Act 1 | Scene 1

Sickbay on the USS Enterprise-D

Captain Picard enters Sickbay, where Dr. Beverly Crusher tends to Ensigns Wesley Crusher and Emily Harrison, both resting in medbay beds.

Picard: “Doctor, have you made any progress with their conditions?”

Dr. Crusher: “They are stable, but their short-term memory remains impaired, Captain.”

Picard, addressing Wesley: “Can you recall anything from the away mission?”

Wesley struggles to sit up, but Nurse Ogowa gently encourages him to lie back down, holding a medical tricorder.

Wesley: “No, Captain Picard. It feels like there’s a fog clouding my mind.”

Emily adds, “I’m equally stumped, sir. It’s quite frustrating.”

Picard: “Please keep me informed, Doctor.”

Upon returning to the bridge, Picard orders the immediate recall of the away team. Meanwhile, Wesley seizes the moment to engage with Emily.

Wesley (finally sitting up): “I’m Wesley. I keep replaying the last known data, hoping to identify where things went wrong. What’s your last memory?”

Emily (cautiously sitting up, a bit dizzy): “I’m Ensign Emily Harrison. I was thrilled about the potential discoveries on Rystopv IV, but then... nothing.”

Wesley speculates, “Given the technological levels of the civilizations we were studying, it might be a biological pathogen causing our issues.”

Emily nods in agreement: “What about your memory?”

Wesley (thoughtfully): “Just the anticipation of a routine survey, looking forward to seeing the famous five-legged alpine saucer beetles.”

Emily grimaces at the thought.

Emily: “Delightful.”

Wesley (grinning): “Not a fan of insects?”

Emily shakes her head in disapproval.

Wesley: “You must know Ahmed from astro-archeology?”

Emily: “He’s my favorite forensic archaeologist.”

Wesley (curious): “Oh?”

Emily: “What?”

Before Wesley can respond, they overhear Dr. Crusher discussing their condition with Nurse Ogowa.

Dr. Crusher: “Neural activity is fluctuating. Monitor them closely for any significant changes during their interactions.”

Nurse Ogowa: “Understood, Doctor. I’ll set up a trace.”

Dr. Crusher conducts a quick scan on Wesley.

Wesley (noticing Emily in the next bed): “Hi, I’m... Wesley. Did I mention that already?”

Emily: “Yes, we just talked about our theories regarding the away mission. You were about to say something. Can you recall any of that?”

Wesley: “No, I can’t.”

Emily: “Wow. That was only thirty seconds ago.”

Wesley (tilting his head): “Considering the ancient technologies we encountered, it’s probable we were impacted by a biological pathogen.”

Emily: “You mentioned that before.”

Wesley (squinting): “Did I?”

Emily (nodding): “It’s a solid theory. It aligns with our expectations of the mission.”

Dr. Crusher checks her PADD, concerned.

Dr. Crusher: “No notable progress regarding their memory. They’re engaged, but retention is low.”

Nurse Ogowa: “Could they benefit from more complex cognitive tasks over a longer duration?”

Dr. Crusher: “It’s worth investigating. Continue monitoring.”

After another scan, Emily appears dazed.

Dr. Crusher steps aside to converse privately with Nurse Ogowa.

Emily (turning to Wesley): “What are we doing here? I’m Ensign Emily Harrison. Have we met?”

Wesley: “Yes, a few times. I’m Wesley. We’re trying to piece together this amnesia puzzle. It feels like solving a mystery with no clues.”

Emily: “I apologize for not remembering. Is it happening to you too?”

Wesley nods as the medical staff checks on another patient.

Emily (enthusiastic): “What if we solve this before they do?”

Wesley (intrigued): “That would be remarkable.”

Emily: “Oh no, it’s happening again. What’s your name once more?”

Wesley: “Wesley Crusher.”

She repeats his name several times.

Dr. Crusher and Nurse Ogowa huddle again.

Dr. Crusher: “During their longer interactions, the neural activity seems to stabilize momentarily.”

Nurse Ogowa: “That could be our breakthrough. Perhaps sustained, complex interactions are the answer.”

Dr. Crusher: “I agree. Let’s prepare cognitive tests, but in the meantime, encourage them to converse. It might just be the solution we need.”

Dr. Crusher (to the ensigns): “I want you both to keep talking.”

Wesley (looking at Emily): “No problem, Doctor.”

Beverly smiles, sensing it’s not the right moment to reference their mother-son relationship.

After a brief silence, Emily resumes the conversation.

Emily: “Do you remember meeting me before this incident? You seem familiar.”

Wesley: “I can’t say I do, but it’s possible we crossed paths aboard the ship. It’s vast, yet it sometimes feels small.”

Emily: “Yeah, I’m quite forgettable.”

Wesley laughs.

Nurse Ogawa, organizing medical supplies nearby, overhears.

Nurse Ogawa: “Actually, you two have participated in the same poker nights a few times. You’re both quite competitive.”

Wesley: “Poker nights? Seriously? That’s wild.”

Emily: “Very strange. I have no memory of that. I can recall playing poker once, but not when.”

Nurse Ogawa: “Doctor, they can’t recall playing poker together.”

Dr. Crusher, engrossed in scans: “On the away mission?”

Nurse Ogawa: “No, regularly.”

Dr. Crusher (astonished, finally looking up from her PADD): “What? They know each other?”

Nurse Ogawa: “Absolutely.”

Dr. Crusher: “Wesley, can you tell me who your commanding officer is?”

Wesley: “Commander William Riker.”

Dr. Crusher turns to Emily.

Dr. Crusher: “Ensign Harrison, can you recall the topic of your senior thesis at Starfleet Academy?”

Emily: “Yes, it was about the astro-archaeology of warp-capable civilizations in the far Alpha Quadrant.”

Dr. Crusher (pondering): “This is serious. It appears they can remember everything except their interactions with each other.”

Data and Counselor Troi enter Sickbay.

Data: “Doctor, I was informed you needed assistance in diagnosing a unique neurological condition.”

Dr. Crusher: “Yes, definitely Data. For some reason, they can remember everything about their lives except their interactions with one another. Any logical explanation?”

Data: “Intriguing.”

Counselor Troi: “Data!”

Data (showing empathy): “Ah, yes. I’m ‘sorry’ about your situation, Wesley, my friend.”

Wesley mouths ‘friend.’

Data: “It’s possible the pathogen specifically targets memory engrams associated with emotional significance or high cognitive demand. Given their intellectual endeavors, their interactions may possess a unique neural signature that the pathogen is influencing.”

Dr. Crusher: “An interesting hypothesis, Data. Let’s prepare specialized scans to test it.”

Wesley and Emily, still captivated by their condition, continue their dialogue.

Wesley: “If we’ve met before, what’s happening?”

Emily: “If Commander Data’s theory holds true, it implies our past meetings might have had emotional or intellectual significance.”

Wesley: “That’s a fascinating idea. It’s like we’re characters in a narrative, but we can’t access the previous chapters.”

Emily: “Precisely. But every conversation we have now is like writing a new page. Maybe by the end of this ordeal, we’ll remember not just this experience, but our entire past?”

Dr. Crusher, Nurse Ogawa, and Data huddle once more.

Counselor Troi: “Wesley and Emily, I’m certain everything will be fine. Now, share everything you remember.”

Dr. Crusher: “Prepare the neural scanners. If Data’s theory is accurate, understanding this unique neural signature might help us treat them and safeguard future away teams from similar pathogens.”

Nurse Ogawa: “Understood, Doctor.”

Data: “I will continue to observe their interactions. It is a rare chance to study human cognition under such unusual circumstances.”

Wes (sarcastically): “Thanks, Data.”

Counselor Troi stifles a laugh.