You're absolutely right, Doctor. Right now,
I can't imagine ever hurting anybody.
How do you feel about that person you used to be?
I feel terrible.
But thanks to you, I'm doing much better now.
I'm confident that when I leave,
I will be ready to take my place in society.
- When do you think that will be? - Well, now. Right away.
Why do you say that?
You said that when I was able to accept what I'd done
and I understood the consequences of my actions, I would be free to go.
Free to go?
You don't think you should stand trial for what you did?
No, I'm looking forward to proving my innocence.
I thought you said you accepted what you did.
No.
That's not what I meant.
I was sick when it happened.
I wasn't responsible for what I did.
How do I know you're not just telling me what I want to hear?
We should continue this discussion next week.
No, I wanna talk about this now!
You're starting to sound angry again.
Maybe you need another treatment.
What I need is to get out of this cell. I've been here for days.
You've controlled my every move. Told me what to eat, think and say.
When I show a glimmer of independent thought,
you strap me down, inject me with drugs. You call it a treatment!
- You are becoming agitated. - You bet I'm agitated!
I may be surrounded by insanity but I'm not insane.
There isn't any... There isn't...
There's nothing...
I'm sorry. Could we go back to "You're becoming agitated"?
No. Why don't we break for tonight?
I think we've made progress.
I'm still not comfortable with that speech.
There's such a thing as over-rehearsing. You'll be fine.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just not right for this part.
Most humanoids have the potential to be irrational.
Attempt to access that part of your psyche.
Thank you, Data.
Your character feels as if the world's against him.
- Like my first year at the Academy. - Yes. That's your character.
But I want you, Will Riker, to relax.
- I'll do my best. - You're gonna knock 'em dead.
Right.
You control my every move. You tell me what to say, what to think.
What to eat, what to say...
What to think, what to eat...
Then when I show a glimmer of independent thought,
you strap me down, inject me, call it a treatment.
I may be surrounded by insanity but I am not insane!
Excuse me.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds,...
..to seek out new life and new civilizations,...
..to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Tilonus IV? Didn't their government collapse?
It's total anarchy.
When the Prime Minister was assassinated,
a Federation research team was on the planet.
It's believed they were forced into hiding.
Your mission will be to locate and evacuate them.
Can't they go to the authorities?
There are none. The government is splintered.
It seems there are various factions vying for power.
They're desperate for weapons or technology of any kind.
Apparently, some of the factions have resorted to torture
to gather their information.
A Starfleet team will be a prime target.
I'll have to go down there alone, under cover.
Agreed. Mr. Worf will give you a briefing on Tilonian culture.
Well, I guess I'll have to back out of Beverly's play.
No. There will be plenty of time for that.
We don't arrive on Tilonus for five days.
Besides, if you back out, she'll come after me to play the part.
This is the last known location of the team.
They had occupied a building in the southwest.
Begin there.
That's over 200 square kilometers. A lot of land for one man to cover.
I guess I'll pack extra boots.
This apparel will help you pass as a common merchant.
This Tilonian pendant is equipped with a communicator circuit.
Doesn't really match the outfit.
I suggest you pay closer attention.
Your life will be at stake.
- Do you understand? - Of course I do.
Because you will be posing as a merchant,
you will need to know how to use the nisroh for bartering.
You will be judged on your prowess with a blade.
I'm sorry!
- I did not intend... - It's OK.
I guess I wasn't paying attention. I'll go to sickbay.
We'll continue this later.
Boy, you will do anything to get out of this play.
You'll have to do better than this.
The play's not till tomorrow night. I've got 24 hours.
Don't get any ideas. I will see you on stage at 1800 hours.
Right.
That still hurts.
There was no damage to the nerve, so you shouldn't feel pain.
Probably just a symptom of stage fright.
It hurts!
He was working on a conduit. A plasma torch blew up in his hands.
It hurts! Please!
- Hypospray. - Yes, Doctor.
Get me 20cc of opporozine. Treat the surface burns.
Yes, Doctor. Should we get a stasis unit?
Have one standing by. Get me an epidermal sample.
Begin dermal regeneration. Have tissue regrowth standing by.
I've been on a lot of missions, seen people injured,
but I have never been affected like this.
- He was looking right at me. - That was disturbing to you?
It was as if he was blaming me.
This wasn't the only incident. The last several days,
I've felt everybody's been staring at me or talking about me.
It's as if I was in Frame of Mind,
- Frame of Mind? - Beverly's play.
Ever since I began rehearsing, I've been uneasy and restless.
You're drawing on feelings you're not used to expressing.
Right.
The play is full of disturbing images.
People losing their minds, being tortured by doctors.
I can't get it out of my mind.
Sometimes it's healthy to explore the darker side of the psyche.
Jung called it "owning your own shadow".
This could be a sign that you're a real actor.
This is becoming more than a role.
Maybe you're right.
Don't be afraid of your darker side. Have fun with it.
Who was that?
You just missed him.
- Is there a new lieutenant? - I'm not sure. Should I check?
No. I'll check tomorrow. I'm going to bed.
The performance is tomorrow night.
I'm looking forward to it. Break a leg.
I'll try not to take you literally.
- You're becoming agitated. - You bet I'm agitated!
I may be surrounded by insanity but I am not insane.
Nothing you or anyone else can say will change that!
And I won't let you tell me that I am.
You may be able to destroy my mind.
But you can't change the fact that I'm innocent.
I didn't kill that man!
And that's what's driving you crazy.
I can see we have a lot of work to do.
Nothing you can say will change the fact I'm innocent!
I'm not crazy!
I'm not crazy.
I'm not crazy.
Bravo!
Bravo! Well done!
I can see we have a lot of work to do.
Where am I?
- How did you get me off the ship? - The ship again?
What's going on?
I understand this must be disturbing for you, but try to relax.
Tell me, where were you a moment ago?
I was on the Enterprise, in the middle of a play.
But it was here. It was not real, it was on a stage.
I can assure you, this is not a stage. Do you remember your name?
I'm Commander...
Commander...
A second ago, I knew who I was.
I was on the ship. I was in a play.
Now I'm having trouble remembering anything.
That's good. You're coming out of your delusional state.
Delusional? It was not a delusion. I was there.
We discussed this.
Do you remember, we contacted Starfleet and asked them about you?
- No. - We spoke with Admiral Budrow.
Starbase 29.
He had never heard of me.
They had no officer that fit my description.
That's right.
Now, I want you to focus on who I am. Do you remember me?
- I don't know. - I'm Dr Syrus.
Do you remember anything about where you are now?
My head hurts.
- Somebody hit me. - You tried to escape.
You struggled with an attendant and hit your head. Remember?
Yes.
I remember that now. I thought a Klingon had cut me.
That's called transposition.
You're projecting elements from your delusions onto real events.
But that's good.
There was a time
when you couldn't break away from your starship fantasy at all.
Now, ...
..if what you say is true, ...
..where am I?
You're in ward 47 of the Tilonus Institute For Mental Disorders.
- Why am I here? - We'll talk more later.
You don't have to remember everything today.
You're making excellent progress.
Wait!
Good afternoon. I've got some good news for you.
Dr Syrus suggested that you might enjoy a couple of hours
in the common area today.
Well?
I guess so.
I hope you're hungry. They're serving spiny lobe-fish today.
You won't need that.
That's what you said last time.
I'll be back with your lunch.
I hear you're a Starfleet officer.
I'm Cmdr Bloom from the Yorktown.
There are a dozen of us here, maybe more.
We were kidnapped. Brought here against our will.
Sanders was on the Yosemite. They did something to his mind.
I think they're trying to get neurochemicals from our brains.
Stafko was on the Yorktown. I don't know what they did to him.
We're going to get out of here. I've made a communicator.
- You have? - Yes.
There are three starships in orbit. They will beam us out.
I'll ask them to get you out, too.
Cmdr Bloom to Yorktown. Come in, Yorktown.
I've made contact with another officer.
- Talking to your starship, Jaya? - No.
Don't let them tell you you're crazy.
You know you're not supposed to take utensils from the common area.
You're welcome to try.
- I'm not that far gone, am I? - Of course you are.
Your name is Mavek.
That's right. Not bad for a crazy man.
I am beginning to remember certain things.
Why am I here?
I remember when they brought you in.
You were struggling, screaming. We could barely hold you down.
In fact, just getting the blood off your hands took over an hour.
- Blood? - On your hands, clothes.
You didn't just kill that man, you mutilated him.
What? I didn't kill anybody.
I'm afraid you did.
You stabbed him.
They found you near the body, the knife in your hand.
No!
- It's not true! - Yes, it is.
And if you ever get out, you'll stand trial.
You're lying!
I imagine the punishment will be severe,
considering you stabbed him nine times.
No!
I was there. I was in ward 47, just like in the play.
Everyone thought I was insane, that I had killed someone.
But it was all real.
Deanna mentioned that you were anxious about the play,
but I had no idea.
You said that in your dream, we performed the play.
How did it go?
It was a smash. We got a standing ovation.
Let's hope it goes that well tonight.
Well, we have one hour before curtain. How are you feeling?
I feel like an actor.
Well, you're certainly beginning to look the part.
We should continue this discussion next week.
No. I wanna talk about this now.
You're starting to sounding angry. Maybe you need another treatment.
What I need is to get out of this cell! I've been here for days.
You've controlled my every move. Told me what to eat, think, say.
When I show a glimmer of independent thought...
When I show a glimmer of independent thought,
you strap me down, inject me with drugs and call it a treatment!
- You're becoming agitated. - You bet I'm agitated!
I may be surrounded by insanity, but I am not insane.
What's happening?
I can see we have a lot of work to do.
Nothing you can do will change the fact that I'm innocent!
I'm not crazy!
I'm not...
You're the key to all this, aren't you?
- Who are you? - Lt Suna, sir.
Will, are you alright?
Yes. I don't know.
Why don't we get him to sickbay?
There's nothing wrong neurologically.
I can't find anything that could cause hallucinations.
But your heart rate is up. Your blood pressure is above normal.
- You are physically exhausted. - This is not simple fatigue.
Will, when you're under extreme stress,
the mind can manufacture all kinds of things.
Drugs. They injected me with drugs.
See if the drug's in my system.
Nothing.
In that dream, they gave me drugs.
Didn't anyone else at the theatre see anything strange happen?
No. Nobody.
Get some rest. The play is over. Don't give it another thought.
Right.
- How's Lt Suna? - Shaken, but alright.
I feel like such an idiot.
Don't be embarrassed. We're your friends.
We know the stress you've been under.
I'm sure everyone understands.
Commander, I must congratulate you on your performance.
Your choice to improvise was an effective method
of drawing the audience into your character.
You gave a realistic interpretation of multi-infarct dementia.
Thank you.
Well, maybe not everyone understands.
I think I'd better get a little rest. Clear my mind.
I want you to try some relaxation techniques.
- Remember them? - They never work for me.
Maybe you need another treatment.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Nothing.
Will, I want you to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow.
OK.
It's not real.
It's not real.
Don't let them tell you you're crazy.
No!
Let me out of here!
Let me out of here!
Help me!
Help me.
I need help.
I don't want to be at the mercy of these hallucinations.
You accept that you're not from a starship? It's a delusion?
All I know is, when I go back to the ship, reality breaks apart.
Nothing makes sense.
When it's over, it fades like a dream.
But when I'm in the hospital, everything seems real.
I remember everything that happens here.
What about how you got here?
Maybe I did kill someone. I don't know.
But I want to know how.
I'm glad to hear you say that.
I've had a talk with the hospital administrator.
He said there are legal questions that have to be resolved soon.
Meaning?
Meaning we can't keep you here much longer.
We're the only mental-health facility on Tilonus IV.
We have many people who need help.
I don't want to put stress on you,
but we have to settle this case one way or another within a few days.
- What does that mean? - You're facing a choice.
We can help you remember what happened using reflection therapy.
If it's successful, you'd be fit to stand trial.
Reflection therapy?
It's a way for you to interact with various facets of your personality.
We scan the regions of your brain that control emotions and memory
and project them holographically.
What is the second option?
A complete synaptic reconstruction of your cerebral cortex.
Surgery.
We would neutralize the synaptic pathways
responsible for your mental instability.
It doesn't sound like you care for that.
I don't. The procedure is irreversible.
You'd be left with a completely altered personality.
The person you are now would cease to exist.
Option one is beginning to sound better.
I agree.
Reflection therapy, then. When do we begin?
This afternoon, if you're ready.
I want you to understand that this won't be easy.
You'll interact with aspects of your psyche
you've never dealt with before, and...
And you may be disturbed by what they say.
Close your eyes. Try to relax.
Clear your mind.
Now, think back to before you came to the hospital.
Don't try to remember specific incidents.
Concentrate on how you felt.
I was afraid.
- Terrified. - She was with me on the ship.
She represents an aspect of your personality.
There are parts of you that still believe you're on that starship.
- Why her? - I asked you about your feelings.
This is the part of you that responded.
Talk to her about before you came here.
You said I was terrified. Of what?
I was in a dark place.
Cold. Frightened.
- Someone was there. - Who?
I felt threatened by them. Trapped.
You're doing very well.
Let's find out how you responded to these feelings.
Try to focus on your actions.
You felt trapped. What did you do?
I was angry. They were attacking me.
- I fought back. - I felt pain.
- I was injured. - I panicked.
There was a struggle and I...
You what? What happened?
Try to associate your actions and emotions with logical thoughts.
What do you think caused you to act and feel this way?
It was cold and dark because...
..I was outdoors. At night. I was in a narrow place.
I was walking through an alley.
- I felt threatened. - I was being watched.
Someone must have followed me into the alley.
That's why I started to walk faster.
Someone grabbed me from behind.
- I panicked. - I tried to fight them off.
- How many were there? - Three.
Humanoid. I only saw the face of one of them.
What did he look like?
I saw him on the ship, too.
I saw him in the hospital, but I don't know who he is.
That's Mr. Suna, the hospital administrator.
You met when you arrived.
- What part of me does he represent? - I don't know.
Don't believe this, Will. None of it's real.
You're still on the Enterprise.
- Doctor? - We're your colleagues.
You can trust us. Everything will be alright.
Do you have anything to say to them?
You're all delusions!
Do not listen to him, Commander.
He is trying to trick you. You are in danger here.
- Let us help you. - Listen to me, Will.
In all the years we've known each other, have I ever lied?
No. Please.
- Leave me alone! - Will, please.
No!
You've taken a big step today.
You turned your back on those delusions and all they represent.
We'll continue later.
It's not real.
Commander. Do you know who I am?
Do you know where you are?
If you can't answer, just listen.
You were on an undercover mission to Tilonus IV. Something happened.
We were told you killed somebody. We do not believe it.
We're being blocked at every turn.
The hospital administrator denies you're here at all.
We're beginning to think that there's some sort of conspiracy.
I had to pose as a health official.
Sit tight, Commander. We will get you out of here.
Not real.
- Commander. - Get away from me!
Commander, come with us. You are in danger.
- No! - Silence.
Commander, are you alright?
Help me! Help me!
Who are you?
Take them to Security.
Worf to Enterprise. Pattern enhancer activated. Three to beam up.
Acknowledged.
There's damage to the parietal lobe.
It's as if someone's trying to access his long-term memory.
He's in a severe state of neural shock.
It's gonna take him a while to recover.
Number One, do you remember what happened?
You were abducted during the mission to Tilonus IV
and put into a psychiatric hospital.
- It's still bleeding. - It's minor.
Don't worry about it.
We have been checking on the hospital administrator.
Mr. Suna.
It appears that he's involved with one of the rival factions.
We believe that he is responsible for what happened to you.
It still hurts.
It's bleeding again. Why? You just healed it!
Will, try to calm down.
This isn't real!
What are you doing?
If I'm right, you're not really here.
This isn't a real phaser.
It's all a fantasy.
And I'll end it, no matter what.
What if it isn't a fantasy? Are you willing to take that chance?
You're right.
I won't.
But I'll find out what's real.
Will, don't!
How's he progressing?
He's not responding to reflection therapy.
His delusions are growing more elaborate.
He broke out of his cell.
We found him running down a corridor,
claiming people had come to take him back to his starship.
Then I see no other choice.
We'll have to perform the synaptic reconstruction.
I still have a phaser. Why?
It's not a phaser, it's a knife. You stole it from a food tray.
Give it to me. We don't want you to hurt yourself.
I don't believe you.
- If this is a knife, where's Mavek? - It's complicated.
I'll answer all your questions. But first, put that down.
No. If this is a real phaser, then I was on the Enterprise.
But I fired it on myself, so I should be dead.
None of this is real.
I'm setting this to level 16, wide field.
That should destroy this building.
Unless, of course, this isn't a real phaser.
It's all about you.
You're the only constant in both places.
There's a lot more going on here than you realize.
This isn't real, either.
What's happening to me?
Listen to me.
We can still save you, but you must stop fighting us.
- You're lying! - Let me help you.
No!
I'm warning you.
No!
Bravo!
Bravo!
He's conscious!
I haven't finished the neurodrain. Get him sedated!
- Riker to Enterprise! - Enterprise. Are you alright?
Emergency transport. Get me out of here.
Captain's log, stardate 46778. 1.
Cmdr Riker has returned safely from his mission to Tilonus IV.
Dr Crusher has repaired the damage to his long-term memory.
Evidently, you were abducted two days after beaming to the surface.
I remember now. I was in an alley.
They attacked from behind. I tried to fight them off with the nisroh.
I managed to get one off me but they injected me with a drug.
We believe they tried to extract information from your memory
using a neurosomatic technique.
I was in a hospital, then on the Enterprise.
I was back in the hospital, shifting from place to place.
I couldn't tell what was real.
Your mind must have created a defence mechanism
that helped you resist the neurosomatic process.
Your unconscious fastened on to elements of your real life
in an attempt to keep you grounded.
To keep you sane.
The preparation for the mission, the play.
Those were recent memories, fresh in my mind.
You should rest. We can talk tomorrow.
There is one thing I'd like to do first.
Are you sure you want to do this by yourself?
The stage crew and I do it tomorrow.
I'm positive.
After everything, I couldn't sleep knowing it was still up.