S7E17 · Masks

A classroom of children on the Enterprise -D and Data are making clay sculptures under the supervision of Deanna Troi when a mysterious-looking rogue comet is discovered that is determined to have been en route from a distant star system for 87 million years (since the mid- Cretaceous). The crew initiates a sensor scan of it, triggering a flash of light onboard and a distortion within the comet's inner core. Sensors are reconfigured for a low-intensity sweep which will last thirty-nine hours. Eighteen hours later, Data creates a clay mask with a sun symbol identical to that seen on an artifact found in Troi's quarters and on Eric Burton's computer terminal, raising suspicions.

It is discovered that the comet has been using the Enterprise scans as a carrier wave to send information back to the ship, which has caused icons (alien-looking ideographic symbols like Mayan glyphs) that Data is somehow able to read to appear on the ship's computer and the creation of artifacts throughout the ship by the replicator systems. The crew use a phaser beam to remove the outer shell of the comet nucleus and find that an "incredible, huge, Mayan-esque, geometric piece of technology" was at the inner core of the former comet nucleus.

Data believes that the object is an informational archive and is confined to his quarters when he starts to exhibit what is described as the equivalent of multiple personalities, initially assuming the personality of the mischievous Ihat, but soon manifesting others, such as a sacrificial victim, a frightened boy, and a tired elderly man, each of which has an identifying ceremonial neckplate. Though initially the Enterprise continues to scan the Archive, hoping to determine how to reverse or stop the changes, bit by bit, the ship is being transformed, so the crew decide to attempt to destroy the Archive, only to be impeded by the changes.

The Archive activates a tractor beam, overriding ship control systems. While Geordi searches for the Archive's transformation program, Captain Picard determines that they need to understand the meanings of the artifacts, and talks to the various personalities that Data exhibits to learn more.

Through Ihat, Picard learns that a queen called Masaka is waking, and that the only one that can talk to her is one called Korgano, a masculine figure. Ihat states that Masaka will only appear once Masaka's temple (the Queen's temple) has been built. The elder, another of the personalities exhibited by Data who is believed to be Masaka's father, provides Picard with the full version of the temple symbol, an icon that is used to create that temple. Inside the temple, they find the Masaka sun image paired with a horn symbol, which Picard guesses may be Korgano's moon symbol.

Data puts on the mask he had created from clay with Masaka's sun symbol on it and escapes from his quarters, arriving at Masaka's temple, where he, now manifesting Masaka, sits down upon the throne. Masaka refuses to communicate with the merely mortal Picard. Desperate, Picard has Geordi input Korgano's moon symbol into the Archive's transformation program, which produces a silver mask with Korgano's moon symbol on its forehead. Picard decides to wear the Korgano mask in order to pose as Korgano and confront the Masaka personality. In the character of Korgano, Picard convinces Masaka to sleep so that she and Korgano can continue their "hunt" another day.

With the Masaka personality asleep, all the changes aboard the Enterprise are reverted, and Data finds himself back to normal. Geordi manages to disable the archive's transformation program. Picard comments that Data has, briefly, contained personalities encompassing the inhabitants of an entire civilization, and as such he has had an experience that "transcends the human condition." [citation needed]