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Night Terrors (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"Night Terrors" is the 91st episode of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
is searching a binary star system
in an effort to find the USS Brattain, a Federation
science vessel which went missing a month previously. The crew locates the ship, but the Brattain is derelict, and all the crew are dead save one: the ship's Betazoid
science adviser, Andrus Hagan, who is discovered hiding in a room just off the bridge. Hagan has somehow survived, but he has been shaken by the experience and is in a profound catatonic state
. Counselor Deanna Troi
tries to use her telepathy to contact Hagan mentally. Meanwhile, Geordi
and Data
set to work repairing the Brattain but are amazed to discover that everything is in working order, but the ship still fails to move. Dr. Crusher
determines that all of the Brattains crew died at each other's hands. That night onward, Troi has trouble sleeping, encountering the same dream of a mysterious voice stating "Eyes in the dark, one moon circles"; Troi starts to believe Hagan was influenced by the same dream.
Four days later, with the investigation stalled, Captain Picard
decides that the time has come to move on, but the crew find the ship also stalled like the Brattain. Data discovers that both ships are trapped in a spatial phenomenon known as a "Tyken's Rift", and they can only escape through the force of a tremendous explosion. However, as they work at determining how to create this explosion, the crew starts becoming irritable and experience hallucinations. Dr. Crusher realizes that everyone, bar Troi, have failed to achieve R.E.M. sleep since entering the Rift, leading to their current state. As violence begins to erupt around the ship, Picard puts Data, who does not sleep or dream and is unaffected, as acting Captain.
Data eventually attempts to use a pulse from the deflector aimed at the center of the rift to create the explosion, but this fails to produce any effect. As Data looks for other solutions with Troi, Troi gets an idea that her dreams of "eyes in the dark, one moon circling" is a description of a hydrogen atom
; Data and Troi work out there must be another ship from a psychic race trapped on the other side of the rift who is aware of their presence but looking for hydrogen to create an explosion. Troi goes to sleep to contact the other species through the dream, while Data vents hydrogen into the rift. An explosion soon occurs, and both the Enterprise and the alien ship are freed. As the crew recovers, Data returns the ship to Picard, but not before ordering everyone to get some sleep.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Plot
The EnterpriseUSS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
The USS Enterprise is a 24th century starship in the Star Trek fictional universe and the principal setting of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series...
is searching a binary star system
Binary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
in an effort to find the USS Brattain, a Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
science vessel which went missing a month previously. The crew locates the ship, but the Brattain is derelict, and all the crew are dead save one: the ship's Betazoid
Betazoid
In the fictional Star Trek universe, Betazoids are a sentient humanoid species from the planet Betazed, a member of the United Federation of Planets.-Overview:...
science adviser, Andrus Hagan, who is discovered hiding in a room just off the bridge. Hagan has somehow survived, but he has been shaken by the experience and is in a profound catatonic state
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
. Counselor Deanna Troi
Deanna Troi
Commander Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counselor...
tries to use her telepathy to contact Hagan mentally. Meanwhile, Geordi
Geordi La Forge
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge is a regular character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its feature films, played by LeVar Burton...
and Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
set to work repairing the Brattain but are amazed to discover that everything is in working order, but the ship still fails to move. Dr. Crusher
Beverly Crusher
Commander Beverly Crusher, M.D. , played by actress Gates McFadden, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent spinoff films...
determines that all of the Brattains crew died at each other's hands. That night onward, Troi has trouble sleeping, encountering the same dream of a mysterious voice stating "Eyes in the dark, one moon circles"; Troi starts to believe Hagan was influenced by the same dream.
Four days later, with the investigation stalled, Captain Picard
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
decides that the time has come to move on, but the crew find the ship also stalled like the Brattain. Data discovers that both ships are trapped in a spatial phenomenon known as a "Tyken's Rift", and they can only escape through the force of a tremendous explosion. However, as they work at determining how to create this explosion, the crew starts becoming irritable and experience hallucinations. Dr. Crusher realizes that everyone, bar Troi, have failed to achieve R.E.M. sleep since entering the Rift, leading to their current state. As violence begins to erupt around the ship, Picard puts Data, who does not sleep or dream and is unaffected, as acting Captain.
Data eventually attempts to use a pulse from the deflector aimed at the center of the rift to create the explosion, but this fails to produce any effect. As Data looks for other solutions with Troi, Troi gets an idea that her dreams of "eyes in the dark, one moon circling" is a description of a hydrogen atom
Hydrogen atom
A hydrogen atom is an atom of the chemical element hydrogen. The electrically neutral atom contains a single positively-charged proton and a single negatively-charged electron bound to the nucleus by the Coulomb force...
; Data and Troi work out there must be another ship from a psychic race trapped on the other side of the rift who is aware of their presence but looking for hydrogen to create an explosion. Troi goes to sleep to contact the other species through the dream, while Data vents hydrogen into the rift. An explosion soon occurs, and both the Enterprise and the alien ship are freed. As the crew recovers, Data returns the ship to Picard, but not before ordering everyone to get some sleep.