The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 3, Episode 4 Quotes

Dr. Barron: Picard, I must protest. You're endangering Palmer with this delay!
Captain: I am aware of that. But each of us, including Dr. Palmer, took an oath that we would uphold the Prime Directive - if necessary, with our lives.

Nuria: [after seeing a human woman die] You do have limits. You are not masters of life and death.
Captain: No, we're not. We can cure many diseases, we can repair injuries, we can even extend life. But for all our knowledge, all our advances - we're just as mortal as you are. We're just as powerless to prevent the inevitable.

- You're taking your duties quite seriously.
- Your mother would have been very proud of you.
- What is that?
- Up there, father. What is it?
- I don't know.

Captain: Dr. Barron, I cannot, I *will not* impose a set of commandments on these people. To do so violates the very essence of the Prime Directive!
Dr. Barron: Like it or not, we have rekindled the Mintakans' belief in the Overseer.
Commander William T. Riker: And are you saying that this belief will eventually become a religion?
Dr. Barron: It's inevitable. And without guidance, that religion could degenerate into inquisitions, holy wars, chaos.
Captain: Horrifying. Dr. Barron, your report describes how rational these people are. Millennia ago, they abandoned their belief in the supernatural. Now you are asking me to sabotage that achievement, to send them back into the dark ages of superstition and ignorance and fear? NO!

- Did I offend you?
- Should I have ordered the death of troi?
- Please.
- You must tell me if there's anything
- I can do to change your mind.
- I have failed to get through to you, haventl?
- Despite all my efforts.

- Keep work... Palmer?
- Crusher: It's all right. It's all right.
- The holographic generator is now functioning, sir.
- All we need now is power.
- Almost there.
- You wait here, oji.

Commander William T. Riker: [to Picard] It's worse than we suspected. The Mintakans are beginning to believe in a god. And the one they've chosen... is you.

- You need a knot that'll tighten under pressure.
- Let me show you.
- Man: Watch the north side.
- Father, the sun's reaching its zenith.
- If I don't go to measure...
- Forgive me, friend, but the stranger must be set free.

- We've lost contact, sir.
- Increase to warp 9.

- Data [over com]: Acknowledged, commander.
- Riker, stop.
- Riker.
- Oji?
Oji: It's riker. He's taking Palmer.
Nuria: Hali! Yuri, don't let her escape.
- Hurry.

[last lines]
Nuria: I wish you good journeys, Picard. Remember my people.
Captain: Always.

- Crusher to enterprise.
- Medical emergency.
- Two to beam directly to sickbay.
- Woman [over com]: Aye, doctor.

Nuria: You have taught us there is nothing beyond our reach.
Captain: Not even the stars.

- They have escaped us.
- We searched everywhere.
- What do we do now, father?
- We must do as the picard wishes.
- Punish those responsible.
- Nuria would not allow us to do that.
- Nuria isn't here.
- We can't wait.

Captain: Get up. You must not kneel to me.
Nuria: You do not wish it?
Captain: I do not deserve it.

- It's a signal to other women.
- "This man's taken, get your own"?
- Not precisely.
- More like, "if you want his services,
- I'm the one you have to negotiate with."
- What kind of services?
- All kinds.
- They are a sensible race.

- you will kill me.
- But if the only proof you will believe is my death...
- Then shoot.
- Liko, don't do it!
- Father, no! Picard: Aah!
Nuria: Oh!

- I do not fear you any longer.
- Good. That's good.
- You see...
- My people once lived in caves, and we then learned to build huts, and in time, to build ships like this one.

- We will save Palmer for the picard.
- Man 3: Yes, yes.
- I've seen another one. Like Palmer.
Liko: Another servant of the picard?
- He's headed toward the caves.
- Fento, stay and bind Palmer.
- Man 4: Come quickly.
- Man 5: Quickly.
- Bring your bow. Bring your bow.

- But that, too, would be interference.
- You must progress in your own way.
- So we will.
- You have taught us there is nothing beyond our reach.
- Not even the stars.
Nuria: Paki.

Counselor: Mintakan emotions are quite interesting. Like the Vulcans, they have highly ordered minds. A very sensible people. For example, Mintakan women precede their mates. It's a signal to other women.
Commander William T. Riker: "This man's taken, get your own"?
Counselor: Not precisely. More like, "If you want his services, I'm the one you have to negotiate with".
Commander William T. Riker: What kind of services?
Counselor: All kinds.
Commander William T. Riker: They *are* a sensible race.

[Liko is about to shoot Picard to prove that the latter is a supernatural being]
Captain: If you believe I am all-powerful, then you cannot hurt me. If, however, I am telling the truth, and I am mortal... you will kill me. But if the only proof you will believe is my death... then shoot.

- Oh!
- That is my home?
- Seen from far, far above.
- Yet we do not fall.
- I never imagined I would see the clouds from the other side.
- Your powers are truly boundless.

[Liko intends to comply with "the Picard's" wishes]
Counselor: Are you sure you know what he wants? That's the problem with believing in a supernatural being - trying to determine what he wants.

- Why did we have to come so early?
- When the sun reaches its zenith,
- I have to be ready to take the measurements.
- You'll be ready. You've read the sundial hundreds of times.
- Yes, father, but never as the appointed record keeper.

- He blames us for letting Palmer escape.
- Liko, we don't know that the overseer is responsible for this storm.
Liko: Will he also send floods?
- My wife died in last year's floods.
- Will we all die now?
- We must find nuria.

- The reactor is now inoperative.
- Picard: Do you have battery backup?
- Three hours at best.
- Captain, if we increase to warp 7, we can be there in 23 minutes.
- Picard: Make it so.
- We're on our way.

- Picard: Space, the final frontier.
- These are the voyages of the starship enterprise.
- Its continuing mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Liko: The Picard!

- Enterprise, beam Martinez and his patient directly to sickbay.
- Data: Commander.
Liko: Unh.
- Riker: Doctor, be careful.
- Crusher: I've got to get down there.

- Ensign hoy.
- Data [over com]: Captain, nuria is alone.
- I'll handle this.

Nuria: [after being shown around the Enterprise] Perhaps one day, my people will travel above the skies.
Captain: Of that, I have absolutely no doubt.

- Lock sensors on nuria.
- Locked on.
- We can beam nuria aboard at will.
- Data, when sensors indicate that she's alone, beam her directly to transporter room 1.
- Aye, sir.

- Worf: Sir, a close orbit will increase sensor efficiency by only 4 percent.
- I want that 4 percent, lieutenant.
- Worf: Aye, sir.
- Picard out.
- Crusher: Damn.
- Well, doctor, your next task is clear.

- Crusher to picard.
- I think we're going to lose Warren.
- Picard [over com]: On my way.
- I'm here, Mary.
- Crusher: Prepare 200's of norep.
- I'm sorry.