velocity is down
by 0.6 percent.
Copy !req
433. Velocity down
by 2.4 percent.
Copy !req
434. - Mr. Data?
- We are moving
Copy !req
435. through a dense concentration
of energy strands.
Copy !req
436. Can we go to warp?
Copy !req
437. Stress on the hull would be too great.
Copy !req
438. Captain, the density appears
to be lower off the starboard bow.
Copy !req
439. Ensign, bring us to a bearing
030 mark 5.
Copy !req
440. Aye, sir.
Copy !req
441. Forward velocity holding.
Copy !req
442. Steady as she goes.
Copy !req
443. - Is something wrong with the cake?
- Excuse me?
Copy !req
444. Well, I see you sitting here with
a piece of untouched chocolate cake
Copy !req
445. in front of you. I assume
something's wrong with the cake,
Copy !req
446. - or something's bothering you.
- I'm sure the cake's fine.
Copy !req
447. - I've just been thinking.
- Let me guess.
Copy !req
448. About the little girl
with the imaginary friend?
Copy !req
449. I'm wondering if I'm doing
the right thing.
Copy !req
450. How so?
Copy !req
451. Well, I know the best thing to do is
to gradually wean her
Copy !req
452. away from her fantasy.
Copy !req
453. And she did make some new friends
today and had a good time.
Copy !req
454. But?
Copy !req
455. But I can't help feeling that I'm taking
something from her.
Copy !req
456. Something precious.
Copy !req
457. A part of her childhood
she'll never have again.
Copy !req
458. Mm.
Copy !req
459. Well, I'm not sure about that.
Copy !req
460. I was, uh, just telling Clara
about my imaginary friend.
Copy !req
461. - You have an imaginary friend?
- Mm.
Copy !req
462. A Tarcassian razorbeast.
Copy !req
463. It protected me.
Copy !req
464. I knew as long as that razorbeast
was around, nothing could hurt me.
Copy !req
465. And over the years, his body kind
of faded away, but the idea stayed.
Copy !req
466. And I just don't seem to talk to him
as often as I used to.
Copy !req
467. - You still talk to it?
- Oh, yeah.
Copy !req
468. When I'm afraid or I get confused
or a little scared.
Copy !req
469. I just don't think you should have
to give up an imaginary friend.
Copy !req
470. Ensign Sutter to Counselor Troi.
Copy !req
471. Go ahead, ensign.
Copy !req
472. Would you come to my quarters?
I'm having a problem with Clara.
Copy !req
473. I'm on my way.
Copy !req
474. She won't even go into her room.
Copy !req
475. She's terrified that
Isabella's going to hurt her.
Copy !req
476. Clara?
Copy !req
477. Your father tells me that Isabella
Copy !req
478. has been saying some
very bad things to you.
Copy !req
479. What did she say?
Copy !req
480. She said they're going to come
and kill everyone.
Copy !req
481. Who's going to come
and kill everyone?
Copy !req
482. The others. Like her.
Copy !req
483. Did she say why?
Copy !req
484. I know you're very frightened.
Copy !req
485. Sometimes what we imagine can be
just as scary as something real.
Copy !req
486. But I promise you,
Copy !req
487. there is no way Isabella
can harm you or anyone on this ship.
Copy !req
488. But she's not imaginary anymore.
She's real now.
Copy !req
489. - I can see her.
- You can see her?
Copy !req
490. Yes.
Copy !req
491. If I go with you and hold your hand,
will you go into your room?
Copy !req
492. I think so.
Copy !req
493. We'll make sure Isabella isn't
anywhere around, okay?
Copy !req
494. Come on.
Copy !req
495. Do you see anybody?
Copy !req
496. Let's look under the bed.
Copy !req
497. Is she there?
Copy !req
498. Okay. Where else?
Copy !req
499. Is she behind here?
Copy !req
500. Maybe Isabella's gone home.
Copy !req
501. Let's see, anything here?
Copy !req
502. Maybe Isabella knows that you've
got new friends now.
Copy !req
503. In fact, I'll bet she doesn't
come around as much anymore.
Copy !req
504. Maybe.
Copy !req
505. - What about in the closet?
- Okay.
Copy !req
506. Anybody in here?
Looks pretty empty to me.
Copy !req
507. She was 11, maybe 12,
with blond hair.
Copy !req
508. - Clara.
- Clara's sleeping.
Copy !req
509. She's going to be fine.
Copy !req
510. Her bio-electrical processes
were severely disrupted.
Copy !req
511. It's as if the energy
was pulled right out of her body.
Copy !req
512. Captain.
Copy !req
513. Clara has told me that her imaginary
friend has been making threats.
Copy !req
514. She claimed that others
were on the way,
Copy !req
515. and that they had plans
to kill everyone on the ship.
Copy !req
516. - Picard to Lieutenant Worf.
- Worf here, sir.
Copy !req
517. Lieutenant, we've established
the presence
Copy !req
518. of what appears to be
an alien entity on board.
Copy !req
519. It seems the entity
has manifested itself
Copy !req
520. in the form of a 12-year-old
human girl
Copy !req
521. who's been seen with Clara Sutter.
She has blond hair and blue eyes.
Copy !req
522. And a blue dress.
Copy !req
523. Yes, sir, I have seen her.
Copy !req
524. When?
Copy !req
525. Two days ago, near Engineering.
She was with Miss Sutter.
Copy !req
526. Security alert, Mr. Worf.
Keep a good lookout.
Copy !req
527. Aye, sir.
Copy !req
528. She insisted on talking to you.
Copy !req
529. It's about Isabella.
Copy !req
530. - What about her, Clara?
- I think her feelings were hurt.
Copy !req
531. She said she liked me.
She liked being with me.
Copy !req
532. She was my friend.
Copy !req
533. She only got mean when I stopped
paying attention to her.
Copy !req
534. Did she say when the others
were coming?
Copy !req
535. All right, thanks, sweetie.
You go back to bed now.
Copy !req
536. - We'll handle this.
- But, Daddy...
Copy !req
537. Clara, if we need your help again,
I hope we can count on you.
Copy !req
538. Yes, captain.
Copy !req
539. Captain Picard, report to the Bridge.
Copy !req
540. On my way-
Copy !req
541. - Report.
- Our speed is down by 22 percent.
Copy !req
542. Strand density is ten times
what it was, captain.
Copy !req
543. We can't take many more
of these hits.
Copy !req
544. All stop.
Copy !req
545. Sir, something is moving toward us.
Copy !req
546. Bearing 103 mark 024.
Copy !req
547. On-screen.
Copy !req
548. It appears to be an energy
vortex, of highly complex patterns.
Copy !req
549. - Possibly a life form.
- Red alert.
Copy !req
550. It is in direct physical contact
with our shields.
Copy !req
551. Shield strength dropping to 75 percent,
72 percent.
Copy !req
552. Damn thing's feeding off our shields.
Copy !req
553. Mr. Data, remodulate
our shield frequencies.
Copy !req
554. Aye, sir.
Copy !req
555. No effect.
Copy !req
556. Shield strength has dropped
to 64 percent.
Copy !req
557. We've got about eight minutes
before this thing drains our shields.
Copy !req
558. Any ideas?
Copy !req
559. Isabella?
Copy !req
560. Isabella?
Copy !req
561. Don't you wanna talk to me?
Copy !req
562. I'm not mad at you.
Copy !req
563. Isabella?
Copy !req
564. We know you've been on this ship
for some time now.
Copy !req
565. And that you're posing
as Clara's friend.
Copy !req
566. And that you've been
threatening her.
Copy !req
567. We can only assume that there
is some connection
Copy !req
568. between yourself
and the life forms attacking this ship.
Copy !req
569. You're obviously an intelligent being.
Copy !req
570. There's no reason to hide from us.
Copy !req
571. Talk to us.
Copy !req
572. Or can you only communicate
by threatening a small child?
Copy !req
573. I'm scared, Isabella.
Copy !req
574. Who are you?
Copy !req
575. I came here to determine whether
you were a threat to us.
Copy !req
576. And to examine the purity
of your energy sources.
Copy !req
577. Energy?
Copy !req
578. Is that why you're draining
our shields?
Copy !req
579. Yes. The emissions
from your graviton field generators
Copy !req
580. are far richer than our normal sources
of energy.
Copy !req
581. Picard to Bridge, report.
Copy !req
582. Shields are down to 3 percent.
Copy !req
583. - We're diverting all available power.
- Acknowledged.
Copy !req
584. If it's energy that you want,
we have other ways of providing it.
Copy !req
585. - You needn't destroy us.
- You should be destroyed.
Copy !req
586. You are cruel, uncaring creatures.
Copy !req
587. What makes you say that?
Copy !req
588. - The way you treat Clara.
- In what way have we mistreated her?
Copy !req
589. You wouldn't let her do
what she wanted to
Copy !req
590. or go where she wanted to.
Copy !req
591. - You mean where you wanted her to.
- What difference does it make?
Copy !req
592. You were taking her to places that
were inappropriate, even dangerous.
Copy !req
593. I wouldn't have let anything
happen to her.
Copy !req
594. We didn't know that.
Copy !req
595. We didn't even know
if you were real.
Copy !req
596. All we knew was that a little girl's
imaginary friend
Copy !req
597. was frightening her, threatening her.
Copy !req
598. That was only after you told
Clara not to be my friend.
Copy !req
599. I understand.
Copy !req
600. You are seeing this ship,
Copy !req
601. all of us,
from a unique perspective.
Copy !req
602. From a child's point of view.
Copy !req
603. It must seem terribly unfair
and restrictive to you.
Copy !req
604. As adults, we don't always stop
to consider how everything we say
Copy !req
605. and do shapes the impressions
of young people.
Copy !req
606. But if you're judging us as a people,
Copy !req
607. by the way we treat our children,
Copy !req
608. and I think there can be
no better criterion,
Copy !req
609. then you must understand
how deeply we care for them.
Copy !req
610. When our children are young,
they don't understand
Copy !req
611. what might be dangerous.
Copy !req
612. Our rules are to keep them
from harm, real or imagined.
Copy !req
613. And that's part of the continuity
of our human species.
Copy !req
614. When Clara grows up, she will
make rules for her children.
Copy !req
615. To protect them.
Copy !req
616. As we protect her.
Copy !req
617. Please don't hurt us.
Copy !req
618. If you still want to be my best friend,
I'd like that very much.
Copy !req
619. - Status, Number One.
- We're clear of the strands.
Copy !req
620. We'll have full warp capability
in 20 minutes.
Copy !req
621. Inform all sections we'll be leaving
this area in one hour.
Copy !req
622. - Sir?
- Mister La Forge,
Copy !req
623. I want you to drive the warp engines
to full power,
Copy !req
624. and direct an energy beam
out into the nebula.
Copy !req
625. Aye, sir.
Copy !req
626. I came to say I'm sorry
I frightened you.
Copy !req
627. That's okay.
Copy !req
628. And I misled you.
I wasn't really your Isabella.
Copy !req
629. - For a while you were.
- I never had a friend before.
Copy !req
630. I'm sorry I have to go away.
Copy !req
631. Do you think you'll ever come back?
Copy !req
632. I hope so.
Copy !req
633. So do I.
Copy !req