water and air.
Her eyes have developed
nictitating membranes.
I believe she is amphibian.
She has been injured.
Yes, sir. There's Klingon DNA
in the wound. It is saliva.
She's been bitten?
It would appear so.
I will need
a full biospectral analysis.
First we've got
to get the ship under control.
Let's go to the bridge.
His spinal column
has been broken in three places.
It looks like he was attacked
by an animal.
- Yes, sir.
- Has his DNA been changed?
Yes, sir. However, it was
in its initial stages when he died.
Captain.
I am picking up 1,011 individual
life forms within the ship.
All exhibit a similar genetic flux
to Counsellor Troi's.
So the entire ship has been affected.
Most life forms are scattered
throughout the ship.
However, there are concentrations
in the arboretum and the aquatic lab.
I've regained attitude control
but main power is still off line.
It looks as if the power-transfer
grid has been destroyed.
Will?
Captain.
His cranial plates
have thickened by 20 percent.
His brain is much smaller.
He cannot comprehend our language.
Perhaps we can communicate.
Will, can you understand
what it is...
- He looks almost proto-human.
- Yes, sir.
His DNA would seem to confirm
that observation.
Captain,
I believe the crew is de-evolving.
This tranquilliser should keep him
unconscious for seven hours.
What have you found out?
I have analysed
Cmdr Riker's DNA structure.
A synthetic T-cell
has invaded his genetic codes.
This T-cell has begun to activate
his latent introns.
Introns?
They are genetic codes
which are normally dormant.
They are evolutionary holdovers,
sequences of DNA which provided
key behavioural and physical
characteristics millions of years ago
but are no longer necessary.
For instance, Counsellor Troi's gills
and amphibious characteristics
were derived from introns which
still contain amphibious codes.
So these introns are causing her DNA
to recombine
in an earlier configuration?
That is correct.
In her case, the DNA has created
an amphibious life form
which became extinct
over 50 million years ago.
Cmdr Riker's introns are
changing him into an early hominid.
Yes, sir.
I would say australopithecine.
Each stage is another link
in the evolutionary chain
which stretches back to the origins
of all life forms on Earth.
Because introns
can include genetic material
from many different species
over millions of years,
it is possible that a wide variety
of transformations is occurring.
What about crew members
not from Earth?
All humanoid life
has a similar genetic pattern.
The virus should work on non-human
crew members in the same way.
They're each de-evolving into earlier
forms of life on their worlds.
I feel I must inform you, sir,
you have also been infected
by the intron virus.
How long before I begin to change?
According to my calculations,
within the next 12 hours,
you will exhibit the first signs
of your eventual transformation.
And what will that be?
I believe you will also de-evolve
into an earlier form of primate,
possibly similar to a lemur
or a pygmy marmoset.
Well, before I begin swinging through
the ship looking for breakfast,
we'd better find some answers.
How do we reverse the process?
I am uncertain.
We will need to run
microcellular scans.
But the ship's main computer
has been damaged.
Captain.
The computer in my quarters has
an independent memory-storage unit.
It should not have been affected.
- I suggest we start there.
- Agreed.
It would appear
that Spot has had her kittens.
They sound hungry.
Yes. I am curious as to why
Spot is not caring for them.
It would seem that the virus is
not limited to humanoid life forms.
No, sir.
What is it?
These kittens were born
less than 24 hours ago.
Spot's transformation took place
at approximately the same time.
So, Spot was giving birth
to the kittens
at the same time that she was
changing into a reptilian life form.
I