- Kirk: Captain of the Enterprise, huh?
- Picard: That's right.
- Kirk: Close to retirement?
- Picard: I'm not planning on it.
- Kirk: Well let me tell you something. Don't! Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do *anything* that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference.
- Picard: Come back with me. Help me stop Soran. Help make a difference again!
- Kirk: Who am I to argue with the captain of the Enterprise? What's the name of that planet? Veridian III?
- Picard: That's right.
- Kirk: I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim?
- Picard: You could say that.
- Kirk: You know if Spock were here, he'd say I was an irrational, illogical human being for going on a mission like that.
- [pause]
- Kirk: Sounds like fun!
- Picard: [to Troi] Recently, I've become aware that there are fewer days ahead than there are behind. But I took some comfort that the family would go on, but now there'll be no more Picards.
- Kirk: [to Sulu's daughter, Demora] Congratulations, Ensign. It wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm.
- Picard: Mr. Worf, I always knew this day would come. Are you prepared to face the charges?
- Troi: Answer him.
- Worf: I am prepared.
- Riker: [unfurling an old-school scroll] "We, the officers and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, being of sound mind and judgment, hereby make the following charges against Lieutenant Worf. One, that he did knowingly and willfully perform above and beyond the call of duty on countless occasions. Two, most seriously, that he has earned the admiration and respect of the entire crew."
- Picard: Mr. Worf, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, with all of the rights and privileges thereto. And may God have mercy on your soul.
- Picard: What you're about to do, Soran, is no different from when the Borg destroyed your world. They killed millions too. Including your wife, your children.
- Dr. Soran: [smiles, sighs] Nice try. You know there was a time that I wouldn't hurt a fly. Then the Borg came, and they showed me that if there is one constant in this whole universe, it's death. Afterwards, I began to realize that it didn't really matter. We're all going to die sometime. It's just a question of how and when. You will too, Captain. Aren't you beginning to feel time gaining on you?
- [enters control room of missile launcher]
- Dr. Soran: It's like a predator; it's stalking you. Oh, you can try and outrun it with doctors, medicines, new technologies. But in the end, time is going to hunt you down... and make the kill.
- Picard: It's our mortality that defines us, Soran. It's part of the truth of our existence.
- Dr. Soran: What if I told you I found a new truth?
- Picard: The Nexus?
- Dr. Soran: Time has no meaning there. The predator has no teeth.
- Riker: I'm going to miss this ship; she went before her time.
- Picard: Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. But I rather believe than time is a companion who goes with us on the journey, and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important how we lived. After all, Number One, we're only mortal.
- Riker: [smiling] Speak for yourself, sir. I plan to live forever.
- Data: [laughs] I get it! I get it! When you said "The clown can stay, but the Ferengi in the gorilla suit has to go!"
- Geordi: Data, what are you talking about?
- Data: During the Farpoint mission; we were on the bridge, you told a joke, that was the punchline!
- Geordi: The Farpoint mission? Data, that was seven years ago.
- Data: I know! I just got it! Very funny!
- Dr. Soran: [holding Kirk at gunpoint] Actually, I am familiar with history, Captain. And if I'm not too much mistaken, you're dead.
- [last lines]
- Riker: I always thought I'd get a shot at this chair one day.
- Picard: Perhaps you still will... somehow I doubt this will be the last ship to carry the name "Enterprise".
- [looks at Riker for a beat, then taps his combadge]
- Picard: Picard to Farragut, two to beam up.
- [the two men demateralize]
- [Data has found his cat Spot safe and alive in the Enterprise wreckage]
- Data: [happily] Spot!
- [Data cradles Spot, and begins crying]
- Troi: Data? Are you all right?
- Data: [tears streaming] I am happy to see Spot, yet I am crying! Perhaps the chip is malfunctioning.
- Troi: [smiling] I think it's working perfectly.
- Dr. Soran: Now, if you'll have to excuse me, Captain. I have an appointment with eternity and I don't want to be late.
- Picard: You never met my brother and his wife, did you?
- Troi: No.
- Picard: Robert. So opinionated. So pompous and arrogant. He always had to have the last word. But he-he mellowed a little bit in the last few years. I was going to get together with them all next month on Earth. I thought we'd go to San Francisco. Rene's always wanted to see Starfleet Academy.
- Troi: Rene?
- [realizing]
- Troi: Oh! Your nephew.
- Picard: Yes. He's, uh... he's so unlike his father. He's a dreamer, imaginative.
- [breaking down into tears]
- Picard: He's so very gentle.
- Troi: What's happened?
- Picard: Robert and Rene, they're... burned to death in a fire.
- Troi: I'm sorry.
- Picard: It's all right. It's all right. These things happen.
- Troi: Captain, it's not all right.
- Picard: I can't help thinking about... about all the experiences that Rene's not gonna have, about going to the Academy, reading books and listening to music and falling in love, building a life.
- [closing the photo album]
- Picard: Well, that's not going to happen now.
- Troi: I didn't realize he meant so much to you.
- Picard: I'd come to feel that Rene was as close as I would get to having a child of my own.
- Troi: Your family history is very important to you, isn't it?
- Picard: What? Oh. From being a small child, I can remember being told about the family line. The Picard who fought at Trafalgar. The Picard who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The Picards who settled the first Martian colonies. And when Robert married and he had a son, I...
- Troi: You felt it was no longer your responsibility to carry on the family line.
- Kirk: I was like you once, so worried about duty and obligation I couldn't see past my own uniform. And what did it get me? An empty house. Not this time. This time, I'm gonna walk up these stairs, march into that bedroom, and tell Antonia I want to marry her. This time, it's gonna be different.
- Picard: [following him, he finds himself in a horse stable] This is not your bedroom.
- Kirk: No, it's not. It's better.
- Picard: Better?
- Kirk: This is my uncle's barn in Idaho. I took this horse out for a ride 11 years ago on a spring day.
- [opening the barn door]
- Kirk: Like this one. If I'm right, this is the day I met Antonia. This Nexus of yours, very clever. I can start all over again and do things right from day one.
- [Wiping blood off her mouth after Soran strikes her]
- B'Etor: I hope, for your sake, that you were initiating a mating ritual.
- Picard: [to Riker] If there is one thing I have learned over the years is never underestimate a Klingon.
- Klingon Helm: We are cloaking!
- B'Etor: What?
- Klingon Helm: Our shields are down!
- Riker: [on the Enterprise] Fire.
- Picard: Now, can you project the course of the ribbon?
- Data: I believe so.
- Picard: [watching] Enhance grid 9-A. Where was the Amargosa star?
- [Data pinpoints its location near the ribbon's path]
- Picard: Now, you said that when the Amargosa star was destroyed, it affected the gravitational forces in this sector. Now, did the computer take that into account when it projected the course of the ribbon?
- Data: No, sir. I will make the appropriate adjustments.
- Picard: [seeing the ribbon's path change] That's what Soran's doing. He's changing the course of the ribbon. But why? Why would... why would he try to change its path? Why doesn't he just fly into it with a ship?
- Data: Our records show that every ship which has approached the ribbon has either been destroyed or severely damaged.
- Picard: He can't get to the ribbon, so he's trying to make the ribbon come to him. Data, does it pass near to any Class-M planets?
- Data: Yes, sir. There are two in the Veridian system.
- Picard: Well, it gets close to Veridian III, but not close enough. Data, what would happen to the ribbon's course if Soran destroyed the Veridian star itself?
- [as Data runs the simulation, the ribbon's path shifts to pass through Veridian III]
- Picard: That's where he's going.
- Data: It should be noted, sir, that the collapse of the Veridian star would produce a shock wave similar to the one we observed at Amargosa.
- Picard: Destroying all the planets in this system.
- Data: Veridian III is uninhabited. However, Veridian IV supports a pre-industrial humanoid society.
- Picard: Population?
- Data: 230 million, sir.
- Picard: [tapping his combadge] Picard to bridge.
- Worf: Worf here, sir.
- Picard: Set a course for the Veridian system, maximum warp.
- Picard's Kid: Papa, help me build my castle.
- Picard: Yes, I will in a few minutes.
- Picard's Kid: Papa, thank you for the dolly.
- [kissing his cheek]
- Picard's Kid: She's very beautiful.
- Picard: These are my children.
- [laughing]
- Picard: These are my children.
- Guinan: Of course. Time has no meaning here, so you can go back and see them born or go forward and see your grandchildren.
- [first lines]
- [the journalists are all talking at the same time, trying to get their questions in]
- Journalist #3: How does it feel to be back on the Enterprise bridge?
- Journalist #1: Captain Chekov, what are the most significant changes...
- Journalist #3: Captain Kirk, can I ask you a few questions?
- Journalist #1: Did you participate in the redesign?
- Journalist #3: We'd like to know how you feel about being...
- Kirk: I appreciate the...
- Harriman: Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. There will be plenty of time for questions later. I'm Captain John Harriman and I'd like to welcome you all aboard.
- Kirk: It's our pleasure.
- Harriman: I just want you to know how excited we all are to have a group of living legends with us on our maiden voyage. I remember reading about your missions when I was in grade school.
- Kirk: Oh, really? Well, may we have a look around?
- Harriman: Please. Please.
- Data: According to our current information, the destruction of the Amargosa star has had the following effects in this sector. Gamma emissions have increased by .05%. The Starship Bozeman was forced to make a course correction. Ambient magnetic fields...
- Picard: Wait. The Bozeman. Why would it make a course correction?
- Data: The destruction of the Amargosa star has altered the gravitational forces throughout this sector. As a result, any ship passing through this region would have to make a minor course correction.
- Data: I cannot continue with this investigation. I wish to be deactivated until Dr. Crusher can remove the emotion chip.
- Picard: Are you having some kind of malfunction?
- Data: No, sir. I simply do not have the ability to control these emotions.
- Picard: Data, I... I have nothing but sympathy for what you are feeling, but right now, I need you to...
- Data: Sir, I no longer want these emotions! Deactivating me is the only viable solution.
- Picard: Part of having feelings is learning to integrate them into your life, Data, learning to live with them no matter what the circumstances.
- Data: Sir, I cannot!
- Picard: [firmly] You will not be deactivated! You're an officer on board this ship, and I require you to perform your duty. That is an order, Commander.
- Picard: The best thing about life at sea, Will, was that no one could reach you. This was freedom, Will.