Picard is surprised when
Professor Richard Galen, his old archaeology professor
whom he hasn't seen in 30 years, pays a visit to the
U.S.S. Enterprise and asks Picard to accompany him on a
mission. The renowned archaeologist has made a discovery
so profound, the ultimate findings could reverberate
throughout the galaxy, but will only reveal them to
Picard if he agrees to join him on a lengthy, possibly
year-long expedition. The offer is tempting to Picard,
who once intended to make archaeology his life's work,
but he chooses duty instead, prompting the professor to
angrily leave the starship. Soon afterward, the
Enterprise receives a distress call — Galen's ship is
under attack by Yridians. After inadvertently destroying
the attacking vessel with a phaser hit the crew is able
to transport Galen aboard, but not before he takes a
disruptor blast in the chest at point-blank range.
Picard is at the professor's side when he dies in
Sickbay, taking his secret with him to the grave.
Attempting to learn why Galen was attacked, the crew
finds 19 strange blocks of numbers stored in his
computer's memory. Picard decides the answer might be on
Ruah IV, part of an unexplored star system Galen visited
just before first contacting the Enterprise — and sets
course despite the fact that he is due at a diplomatic
conference elsewhere. When the search yields nothing, he
opts to continue the investigation on Indri VIII,
Galen's next intended destination.
Upon their arrival at
Indri VIII, the crew finds every microbe of life on the
planet is being destroyed before their eyes, leading
Picard to believe that Professor Galen's number blocks
may have something to do with organic matter. Picard and
Dr. Crusher study the blocks, and learn that they are
mathematical representations of DNA fragments, each from
a different life form from 19 different worlds scattered
across the quadrant. Picard decides to set a course for
Loren III, the only planet capable of sustaining life in
the area to which the professor was referring. There,
they encounter two Cardassian war vessels and a Klingon
attack cruiser, each on the trail of the same discovery.
After a tense initial
confrontation, Picard is able to get the Cardassian
Captain, Gul Ocett, and the Klingon captain, Nu'Daq, to
share their respective organic matter samples and agree
to solve the puzzle together. They soon learn that they
are still missing one DNA fragment, but Picard initiates
an elaborate computer search, which soon reveals the
location where the missing DNA may be found. However,
when the findings are announced, the Cardassian captain
dematerializes and her ship fires on both the Enterprise
and the Klingon vessel.
Picard sets course for
the Vilmoran system, accompanied by the Klingon captain,
whose ship was crippled in the attack. Soon after they
arrive, the Cardassian captain appears on the planet, as
do a group of Romulans, who have been following all
along in a cloaked vessel. Gul Ocett threatens to
destroy the few samples that still remain on the barren
world rather than work with the Romulans, and as the
Klingon leader joins the face-off, Picard and Beverly
quietly retrieve a partially fossilized sample.
Unnoticed, they feed the sample into their tricorder.
The mysterious program is activated, and a humanoid
hologram recorded billions of years ago appears before
them. The hologram tells the surprised group that her
race found itself alone in their travels of the galaxy.
The genetic puzzle was created in hopes that those races
would come together in cooperation and fellowship in
order to activate the message. The humanoid tells the
group that they all come from this common seed, and
implores them to remember this bond. The message fades,
leaving Nu'Daq and Gul Ocett unbelieving, and repulsed
at the mere thought of having anything in common. The
groups return to their vessels. |
 |
Production: 246
Season: 6 Episode: 20
Air Date: 04.26.1993
Stardate: 46731.5 |
 |
|
 |
Patrick Stewart as
Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
Brent Spiner as Data
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi |
 |
|
 |
|
|
John Cothran Jr. as Nu'Daq
Linda Thorson as Gul Ocett
Norman Lloyd as Professor Galen
Salome Jens as Humanoid
Maurice Roeves as Romulan Captain |
 |
|
 |
| Most of the characters
underwent minor changes before the show debuted:
Picard's first name was Julien; Riker was spelled 'Ryker';
Data's name was pronounced 'dat-uh' instead of 'day-tah';
Wesley Crusher was Leslie Crusher, Dr. Crusher's
daughter. |
|
Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Chase"
#40276-246
Story by
Ronald D. Moore
&
Joe Menosky
Teleplay by
Joe Menosky
Directed by
Jonathan Frakes
FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING
WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
Copyright 1992 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights
Reserved. This script is not for publication or
reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If
lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department.
FINAL DRAFT
FEBRUARY 4, 1993
STAR TREK: "The Chase" - 02/05/93 - CAST
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Chase"
CAST
PICARD GALEN
RIKER GUL OCETT
DATA HUMANOID
BEVERLY
TROI NU'DAQ
WORF ROMULAN CAPTAIN
GEORDI
COMPUTER VOICE
MOTT
Non-Speaking Non-Speaking
ENSIGN THREE ROMULANS
N.D. CARDASSIAN
STAR TREK: "The Chase" - 02/04/93 - SETS
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Chase"
SETS
INTERIORS EXTERIORS
USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE
MAIN BRIDGE
OBSERVATION LOUNGE CARDASSIAN SHIPS
TRANSPORTER ROOM
PICARD'S QUARTERS PLANET SURFACE
LAB
SICKBAY
TEN FORWARD
ENGINEERING
READY ROOM
STAR TREK: "The Chase" - 02/05/93 - PRONUNCIATION
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Chase"
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
VOLTERRA vol-TAIR-ah
GALEN GAY-lin
NAISKOS NAY-skos
TARQUIN TAR-kwin
KEA KEY-ah
AOLIAN a-O-lee-in
SATAARAN suh-TAIR-ran
SOTHIS SO-this
SCHLIEMANN SCHLAY-mn
M'TELL muh-TELL
YA'SEEM ya-SEEM
AL-LEYAN al-LEE-in
CAERE kye-AIR
RAHM IZAD ROM-a-zod
NU-DAQ new-DOK
Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format |
