Quote help

[Too Much Fun]

Hey guys,

I've been trying to remember what episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" a quote is from and it's driving me crazy. I hope someone here can remember it and help me. It's from an episode where Data is alone in his quarters and Captain Picard comes to visit him. Data is staring at the wall blankly. Picard ask him what he is doing and he says something like, "I am concentrating on nothingness, you are welcome to join me in experiencing the nothingness". I think Picard politely says, "No, thank you" or something to that effect in response. Does this ring a bell for anyone? It's a really funny exchange, but for the life of me I can't remember which episode it's from!

 

[greenmystik]

Hmmm...the game's afoot!

I have no idea. I was gonna say Measure of A Man, but I don't think its from that.

 

[Too Much Fun]

No, I would know if it was from "Measure of a Man" as that's one of my top 5 favourite Next Generation episodes. But thanks for the response and suggestion!

 

[Holdfast]

I can't recall the exact quote, but I think Data was listening to a piece of music. The notes in the music were 10 minutes apart or something like that, and you were meant to use the interstitial silence for contemplation of emptiness.

No direct help, but might prompt someone else's memory for the exact ep/quote.

 

[Finn]

The Captain rarely visited Data's quarters. Actually, I can't recall him visiting Data.

But I'm going to make a wild guess, in case you remembered that scene wrong. Could you be thinking about Unification, part one where Data stands by the Captain (in their quarters on the Klingon ship) while staring into nothingness, giving the Captain the creeps?

 

[Too Much Fun]

Nope, I'm sure it's not Unification, as that's an episode I've seen recently, so I would remember if the scene was in that one. And the Captain has visited Data's quarters at least twice. Not only in the scene I'm referring to, but in "Peak Performance" when he hilariously grumbles about how he has to "hand hold an android" after Data starts "sulking" in his quarters after losing a game. Holdfast is definitely on the right track, but the mystery remains unsolved.

 

[WendellM]

Interesting challenge. I did a Google search of the TNG transcripts ("site:http://www.voyager.cz/tng/epizody/ emptiness") and found this from season 7's "Interface":

I was passing by and wondered what you were up to.
I am using the time to catch up on my study of poetry.
- There's nothing on the screen. - That is not entirely correct.
While the display is currently blank, this emptiness has a poetic meaning.
Therefore, it cannot be considered "nothing" as such.
- Says who? - The ancient Doosodarians.
Much of their poetry contains such lacunae or empty spaces.
Often, these pauses measured days, during which poet and audience
were encouraged to acknowledge the emptiness of the experience.
A few Starfleet Academy lectures seemed that way.
Are you certain you do not wish to talk about your mother?
- Why would you say that? - You are no doubt feeling distress.
While you claim to be just passing by,
that is most likely an excuse to discuss this uncomfortable subject.
- Am I correct? - No, Data.
Sometimes "just passing by" means just passing by.
Then I apologise for my premature assumption.
This particular poem has a lacuna of 47 minutes.
You may experience the emptiness with me, if you wish.
Thanks.

I believe it's Geordi and Data, though (uncertain since speakers aren't identified and I don't recall that scene).

 

[Too Much Fun]

BINGO! This particular sentence confirms that you're right.

You may experience the emptiness with me, if you wish.

That's what I was looking for without a doubt. And you're right, it was actually Geordi. I'm not sure why I was thinking it was Picard, since Geordi and Data were close friends so Geordi would obviously visit him more. So I guess Picard only actually visited him once or twice. I did originally join this forum just to get this question answered, but I'm enjoying other threads so much I think I'm going to stick around anyway. Thanks for the ideas, everyone!

 

[Krendoshazin]

I believe it's Geordi and Data, though

You are correct, the full transcript is here:
http://www.st-minutiae.com/academy/literature329/255.txt

It begins at '34 INT. DATA'S QUARTERS'.

 

[Holdfast]

Interesting challenge.

That was the exchange I was thinking of in my earlier post. Thanks for answering the OP, because it was starting to bug me too!

 

[WendellM]

BINGO! ... I did originally join this forum just to get this question answered, but I'm enjoying other threads so much I think I'm going to stick around anyway.

Glad to help, and I think you're making the right choice to stay.

You are correct, the full transcript is here:

That site looks like a useful resource, thanks.

That was the exchange I was thinking of in my earlier post. Thanks for answering the OP, because it was starting to bug me too!

Heh, I know that annoying feeling, when you can almost remember something... Your post was helpful in verifying that "Interface" was correct when I was looking ("interstitial silence" was key).

 

[Holdfast]

You are correct, the full transcript is here:

That site looks like a useful resource, thanks.

There's another good TNG script archive here

 

[The Borg Queen]

Instead of having poems with lacunae of empty space, they should have poems with ASCII art instead!

……………………………………..________……………………
………………………………,.-‘”……………….“~.,………………
………………………..,.-”……………………………..“-.,…………
…………………….,/………………………………………..”:,……..
…………………,?………………………………………………\,…..
………………./…………………………………………………..,}….
……………../………………………………………………,:`^`..}….
……………/……………………………………………,:”………/…..
…………..?…..__…………………………………..:`………../…..
…………./__.(…..“~-,_…………………………,:`………./……..
………../(_….”~,_……..“~,_………………..,:`…….._/………..
……….{.._$;_……”=,_…….“-,_…….,.-~-,},.~”;/….}………..
………..((…..*~_…….”=-._……“;,,./`…./”…………../…………
…,,,___.\`~,……“~.,………………..`…..}…………../………….
…………(….`=-,,…….`……………………(……;_,,-”……………
…………/.`~,……`-………………………….\……/\……………….
………….\`~.*-,……………………………….|,./…..\,__………..
,,_……….}.>-._\……………………………..|…………..`=~-,….
…..`=~-,_\_……`\,……………………………\……………………
……………….`=~-,,.\,………………………….\…………………..
…………………………..`:,,………………………`\…………..__..
……………………………….`=-,……………….,%`>–==“…….
…………………………………._\……….._,-%…….`\……………
……………………………..,<`.._|_,-&“…………….`\…………..

 

[Red Ranger]

Instead of having poems with lacunae of empty space, they should have poems with ASCII art instead!

……………………………………..________……………………
………………………………,.-‘”……………….“~.,………………
………………………..,.-”……………………………..“-.,…………
…………………….,/………………………………………..”:,……..
…………………,?………………………………………………\,…..
………………./…………………………………………………..,}….
……………../………………………………………………,:`^`..}….
……………/……………………………………………,:”………/…..
…………..?…..__…………………………………..:`………../…..
…………./__.(…..“~-,_…………………………,:`………./……..
………../(_….”~,_……..“~,_………………..,:`…….._/………..
……….{.._$;_……”=,_…….“-,_…….,.-~-,},.~”;/….}………..
………..((…..*~_…….”=-._……“;,,./`…./”…………../…………
…,,,___.\`~,……“~.,………………..`…..}…………../………….
…………(….`=-,,…….`……………………(……;_,,-”……………
…………/.`~,……`-………………………….\……/\……………….
………….\`~.*-,……………………………….|,./…..\,__………..
,,_……….}.>-._\……………………………..|…………..`=~-,….
…..`=~-,_\_……`\,……………………………\……………………
……………….`=~-,,.\,………………………….\…………………..
…………………………..`:,,………………………`\…………..__..
……………………………….`=-,……………….,%`>–==“…….
…………………………………._\……….._,-%…….`\……………
……………………………..,<`.._|_,-&“…………….`\…………..

Is that Picard holding his head in his hands in The Offspring? -- RR

 

[The Borg Queen]

Yep

 

[greenmystik]

That's cool. How much time did that take?

 

[Red Ranger]

Yep

Hmm. Maybe not The Offpsring, but Deja Q? -- RR