11001001

"11001001"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 15
Directed by	Paul Lynch
Written by	Maurice Hurley Robert Lewin
Featured music	Ron Jones
Production code	116
Original air date	February 1, 1988 (1988-02-01)
Guest stars
Carolyn McCormick - Minuet Gene Dynarski - Orfil Quinteros Katy Boyer - Zero One Alexandra Johnson - One Zero Iva Lane - Zero Zero Kelli Ann McNally - One One Jack Sheldon - Piano Player Abdul Salaam El Razzac - Bass Player Ron Brown - Drummer
Episode chronology
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List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"11001001" is the 15th episode of the first season of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast on February 1, 1988. It was written by Maurice Hurley and Robert Lewin, and directed by Paul Lynch. The title is the binary representation of the number 201, which can be seen at various times throughout the episode, such as on computer panels.

Overview

Curious little aliens, the Bynars, hijack the Enterprise while retrofitting its computer in a space dock.

Plot

On stardate 41365.9, the Enterprise arrives at Starbase 74, in orbit above Tarsus III, for a routine maintenance check. Captain Picard and Commander Riker greet Starbase Commander Quinteros and a pair of small humanoid aliens known as Bynars whose species have become so interconnected with their computer technology that their language and thought patterns have become as near to that of a computer's as a biological lifeform's can.

Picard and Riker remain aboard as the crew disembarks for shore leave. The Bynars create a captivating Earth woman named Minuet using the ship's Holodeck.

Wesley, Geordi and Data investigate trouble in Engineering where the main computer indicates a catastrophic failure in less than five minutes, resulting in an immediate evacuation procedure. The Enterprise is remote-piloted out of the station where it is expected it will explode in open space. The crew learns that Riker and Picard are absent, and the ship does not explode, but instead warps away.

Unaware of what is going on outside the holodeck, Riker and Picard are lost in conversation with Minuet. Picard realizes that she is stalling him and exits the holodeck.

Picard attempts to contact the bridge, but there is no response. The computer explains the Enterprise is now heading for the planet Bynaus. Picard and Riker turn to Minuet for answers and she admits her part in the deception. The Bynars created her to keep them in the holodeck.

After arming the ship to self-destruct, Riker and Picard learn that the Bynars were stealing the ship to prevent a disaster on their own planet, and are able to help them. The Bynars express the gratitude of their people and request to be returned to the starbase to answer for their crimes. When Picard asks the Bynars why they didn't ask for help, the aliens reply, "You might have said no."

Riker returns to the holodeck, seeing a brunette sitting again at the bar, but realizes that it is not Minuet. He reports to Picard that Minuet is gone. Riker muses about the transient nature of love.

Notes

• The title is the binary representation of the number 201, which can be seen at various times throughout the episode, such as on computer panels.^{[original research?]}

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 1, disc 4, selection 3.

External links

• 11001001 at the Internet Movie Database
• "11001001" at TV.com
• 11001001 at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• 11001001 at StarTrek.com