Home Soil

TNG Season 1 Episode 18
Air Date: February 22nd, 1988

Plot

The Enterprise shows up at the planet Valara III, a planet that is being terraformed but behind schedule. When contacting the planet the leader Troi detected that he was trying to hide something. Picard insists that they beam down to get a tour so they can investigate. While the away team is down, a laser loses control and kills one of the terraforming engineers.

Data enters the room when the laser is off and tries to recreate what happens. When the laser attacks again he is able to destroy it but in the process discovers a microscopic life form that isn't carbon based but we learn is intelligent. When they transport one to the Enterprise it starts taking over and multiplying. They finally are able to communicate with it and convince it that they didn't know they was life on the planet and promises to leave.

Commentary

This episode has one of my favorite Star Trek quotes. "Ugly giant bags of mostly water" to describe humans. It shows the ignorance that we sometimes have on other life forms.

Quotes

"You're a man obsessed with what you do. Who knows what an obsessed man will do to keep going. Kill, perhaps?" - Picard
"I create life, I don't take it!" - Mandl

"Ugly giants bags of mostly water" - Silicon Life Form
"Bags of mostly water?" - Picard
"An accurate description of humans, sir. You are over ninety per cent water surrounded by a flexible container." - Data

"We mean you no harm. Do you believe me?" - Picard
"Yes." - Silicon Life Form
"Good. It is important that you trust us." - Picard
"Not yet. You are still too arrogant. Too primitive. Come back three centuries. Perhaps then we trust." - Silicon Life Form