“Rascals” is episode seven of season six of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Captain Picard, Guinan, Ro and Keiko are returning in a shuttle from shore leave; the captain is enthusing over some archaeological items he’s recovered. Guinan makes a comment about him spending his time on the most beautiful planet in the quadrant in a cave. The captain says the finds are over 700 years old; Guinan says that so is her father. Worf contacts them; they’ve picked up a distress call from a Federation science team. The captain orders warp 8 set as soon as they are onboard. The shuttle then runs into an energy field. On the Enterprise, Worf briefs Commander Riker; the shuttle is losing structural integrity. He orders them beamed off. O’Brien is struggling to get a pattern lock; when he does, he reports a 40% drop in mass. He may have lost one. All four materialise, only much, much younger.
Dr Crusher checks them out in sickbay; they are adolescent, but only their bodies have changed. The captain asks about the shuttle; Riker, who is obviously having difficulty with a child captain, tells him it broke up and Data is recovering it. The doctor asks about the energy field but the captain says they can’t afford to stay here. Leave a class 4 probe. He is heading to the bridge; the other three can assist the doctor as needed.
On the bridge, the captain explains what happened. The doctor follows and wants a word with him in private. In his ready room, the captain asks if the doctor is there to relieve him of duty. She’d rather not have to take that step. He may still have his mind and experience intact, but that might change. Is she asking him to step down? She says he’s still Jean-Luc Picard; what does he think he should do? He hands over command to Riker.
Guinan and Ro have been relieved of duty and leave sickbay. Ro needs to do something. Guinan suggests they go play; she’s not been young in a very long time and means to enjoy every minute. Ro, whose childhood wasn’t great, wants to go back to her quarters. No, not to pout.
Keiki is in her quarters; Chief O’Brien looks uncomfortable. He starts to say he could use a drink and clearly changes it to coffee. Keiko gets it; he has problem not treating her the age she looks. And is really uncomfortable when she starts to cuddle him. Keiko states she is still his wife. ‘Technically’ was not the best response the chief could have used for that. He says of course she’s his wife, but she’s 10. Keiko says the doctor said it’s nearer to 12. Which isn’t really any better. Molly calls for her mother, but when Keiko arrives, she says she isn’t her mother. O’Brien tells Keiko they will work it out. He just doesn’t know how.
The Enterprise has reached the system the distress call came from but no progress has been made on a cure. The captain is in his quarters, adjusting his hair – a long time since he’s needed to do that – when Troi arrives to see how he’s doing. He wonders if anyone will take him seriously. She says people he knows and has worked with will adjust eventually. Others may find it difficult having a 12-year-old captain. If he has to grow up again before he can have another command, perhaps he could return to the academy. Take another degree. The academy has a certain appeal, though not being Wesley’s roommate, but the captain would prefer to look forward. Perhaps a sabbatical. Study archaeology. He has a chance few have; a second childhood without the pain of growing up again.
Dr Crusher is briefing Riker on what she’s found. Those affected are missing part of their genetic structure, that defines how they develop physically during adolescence. The plants Keiko was carrying returned to seedlings. She accelerated the growth on one and it became a normal adult plant. No, that won’t work on people, but at least they know the affected will probably grow up. She might be able to replace the missing sequences by sending them through the transporter again, but she needs to know how it happened first.
Then, whilst this is causing problems, Ferengi renegades show up and cause even more.
Should the problem be reversed, this will mean that Dr Crusher understood how it happened. Which will probably mean this is the second time that they’ve discovered how to reverse the aging process, and forgotten about it.