'Schisms' (Story Code 231) by Brannon Braga Story by Jean Lousie Matthias and Ron Wilkerson

While the U.S.S. Enterprise begins charting a dense globular cluster, Commander Riker finds himself suffering from chronic oversleeping; he arrives late for a meeting with Lieutenant LaForge and Lieutenant Commander Data, and then falls asleep during a poetry reading by Data. Doctor Crusher can find nothing physically wrong with him, and can only advise the fatigued Commander to drink warm milk before going to bed. Later, LaForge and Data are busily conducting an experiment to improve the ship’s charting speed when sensors report an explosion in the cargo bay that contains the junction channelling the ship's warp energy into the main deflector grid. However, when they reach the area, the two officers are unable to find any sign of a problem; they attribute the incident to a sensor glitch and decide to continue in the morning. Other strange incidents occur: LaForge’s VISOR momentarily lapses; Riker has a strong emotional reaction to the helm controls; and Lieutenant Worf becomes disturbed by a pair of barbers' scissors. Then Geordi and Data detect tetryons emanating from the junction in the cargo bay, subspace particles that should not ordinarily exist in this universe. Later, as LaForge, Worf and Riker talk to Counselor Troi about their recent experiences they realise that their symptoms ocurred after coming into contact with a smooth, cold surface; they retire to the holodeck and begin reconstructing the object of their fear, and soon find themselves standing inside a darkly-lit room filled with operating tables and evil-looking equipment. When Data informs Captain Picard that he is unable to account for ninety minutes of memory, the captain checks the computer and learns that two crewmembers are missing. Then Doctor Crusher stuns Riker with the information that his arm has been severed and surgically reattached. It seems that someone is abducting members of the crew and conducting sinister experiments on them - but to what ends..?

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), Lanei Chapman (Ensign Rager), Ken Thorley (Mott), Angelina Fiordellisi (Kaminer), Scott T. Trost (Lieutenant Shipley), Angelo McCabe (Crewman), John Nelson (Medical Technician), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

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

TX:
19th October, 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 and Lieutenant Commander Data