'Time's Arrow' (Part I) (Story Code 226) by Joe Menosky and Michael Piller Story by Joe Menosky

The U.S.S. Enterprise is recalled to Earth to help investigate an apparent visit by extraterrestrials dating back to the late-Nineteenth Century. When a sealed cavern under San Francisco was recently opened, discovered inside were several Nineteenth Century artefacts, traces of a rare energy source called triolic radiation - and Lieutenant Commander Data's severed head. While Picard and his crew come to terms with the supposed death of their crewmate, the android himself calmly surmises that at a future date he will be transported back in time to meet his fate. Because triolic waves are harmful to most organic life-forms, those species immune to its effects are shape-changers - ideal for enabling visiting aliens to blend in on Earth; the trail leads the Enterprise crew to the planet Devidia II, where sensors show temporal anomalies. Picard insists that Data remain on the ship, and sends Commander Riker and an away team down to the planet. Although they find no-one present in the cavern, Counselor Troi senses human life forms; the away team conclude that the occupants are a fraction of a second out of phase, and only Data is capable of aligning himself with the time distortion. The android beams down to help and disappears inside the field, but is still able to communicate with the others and describe the bizarre alien lifeforms now visible around him. But then the threat of an imminent explosion forces Data into a rift, and he is transported from Devidia II to San Francisco in the late 1800s. Stranded in unfamiliar surroundings, Data quickly gains funds by winning a barroom poker game; after buying some less conspicuous clothes he rents a hotel room and begins building a communications device to enable him to contact the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Picard and the others attempt to find a way to join their missing crewmate - but will they be able to change the course of history and prevent Data's death as foretold? It seems that the course of Time's arrow is not so easily altered...

Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Thomas Riker), LeVar Burton (Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Security Chief Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Councelor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Jerry Hardin (Samuel Clemens), Michael Aron (Bellboy), Barry Kivel (Doorman), Ken Thorley (Seaman), Sheldon Peters Wolfchild (Joe Falling Hawk), Jack Murdock (Beggar), Marc Alaimo (Gambler / Fredrick La Rouque), Milt Tarver (Scientist), Michael Hungerford (Roughneck)

Directed by Les Landau
Co-Produced by Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
Produced by David Livingston
Executive Producer Michael Piller, Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry

TX:
15th June, 1992

Notes:
*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Councelor Deanna Troi, Lieutenant Commander Data and Guinan