History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E6BoobyTrap

* AsteroidThicket: The site of the battle between the Promellians and the Menthars, in which both races annihilated one another. Taken UpToEleven by the fact that said battle occurred more than ''one thousand years ago''.

-->'''Georgi:''' What is it that you want in a man?\\

Geordi La Forge is on a holodeck date with Christy Henshaw. He plies her with tropical cocktails and a "gypsy violin," but Henshaw tells him that she just doesn't feel the same way about him. Shortly thereafter, a downtrodden Geordi wanders into Ten-Forward, cluing Wesley and Data in to how the date went.

The ''Enterprise'' is investigating an asteroid field created by the former planet Orelious IX, the site of an ancient battle that wiped out two ancient spacefaring races: the Promellians and the Menthars. A surviving Promellian battle cruiser is discovered in the field. This discovery excites Captain Picard, who compares it to the ships in bottles that he built when he was a child. To his chagrin, no one seems to get his reference until O'Brien pipes up that ''he'' used to build ships in bottles too. As Picard, Data, and Worf beam over to the cruiser, O'Brien notes a slight power drop that seems to correct itself.

* DrowningMySorrows: Geordi spends quite some time at the ship's bar after being friend-zoned by Christy.

* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]] is awestruck at the sight of a Promellian battlecruiser. He also admires its crew for [[GoingDownWithTheShip dying at their posts]].

Geordi La Forge is on a holodeck date with Christy Henshaw. He plies her with tropical cocktails and a "gypsy violin," but Henshaw tells him that she just doesn't feel the same way about him.

The ''Enterprise'' is investigating an asteroid field created by the former planet Orelious IX, the site of an ancient battle that wiped out two ancient spacefaring races: the Promellians and the Menthars. A surviving Promellian battle cruiser is discovered in the field. This discovery excites Captain Picard, who compares it to the ships in bottles he built when he was a child. To his chagrin, no one seems to get his reference until O'Brien pipes up that ''he'' used to built ships in bottles too. As Picard, Data, and Worf beam over to the cruiser, O'Brien notes a slight power drop that seems to correct itself.

Geordi commiserates with Guinan about his bad luck with women and decides that he might have come on a bit strong. Guinan also reveals that she has a thing for bald men. [[ShipTease Wait what]]?

Even with the engines running at full warp, they're not moving. Geordi comments that everything appears to be operational, but as they're unable to move, he recommends slowing down to prevent burning out the engines. What's more, the ''Enterprise'' is suddenly bathed in high-energy radiation, which is stopped by the shields--but the power drain will knock the shields out in a few hours. The crew come to realize that they're caught in a Menthar booby trap, just like the Promellian ship was a thousand years earlier.

Needing to figure out a way to escape before their energy reserves run out, Geordi decides to go back to the beginning--to the logs of the designers of the ''Enterprise'''s engines. He has the computer play back the engineering logs of one of the designers, Dr. Leah Brahms, but Geordi soon finds out it's not enough. For a more interactive experience to work on the problem, he heads to the holodeck. There, he recreates the design room at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, where final construction of the ''Enterprise'' was completed. He continues to work with the voice of Dr. Brahms guiding him, but when he asks the voice to show him something in particular, the computer creates a virtual Leah to point it out.

Meanwhile, Data and Riker have salvaged the remaining data cylinders from the cruiser and discover that the booby trap is a series of energy collectors embedded in many of the asteroids. Phaser energy would merely be absorbed, while the ship is too close to the collectors to safely use photon torpedoes, especially without full shields. Combined with an increase in ambient radiation in the field, the crew faces dying of exposure even before their air would run out. Nevertheless, Picard has Worf try the phasers. Unfortunately, this only accelerates the power drain and increase the radiation, forcing the ship to automatically shut down nonessential systems--including the holodeck, just as Geordi might be making a breakthrough.

Geordi says his goodbyes to Leah, noting that as much as technology has improved their lives, there are times where it just needs to be turned off. Leah reminds him that she will be with him as long as he's on the ship. They kiss, and Geordi ends the program--which is sure not to come back to bite him in the ass later... [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild right?]]

* ExactTimeToFailure: As usual when it comes to radiation, the computer tells everyone how long it will be until exposure becomes lethal -- because of course radiation affects everyone the same way and you'll be just fine if you shut it down JustInTime. Riker just has the countdown outright disabled as they're flying out of the asteroid field, as it's just become a nuisance by then.

** The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5"--as in, hinting at the fact that Geordi's second LoveInterest of the episode would share the same last name.

** Although no connection is ever made in dialogue, the ApocalypticLog of the Promellian captain taking responsibility for his crew's fate could foreshadow Picard's taking the helm from Wesley in order to fly the ship clear himself -- so that, if anything should go wrong, it would be on the Captain rather than the teenager.

* IncrediblyLameFun: Picard is rather dismayed to find no one else shares his enthusiasm for ships in bottles (other than O'Brien).

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Variant, in that it's the main character and a single guest character. Strictly speaking, why is it that Geordi can ''only'' consult with the holographic recreation of Leah Brahms? Doesn't he have the whole engineering staff to depend on, none of whom are ever seen interacting on this problem? We even see later in the season Geordi brainstorming with other engineering crew.

* SeriesContinuityError: Although Worf claims he never "played with toys" when Picard asks if anyone has ever made model ships in bottles, we did in fact see Worf trying to put together a model ship back in season two's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E21PeakPerformance Peak Performance]]." While the model was not specifically a [[InsistentTerminology ship in a bottle]], his blanket disparagement of the whole concept still clashes with the earlier scene.

* StealthPun: In an episode called "Booby Trap," Geordi must resist the urge to fall in love with a woman he cannot romance.

* TakeAThirdOption: The ''Enterprise'''s options seemed to be do nothing and perish or do so much and perish anyway until Geordi finds another solution. In this case, it's actually taking a ''fourth'' option: the third option, the one presented by the computer, seemed too risky, along with lacking the "human element."

* IncrediblyLameFun: Picard is rather dismayed to find no one else shares his enthusiasm for ships in bottles.

* SeriesContinuityError: Although Worf claims he never "played with toys" when Picard asks if anyone has ever made model ships in bottles, we did in fact see Worf trying to put together a model ship back in season two's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E21PeakPerformance Peak Performance]]." While the model was not specifically a [[InsistentTerminology ship in a bottle]], but his blanket disparagement of the whole concept still clashes with the earlier scene.

* SeriesContinuityError: Although Worf claims he never "played with toys" when Picard asks if anyone has ever made model ships in bottles, we did in fact see Worf trying to put together a model ship back in season two's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E21PeakPerformance Peak Performance]]." To be fair, on that occasion it was not specifically a [[InsistentTerminology ship in a bottle]], but it seems strange that he wouldn't make the connection. Then again, it's doubtful Worf would acknowledge said models as being toys even if it had occurred to him.

** The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5"--as in, hinting at the fact that Geordi's second LoveInterest of the episode would share the same last name.[[note]]And ''also'' foreshadowing his intention (before realizing it's too corny and obvious) to use mood music by Brahms in his date with the real Leah in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild "Galaxy's Child"]].[[/note]]

Geordi La Forge is on a holodeck date with Christy Henshaw, but things don't go quite as planned, as Data and Wesley Crusher note when he shows up in Ten Forward rather early--and alone.

About a thousand years ago, two ancient spacefaring races, the Promellians and the Menthars, wiped each other out in a galactic war. The ''Enterprise'' is investigating the asteroid field--the former planet Orelious IX--that was the site of the final battle that led to their extinction. A surviving Promellian battle cruiser is discovered in the field, a find that excites Captain Picard, who compares it to the ships in bottles he built when he was a child. Much to his disappointment, the analogy falls flat, as apparently Chief O'Brien is the only other member of the crew to have built ships in bottles. As Picard, Data, and Worf beam over to the cruiser, O'Brien notes a slight power drop that seems to correct itself.

While Geordi commiserates with Guinan about his bad luck with women, the away team finds the remains of the Promellian crew, still at their posts. Picard marvels at the resilient design of the ship, and Data finds the final recording from the ship's captain, taking full responsibility for the fate of his ship. They return to the ship, Picard quite pleased with the discovery, and they prepare to leave...

... only to find that their power is being drained. Even with the engines running at full warp, they're not moving. Geordi comments that everything appears to be operational, but as they're unable to move, he recommends slowing down to prevent burning out the engines. What's more, the ''Enterprise'' is suddenly bathed in high-energy radiation, which is stopped by the shields--but the power drain will knock the shields out in a few hours. The crew come to realize that they're caught in a Menthar booby trap, just like the Promellian ship was a thousand years earlier.

Needing to figure out a way to escape before their energy reserves run out, Geordi decides to go back to the beginning--to the logs of the designers of the ''Enterprise'''s engines. He has the computer play back the engineering logs of one of the designers, Dr. Leah Brahms, but Geordi soon finds out it's not enough, and needing a more interactive experience to work on the problem, he heads to the holodeck. There, he recreates the design room at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, where final construction of the ''Enterprise'' was completed. He continues to work with the voice of Dr. Brahms guiding him, but when he asks the voice to show him something in particular, the computer creates a virtual Leah to point it out.

At first, the holographic Brahms merely continues to recite the relevant logs in a monotone manner. This leads Geordi to have the computer search for her personality profile from the available records to create a personality for the avatar, to make her easier to interact with. The two begin arguing over their approaches to the problem, but gradually work things out and start to make progress, as Geordi finds himself growing attracted to "Leah". Geordi reports to Picard that he's getting close to a solution.

Meanwhile, Data and Riker have salvaged the remaining data cylinders from the cruiser, and discover that the booby trap is a series of energy collectors embedded in many of the asteroids. Phaser energy would merely be absorbed, while the ship is too close to the collectors to safely use photon torpedoes, especially without full shields. Combined with an increase in ambient radiation in the field, the crew faces dying of exposure even before their air would run out. Nevertheless, Picard has Worf try the phasers. Unfortunately, this only accelerates the power drain and increase the radiation, forcing the ship to automatically shut down nonessential systems--including the holodeck, just as Geordi might be making a breakthrough.

Geordi says his goodbyes to Leah, noting that as much as technology has improved their lives, there are times where it just needs to be turned off. Leah reminds him that she will be with him as long as he's on the ship. They kiss, and Geordi ends the program--which [[SarcasmMode is sure not to come back to bite him in the ass later]]... [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild right?]]

* {{Precursors}}: The Promellians and Menthar.

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything:
** Variant, in that it's the main character and a single guest character - Strictly speaking, why is it that Geordi can ONLY consult with the holographic recreation of Leah Brahms? Doesn't he have the whole engineering staff to depend on, none of whom are ever seen interacting on this problem? We even see later in the season Geordi brainstorming with other engineering crew.
** Also, at the climax, Picard relieves Wesley in order to personally fly the ship out of the asteroid field, though that may be so Wesley isn't burdened with dooming the crew if he fails. Picard was also a legendary helmsman before he gained his first command, so he truly was the best person on that bridge to fly them to safety (as his slingshot maneuver showed).

* ExactTimeToFailure: As usual when it comes to radiation, the computer tells everyone how long it will be until exposure becomes lethal -- because of course radiation affects everyone the same way and you'll be just fine if you shut it down JustInTime.

** Also, at the climax, Picard relieves Wesley in order to personally fly the ship out of the asteroid field, though that may be so Wesley isn't burdened with dooming the crew if he fails.

* SeriesContinuityError: Although Worf claims he never "played with toys" when Picard asks if anyone has ever made model ships in bottles, we did in fact see Worf trying to put together a model ship back in season two's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E21PeakPerformance Peak Performance]]." To be fair, on that occasion it was not specifically a [[InsistentTerminology ship in a bottle]], but it seems strange that he wouldn't make the connection.
** You really think Worf, the fearsome Klingon warrior, will admit that even ''he's'' NotSoAboveItAll?

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything:
** Variant, in that it's the main character and a single guest character - Strictly speaking, why is it that Geordi can ONLY consult with the holographic recreation of Leah Brahms? Doesn't he have the whole engineering staff to depend on, none of whom are ever seen interacting on this problem? We even see later in the season Geordi brainstorming with other engineering crew.
** Also, at the climax, Picard relieves Wesley in order to personally fly the ship out of the asteroid field.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5"--as in, hinting at the fact that Geordi's second LoveInterest of the episode would share the same last name.[[note]]And ''also'' foreshadowing his intention (before realizing it's too corny and obvious) to use mood music by Brahms in his date with the real Leah in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild "Galaxy's Child"]].[[/note]]

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Variant, in that it's the main character and a single guest character - Strictly speaking, why is it that Geordi can ONLY consult with the holographic recreation of Leah Brahms? Doesn't he have the whole engineering staff to depend on, none of whom are ever seen interacting on this problem? We even see later in the season Geordi brainstorming with other engineering crew

* FridgeLogic: So, on a ship with over a thousand crewmen, a staff that must number in the high double digits at least... The only person Geordi can consult on this is a holographic recreation of the original engine designer, and not a single additional crewman?

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5"--as in, hinting at the fact that Geordi's second LoveInterest of the episode would share the same last name.[[labelnote:*]]And ''also'' foreshadowing his intention (before realizing it's too corny and obvious) to use mood music by Brahms in his date with the real Leah in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild "Galaxy's Child"]].[[/labelnote]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5"--as in, hinting at the fact that Geordi's second LoveInterest of the episode would share the same last name.[[labelnote:*]]And ''also'' foreshadowing his intention (before realizing it's too corny and obvious) to use mood music by Brahms in his date with the real Leah in ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E16GalaxysChild Galaxy's Child]]''.[[/labelnote]]

%%* {{Foreshadowing}}: The holographic violinist in Geordi's holoprogram plays Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5".
%% The above entry is commented out because it isn't clear what "Hungarian Dance No. 5" is foreshadowing.

* {{Precursors}}: The Promellians and Menthar.