"The Measure of a Man" Line-by-Line

[LeadHead]

Maddox: Data must not be permitted to resign.

 

[Leandar]

Picard: Data is a Starfleet officer. He still has certain rights.

 

[LeadHead]

Maddox: Rights! Rights! I'm sick to death of hearing about rights! What about my right not to have my work subverted by blind ignorance?

 

[Leandar]

Phillipa: We have rule of law in this Federation. You cannot simply seize people and experiment with them to prove your pet theories.

 

[LeadHead]

Picard: Thank you!

 

[Leandar]

Maddox: Now you're doing it. Data is an extraordinary piece of engineering, but it is a machine. If you permit it to resign it will destroy years of work in robotics. Starfleet does not have to allow the resignation.

 

[LeadHead]

Picard: Who do you think you're working for? Starfleet is not an organization that ignores its own regulations when they become inconvenient. Whether you like it or not, Data has rights.

 

[Leandar]

Maddox: Let me put it another way. Would you permit the computer of the Enterprise to refuse a refit?

 

[Kolrad]

Data: I regret the decision, but I must. I am the culmination of one man's dream. This is not ego or vanity, but when Doctor Soong created me he added to the substance of the universe. If by your experiments I am destroyed, something unique, something wonderful will be lost. I cannot permit that, I must protect his dream.

^I love this line. Data in this episode (and many others) is awesome. I have no idea who was in the TNG movies, but it wasn't Data.

Carrying on...

Louvois: That's an interesting point. But the Enterprise computer is property. Is Data?

 

[Leandar]

Maddox: Of course.

 

[Kolrad]

Louvois: There may be law to support this position.

 

[Leandar]

Picard: Then find it. A ruling with such broad ranging implications must be supported. Phillipa, I hope you will use the same zeal that you did in the Stargazer court martial.

 

[CoveTom]

(Ten Forward)

WESLEY: Data, you're supposed to rip the wrapping off.

 

[LeadHead]

Data: With the application of a little care, Wes, paper can be utilized again.

 

[Leandar]

Wesley: Data, you're missing the point.

 

[LeadHead]

(Data rips apart the wrapping paper, Riker, Pulaski, Troi and Wesley laugh)

Data: The Dream of the Fire, by K'Ratak. Thank you, Worf.

 

[Leandar]

Worf: It was in the hands of the Klingons that the novel attained its full stature.

 

[LeadHead]

Pulaski: I couldn't disagree more. We'll save that argument for another day.

 

[Leandar]

Data: Excuse me, please. (to Geordi) Is something wrong?

 

[LeadHead]

La Forge: Of course there is, you're going away.