[5 years ago - 10 Forward Avenue]

(A waiter brings Picard his meal.)
PICARD: Oh. Thank you very much.
CADET: Admiral Picard? Sir. I'm sorry, but I've always wanted to ask you something about your encounter with the Hirogen. Your book just talks about the diplomatic situation, but we heard the Alpha actually hunted you.
CADET 2: Did you ever find out how they got to the quadrant?
CADET: Did Admiral Janeway offer any advice?
PICARD: So, I'm not really one for telling stories.
CADET: We'd love to hear it from the man himself. Please? How'd you get away?
PICARD: Well, fortunately for me, Lieutenant Commander Worf had cleverly constructed a deadfall trap. So when the Alpha advanced, the hunter had been turned into the prey. You know, there will be a time when you will need to remember that, no matter how bleak or unwinnable a situation, as long as you and your crew remain steadfast in your dedication, one to another, you are never, ever without hope.

[Present day - Bridge]

RIKER: Our shields can't take much more of this. Pull power from other systems.
ESMAR: There's nothing to pull from, sir.
LAFORGE: Engines are down. Every time I try to engage, we haemorrhage.
ESMAR: Engineering sustained critical damage during the attack.
MURA: Massive loss of power. We're down to nine percent. And the more systems we use, the faster it depletes. We're bleeding to death.
RIKER: What if we divert everything from the warp core? Or the impulse reactors?
ESMAR: Either way, we'd go into meltdown.
RIKER: Even temporarily?
T'VEEN: We won't have the power to reverse the process. It's a chain reaction.
RIKER: What about weapons, Mura?
MURA: Already at zero, sir.
T'VEEN: And we're falling deeper and deeper into the nebula's gravity well.
RIKER: We're sinking.
ESMAR: All systems are reaching critical minimums.
MURA: If we don't divert some power, we will start losing life support.
LAFORGE: But if we pull any more power from our engines, there will be zero chance we can fly out of here.
RIKER: And if we divert everything, what does that buy us?
ESMAR: Just a few hours, sir, at best.
RIKER: Divert as much power as you can to life support. Eliminate all non-essential functions. Have the crew gather in common areas, and shut everything else down.
LAFORGE: Captain!
RIKER: Report.
ESMAR: Another bio-electrical wave.
MURA: Sir, that did a number on our shields. If we don't lower them in between impacts, we're gonna lose them all together.
RIKER: Lower shields.

[Picard's quarters]

PICARD: Come. Will, I have an apology to make.
RIKER: Admiral, I thought that you should know I'm saying this to you as a courtesy.
PICARD: I was out of line.
RIKER: Stop. The Titan's dead in the water. We estimate about four hours until the ship is crushed by the gravity well. But we'll probably have run out of life support by then. You were right before. When we buried our son, I watched the coffin being lowered into the ground. It was only six feet, but it was so dark. It was like infinite emptiness. And you and I have travelled to the far reaches of space, and yet there's nothing, nothing that proved to me that there is anything after. And I've tried to shake that. Deanna, as you know, feels everything. But she couldn't live with me feeling nothing. And neither could I, which is why I left and I came here. I was running from this, only to find it again. Well, this is the end, my friend. And if I were you, I'd take the next few hours to get to know your son, and to get your affairs in order. I'm so sorry, Jean-Luc.

[Foster's quarters]

(Seven enters, phaser ready, and finds the corpse.)
SEVEN [OC]: The Changeling saboteur killed our transporter officer, Ensign Foster, days before Jack Crusher encountered him...

[Observation]

SEVEN: it... in the nacelle control room. It could look like anyone by now.
RIKER: We have got to keep this quiet.
SEVEN: What?
RIKER: The morale on this ship is already...
SEVEN: There is a saboteur on this ship.
RIKER: But to what end now? If the Changeling's mission was to help deliver Jack to Vadic, it failed, and there is no advantage to crippling us any further. If Vadic had wanted to come and get us, she would've done it already. Now, I'm not saying do nothing. I'm saying keep it quiet. I could reinstate you, but you remaining in an unofficial capacity could work to our advantage. Understand?
SEVEN: Yes, Captain.
RIKER: Good. Go get the bastard.

[Sickbay]

(As Foster is zipped into a body bag.)
CRUSHER: Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
(Impact.)
JACK: That wasn't an asteroid.
CRUSHER: No, it wasn't.
PICARD: Beverly.
CRUSHER: Before you say anything, I can see what's going on. Are we...?
PICARD: Look, I know that time is precious, but do you think you could give me a moment or two with Jack?
CRUSHER: Of course I could.

[Shaw's quarters]

SHAW: Don't come. Don't come. Fine. Open. Hey, Hansen. Bang-up job your heroes are doing with my ship. Love the view.
SEVEN: Can we talk?
SHAW: Officially? No.
SEVEN: Unofficially?
SHAW: No.
SEVEN: We have a problem. There's a Changeling on board. That's what kept us from warping away. And judging by the state of the corpse in sickbay, it's been on the ship since before we picked up Doctor Crusher and her son. Something bigger is happening here. And as much as it pains me, we have got a major personnel problem, and nobody knows this ship better than you.

[Observation]

RIKER: Computer, reference my personal records. I want to record a private message for Deanna Troi.
COMPUTER: Recording. Proceed with message.
RIKER: In the event... In the event that the Titan is somehow... recovered. Deanna, I want you to know... I... Deanna, I want you...
COMPUTER: Recording paused.

[Holodeck]

COMPUTER: Holodeck programme Ten Forward activated.
(The bar on Earth, not the Enterprise 10-F.)
PICARD: This is a place of real significance for me, but, I don't suppose you've ever...
JACK: I haven't. No.
PICARD: Well, would you like to have a drink with me?
JACK: Sure.
PICARD: I have something from my own backyard. Oh, yes. And it's a... it's a good year.
JACK: Yeah, I've... I've got to be honest, I'm not really a wine guy. Sorry.
PICARD: Whiskey?
JACK: Preferably cheap and on the rocks. Given the state of the ship, the holodeck's still open?
PICARD: Well, it relies on a small independent power cell for this very reason. So that in times of distress, it can be a kind of sanctuary.
JACK: Right. Everyone crams in here pretending it's some sort of tropical paradise while the ship implodes around them.
PICARD: If you want to select a different simulation...
JACK: No, no, no, no. This fake place is as good as any to die in, I suppose.
(Pours them both a Jamesons.)
PICARD: Cheers.
JACK: Cheers. I think we need to talk about the elephant in the room.
PICARD: Yes. Of course.
JACK: The hair. When did it go?
PICARD: You're er, what, 23? 24? Enjoy it while you can. You know, Jack, I would love to know more about you. Your... your life. Your childhood. I mean, it's your call.
JACK: I don't really know where to begin.
PICARD: Then perhaps you might tell me the reason you decided not to know me.
JACK: Actually, there is er... There is something that might be of interest to you, given your travels. We were on a medical supply run to Matalas IV. It's a... it's a vile place, a real dump. I got stuck in a cargo hold with this Andorian who had a broken antenna. It looked really painful, so I tried to reset it for him. Turns out it's... it's mostly muscle and really sensitive, so while I'm touching it...

[Shaw's quarters]

SHAW: Of all the stations that a Changeling could infiltrate, why transporter tech?
SEVEN: I don't know. I've never encountered one before.
SHAW They're goo-people. Walking, talking clay-dough. They can replicate a person on sight alone. Voice, mannerisms, speech patterns, but that's it. You... Most of the time, you can tell. Ask him a question that they should know the answer to. Simple question, wrong answer? Boom, Changeling.
SEVEN: Yeah, but that would require a huge amount of knowledge about everyone in the crew.
SHAW: Look, you and I got off on the wrong foot. I underestimated you. You have great instincts, you are a natural leader, make a great captain one day. Which is something I totally would say...
SEVEN: If you were a Changeling and not just a dick.
SHAW: Now you're starting to catch on. But you were right. 500 people... it's got to be tough to snuff out this asshole alone. So. So, maybe you get them to come to you.
SEVEN: How?
SHAW: Bait them. Steal their pot.
SEVEN: Pot? I'm assuming you're not referring to cannabis.
SHAW: Sadly, no. I... So, it's hard for Changelings to maintain their non-goo false form, and so, they have to rest in a... in a... in a... in a pot, a vase, a... receptacle-thing. Sometimes, they leave behind, like, residue goo, like, resi-goo. You get a sample of that, you upload it to the computer, you have the ship scan for that son of a bitch.
SEVEN: Thank you, Captain.
SHAW: Whatever.

[Sickbay]

CRUSHER: Five, four, three, two, one.
(Boom.)

[Foster's quarters]

(Seven searches, then spots a shape behind a vent screen. It's an Odo bucket.)
SEVEN: Resi-goo.

[Shrike]

(Vadic cuts off her left hand, and the goo reforms into a face.)
FACE: Report.
VADIC: Unfortunately, the starship ferrying Jack Crusher couldn't escape the centre of the gravity well.
FACE: Pursue.
VADIC: No. No, no, no, no, no. That's not possible with my ship's payload. The portal device utilises gravimetric distortion...
FACE: Pursue.
VADIC: It is suicide.
FACE: It is suicide to refuse. Obtain and deliver the asset. All else is expendable. Your ship. Your people. You.
VADIC: I will pursue.
FACE: Good.
(It reforms and reattaches as her left hand.)
VADIC: Disengage portal system.
ALIEN: Portal system detaching.
VADIC: Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye.

[5 Years Ago - 10 Forward Avenue]

PICARD: Then I realised that the Tamarians' language was based on metaphor. The lesson being, had he and I given up our will to communicate, we would both have been killed. Well, I appreciated this impromptu gathering, but er, my lunch.
CADET 2: Admiral, this isn't official record, but I had heard mention once of an incident with you and your friend, Jack Crusher. A mishap on a shuttle. You later went on to say that it was one of the worst navigational situations you'd ever been in. A... a no-win scenario.
PICARD: Well, I was your age or thereabouts, and... dare I say, perhaps even a little reckless.

[Holodeck]

ENSIGN: Excuse me, sir, is this private?
PICARD: No, no, no. Please, Come in.
ENSIGN: Come on. It's okay.
(A whole load of youngsters enter.)
PICARD: Anywhere you like.
JACK: Look, I get that you might think that I might need this. That this might make it all... better somehow. But I don't. And I'm not saying this to be harsh. You know, some people need to be part of something, others don't.
PICARD: I think we all need connection, don't we? I mean, look around you.
JACK: I grew up mostly on my own. Sure, I had my mother, but that's who I am. Being on the outside, it suits me fine. You found your thing, and I found mine, and... and, you know, that's all right, too. So, if you think that this is about a moment that I need.
PICARD: I think maybe I do.

[Sickbay]

CRUSHER: Three, two...
(Boom.)
CRUSHER: Whoa.

[Corridor]

SEVEN: Hansen to biochemistry lab. I have a substance I need scanned immediately.
OFFICER [OC]: Biochemistry lab has been shut down to conserve power. May I suggest you use your tricorder?
SEVEN: This needs more than a tricorder. Open it up. This is an emergency.
(An Ensign shoots at Seven, then the pot, and Seven returns fire. Its appearance wibbles then it runs at her. She keeps shooting, it turns to goo and get into the ducting.)
SEVEN: Commander Hansen to sickbay. I need help on Deck 5, Corridor 8. An officer's been killed.

[Sickbay]

OHK: Go.
CRUSHER: And things are about to get a lot worse.

[Holodeck]

JACK: So. Other than this, what's the worst jam you've ever been in?
PICARD: The worst? Well, one involves your namesake.
JACK: Jack Crusher? You know, I always wondered about that. I mean, I... I know my mother didn't hate you, but naming me after her first husband?
PICARD: Jack Crusher was once my very best friend at the Academy. And truth be told, I would've named you the same. Jack was... Well, he and I were on leave on Argelius IV, and we meet these two delightful young women.
JACK: Oh, were they delightful?
PICARD: Delightful and enthusiastic.
JACK: Right.
PICARD: Well, then Jack and I were unexpectedly called back to the Stargazer, but I had hatched a plan to "borrow" a shuttle.
JACK: You mean steal?
PICARD: No. Borrow a shuttle to return to Argelius briefly to...
JACK: Get laid.
PICARD: Hey. We had an invitation. Anyway, on our way back, a micrometeoroid shower hit the shuttle at high speed. It wrecked us. Instantly, we were blind, powerless, and running out of air. We couldn't contact the ship because...
JACK: You disabled the comms before you left, so they didn't know that you'd borrowed it.
PICARD: We were dead in the water. But we improvised a system. Swap the remaining power between docking thrusters and life support. Then we inched our way home. No sensors, no visuals. Ten fucking grueling hours. He and I in sync, though. Him navigating, me firing the thrusters, simply hoping, until finally, we were home. Did your mother already tell you this story?
JACK: Actually, er...
SHAW: What a harrowing tale of survival. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt family time. I may be a little out of sorts. Your mother's pretty liberal with those pain meds. But er, speaking of harrowing stories. Did your old man ever tell you about the time that he and I first met? USS Constance. Stardate 44002.3. Oh, come on. You must've heard about the Battle of Wolf 359. 40 Federation starships up against one Borg cube. Yeah, I was just in engineering.Just a... a grease monkey. And the next second... It's like... it's like space itself was burning. 50 of us made it down to the life deck. But, uh-oh... there's just one life pod. Ten seats. Now the thing is, we were all friends. They were all my Jack Crusher. We weren't... we didn't fight over who should live and who should die. No, we... we waited for orders, and then finally some lieutenant comes down, and she just starts... pointing. You, you, and you. Now she's pointing at me. Why? Why me? I'm just some dipshit from Chicago. Now I'm lucky number ten. She didn't count herself. "Get in", she says, "that's an order". I know, I know, I know. I ask myself the same thing. Did she make a mistake?
JACK: I'm sorry.
SHAW: 11,000 dead. Do you know where your old man was on that day?
PICARD [memory]: I am Locutus of Borg.
SHAW: He was on that Borg cube, setting the world on fire! Forget about all that weird shit on the Stargazer. The real Borg are still out there, and they have a name for you. Locutus of Borg. The only Borg so deadly they gave him a goddamn name!
JACK: All right, that's enough.
PICARD: No. No. It's all right. I understand. Computer. Arch.
(Jack follows Picard out.)
SHAW: Forgive me. At some point, asshole became a substitute for charm.

[Corridor]

JACK: Hey er, Admiral. Look, what happened back there. You don't need to explain yourself to me.
PICARD: Thank you for your time, Jack. It meant a lot to me.
CRUSHER: Jack. Jean-Luc. There's a pattern. It's building and building, and it's going to crescendo.
PICARD: What are you talking about?
CRUSHER: This. This... this gravity well we're in. It's drawing in matter and expelling energy, which means somewhere in its centre, it is reconstituting the matter it consumes into energy. But energy is mathematical, logarithmic, but the increasing intensity and narrowing frequency of the waves implies something else. It's a countdown. Which led me to track them, just like contractions.
PICARD: Contractions? You mean like a birth? Of what?
CRUSHER: I don't know. But if it's anything like these smaller waves, once it hits, for us, it will be over quickly.
PICARD: Yeah. We need to be out of here as soon as possible.
CRUSHER: But we have no power.
JACK: We do when those waves hit. You've seen the lights? If we knew when those waves were coming, maybe we could plug into them. Get a little extra juice, and then...
PICARD: We could hitch a ride out of here.

[Observation]

RIKER: This cannot work. The wave's rolling right over the ship. We'd need to somehow sustain contact.
CRUSHER: Yes, we need to move with the waves.
JACK: We divert all power to thrusters.
PICARD: And if we fly fast enough, the waves won't roll over us, they will absorb us.
JACK: We match speed with the wave, use the energy drawn from it, and Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, we hightail it out the nebula, away from the gravity well, away from that ship out there and away from our new friends the space babies.
CRUSHER: Jack.
RIKER: Space babies?
CRUSHER: This nebula is a womb, and we are swimming in its amniotic fluid. Now, we've encountered species before. Life-forms that thrive in the vacuum of space.
PICARD: Farpoint.
CRUSHER: Exactly.
RIKER: Yeah, this is insane. To get up to speed, we need to fire thrusters, which will drain life support in minutes.
PICARD: But it's possible that we could absorb some of that energy. Use it.
RIKER: What about the asteroid field that's out there? We barely have enough sensors to make it through that. If one of those hits us, we've lost the wave.
JACK: We navigate manually. Use the docking thrusters to steer around them. Like you did.
RIKER: I know that story, too, kid. But this is not a two-man shuttle. The amount of thought and orchestration that this would take...? Starfleet protocol states that we stay in place and wait to be rescued.
PICARD: No one is coming to rescue us, Will.
RIKER: The power array will explode.
PICARD: We wait, and we die here of suffocation.
RIKER: At least we will have left something behind. It's a wonderful idea, Jean-Luc. But in a moment, a hundred things could go wrong. I cannot choose certain death.
CRUSHER: Deanna. Deanna would say it's about trust. Look where we are. Here. All of us in this moment. So let's do what we've spent our entire lives learning to be great at.
PICARD: We've been here before, Will. If this is the end, let's face it together, doing what we know we do best.
RIKER: The nacelle covers are designed to prevent the plasma conduits from absorbing too much radiation. So, if we could manually open them, we might be able to channel the energy from the wave right down to the warp core. Now, that could work. All right, everybody? Then let's get the hell out of here.

[Bridge]

RIKER: Crew of the USS Titan. This is Acting Captain William Riker. We have a plan to escape, but to do so, we'll need to draw every ounce of power that we have left on this ship. We're gonna use these energy waves to jump-start us. I'm not gonna lie. It's a hell of a risk. If anything goes wrong, well... if anything goes wrong, we'll all know pretty quick. I know many of you don't know me. But like any captain, I know something about you. I'm only as effective as you are. And I also know from experience that if we all hang tight and work together, we're gonna get through this.

[Shaw's quarters]

PICARD: Captain Shaw. I realise that I am the last person you want to see right now, but I need your help, despite the fact that you are indeed a dipshit from Chicago.
SHAW: Nice.
SEVEN: Engineering can't leave their stations. Too many repairs to the warp core. And...
SHAW: And you just realised that in spite of the fancy retrofit, the inner workings of the nacelle shields is over 20 years old and none of these kids know how to hot-wire them, so...
PICARD: We need an old grease monkey, like yourself.
SHAW: Hansen, give me five and meet me at nacelle control.

[Observation]

CRUSHER: Five, four, three, two...
COMPUTER: Narrow-band frequency reaching peak output. Gravimetric frequencies will collide in...
RIKER: How we doing, doc?
CRUSHER: At least one more.
RIKER: Got it.

[Nacelle control]

COMPUTER: Danger. Nacelle control is exposed. Danger. Nacelle control is exposed.
SHAW: Torch.
SEVEN: Here.
SHAW: You know, if that Changeling really wanted to screw us, the best place to do it... mag... would be right here, right now. You thinking what I'm thinking?
SEVEN: As much as I hate to admit it. Commander Hansen to Captain Riker.

[Bridge]

RIKER: Copy that, Commander. Riker out.
JACK: What can I do to help?
PICARD: I want you on the bridge with your mother.
RIKER: Shut down everything you can. Transfer all power to thrusters.
LAFORGE: Transfer sequence complete. Diverting last remainingpower to main thrusters.
COMPUTER: All crew to emergency safety zone. All crew to emergency safety zone. Warning. Life deck is off-line. Warning. Life deck is off-line.
ESMER: Only a few minutes of life support left, Captain.
RIKER: Everyone, take a deep breath... and hold it if you can.

[Nacelle control]

SHAW: Shaw to bridge. Working on these nacelles. I need a few more minutes to get these covers open.
COMPUTER: Gravimetric frequencies will collide in 64 seconds.
CRUSHER: Two minutes until the final wave.
RIKER: Captain, you've got two minutes. Well, seeing as you're the only one here with any real experience flying blind. Admiral, you have the conn.
PICARD: Ensign LaForge, let's go home. Bring us about, 225 mark 16. Aft thrusters, one quarter power. Ready our position to receive the wave.
LAFORGE: One quarter power. Aye, sir.
PICARD: And good luck, everyone. Engage.
ESMAR: Thrusters firing at 76%.
PICARD: Siphon power from the comms array.
ESMAR: It worked, sir. We're up to 81%.
PICARD: Keep transferring to thrusters. We must be at full power if we're to catch this wave.

[Nacelle control]

RIKER [OC]: Riker to Seven. Get those nacelle covers open or we can't warp.
SEVEN: Almost there.
RIKER [OC]: Next wave is our last chance. Are you sure the two of you can execute this alone?
SEVEN: We've got it. Working as fast as we can.
SHAW: Nacelle one is open. One more to go. Commander Hansen, go make sure that those manual locks are off.
LAFORGE: Sir, I heard you could use a hand? My father is Geordi LaForge. You know, decorated Starfleet engineer. Legend? I can help.
SHAW: Okay, kid. Hand me that torch.
LAFORGE: One nacelle cover is open now. If only one nacelle is exposed, we'll be able to fly, but not utilise warp, am I correct?
SHAW: Yeah. Why?
SEVEN: Turn around.
LAFORGE: Commander?
SEVEN: I said turn around.
LAFORGE: There's some confusion here. I... I was sent to help, Commander.
SEVEN: I specifically told Captain Riker not to send anyone.
LAFORGE: But Commander, it's me.
SEVEN: Commander what, LaForge?
LAFORGE: Commander Hansen.
(Seven phasers the Changeling to death.
SHAW: So, how'd you know?
SEVEN: Ensign LaForge always calls me Commander Seven, out of respect.
SHAW: Good call.

[Bridge]

LAFORGE: Thrusters still gaining power, sir.
RIKER: Shaw, where are we with that second nacelle?

[Nacelle control]

SHAW: Open for business.

[Bridge]

MURA: Second nacelle is open.
LAFORGE: Hold on. Multiple obstructions, dead ahead.
JACK: Asteroid field.
LAFORGE: My contact sensors are down.
PICARD: Jack, call out their positions.
JACK: Contact. 7,000 kilometres, bearing 224, mark 5.
PICARD: Helm, aft thrusters, 15 degrees down.
LAFORGE: Aft thrusters...
PICARD: Shut it off on my mark.
LAFORGE: Aye, sir.
PICARD: And now.
JACK: Contact. 3,000 kilometres, bearing 114, mark 5.
PICARD: Starboard thrusters, up 45 degrees.
LAFORGE: Aye, sir.
JACK: Hold on. Four more seconds. Trust me.
PICARD: Shut it off.
LAFORGE: Thrusters up to 98%, sir. But there's nothing left to transfer.
RIKER: Helm, transfer all power from life support.
ESMAR: Life support off-line. Aye, sir.
COMPUTER: Warning. Life support is off-line. Warning. Life support is off-line. Warning. Life support is off-line.
T'VEEN: Gravimetric detonation in ten, nine, eight, seven, six...
RIKER: Well, Beverly, it's all on you now.
T'VEEN: ..five, four, three, two, one. The detonation should be taking place now.
(Titan goes surfing.)
LAFORGE: We're in the wave. It's charging us. Systems coming back on line.
PICARD: LaForge, gun it! Stay inside!
T'VEEN: We're experiencing bow shock.
LAFORGE: Nacelle is losing drag...
MURA: Firing antimatter phase emitters to compensate.
LAFORGE: Adjusting impulse engines to match nacelles' entropy. Nacelles funneling power to the core. Warp drive coming back on line in 90 seconds.
T'VEEN: Sir, the nebula. I t's changing.
MURA: Sirs. Contact. The Shrike. Mark 019, dead ahead.

[Shrike]

VADIC: There you are. There you are.

[Bridge]

RIKER: Is our tractor beam operational?
LAFORGE: Aye, sir.
RIKER: Then lock onto those coordinates.
(They grab an asteroid.)

[Shrike]

VADIC: Chase fast enough, hunt well enough.

[Bridge]

RIKER: Hold.

[Shrike]

VADIC: Open your jaw wide enough and eventually the prey runs right into the mouth of the beast.

[Bridge]

RIKER: Fire keel thrusters. Cut the beam.

[Shrike]

VADIC: Stabilise!

[Bridge]

CRUSHER: Will, did you just throw an asteroid?
RIKER: Goddamn right I did.

[Shrike]

ALIEN: The core is in critical condition. We're close to meltdown. Impulse engines are offline. Warp core is in emergency shutdown. I can't stop it. We need at least an hour to get the core back online.

[Bridge]

LAFORGE: The nebula is breaking up. I think we should be able to warp soon.
(Lots of space jellyfish go swimming away.)
CRUSHER: To seek out new life.
RIKER: I think we should boldly get the hell out of here. Ensign LaForge?
LAFORGE: Aye, Captain.
PICARD [OC]: You're only ever really as good as those around you. Your crew become a part of you, complete you. They lift you up...

[10 Forward Avenue - memory]

PICARD: ..to accomplish the things you never could do alone. Well, thank you. And now, if you don't mind, I think my haddock's getting cold.
JACK: Excuse me, Admiral. You went on and on about your crew, your life in Starfleet. Did you have a life outside of that? What about a... a real family?
PICARD: Young man, Starfleet has been the only family I have ever needed.

[Observation]

RIKER: You can't hide from the pain by being alone. I know we... Well, I thought being away was gonna be theanswer to all of our problems. But after what we've just been through...
TROI [on screen]: I'm just glad that everyone's okay. That you're okay.
RIKER: Well, something's different now. I... I don't quite have the words yet, but we witnessed a kind of birth here, and it reminded me that there's a whole universe out there. And it can be beautiful and amazing.
TROI [on screen]: You haven't said anything as lovely as that in a very long time.
RIKER: I know. And that's on me. And I'm sorry. I'm gonna fix it... with you.
TROI [on screen]: Are you and Jean-Luc in trouble?
RIKER: I don't know yet.
PICARD: Admiral's log, stardate 78183.10. We have managed to escape death at the hands of our unknown enemy. Although we're free, temporarily, from the terror of the Shrike, too many questions linger. Who is this Vadic? And what exactly does she want with my son?

[Jack's quarters]

VOICE [OC]: Find...
VOICES [OC]: Jack. Jack...
MAN [OC]: Find me.
VOICE [OC]: Together soon...
(Image of a door opening.)
VOICE [OC]: Jack. Find me.