Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Skin of Evil (1988)

Ron Gans: Armus

Quotes 

• Lt. Cmdr. Data : You are capable of great sadism and cruelty. Interesting. No redeeming qualities.

  Voice of Armus : So, what do you think?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I think you should be destroyed.

  Voice of Armus : A moral judgment from a machine.

• Doctor Beverly Crusher : What is he made of?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : It did not register on the tricorder.

  Voice of Armus : "It"? Does that mean I am not alive?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : No. Clearly you are some kind of intelligent form.

  Voice of Armus : But you said I did not register on your instrument. Perhaps your instruments are useless.

• Counselor Deanna Troi : You were really surprised they came back.

  Voice of Armus : Yes.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Why? Because the others did not?

  Voice of Armus : What others?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : You can't hide the emptiness from me. The others - the ones who hurt you, who left you alone, rejected. The ones who make you so angry.

  Voice of Armus : What do you know of them?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Only what you tell me.

  Voice of Armus : I will tell you nothing!

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Not now, but soon.

• Counselor Deanna Troi : Who deserted you?

  Voice of Armus : Creatures whose beauty now dazzles all who see them. They would not exist without me.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : You were together?

  Voice of Armus : They perfected a means of bringing to the surface all that was evil and negative within, erupting, spreading, connecting. In time, it formed a second skin, dank and vile.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : You.

  Voice of Armus : Yes.

• Voice of Armus : Save your compassion! It's revolting. You offer it like a prize, when in fact, it's an insult.

  Capt. Picard : Because you feel unworthy.

  Voice of Armus : You overrate your gift. You Humans are puny, weak.

  Capt. Picard : But our spirit is indomitable.

  Voice of Armus : And still you die from a flake of my power.

• Voice of Armus : Do you want to know why I killed her?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Your answer would be meaningless. That act had no reason.

  Voice of Armus : Exactly! It had no meaning. I did it because I wanted to. It amused me.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : No. You thought it would amuse you; but it didn't.

• Doctor Beverly Crusher : [to Armus]  I'm a doctor. I need to treat our injured comrades.

  Voice of Armus : Say please.

  Doctor Beverly Crusher : Please.

  Voice of Armus : You asked nicely. I will allow it.

  [Beverly starts moving for the downed shuttlecraft] 

  Voice of Armus : Wait... I've changed my mind.

• Capt. Picard : A great poet once said: "All spirits are enslaved that serve things evil."

  Voice of Armus : You do not understand. I do not serve things evil; I *am* evil.

  Capt. Picard : Oh, no. You're not.

  Voice of Armus : I am a skin of evil, left here by a race of Titans, who believed if they rid themselves of me, they would free the bonds of destructiveness.

• Voice of Armus : Tell me, tin man, how does it feel to face your own extinction?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Curious.

• Counselor Deanna Troi : They won't give you what you want.

  Voice of Armus : And what is that?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : To break their spirit.

  Voice of Armus : Oh, is that what I want? If breaking their spirit will amuse me, then that's what I will have.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Never!

• [Deanna is in a downed shuttlecraft but Armus blocks the away team's path to her] 

  Commander William T. Riker : She needs our help!

  Voice of Armus : So what?

• Lt. Cmdr. Data : [about whether the tar-like oil slick that is Armus is a living creature]  It is possible. It possesses two of the requisites for life.

  Voice of Armus : [his deep, almost demonic voice is heard for the first time]  Very good, tin man!

  [Armus slowly lifts himself like a slimy ghost rising from the dead, before the landing party's very eyes] 

  Capt. Picard : [back on the Enterprise Bridge, Picard becomes concerened]  What is it, Number One? What are you seeing?

  Commander William T. Riker : [grimly; as Armus reaches his full height]  Trouble.

• Lt. Cmdr. Data : [to Armus]  You are capable of great sadism and cruelty. No redeeming qualities.

  Voice of Armus : So what do you think?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I think you should be destroyed.

  Voice of Armus : [scathingly]  A moral judgement from a machine!

• Voice of Armus : [referring to Riker]  Should I let him go?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : You only ask to torment me!

  Voice of Armus : Perhaps.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : How should I answer? What can I offer except myself?

  Voice of Armus : And would you give yourself for him? Would you give that much?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Yes. Without hesitation!

  Voice of Armus : Just for him?

  Counselor Deanna Troi : No, not just for him. I would do the same for any of the others.