'Realm of Fear' (Story Code 228) by Brannon Braga

The U.S.S. Enterprise discovers the starship U.S.S. Yosemite trapped in a plasma streamer. In order to reach the derelict and rescue the crew, Lieutenant Barclay proposes a plan to link the two vessels’ transporters together; however, his fear of transporters causes him to baulk at the prospect of joining the away team, and he drops out of the mission. After a session with Councelor Troi, an emboldened Barclay manages to beam across to the Yosemite, but when he later returns to the Enterprise, he is terrified by the sight of a strange, worm-like creature in the ether of mid-transport, which touches him on the arm. Lieutenant LaForge runs a full diagnostic on the transporter, but tests show nothing unusual; meanwhile, Doctor Crusher’s autopsy on a member of the Yosemite is interrupted when the corpse’s systems briefly come to life. Barclay finds that his arm is glowing in the exact place where the creature touched him, and becomes convinced that he is suffering from transporter psychosis. Doctor Crusher determines that residual ionisation in the crewmember’s body caused the sporadic movement. LaForge, Lieutenant Barclay and Lieutenant Commander Data realise that the Yosemite crew must have attempted to beam part of the plasma stream aboard their ship, but it exploded, damaging the ship; in an attempt to unravel the mystery of the missing crewmembers, they decide to attempt a controlled recreation of the events; but when Barclay becomes oddly agitated LaForge reports his behaviour to Troi, who then relives Barclay of duty. That night, Barclay returns to his quarters, only to discover that his entire arm is now glowing; convinced that the transporter is to blame, he persuades Chief O'Brien to beam him across to the Yosemite and back. During the process he again encounters the bizarre monster - but what is this strange creature, and how is it linked to the disappearance of the Yosemite crew?

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), Colm Meaney (Transporter Chief Miles O’Brien), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Dwight Schultz (Lieutenant Reginald ‘Reg’ Barclay), Renata Scott (Admiral), Thomas Belgrey (Crewmember), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

Directed by Cliff Bole
Produced by Peter Lauritson
Co-Produced by Ronald D. Moore
Co-Executive Producer Jeri Taylor
Executive Producers Michael Piller and Rick Berman

TX:
28th September, 1992

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 and Lieutenant Reginald Barclay