'Disaster' (Story Code 205) by Ronald D. Moore Story by Ron Jarvis and Philip A. Scorza

The U.S.S. Enterprise plays host to three lucky winners of a primary school science contest. However, as Captain Picard begins taking the children on a tour of his ship, the Enterprise is struck violently by a quantum filament; the power fails, cutting off inter-ship communication and trapping the crew. Picard and the children are stuck in a turbolift, and must climb up a steep lift shaft to safety; Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant LaForge are trapped in the cargo bay, facing a radioactive fire that threatens to explode containers of hazardous materials; while Commander Riker, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Commander Data and a heavily-pregnant Keiko O'Brien are imprisoned in the Ten-Forward bar. Meanwhile, on the Bridge, Counselor Troi realises that as the highest ranking officer she must take over as ship's captain to deal with the crisis. Leaving Worf to tend to the wounded, Riker and Data attempt to reach Engineering so that they can restore the power, but their progress along a narrow crawlspace is halted by an arcing electrical surge. Data proposes to use his body to earth the current, certain that his brain will be shielded from the power; when the ploy works, Riker removes the android's head and continues with it onto their destination. Elsewhere, Picard attempts to ignore his injuries and to overcome his discomfort of children, in order to lead the frightened youngsters to safety. On the Bridge, Ensign Ro and Chief O'Brien learn that the Engineering section could explode at any moment; they advise Troi to separate the Bridge from the rest of the ship - but will the counselor make the tough decision to abandon any potential survivors..?

Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Thomas Riker), LeVar Burton (Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Security Chief Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Councelor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data), Rosalind Chao (Keiko Ishikawa O'Brien), Colm Meaney (Transporter Chief Miles O’Brien), Michelle Forbes (Ensign Ro Laren), Erika Flores (Marissa), John Christian Graas (Jay Gordon), Max Supera (Paterson), Cameron Arnett (Ensign Mandel), Jana Marie Hupp (Ensign Monroe)

Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
Co-Produced by Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
Produced by David Livingston
Executive Producer Michael Piller, Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry

TX:
21st October, 1991

Notes:
*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Councelor Deanna Troi, Lieutenant Commander Data, Transporter Chief Miles O’Brien, Ensign Ro Laren and Keiko Ishikawa O'Brien