Note: OK so this episode mostly takes place with Riker so it wasn't easy. Hopefully the rest of them will be better.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Frame of Mind"
Asylum cell was an austere room devoid of furnishings, except for a bed and a door with a small thick-paned window. Riker was sitting on the bed, dressed in casual hospital-type clothing. He was trying to maintain control, but there was an underlying tension. He looked strung out, like he had been at this for a long time.
He spoke to an off screen doctor.
"You're absolutely right, Doctor. In fact, right now it's hard to imagine ever hurting anyone..." Riker said to the doctor.
"How do you feel about that person you used to be?" the doctor asked.
"I feel... terrible. But thanks to you, I'm much better now. And I feel confident that when I leave, I'll be ready to take my place in society again."
"When do you think that will be?"
Riker looked at him and gave him a nervous smile.
"Well... now. Right away." he said.
"What makes you say that?"
"You said when I was able to accept what I'd done, and understood the consequences of my actions, that I'd be free to go."
""Free to go." Are you saying you don't think you should stand trial for what you've done?"
Riker paused, skittish, trying to please the Doctor and say the right thing but was losing the fight to stay calm.
"I'm looking forward to proving my innocence..." he said
"I thought you said you accepted what you'd done."
Riker tried to backtrack.
"But that's not what I meant. I... I meant that I was sick when it happened. I wasn't responsible for what I did..." he said.
There was a tense minute.
"How do I know that you're not just telling me what I want to hear?" doctor asked.
Riker didn't have a response.
"Perhaps we should continue this discussion next week..." doctor said doubtful.
Riker's temper flared so he stood.
"No. I want to talk about it now..." he said.
"You're starting to sound angry again. Maybe you need another treatment..." Doctor said calmly.
Riker dropped all pretense of being the "good patient" and let his genuine feelings come out.
"What I need is to get out of this cell. I'm locked up day and night... you control every move... tell me what to eat, what to think, what to say..." Riker said then moves around the room, liked a caged animal. "And when I show a glimmer of independent thought, you strap me down, inject me with drugs and call it a "treatment.""
"You're becoming agitated..." the doctor said.
"You bet I'm agitated! I may be surrounded by insanity, but I'm not insane. And I won't let you or anyone... me think I am..." Riker said and hesitated, stumbling over his words then tried to correct his last statement. "I won't let you or anyone think that..."
Riker's whole demeanor changed then he stopped being the tortured patient and became just Wil Riker. He looked offscreen and spoke to somebody.
"I'm sorry. Can we take it from "You're becoming agitated"?" he asked.
Her was in the ship's theater. A cell was set up on a theater stage. There were seats that were empty except Beverly directing the play. Data was playing the Doctor and was also on the cell stage.
"Why don't we break for tonight. I think we've made a lot of progress." Beverly told them all.
"But I'm still not confident about that final speech..." Riker said.
Beverly moved to Riker onstage.
"There's such a thing as over-rehearsing, Wil. You'll do just fine." she said. "Try to relax. You're resisting the character. Let yourself feel what he's feeling."
Riker was frustrated.
"Maybe I'm just not right for this part..." he said unsure.
Then Data chimed in.
"Most humanoids have the potential to be irrational. Perhaps you should attempt to access that part of your psyche." he told Riker.
Beverly nodded and tried to give Riker the insight he needed.
"Haven't you ever felt at odds with everyone - like the whole world was against you?" she asked.
Riker thought.
"Yeah... my first year at the Academy..." he said.
"Try to tap into that feeling. That's what your character is going through in this scene."
Riker nodded, feeling a little better.
"I'll work on it..." he said.
"It'll be wonderful. You're going to knock 'em dead."
Riker nodded. Then everyone moved to go.
A few minutes later Riker was walking along, still dressed in his inmate costume. He was practicing lines from his final speech, trying to get it right.
"You control every move... tell me what to eat, what to think, what to say..." he said.
Then he tried again, this time with more emphasis.
"What to eat, what to think, what to say..." he continued. "And when I show a glimmer of independent thought, you strap me down, inject me with drugs and call it a 'treatment'..."
Over the above, a crew people walked past and gave Riker a curious look. Riker was too absorbed to notice. He stopped at a Turbolift and tapped a button by the door.
"I may be surrounded by insanity, but I'm not insane -"
The doors opened and Riker ran directly into an alien lieutenant. The Lieutenant stared at him with intense eyes, face utterly expressionless. Riker stepped back, startled.
"Excuse me..." he said.
The Lieutenant walked past him. Riker entered the Turbolift, glanced back to see the Lieutenant had stopped and was watching him. For a moment, he seemed almost menacing. Then he walked down the hall. Riker stood there a moment, trying to shake the creepy feeling. Then he entered the Turbolift.
Riker and Picard were at the ready room standing at the desk, looking at a terminal.
"Tilonus Four? Didn't their government just collapse?" Riker said surprised.
Picard nodded.
"It's in a state of total anarchy. When the Prime Minister was assassinated, a Federation research team was on the planet. It is believed they were forced to go into hiding..." he said. "Your mission will be to locate and evacuate them."
"Can't they go to local authorities?" Riker asked.
"There are no local authorities. The government's been splintered several factions are vying for power. And they're desperate for weapons or technology of any kind..." Picard said. "Apparently, some factions are resorting to torture to gather information. A Starfleet research team would be a prime target."
Riker weighed the situation.
"Then I'll have to go alone... undercover." he said.
"Agreed. Mister Worf is ready to give you a detailed briefing on Tilonian culture."
Riker nodded and smiled, remembering something.
Riker smiled.
"Looks like I'll have to back out of Doctor Crusher's play after all..."
Picard reacted, supportive.
"No, no... you'll have plenty of time for that, Number One. We won't be arriving at Tilonus for another five days." he said. "Besides, if you back out now, Beverly will come after me to play the part."
Riker nodded and they exchanged a smile. Then Riker left.
Later Riker and Worf were at the observation lounge standing at the wall monitor, which displaying an Aerial map of Tilonus four. Worf pointed to a specific region on the map.
"This is the last known location of the research team. They had occupied a small building in the Southwest quarter of the city. You will begin your search there." Worf said.
Riker considered.
"The Southwest quarter covers over two hundred square kilometers. That's a lot of ground for one man to cover..." he said. "I'd better pack an extra pair of boots." he said lightly.
Worf shot him a look. There was a tense minute. Then he moved to the table, where several pieces of equipment have been laid out. Worf pointed to a bundle of plain-looking clothing.
"This apparel will allow you to pass as a common merchant." Worf said meaning the clothes then picked up a small Tilonian pendent.
"This Tilonian pendant has been equipped with a communicator circuit."
Riker took the pendant and held it up to the clothing.
"It doesn't really match the outfit..." he said with humor.
Worf's temper flared.
"I suggest you pay closer attention, Commander. Your life will be at stake." Worf said and stared intensely at Riker almost threatening. "Do you understand what I am saying?" he asked hard.
Riker was taken aback by Worf's tone.
"Yes... of course I do..." he said.
Worf picked up a small, exotic-looking knife. Riker observed somberly, his mood darker now.
"Because you will be posing as a merchant, you will need to know how to use the Nisroh for the traditional bartering ceremony." Worf said demonstrated by raising the blade high into the air, moving it in a complex, ritualistic manner. "You will be judged on your prowess with the blade..."
Then he moved the blade in quick thrusting motions faster, more elaborate. Without warning, the blade caught the side of Riker's head. Riker recoiled, startled.
Worf reacted, genuinely concerned.
"I am sorry, Commander! I did not intend -" he said.
"That's okay, that's okay..." Riker said then touched his head, the wound bleeding. "I guess I really wasn't paying attention..." he continued. "I'd better get to Sickbay. We'll pick this up later."
"Aye sir..."
Worf watched with concern as Riker headed for the door.
Riker was now at sickbay sitting on a bed; Beverly healing his head wound with a medical device.
"You'll do anything to get out of this play, won't you?" Beverly said with humor. "Well, you're going to have to do better than this..."
Riker smiled.
"The play's tomorrow night. I've still got twenty-four hours left." he said.
Beverly shut off the device. Riker turned, his wound was completely healed.
"Don't get any ideas. I'll expect you on stage at eighteen hundred hours." she said.
"Right..." Riker said then stood to go then stopped, reacting to a sharp pain in his head. "It still hurts..."
Beverly quickly scanned his head with a medical tricorder.
"There's no nerve damage... you shouldn't be feeling any pain." she said.
"Probably just a symptom of stage fright -"
Suddenly, the doors opened and Wesley rushed in with two N.D. crewmembers. One of the crewmembers was badly injured, his face and uniform was marred by scorch marks and blood. Wesley and the other N.D. carried him along, urgent.
"He was working on a conduit on Deck Thirty-seven. A plasma torch blew up in his hands..." Wesley.
The crewmember screamed in pain.
"It hurts! Oh God - it hurts!" the wounded crewmemger said.
Riker moved out of the way. The wounded N.D. moaned in pain and looked directly at him. Riker reacted, startled. The N.D. stared at him even as he was laid on the bed as Beverly began to treat the wounds. He just kept staring, strange and unsettling.
Riker edged toward the doors unable to tear his eyes away from the man shaken by the sight then left.
Later Riker and Deanna were at Ten Forward sitting at the bar having drinks in front of them. Riker was troubled by the day's events.
"I've been on a lot of missions... and I've seen a lot of people get injured..." Riker said. "But I've never been affected like this..."
Then he was chilled by the memory.
"He was looking right at me." he continued.
"And that was disturbing to you..." she said.
"It was like he was... blaming me or something. But it's more than just this one incident. For the past few days, I've been feeling like everyone's staring at me... or talking about me..." he said. "I feel like I'm in "Frame of Mind"..." he continued lightly.
""Frame of Mind"?"
"Doctor Crusher's play. Ever since I started rehearsing the role, I've been feeling a little restless... uneasy..."
Deanna considered.
"You're probably drawing on feelings that you're not used to expressing..." she said.
"Yeah. The play is full of disturbing images. People losing their minds... being tortured by doctors..." he said. "I can't get it out of my head..."
Deanna was supportive and tried to help.
"Sometimes it's healthy to explore the darker sides of the psyche. Jung called it "owning your own shadow."" she said. "This could be a sign that you're a real actor, Wil. It's becoming more than just a role to you."
Riker was intrigued by her words.
"Maybe you're right..." he said.
"Don't be afraid of your darker side. Have fun with it."
Riker nodded, feeling better. He lifted his glass to take a drink, and stopped and reacted to a pain in his temple, where the wound was. He put his hand to his head, and something across the room caught his eye.
A strange, alien Lieutenant. He was sitting across the room, alone at a table, staring at Riker with his expressionless face. He stood and headed for the door.
Riker turned to Deanna.
"Who is that?" he asked.
Deanna turned to look, but the doors were just closing. The Lieutenant was gone.
"You just missed him." he continued. "Do we have a new Lieutenant on board?"
"I'm not sure. Do you want me to check the personnel logs?"
Riker shook off the feeling then stood to go.
"No... I'll check them tomorrow..." he said. "I think I'll get to bed early. Tomorrow's the performance and I want to be up for it."
"I'm looking forward to it." she said. "Break a leg."
"I'll try not to take that literally."
They shared a smile then Riker headed for the door.
Later at the theater the austere was now set, there was a full audience. Picard, Beverly, Worf, Deanna, Geordi, Wesley and several other crewmembers and civilians were watching, engrossed.
The play was in its final moments. Riker was sitting on the bed, strung-out. Data was standing nearby. A genuine passion drove him through the scene and was utterly convincing in the role.
"Perhaps we should continue this discussion next week..." Data/Doctor said doubtfully.
Riker stood, temper flaring.
"No. I want to talk about it now..." he said.
"You're starting to sound angry again. Maybe you need another treatment..." Data/Doctor said calmly.
"What I need is to get out of this cell. I'm locked up day and night... you control every move... tell me what to eat, what to think, what to say..." Riker said then moved around the room, liked a caged animal.
"And when I show a glimmer of independent thought, you strap me down, inject me with drugs and call it a "treatment.""
"You're becoming agitated..."
Riker let loose genuine emotions rushing to the surface. He had no trouble with his final speech this time around.
"You bet I'm agitated! I may be surrounded by insanity, but I'm not insane. And I won't let you or anyone else tell me I am." he said.
Riker prowled about the stage his hands shaking, voice breaking with emotion. A believable, bravura performance that has the audience riveted and moved.
"You can destroy my mind, but you can't change the truth. I didn't kill that man." he continued. "And that's what's driving you crazy..."
There was a long tense minute.
"I can see we have a lot of work to do." Data/Doctor said.
Data turned and left. The sound of it began to lock. Riker moved to the door.
"No matter what you do, you can't change the fact that I'm innocent!" he shouted at Data. "I'm not crazy!"
Suddenly, the cell lights went out and Riker sagged against the door, defeated.
"I'm not crazy..." he said to himself.
He paused, staring into middle distance. Suddenly frozen with uncertainty, pondering the events that have led to his imprisonment. The play had built to this instant.
"I'm... not..." he said doubtful. "...crazy."
The stage lights slowly faded out. Then the house lights came up. The audience began to applaud enthusiastically. Several people stood then a few more. Soon it was a standing ovation.
The stage lights went up for the curtain call. Data walked out and took a bow. The applause intensified.
Riker walked onstage, out of breath shaky. The performance had taken its toll but he smiled at the audience and took a bow for the audience. Picard and the others were smiling and cheering.
Riker took another bow.
The alien Lieutenant was now standing next to Picard. He was staring directly at Riker, eyes intense, face cold and he was not applauding.
Riker reacted to the sight, startled. Then took a final bow.
As Riker stood up. The audience was gone and there was a cell wall in its place. The cheering had stopped and there was now silence.
Riker reacted and spun around a asylum cell. Similar to the set but clearly a real place. Riker was completely stunned.
"I can see we have a lot of work to do." someone said.
Riker turned to see an alien doctor was standing nearby a species he's never seen before. A real Doctor.
Riker was glancing around the room, trying to make sense out of the situation. He turned to the Doctor.
"Where am I?" he asked. "How did you get me off the ship?"
The Doctor studied him with concern then tapped a few controls on a note-taking device.
"The ship again..." the doctor said to himself.
Riker eyed him, confused. He moved to the door and scanned it but there was no visible way of getting it open.
"What's going on?" Riker asked.
The Doctor tried to keep Riker calm by staying calm himself. It was like he has been through this before.
"I understand this must be very disturbing for you. But try to relax." he said. "Tell me. Where were you a moment ago?"
"I was on the Enterprise. In the middle of a play..." Riker said and looked around. "Here... but it wasn't real... it was a stage..."
"I can assure you this is not a stage." the doctor said. "Do you remember your name?"
"I'm Commander..." he started. "Commander..."
Riker hesitated, unable to remember. Then began to move about the room, grasping at the memories but they were quickly fading away.
"I knew who I was a second ago... I was on the ship... in a play..." he continued. "It's getting harder to remember..."
The Doctor nodded.
"That's good. You're starting to come out of your delusional state." he said.
Riker reacted.
"Delusion... it couldn't be a delusion. I was there..."
"We've discussed this. Do you remember when we contacted Starfleet... and asked them about you?" the doctor asked gently.
"No..."
"We spoke with Admiral Budrow. On Starbase..."
"... Starbase Twenty-nine." Riker said chiming in.
Riker's face changed as he started to remember. There was a mixture of shock and realization.
"He said he'd never heard of me... that they had no officer matching my description..."
"That's right. Now. Focus on who I am. Do you remember me?"
Riker eyed him.
"I'm not sure..." he said.
"I'm Doctor Syrus." he said. "Do you remember anything about where you are now?"
Riker thought then instinctively put a hand up to his temple, feeling a pain there.
"I hurt my head... somebody hit me..."
"You tried to escape. You struggled with one of the attendants and hit your head on a door. Do you remember that?"
It finally started to come back to Riker, he remembered what happened.
"Yes... now I do. But at first, I thought a Klingon cut me... with a knife..." he said.
"It's called transposition. You're projecting elements from your delusions onto events that really happened." doctor said. "But that's good. There was a time when you couldn't break away from your Starship fantasy at all."
Riker looked at him starting to accept this reality.
"If what you're saying is true... where am I?" he asked.
The Doctor took a minute.
"You're in Ward Forty-seven of the Tilonus Institute for Mental Disorders."
Riker reacted. He sat down on the bed weighing the implications.
"Why am I here?" he asked.
The Doctor softened his tone.
"We'll talk more later. You don't have to remember everything today." he said. "You're making excellent progress."
Then he gave Riker a gentle smile and a pat on the arm and turned to go. Riker stood.
"Wait..." he said.
But the doctor left and the door shut with a distinctive locking noise. Riker moved to the small window on the door and peered through it. The Doctor disappeared from view down an austere corridor..
He stood there for a moment not sure what to do with himself. Then he began to take in the room. There wasn't much to see. The walls and ceiling and floor were blank. He pressed his hands against the wall, as if to test it. Solid.
There was a small stainless steel mirror inset in a wall. Riker moved to it and stared at his reflection. At his clothing, his tired eyes and somber expression.
Then he heard a voice over the com.
"Good afternoon. I've got some good news for you." the attendant said on com. "Doctor Syrus suggested that you might enjoy a couple of hours in the Common Area today."
Riker didn't respond.
Well?"
"I guess so..." Riker said to com.
The door opened and an attendant entered along with a hospital guard. The guard was holding a small stun weapon.
The Attendant offered Riker a smile.
"I hope you're hungry. They're serving spiny lobe-fish today." he said.
The Guard moved behind Riker to escort him out of the room. Riker was surprised by the high level of security.
"There's no need for this."
"That's what you said the last time."
Riker reacted.
Riker, the Attendant and the Guard were walking along the Asylum corridor. The hall was lined with cell doors on either side, each with an inset window pane. They passed another inmate, who was being led along by an Attendant. Somewhere in the distance, a brief yell echoed through the corridors. Riker took it all in, unsettled by the chilly environment.
Another Doctor was approaching from the opposite end of the corridor. Riker eyed him as they get closer he looked exactly like the alien Lieutenant he saw earlier. He passed Riker without so much as a glance.
Riker reacted. As the Guard lead him around a corner.
The Asylum common area was brighter and more colorful than the cell and the corridor. There were windows, plants, several tables and activities for the patients. One inmate was painting a picture... two other inmates were sitting together, engaged in a hushed conversation, another sat alone, staring into middle-distance, slowly rocking back and forth.
Riker, the Attendant and the Guard entered. The Attendant dismissed the Guard and lead Riker to a table and sat him down.
"I'll be back with your lunch." the attendant told Riker.
Then the Attendant walked off. Riker glanced around nervously, uncomfortable in this strange setting. A few moments went by then a female inmate alien, humanoid sat down next to Riker and stared at him. She glanced around to make sure no one's listening.
"I hear you're a Starfleet officer..." she whispered urgently.
Riker looked at her, surprised.
"I'm Commander Bloom from the Yorktown..." she continued. "There are at least a dozen of us here... maybe more..." she said looking around. "We were kidnapped... brought here against our will..."
Riker just stared at her listening and trying to figure out what to believe. She pointed out various inmates around the room.
"Sanders was on the Yosemite. They did something to his mind. I think they're trying to get neuro chemicals from our brains..." she said and pointed to another. "Stafko was with me on the Yorktown. I don't know what they did to him..."
Riker was compelled by her story.
"We're going to get out of here. I've made a communicator..." she continued.
"You have?" he said hopefully.
"Yes. There are three Starships in orbit. They're going to beam us out of here any day now..." she said. "I'll tell them to get you out, too..."
Riker's hope was rising. She looked around surreptitiously then carefully pulled out a spoon.
"Lieutenant Bloom to Yorktown... come in Yorktown. I've made contact with another officer..." she said into the spoon.
Riker realized and his hopes dashed.
"Talking to your Starship again, Jaya?" attendant said.
She quickly hid the spoon.
"No." she said then got up and gave Riker a conspiratorial look. "Don't let them tell you you're crazy." she said quietly.
The Attendant set down a plate of food in front of Riker, then moved to the inmate and stretched out his hand.
"You know you're not supposed to take utensils from the Common Area." the attendant said.
Then he grudgingly handed over the spoon and moved off. The Attendant sat down and set down the spoon in front of Riker.
"You're welcome to try it."
Riker managed a smile.
"I'm not that far gone, am I?" he said.
"Of course you are. Last week you held an entire conversation with a chair, remember?"
Riker looked at him, surprised.
"No..." he said.
The Attendant laughed and Riker realized he was joking and somberly looked down at his tray. There was an underlying tension to the Attendant's friendly demeanor he enjoys manipulating the patients to get a reaction.
"Where's your sense of humor? If you ever want to get better, you've got to relax."
Riker took a bite of food. Then he gazed at the Attendant, suddenly remembering something.
"Your name - it's Mav... Mavek." he said.
"That's right. Not bad for a crazy man."
Riker looked frustrated.
"I'm starting to remember certain things, but..." he started. "Why am I here?"
The Attendant considered eyeing Riker.
"I remember when they brought you in. You were screaming... struggling..."
Riker listened intently, unsettled. The Attendant seemed to relish in the description.
"We could barely hold you down. In fact, just getting the blood off your hands took over an hour." they continued.
Riker reacted
"Blood?"
The attendant nodded.
"On your hands... your clothes..." they said. "You didn't just kill that man... you mutilated him."
Riker was shocked.
"What are you talking about? I didn't kill anybody." he said.
The Attendant was deliberately pushing Riker to get a response.
"I'm afraid you did. You stabbed him. They found you near the body... with the knife in your hand..." they said.
Riker grew fearful and angry.
"No. It's not true..." he said.
"Yes it is. And if you get out of here, you're going to stand trial..."
"You're lying!" he yelled.
"I imagine the punishment will be quite severe... considering you stabbed him nine times -"
Riker lost control.
"NO!" he said.
Then he stood, grabbed the Attendant and shoved him against the wall. Two guards hurried over. They grabbed Riker by the arms, restraining him. He struggled. The entire room was watching.
The Attendant pulled out an alien syring from his coat then moved toward Riker. As he injected Riker with the syringe Riker bolted awake in his quarters in his bed, as if from a nightmare. He was dressed in his nightclothes... sweating... rattled by the dream. He glances around the room in momentary confusion... but there's no one there. He's safely aboard the Enterprise.
Riker was in his quarters standing in the bathroom, dressed in his inmate costume, looking in the mirror. He was preparing himself for that evening's performance of the play. Everything appeared to be normal. Beverly stood nearby, listening to Riker recall his "dream."
"I was there... in Ward Forty-seven, just like in the play. Everyone thought I was insane... that I'd killed somebody..." he told Beverly. "Except it was all real."
Beverly was fascinated.
"Deanna mentioned you went to bed early because you felt a little anxious about the play. But I had no idea..." she said.
Riker picked up a small make-up stick and began to apply dark make-up in circles around his eyes creating the subtle effect that he was exhausted.
Beverly lightened the mood.
"You said that in your dream we performed the play..." she said. "How'd it go?"
"It was a smash. We got a standing ovation." he said.
"Let's hope it goes that well tonight."
He smiled and finished applying the make-up, then set down the tube.
"We've got one hour to curtain. How do you feel?" Beverly said.
Riker smiled, confident.
"I feel... like an actor." he said.
Beverly mussed his hair a little for added effect.
"You're certainly starting to look the part." she said.
They exchanged a smile then she left. Riker stood to take a final look at himself in the mirror.
Then he stopped at what he saw. Riker the asylum inmate. There was a creepy moment as he stared at himself... remembering the dream then he shook off the feeling and turned away from the mirror.
There was a full audience at the Asylum theater. Picard, Beverly, Worf, Deanna, Geordi, Wesley and everyone else was there. They were engrossed.
Riker was on his feet, haggard; Data the Doctor stood nearby. Riker's performance was focused and intense.
"Perhaps we should continue this discussion next week..." Data/doctor said doubtful.
Riker's temper flared.
"No. I want to talk about it now..." he said.
"You're starting to sound angry again. Maybe you need another treatment..."
"What I need is to get out of this cell. I'm locked up day and night... you control my every move..."
At that instant, something caught his eye. He looked toward the door to see a face was staring in through the small window. he reacted, surprised.
"You tell me what to eat... what to think... what to say..." Riker said distracted.
The cell door started to open. Riker watched as Mavek the Attendant walked onto the stage. He shut the door and stood there, silently watching him.
Riker was stunned
'What's happening?' he wondered then looked at Beverly, who sat in the wings.
Beverly reacted, thinking Riker had forgotten his dialogue. She picked up a PADD and fed him his next line.
"And when I show a glimmer of independent thought..." she whispered.
Riker looked back toward Mavek and he was gone. Riker hesitated, unsettled but his instincts quickly kicked in and he continued.
"And when I show a glimmer of independent thought, you strap me down, inject me with drugs and call it a "treatment."" he said.
"You're becoming agitated..." Data/Doctor said.
Riker got back into the scene, genuinely agitated now and it fueled his performance.
"You bet I'm agitated! I may be surrounded by insanity, but I'm not insane. And I won't let you or anyone else tell me..." he said.
Something caught his eye so he glanced toward the audience to see them gone. In its place was an Asylum cell wall.
He couldn't believe his eyes. He looked to Data, who stared back at him as if nothing was wrong.
Riker looked back toward the wall and it was gone and the audience had returned.
"What's happening..." he said to himself.
There was an awkward minute. The scene had stalled. Data, was thinking fast, jumped to his next line of dialogue to keep things moving.
"I can see we have a lot of work to do." he said then left.
Riker was truly shaken, continuing the scene out of desperation if nothing else.
"No matter what you do, you can't change the fact that I'm innocent..." he said then saw something in the audience.
In the audience, sitting next to Picard, was the alien Lieutenant. He stared at Riker, expressionless.
He was at the breaking point. He stared at the Lieutenant, growing angry.
Data was unsure what to do. Beverly looked alarmed.
"You're the key to all this, aren't you? Who are you?" Riker called out to lieutenant.
Riker forgot the play and walked offstage directly into the audience and straight toward the alien Lieutenant. People reacted, surprised, and got out the way. Riker bbed the Lieutenant by the uniform.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The Lieutenant looked confused.
"Lieutenant Suna, sir..." he said.
The Lieutenant was clearly terrified. Riker realized and gradually let him go. Then he looked around the room to see that everyone was staring at him.
There was a long, awkward silence. Beverly walked up to Riker.
"Wil... are you alright?" she asked.
Riker was confused.
"No... I don't know..." he said.
She gently took him by the arm.
"Why don't we go down to Sickbay..."
Riker nodded. Everyone watched with concern as Beverly lead him toward the door.
Later Riker was at sickbay sitting on a bio-bed; Beverly was scanning him with a medical tricorder.
"There's nothing wrong with you neurologically. I don't see anything that could've caused your hallucinations." she said off tricorder. "But your heart rate is up... blood pressure's way above normal. You're physically exhausted."
Riker was on edge.
"This is more than just fatigue..." he said.
"It's possible under conditions of extreme stress for the mind to manufacture all kinds of things."
Riker thought and remembered something.
"Drugs. They injected me with me drugs..." he said. "Are there drugs in my system?" he asked her.
Beverly scanned him with the tricorder just to be sure.
"Nothing." she said off tricorder.
Riker let out a long breath.
"It's that dream... they gave me drugs in the dream..." he said. "Did anybody in the theater see anything strange happen during the performance?"
"No... nobody."
Riker looked uneasy. Beverly tried to comfort him.
"Get some rest, Wil. The play is over. Don't give it another thought." she continued.
Riker nodded, starting to feel normal again.
"Thanks..." he said then stood and headed for the door.
Beverly watched him go, concerned.
A few minutes later Riker and Deanna were walking along. Deanna was trying to ease Riker's mind.
"How's Lieutenant Suna?" Riker asked.
"A little shaken... but alright." Deanna said.
"I feel like such an idiot."
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. We're your friends... We all know the stress you've been under. I'm sure everyone understands perfectly..."
They reached an intersection and ran into Wesley. A moment as they stop.
"Commander, you did a good job tonight." Wesley said.
"Oh?" Riker said.
"Yeah. You made it look real. Keep working hard and you'll be even better."
Riker and Deanna exchanged a look.
"Thank you."
Wesley nodded and headed to his quarters on break.
"Looks like we found a way to keep Wesley entertained aside from engineering." Deanna said in humor.
Riker smiled feeling better. Then he continued walking with Deanna.
"I guess all I need is a little rest... clear my mind a little..." he said.
"I want you to try a few relaxation techniques, as well. Remember the ones I showed you a few months ago?" she said.
"Yeah... but they didn't seem to work for me."
Suddenly, Deanna's voice changed to Doctor Syrus' voice.
"Maybe you need another treatment." the doctor said.
Riker stopped and turned to Deanna, startled.
She looked at him, puzzled.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Riker suddenly wasn't sure he heard anything after all.
"Nothing... nothing..." he said.
"Get some sleep, Wil. I'll see you tomorrow." she said gently.
Deanna walked off. Riker headed down a different corridor, unsettled.
A few minutes later Riker was on the Turbolift trying to stay calm. After a minute, the lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal the Asylum corridor. Riker reacted, startled then backed up against the inside of the lift and closed his eyes.
"It's not real... not real..." Riker said quietly.
Slowly, he opened his eyes to look and the asylum corridor was gone. It was the Enterprise again. He took a breath, then left.
He walked down the hall, staring straight ahead, trying to maintain control. He passed a crewmember walking a little further. then turned a corner and stopped at what he saw was the female inmate "Commander Bloom" seen in the Asylum Common Area. She was standing in the corridor, staring blankly at him.
"Don't let them tell you you're crazy." Inmate said to Riker.
Riker panicked then turned and quickly walked the other direction.
He was running down the hall afraid. Then he stopped at the door to his quarters and hurried inside.
As he entered his quarters the doors slid shut with the distinctive locking sound. Riker reacted to the noise - turned to see he was in the Asylum cell. He was wearing the inmate clothing.
Riker reacted then ran to the door and tried to get it open.
"No... NO! Let me out of here!" he said.
He lost control then beat his fists on the door, helpless.
"No! Let me out of here! Help me..." he kept yelling.
A couple of hours had passed. Various inmates were around the room. Riker and Doctor Syrus were sitting at a table. Riker looked exhausted at the breaking point.
"I need help. I don't want to be at the mercy of these hallucinations anymore." he said.
"So you've accepted that you're not from a starship... and that it's all a delusion?" the doctor said.
Riker nodded.
"All I know is that whenever I go back to the ship, reality starts to break apart... nothing makes sense. And when it's over, it fades away... like a dream..." he said. "But the hospital... everything here seems real. I can always remember what happens here..."
"And what about how you got here?"
Riker took a deep breath and nodded.
"Maybe I did kill someone. I don't know. But I want to find out." he said.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Because I just had a long talk with the hospital Administrator. He told me there are certain legal questions that have to be resolved relatively soon."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we can't keep you here much longer. We're the only mental health facility on Tilonus Four. There are many people who need our help..." doctor said. "I don't want to put any undue stress on you... but we have to settle this case one way or another within the next few days."
"What does that mean?"
The Doctor took a minute.
"You're facing a choice. We can try to help you remember what happened using Reflection Therapy. If it's successful, you would be fit to stand trial." he said.
"Reflection Therapy?"
"It's a way for you to interact with various facets of your personality. We scan the regions of your brain that control emotions and memory... then project them holographically."
Riker considered.
"What's the other option?" he asked.
The Doctor found the best way to put this.
"A complete synaptic reconstruction of your cerebral cortex." he said.
"Surgery?"
The Doctor nodded grimly.
"We would neutralize the synaptic pathways responsible for your mental instability."
"You don't seem to like that option."
"I don't. The procedure is irreversible. You'd be left with a completely altered personality. The person you are now would cease to exist."
Riker didn't like the sound of it.
"Option one is starting to sound better..." he said.
"I agree."
There was a minute as Riker made the choice.
"Reflection Therapy then... when do we start?" he asked.
"This afternoon, if you're ready. I want you to understand this isn't going to be easy. You'll be interacting with aspects of your psyche that you've never dealt before." the doctor said. "And you may be disturbed by what they have to say."
Riker nodded, understanding what he's about to face.
Riker was in a cell sitting on the bed, watching Doctor Syrus, who was placing a medical device on the floor. The device was a tall, sleek cylinder with several controls on the side.
The Doctor activated the device and it sent out a low humming noise.
"Close your eyes. Try to relax. Clear your mind." Doctor said.
Riker shut his eyes. The Doctor hit a control on the device it sent out a thin beam of light that briefly played across Riker's forehead in a scanning pattern.
"Now. Think back to before you came to the hospital. But don't try to remember specific incidents. Concentrate on how you felt..." he continued.
Riker thought.
"I was... afraid..." he said.
"Terrified..." Deanna said.
Deanna was standing in the room as a holographic image. Riker reacted.
"She was on the ship with me..." he said.
"That's because she represents an aspect of your personality - and there are many parts of you that still believe you're on that starship." the doctor said.
"Why her?"
"I asked you to get in touch with your feelings, and this is the part of you that responded. Talk to her about how you felt before you came here..."
Riker walked over to the Deanna image and eyed her.
"You said I was terrified... of what?" he asked her.
Deanna looked at Riker.
"I was in a dark place... cold... frightened... someone was there..." she said.
"Who?"
"I felt threatened by them... trapped..."
The Doctor lead him through the process.
"You're doing very well. Let's try to find out how you responded to these feelings. Try to focus on your actions..." the doctor said. "You felt trapped. What did you do?"
Riker thought when Worf appeared in the room. He seemed furious.
"I was angry. They were attacking me... I fought back..." he said in a high emotional pitch.
"I felt pain..." Deanna said.
"I was injured..."
"I began to panic..."
"There was a struggle... and I..." Worf started then trailed off.
"You what? What happened?" Riker asked.
Worf and Deanna were silent they don't have an answer. Riker looked to the Doctor, agitated.
"Try to associate your actions and emotions with logical thoughts. What do you think caused you to act and feel this way... ?" the doctor told Riker.
Riker concentrated. Picard appeared in the room. He was thoughtful, assured.
"It was dark and cold because... I was outdoors... at night... in a narrow space..." he said then thought. "I was walking through an alley."
"I felt threatened..." Deanna said.
"I was being watched..." Worf said.
"Someone must have followed me into the alley. That's why I started to walk faster. Then someone grabbed me from behind..." Picard said.
"I panicked..." Deanna said.
"I tried to fight them off..." Worf said.
"How many of them were there?" Riker asked.
"Three. They were humanoid. I could only make out one of their faces..." Picard said.
"Who was it?" Riker asked.
Suddenly, the alien Lieutenant appeared. He stood silently, staring at Riker. Riker was surprised by the sight.
"He was on the ship too... and I saw him here in the hospital... but I don't know who he is..." Riker said.
The Doctor looked curious.
"That's Mister Suna - the hospital Administrator. You met him when you first arrived." he said.
"What part of me does he represent?"
"I don't know..."
Suddenly, Picard and Worf all turned to Riker. Their demeanors changed, they sound and act just like themselves. There was an eerie moment...
"Don't believe this, Wil." she said indicating the room. "None of it is real. You're still with us... on the Enterprise."
Riker was worried by this change in attitude.
"Doctor..." he said.
"We're your colleagues. Trust us. It's going to be alright..." Picard said.
"Do you have anything to say to them?" the docor asked Riker.
"You're just... delusions..." Riker told the crew.
"Do not listen to him, Commander. He is trying to trick you. You are in danger here. Let us help you..." Worf said.
Riker's mind was reeling he's trying desperately to hang on to what he believes to be the here and now.
"Stop it... please. Leave me alone..." he said.
"Listen to me, Wil. In all the years we've known each other, have I ever lied to you?" Deanna said.
Riker glanced between Deanna and the Doctor, who was waiting to see what he will do.
"You are not real!" he shouted.
"Wil, please -" Picard said.
"NO!"
Picard, Deanna, Worf and the alien Lieutenant vanished. Riker sagged into his chair, exhausted. The Doctor looked pleased.
"You've taken a big step today. You've finally turned your back on those delusions and all that they represent." he said.
Then he deactivated the device and stood to go.
"We'll continue later." he said.
Riker pulled a hand across his weary face. As he sat silently, staring.
The next day various inmates at the common area engaged in various activities. Riker sat alone at a table, eating food from a tray. A silent moment as he ate, then he saw Beverly as she entered the room. She was dressed in a hospital doctor's uniform and held a note-taking device. She scanned the room for a moment, then spotted Riker.
Riker reacted, unnerved by the sight. Beverly started to approach him. He quickly shut his eyes.
"It's not real..." Riker said to himself.
Then he opened his eyes and Beverly was sitting down at his table. He looked down at his food and continued eating, desperately trying to ignore her presence. Beverly studied him, gauging his condition then speaks in an urgent whisper.
"Commander... do you know who I am?" Beverly asked him.
Riker didn't respond but kept eating.
"Do you know where you are?" she asked but got no response. "If you can't answer, just listen. You were on an undercover mission to Tilonus Four... something happened... we've been told that you killed someone. But we don't believe that's true..."
Then she glances around to make sure no one's watching - pulled out a tricorder and surreptitiously scanned him.
"We've been in orbit, trying to find a way to get you out. But there's a security field around the hospital that we can't penetrate..." she continued.
Riker ate faster, agitated, trying not to listen.
"We've been blocked at every turn. The hospital Administrator denies you're here at all. It's beginning to look like some kind of a conspiracy..." she said. "I had to come in posing as a health official..."
Then she stood to go then looked at him with concern.
"Sit tight. We're going to get you out of here."
Then she walked away and Riker breathed with a sigh of relief. He stared at his tray unsettled by the incident.
"Not real..." he said quietly.
Later the room was dark. Riker was in the Asylum cell lying in bed, eyes closed, asleep. Then he heard a tapping noise somewhere in the darkness. Riker opened his eyes, listened a moment then looked toward the door.
Someone was trying to break in. Riker sat up, alarmed. The tapping noise was followed by a clack and other tampering sounds. He watched as the door started to open slowly, as if someone was forcing it. Two hands could be seen pulling the door apart.
Data got the door all the way open and entered the room. He was dressed in dark clothing. Worf quickly followed, holding a phaser, also in dark clothing. They scanned the room, then spotted Riker on the bed.
"Commander." Data whispered.
They moved to help him, but Riker jumped off the bed and backed against a wall hardly believing his eyes.
"Get away from me..." Riker said.
Data and Worf exchanged a concerned look. Worf took a step toward Riker, then spoke very carefully.
"Commander, you must come with us. You are in danger here..." he said.
"No." Riker said louder.
"Silence..."
Riker started to say something, but Data quickly moved in and grabbed him then put a hand over his mouth. Riker struggled, to little effect. They lead him toward the door
Worf entered the hall, looked around and it was empty. Data entered holding Riker tightly by the arm. They quickly moved down the hall, Worf was leading the way, keeping a look-out.
Suddenly, Riker went limp in Data's arms. Data looked down at him, loosening his grip a little, concerned.
"Commander, are you -" he started.
Riker broke out of Data's grip, taking him by surprise. Then he bolted down the hall.
"Help me! HELP ME!" Riker called out.
Worf went to grab him. Mavek the Attendant and a hospital Guard round a corner. The Guard immediately drew his weapon, getting the drop on Worf, who stopped. Riker ran to the safety of the guards then looked like he was coming unhinged.
Data and Worf were stunned by the development.
Worf and Data faced Mavek and the Guard. Riker looked on.
"Who are you?" Mavek asked Worf and Data.
Worf just glared at him.
"Take them to Security Ward." Mavek told the guard.
Suddenly, Data moved for the Guard, disarmed the man and easily knocked him to the floor. Worf took out Mavek with a single well-timed punch.
Riker made a run for it, but Data grabbed him firmly by the arms.
After hours the common area was dark. Worf, Data and Riker entered and crossed to the middle of the room, where three pattern enhancer devices had been set up. Worf activated one of the enhancers and they created a triangle of light. Then Worf pulled out a communicator.
"Worf to Enterprise - the pattern enhancer has been activated. Three to beam up." he said.
"Acknowledged." N.D. said on com.
Riker struggled, but it was too late the three of them dematerialized.
A few hours later Picard was at sickbay looking on as Beverly scanned Riker with a medical tricorder.
Riker sat on a bio-bed, silent, guarded, wary of everything and everyone around him. He still didn't believe any of this was really happening. Worf stood close by, alert.
Beverly turned to Picard.
"There's damage to his parietal lobe. It's as if someone was trying to access his long term memory..." she said to him off tricorder.
They watched Riker for a moment.
"He's still in a state of severe neural shock. It'll take him a while to recover..." she said.
Picard moved to Riker, reached out a comforting hand. Riker jerked back, skittish.
"Number One... do you remember what happened?" Picard asked gently and Riker tried to ignore him, tense. "You were abducted during your mission to Tilonus Four. You were taken to a psychiatric hospital..."
Riker glanced at him, compelled by the words but not wanting to believe it. Suddenly, he reacted to a pain in the side of his head It was bleeding. Riker touched it and looked at the blood on his hand.
"My head... why is it still bleeding?"he asked.
Beverly eyed the wound then picked up a medical device.
"It's minor. Nothing to worry about..." she said then used the device to optically heal his wound. "We've done some checking on the hospital Administrator..." she told him.
"... Mister Suna..." he said.
"That's right. It appears he's involved with one of the rival factions. We believe he was responsible for what happened to you..." Picard said.
Riker considered the possibility then reacted to a sharp pain in his temple, the same place as before.
"It still hurts..." he said.
A drip of blood trailed down the side of his face. Riker reacts and touched his face: the wound had reappeared. He react startled.
"It's bleeding again..." he said. "But how? You just healed it..." he asked Beverly.
Beverly eyed him.
"Wil, try to calm down..." she said.
Riker came to a realization and a look of resolve crossed his face.
"This isn't real..." he said.
With that, he lunged for a nearby medical kit. Worf tried to stop him but Riker smashed the kit against the side of Worf's head. Worf staggered back, and as he did, Riker grabbed his phaser. Picard made a move but stopped when Riker trained the phaser on him.
Nobody moved.
"Wil, what are you doing?" Picard asked.
Riker's hands were shaking he was determined to shatter this reality.
"If I'm right, you're not really here... and this isn't a real phaser..." he said. "It's all a fantasy, and I'm ending it no matter what it takes..."
Picard took a step toward him.
"But what if this isn't a fantasy? Are you willing to take that chance?" he asked.
Riker hesitated, lowered the phaser slightly...
"You're right... I won't. But I've got to find out what's real and what's not..." he said and turned the phaser on himself. "One way or another, this is going to end."
"Wil, don't - !" Beverly said.
Riker fired but the blast had no effect on him.
As the entire room shattered like breaking glass around Riker.
Riker was now at Asylum cell standing in the exact same position, arms hanging at his side, his head wound was gone. The alien Lieutenant was standing in front of him, dressed as the hospital Administrator. Doctor Syrus and Mavek stood nearby. Riker glanced around, startled by the change in setting.
"How's he progressing?" Administrator asked.
"He's not responding to the Reflection Therapy. His delusions are growing more elaborate..." the doctor said.
"He broke out of his cell last night. We found him running down a corridor... claiming people had come to take him back to his "starship.""attendant said.
There was a grim minute.
"Then I see no other choice..." he said. "We'll have to perform the synaptic reconstruction."
Riker sensed something odd then looked down at his hand. He was still holding the phaser. He reacted, startled then aimed the phaser at the others.
"I still have the phaser... why do I still have the phaser?" he asked.
"It's not a phaser. It's a knife. You stole it from one of the food trays." administrator said. "Give it to me. We don't want you to hurt yourself..."
Riker hesitated, unsure, then a trickle of blood ran down his face, the wound had reappeared on his temple. He touched the wound, and it shocked him into awareness. He aimed the phaser at the Attendant.
"I don't believe you -" he started then fired, vaporizing the Attendant.
The Doctor and the Administrator/Lieutenant reacted, shocked. Riker smiled feeling more confident.
"If this is a knife... what happened to Mavek?" he asked.
The Administrator/Lieutenant tried to stay in control of the situation.
"It's very complicated. I'll answer all of your questions. But first I want you to put it down..." administrator said.
"No. If I'm really holding a phaser, then that means I was on the Enterprise..." Riker said and realized the implications, stared at the phaser. "But I fired this at myself on the Enterprise. I should be dead right now..." he continued and looked around the room, trying to put it all together. "None of this is real -"
Then he pressed a few buttons.
"I'm setting this to Level Sixteen, wide field. That should destroy half of this building..." he said. "Unless, of course, it isn't a real phaser."
Then he fired an immense blast
As the entire room shattered like breaking glass around Riker and the alien administrator/lieutenant breaking apart.
He was on the Enterprise Asylum cell/theater Riker and the Administrator/Lieutenant now standing face to face on the stage set. Riker looked around filled with people: Picard, Data, Worf, Geordi, Beverly, Troi, Wesley, the entire Enterprise crew, and more: Doctor Syrus, Mavek. Nearly everyone Riker saw earlier was present, watching the stage intently.
Riker was more confused than ever, but was determined to get to the bottom of this. He turned to the Administrator/Lieutenant.
"It's all about you, isn't it? You're the only constant... the only person in both places..." he said.
"There's a lot more going on here than you realize." administrator said.
Riker glanced toward the audience.
"None of this is real, either..." he said. "What's happening to me?"
The administrator/Lieutenant stepped toward him.
"We can still save you - but you must stop fighting us." he said.
Riker hesitated, unsure for a moment then he reacted to a pain in the side of his head.
A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face. The wound had reappeared. Riker reacted, touched the wound. It seemed to jolt him into awareness. He looked up, defiant.
"You're lying..." Riker said.
"Let me help you..." administrator said.
"No!" Riker yelled.
The audience reacted with a smattering of applauds. Riker glanced at them, encouraged.
"I'm warning you..." Administrator said.
"No!" Riker said.
Riker lost control so he shoved the Administrator/Lieutenant aside and headed for the back wall of the stage set. The audience cheered and started to get to its feet. Determined to break out of this reality, driven by the applause, Riker punched both fists toward the back wall.
Everything shattered like breaking glass, including Riker and the administrator/Lieutenant.
At the alien lab Riker bolted awake. He looked around, saw that he was lying on an examination table. An alien medical apparatus was above him a probe was connected to the side of his head at the exact spot where the wound had appeared all along. He was dressed in the Tilonus merchant costume. He turns and saw
The room was a redress of the Asylum Cell rigged with various alien medical equipment. The Administrator/Lieutenant was working at a console that displays a graphic of a human brain. The mood was different here it's reality..
The Administrator/Lieutenant turned, saw that Riker was awake.
"He's conscious!" the administrator yelled to someone.
The Administrator/Lieutenant rushed to Riker and tried to pin him down. Riker struggled. An alien assistant moved into view.
"We haven't finished the neuro chemical drain - get him sedated!" Administrator said.
The Assistant moved for him but Riker kicked him squarely in the head, knocking him unconscious and to the floor. Riker teared the probe away from his head, revealing a nasty-looking wound, blood trailed down his face. He quickly scanned the room then spotted a nearby table which contained the tricorder, water bottle, nisroh knife and pendant/communicator. Before the Administrator could stop him, Riker grabbed the knife and turned it on the Administrator held it close to his neck, threatening. The Administrator stopped and Riker grabs the pendant.
Riker tapped his pendant.
"Riker to Enterprise." he said.
"Enterprise here. Are you alright, sir?" Worf asked on com.
"Emergency transport - get me out of here!" Riker said then dematerialized.
"Captain's Log, Stardate 46778.1. Commander Riker has returned safely from his mission to Tilonus Four, where he was being held captive by one of the rival factions. Doctor Crusher has repaired the damage to his long term memory. His recovery is proceeding well." Picard said.
A couple of days later Riker was at the ready room looking rested and in good health. He was sitting with Picard and Deanna, midconversation.
"Evidently, you were abducted two days after beaming to the surface." Picard told Riker.
"I remember it now... I was in an alley... they attacked me from behind. I tried to defend myself with the nisroh knife Worf gave me..." he said. "I managed to fight off one of them... but I think they injected me with some kind of drug..."
"We believe they were trying to extract strategic information from your memory using a neuro-somatic technique."
Riker considered, disturbed.
"I was in a hospital... then on the Enterprise... and the hospital again..." he said. "I kept shifting back and forth... I couldn't tell what was real..."
"Your mind must have created a defense mechanism, a fantasy that helped you resist the neuro-somatic process. Your unconscious fastened onto elements from your real life in an attempt to keep you grounded... to keep you sane." Deanna said.
"The preparation for the mission... the play... they were all recent experiences, fresh in my mind..." Riker said onto the idea.
Deanna nodded.
"Get some rest, Number One. We can talk more in the morning." Picard said.
"Alright... but there's one thing I'd like to do first..." Riker said.
Later Riker and Beverly stood on the stage set. They were alone. Riker was eyeing the stage intently.
"Are you sure you want to do this by yourself? The stage crew and I were going to wait until morning..." Beverly said.
"I'm positive. After what I've experienced... I don't think I could sleep knowing this was still up..." Riker said.
Then he moved to a stage wall and removed a piece of the set, starting to break it down. He dropped the piece to the floor, satisfied. Beverly smiled gently and left. Riker considered the stage for a long minute reflecting on his experience. Then he continued to break it down.