“Unnatural Selection” is episode seven of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is heading for a rendezvous to collect a Starfleet medical courier and Captain Picard considers this an opportunity to assess the performance of Dr Pulaski. Counselor Troi arrives at the captain’s ready room; he wants to know how she would evaluate their new chief medical officer. A passion for her work and a dedicated physician. Picard agrees, but asks if it’s possible her consuming dedication could interfere with her judgement. Troi understands, but does not share, his concern, but she’s had more time to get to know Pulaski better.
At this point Data contacts the captain from the bridge. They are receiving a faint distress call from an adjacent sector. It’s voice only, from the USS Lantree, a Federation supply ship. The signal is poor quality and about all that can be heard are that they are dying and need help, then nothing. The line is open, but no-one is responding. The captain decides they’d better take a look and Data updates them on the Lantree‘s specifications.
The Lantree, when they arrive, is still not responding. Data has no lifesigns, Troi senses nothing and there’s nothing within two parsecs. Worf says there’s no sign of battle damage and suggests they board. Riker suggests activating the Lantree‘s viewscreen remotely to take a look at the bridge. Picard agrees and heads to his ready room to use his override codes. Dr Pulaski arrives on the bridge and they get a view from the Lantree‘s bridge monitor. Everyone is dead. And old. Very old. Pulaski says they all died of natural causes, checking her own data. As to what in nature could do that – old age.
The Lantree‘s last log entry said that there are only six left and the captain’s watched friends row old and die. They only have a few hours. Riker says the captain was his age. According to Pulaski, the crew had a recent check-up and were in perfect health apart from the first officer having an exotic, but harmless, flu. The last port of call was the Darwin Genetic Research Facility. The Lantree will be quarantined as the Enterprise heads to Darwin to warn them.
Dr Kingsley of Darwin responds to their hail. They have a medical emergency; the rapid onset of geriatric phenomena. She celebrated her 35th birthday last week. She looks substantially older. No, she doesn’t believe there’s a connection to their work; it’s human genetic research. Kingsley believes they were infected by the Lantree three days ago. She’s filled in on what happened. Kingsley is concerned about their children. They must be evacuated and have been in full quarantine, showing no symptoms. Options in quarantine are limited.
Dr Pulaski wants to bring one of the children aboard. Troi says Kingsley sincerely believes the children are not a threat but isn’t telling the whole truth. The captain wants to err on the side of caution. Pulaski suggests beaming one child in suspended animation for examination. Riker says they don’t know what they’re looking for. And they won’t until they start gathering data. Captain Picard won’t put the whole crew at risk without proof positive they’re harmless.
In sickbay, Chief O’Brien is contacted in the transporter room – Colm Meaney finally has a name and a much bigger role in this episode. When he’s ready, one 12-year-old boy is beamed aboard in stasis. Though he looks rather older. Troi says the child is telepathic. Dr Pulaski thinks he’s the future of humanity. Dr Kingsley’s vision of it, according to the captain.
The doctor tells the captain that the boy is in better health than they are. His immune system is so advanced it may not be possible for him to contract a disease. She wants to free him from stasis as she can’t do any further tests. The captain is concerned; what if Pulaski is wrong? She declares she isn’t. If Pulaski can demonstrate the boy is biologically harmless, Picard will do everything he can to help. Pulaski speaks to Troi, because she and the captain are constantly clashing. Troi says the problem is that they are similar in nature and well-established personalities.
After speaking to Kingsley, Pulaski heads to see Geordi about putting the child in an isolated environment. Nothing on the ship is truly isolated. A shuttlecraft is, though. She then heads to see the captain; she’s willing to take the risk. During their argument, Picard approves her request and Pulaski doesn’t immediately notice. She is, after all, trying to satisfy his conditions.
Dr Pulaski is, as the captain feared, wrong. She also has a hatred of transporters, just like another Enterprise chief medical officer and, once again, is picking on Data, taking his concern for her as concern for himself. Darwin Station has been rather arrogant (and, in later episodes and series, this sort of genetic manipulation will not be legal, thanks to the earlier Eugenics Wars).