“The Loss” is episode ten of season four of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Troi is counselling a woman who is boasting about how well she’s been doing since her husband’s accident. It’s clear she’s not facing death as well as she claims, and doesn’t feel fine. The woman, Ensign Brooks, eventually admits that the previous night she realised she had kept nothing of her husband’s after the funeral. Troi did, and knew it was important.
Captain Picard and Riker arrive on the bridge; the captain is trying to get Riker to take part in a hologram program. Worf reports something appeared ahead. Then it disappears.
Troi is saying goodbye to Brooks when she seems to be affected by something. On the bridge, Data reports seeing something there, and then it disappears. Worf thinks there’s something there and the captain orders they stop to investigate. Troi collapses.
The investigation reveals nothing so the captain orders that they resume course. When asked how long it will take to get to their destination, Data omits the seconds. Riker checks with him; Data had found people to get impatient when he did that. However, when they try to move, the ship lurches. Geordi reports the field collapsed before they could enter warp. Something is dragging them, though.
Troi is in pain and contacts Dr Crusher. She isn’t sure what happened; the doctor will be there as quick as she can. Sickbay is answering calls from all over the ship.
An attempt is made to break free of whatever is dragging the Enterprise, but it fails.
The doctor arrives to check on Troi; she says the pain has gone. Dr Crusher wants to take Troi to sickbay for a scan, but Riker summons senior officers to the observation lounge first. The senior staff are trying to work out what they have encountered. The captain asks Troi if she can sense a lifeform. Troi can sense nothing. Including all of them.
Troi is taken to sickbay and Dr Crusher reports she has unresponsive neural cells. Brain damage. The doctor isn’t sure she can treat them. Troi says the condition could reverse; the Betazoid brain is very resilient. The doctor reminds her she’s half human. Riker asks what could have caused it and the doctor agrees there could be a connection with whatever the ship has encountered. Troi says she’s fine, though the doctor wants her to talk to someone else. Troi would like to return to work. Unless there’s a medical reason not to. There isn’t. In her quarters, Troi tells Riker she’s seen how it happens, people are treated differently. She will not be treated that way. Troi says she’s fine. She isn’t.
Geordi and Data are looking at the feed from a probe. It shows the Enterprise in a field of particles.
Troi counsels Brooks again, and says she has lost her empathic ability. Brooks is saying she had a good cry last night and is now fine. Troi doesn’t believe it.
The senior staff are briefed about the objects. They are length and width, but not height. Two dimensional. The Enterprise couldn’t detect them as they were looking along the edge. They appear to be a lifeform, and the Enterprise is caught in their wake. Geordi says a controlled overload of the warp core, jumping to warp 6, might break them free. It would in a three-dimensional universe; he isn’t sure about a two dimensional one. The captain wonders if they are aware. Geordi says it’s a shame they can’t tell and Troi gets defensive, then leaves before the meeting is over.
In sickbay, Dr Crusher can’t find anything helpful and there’s nothing she can do. Troi asks how they live like this and goes off on one, having a go at the doctor.
Troi realises she is denying her own problems, though the captain thinks her response is an overreaction. She certainly isn’t coping well with the loss of one of her senses. And being dragged by the creatures is going to cause a serious problem.