'Ship in a Bottle' (Story Code 238) by René Echevarria

While the U.S.S. Enterprise observes the imminent collision between two gas giants, an event that will lead to the creation of a new star, Lieutenant Barclay investigates anomalies in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ holodeck program used by Lieutenant LaForge and Lieutenant Commander Data. He inadvertently reactivates Professor Moriarty, a computer construct that gained sentience four years ago, and who is furious at being held ‘hostage’ inside the program by Captain Picard for over four years. Picard joins Data and Barclay in the holodeck and tries to reason with Moriarty, but the man refuses to listen - and then steps out of the holodeck. When Doctor Crusher examines Moriarty she is astonished to find that he has somehow become a living, breathing human being. Initially overjoyed with his new situation, Moriarty soon becomes depressed at being alone in a strange, technologically-advanced world; he asks Picard to bring his lover, the Countess Regina Bartholomew, to life as well, but Picard is wary of the moral questions this could raise; after conferring with Doctor Crusher, Data and Barclay, the captain decides to postpone any further action until they can determine what caused the professor’s transformation. But when Picard later attempts to launch probes to study the two colliding planets, the computer rejects his voice authorisation; it seems that Moriarty has seized contriol of the ship - and he refuses to relinquish control unless Picard agrees to bring the Countess to life...

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), Daniel Davis (Moriarty), Stephanie Beacham (Countess Regina Bartholomew), Dwight Schultz (Lieutenant Reginald ‘Reg’ Barclay), Clement von Franckenstein (Gentleman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

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

TX:
25th January, 1993

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 ‘Reg’ Barclay