“11001001” is episode fifteen of season one of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is approaching Starbase 74 which is in orbit around Tarsis 3 for routine maintenance of the systems and some updates (which were mentioned in “Datalore” including to the holodeck, which has had problems (in “The Big Goodbye”, the holodeck nearly killed a crewmember; that qualifies as a ‘problem’). Captain Picard and Commander Riker greet the maintenance crew, led by Commander Quinteros. Quinteros says they are late, as they were expected a week ago, and is told they had other matters arise. There are no specific problems; Picard is very pleased with the ship’s operation. Quinteros knew he would be; he was part of the team that put it together.
Two of Quinteros’s team are Bynars, who he says are a unified pair and are always found together; One Zero and Zero One. They have just finished upgrading the computers on the Wellington. The Bynars, who finish each other’s sentences, are pleased to work on such a large, mobile computer. They seem less pleased to find they only have 48 hours to work with. Both the captain and Riker will be available if needed, but Quinteros says they won’t until the inspection.
Picard tells Riker the Bynars are so interconnected to the master computer on their home planet that their language and thought processes are as close to binary as is possible for organic beings. The captain is going to read a book; Riker isn’t good at organising his time off. But something will turn up; it always does. They arrive at the bridge where Wesley is watching four Bynars. Apparently, with less time than they thought, they needed more. Riker seems to think their responses are a bit off and Wesley notices. When he leaves, he asks Wesley to keep an eye on them.
Riker first bumps into Tasha and Worf and two other who are heading to play parisses squares against the maintenance crew. Worf says they will be victorious no matter what the cost. Riker tells him it’s only a game; Worf’s response is that if winning isn’t important, why keep score? Afterwards, Tasha tells the commander that Worf is developing a sense of humour. When they leave, the section goes dark. Unoccupied sections are being closed down to free up computer space for upgrades.
Riker’s next stop is Data and Geordi; they are trying to see if Data can be creative. Riker thinks it will be interesting for future scholars – a blind man teaching an android to paint. Dr Crusher is gathering stuff as she’s going to see a professor Riker has never heard of. She seems a little excited. Finally, he stops at the holodeck, where the Bynars are completing upgrades. They suggest Riker try them out, and he does, setting up a New Orleans jazz bar in the 20th century.
Wesley is still watching the Bynars and asks Quinteros a question about the high-pitched sound they make. The commander suggests he ask the Bynars, and they explain how it is their primary advantage. Wesley thinks they have a few advantages; a few disadvantages too, according to the Bynars. Picard re-enters the bridge and, on hearing Riker is in the holodeck, heads down there.
Riker is finding a woman the holodeck has created, Minuet, far too real. He chats with her and dances with her and they start to kiss when Picard arrives. He’s amazed at how good the holodeck reproduction looks, and says it is somewhere he would have created himself. Riker introduces Minuet, who greets the captain in French, explaining when he asks that she accessed the language bank.
Data is awaiting inspiration when Wesley contacts him. There’s possible trouble in main engineering, but he can’t be more specific. There seems to be something wrong with antimatter containment. Data and Geordi head to engineering and discover there is something wrong. There’s going to be an antimatter containment breach, and the ship will be destroyed. So, Data orders an evacuation of the ship and an automated departure. There isn’t time to wait for the captain’s approval.
With the crew off, except for Riker and Picard, it starts heading out of spacedock. However, the breach was engineered, the containment field is stabilised and the Bynars head off in the starship they have just stolen. The starbase doesn’t have anything that can catch them either; it’s a maintenance base and the docked ships are under repair. Riker and Picard appear to have been deliberately kept on board.