“Silicon Avatar” is episode four of season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Several of the Enterprise crew are helping some colonists and Riker is, successfully, flirting with a woman called Carmen. Dr Crusher and Data come over; the Enterprise is due back tomorrow. Then they hear a noise. Data says it’s coming from above. From the Crystalline Entity seen in “Datalore”. Riker asks Data for the best shelter; there are some subterranean caverns to the east. Everyone runs that way as the Entity starts stripping life from the ground. An old man stumbles, Carmen goes to help and both are killed.
Captain Picard arrives on the bridge and Worf reports there is a disturbance from the outpost on Melon IV. They’re too far away to tell what it is and can’t contact them. The Enterprise is 27 hours out. The captain contacts Geordi, who confirms there’s something strange going on. Captain Picard orders speed be increased.
The colonists head into the caves and Riker and Data seal the entrance behind them. Dr Crusher is told Carmen didn’t make it. Riker isn’t sure about the air supply and tells everyone to not expend unnecessary energy. He tries, and fails, to contact the Enterprise. Data suggests the refractory metals they hope will block the Entity are possibly blocking the signal. Riker asks Data how he knew the metals would protect them. Data isn’t certain they will.
Worf reports the disturbance is increasing. Troi says that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. The captain knows that – even though she’s wrong – but increases speed anyway.
In the caves, the doctor tells Riker they can’t wait much longer. He says if the Entity is still out there, they’re dead. She replies that if they stay in the caves, they’re dead. However, before they can do anything, Worf leads a team to dig them out. Outside, the planet is now a barren wasteland stripped of life.
Captain Picard has informed Starfleet Command they are going to pursue their investigation of the Crystalline Entity. They’re joined by Dr Kila Marr, a xenologist who made studying the Entity her life’s work. Riker greets her as she beams aboard; Dr Marr is interested because these are the only known survivors of an attack. And asks if Data was there.
At the briefing in the observation lounge, Data says this is the same Entity that destroyed Omicron Theta. Dr Marr seems to ignore him. She says the Entity strips life to create energy to keep going. In 11 known attacks, these are the first survivors. She wonders why. Data explains the cave. Dr Marr ignores him again. She wants to go to the colony. The captain orders Data to accompany her. Dr Marr would prefer to choose her own team. Picard says she can, but Data will accompany them. No-one knows more. Dr Marr knows. And knows what Lore did. After the briefing, Troi confirms what the captain knows; you don’t need to be an empath to sense Dr Marr’s feelings; her hostility towards Lore has been transferred to Data. Perhaps the captain shouldn’t have forced them to work together. Captain Picard would prefer to know about problems sooner rather than later.
In the caves, Data tells Dr Marr something. She ignores him. He calls her on this. Marr says that she can hear him, and if he has anything worth responding to, she will answer. She’s more interested in the cave. On two previous occasions, settlers sought refuge in caves. They died. Dr Marr suggests that it was Data’s presence that spared them; if he’s working with the Crystalline Entity, it wouldn’t kill its ally. Dr Marr is surprised Data is taking her accusations so calmly. She says he can’t feel anything and nothing she says hurts him. Data agrees. Dr Marr’s son died on Omicron Theta and that’s the reason she became an expert. If Data is helping the Entity, she will see him dismantled.
Dr Marr, despite her expertise, is perhaps not the best choice to work with, and not just because of her hostility towards Data, which she does get over. Captain Picard wants to talk to the Entity, if that’s at all possible. Dr Marr wants to kill it. She’s out for revenge for the death of her son and isn’t entirely stable.