Hollow Pursuits

The Enterprise is carrying medical samples to fight an epidemic. Lt Reginald Barclay, a nervous engineer who struggles with people, is falling behind in his work, and Wesley has nicknamed him “Broccoli”. Picard bans the nickname and tells La Forge to take Barclay under his wing. Then a series of strange faults begins aboard ship. La Forge discovers Barclay's holodeck programs, in which he is confident and heroic and his shipmates are comic caricatures, including an adoring Troi. When Barclay goes missing, Riker, La Forge and Troi find him there. As the faults grow worse, the ship's engines accelerate out of control. Barclay works out that a contaminant from the samples has been carried around the ship by a member of the engineering team, causing every failure. The problem is fixed, the engines are brought under control, and La Forge praises his thinking. Barclay says goodbye to his holodeck characters and deletes all but one of his programs.