"Clues" Line-By-Line

DATA: You did, sir.

 

PICARD: I ordered you to lie?

 

WORF: Captain, the energy field is approaching.

 

RIKER: Maintain shields at full intensity.

 

DATA: No. We must vary shield shape and strength as rapidly as possible. Maximum shields will only speed the ship's takeover.

 

WORF: Contact imminent.

 

PICARD: Do as Data says. At once.

 

WORF: Aye, sir. The field is shifting amplitude, trying to match the shields.

 

DATA: The energy field will eventually penetrate our shields. There is no way to counter the Paxans' technology. We can delay their takeover but we cannot prevent it.

 

PICARD: "The Paxans." Who are they?

 

TROI (Possessed): You have invaded our system.

 

(Worf raises his phaser and points it at Troi)
PICARD: No, Worf!

 

DATA: No!

PICARD: Worf!

DATA: You will only harm Counsellor Troi's body.

 

PICARD: We are not invaders. We are explorers.

 

TROI: Your knowledge of us is unacceptable.

 

DATA: They are xenophobes, sir. Isolationists. The Paxans terraformed a protoplanet in this system in order to better conceal their whereabouts. The apparent wormhole we experienced is actually a trap designed to keep out invaders. The energy field stuns everyone on board the invading vessel and places them in a state of biochemical stasis.

 

LAFORGE: That explains why our beards didn't grow.

 

DATA: The Paxans then take the ship out of their territory.

 

RIKER: So the crew wakes up and thinks they've been through a wormhole, count their blessings and keep going.

 

DATA: Precisely.