“The Survivors” is episode three of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is heading for the Federation colony on Rana IV after a distress call was received three days ago about being attacked by an unidentified spacecraft. They are going to either rescue the colony or possibly confront a hostile force. Worf states that sensors can detect no armed space vehicles, though Captain Picard suggests they could be cloaked or otherwise hidden. Data states the colony is emissions quiet. Troi says there are 11,000 people down there and she should be able to sense something. She doesn’t.
The planet has been scorched clean. No bodies of water, no vegetation, no structures. The colonists had no ships capable of evacuating them. Wesley has detected something and gives the coordinates. There’s a small area of green with a single structure. Worf can detect two lifeforms, possibly human. Dr Crusher suggests it’s an illusion; Data says not.
On the way to the transporter room, the doctor says any survivors cannot be in good shape. Troi can sense something different about them. Riker, Worf, Geordi, Data and Dr Crusher beam down. Geordi says the building is a typical settlement structure. Worf can detect a single low-yield phaser inside. Non-functional. Riker starts to walk to the house when Geordi calls a warning too late. The commander is hoisted into the air by a noose trap.
An elderly man comes out, armed with the phaser, and demands to know what they are doing. Riker explains they are a rescue party. An elderly lady comes out as well; she’s far more friendly. It’s been days since they heard from anyone else. She realises everyone else is dead. The spacecraft was so big they could see it in orbit. It tore the world apart piece by piece. They don’t know who the attackers were. The woman introduces them as Rishon and Kevin Uxbridge. Riker wants to look inside the house, because he’d like to know why they were spared. No, he isn’t accusing them of anything.
Inside, Worf tells Kevin it took unmitigated gall to threaten them with a non-functioning phaser. He admires gall. Data looks at a music box and Rishon demonstrates it. In her quarters, Troi starts hearing the same song. The only unusual thing Riker can find out about the house is that it’s still intact. He wants to take the Uxbridges back to the ship. They don’t want to leave. Back on the ship, the captain is briefed. Troi doesn’t look well and finally asks to be excused.
Worf can find no sign of a hostile craft. Picard mentions that a Starfleet admiral said the same about an Andorian ship. The Andorians had dismantled the ship and hidden it. Worf states he is more thorough. He’d stake his reputation on it.
Troi is still being bugged by the music when Picard arrives at her quarters. She says she’s fine, just tired. A lie, and the captain knows it too. He can tell when someone is in pain and hiding it. Troi explains she can hear music constantly. It’s not an ear worm; it’s deeper. It doesn’t ever stop and she doesn’t even recognise the tune. It started when the away team was on the surface and she was thinking about the Uxbridges.
The ship goes to red alert as another ship arrives in orbit. Worf looks embarrassed when the captain arrives on the bridge. Riker states the ship was hiding at a Lagrange point. The design is completely foreign. Picard gives Worf a look. Worf cannot explain it. There’s no response to the hail and the ship opens fire. It does no damage. A warning shot is fired from the Enterprise and the ship leaves the system. They are unable to catch it, as it constantly matches their acceleration curve. The captain decides to head back to Rana IV.
He and Worf beam down with a replicator for the Uxbridges. Kevin states they don’t need it; his wife insists they do. On the ship, Troi now needs medical attention to deal with the music in her head, and that’s not working. Worf and Picard are invited in for tea. Worf, when asked, states ‘Good tea. Nice house.’ Evidently not one for small talk.
Kevin Uxbridge is sure that the attackers won’t hurt them if they return. Captain Picard figures out that something is going on, and has a good idea as to what. Acting on this must have made it look to the rest of the clue as if the captain had lost it.
Not one of the more cheerful episodes.