ll have to do
an emergency core shutdown.
That would leave us
without warp power for over a week.
Begin the procedure, Mr La Forge.
We are no longer at warp, sir.
Impulse power has resumed.
All systems show normal.
Where are we?
We are 30 billion kilometres
from our original position.
Well done, Mr La Forge.
It wasn't me. I didn't have time
to complete the shutdown procedure.
I want an explanation.
Picard out.
Have you found anything yet?
Only that we seem to have
more than one mystery here.
I don't know why the ship jumped into
warp, but we're lucky that it did.
There was a data-flux distortion
building up around the ship.
Why didn't our sensors alert us?
They're not designed
to detect such distortion.
And yet there is a record
of the distortion in our sensor log.
That's the other mystery.
One fact is clear. The distortion
was growing in strength.
If we had remained
at our position 1.7 seconds longer,
it would have ruptured our warp core.
If the Enterprise hadn't
jumped into warp when it did,
we would have been blown to pieces.
I don't get it, Data. What would
cause the engines to jump into warp?
Perhaps they were activated
by a random power fluctuation.
Which occurred just in time
to save the ship?
It is improbable but it is possible.
I don't know. I don't think
I'm ready to start believing in luck.
- There is another possibility.
- Yeah, what's that?
The sensors apparently
detected a dangerous anomaly
that threatened the Enterprise.
Perhaps they triggered
a safety device
that caused the ship
to avoid destruction.
Yeah, but there's no direct link
between the engines and the sensors.
What is that?
It looks like
some kind of new circuit node.
And it's connected to at least
six points on the sensor array.
It seems to be connected
to several other systems,
including the warp-control circuits.
There's a connection between the
warp engines and sensors after all.
A force field.
Where did that come from?
I am not certain.
Perhaps it came from the node itself.
Well, wherever it came from,
it doesn't want us
messing with this node.
It appears to be protecting itself.
We found these nodes
in several systems around the ship.
At some level or another,
they're all connected.
These nodes linked the sensors to our
warp control and defensive systems.
We think this is why
the ship jumped to warp.
When the sensors detected danger,
the defensive systems
activated the warp engines
to protect us.
Where did the nodes come from?
Possibly, the magnascopic storm
we recently encountered
affected the ship's systems.
Wherever they're from,
they seem to be multiplying.
As they increase, it will become
more difficult to control the ship.
What do you propose we do?
Getting rid of them won't be easy.
When we tried to examine
one of the nodes,
it generated a force field
to keep us out.
Whatever's going on, our priority
is getting back control of the ship.
Agreed. All of the nodal connections
intersect in holodeck three.
It appears to be
a focal point of some kind.
We could use the holodeck circuitry
to disable the nodes permanently.
Alright. Let's do it.
Commander, the holodeck appears
to be in operation.
I thought you shut down
the entire system.
I did, but it has reactivated itself
and will not disengage.
Which program is running?
Several different ones
are running simultaneously.
This should be interesting.
- You weren't kidding, Mr Data.
- No, sir.
I estimate that this scene
consists of portions
of seven distinct holodeck programs.
See if you can access the circuits
that have been affected by the nodes.
Tickets, please.
Please have your tickets ready.
Thank you, sir. Thank you, madam.
Tickets, please.
I never even been away from home.
Now I'm going to Vertiform City.
Very nice, sir. Enjoy your trip.
Tickets, please. Tickets.
Thank you, sir.
Commander.
I have located a large concentration
of nodes behind this wall
They