Phantasms

Data has been experimenting with dreams, and they are becoming nightmares, full of strange workmen taking apart the ship's engines and turning on him. Meanwhile, the ship's new warp core keeps failing, much to the relief of Picard, who is hoping to avoid a dreary admirals' dinner. Even a holographic Sigmund Freud cannot explain the dreams. Then the dream images begin to appear while Data is awake. He sees mouths on his crewmates' bodies and, in a disturbing moment, stabs Counselor Troi in the shoulder. Data is confined while the cause is sought, and Dr Crusher discovers invisible interphasic creatures feeding on the crew. Data realises his dreams were his subconscious sensing them all along. He adapts his own circuitry to emit an interphasic pulse, which destroys the creatures and fixes the engines. Picard still misses his dinner, and Troi brings Data a cake shaped like himself.