Conspiracy

Next Generation Episode #25

Written by Tracy Torme. Story by Robert Sabaroff. Directed by Cliff Bole.

Stardate: 41775.5 First aired: 9 May 1988

The Enterprise is headed to an easy mission on beautiful Pacifica when Picard receives a coded message from a friend, Captain Walker Keel, who asks him to divert to Dytallix B. Picard beams down alone, and Keel introduces him to a couple of allies, Captain Rixx of the USS Thomas Paine and Tryla Scott of the USS Renegade, who warn him that Starfleet has been infiltrated by aliens. Picard is sceptical, but shortly afterwards Keel's ship, the USS Horatio, is destroyed in an 'accident'. Picard sets course for Earth. At Headquarters, Admirals Quinn, Savar and Aaron invite Picard and Riker to a meal. Picard becomes suspicious of Quinn, and asks Riker to watch him - once alone, Quinn overpowers Riker and tries to infect him with a parasite. Beverly manages to stun him, and they discover a blue 'gill' sticking from his neck. At Headquarters, Picard is confronted by the other Admirals, Captain Scott and an aide, Remmick, who openly admit they are under alien control. Riker arrives, pretending Quinn succeeded in converting him - together he and Picard disable the Admirals and discover Remmick is host of the 'mother alien'. Killing him causes the other aliens to disintegrate, ending the invasion threat.

Guest Cast

Michael Berryman as "Rixx", Ursaline Bryant as "Scott", Ward Costello as "Quinn", Henry Darrow as "Savar", Jonathan Farwell as "Keel", Ray Reinhardt as "Aaron", Robert Schenkkan as "Remmick".

Trivia

• Gene Roddenberry didn't like the original idea, a story called The Assassins where the conspiracy had no alien involvement, and concerned a group of Starfleet 'hawks' who wanted war with the Klingons.

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