Summary[]

Log entries[]

• First officer's log, supplemental:

  Randy Green, my former colleague and my friend, is dead...
  ... The victim of a fall into a deep and treacherous ravine here on Altair III.
  The five of us-- all former officers on the Hood--
  --came here to return the sacred bubble- scriptures entrusted to us several years ago by the monks--
  --who lived on this mountain.
  It was supposed to be a lark. A chance to renew old acquaintances.
  No one was supposed to lose his life here.
  But in case it wasn't, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on my former colleagues.

As the crewmwmbers reclaim the body of Randy Green, Orzon begins to suspect Brian. Riker and Consuela reaffirm it might have been an accident, but Riker is suspicious.

Aboard the Enterprise, Doctor Crusher checks Ensign Ro out after her ordeal. Captain Picard advises Dr. Crusher they have arrived at starbase. The Doctor is to attend a medical conference on cell regeneration technology. Dr. Selar looks after sick bay.

The crew members arrive at the Marrayat monastery. It is deserted. The slaughter of the monks by the rebels is now seen as a bloody and unfortunate aberration in the history of Altair III. Land mines litter the grounds, which they manage to avoid. It was the only time the monks broke their rule on having weapons around them. They arrive at the altar and retrieve their bubble books.

At the conference, Dr. Crusher bumps into Dr. Katherine Pulaski. She introduces two colleagues, Neleth and Urath. Another colleague, Ersus, joins them, looking to eat. It's the first time Ersus has attended a conference. They are interrupted by the key note speaker, the esteemed Tel Lanicus. Dr. McPhee also introduces himself. Beverly notes Ersus has been upset. She confides it's by a small cultural difference.

Aboard the Enterprise, Geordi visits Data to confirm he has repaired Data's emotion chip. Data has concerns the chip will overload his neural network and decides not to use it.

As the Holy Books of Saranx are placed on the altar, Riker punches Flad Orzon. He realizes Orzon killed Randy and finds his hidden phaser. The bubble book in Orzons possession was not his own, but Randy's. Randy and Riker's books were similar in color. Orzon admits his guilt. His family lost his fortune which is the worst of tragedies, the gravest dishonor on Domarrh. In an attempt to restore his wealth he met a Ferengi. He tried to sell the book he had, but the Ferengi wanted all five. The Ferengi rumor mill had the 5 Holy Books of the Saranx, when put together, would activate the programming for a map to the monks treasure. To maintain the secret meant no witnesses. The plan was to carry a concealed weapon, despite Altairian regulations, and stun his former colleagues. He would get rid of their bodies with the help of the landmines and take the map. He would have explained to the Altairian authorities that he was the survivor of an unfortunate mishap. Orzon killed Green because he found the phaser. Now he had been found out he was relieved and grateful. What the bubble books actually are the crew could not decide, so they continued to return the bubble books to the altar. There is no sign of any map, but the monastery starts to shudder under the effects of an earthquake.

As Kate, Beverly and Ersus begin to eat the lounge is invaded by a masked man supported by armed troopers. Several doctors are shot as everyone is herded into one corner. Pulaski demands to know why people are being shot, Beverly tried to calm her. The man introduces himself as Stephen Granthos. Once the Federation's most brilliant young researchers. 15 years ago there was a lab explosion where Granthos suffered prominent disfigurement in body and soul. Now he has surfaced to take his revenge on the medical community that betrayed him wanting to cause similar anguish he'd been forced to endure and knowledge that life had been stolen from them. Grantos points at Dr. McPhee as the responsible culprit. McPhee denies he was Granthos' assistant on Thorsa 15 years ago and that out of the jealousy he caused the explosion in the laboratory, later, to 'develop' a vaccine for Rumellic Fever on Dilaccus IV, which was the original discovery of Granthos. Dr. McPhee pleads ignorance to all this, however Granthos reveals a device McPhee identifies as a plasma bomb.

References[]

Characters[]

Brian • Consuela • Beverly Crusher • Data • Ersus • Stephen Granthos • Randy Green • Geordi La Forge • Tel Lanicus • McPhee • Neleth • Flad Orzon • Jean-Luc Picard • Katherine Pulaski • William T. Riker • Ro Laren • Selar • Spot • Urath

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class)

Referenced only

USS Hood

Locations[]

Altair III • Marrayat monastery

Referenced only

Dilaccus IV • Domarrh • Thorsa

Races and cultures[]

android • Bajoran • Domarrhan • Ferengi • Human • Vulcan

States and organizations[]

Federation

Science and technology[]

dolanium gas • emotion chip • phaser • plasma bomb • rebreather • replicator • Rumellic Fever • starbase

Ranks and titles[]

captain • doctor • monk

Other references[]

Boudlian cologne • bubble book • Holy Books of Saranx

Appendices[]

Information[]

• Urath's name is given in TNG comic: "The Last Verse".

Related stories[]

Timeline[]

Images[]

External link[]

• Dreams Die article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.