Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unnatural Selection
When the Enterprise encounters a derelict ship with its crew aged to death, Captain Picard must race against time to stop a deadly genetic contagion while navigating tensions with his new chief medical officer.
The Enterprise investigates the USS Lantree, finding its crew rapidly aged to death. Tracing the ship's last stop to a genetic research station, they discover the outbreak stems from engineered children whose hyper-immune systems attack human DNA as foreign pathogens. Dr. Pulaski exposes herself to the contagion to study it, accelerating her own aging process. With the station quarantined, Picard must defy Starfleet protocols and harness unproven transporter technology to filter out the genetic alterations and save Pulaski. The crisis forces the crew to reconcile scientific ambition with ethical responsibility, while cementing Pulaski's place on the Enterprise through her self-sacrifice and Picard's risky leadership. Subplots explore workplace dynamics as Geordi mentors a brilliant but disruptive engineer and Riker's flirtations create professional complications. The resolution demonstrates the franchise's core themes of humanity's potential and perils when manipulating biology.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The Enterprise glides through the void, but beneath the calm, unease stirs. Captain Picard, pacing his quarters, grapples with his new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pulaski, whose meticulous competence is undeniable, yet whose broader leadership capabilities remain untested. In Ten-Forward, Commander Riker, ever the flirt, attempts to charm the brilliant but reserved Specialist Trainee Rina, while Geordi La Forge, oblivious, finds common ground with her through their shared passion for engineering. Pulaski, meanwhile, asserts her authority, cornering Riker over a missed medical appointment, a subtle power play that hints at her unyielding nature. The tranquil ship is abruptly shattered by a distress signal, a garbled, desperate plea from the USS Lantree. Picard, instantly on alert, sounds emergency stations. Wesley Crusher, rubbing sleep from his eyes, races to Conn, while Pulaski reports Sickbay readiness. Data identifies the source: a Federation supply ship. The transmission repeats, a chilling echo of dying voices, then silence. Picard's worried expression tightens; the unknown threat looms large, setting a foreboding tone for the unfolding crisis.
The Enterprise cruises through space under dimmed bridge lights, its quiet operations belying the tension in Captain Picard's log entry. As he records the routine courier mission, his private quarters …
In the dimly lit bridge of the Enterprise during warp transit, Captain Picard voices private concerns about Dr. Pulaski's command readiness in his captain's log, drawing a parallel between her …
In Ten-Forward, Specialist Trainee Rina's technical discourse on warp theory creates divergent reactions—Geordi engages with genuine engineering passion while Riker's flirtations land awkwardly. The scene establishes Rina's intellectual gravitas as …
Commander Riker escalates his flirtation with Specialist Trainee Rina by physically taking her empty glass and offering another drink, employing charming dominance. Rina counters with sharp wit about First Officer …
Geordi La Forge shifts the dynamic with Specialist Trainee Rina by bonding over their shared reverence for engineering and Starfleet Academy experiences. While Riker's flirtatious advances continue to fall flat—highlighted …
Commander Riker's flirtatious advances toward Specialist Trainee Rina take center stage in Ten-Forward, his performative charm clashing with her professional reserve. His effortless offer to fetch her drink masks a …
Dr. Pulaski confronts Commander Riker in Ten-Forward over his missed medical exam, initially downplaying the Rheinman tissue sample as routine before escalating to a direct order with a veiled threat …
In Ten-Forward, Riker engages in flirtatious banter with the new Specialist Trainee Rina, his charming advances met with her cool professional deflection. Meanwhile, Geordi and Rina share a genuine moment …
The Enterprise closes on the silent USS Lantree, its last desperate transmission replaying a haunting loop. Picard's questions hang unanswered as Troi senses only immense stress. Data pinpoints the Lantree's location and confirms it's a supply ship, armed only defensively, yet still moving at maximum warp despite no life signs. The paradox tightens Picard's jaw: no battle damage, all systems functional, yet utterly devoid of life. A red alert screams through the bridge as Riker raises force fields and arms photon torpedoes, preparing for the worst. Picard makes the grim decision to board. In Engineering, Geordi readies the ship for a delicate maneuver, bringing the Enterprise alongside the Lantree. Riker, with a knowing glance at Rina, jokes about his expendability before beaming over. The away team – Riker, Data, Worf – materializes aboard the derelict Lantree, phasers drawn. The ship is a ghost, its corridors empty. Worf discovers the sickbay, a chilling tableau of death. Every bed holds a body, not victims of violence, but of time itself. Data's tricorder confirms the horrifying truth: the crew, once young, has aged hundreds of years in mere weeks. Captain Taleka, a man of thirty-two, is a withered, toothless husk. Riker, grim-faced, reports back to Picard: the entire crew lost a battle with time, a terrifying new enemy that has already claimed its first victims.
The medical briefing on the Lantree crew's shocking demise—perfect health weeks prior contrasted with their current status as centuries-old corpses—reveals the true horror of the temporal anomaly. Pulaski's insistence that …
As Pulaski presents chilling autopsy findings of the perfectly healthy Lantree crew turned ancient corpses, the conference dissolves into tense medical brinkmanship. Troi's probe about Thelusian flu—dismissed by Pulaski as …
Dr. Pulaski presents alarming autopsy findings revealing the Lantree crew suffered inexplicable rapid aging despite perfect health records weeks prior. Riker voices urgent safety concerns as Pulaski confirms the unknown …
The Enterprise senior staff grapples with the grim implications of the USS Lantree's rapid-aging catastrophe. Dr. Pulaski's medical report confirms the crew was healthy just weeks prior, deepening the mystery. …
The shocking autopsy results from the Lantree crew force an agonizing choice—ignore medical quarantine protocol or rush toward potential contamination. Dr. Pulaski digs in with scientific rigor while Picard weighs …
Worf solemnly activates a classified Federation security override aboard the derelict Lantree, codenamed 'Firestorm,' demonstrating both his disciplined adherence to protocol and Starfleet's preparedness for biohazard scenarios. His hooded gaze …
Standing amid the grotesque remains of the Lantree's crew, Worf's Klingon discipline wars with his Starfleet grief. With tactical precision, he activates the ship's auto-destruct sequence—a warrior's mercy against an …
Amidst the urgent countdown of the Lantree's self-destruct sequence, Worf pauses to perform an unspoken Klingon death ritual—his eyes scanning the withered corpses of Starfleet comrades with grief and reverence. …
On the derelict Lantree, Worf initiates the auto-destruct sequence with a heavy heart, honoring his fallen comrades through a silent salute. His grief is palpable as he beams back to …
Worf boards the derelict USS Lantree to activate its self-destruct sequence, his sorrow deepening as he regards the aged corpses of fallen Starfleet comrades. After inputting the security codes with …
In Engineering, Lt. Rina confidently resolves a critical sensor issue under Geordi's approving gaze, demonstrating her growing technical instincts. But when overeager crewmembers mishandle her delicate equipment, Geordi's dramatic save …
Geordi finds Rina troubleshooting an exotic device with fascinated crewmembers observing. Their mutual technical shorthand—his pride in her correct diagnosis, her eager 'Yes, sir!'—creates a warm moment of professional syncopation. …
Pulaski's autopsies on the Lantree crew yield a baffling conclusion: they died of natural causes, specifically, extreme old age. Picard, incredulous, demands an explanation for an entire crew dying simultaneously. Data's data confirms the crew's youth, deepening the mystery. In the conference lounge, Pulaski, dismissing a harmless flu, insists the contagion remains aboard the Lantree, prompting Picard to order its destruction. Worf executes the auto-destruct, the Lantree vanishing in a blinding flash, a somber end to the haunted vessel. Data identifies the Lantree's last stop: the Darwin Genetic Research Station on Gagarin Four. Pulaski urges a warning, but Picard, his jaw tight, considers quarantine. Their clash highlights their differing priorities: science versus safety. Meanwhile, in Engineering, Geordi mentors Rina, whose brilliance is evident but whose social awkwardness leads to a mishap, nearly damaging equipment. Geordi, recognizing her talent, challenges her attitude, forging a deeper professional bond. Arriving at Gagarin Four, the Enterprise hails Darwin Station. Dr. Mandel, haggard and visibly aged, warns them to stand off, revealing a similar outbreak. She pleads with Pulaski to save the station's "children," a new generation of genetically engineered super-specimens. Picard, prioritizing his crew's lives, refuses to risk them, but Pulaski, driven by scientific curiosity and a deep sense of medical duty, persuades him to bring two children aboard for examination, encased in stasis. The reveal of these "children" as physically mature, telepathic super-specimens leaves the crew stunned. Pulaski, awestruck, sees the future of humanity, while Picard, ever cautious, recognizes Mandel's dangerous vision of manipulating life.
The Enterprise's routine communication with Darwin Station swiftly escalates into a crisis as Dr. Sara Mandel, visibly distressed, reveals a catastrophic outbreak mirroring the Lantree incident—a rapid aging contagion with …
A tense dialogue unfolds as Dr. Mandel's distress call reveals the Darwin Station outbreak. The moment pivots when Mandel recognizes Pulaski's groundbreaking virology work, establishing her scientific credibility just as …
In this harrowing exchange with Darwin Station, the Enterprise crew connects the dots between the USS Lantree's demise and the rapid-aging plague ravaging the genetic research outpost. Dr. Mandel's desperate …
Dr. Sara Mandel's desperate transmission from Darwin Station reveals the horrifying scope of the rapid-aging contagion that claimed the Lantree's crew. While Pulaski engages in rapid medical triage with her …
In the conference lounge, a tense debate unfolds as Worf and Riker urge caution against interacting with the potentially infected children from Darwin Station, prioritizing crew safety. Pulaski, driven by …
In the conference lounge, Picard's senior staff debates the perilous proposal to bring genetically engineered children aboard the Enterprise for study. Worf and Riker advocate strict safety protocols while Pulaski …
Pulaski's shocking physical transformation upon arriving at Darwin Station heightens the crisis, visually confirming the contagion's lethality. Her wizened appearance and reliance on Data for support create a visceral reaction …
A visibly aged Dr. Pulaski arrives at Darwin Research Station with Data, where Dr. Mandel expresses guilt over Pulaski's condition, attempting to shoulder moral responsibility for the genetic contagion crisis. …
Pulaski and Data confront Mandel with irrefutable evidence linking Darwin Station's genetically engineered 'children' to the lethal contagion. As Mandel clings to denial, Pulaski's pointed challenge forces the ethical reckoning …
In the sterile observation booth of the isolation lab, Pulaski confronts the chilling reality of Mandel's genetically engineered 'children.' Mandel presents them with pride—physically flawless specimens with enhanced musculature, bone …
In the isolation laboratory's observation booth, Dr. Mandel proudly showcases her genetically engineered 'children' to Dr. Pulaski. The specimens exhibit physical perfection and unsettling telekinetic abilities as they casually make …
In the isolation laboratory observation booth, Dr. Mandel unveils the chilling final piece of her genetically engineered 'children'—their hyper-aggressive immune system. As Mandel rapturously describes their perfected physical attributes, she …
Pulaski, her scientific fervor ignited, presses Picard to free the Darwinian children from stasis, convinced their hyper-advanced immune systems make them impervious to disease. Picard, however, remains unyielding, demanding absolute proof of their harmlessness before risking his crew. Their clash intensifies, a battle of wills between scientific imperative and Starfleet's protective protocols. Troi, observing their heated exchanges, notes their striking similarities: two strong personalities, equally stubborn. Pulaski, undeterred, proposes a radical, self-sacrificing experiment: she will enter the containment field with the children, proving their safety by exposing herself. Geordi voices grave concerns about potential forcefield failure, but Pulaski's conviction burns bright. Picard, though deeply uneasy, acknowledges she has met his conditions for a test. Facing a rapidly aging Dr. Mandel on the viewscreen, Pulaski delivers the grim news of the Enterprise's refusal to evacuate the children, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Desperate for a fail-safe environment, Pulaski consults Geordi and Rina, who suggest the shuttlecraft as the only truly independent, isolated space. With Picard's reluctant approval, Pulaski prepares for her perilous mission. Riker, attempting to intervene, finds himself summarily relieved of duty by Pulaski, who weaponizes his missed medical appointment to assert her authority, leaving him stunned and powerless. Data, with a quizzical shrug, follows Pulaski into the shuttle. The shuttle launches, drifting away from the Enterprise, a tiny vessel carrying a monumental gamble. Pulaski dissolves the children's styrolite containment, revealing them as curious, telepathic beings. As she begins her self-examination, a sudden, searing pain grips her joints. Alarm flashes across Data's face as Pulaski groans, the initial, terrifying symptoms of the rapid aging disease manifesting within her. The experiment, meant to prove safety, instead confirms the horrific danger, leaving Pulaski trapped and infected, a devastating personal cost for scientific truth.
In the isolation chamber's sterile glow, Pulaski's clinical deduction—'Thelusian flu!'—cracks open the horrifying truth: the Darwinian children's engineered immune systems have weaponized the virus, triggering fatal rapid aging in outsiders. …
In a pivotal moment within the isolation chamber, Dr. Pulaski connects the Thelusian flu virus to the rapid aging syndrome plaguing the Enterprise crew. Her scientific epiphany turns chilling as …
Dr. Mandel's world collapses as Pulaski's diagnosis reveals their gravest mistake—their protective instincts for the genetically engineered children created a biological weapon now attacking the Enterprise crew. As Mandel reels …
Captain Taggert's unexpected transmission interrupts the tense atmosphere in Picard's ready room, offering crucial insights into Dr. Pulaski's past and personality. His jovial demeanor contrasts with the seriousness aboard the …
Captain Taggert of the Repulse divulges to Picard that they deliberately erased Dr. Pulaski's transporter records post-transfer, citing her notorious distrust of the technology and preference for shuttlecraft. His tone …
Captain Picard, puzzled by Dr. Pulaski's abrupt transfer request, seeks answers from her former commanding officer, Captain Taggert. Taggert reveals Pulaski's deep admiration for Picard, as well as her encyclopedic …
Captain Picard receives unsettling revelations about Dr. Pulaski's motivations from Captain Taggert of the Repulse. Taggert, with nostalgic admiration, recounts Pulaski's stubborn insistence to transfer to the Enterprise, highlighting her …
In the Darwin Laboratory, Dr. Pulaski and Dr. Mandel observe as Commander Data performs a lightning-fast genetic analysis of the contagion, demonstrating his unique computational prowess. Data's discovery of the …
In the Darwin Laboratory, Data's unparalleled processing speed reveals the horrifying truth behind the contagion's mechanism—a lethal protein transposition that reprograms human cells for self-destruction. Pulaski's confidence in Data's abilities …
In the Darwin Laboratory, Data's extraordinary computational abilities reveal the horrifying truth: the antibodies' hyper-efficiency has twisted human genetics into a doomsday mechanism. As Data demonstrates the protein transposition with …
Trapped within the shuttle, Pulaski rapidly succumbs to the accelerated aging, her body betraying her with agonizing arthritic inflammation. She urgently demands the children's return to isolation, recognizing the profound danger they pose. Picard, witnessing her rapid decline, is horrified, his previous caution tragically vindicated. Pulaski, refusing to risk the Enterprise, declares herself under quarantine, separating herself from the ship and accepting her grim fate. She orders a delta-level decontamination of the Sickbay and shuttle bay, a stark testament to the contagion's virulence. Data, observing Pulaski's rapidly deteriorating state, notes her aging body but her unwavering spirit. Picard and Riker, grappling with the ethical dilemma, discuss the inviolability of the chain of command, even in the face of such a crisis. The crew, desperate to save Pulaski, brainstorm solutions. Rina, the brilliant trainee, proposes a revolutionary idea: using the transporter's 'trace' data to filter out the genetic alterations causing the aging. Geordi, impressed by her insight, vouches for her. The plan hinges on finding a pre-infection DNA sample of Pulaski, a seemingly impossible task as Picard learns her transporter trace was purged and she rarely used the device. Meanwhile, on Darwin Station, Pulaski, now significantly aged, confronts Dr. Mandel, who reveals the children's hyper-aggressive immune systems were engineered to genetically destroy any invading pathogen. Pulaski, with a flash of insight, realizes the truth: the children's immune systems are attacking human DNA itself, perceiving it as a foreign pathogen, particularly after exposure to the common Thelusian flu. Mandel is devastated, recognizing their scientific ambition created a biological weapon. Pulaski, her face now deeply wrinkled and hair white, broadcasts her 'final report' to the Enterprise, a poignant, almost defeated message, reinforcing the quarantine and seemingly accepting her end, leaving Picard reeling in despair.
In the Darwin Laboratory, Dr. Pulaski, visibly ravaged by the rapid-aging contagion, works tirelessly to isolate the altered DNA, her physical deterioration mirroring her dwindling hope for a cure. When …
In the Darwin Laboratory, a physically ravaged Dr. Pulaski struggles with her deteriorating condition while working to isolate the altered DNA causing the rapid aging contagion. Captain Picard asserts his …
In a moment of devastating clarity, Dr. Pulaski delivers her final report to the Enterprise, accepting the irreversible consequences of their scientific discovery. As she stands resolute on the viewscreen, …
In this devastating moment, Dr. Pulaski delivers her conclusive findings—the genetically engineered children's immune systems attack human DNA as a pathogen—sealing the fate of Darwin Station. With solemn dignity, she …
In the Darwin Isolation Lab, Dr. Pulaski and Dr. Mandel share a poignant farewell with Data as they accept their grim fate. Pulaski's handshake with Data transcends its mechanical nature, …
In the isolation lab, Dr. Pulaski and Dr. Mandel bid farewell to Data as he prepares to return to the Enterprise. Pulaski, visibly weakened by the contagion, shares a rare …
The bridge hangs heavy with unspoken grief as Captain Picard wrestles with the moral weight of Pulaski's sacrificial quarantine. His stillness radiates torment, jaw clenched against the specter of failure. …
The bridge sits heavy with the weight of impending tragedy when Wesley Crusher's interruption electrifies the air—Data has returned, a potential game-changer in their desperate fight against the aging contagion. …
Picard, weighed down by the potential loss of Pulaski and the looming crisis, stands in silent despair on the bridge. Troi attempts to alleviate his guilt, reminding him of Pulaski's …
In the isolation lab, a visibly aged Pulaski bids a solemn farewell to Data, acknowledging his unwavering support. Data, with a heavy heart, beams back to the Enterprise, leaving Pulaski and Mandel to their seemingly inevitable fate. The shuttlecraft, carrying Pulaski, then explodes, a devastating act of self-sacrifice that plunges Picard into a maelstrom of grief and anger. But Picard, refusing to accept defeat, seizes on a desperate hope. Data, now safely aboard, confirms his immunity stems from his lack of genetic material, and clarifies the precise, subtle genetic transposition causing the rapid aging. Picard, energized by this new data, charges into Engineering, seeking Rina. He challenges her, asking if a pre-infection DNA sample could filter out the genetic alterations during transport. Rina, with newfound confidence, confirms it's absolutely possible. Picard, recognizing her genius, orders her to make it so. Riker and Data frantically search for Pulaski's original DNA, scouring her quarters, ultimately discovering a single blonde hair on her brush – a precious, life-saving sample. In the Transporter Room, Rina, Geordi, Riker, and Data make last-minute adjustments. Picard, taking personal command of the controls, prepares for the unprecedented, high-stakes transport, knowing that failure means Pulaski's final, irreversible dispersal. The first attempt shows Pulaski still aged, a terrifying moment of doubt, but then, with a final surge of energy, her form coalesces, restored to her youthful self. Pulaski, reborn, exchanges a look of profound admiration with Picard. Riker, ready to face his overdue medical exam, finds Pulaski, with a knowing smile, postponing it. The Rina/Geordi subplot concludes with a tender, romantic moment, cementing their connection. The Enterprise, with Pulaski safely aboard and the crisis averted, sets course for Star Station India, leaving Gagarin Four behind, the crew having faced humanity's potential and perils in manipulating biology, and Pulaski's place on the ship, and in Picard's esteem, firmly secured.
Data stands behind an isolation forcefield as a medic's clinical scan declares him devoid of life—a moment that underscores his artificial otherness amid a crew facing mortality. When Picard arrives, …
In the transporter room, Data stands isolated by both forcefield and biology as the medic's cold scan declares him lifeless—a painful reminder of his synthetic otherness. Picard cuts through the …
Picard bursts into Engineering with a desperate solution—using Pulaski's pre-infection DNA as a transporter filter to reverse the aging contagion. His direct appeal to Rina transforms her from hesitant trainee …
In a surge of strategic brilliance, Picard bursts into Engineering with a high-stakes proposal to reverse Pulaski's accelerating aging—using her pre-infected DNA as a transporter filter. Rina, initially stunned by …
In a high-stakes bid to save Pulaski, Picard storms into Engineering to confirm Rina's theoretical transporter modification—using pre-infection DNA as a genetic filter. The young ensign's instant validation of the …
In a desperate race against Pulaski's accelerating biological decay, Riker and Data turn the Enterprise's medical archives inside out searching for any preserved DNA sample that could serve as the …
Commander Riker's typically unflappable professionalism shatters as he and Data confirm their worst fear—Dr. Pulaski's medical records containing her original DNA have been transferred to Starfleet Headquarters, leaving no genetic …
Riker and Data, having exhausted all options in sickbay, share a moment of silent epiphany after their fruitless search for Pulaski's DNA samples. The realization that no records are available …
In a high-stakes maneuver, Captain Picard personally takes control of the transporter to retrieve Dr. Pulaski, risking both her life and potential contamination of the ship. The tense moment unfolds …
The tension in the transporter room is palpable as Picard personally takes control of the transporter, unwilling to delegate the potential loss of Dr. Pulaski to anyone else. The initial …
In a high-stakes transporter gambit, Picard personally oversees Pulaski's resurrection, his hand hovering over the abort controls as her aged form flickers dangerously on the pad—ready to scatter her atoms …
In the transporter room, tension peaks as Captain Picard personally oversees the risky procedure to restore Dr. Pulaski to her original state, unwilling to delegate the potential responsibility of dispersing …
In a quiet corridor moment brimming with unspoken tension, Geordi and Rina's professional admiration blossoms into romantic communion. Their exchange—beginning with career commendations—descends into intimate vulnerability as Rina asks how …
Following the resolution of the crisis on Gagarin IV, Geordi and Rina share a tender moment in the corridor that culminates in their romantic relationship becoming fully realized. Their exchange …