ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>The Icarus Factor</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR=#000000"> <TABLE ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="595" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="3" BORDER="0"> <TR> <TD ROWSPAN="2" WIDTH="150" VALIGN=MIDDLE ALIGN=CENTER><IMG SRC="STTNG Pictures/Next-Gen-Logo.gif" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="117" BORDER="0" ALT="Star Trek The Next Generation Logo"></TD> <TD WIDTH="245" VALIGN=CENTER ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#99CCFF" SIZE="3" FACE="Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans"><B>'The Icarus Factor'</B><BR><BR><FONT SIZE="3">(Story Code 140)<BR>by David Assael<BR>and Robert L. McCullough<BR>Story by David Assael</TD> <TD ROWSPAN="2" WIDTH="200" VALIGN=CENTER ALIGN=CENTER><IMG SRC="STTNG Pictures/STTNG S2 Cast.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="142" ALT="Star Trek The Next Generation Cast"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#99CCFF" SIZE="2" FACE="Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans"> Commander Riker is offered captaincy of the starship <I>U.S.S. Aries</I>; however, when the <I>Enterprise</I> arrives at Starbase Montgomery, Riker is disturbed to learn that the briefing for his new assignment is to be carried out by his estranged father, Kyle. It has been fifteen years since either of them spoke to the other, and Riker immediately refuses to listen to his father's attempts at reconciliation. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Worf begins to display uncharacteristically hostile behaviour towards his crewmates; Ensign Wesley Crusher manages to discover that the Klingon is feeling culturally isolated because it is the tenth anniversary of his Age of Ascension, an important ritual that signifies a new level of spiritual attainment. However, Wesley, Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Geordi LaForge soon learn that the ritual is a test of a Klingon's ability to endure pain at the hands of his friends& <BR><BR> Patrick Stewart (<B>Captain Jean-Luc Picard</B>), Jonathan Frakes (<B>Commander William Thomas Riker</B>), LeVar Burton (<B>Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge</B>), Michael Dorn (<B>Security Chief Lieutenant Worf</B>), Marina Sirtis (<B>Councelor Deanna Troi</B>), Brent Spiner (<B>Lieutenant Commander Data</B>), Wil Wheaton (<B>Wesley Crusher</B>), Diana Muldaur (<B>Katherine  Kate Pulaski</B>), Diana Muldaur (<B>Doctor [Commander] Katherine  Kate Pulaski</B>), Colm Meaney (<B>Transporter Chief Miles O Brien</B>), Mitchell Ryan (<B>Kyle Riker</B>), Lance Spellerberg (<B>Ensign Herbert</B>) <BR><BR><B>Directed by Robert Iscove <BR>Produced by Robert L. McCullough <BR>Executive Producer Gene Roddenberry </B> <BR><BR><B>TX:</B> <FONT COLOR="#99CCFF" SIZE="2" FACE="Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans"> <BR>24th April, 1989 <BR><BR><B>Notes:</B> <BR>*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Councelor Deanna Troi, Lieutenant Commander Data, Doctor [Commander] Katherine  Kate Pulaski, Transporter Chief Miles O Brien and Wesley Crusher <BR><BR><BR> </BODY> </HTML>