STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Season 1, Episode 18

Home Soil

Series: The Next Generation - (1987-1994)
Season: 1
Episode #: 1.18
Production #: 40271-117
Original Airdate: 02/22/1988

Writer(s): Karl Geurs, Ralph Sanchez and Robert Sabaroff
Director(s): Corey Allen

Guest Stars
Walter Gotell as Kurt Mandl
Elizabeth Lindsey as Luisa Kim
Gerard Prendergast as Bjorn Bensen
Mario Roccuzzo as Arthur Malencon
Carolyne Barry as an Enterprise Engineer

Uncredited Guest Stars
Majel Barrett as the voice of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D Computer
James G. Becker as Ensign Youngblood
Darrell Burris as an Operations Division Officer
Dexter Clay as an Operations Division Officer
Susan Duchow as an Operations Division Officer
David Eum as Ensign Wright
Nora Leonhardt as a Sciences Division Officer
Tim McCormack as Ensign Bennett
James McElroy as an Operations Division Officer
Lorine Mendell as Lt. Diana Giddings
Susan Raborn as an Operations Division Officer

Stardate: 41463.9

Synopsis

At the Federation's request, a U.S.S. Enterprise away team visits Velara III where a group of terraformers are working to transform the seemingly desolate planet into one capable of supporting life.

Tragically, a terraformer engineer is killed during their visit in a bizarre hydraulic room accident.

While investigating the mishap, Data is inexplicably attacked by the laser drilling system. He escapes injury, but upon further exploration, Data and La Forge find a microscopic inorganic life form that seems to be trying to communicate with them. They take the life form, or "microbrain" as they refer to it, back to the U.S.S. Enterprisewhere it begins to reproduce and project an energy force that compels Dr. Crusher to activate a quarantine seal around the medical lab.

[ Complete Screencap Index ]

Soon, the crew learns from the microbrain that some of its members were killed during the terraformer's drilling on the planet's surface, and that its attempts to contact the humans were ignored. As a result, they murdered the engineer in the hydraulic room and have declared war on the human race.

To save the U.S.S. Enterprise, Picard attempts to beam the life form back to Velara III. But the microbrain's power is too strong. Just when its energy projections threaten to destroy the ship, the crew discovers that the microbrain feeds off light. By shutting off the lights in the lab, they force the microbrain to surrender and are able to beam it back home.

 | When The Bough Breaks (S1:E17) | ~ | Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode List | ~ | Coming Of Age (S1:E19) |