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Thine Own Self (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"Thine Own Self" is the 168th episode
of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
is sent to a pre-Industrial planet to recover the radioactive remains of a deep-space probe that crashed on the planet. However, Data is injured during the recovery, and without memory of who he is or his mission, walks into a village carrying the case of radioactive parts. Garvin, the village magistrate, and his daughter Gia, take Data to their healer, Talur, who determines he must be an "ice man;" Gia names Data "Jayden." Garvin discovers the probe's fragments, unaware of their hazard, and attempts to sell them to make a profit. As the village folk begin to wear the fragments as jewelry, they start to succumb to radiation poisoning
, though Talur is unfamiliar with the symptoms. Jayden uses his own, more scientific methods and concludes that the metal fragments are causing the illnesses, and, with Talur's help, attempts to urge the villagers to get rid of them. Instead, the villagers attack Jayden, believing him to be the cause for the illness, and cause his mechanical innards to be exposed. When Gia sees this, she is alarmed, but then realizes that Jayden is trying to help them. Jayden is able to prepare an antidote for the poisoning, administering it to Garvin and Gia, and to dose the entire village, he puts the rest of the antidote in the village's well. The villagers, still angry at him, attack Jayden, apparently killing him. Garvin and Gia bury Jayden, and bury the metal fragments in the forest outside of town. When Riker
and Crusher
arrive under the guise of friends of Jayden, they learn of his fate from Gia. Data's body and the metal fragments are beamed to the Enterprise. Data's functions are restored, but he has no memory of his life as "Jayden." He recalls that his positronic brain must have been overloaded from a power surge from the probe as he recovered the fragments, leading to his memory loss.
A separate plot during these events follows Deanna Troi
's efforts to become a bridge officer by undergoing a holodeck
test of her command abilities under Riker's oversight. Though initially she struggles to save a failing Enterprise from being destroyed by avoiding placing anyone at risk, Riker gives her a subtle hint on a proper outcome, and Troi manages to pass the test when she orders Geordi to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the crew. Troi is promoted to Commander after successfully passing the test.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Overview
Data, suffering amnesia, unintentionally exposes a primitive alien village to dangerously radioactive materials; Troi takes tests necessary for a promotion from Lt. Commander to Commander.Plot
DataData (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
is sent to a pre-Industrial planet to recover the radioactive remains of a deep-space probe that crashed on the planet. However, Data is injured during the recovery, and without memory of who he is or his mission, walks into a village carrying the case of radioactive parts. Garvin, the village magistrate, and his daughter Gia, take Data to their healer, Talur, who determines he must be an "ice man;" Gia names Data "Jayden." Garvin discovers the probe's fragments, unaware of their hazard, and attempts to sell them to make a profit. As the village folk begin to wear the fragments as jewelry, they start to succumb to radiation poisoning
Radiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
, though Talur is unfamiliar with the symptoms. Jayden uses his own, more scientific methods and concludes that the metal fragments are causing the illnesses, and, with Talur's help, attempts to urge the villagers to get rid of them. Instead, the villagers attack Jayden, believing him to be the cause for the illness, and cause his mechanical innards to be exposed. When Gia sees this, she is alarmed, but then realizes that Jayden is trying to help them. Jayden is able to prepare an antidote for the poisoning, administering it to Garvin and Gia, and to dose the entire village, he puts the rest of the antidote in the village's well. The villagers, still angry at him, attack Jayden, apparently killing him. Garvin and Gia bury Jayden, and bury the metal fragments in the forest outside of town. When Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
and Crusher
Beverly Crusher
Commander Beverly Crusher, M.D. , played by actress Gates McFadden, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent spinoff films...
arrive under the guise of friends of Jayden, they learn of his fate from Gia. Data's body and the metal fragments are beamed to the Enterprise. Data's functions are restored, but he has no memory of his life as "Jayden." He recalls that his positronic brain must have been overloaded from a power surge from the probe as he recovered the fragments, leading to his memory loss.
A separate plot during these events follows Deanna Troi
Deanna Troi
Commander Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counselor...
's efforts to become a bridge officer by undergoing a holodeck
Holodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
test of her command abilities under Riker's oversight. Though initially she struggles to save a failing Enterprise from being destroyed by avoiding placing anyone at risk, Riker gives her a subtle hint on a proper outcome, and Troi manages to pass the test when she orders Geordi to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the crew. Troi is promoted to Commander after successfully passing the test.
See also
- Goiânia accidentGoiânia accidentThe Goiânia accident was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on September 13, 1987, at Goiânia, in the Brazilian State of Goiás after an old radiotherapy source was taken from an abandoned hospital site in the city...
, an incident of radioactive contamination in central BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, a real life accident with some similarities.
External links
- Thine Own Self at Ex Astris Scientia.