“Genesis” is episode nineteen of season seven of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In sickbay, Nurse Ogawa is removing cactus spines from Riker and Dr Crusher is telling Reg Barclay he doesn’t have the latest fatal thing he’s diagnosed himself with. And she thought they’d agreed he was going to see her before checking the Starfleet medical database. She starts running a microcellular scan as Data arrives with Spot, who is pregnant.
Reg says his capillaries are shrinking, and the doctor heads back and asks Ogawa to take care of Spot. She says that, going by the readouts, Reg has 70-80 years left. He does have a mild case of Urodealean flu, which most humans have a natural immunity to. Reg’s gene is dormant so she gives him an injection of synthetic t-cells to let his body fight the infection naturally.
Dr Crusher heads back to check on Spot and Ogawa is asking Data if he wants to know the sex. Data would prefer to preserve the mystery. The nurse says she knows what he means; she doesn’t want to know either. Both Dr Crusher and Data look at her. Yes, she’s expecting. Data offers to share his experience as an expecting parent with her husband.
The Enterprise has arrived at an asteroid thicket to test tactical and weapon systems upgrades. Worf is gushing over the new photon torpedoes, and he’s upgraded the guidance system too. Captain Picard orders him to fire when ready. However, one of the torpedoes goes astray. The captain orders it to be aborted, but it doesn’t respond and it’s out of range of phasors.
The captain says they have to go after it, but Data reports the field is unusually dense; the ship is too large. The captain will take a shuttle and Data then. Riker mentions the on-duty pilot, but realises that the captain wants to go for a fly himself. As they leave, Picard suggests Worf check the guidance systems and Data wants to attend to a personal matter.
This being to ask Reg to take care of Spot. He’d prefer a human was around to supervise the birthing process, and Reg seems to be the only other member of the crew that Spot likes. Data warns Reg that others have been injured looking after Spot. Reg is happy to. And wonders who the father is. Data doesn’t know; he will do a DNA analysis after the birth. Then the captain contacts him from the shuttle bay.
Worf is failing to find any problems on the bridge and is a bit snappy. Riker says he has been working for six hours straight and orders him to take a break. Worf is pigging out in Ten Forward when Troi joins him; they were supposed to have lunch together. She orders caviar and finishes a drink in one gulp. She’s finding the air dry. Her caviar is brought and Worf fixates on the server. Worf says the guidance system failed and it’s his fault. Troi thinks he’s stressed and should get some rest. He agrees and leaves. She finishes another drink.
Worf wakes that night and ends up ripping his bed to pieces, then curling around the remnants on the floor.
Reg is babbling in engineering to Riker; Geordi hands Riker a diagram of what they plan to do. Although Riker seems to have problems reading it. An alarm goes off and Reg bolts to check. Geordi says he can’t get Reg to slow down. Reg returns and says what the problem is. Geordi will accompany him.
On the bridge, Troi is turning up the heat far more than Worf wants. She eventually decides she needs a bath. In a Jefferies tube, Reg is still babbling. Geordi has found an organic solvent that has eaten through the floor. And decides to take a break. Riker is told that Starfleet wants to know about the weapons test. He seems to not know what that is. Troi is having a bath in uniform when Worf enters. And bites her. A Klingon mating thing.
In sickbay, Nurse Ogawa tells the doctor that others are having problems like Troi, some too hot, some too cold. Dr Crusher goes to check on an unresponding Worf and notices what she thinks is a venom sac on his neck. And decides to stand in front of Worf when asking him to open his mouth. She gets a faceful of something painful and Worf bolts.
Ogawa tells Riker that Dr Crusher was put into stasis before she was paralysed, but she’ll need reconstructive surgery. Ogawa thinks she’ll be alright. Reg says Worf’s venom matched the stuff he and Geordi found in a Jefferies tube and elsewhere. Worf appears to be spraying it over the ship. Ogawa, who is holding herself strangely, reports that over 60 crewmembers have been undergoing changes. Riker admits he’s having problems concentrating. Geordi arrives; they have teams looking for Worf but sensors are having problems. Riker goes with whatever Geordi suggests. Everyone leaves, Ogawa walking oddly, and Riker tries sending a message to Starfleet, but can’t remember his security codes.
By the time Data and Captain Picard return, the ship is adrift and the crew are no longer themselves. And the writers of “Threshold” may be taking notes.