How could Data lie to them the 2nd time? He told them they passed out for 30 seconds, yet actually two days (or more?) had passed. Wouldn't they notice they lost two days when they contact Starfleet?
Clues
- Thread starter JarodRussell
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Data specifically mentions contacting Starfleet to adjust for the time distortion. It's apparently understood that there can be a discrepancy between the time passed on the ship and time passed elsewhere as a result of moving through an unstable wormhole.
Edit: In fact, Riker seems to be under the impression that they're lucky they didn't "end up across the galaxy and into the middle of the next week." He is clearly aware of how an unstable wormhole can affect a ship's position in both time and space.
Because that wouldn't be plausible - people remaining unconscious for that long would show clear medical signs of it, and many might even be expected to be dead as a consequence. Certainly Picard would force everybody to undergo thorough medical checking as the result of two days of unconsciousness, making it likely that the bluff would be called again; mere half a minute would not warrant such scrutiny.
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
But the first time around showed how easily the "You've been out for 30 seconds" lie falls apart.
Which was the whole point of the episode.
So why try the same thing again when you've seen how easily it fails?
As Picard says, the first time through can be considered a "run through" to find all of the flaws in their plan. Presumably they found all of them and made it work the second time around.
Which seems like an odd thing for them overlook the first time through. I always thought it was odd that so much secrecy was needed. Couldn't Data at some point when it became obvious the ruse wasn't working just have said, "Captain, back there are some xenophobic aliens who will fuck our shit up if we so much as show that we know about their existence. They're satisfied that we're moving on without any knowledge of them and me sworn to secrecy to never mention them. So how about we keep on going and forget about them because, really, they can destroy us without even trying."
yeah, that would have made a lot more sense, but Data had to go the literalist route of "I was ordered not to tell, and I'll stick to that even if it no longer makes sense or is practical."
That would require Data to lie about not revealing their existance, which he was ordered not to do. That was the whole reason for the aliens not destroying them, Data being sworn to secrecy and not the type to break that word.
He should have just said, "You were unconscious for X days. I would have woken you sooner, but the wormhole caused a magical radiation field and I had to wait for it to dissipate before I could wake you up, otherwise it could have caused brain damage."
Sure, they'd have shaved beards, but I think that if they can get skin to grow back really fast with a dermal regenerator, then they can get hair to grow fast too.
Sure, they'd have shaved beards, but I think that if they can get skin to grow back really fast with a dermal regenerator, then they can get hair to grow fast too.
The episode doesn't show the manner in which they cover up the original clues; we're just left to assume that they found a way to do it. It's not really all that important to the plot.
Of course, it's entirely possible that the second attempt also fails and they have to try a third time!
Except he DOES break his word when they finally re-encounter the xenophobic aliens and it looks like they're near destruction. If Data had spoken up earlier a lot of hassle and their near destruction could have been avoided.
