Where No One Has Gone Before (episode)

The Enterprise at the edge of the universe
Series:	TNG
Season:	1
Episode:	6
Original Airdate:	1987-10-26
Production Number:	106
Year:	2364
Stardate:	41263.1
Written by:	Diane Duane and Michael Reaves
Directed by:	Rob Bowman

The crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is sent a billion light years from the Milky Way galaxy by a mysterious alien.

Summary

The Enterprise-D has met the USS Fearless in order to take on a Starfleet propulsion specialist who will perform an upgrade on the warp drive. He has already performed the upgrade on Fearless, as well as the Ajax. Both these ships reported an increase in engine efficiency. Riker, however, is not convinced. He and Data have run a controlled test of the formulae that the engineer, Kosinski, has sent over, and found them to have no effect. Picard reasons that there's no harm in letting him come over and attempt the upgrade. Riker is still skeptical, so Picard sends him to meet Kosinski when he beams aboard, along with his assistant. Riker, Troi and Chief Engineer Argyle go to meet him in the transporter room. Kosinski is pompous and arrogant. He asks why the captain isn't there to meet him and demands to be taken to engineering. As he leaves, Troi comments to Riker that Kosinski is as he appears - loud and arrogant - but she can sense nothing from his assistant, not even his presence.

In engineering, Riker questions Kosinski about what he is going to do and asks him to explain his formulas. At first Kosinski resists, but eventually agrees to explain himself to Riker and Argyle. Meanwhile Wesley, who is also in engineering, watches the assistant enter the formulas on a screen and suggests various changes to the inputs. When Kosinski is ready, Picard orders the Enterprise to warp 1.5. As the ship accelerates, both Kosinski and his assistant enter various information. Suddenly Kosinski shouts at the assistant, who has made an error. The Enterprise puts in a massive burst of speed. The assistant grabs his console and starts to "phase" in and out of view, noticed only by Wesley.

On the bridge, La Forge tells the captain they are passing warp 10, and Data later says that their velocity is off the scale. Picard orders a full stop, and the Enterprise drops out of warp. When asks for the ship's position, La Forge replies incredulously that they have travelled 2,700,000 light years. They are now in the M-33 Galaxy, and at maximum warp it will take them over 300 years to get home. Kosinski, Riker and Argyle arrive on the bridge. Picard asks them what happened and Kosinski replies that he made "a mistake, a wonderful mistake". He is highly excited, claiming he has broken the warp barrier and that his name will go down in history.

Down in engineering, Wesley is talking to the assistant. He realizes that the assistant has been performing the "upgrades" all along, and that Kosinski is just a joke. The assistant tells him he means no harm to the ship or the crew - he made a mistake. He is exhausted now, and Wes offers to get his mother, but the assistant declines. Wes then says that from looking at the warp equations he thinks time and space and thought are all the one thing. This surprises the assistant, who tells him never to say such a thing again "in a world that's not ready for it."

Picard orders Kosinski to bring them home, and they return to engineering. Wes tries to tell Riker about the assistant, but he won't listen. Kosinski sets up to return them home, and as they input the equations, it becomes obvious to Kosinski that it's not working. Then Riker sees the assistant as he starts to "phase" again and then collapse across the console. On the viewscreen, galaxies and nebulae and other phenomena whiz past at high speed. Picard orders full stop. The Enterprise is now 1 billion light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. Outside the ship, clouds of cosmic dust and energy beings swim in a never-ending blue abyss. Data concludes that they must be at the edge of the known universe.

Worf is at his station when he suddenly sees a targ in front of him, his childhood pet. In frustration, Picard leaves for engineering.

When the turbolift doors open, Picard almost steps out into space before throwing himself back inside. The doors open again and he goes into a corridor. He meets two crewmen running from some unseen pursuer. Yar also sees it but it disappears just as quickly. Then she sees her pet cat and is back on the colony where she grew up, trying to avoid a rape gang. La Forge touches her and she snaps out of it. Picard sees an ensign in a cargo bay dancing ballet. Then he sees his dead mother, and starts to talk to her before he is interrupted by Riker. When he looks back, she's gone. They manage to get to engineering where Crusher is examining the now unconscious assistant. Riker informs Picard that it was the assistant all the time, not Kosinski. Picard orders general quarters and tells the crew that they are in a region of space where thoughts become reality, and that they must try to subdue their thoughts.

The assistant is brought to sickbay where Picard tells Crusher to wake him. They must leave this place before their own thoughts cause the ship to be destroyed. The assistant wakes and tells Picard that he is a Traveler from another plane of existence. He is travelling through their galaxy, observing them, using his knowledge of propulsion to get passage on Starfleet ships. Kosinski is just his cover. He meant no harm to the Enterprise. He tells them humans shouldn't be here for a long time, until they have learned to control their thoughts. Picard asks him if he can get them home. He tells him he will try. He then asks for a private word with Picard. The others leave and the Traveler tells Picard that Wesley is the reason that he travels. He compares him to Mozart, only instead of music, Wes has, or will have, the ability to manipulate time, space and thought. He urges Picard to encourage Wes, but not to tell him or Beverly any of this.

The Traveler returns to engineering and Picard makes an announcement, telling everyone to concentrate on home and on the Traveler's well being. They follow the same procedure as before: the ship jumps to warp 1.5 and the Traveler uses his powers to attempt to send them back. He starts to "phase" as before and the ship hurtles through space. Then the Traveler disappears altogether and the Enterprise finds itself back where it started. Mindful of the Traveler's advice, Picard calls Wesley to the bridge and thanks him for his part in their successful return. He then makes him an acting ensign, "for conduct in the true spirit and traditions of Starfleet." He instructs Riker to make out a duty roster for him and tells him to learn the ship and its operations from top to bottom. Then Wesley takes his place on the bridge as the Enterprise resumes course.

Memorable Quotes

"Where are we Mr. Data?"

"Where none have gone before, sir"

- Picard and Data

"While we are here, should we not investigate?"

"Spoken like a true Starfleet Academy graduate. It is tempting, eh Number One?"

- Data and Picard

Background Information

• This episode marks the debut of Rob Bowman as a Trek director. He later went on to direct twelve more episodes of The Next Generation.
• Worf's targ is played here by a Russian wild boar named Emmy-Lou.
• This story borrows many concepts from the Pocket TOS novel The Wounded Sky, also written by one of this episode's writer's Diane Duane.

Links and References

Guest Stars

• Stanley Kamel as Kosinski
• Eric Menyuk as The Traveler
• Herta Ware as Yvette Picard
• Biff Yeager as Argyle
• Charles Dayton as a crewman
• Victoria Dillard as the ballerina crewman

References

2364; acting ensign; Ajax, USS; Argyle; ballet; cat; chief engineer; Wesley Crusher; engineering; Fearless, USS; galaxy; Yvette Gessard; intermix formulae; Kosinski; light year; M-33 Galaxy; Milky Way Galaxy; Mozart; phase; targ; Tau Alpha C; Tau Alpha C system; The Traveler; Travelers; turbolift; warp; "warp barrier;" warp engine; warp field; Tasha Yar

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