Relics

This episode of TNG offers us the chance to see a theoretical projection in action. It also has us meet an old friend from Star Trek prime.

The Enterprise comes across a Dyson Sphere something that Patrick Stewart explains is a theoretical projection of a vast metallic sphere millions of miles in any direction that would enclose a star. Such a thing enclosing a star and its solar system would allow life to live there and have an inexhaustible supply of energy.

Just the amount of material to construct one is mind boggling. The ancients who did it must have really planned for the long haul.

Crashed on this sphere are the remains of a starship and caught in the transporter buffer is none other than Captain Montgomery Scott. James Doohan who did this to save his life never realized that he'd be there for a three quarters of a century. He's now 147 years old.

Of course Scotty gravitates to Geordi LaForge and Scotty finds out how just how far behind the times he's become. The best part of this story are Jimmy Doohan's scenes with both LeVar Burton and Patrick Stewart.

However when the Enterprise accidentally is drawn into the Dyson Sphere while Geordi and Scotty are in the old crashed ship, Scotty proves very useful indeed.

We also learn the drawbacks of Dyson Spheres and I don't that when Captain Picard reports to the Federation about what happens any will be built by them.

This is one of my favorite TNG stories.