The Chase

For other uses, see Chase.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow: The following content contains spoilers!

"The Chase" is a Star Trek episode, the 146th episode of TNG in the show's 6th season, broadcast the week of 26 April 1993.

Summary[]

Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard having always been a student of archaeology, is intrigued when contacted by his former mentor Professor Richard Galen. The professor, who Picard said is "like the father who understood me", states that he has come across something in his travels which could be the most profound discovery of their time.

Galen, however, will not tell him about what he has found unless Picard agrees to go with him, which means leaving the Enterprise and his career in Starfleet behind. Picard ultimately refuses, although he is torn about disappointing his former mentor, who in anger remarked that Picard's job was like that of "A Roman centurion… maintaining a dull and bloated empire". Shortly after angrily leaving the Enterprise, Galen's transport vessel is attacked and boarded.

When the Enterprise arrives, Galen is beamed to sickbay and has just enough energy before he dies to apologize for his earlier rude remarks, saying "Jean-Luc, I was too harsh" with his dying breath. Picard is fueled by this event and decides to assume Professor Galen's research. An investigation of Galen's ship yields no results other than a series of seemingly random number blocks.

After studying the ambiguous number blocks for hours, the discovery is made that these fragments are DNA, compatible DNA strands which have been recovered from different worlds all over the galaxy. The crew eventually believe that they have discovered an embedded genetic pattern that is constant throughout many different species, and it is speculated that this was left by an early race that pre-dates all other known civilizations. This would ultimately explain why so many races are humanoid.

Picard resolves that the answer to the "puzzle" will be revealed when the remaining DNA samples are obtained, and so the Enterprise travels to a remote, uninhabited planet that Galen had mentioned was his next destination. They encounter Klingon and Cardassian ships that appear to be on the same trail as themselves. These two groups believe, respectively, that the puzzle will yield the design of a formidable weapon and the secret of an unlimited power source.

The Enterprise hosts representatives from the Cardassians and the Klingons, and they all agree to combine the DNA samples that they have found so far, since all three parties have pieces of the puzzle that the others cannot find. Using the shared information, they determine a pattern in how several planets were aligned millions of years ago and extrapolate the position of a final planet.

The Cardassians warp off ahead of the others, firing at both ships to disable them. However, Picard had already learned of the Cardassians' attempt to sabotage the Enterprise defenses; the ship is fully functional, and he takes the Klingon captain to the last planet.

Upon arrival, they discover that almost all life is extinct, but scans by the Enterprise detect residual lichens located on a fossilized seabed, and they beam down to investigate with their tricorders containing all previously known information. The Cardassians arrive, as well as an undetected Romulan force, creating a standoff. Reasoning that the seabed may not be completely fossilized (and thus still containing some DNA), Picard and Doctor Crusher scan the sea-bed with their tricorder while the other parties argue.

They locate the final DNA fragment, which completes and runs a computer program. The program reconfigures the tricorder's emitter to project a holographic message. The recorded image of an alien humanoid is projected to the assembled company, and it explains that its race is responsible for the presence of life in the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant.

When the alien race first explored the Alpha and Beta Quadrants there had been no humanoid-based life other than themselves, and so they seeded various planets with their DNA to create a legacy of their existence after they had gone. The alien ends its message by saying that it hopes that the knowledge of a common origin will help produce peace.

The Cardassians are outraged at this (considering themselves a superior race), as are the Klingons (who hate the Romulans and are disgusted to be related to those "without honor"). Only the Federation representatives seem optimistic. The episode ends with all parties diverging, but the commander of the Romulan ship contacts Picard and hints that "one day…", implying there may be peace.

References[]

Characters[]

Eric Burton's mother • Beverly Crusher • Data • Galathon • Richard Galen • Jae • Geordi La Forge • Mot • Malyn Ocett • Nu'Daq • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Tarus • Towles • Deanna Troi • Vellek • Worf • USS Enterprise-D computer • USS Enterprise-D personnel (unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) personnel: Starfleet conn ensign, etc.) • unnamed Progenitors (ancient humanoid) • unnamed Romulans (Romulan landing party)

Referenced only

unnamed Trill (The Master of Tarquin Hill) • M'Tell • Maurice Picard • Heinrich Schliemann

USS Enterprise-D personnel database: Brannon Braga (Lieutenant Commander) • Jay Chattaway • Alexander Courage • Rene Echevarria • Jerry Goldsmith • J. Lowry Johnson • Wendy Neuss • Ron Surma • Jonathan West

Starships and vehicles[]

CDS Bralek (Galor-class warship) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class explorer) • IKS Maht-H'a (Vor'cha-class attack cruiser) • IRW Trolarak (D'deridex-class warbird) • Galen's shuttle (shuttle) • transport vessel • type-7 shuttlecraft • Yridian destroyer

Referenced only: Al-Leyan transport • Vulcan ship

Locations[]

Indri VIII (Indri star system, Sector Indri, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant)
Loren III (Loren star system, near Kurlan system, Sector Loren, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
Ruah IV (Ruah star system, Sector Ruah, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
Volterra Nebula (the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
Vilmor II (Vilmor star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)

Referenced only

Aolian Cluster • Atalia VII (Atalia star system, Sector Atalia, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Caere • Cardassia (the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant) • Deep Space 4 • Earth (Troy) • Kurl (Kurlan system) • Rahm-Izad (Rahm-Izad system, Sector 21459, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant) • Romulan space (Romulus) • Sothis III (Sothis star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Workshop of the Master of Tarquin Hill • Ya'Seem

USS Enterprise-D personnel database locations: Aaamazzara • Alpha Carinae V (Alpha Carinae star system, Sector 221-G, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant) • Alpha Cygnus IX (Alpha Cygnus star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Eminiar VII (Eminiar star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Gamma Trianguli IV (Gamma Trianguli star system, Gamma Trianguli sector, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant) • Regulus V (Regulus star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Rigel VII (Rigel systems, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant) • Selcundi Drema • Sherman's Planet • Sigma Draconis VI (Sigma Draconis star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Talos IV (Talos star system, Talos star group, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Taurus II (Taurus system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Therbia • Triacus • Triskelion Prime (Triskelion system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Tycho IV (Tycho star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Xendi Sabu IX (Xendi Sabu star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
starship mission status locations: Alpha Laputa IV (Alpha Laputa star system, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) • Beta Cygni (Cygnus constellation) • Romulan Neutral Zone (the galaxy's Beta Quadrant) • Sector 21396 • Sector 21538 • Sector 22358 • Sector 22846 • Sector 22853 • Sector 23079 • Starbase 134 • Starbase 434 • Vulcan Science Academy
spacecraft systems status locations: Utopia Planitia (Mars)

Shipboard areas[]

USS Enterprise-D

arboretum (referenced only) • conference lounge • quarters (Picard's) • sickbay • Ten Forward

spacecraft systems status locations (referenced only): main shuttlebay • observation lounge • service docking port • shuttlebay 2 • shuttlebay 3 • umbilical connect port

Races and cultures[]

ancient humanoids • android • Betazoid • Bolian • Cardassian • Human (Roman) • Klingon • Romulan

Referenced only: Al-Leyan • Kurlan • Ruah IV proto-hominid • Satarran • Vulcan • Yash-El • Yridian

States and organizations[]

Cardassian Guard • Cardassian Union • Klingon Empire • Klingon Imperial Fleet • Romulan Star Empire • Romulan Imperial Fleet • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets

Referenced only: Roman Empire

Science and classification[]

algorithm • alien • archaeology • astronomy • biology • cartography • communications • energy • matter • measurement • technology • weapon • impulse • molecular level • outer shell • plasma reaction • seabed • warp factor • beamed • sea • sea-bed

Astronomy[]

galaxy • planet (biosphere • class L planet • class M planet) • quadrant • protostar • space • star • star system • stellar nursery • time • universe

Biology[]

biosphere • base pair • cell • DNA • DNA fragment • DNA sample • DNA strand • fossilization • genetic pattern • lifeform • micropaleontology • medicine • protein link compatability

Lifeforms[]

goose • humanoid/proto-hominid • lichen

Communications[]

biological database • log (captain's log: captain's log, USS Enterprise-D, 2369) • holographic message]]

Materials and substances[]

air • atmosphere • cortenide • deoxyribonucleic acid • DNA • drink • duranium • food • fossil • gas • genetic material • liquid • solid • metal

Food and drink[]

biscuit • breakfast • macchiato

Other references[]

B'aht Qul challenge • boot • bribe • cha • clothing • death • dream • emotion • empire • emotion • government • hair • jigsaw puzzle • Kurlan naiskos • Kurlan Fifth Dynasty • Kurlan Third Dynasty • final exam • honor • peace • level 3 diagnostic • level 4 security • maw'tok • pahk • pants • province • puzzle • races and cultures • recipe • science • sleep • starboard • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2366-2373) • state • tash-koh-tah • title • Toh-pah • wa' • tunic • uniform • wej • wild goose chase

Chronology[]

millions of years ago

The Progenitors seed worlds and record their message.

24th century

2360s decade
- stardate 46731.5, 2369 (2360s chronology, Enterprise-D voyages): Enterprise hosts Galen, diverts from Atalia.

Appendices[]

Related media[]