["Blue Skies" by Bing Crosby]
See.
And raise.
Hmm.
Call. I will take two, please.
You have a tell.
That is impossible, sir.
Every now and then, you dilate your left pupil,
ostentatiously, I might add,
in an effort to cheat me into thinking that you have a tell.
But your true tell is, you don't have one.
When your eyes are neutral, that's when I know you're bluffing.
Now that you've told me that, Captain,
I am confused about which deception to employ.
Fifty.
Fifty? That's everything I have.
I can see that, Captain.
Do you wish to call or fold?
Let's behave like civilized men.
-Milk? -No, thank you, sir.
-Sugar? -No, thank you, sir.
Why are you stalling, Captain?
I don't want the game to end.
I'm all in.
[rumbling]
Strange.
I didn't know we were on course to Mars.
This isn't right.
[rooster crowing]
[barks]
[grunts] Oh, Number One.
[chuckles] It's all right, boy.
-[barks] -[chuckles]
It's all right.
[sighs]
[workers shouting]
-[Number One barks] -It's all right.
[R&B playing on stereo]
I love how they do that.
So, what are we celebrating?
Guess.
Use those famous Xahean instincts.
Okay.
You have a secret.
A happy secret.
-No way. -I got into Daystrom.
Dahj, you're amazing.
Thank you.
Robotics or...
Dude, I'm a fellow in Artificial Intelligence
and Quantum Consciousness.
That's pretty cool.
Well, I might even be able to sit with you in the cafeteria.
Maybe. I don't know.
Yeah?
-More wine? -Something better. Surprise me.
Wise.
Dahj, your replicator menus are tragic.
Vanilla...
And vanilla. Of course.
[whooshing]
[gasps]
[screams] No, no, no!
[device powers up]
[grunts]
[speaks alien language]
Speak English.
Where are the rest of you? Where are you from?
I don't-- [screams]
Where are you from?
I'm from Seattle.
We can get it later. Knock her out.
No! No!
[heartbeat slowing]
She's activating! She's activat--
[grunts]
[gasps]
[Number One growling, panting]
[speaking French]
Number One, what do you have?
[Picard] You mean "whom" does he have?
[woman chuckles] Our little assassin.
[dog whimpers]
[Picard] Well, even assassins need a bath sometime.
Laris heard you talking in your sleep last night.
Did I say anything of interest?
No, you talked rubbish.
But you're not sleeping.
Bad dreams?
The dreams are lovely.
It's the waking up that I'm beginning to resent.
No melancholy.
Today's a big day.
Now, go and get your breakfast.
You know,
I am beginning to regret that I ever allowed myself
to be talked into doing this.
[male reporter] Disturbances continue across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants
in commemoration of the destruction of...
He won't take breakfast from me.
Old dogs.
Which one?
Hmm.
[Picard] Tea, Earl Grey. Decaf.
[man] So, are we all ready?
Oh, are you doing an interview as well, Zhaban?
You know, sometimes you talk to me as if I were a benign old codger.
"Codger"?
Somewhere between a "coot" and "geezer," I believe.
[Zhaban] Oh. The first one just arrived.
Go and get dressed, Your Highness. And don't forget to wash your hands.
Ten years, still have to remind you.
[light powers up]
[crew members chattering]
-Yeah. That's the one. -You like that.
Extremely dignified, sir.
Look at this knot. It's ridiculous.
-Maybe. But I want to keep my job. -[Picard scoffs]
I know you're nervous.
I am not nervous.
The past is the past.
Now, much better.
Okay.
Yeah.
À la guillotine, alors.
Oh, the drama.
-You went over the terms with them? -Three times, sir.
She assured me she will not inquire about your separation from Starfleet.
After so long,
sometimes I worry you've forgotten what you did...
who you are.
-Laris, I-- -We have not.
Now go.
And, sir...
be the captain they remember.
[woman narrating] While captain of Starfleet's flagship Enterprise,
he was hailed as one of our galaxy's most intrepid explorers,
a skilled diplomat, military strategist, humanitarian
and author of many widely praised works of historical analysis.
He joins us on the anniversary of the Romulan supernova
to discuss his role in those tragic events.
I have the rare honor of introducing Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.
Retired.
You've never agreed to an interview before,
so thank you for inviting the galaxy into your study.
Less crowded than I thought.
Well, today is a solemn day.
It is a day of memories.
Raising awareness of the supernova's lingering impact
is work that I am extremely passionate about.
Let's explore that.
When you first learned that the Romulan sun was going to explode
and the terrible consequences that would bring,
what feelings came up for you?
There are no words to describe the calamitous scale of that change.
Which is one of the reasons--
You can't tell us how you felt,
but your initial actions were to call for a massive relocation of Romulans?
The Romulans asked for our help.
And I believed we had a profound obligation to give it.
Many felt there were better uses for our resources
than aiding the Federation's oldest enemy.
Well, fortunately, the Federation chose to support the rescue effort.
Yes.
Initially.
I have been known to be persuasive.
But the Federation understood there were millions of lives at stake.
-Romulan lives. -No. Lives.
You left the Enterprise to command the rescue armada.
Ten thousand warp-capable ferries.
A mission to relocate 900 million Romulan citizens
to worlds outside the blast of the supernova.
A logistical feat more ambitious than the pyramids.
The pyramids were a symbol of colossal vanity.
If you want to look for a historical analogy...
Dunkirk.
Yes.
And then the unimaginable happened. Can you tell us about that?
Admiral?
I thought we were here to talk about the supernova.
A group of rogue synthetics dropped the planetary defense shields
and hacked Mars' own defense net...
-Yes. -...wiping out the rescue armada
and completely destroying the Utopia Planitia shipyard.
The explosions ignited the flammable vapors in the stratosphere.
Mars remains on fire to this day.
92,143 lives were lost,
which led to a ban on synthetics.
Yes.
We still don't know why the synthetics went rogue
and did what they did that day.
But I believe the subsequent decision to ban synthetic life-forms was a mistake.
Lieutenant Commander Data,
Operations Officer on the Enterprise, was synthetic.
Did you ever lose faith in him?
Never.
What was it that you lost faith in, Admiral?
You've never spoken about your departure from Starfleet.
Didn't you, in fact, resign your commission in protest?
Tell us, Admiral.
Why did you really quit Starfleet?
Because it was no longer Starfleet.
-I'm sorry? -Because it was no longer Starfleet!
We withdrew.
The galaxy was mourning, burying its dead,
and Starfleet had slunk from its duties.
The decision to call off the rescue
and to abandon those people we had sworn to save
was not just dishonorable.
It was downright criminal!
And I was not prepared to stand by and be a spectator.
And you, my dear, you have no idea what Dunkirk is, right?
You're a stranger to history. You're a stranger to war.
You just wave your hand and, pfft, it all goes away.
Well, it's not so easy for those who died.
And it was not so easy for those who were left behind.
We're done here.
"There is no legacy as rich as honesty." [chuckles]
Who said that, Number One?
[growls, barking]
[barking continues]
[Number One whines]
What do you want here?
I saw your interview.
Do you know me?
What?
Do you know me?
No.
Look at me.
You're not sure.
How do I know that?
Who are you?
I was with my boyfriend.
And we were in my apartment.
They put a bag over my head. I couldn't see anything.
-Who are "they"? -I don't know, but my boyfriend...
They murdered him.
Then I killed them.
All of them.
What?
Something inside of me just knew what to do,
how to move, how to fight and...
somehow...
It was like lightning seeking the ground.
And then I took the bag off, and there was so much blood,
and so I just ran. [sniffles]
-Shh, shh. -I didn't know where to go.
Please, try and calm yourself.
Shh. Try and calm yourself, okay?
But in my mind, I kept seeing you.
I kept seeing your face.
Me?
Yes.
I came because the same lightning that got me out of there alive led me here.
Why?
Because everything inside of me says that I'm safe with you.
There you go. Good as new.
Thank you.
[Zhaban] Here you are.
Earl Grey.
Never fails.
[Laris] We'll be in the kitchen.
That's an unusual necklace.
May I see?
Thank you.
My father gave it to me.
[Picard] Hmm. Lovely.
Have you ever...
Ever what?
-Been a stranger to yourself? -[chuckles]
Many, many times.
Thank you.
May I ask your name?
-Dahj. -Dahj.
I'm Jean-Luc.
I know.
And not because of the interview or because you're the Great Man.
I know you.
Well, I've spoken, lectured--
No, it's-- it's older.
Deeper. Much, much deeper.
You may be right.
Do you know how?
No.
Do you think I'm crazy?
No.
Do you believe me?
I believe that you believe that you're supposed to be here.
And if you were dangerous,
then Number One would let me know.
[whines]
Laris.
Could you show our guest to a room?
I think she needs a good night's sleep.
Come on, dear. We'll get you settled.
Thank you.
Would you like to finish it, Captain?
I don't know how.
That is not true, sir.
[clock chiming]
[gasps]
No.
Excuse me, sir. The young woman has gone.
-Where? -I was up at 5:00.
Her door was open. The dog was in her bed, but she was gone.
I've checked the feeds. She's nowhere on the property.
There is somewhere I have to go.
If she returns, contact me immediately.
[people chattering]
[Picard] Everything in the quantum archive is locked in stasis.
-Correct? -[woman] Correct.
And no one beside myself has access, correct?
Unless you prefer we sell tickets.
-Is that humor? -We're trying something new.
Don't give up your day job.
My program offers you privacy beyond this point.
If you need me again, just say "Index."
[beeping]
Index.
Identify this painting.
Item 227.67.
Archives of Jean-Luc Picard.
Admiral, retired.
An oil on canvas painted by Commander Data, circa 2369.
One of a set of two.
He gifted it to you on the Enterprise.
The other is hanging on your study wall at home, I believe.
And no one else has been in here? Not even for servicing?
Check the records.
No one, Admiral.
This painting had a title.
Accessing.
This painting is called Daughter.
[panting]
-Hi, honey. -Mom, someone tried to kill me.
What? Honey, who?
I'm--
I just ran. I think they're still after me.
I don't know what's happening, Mom.
Dahj, you need to get somewhere safe.
Mom, I tried, but I couldn't stay there.
I can't put anyone else in danger.
I don't want anyone else to get hurt, Mom.
Mom, I'm so scared.
Honey, this is important.
You have to go back to Picard.
No, no, it's too dangerous for him.
Wait.
Wait, I didn't tell you that I went to Picard.
Of course you did, sweetie. How else would I know?
Mom, I haven't spoken to you since it happened.
-What's happening? -Baby, please.
Find Picard.
He can help you. He will help you.
Just close your eyes and focus.
Think clearly, Dahj. [echoing]
Now find Picard again.
Go.
Dahj?
How did you know I was here?
I was so very worried when I found you'd gone.
I was afraid that they would come, that you would be in danger.
I knew how to track you here. I know stuff now.
I can hear conversations a block away.
Come. Let's get away from here.
So I did some research.
I may have schizophrenia, or maybe I had head trauma.
-The auditory hallucinations-- -No, you don't have schizophrenia.
-Then I'm a freak. -No, you are not!
In fact, you might be very special.
I had a dear friend.
Commander Data. He was an android.
-Like the ones who attacked Mars? -No, no. Not at all.
The word "android" conjures up all kinds of things for people.
Forget them.
Commander Data was a highly decorated Starfleet officer,
and...
he sacrificed his life for me...
on our last mission together.
It was over two decades ago now.
But he was also an artist, a painter.
Why are you telling me this?
Because, Dahj,
he painted you, exactly as you are here and now,
but he painted it 30 years ago.
That's impossible.
He named the painting...
Daughter.
Okay.
Look, your friend painted someone, but--
You said it was like lightning seeking the ground in your apartment.
You knew what to do even though you'd never done it before.
-Adrenaline. -And you knew they were coming after you.
And the hearing, and you tracked me.
-How did you track me? -I just--
Tracking me requires a security clearance which you don't have.
I think the attack on you might have acted as some kind of wake-up call,
like a positronic alarm bell.
No.
No. I was born in Seattle.
My dad was a xenobotanist.
And our house was full of orchids.
He spliced two genuses, and he named the offspring after me.
Orchidaceae Dahj oncidium.
Yellow and pink.
That's a beautiful memory.
And it's yours.
No one can touch it or take it away.
But...
you must look inside
deeply and honestly.
Have you ever considered the possibility that--
That I'm a soulless murder machine?
That are you something lovingly and deliberately created,
like Dahj oncidium?
You're telling me that I'm not real.
No, I'm not.
If you are who I think you are...
you are dear to me in ways that you can't understand.
I will never leave you.
We will go together to the Daystrom Institute in Okinawa.
I was just accepted at Daystrom as a research fellow.
You were?
That's brilliant!
That doesn't mean anything anymore.
If I'm right,
it means that you are the daughter of a man who was all meaning,
all courage.
Be like him.
They found us. Move. Now.
Dahj, wait. We need help.
They're almost here.
[Picard pants]
[Dahj pants]
Dahj, stop. Wait.
No. There's no time.
[Picard groans]
Stay down.
[screams]
No!
[Data] Would you like to finish it, Captain? [echoing]
[Picard] I will never leave you.
[interviewer] Why did you really quit Starfleet?
[Index] This painting is called Daughter.
He's awake.
-[groans] -[Number One whines]
I'm all right, boy.
Aren't I?
You took a bad knock. Otherwise you are apparently the same.
You gave us a fright.
What happened, Admiral?
Dahj.
She's dead.
How is that possible?
The police didn't mention her.
They said you were alone when they found you on the roof.
They said there was no one else on the security feed but you,
that you were running.
She could've had a cloaking device. That's why we didn't see her on the feeds.
Yeah. Maybe it activated automatically...
when she was in danger.
-Sir? -[Picard] She was a synthetic.
The assassins were Romulan.
She came here to find safety.
Like you and Zhaban.
Like me.
She deserved better from me.
I owe it to her to find out who killed her and why.
You ask too much of yourself.
Oh. Sitting here, all these years...
nursing my offended dignity...
writing books of history people prefer to forget...
I never asked anything of myself at all.
-No, Admiral. -I haven't been living.
I've been waiting to die.
[Daystrom woman] Admiral Picard.
It's an honor.
Doctor Jurati, thank you for giving me the time.
Agnes. How can I help you?
You can tell me if it is possible to make a sentient android out of flesh and blood.
No, really. How can I...
-Is that why you've come here? -It is.
Even before the ban that was, well...
Well, a flesh-and-blood android was in our sights,
but a sentient one?
Not for a thousand years.
That makes it even more curious that recently I had tea with one.
It was the grand slam--
sentient synthetics that appear human inside and out.
Feels like a lifetime ago now.
Welcome to what's left of the Federation's Division of Advanced Synthetic Research.
It's a ghost town.
In more ways than one.
The androids that destroyed Mars came from this lab.
Now we're only allowed to operate theoretically--
study, publish, run simulations.
But you can't actually make anything.
Correct.
This is everything that ever mattered to us,
to me.
No one makes synths anymore, of any kind.
It's a violation of galactic treaty.
But isn't it possible to create a synthetic that looks fully human?
-The short answer is no. -Well, give me the long answer.
It'll still be no.
Please, humor me.
[drawer hisses]
It's B-4, isn't it?
Looks so much like Data.
He's an inferior copy.
Data tried to download the contents of his neural net into B-4 just before his death.
Almost all of it was lost.
Ultimately B-4 wasn't much like Data at all.
In fact, no other synth has been.
-No. -And there's the rub.
No one has ever been able to redevelop the science used to create Data.
Then came Bruce.
Maddox.
He recruited me out of Starfleet.
Despite Data's death,
we came so close.
Then we got shut down, and it crushed him.
Where is he now?
He disappeared after the ban.
I've tried to find him, but...
You said, "despite Data's death,"
meaning that any new synthetic would have to be made from Data.
Advanced ones, yes.
If you had Data's neural net,
perfecting a flesh-and-blood host body would be relatively simple.
But his neurons died with him.
See, now you're coming around to that "no" I've been promising you.
Does this mean anything to you?
Where did you get that?
From my tea-drinking companion,
the one you said couldn't exist.
I really... really wish you'd come here on my day off.
It's a symbol for fractal neuronic cloning.
I'm sorry?
It's a radical, beautiful idea of Maddox's.
His theory was that Data's entire code, even his memories,
could be reconstituted from a single positronic neuron.
If there is a synth out there who is perfect, like you say--
Then Data, or some part of him,
an essence of him...
-Essence, yes. -...would be alive.
There'd be no way of knowing without examining--
Dahj.
The girl.
Data's daughter.
He always wanted a daughter.
I believe that Maddox modeled her on an old painting of Data's.
Female. Yes. I suppose you can make them that way.
I'm sorry. "Them"?
They're created in pairs.
Twins?
Twins.
So there's another one.
[man speaks alien language]
[woman speaks alien language]
[man speaks Romulan on PA]
Doctor Asha.
I don't mean to intrude. I'm Narek. I'm new here.
Soji.
That's a beautiful name.
I've been reading about your work. It's-- It's fascinating.
I feel like I've got so many questions.
And I feel like you're about to ask them.
[Narek chuckles]
That's nice.
Your necklace.
Uh, my father made it.
One for me and one for my sister.
I'm a twin.
I had a brother.
Not a twin, but we were really close.
We, um...
We lost him last year.
Very unexpected.
You're lucky to have her.
I'm sorry. You spend your day fixing broken people.
I'm guessing the last thing you want when you get off work
is to listen to another sad story.
[man on PA speaks indistinctly]
Guess again.
[woman on PA speaks indistinctly]