The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episode 1 Quotes

Admiral J. P. Hanson: As for Picard - a great man has been lost. Your Captain. My friend.

Locutus: We will proceed to Earth, and if you attempt to intervene, we will destroy you.
Captain William T. Riker: Then take your best shot, Locutus, 'cause we are about to intervene.

- If we can generate a concentrated burst of power at that same frequency distribution...
- How do we do that?
- The main deflector dish.

Lieutenant: The Borg have neither honor nor courage. *That* is our greatest advantage.

Captain William T. Riker: How much do you remember?
Jean: Everything. Including some brilliantly unorthodox strategy from... a former first officer of mine.

- it's time to throw that book away.
- You must let him go, riker.
- It's the only way to beat him.
- The only way to save him.
- And that is now your chair, captain.

[Dr. Crusher has suggested introducing a destructive breed of nanites into the Borg]
Captain William T. Riker: How long would it take to execute that?
Doctor: That's the problem. Two to three weeks.
Counselor: In two or three weeks, nanites may be all that's left of the Federation.

Captain William T. Riker: [while commanding the Battle Bridge from the stardrive section, Riker hails the Borg ship] Locutus of Borg, this is Captain William T Riker of the USS Enterprise.
Locutus: [while looking at Riker's image on the Borg equivalent of a viewscreen] You may speak.
Captain William T. Riker: We wish to end the hostilities.
Locutus: Then you must unconditionally surrender.
Captain William T. Riker: We are prepared to meet to discuss your terms.
Locutus: It is unlikely you are prepared to discuss terms. It is more likely that this is an attempt at deception.
[Locutus moves as if to leave]
Captain William T. Riker: Come now, Locutus. If Picard's knowledge and experience are part of you, than you know I've never lied to him.
[Locutus turns back]
Captain William T. Riker: You should also implicitly trust me, is that not so?
Locutus: Picard implicitly trusted you.
Captain William T. Riker: Then trust me now. Meet to discuss your terms.
Locutus: Discussion is irrelevant. There are no terms. You will disarm all your weapons and escort us to Sector 001 where we will begin assimilating your culture and technol...
[Riker has the transmission muted]
Captain William T. Riker: [addressing the officer at the Conn] Mr Gleason, can you pinpoint the source of the Borg's transmission?
Gleason: I can put you within 30 metres of it, Sir.
Captain William T. Riker: [on the comm system] O'Brien, report.
Chief: [in a transporter room] The Borg have adapted their electromagnetic field to prevent main transporter functions, Sir.
Captain William T. Riker: [Riker's comm voice] As expected. Mr Data, Mr Worf. You will proceed as we discussed.
Lt. Commander Data: Aye, Captain.
[Data and Worf put on some sort of armbands]
Captain William T. Riker: [Riker reopens the hail] We would like time to prepare our people for assimilation.
Locutus: Preparation is irrelevant. Your people will be assimilated as easily as Picard has been. Your attempt at delay will not be successful, Number One. We will proceed to Earth, and if you attempt to intervene we will destroy you.
Captain William T. Riker: Then take your best shot Locutus because we are about to intervene.
[Riker closes the channel for good this time]

- Data: We should also consider the advantages of further examination of the borg and their vessel, sir.
- I don't think so. Data, separate yourself from captain picard.
- Away team, get yourselves home.
- Mr. Crusher, upon their return, move us to a safe position.
- Wesley: Aye, sir.

- Shelby: Shelby to enterprise.
- We found the captain's uniform and his communicator.

- I have never done this before.
- Initiating first neural link.
- The captain's vital signs are stable.
- O'brien: Positronic activity unchanged.
- First neural connection is confirmed.
- I cannot report any significant access to the borg consciousness.

Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Paula Shelby: They operate as a single mind.
Captain William T. Riker: One of them jumps off a cliff, they all jump off?

- I know how difficult this transition has been for all of you.
- I can take over for him, but I could never replace captain picard, nor would I ever try.
- Whatever the outcome,
- I'm sure our efforts in the coming battle will justify his faith in all of us.
- Dismissed.

Captain William T. Riker: [to Picard's empty chair] What would you do?

- 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.

Locutus: Worf - Klingon species. A warrior race. You, too, will be assimilated.
Lieutenant: The Klingon Empire will never yield!
Locutus: Why do you resist? We only wish to raise quality of life, for all species.
Lieutenant: I like my species the way it is!

- Admiral hanson on subspace, captain.
- On-screen.
- Admiral?
- The fight does not go well, enterprise.
- We 're attempting to withdraw and regroup.
- Rendezvous with fleet...

- Riker Alpha, confirmed.
- They're ignoring the saucer section completely.
- Just as you should, captain.
- Ensign, evasive pattern riker beta.
- Riker beta, confirmed.
- Proceed to second phase, commander Shelby.
- Acknowledged.
- Fire antimatter spread.

Guinan: When a man is convinced he's going to die tomorrow, he'll probably find a way to make it happen. The only one who can turn this around is you.
Captain William T. Riker: I'll do the best I can.
Guinan: You're gonna have to do something you don't want to do. You have to let go of Picard.

Counselor: [after Picard has been separated from the Borg Collective] How do you feel?
Jean: Almost human - with just a... bit of a headache.

Captain William T. Riker: We're no longer just fighting the Borg. We're fighting the life experience they've stolen from Captain Picard. Now, how the hell do we defeat an enemy that knows us better than we know ourselves?

- Mission accomplished.
- We have him.
- Firing shuttle thrusters.
- Wesley: They're clear of the borg field, sir.
- Beam them out of there,
- Mr. O'brien.
- Lockedin.
- Transport successful, sir.

- Data, cut your engines.
- Take her in unpowered.
- Shuttle has penetrated the borg electromagnetic field.
- Ri ker: Understood.
- The shuttle escape transporter should provide enough power to beam us onto the borg ship from here, sir.
- Proceed.

- Cease fire.
- Shutting down warp engines.
- They couldn't have adapted that quickly.
- The knowledge and experience of the human, picard, is part of us now.
- It has prepared us for all possible courses of action.
- Your resistance is hopeless, number one.

Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Paula Shelby: Captain Riker, based on our past relationship, there's no reason for me to expect to become your first officer, except that you need me. I know how to get things done, and I have the expertise in the Borg.
Captain William T. Riker: And you have a lot to learn, Commander.
Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Paula Shelby: Yes, sir.
Captain William T. Riker: Almost as much as I had to learn when I came on board as Captain Picard's first officer. A fact he reminded me of when I commented on what a pain in the neck you are.

- Shelby: The Tolstoy.
- The kyushu.

- Fascinating.
- The borg group consciousness is divided into subcommands necessary to carry out all functions: Defense, communication, navigation.
- They are all controlled by a root command implanted into each...

[the Borg have abruptly ceased their attack on the Enterprise]
Captain William T. Riker: Mr. Data, what the hell happened?
Lt. Commander Data: I successfully planted a command into the Borg collective consciousness. It misdirected them to believe it was time to regenerate. In effect, I put them all to sleep.
Captain William T. Riker: [baffled] To sleep?

- Shelby, report.
- Ready for separation.
- Make it so.
- Order subsequence initiated.
- Docking latches clear, separation complete.
- Saucer velocity 100 meters per second and increasing, sir.
- Open fire, all weapons.
- Fire.

Admiral J. P. Hanson: Lieutenant, a few years ago, I watched a freshman cadet pass four upperclassmen on the last hill of the 40km-run on Danula II - the damnedest thing I ever saw. The only freshman to ever win the Academy marathon. I made it my business to get to know that young fellow, and I got to know him very, very well. And I'll tell you something: I never met anyone with more drive, determination or more courage than Jean-Luc Picard; and there is no way in hell that he would assist the Borg. I want that clear.
Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Paula Shelby: Of course, Admiral.
Admiral J. P. Hanson: He is... a casualty of war.

- to separate the saucer section when we find the borg.
- Sir, I must remind you that captain picard was briefed on that plan.
- The borg will be prepared for it.
- I'm aware of that, commander.
- In fact, I'm counting on it.
- Crusher, cartaino, gleason, report to the battle bridge.
- Mr. Data, Mr. Worf,
- I have a special mission for you.

- Shuttle launch sequence confirmed.
- Departing enterprise in exactly three seconds.

Captain William T. Riker: Commander, we don't have to like each other to work well together. As a matter of fact, I'd like you to continue to keep me on my toes.
Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Paula Shelby: Some might define that as the role of a first officer.
Captain William T. Riker: Damn! You *are* ambitious, aren't you, Shelby?

- Don't give them time to adapt.
- We 're coming with every available starship to assist, captain, but the closest help is six days away.
- All you know how to do is play it safe.
- If you can't make the big decisions, commander,
- I suggest you make room for someone who can.

- The initial cybernetic connection into captain picard's neural net pathways has been established.
- Mr. O'brien is ready to process the borg signal through the transport-pattern buffer.
- Make it so. With dispatch, Mr. Data.
- Proceeding immediately, sir.
- Data out.

Counselor: Troi to bridge. Data has made first contact with Captain Picard.

- Yellow alert.
- Sensors are picking up several vessels, captain.
- The fleet?
- No active subspace fields, negligible power readings.
- Life signs?
- Negative, sir.
- Visual contact.
- On-screen.

Guinan: Did he ever tell you why we're so close?
Captain William T. Riker: No.
Guinan: Oh... Then let me just say that... our relationship is beyond friendship, beyond family. And I *will* let him go. And you must do the same. There can only be one Captain.
Captain William T. Riker: It's not that simple. This was his crew. He wrote the book on this ship.
Guinan: If the Borg know everything he knows, it's time to throw that book away. You *must* let him go, Riker. It's the only way to beat him. The only way to save him.

- Sir, shall I execute evacuation sequence?
- Negative, Mr. Worf.
- Mr. Data, your final report.
- Data: Stand by.
- I can't, Mr. Data.
- Computer: Warning.
- Inner-hull failure imminent on decks 23, 24 and 25.
- Decompression danger.

Locutus: The knowledge and experience - of the human - Picard - is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless - Number One.

- Commander riker,
- I hereby promote you to the field commission of captain.
- The enterprise is your ship now.
- Congratulations.
- I wish the circumstances were different.
- Likewise. Good luck, admiral.
- To us all.

- We have to find a way to reach him.
- We must know what he knows.
- Without these interactive signals, it would only be a matter of microsurgery. I could do it.
- But as long as these borg implants are functioning, there's no way I can separate the man from the machine.
- Then perhaps there is a way
- I can access the machine, doctor.

- You will all become one with the borg.
- The Android, data.
- Primitive artificial organism.
- You will be obsolete in the new order.
- Take him to your lab, data.
- Shelby: Shelby to riker.
- Go ahead.
- Captain, the borg have entered sector 001.

Captain William T. Riker: I'm sure Captain Picard would have something meaningful and inspirational to say right now. To tell you the truth, I wish he was here, 'cause I'd like to hear it, too. I know how difficult this transition has been for all of you. I can take over for him; but I could never replace Captain Picard, nor would I ever try. Whatever the outcome, I'm sure our efforts in the coming battle will justify his faith in all of us.

- Electromagnetic field?
- Nonexistent.
- Commander Shelby, take an away team and confirm that the borg are asleep.
- Delighted, sir.
- Mr. Worf.

- We'll get you to sickbay.
- We won't have any trouble getting those implants out now.
- How much do you remember?
- Everything.
- Including some brilliantly unorthodox strategy from a former first officer of mine.

Captain William T. Riker: Commander Shelby, take an away team and confirm that the Borg are... asleep.
Commander: Delighted, sir.