The Enterprise slowly ground to a halt as it flew at impulse power on a routine mission. Picard got up from his chair and advanced toward the viewscreen.
"Why have we stopped?" he demanded.
"Sir, we cannot go any farther in this direction," Data said.
"Why not?" Picard asked.
Data turned to face him. "There is an obstacle in our path which is commonly referred to as the fourth wall."
"The fourth wall?" Riker repeated.
"Yes, sir. It was not previously confirmed to exist."
"You said we cannot go any farther in this direction," Picard said. "Can you take us in another direction?"
"Yes, sir. In any direction you wish, except forward."
"Good," Picard said, stepping back toward his chair. "Set a course for the nearest starbase."
"Course set, sir."
"Engage."
The Enterprise shifted slowly to about twenty degrees to the right. However, it soon encountered the same intangible barrier it had before.
"Sir, the fourth wall appears to be following us around," Data said.
"Is it dangerous?" Riker asked.
"I do not believe so, sir. However, we know very little about it, or about what may lie beyond it."
Picard pressed his combadge. "All senior staff report to the observation lounge," he said. He, Data, Worf, Riker and Troi left the bridge.
"It's like nothing I've ever seen before," Geordi said. "It's completely invisible and undetectable by our sensors. And yet, it stops us dead in our tracks."
"Could this have something to do with Q?" Dr. Crusher asked.
"I doubt it. The fourth wall has been theorized about. But no one has ever been able to prove anything."
"Well then," Picard said. "This marks a very important discovery." He turned to Troi. "Counselor, do you sense anything beyond the wall?"
"Yes, sir. I sense many life forms. Thousands, millions even."
"What are their intentions? Do they need help?"
"I don't believe they need help," Troi said. "And their intentions are peaceful."
"Good," Picard said. He got up and started walking down the room, but something suddenly stopped him.
Geordi raised his tricorder to the area in front of Picard. "Yep, that's it, all right," he said.
"How did it get inside the ship?" Picard demanded.
"I don't know, sir," Geordi said.
"Can we do anything to stop it?" Riker asked. Geordi shrugged helplessly.
"Captain, you do not appear to be harmed by coming into contact with the fourth wall," Data said.
"No," Picard agreed. He slowly raised his hands and touched it again. "In fact, it appears to be quite stable. I can even lean on it." He rested his back against the invisible wall.
"Sir, I advise you to step away from the fourth wall," Worf said.
"Very well," Picard said, stepping back toward the table. "I want a ship-wide scan. Try to find out if anyone else on board has come into contact with this… fourth wall. And put the ship on yellow alert. Dismissed."
"I don't understand this concept of a 'fourth wall'," Riker said as he and Troi returned to the bridge. "I mean, where are the other three walls?"
"I don't know," Troi said. But just as they turned the corner, they heard Picard's voice. They could have sworn it was the intercom, but he didn't sound like he was making an announcement. They stopped to listen.
"Space, the final frontier…"
Suddenly music started playing, and Riker and Troi saw blue letters appear in the sky. The names of the senior staff were at the bottom, with unfamiliar names at the top. Apparently, the names of actors who played them. Riker and Troi looked at each other in confusion.
"This is too creepy," Riker said. "Whoever they are, they know our names - and apparently some other names too." He pressed his com badge. "Riker to Picard."
"Go ahead, Number One."
"Sir, you gotta hear about this…"
"Come."
Geordi stepped into Picard's ready room, holding a tricorder. "Ah, Geordi," Picard said. "Do you have the results of the survey?"
"Yes sir," Geordi said. "It appears that only the senior staff have encountered the fourth wall."
"That's odd," Picard said. "Commander Riker also reported seeing the senior staff's names floating in space, and hearing my voice over some music. But who - or what - could be distinguishing the senior staff from the rest of the crew?"
"I don't know, sir," Geordi said. "But Counselor Troi suggested that there are minds behind this fourth wall. Maybe one, or several, of them is controlling it."
"If only there were some way to communicate with those minds," Picard said. "Tell them we mean them no harm."
"I have found out one thing," Geordi said. "According to the theories, the fourth wall tends to appear when people do something interesting."
"Interesting?" Picard raised an eyebrow at the vagueness of the word. "That must be why it's following the senior staff," he muttered.
"Exactly," Geordi said. "Or at least, that's the theory."
"Thank you, Geordi," Picard said. "Dismissed."
Geordi turned to leave, but ran into the same invisible barrier that had stopped Picard before. He sighed in exasperation. Picard got up to take a closer look, but Geordi stepped back and this time he was able to walk through the door.
Captain's log. We have encountered a mysterious phenomenon known as the fourth wall. Although it does not appear to pose any danger to the ship or its crew, it has been a significant obstacle, especially for the senior staff. Mr. LaForge has told me that the fourth wall appears when people do interesting things. Therefore, I have instructed the crew to be as boring as possible. No unnecessary conversations, away missions, or interpersonal conflicts are allowed until further notice.
0
Captain's log. It has been one day since I instructed the crew to be boring. Mr. LaForge has performed another ship-wide scan and informed me that while the fourth wall has caused no further disruptions, it has not disappeared. Apparently it has always been following us, even though, for unknown reasons, we became aware of it quite recently. No other Federation ships have reported similar levels of scrutiny. Things will go back to normal soon, but we must discern why the beings beyond the fourth wall are so interested in us.
The bridge was unusually silent. Everyone moved as little as possible, in order to avoid attention from beyond the fourth wall. The Enterprise continued on its course to the nearest starbase, when everyone felt a familiar sensation of stopping. Picard got up and stepped toward Data. "Merde," he muttered.
"I do not understand it, sir," Data said. "The beings controlling the fourth wall must be unusually persistent."
"Mr. Data," Picard asked, "what if we were to simply... keep going?"
"I do not know, sir," Data said.
"Speculate."
"If Counselor Troi is correct, the beings on the other side of the wall will not harm us. They may even be able to help us."
"Will we be able to return?"
"Uncertain, sir," Data said. "What you are suggesting is called 'breaking the fourth wall'. It is highly unusual."
Picard looked around the bridge to determine if anyone had an objection. No one did.
"Take us in," he said.
The Enterprise struggled to penetrate the fourth wall, as if it were squeezing through a wormhole. Everyone except Data covered their eyes as bright lights flooded the bridge.
"What do you see, Mr. Data?" Picard asked.
"People," Data said. "Millions of them, just like Counselor Troi said."
The other crewmembers slowly uncovered their eyes and looked out in front of them. Slowly, they all began to smile.
"Captain, it's beautiful," Troi said. "There's so much joy there."
"Looks like they have a rather sexualized image of you, Counselor," Riker said with a grin. Troi blushed.
"They have rather exaggerated images of all of us," Picard said. "Data - oh my, perhaps you shouldn't see - "
"It is alright, sir," Data said. "I am incapable of being disgusted or offended."
"I am not sure Commander LaForge would feel the same way," Worf said gruffly.
"Fascinating," Picard said. "It's as if the characters on the holodeck were seeing us."
"Isn't this a violation of the Prime Directive?" Riker asked.
"Strictly speaking, no," Picard said. "These people already know about us. But perhaps you're right, Number One. Maybe we should go." He turned back to his chair and sat down. "Engage."
Captain's log. The Enterprise has made contact with the beings beyond the fourth wall. As it turns out, they are people just like us. Well, not just like us - people from the past, who see us as an example of what they could become. For years our adventures have inspired them and given them hope for the future, and this knowledge has given all of us a renewed sense of purpose. I can confidently say it is the greatest discovery we have ever made.