The roar of water nearly drowned out Geordi La Forge's voice. He pitched it higher, trying to make himself heard over the din.

"Reichenbach Falls?"

Data nodded solemnly.

Geordi, dressed in a grey suit and sporting a cap, looked around him and gingerly peered over the narrow ledge he was standing on.

"You're sure the safety protocols are on?"

Data's white face showed a twinge of annoyance. "Geordi, you must stay in character."

"It's just a long way down. What are we doing here? I thought we were following Moriarty."

"We are!" Data declared, his voice ringing over the sound of pounding water. "We have pursued the nefarious criminal mastermind to this very place and it is here that I will meet my death."

"Hang on, you die?" Geordi demanded. "Data, I thought Holmes defeated Moriarty."

Data pulled a pipe from his pocket and clenched it between his teeth. When Geordi rolled his eyes, the android removed it. "Originally, Sherlock Holmes died with Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls. However, there was a public outcry and Doyle resurrected Holmes in subsequent writings."

Geordi nodded. "Shouldn't you act a little more…upset if you're doing to die."

"Why would I be?"

"Data," Geordi began, but was interrupted.

"Riker to LaForge."

"LaForge here."

"Geordi, we need you in… What's that noise?"

"Computer, freeze program," Geordi called. The roar of water stopped and the two men were left in a sudden quiet. "Sorry, Commander."

"We need you in Engineering," Riker's voice said through the com. "We've detected a small craft about to enter a planet's atmosphere but the tractor beam needs remodulated to get through its shielding."

"On my way, Commander." Geordi tugged off his cap. "Computer, exit."

Double doors appeared and the two men stepped through them. Geordi turned to Data as they walked.

"I don't get it. Holmes dies and then comes back? Why do you want to act out his death, then?"

"Sherlock Holmes's supposed death was a critical moment for the character. I wish to…explore it."

"Explore death?"

"It is something that I will never experience as you do. The human perception of death is unique, as different cultures have interpreted the experience in different ways for centuries. If I am to understand what it is to be human, then I must understand death."

"Good luck with that," Geordi told him as they entered Engineering.

"What do you mean?"

"It's like you said, different cultures interpret it differently. You're not going to find one way to interpret it. It's personal."

"You are saying that in order to understand the experience of death, I must form my own opinions and perspective."

"Sure, Data. Now help me with this tractor beam."

On the bridge, Captain Picard stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at the viewscreen.

"How long before the ship enters the planet's atmosphere?" the Captain asked.

"Five minutes, sir," responded Worf from behind him.

"Ensign, take us in closer."

Wesley Crusher tapped a few buttons on the conn and navigated the Enterprise closer to the small vessel on the viewscreen. The ship was small and nearly invisible against the brown planet behind it.

"LaForge to Bridge, we're working on the tractor beam. The ship has some kind of remodulating shielding that's making it hard for us to lock on."

"You have five minutes, Mister LaForge," Picard told him. "Have you seen this kind of technology before?"

"No, sir. It's not like what the Borg use."

"Thank goodness for that," said Riker. He paced past Picard and came to stand beside Worf.

"Still no response to the hails?"

"No," growled Worf as Riker peered over his shoulder. "I am repeating it on every frequency. It is possible that it is not penetrating the shielding."

"Or maybe there's no one to hear it. Keep trying." Riker strode down the ramp to return to Picard's side. "How long do we have?"

"Four minutes."

"And you're sure there's a life sign aboard?"

"Yes."

Riker turned to Picard. "We could launch a photon torpedo beneath the ship. The blast may knock it out of orbit."

"Or it could destroy the ship," Picard said. "We have time. Lieutenant, you're sure this ship matches no known vessels in the database?"

"It doesn't," Worf said. "Starfleet doesn't have any record of its configuration."

"LaForge to Bridge." Geordi's voice came floating through the com system. "We've remodulated the tractor beam to match the shield's frequencies. It will lock on, but no guarantee for how long. It should buy us a few minutes."

"Make it so."

A blue beam shot from the ship's deflector dish and locked onto the small ship. Slowly, it was drawn away from the planet and out into open space. As they watched, the beam flickered and died. The ship once again drifted.

"Status, Lieutenant Irving."

The Lieutenant at Ops tapped a few buttons. "The ship is out of orbit. It shouldn't be drawn back into the atmosphere."

"Excellent. Geordi, keep working on that tractor beam. I want to bring the ship aboard. Worf, continue to monitor for life signs and repeat the hail. I'll be in my Ready Room."

Picard was tapping through Engineering reports when Riker entered his Ready Room.

"Sir, the shuttle is aboard. There's no sign of life."

"Excellent. Let's go open it."

"You, sir?"

"I'm curious to see who's inside." Picard passed Riker on the way out of the room and his first officer followed him into the turbolift.

"Mister Worf, with us," Riker called and the Klingon joined them.

"Security, meet us in Cargo Bay 4."

"Expecting trouble, Mister Worf?" Picard asked.

"It is best to be prepared."

"I agree, sir. We don't know who could be inside or why they aren't answering our hails. It could be dangerous."

"Will, it is a Captain's privilege to be able to make that decision on his own," Picard said with a tint of a smile. They were silent for the rest of the walk to the Cargo Bay and, when they entered, they found two security personnel waiting for them. Geordi and Data stood beside the shuttle.

"Can you open it?" Riker asked.

"Just give the word."

"Do it."

The door of the shuttle craft creaked open with a metallic shriek that left everyone wincing. Geordi stepped back from the door as they waited.

Nothing happened.

Worf stepped forward, flanked by security, and looked inside the shuttlecraft.

"There is some kind of pod," he called from inside.

Picard and Riker stepped forward. Inside the pod it was dark; the only light came flashing in small blips from a large pod that took up most of the space inside the shuttle. It was grey metal and about the length of a man. Riker stepped closer to look through the transparent top.

"There's someone inside," he said to the crowd behind him. "It's a male, not from any species I've seen before."

"Doctor Crusher, please report to Cargo Bay 4." Picard stepped into the shuttle to stand beside Riker.

The man inside the pod looked young. He had brown hair that fell around shoulders. His forehead sported ridges that ran along his temples in pale contrast to his tanned face.

"Is that some kind of uniform?" Riker asked.

"Could be," Picard answered, looking at the grey jumpsuit that their guest was wearing.

"I wonder where he's from." Riker hopped out of the shuttlecraft. "Data, have you seen a ship like this before?"

"The ship does not match any known configuration in the Starfleet database."

"That's what I said," Worf muttered. Riker suppressed a smile at the security officer's hurt pride.

"Data and Geordi, access the computer. See if I you can find a flight plan or anything about where it came from."

"Yes, sir." Geordi moved to a nearby console and started tapping. "It'll take some time to access the ship's log."

"What's going on?"

"Ah, Doctor," Picard said, peering out of the shuttlecraft. "I have a patient for you."

Crusher pulled out a medical tricorder and started to scan the pod. "It's a status chamber. I haven't seen one like it before, it's very advanced. He's alive but being kept in suspended animation."

"How long has he been in there?"

Beverly frowned. She checked the side of the pod and hit a few buttons. "I've worked with chambers similar to this two years ago at Starfleet Medical. If I'm reading this right, he's been inside here for…almost five hundred years."

"Five hundred years?" Riker asked.

"Yes. At least, that's what it looks like. I'll have to run some tests when we get him to Sickbay."

"Doctor, I'd like for him to remain here for now," Picard said.

"I can't revive him in a cargo bay, Captain."

"I'm aware of that. I need to decide if we are going to revive him."

"Captain, he's been stuck in this pod for half a century," Beverly protested.

"Exactly. And he would still be in the shuttlecraft if we had not interfered."

"I don't think the Prime Directive applies here."

"LaForge, does this ship have warp capability?" Riker asked over his shoulder. He ducked his head under the open door to step closer to the pod and to Beverly and Picard; the former was glaring daggers at the latter.

"I don't think so, sir." Geordi called from his console. He stepped past Riker to climb into the shuttle's cockpit and settle into the single seat. He tapped a few buttons and the console lit up.

"We have power. The ship has a simple impulse drive but no warp capability. But it has a very advanced energy system. It's kept the pod and the shields functioning for all this time."

Picard turned to Beverly. "This ship could be from a pre-warp civilization. If we interfere…"

"His civilization is five hundred years in the past," Crusher countered. "They could easily have developed warp drive by now."

"But this man," Picard said, pointing to the pod, "is from the past."

Beverly looked as if she wanted to say something but she bit her tongue.

Loud beeping made everyone look to the cockpit, where Geordi was sitting with his hands raised above the console.

"Lieutenant?"

"I'm not sure what happened, sir. I was trying to check the flight plan to see if I could find anything and the ship just started to shut down."

Beverly scanned the pod. "The life support is failing." She scanned the side of the pod. "He's losing oxygen." She turned to the Captain. "If I don't get him out of here, he's going to die. We need to transport him to Sickbay."

Picard nodded. "Data, transport the pod to Sickbay. Doctor, I want a quarantine field around the pod."

Crusher nodded and disappeared out of the cargo bay. A few seconds later, the pod disappeared from the shuttle. Picard turned to Riker.

"You made the right decision, sir," Riker said. "We couldn't let him die."

"I agree, Number One. I just rather feel like we may have opened Pandora's Box."