“Hero Worship” is episode eleven of season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Starbase 514 lost contact with the research vessel Vico, which was surveying the interior of a black cluster. The Enterprise has been sent to investigate and they find the Vico outside the cluster, adrift, badly damaged and with no lifesigns. Structural bulkheads prevent them from linking to the Vico‘s computer. Data says the ship is stable enough for an away team, but there’s a risk of structural collapse.
Commander Riker, Geordi and Data beam across and are transferring data from the computer core when they hear a sound. They find a boy pinned under a fallen beam Rescue is difficult and the beam prevents the transporter from working. Data says he will move the beam, and advises the others to beam off first in case of structural problems. The boy asks Data how he can move the beam. Because he’s an android and stronger than a human. Data lifts the beam off and both are beamed directly to sickbay.
The boy, Timothy, is the only survivor. He’s with Dr Crusher, Data and Troi in sickbay. Timothy says they were attacked by a big ship and people came onboard with phasor rifles. Data is about to leave, but Timothy clutches his hand.
In engineering, Geordi is telling Captain Picard what happened to the Vico, though it will be another hour before they’ve transferred all the data from the Vico‘s computer. Both Timothy’s parents were onboard the ship; his mother’s body has been found and his father was probably on the bridge when it opened to space. In sickbay, Dr Crusher says she doesn’t need to keep Timothy there, but will need to see him tomorrow.
Data and Geordi, having finished transferring the Vico‘s data, discover that a good proportion of the records have been lost, including sensor logs. Data asks Geordi if Geordi ever experienced a traumatic experience as a child, and Geordi recounts being trapped in a fire for a couple of minutes.
Timothy is at school, building something, even though the teacher is reading. The teacher tells Timothy that they’re done with sculpture for now, but Timothy insists he isn’t finished and the teacher glances at Troi through the window.
On the bridge, Data, Geordi and the captain are discussing what happened to the Vico. It appears it was attacked inside the black cluster and pushed outwards afterwards. Damage looks to have been from a disruptor at less than 3,000 metres; strategy consistent with a cloaked vessel. Romulan, or Klingon, but both are some distance away. Data says the Breen have an outpost nearby, and this is consistent with their battle tactics and level of technology.
According to Timothy, he saw a boarding party with helmets and phasor rifles, but Data says this is unlikely. Troi joins them as Geordi con firms there’s no trace of anyone boarding the Vico. Timothy is mistaken or lying for some reason. Troi tells them Timothy is in shock, and she’d like Data to spend time with him; she’s worried about his behaviour already. Data is the only one Timothy has reached out to, because Data rescued him.
Timothy is in quarters working on the model when the door goes. He becomes much more animated realising that it’s Data and asks Data what he thinks of the model. Data asks if Timothy wants a frank evaluation of it. Going by the response after said evaluation, no. Timothy thinks he’s useless and Data hates the model. Data replies he’s incapable of hatred. Geordi contacts Data, who starts heading out, then returns and finished the model at high speed. Timothy asks how. Data says he’s designed to exceed human capacity, both physically and mentally. That doesn’t mean he’s better, though; he has no emotions. He can’t be happy or sad.
When Data leaves, Timothy starts emulating him. Then continues with that, declaring himself an android. Data spends a lot of time with Timothy, as the Enterprise heads into the cluster looking for what attacked the Vico.