'Masks' (Story Code 269) by Joe Menosky

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise carries out a scan of an eighty-seven-million year-old comet; but the procedure causes a temporary, giant sensor echo, and mysterious artefacts suddenly begin appearing throughout the ship: Counselor Troi finds a pedestal in her quarters; odd symbols appear on terminal screens; and Lieutenant Commander Data is inspired to sculpt a bizarre mask. Lieutenant LaForge discovers that the symbols have been downloaded from the comet into the ship's main computer during the sensor scan; although the computer is unable to decode the icons, Data intuitively recognises them, leading him to suspect that his systems have also been corrupted. Deciding to melt the outer shell of the comet, they discover that its core is a huge, metallic object covered with the mysterious alien symbols. When Data is somehow able to identify the object as an information archive, LaForge decides to run a diagnostic on him, and is astonished to find a web of alien circuitry forming in Data's electronic brain. An odd design suddenly appears on Data's face, and he takes on the personality of an entity called Ihat, telling LaForge and Captain Picard that "Masaka is waking"; apparently, this Masaka will bring pain and death to the ship, and they must leave before she finds them. When Counselor Troi enters, Data becomes terrified, believing her to be Masaka. He takes on the personality of a sacrificial victim, and then that of a frightened boy. As LaForge realises that the archive is using Data to recreate certain people from its culture, the Enterprise is hit by an energy pulse from the archive - and then, as Ihat, Data ominously tells them that Masaka has arrived…

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), Rickey D'shon Collins (Eric)

Directed by Robert Wiemer
Produced by Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
Co-Produced by Brannon Braga
Executive Producers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller and Rick Berman

TX:
21st February, 1994

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 and Lieutenant Commander Data