The
Federation starship Enterprise, under the command of Captain
Jean-Luc Picard, is en route to provide medical care for the reclusive but respected scientist Dr. Ira Graves, who lives with only his assistant, Kareen Brianon, on a remote planet. When the crew receives an emergency distress call from a nearby transport ship, Captain Picard elects to send an away team composed of Data,
Counselor Troi,
Lt. Worf, and
Dr. Selar to see to Dr. Graves while Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Pulaski stays aboard the Enterprise, which leaves to attend to the transport. The away team finds that the request for medical assistance was made by Kareen without Graves' knowledge, and though resentful, he allows Selar to examine him. Selar determines that Graves has Darnay's disease, an incurable terminal disease and has only three weeks to live, so the team begins to collect Graves' research and records to preserve them after his death. Graves recognizes Data as
Noonien Soong's creation and claims that he taught Soong everything he knew and asserts that if Soong is considered Data's "father", that would make Graves his "grandfather". Graves and Data begin to spend time alone, during which Graves reveals that he has developed a method to transfer his consciousness to a computer, allowing him to live indefinitely. Data in turn reveals that he has an off switch, which he says could be used to precipitate a version of death. Later, Data reports to the away team that Graves has died. The
Enterprise returns and retrieves the away team along with Kareen and Graves' body; Graves is given a funeral. Data delivers a glowing
eulogy, surprising the crew. When he later whistles "
If I Only Had a Brain", echoing a habit of Graves' (who had told Data he resembled the
Tin Woodman), when entering a turbolift, Picard decides that his uncharacteristic behavior warrants an examination. Although no physical anomalies are detected, Troi's psychotronic stability tests suggest there are two personalities within Data: his original personality, and an additional personality that is foreign and dominant, and which threatens to replace Data's personality. Picard soon realizes that Graves has transferred his mind into Data. Graves, still in Data's body, reveals the truth to Kareen. While passionately proposing that she do the same so they can spend eternity together, Graves accidentally breaks two bones in her hand due to Data's superhuman strength. Picard tries to persuade Graves to give up Data's body voluntarily, noting the harm he is causing to those he loves. Graves knocks the captain unconscious. When Picard awakens, he and a security team find Data in his quarters. Data is back to his old self and Kareen finds that Graves has transferred himself out of Data and into the Enterprise's computer but only his knowledge, not his consciousness; the "human" part of Dr. Graves has been lost. == Reception ==